Drizzle of Sunshine: cheese

I'm back at it. I'm back on my quest to find good eats in California and to prove to a certain New Yorker that it ain't that hard. I haven't written a California Eats post in quite a while, but I assure you I've been giving my taste buds a good workout. During my pregnancy and even before baby bump, I ate at some pretty noteworthy places. To start it off, I give you the restaurant where I discovered Speculoos.

The Place: Nestled in the village square of Claremont, this casual french bakery serves more than just your run-of-the-mill croissants and baguettes. Sure, that's what my stomach was expecting walking into a place like this, but I was more than pleased with the selection they have here. Whatever you order, you can enjoy your meal inside, which is rustically decorated with wood from floor to ceiling, or outside, al fresco as the french do.

The Menu: I came with a friend who highly recommended their Tartines. I've never had one before so I was game. The first thought that came to my mind when reading their menu was fresh. Their meals include locally grown and organic ingredients which is not hard to find in Southern California. There is an assortment of egg, chicken, veggie, and even a few meat dishes, something to please everyone. Of course, you can't forget the bread. Almost everything is served with a hearty slice of delicious homemade bread. "Le Pain Quotidien" itself means "daily bread." Bread everyday? Yes, please!

The Eats: I started off with a lemonade iced tea that is sweetened with raw organic agave nectar. It was perfectly tart and refreshing. I ordered the Roast Beef Tartine and the presentation did not disappoint. The tartine is an open faced sandwich which, in my opinion, needs to be eye catching. My friend ordered the Mushroom Kale Frittata which looked delicious as well.

My tartine was perfect. The bread was firm with a deliciously crunchy crust. Perfect ratio of roast beef to mozzarella, drizzled with fresh vinegarette and tomatoes. It was completely satisfying.

And then there's this...

My first encounter with the spread that rivals Nutella. I'll keep this post about the restaurant and not this heavenly treat. The best thing about it all is that Le Pain Quotidien serves this as a condiment along with butter for your side of bread. They just bring it to you like it's a normal thing to do.

I'm a sucker for anything French, but to add a daily slice of handmade bread with a JAR of Speculoos to freely spread as you please....oh...OIU OIU! If this is how the french do it... I'm flying there tomorrow.

Ok, maybe not. Thank God for places like this.

Say WHAaaaAT?

You heard it here first...I've jumped on the bandwagon. Damn that bandwagon, so attractive and alluring. I am on the meatless bandwagon, but only for one day a week. So, I guess you can say I'm a part-time rider of this wagon. I'd love to stay and shmooze with the Vegans all week, but let's be realistic here... my self-control is nowhere close to theirs. I think you have to like veggies to be a vegan, right? Yeah, not happenin' here. I'm the girl who believes that the veggie crisper in the fridge is where vegetables go to die.

But, I'm working on changing that a bit. One day a week.

My first real meatless dinner was a recipe I found in one of my favorite cookbooks Deceptively Delicious. I was craving something comforting that week so this really hit the spot! And BONUS POINTS, hubby absolutely loved it. I was shocked! He is more of a meat eater than I am and he didn't even miss the meat one bit.

Macaroni and Cheese
(Adapted from Deceptively Delicious)

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups whole-wheat elbow macaroni
1 cup skim milk
1/2 cup chickpeas-pureed
1/2 cup of butternut squash-pureed
1 1/2-2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
4 slices of Colby Jack Cheese- Thinly sliced
1/2 cup of Italian breadcrumbs
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp paprika
1/8 tsp pepper

1. Boil macaroni according to the package.
2. Combine the milk, bean puree, and squash puree in a blender and blend until smooth.