Dan Cox

telling the stories of passionate people and extraordinary places

Imagine my horror when I realized that I did not o

Imagine my horror when I realized that I did not own the entire collection of Tartine cookery books.

Crisis averted (in spite of my very strict “no more cookbooks” rule!)

I really need to revisit the original Tartine again soon. I think I’ve spent more time sipping coffee out of giant bowls at those creaky old wooden tables than I did in the womb. Commence reading. Baking happens around step six in my cookery book process.

My old bookclub had one rule: If you didn’t read

My old bookclub had one rule: If you didn’t read the book, bring two bottles of wine. Of course, everyone brought two bottles of wine. In my ongoing attempt to better understand the world that now faces us, I recently joined two bookclubs - one with a church, the other with a brilliant young queer historian. I also resolved to #bebest and perfect one type of home baked bread because I am exhausted and bread is the ultimate healer. Bread never disappoints us, abandons us, or unleashes hordes of hate mongers upon us. So, at 5am this morning, my stove was raging at 500degrees and the first sourdough focaccia (recipe via Mississippi Vegan, prepared in a sizzling skillet) was a stunner. Not perfect, but bread and breakfast were both perfectly delicious. And book club meets tonight.

If you also need a warm hug from a warm focaccia to help heal a broken heart, I deliver locally.

Quiet. Reading. Reflection. Thinking. Listening.

Quiet.

Reading. Reflection. Thinking. Listening. Praying. Wisdom. History. Spirituality. Anger. Rage. Heartbreak.

HOPE for all of us reeling in the despair of th

HOPE
for all of us
reeling in the despair
of the moment

an important reminder from @louisstaples

“And we will continue to wage this fight in the

“And we will continue to wage this fight in the voting booth, in the courts and in the public square. And we will also wage it in quieter ways: in how we live our lives by treating one another with kindness and respect, by looking in the face of a stranger and seeing a neighbor, by always using our strength to lift people up, to fight for the dignity that all people deserve.”

Thank you, @kamalaharris

Since my espresso machine suffered a tragically vi

Since my espresso machine suffered a tragically violent death (it died yet again and I threw it off the balcony in a violent fit of rage), I pulled out the Moka Pot for an occasional late afternoon energy boost and now my cheap arse stove looks like I live in a shanty. Two or three strong, boiling coffees later, I am much less likely to say aloud the mean things that I’m thinking. You’re welcome.

Happy Weekend, Kids. Only twenty-four days until the election. I am praying that we can all soon return to a simpler time when we post pics (that everyone really wants to see!) of our coffee and our cat.

I happened upon an unexpected adventure this weeke

I happened upon an unexpected adventure this weekend - this spoiled city mouse dared to touch the earth (draped, naturally, in stylishly appropriate protective outerwear). Thinking it a good way to leap into a new group of people, I set my alarm for 6am on a Saturday morning and volunteered to help build the new community gardens with @1stchurchlafarm. This small group of mightily intentioned folks were today tasked with building out the primary gardens’ new irrigation systems. Fortunately, @1stchurchla commissioned the expertise of a local professional, a gentleman possessed of both exceptional urban farming skills and the patience of a saint, as the group lost focus every half hour upon the arrival of coffee, then pumpkin bread, then apple cake, and finally a buffet of bagels with myriad accompaniments. His patience was a minor miracle to behold, carefully guiding us through connecting irrigation systems between emergency snacking, spontaneous unrelated laughter and conversations, and requisite social media updates. For its launch, the group will immediately begin supplying fresh herbs and produce for ‘Food @ First’ - twice monthly community food offerings. The new planting of fifty fruit trees across the campus in the coming weeks will eventually serve hundreds/thousands of pounds of fresh fruit and citrus to neighbors in need. What I mistakenly thought to be a morning of munchies and mitzvahs could now easily become a long term project of the heart, as well as a free education on urban gardening from a professional. Greater than lessons in gardening, however, was the realization that even in troubled times, we can discover a great many good people quietly doing good things, if only we take the time.
🌳
To contribute or sponsor a tree in honor/ memory of a friend or loved one: https://www.fccla.org/give - select "Community Gardens & Urban Farm" in the dropdown menu, note "Tree Campaign" in the Comments, and note to whom you would like to dedicate a tree. We will share a dedication ceremony following the All Saint's Day service on November 3. The full cost of one tree is $500.00.🌲

Anatomy of a home baked loaf of Jewish rye sourdou

Anatomy of a home baked loaf of Jewish rye sourdough bread in five perfectly normal photographs that any normal person would snap while making a sandwich for lunch.

