(santa monica beach)
this may be the longest i’ve gone without posting – a solid 2 weeks. it seems i’ve got a slight case of food blogger ennui. there’s been no cooking of my own – none at all. and really? it’s been a welcome respite that shows no signs of waning just yet… but a woman’s got to eat and my camera is usually close by, so…
feel healthier yet? lord knows i do.
and do you see this salad? this very, very big salad? this is what i ate for 2+ weeks. WITH NOTHING ON IT. and dear readers, let me tell you what i’m sure you already know, that a salad such as this really begs – no, pleads – for just a touch of walnut oil and a fine sprinkling of guerende salt. but no, i dutifully got that plate of produce down au natural with minimal whining. and although a bit lackluster, i consoled myself with the anticipation that i’d be dining at ‘osteria mozza’ in the immediate future.
which was stellar. sublime. wondrous.
damn, mario – we were blown away. the creamy burrata. the grilled to perfection octopus, the brilliant and mind blowing (hee) calves brain ravioli (thank you michael ruhlman), the tender duck with a pear mostarda… the wine, the attentive service, the dessert of bombolini with a lemon curd, along with a torta della nonna with pine nuts and honey… i took no photos during this 4 1/2 hour dinner. i was too enraptured by the experience and just wanted to get lost in every moment – every bite. it was one of the best food experiences i’ve had in a very long time (per se will always stand alone) and it was FUN. we had so. much. fun.
and tonight i’m in nyc and dinner is at babbo, osteria mozza’s sister restaurant in nyc. interestingly, it’s a very similar menu. i last ate at babbo 9 years ago.
so, southern california, where everyday is nearly perfect. i will miss you.
but not tonight – tonight my heart belonds to mario.
in the meantime though, remember me because i will be back – soon…
31 responses so far ↓
1 Mary Coleman // Jul 3, 2008 at 7:12 am
Green. With. Envy.
Have a blast !!
2 Becky And The Beanstock // Jul 3, 2008 at 9:30 am
Hooray, you’re alive, even if your lovely recipes aren’t back just yet. We missed you. The photos are just gorgeous, and I have to admit, that salad looks pretty good, even naked.
3 Dan // Jul 3, 2008 at 9:54 am
wow. i want some o’ that…
4 Natalie // Jul 3, 2008 at 10:03 am
Not even a little vinegar on the veggies? What’s a little vinegar?
5 Lucy // Jul 3, 2008 at 10:16 am
have been missing you. glad you stopped by to share some pretties/yummies with us.
*hugs*
6 evil chef mom // Jul 3, 2008 at 10:42 am
so you go from salad with no dressing to calf brain ravioli? chick, you go from one extreme to another… love it.
7 lisa // Jul 3, 2008 at 11:07 am
I’m reading Soul of a Chef right now. Just read about Ruhlman’s life-changing experience eating calf brains yesterday. Hope you’ll do a detailed comparison of Osteria Mozza and Babbo!
8 NOBLE PIG // Jul 3, 2008 at 12:41 pm
Well that sounds like a dinner for me! Glad you are back! And that salad without dressing…oh my you are a strong woman.
9 Lesley // Jul 3, 2008 at 12:42 pm
Not even I can choke down a salad au naturel.
10 lifeinrecipes // Jul 3, 2008 at 12:43 pm
Missed you!
Gorgeous photos – even the naked salad is beckoning.
Mozza sounds fab.
Babbo is one of my faves – enjoy.
11 Vincent // Jul 3, 2008 at 4:29 pm
Beautiful pictures – the beach pics are so awesome. And I ask the same as Natalie – no vinegar?
12 melissa // Jul 3, 2008 at 6:03 pm
I’ve missed you as well.
Glad you feel cleaner and lighter. And that you counteracted that with Mozza.
Have fun at Babbo and in lovely NYC. It’s funny seeing a picture on your page of my ‘hood. Next time you’re here, perhaps we can have lunch? Sure hope so.
13 The Italian Dish // Jul 3, 2008 at 8:06 pm
Wow, these photos were incredible! I felt healthy just looking at this stuff. Gorgeous.
14 aforkfulofspaghetti // Jul 4, 2008 at 7:51 am
Never mind the food. That first photo is A.R.T.
15 TaratheFoodie // Jul 4, 2008 at 11:44 am
Aaahhh, a nice vacation on a warm beach sounds wonderful. I’m glad to hear you’re having so much fun and the dining sounds devine! Well, except for the dry salad…
Have a great time at Babbo – we’ve tried to get reservations both times we’ve been in NYC to no avail… next time our trip will be planned AROUND it! 
