Elise Fayre Esparza

iPhone 4 Commercial

Check me out in a commercial for the new iPhone 4. I'm at the 0:58 mark.

Steamed Wild Cod with Citrus

Our very good friend, Mario Jackson, sometimes works the farmers market in Encino, selling wild caught seafood. He generously gave me a beautiful filet of wild cod that I marinated with garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper, lemon zest, and orange zest. I topped it with fresh chopped parsley, onion slices, and orange slices. Lastly, I wrapped it in aluminum foil, and Ismael cooked it for me on his grill. Mario came over for dinner that night, and it was a lovely evening of good food among dear friends.

Mouthwatering Bruschetta

How many of us watched Julie & Julia and salivated during the bruschetta scene? I certainly did. The sizzling sounds of the baguette browning in the sauté pan. The vibrant red color and perfect firmness of the heirloom tomatoes being sliced on the cutting board. The shininess of the olive oil married with the tomato and basil mixture. The savory sprinkling of salt. And mostly, the CRUNCH of the bread as the actors bit into the bruschetta, eliciting mouthfuls of yummy noises and exclamations of, "This is good! This is really good!" Mmmm...

I've seen this film at least five times, watching it every single time it comes on cable. Tonight, I couldn't take it anymore. I turned off the television, threw on my sandals, and made a quick run to the market to buy a French baguette and some fresh basil. (I already had the tomatoes and garlic.) I can only hope the pictures I've taken give you an adequate glimpse of how monumentally flavorful this dish was. The garlic, the tomatoes, the basil, the salt, the olive oil...every component comes alive in your mouth while your senses of sight, smell, sound, and taste are unabashedly bombarded.

Aging Gracefully?

As I approach another birthday, I can't help but take stock of my face. And the verdict is...drumroll please...it's ok. Yes, only ok. Not great, not horrible. But somewhere in the middle. My friend Heather has been rather vigilante lately about finding a moisturizer that will combat her wrinkles. I've been mildly successful at keeping my wrinkles at bay. (The dark circles are another issue.) I even pampered myself last weekend with a Detoxifying Masque from PurMinerals.








Step right up, ladies and gentlemen, and see for yourself...the Incredible Purple Faced Woman!













Following on Heather's heels (and per her recommendation), I've scoured the internet--namely DermaDoctor--and found VaniCream. It's my new bedtime moisturizer, and it's on sale right now at Walgreens for $13.99. The reviews rave about its magical ability to cure eczema and severe dry skin. I slather it on my face and my body after my nightly shower. So far, I like it!

Fish Sauce, Baby!

You're not really Vietnamese unless you like fish sauce. And you're not really a Vietnamese cook unless you can make it. For years, I made batches of fish sauce that were merely edible, at best. One winter my parents came to visit, and my dad taught me how to make his fabulous fish sauce--the best I've ever had! So today, I rolled up my sleeves, and painstakingly mashed the green chilis and garlic. To that paste, I squeezed about six limes. Then I spooned granulated sugar into the bowl until the sugar mound met the height of the lime juice. Next I poured raw fish sauce into the bowl until the mixture reached a dark caramel color. I carefully stirred, feeling the sugar slowly dissolve into the liquids. I added a little bit of boiling water, just to cut the acidity of the fish sauce and lime juice (a trick my mom taught me). Lastly, I added red chili garlic sauce to give it beautiful color.

Immediately following my bravissimo creation, I made salmon spring rolls to dip in my sensational fish sauce. Feast your eyes on my most exotic lunch. So good...

Overdue Food Entry

In exactly five days, I will turn 35. Yikes! And although I may not be where I thought I'd be by this age, one thing is certain. I sure do eat well.

If you've ever watched Top Chef, then you've heard of Todd English. English is a celebrity chef and restaurateur with at least ten restaurants under his name. One day I had a skirt steak filet, and didn't know what to do with it. A quick google search turned up a Todd English balsamic skirt steak marinade that knocked our socks off. We had it with sauteed vegetables, steamed corn, and mashed potatoes with gravy. Ismael couldn't stop giving me kisses throughout dinner.





Ismael had a hankering for cheesy enchiladas one night, and he made these ooh-y, gooey, oh-so-cheesy Enchiladas Rojas con Pollo. We topped them with lettuce, tomato, onion, and sour cream.


















Sometimes, I like to veer off the "green salad path." After all, there is only so much green salad one can eat throughout the week before it gets really, really, mundane. Behold! My Jicama Mango Summer Salad is comprised of jicama, mango, cucumber, and cilantro. Sprinkled with salt, cayenne powder, and lime juice, it's totally refreshing!







My mom came for two and a half weeks in March. She couldn't have come soon enough because I had begun to dream about Vietnamese food. Her first creation was Vietnamese Crab Soup, one of my childhood favorites. You eat it with noodles, topped with a healthy helping of fresh herbs and bean sprouts.




















My all time favorite soup is Sour Vietnamese Fish Soup, or "Canh Chua." No one makes this better than my mom. When you order it in a restaurant, they barely use any vegetables. My mom, however, makes it exactly the way I like it.











The only thing better than Ismael's enchiladas rojas are his Enchiladas Verdes. The perfect balance of pasilla flavor and creamy texture, we eat it with buttered rice and pickled onions.