I was determined not to slice into this pristine m

I was determined not to slice into this pristine melon before it was perfectly ripe, so I set a timer for fifteen minutes. Not ripe. I knew I should have waited the full twenty.

Please Note: Beginning Nov 6, 2024, the color oran

Please Note: Beginning Nov 6, 2024, the color orange is no longer permitted. Thank you for your kind understanding.

I baked the Ottolenghi blueberry lemon almond cake

I baked the Ottolenghi blueberry lemon almond cake for friends to celebrate #kamalaharris tonight and then I tested an end piece and then, just to be sure that it was safe, I tested the other end piece. Per Julia, I am now pretending that that this was precisely how it was intended to be served - “No apologies, no excuses!”

There is once again hope in the air that I can bake a cake without poisoning anyone … and that we will not witness the death of democracy in our lifetime.

THANK YOU FOR BRINGING BACK THE JOY, Yotam and #kamala

💙 PLEASE #VOTE!
💙 #HOPE #JOY 💙

(Shirl, Yes it #needsmorelemon!)

OHMYGAWWWWWD Caramelized Onion Cassoulet with Ra

OHMYGAWWWWWD

Caramelized Onion Cassoulet with Rancho Gordo Marcella beans from the Rancho Gordo Cookbook might very well be the most delicious meals to ever come out of my Easy Bake Oven. Johnny would approve. June, too.

The taste of summer Also, Martha

The taste of summer
Also, Martha

Saturdays at my house have been filled with the ob

Saturdays at my house have been filled with the obnoxiously loud sounds of screeching opera divas, live from the Metropolitan Opera, since I was in music school in the 19’s. Then, I’d spend the entire day cleaning the house, top to bottom. Today, I sit comfortably in an oversized reading chair staring judgmentally at my filthy house and drinking too much coffee, today focusing upon how it is possible that James Baldwin turned 100 yesterday and precious little has changed in this country. I’ll also be stopping to smell a great many roses today.

“Careful there! Those are worth more than you’

“Careful there! Those are worth more than you’ll ever make in a lifetime!” - Aurora Greenway

One of the great luxuries of big city life that I missed most during the dark days of big city lockdown was sneaking into a cool, quiet art museum on a school day. It offered more nourishment for mind and soul than a Bikram class, and it wasn’t nearly as sweaty.

Only one week remains for the stunning Goya exhibit (which also meant that the place was packed and the only available parking was far down the Boulevard). Also, does anyone else ever lose perspective in an art museum and begin studying all of the gorgeous frames instead of the art or is it just me again?

Thanks for the treat, Monsieur Nelson!

📸
1) Bouquet of Lilacs, Renoir
2) “CeeCee is deep”

There’s this weird thing that sometimes happens

There’s this weird thing that sometimes happens to me when I am enjoying the work of an extraordinarily talented chef - my body explodes with “delicious goosebumps!” I always make a point of loudly announcing it to everyone at my table, and often to everyone at the surrounding tables. I hadn’t experienced this sensation in quite a while, but they showed up in full force last night. And with the ongoing Covid survival Hell of every restaurant in the world, there is very good reason that this restaurant was packed, inside and out, on a hot, muggy summer night in the valley. Also, the moment after I snapped the second pic, I swept up every last rice kernel off of that plate with my fingers and I am not sorry.

Nobody, no nobody is gonna rain on my parade!

Nobody,
no nobody
is gonna
rain on
my parade!

Friendly Reminder: We live in troubled times. Heartbreaking times. Take care of yourselves, and each other. If you need a break, take a break. If you need to talk, call a friend. Or call me. If you need a croissant, enjoy a good croissant. Please just make sure that it’s a damn good croissant. Also, I know where all the damn good croissants are hiding!

