Los Olivos

My first word was “olive”.  My mom & dad would pop black olives on all my fingers and I would repeat “O-live. O-live. O-live.” After dressing my hands in olives for years they finally realized I was just trying to say “I love you”, and subsequently I now have an obsession with olives.

It is odd that with my ‘I Love Olives’ obsession I have never heard much about Los Olivos, in the Santa Ynez valley located 30 miles north-east of Santa Barbara. I am a big fan of local vacations and staycations so when my friends decided we should do a weekend there I was totally game.

Los Olivos began in 1880 on a 5 tree olive farm, and though they grow olives, they are most known for their vineyards. The quaint three block downtown is home to  24 tasting rooms including 10 vineyards that specialize in sparkling wine  (think outdoors Austin TX vibe with music, picnic tables, and string lights).

Los Olivos is also located just 15 minutes from the Dutch town of Solvang and 5 miles south of Neverland Ranch. There is a ton of stuff to do besides eating cheese and drinking like a horse (like horseback riding, making cheese, hot air balloon adventures, and historic museums)

We stayed in the most charming cottage via airb&b and we were walking distance to the Main Street where an olive festival was happening. There is also a Fess Parker there if you want to be extra swanky. Make sure you check out the “bacon steak” at the Brothers Restaurant, Sides Hardware & Shoes (it is exactly what it sounds like). 

If you want to make it a real adventure you can take the  scenic Pacific Coast train from Los Angeles to Santa Barbara and then an amtrak from Santa Barbara to Los Olivos which connects in Solvang. Perfect for a romantic weekend getaway, girls’ retreat, or mother-daughter weekend. [You can go alone too, just that’s sad and I am sorry. Ok it’s not sad, it’s good to have alone time, I just don’t like it because then the voices in my head get too loud]

Solvang
Solvang
Solvang
Los Olivos
Los Olivos
Solvang

American Horror Story @ The Paley Center for New Media

This summer, the most visited clothing displays on rodeo drive aren’t going to be Chanel, Dior, Jimmy Choo or Prada. Check out the darker side of Beverly Hills at the American Horror Story costume exhibit which is currently at the Paley Center for the Arts through July 30th.

The temporary exhibit takes a look inside the minds of creator Ryan Murphy and award winning costume designer Lou Eyrich, who designed all of the costumes for Lady Gaga, Kathy Bates, Jessica Lange, and the rest of the cast for all 6 seasons of AHS (she also is the designer for Glee & Scream Queens).

Props and multimedia make the exhibit interactive and entertaining, and of course I saw it as a great opportunity to snapchat my face on to the mannequins. Check it out before the exhibit leaves at the end of July!

 

 AHS: The Style of Scare

465 N. Beverly Drive, at S. Santa Monica Blvd.

June 3 to July 30, 2017 • FREE Exhibit in Los Angeles
Wednesdays to Sundays 12:00 to 5:00 pm
Closed Mondays and Tuesdays.

Pan Asian Poor Pasta

This is a recipe I improvise when I am hosting any last minute parties or need to make a lot of food on a budget. It’s delicious and it costs about $6 and the recipe below could be an appetizer or side for about 10 people. It’s incredibly fresh and light and perfect for summer since it’s served chilled or great for a picnic because it’s self contained and not messy.

The beauty of this recipe is that it is the casserole of pasta salads in that you really can’t go wrong with throwing all your leftovers into it.

1 cup chopped broccoli
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup chopped baby corn
1 cup water chestnuts
1/2 cup chopped scallions or onion of your choice
4 cups thin spaghetti or angel hair pasta
1/4 cup cilantro
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup olive oil or sesame oil
2 tbs sesame seeds
1 tbs garlic

Other alternative ingredients if you are lacking in the above:

Bok Choy
Sweet peppers
Peas
Corn off the cob
Edamame beans (peeled)
Radishes
Bamboo hearts

Stay away from cucumber, zucchini, and beats because it will get soggy and take away from the freshness and crispness of the dish.

Directions:

Boil your water and cook the pasta until it is al dente.

While the pasta is cooking, chop the vegetables to your preferred size- smaller is better because it will absorb the sauce more.

After draining the pasta combine the oil and soy sauce and stir on a low flame. Add all vegetables and stir on and off for the next few minutes so everything is mixed well. You can alternate with any vegetable you prefer and I love adding some sriracha, sweet chili sauce, or chili flakes for a kick.

Turn off the stove and let sit for 30 minutes with a lid (if you have the time- if you don’t you can always pre-cool the pasta by running it under the cold sink water and adding vegetables after without simmering, but the flavor won’t be as well saturated).

After the pot has cooled transfer contents to container to chill in fridge for at least one hour for perfect temperature.

Serve cold and if you plan this out for a BBQ it goes well with teriyaki chicken, salmon, or fish.