Presley's Pantry

I’m talking Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies today. Since I have been home bound due to Covid-19 I have fallen into complete comfort food zone. I need something to cradle me through this tough time, and these cookies definitely are doing the trick. I like using salted peanuts and both milk and semisweet chocolate chips. They crisp up nicely on the outside and keep moist on the inside. The classic combo of peanut butter and chocolate take their love affair to new heights in cookie form and makes staying home a lot easier.

I just need to gather my myself and take a seat after the weeks we just had. I don’t think I’ve ever witnessed my city of Los Angeles in such unrest and unity at the same time.  A beautifully tragic dichotomy to behold.  It’s taken us a long time to get here, and we still have a long way to go.  Like I said, it’s a lot to process.  In that process I have been seeking more time for myself.  Taking comfort in the simple things such as finding serenity in my patio surrounded by my plants with a little ‘trago’ in hand.  I usually make a pitcher of Sparkling Spiked Limonada and keep it in the fridge for an easy go-to drink.

Bright yellow custard… Sweet tangy lemon…. Meaty coconut… Wrapped in English short bread cookie crust. Chewy and magnetically addictive. Then imagine a toasty cloud of swiss meringue up top. I just described my Lemon Coconut Meringue Bars!! If they only existed on another planet, I’d have to book my flight.  They could transport me to a coffee shop across the Atlantic with brick stone roads and cold air.  Or I could easily be in outer space floating on air… that’s how these bars make me feel.  Close my eyes and entwined in their delicious magic I feel comforted at home and ready for aa another bite.

My Mom loves a hearty plate of tofu smothered in sauce. Her name on Instagram is Tofupansa for gawdSSSSsakes… what more do I need to say to convince you she LOVES tofu. Anyhow, she’s always asking me to make her a batch and I kinda blow it off. Not because I’m trying to ignore her wishes, but more because I hadn’t really dreamed up the perfect way to serve it up.

When I think of a day spent at the amusement park… I instantly think of a crispy glazed funnel cake too. I picture myself on a warm Summer night enjoying a freshly fried plate of this finger licking crunchy treat in between water rides and firework shows. Ahhh memories of summers past. I miss those experiences and am really craving some Summer fun.

When I was a wee young girl, I attended a Magnet elementary school in Brentwood, CA and used to get bussed there. It was a one hour ride in each direction as we zigzagged our way through my beloved City of Angels. I feel like I learned so many back streets and the lay of the land beyond East LA from that bus ride. We used to make a stop in front of Phoenix Bakery in Chinatown, and the owner’s son would get on board the school bus. A handful of times he brought a box of cream puffs to share from his famed bakery. It was then that I was introduced to the delicate pastry.

Meatless Sesame Cabbage Salad is the vegan answer to a Chinese Chicken Salad gone plant based. It’s a simple salad I’ve been throwing together since I became a vegetarian a handful of years ago. Sometimes I add a meatless-chicken patty to the greens or extra crunchy elements just to spice it up. Either way feel free to mix and match. I will give you my recipe to use as a base but use whatever you have to make it your own.