#bratsummer ☀️
#project2025, please just give a damn about what this means for all of our futures

It’s all just a little bit of history repeating

It’s all just a little bit
of history repeating

Revised July Syllabus I was mere moments away fr

Revised July Syllabus

I was mere moments away from placing all of my hopes in Calgon to take me away, and then I remembered that the cookery book that I’m reading promised, in the title, to change my life. Whenever I’m in desperate need of a mental vacation from all things Trump, fascism, and the death of democracy, I escape inside of a good book. Sometimes, I worry that I’m perhaps placing too many expectations upon books about cookies and cakes (that I can’t eat).

Some very rare, grand dining adventures are artist

Some very rare, grand dining adventures are artistic performances akin to grand opera, with every conceivable art form coalescing at such an astonishing level of creativity that it generates goosebumps, closed eyed moans of delight, and technical mastery that inspires wide eyed sighs of disbelief. @vespertine.la offers a level of fine dining that is historically uncommon in Los Angeles. Many of the dishes are so subtly nuanced, this experience will definitely not appeal to every Angeleno that craves the flavor bombs of street food carts and taquerias. However, this elegant four hour, thirteen course experience is truly a gift to those diners that understand and appreciate this extraordinary mastery of cooking, service, and hospitality. Every touch point is thoughtfully presented, every employee impeccably adept, knowledgeable and kind.

Our neighboring single diner, a retired doctor with an enviable dining history around the globe, lives in an adjacent neighborhood and just drops in for dinner on occasion. Casually relaxed in a large booth, impeccable Zalto champagne flute in hand, he includes this dining room among the most extraordinary in the world and who am I to argue?

Congratulations to Chef Jordan Kahn and his exceptional team on the miraculous, post covid “rebirth” that we all hoped he would and could recreate. It is simply remarkable and we are lucky that it exists in Los Angeles.

PS. If you were expecting black candles, as was I, you will be delighted to learn that Vespertine does not disappoint. Also, if you were hoping to spot an army of precision tweezers in action, you’ll be downright thrilled.

This 4th of July, I feel only despair. Just the th

This 4th of July, I feel only despair. Just the thought of hate winning again is soul crushing.

Be safe out there, kids.

“The Peace of Wild Things”

When despair for the world
grows in me
and I wake in the night
at the least sound
in fear of what my life and my children’s lives may be,
I go and lie down
where the wood drake
rests in his beauty
on the water,
and the great heron feeds.
I come into the peace
of wild things
who do not tax their
lives with forethought of grief.
I come into the presence
of still water.
And I feel above me
the day-blind stars
waiting with their light.
For a time
I rest in the grace
of the world,
and am free.

– Wendell Berry

"I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and s

"I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody, and I wouldn't lose any voters, OK?"

The Supreme Court concurs.

"Tonight, I say this to my Republican colleagues who are defending the indefensible: There will come a day when Donald Trump is gone, but your dishonor will remain.” - Liz Cheney

Check in on the people that you love. Missing you

Check in
on the people that you love.
Missing you, KT.
#bourdainday

Ongoing Series: I AM A HORRIBLE PERSON. I was ju

Ongoing Series: I AM A HORRIBLE PERSON.

I was just about to proudly announce that I was sprouting my own sprouts again, when I remembered seeing an article about a woman who committed to making all of her own food. I rolled my eyes, silently judged her, and kept scrolling. Today, I reminded myself that no one gives a damn if I sprout my own sprouts, so instead of a sprouts post, please enjoy this post about the delicious rye sourdough sandwich loaf that I picked up yesterday at @wearefriendsandfamily. Not sure why my bread sucks lately, but grabbing a perfect loaf (JUST LOOK AT THAT BREAD FFS!) from a master baker certainly didn’t make me feel better about my lack of talent, but it did make for a delicious SPROUT sandwich. Also, in my mind’s eye, Tony award winning Broadway sensation Jonathan Groff also enjoys a good SPROUT sandwich. We may very well live forever.

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“First we eat, then we do everything else.”

- MFK FISHER