Author: kevitivity

Los Angeles County Coroner Building

Anyone who dies in L.A. County of trauma or what may be unnatural causes end’s up here, at the Coroner. For natural deaths, accidents and suicides, a full-body photo is taken on arrival. Remains are weighed, measured and undressed. Fingerprints are taken. Clothing is wrapped in brown paper and tied. Remains are placed in refrigerated storage pending exams and release to a mortuary. Identity and cause of death are confirmed. (info taken from LA Times: articles.latimes.com/2006/aug/17/local/me-b2coroner17)

Think of all the famous stiffs that have rolled through the halls of this joint… (The Black Dahlia, Bugsy Siegel, Marilyn Monroe, Robert Kennedy, Janis Joplin, Nicole Brown Simpson, Michael Jackson, to name a few) The building currently registers about 200 bodies a day – and 20 autopsies per day.

Pesto Pizza (pre-oven) needs more cheese

Pesto Pizza

Last weekend I made fresh pesto with linguine for Emily. We decided to use the leftover pesto this weekend with some shrimp, baby roma tomatoes and toasted pine nuts for a pizza. Also got some fresh pizza dough. In the end, it was ok… I think I may have over cooked it, and it needed more tomatoes. Everything from Trader Joe’s, including the fresh basil in the pesto. Those baby roma tomatoes were really perfect and sweet… The best pizza pan we’ve found is this Cuisinart 14-Inch Pizza Pan.

Basic traditional Pesto – it’s a simple recipe so you *really* need to use good ingredients.

* 2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
* 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (use real real Parmisano Reggiano!!!)
* 1/2 cup Olive oil (the best extra virgin oil you can find/afford)
* 3 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted.
* 3 (or more) garlic cloves, finely minced

Blend until smooth. Salt to taste.

If you use the real deal, fresh “Parmisano Reggiano” (the king of cheese), you may not need to add much salt.