Take care!
16 Traci @ Soup of The Day // Jul 5, 2008 at 1:36 am
OK, so… I missed the part where you explained why you were in CA eating dry salad for 2 weeks?? I did go through old posts, but didn’t see anything related (yes, I was speed reading). You shoulda called me. I’d have gladly taken you out for a decent meal babe!
17 democommie // Jul 5, 2008 at 11:17 am
Claudia:
I am so happy to hear that you’ve enjoyed your two weeks away and, yes, it is possible to suffer ennui–although, in my monkish existence, enuui is a four letter word–even with your apparently endless trove of recipes and experiences culinaristic.
We, your humble readers, otoh, have been hungrily, thirstily and sniffingly awaiting your return from Cote de Iniquite. Did you bring us presents?
Bon Appetit.
18 Heather // Jul 5, 2008 at 1:17 pm
If you weren’t in The Compound we could’ve hung out a week ago when I was in Irvine!
Not even a little lemon juice on that salad? Wow, I admire your sticktoitiveness.
19 Peter // Jul 5, 2008 at 8:15 pm
If only I had known… tonight would have been easier than Tuesday. I’ll still try to make it, though.
20 Donald // Jul 5, 2008 at 10:28 pm
I was thinking of the Police and going to “send out an SOS”, you kiddin’ me!?
Glad to hear you are doing well. What would we do without Claudia???
Don’t ever scare me like that again! U hear?
I have put Babbo on my “Bucket List”.
21 We Are Never Full // Jul 6, 2008 at 10:26 am
it’s been a lonely blog world without you! how much weight have you lost eating salads? i’m so jealous of your meals w/ mario. mostarda. burrata. brains. heaven.
22 joycooks // Jul 6, 2008 at 2:39 pm
Glad to hear you again, Claudia! And those pics made me yearn for the beach … and that beautiful salad, so healthy and so virtuous you are! Have fun at babbo. I eagerly await the report. Go see my brother at the uber-hip Freeman’s (his name is Greg). xo
23 Jeff // Jul 6, 2008 at 6:04 pm
C –
I was just recalling a very late night/early morning in 1976, sharing brains and eggs at The Torch 85 — a truck stop near Auburn, AL — and then I find myself reading about your calf brains ravioli experience. I want to see those photos, too (and when are you going to publish a book of them, with recipes? Put me on the list for the celebration of that!). Glad to know you’re only human and needed a break from the blog!
Jeff
24 Laura @ Hungry and Frozen // Jul 6, 2008 at 7:31 pm
So nice to see you back
I’ve dabbled in raw, but need a tiny bit of dressing or something…the fruit looks gorgeous anyhow, glad to hear you had an amazing dinner!
25 fluffernutter // Jul 7, 2008 at 1:29 pm
I’m with Lesley — can’t get that much raw produce down without some oil to lube the way. I’d put it in a juicer instead.
We’ll talk calf brains when you’re back — I had pig brains at a French place ages ago, and I couldn’t get past the scrambled egg texture.
26 Aimee // Jul 7, 2008 at 4:16 pm
Ohh, now you’ve gone and made me miss LA again — Mozza’s lardo pizza is occupying my entire brain at the moment.
27 naomi // Jul 9, 2008 at 3:29 am
Why were you eating salad for two weeks? I must have missed something somewhere. It looked mouthwatering to me anyway. Especially accompanied by all that fruit! Drool….
Is that cherimoya with the big black seeds in? I’ve only seen them once in the green grocers and they were so delicious (got hit by a wave of carbon guilt soon after though, so not to be oft repeated.
Hope you didn’t have stomach ache after your blow out!
x x x
28 diva // Jul 10, 2008 at 2:17 am
i used to be such a strict health freak..measuring everything i ate and loving fruit and veg ONLY. i still eat a lot of em but i love the real shizzle.
great pictures! the salad looks pretty damn good but i think the sound of that octopus and the ravioli is wicked
29 J for Kitchen Confit // Jul 10, 2008 at 6:26 pm
Oh, this made me homesick. I am so jealous of your meal sounds amazing! I can’t wait to try it on my next trip to LA.
30 Pee Dubya // Jul 11, 2008 at 2:54 pm
Wooo-whee! That reminds me of a raw food cleansing I did years ago which included organic liquid herbal compounds targeted to various internal organs. Once all the toxic substances left me I had a clarity of mind afterwards that was incredible. In fact it was impossible for me to experience anxiety for about a month afterwards. Then I got bored with the diet and started drinking coffee and alcohol and eating bread and it was downhill from there. Totally worth it though.
You go girl!
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