Serves 4

• 1 (5-ounce size) package arugula
• White wine vinaigrette (recipe to follow)
• 1 avocado, medium dice
• ½ cup canned cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• ½ cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• ¼ cup shaved Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
• Black pepper as needed, for garnish

White Wine Vinaigrette

• 1½ tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon vinegar
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon mustard
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped dill

In a blender or glass measuring cup, combine the honey, vinegar, oil, mustard, pepper, lemon juice, and garlic. Using an immersion or stand blender emulsify all the ingredients. Mix in chopped dill. 
Toss arugula in the dressing to coat, using as much or as little as you desire. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and toss again.
On a large plate, alternately layer arugula with remaining ingredients. Garnish with additional Parmesan and black pepper, and serve.
Keep dressing refrigerated after use. Can be kept for 1 week under refrigeration. Some natural separation may occur over time but can be re-emulsified if necessary.
RECIPE AND PHOTOGRAPH BY KRISTEL MATOUSEK
WWW.PHOTORICALFOOD.COM

Serves 4

• 2 tablespoons butter or oil
• 1 cup (4 ounces) leeks, small dice
• 1 cup (4 ounces) fennel, small dice
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 8 ounces sweet potato, small dice
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 red bell pepper, roasted
• 1 (15-ounce) can tomato puree
• 4 cups (32 fluid ounces) low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock
• 2 (6.5-ounce) cans clams in clam juice
• 12 small clams in shell, cleaned and soaked in salt water
• Additional salt and pepper as needed
• Fennel fronds, for garnish

Preheat a stockpot over moderate heat. Add oil to the pot, then toss leeks, fennel, garlic, and sweet potato in oil to coat. Season with black pepper, salt, and red pepper flakes. Stir occasionally to prevent burning, cooking to soften and brown slightly.
Using a blender, puree the roasted red bell pepper with the tomato puree. Add bell pepper and tomato puree to the pot to deglaze. Bring to a simmer and allow it to reduce and darken slightly before adding the stock. Over the stock pot, strain off the juice from the canned clams, combining it with the red pepper and tomato puree. Retain the clams for later use. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Continue to cook uncovered until the potato is fully cooked. Add the clams in shell to the pot and cook until the clams open on their own. Remove from heat and stir in the retained clams from the can.
Taste and season with additional salt and pepper as needed. Garnish with fresh fennel fronds, and serve hot.
RECIPE AND PHOTOGRAPH BY KRISTEL MATOUSEK
WWW.PHOTORICALFOOD.COM

A California Remodel Inspired by Beach Vibes WRITTEN BY RONDA SWANEY / PHOTOGRAPHY BY LANE J DITTOEWhen this project started, the residence was a midcentury beach home that was minimally updated by previous owners—but the home’s new owner had grander plans. “He wanted this California-cool, surf-shack feel, but more elevated,” says Mindy Gayer, who operates her eponymous design firm in Orange County.

Gayer draws design inspiration from the region where she works and lives. “Southern California living embodies incredible weather and that warmer feeling,” says Gayer. “We try to infuse that in our homes with a light palette and other design choices that reflect the sunshiny disposition of California in general.” That sensibility matched what this project called for. “This client is very creative. When he came to us, he had a defined vision of what he loved. This wasn’t his first remodel project, so he knows what the process is like. He was willing to invest in the things that would deliver character and interest,” she says.
Many of Gayer’s clients, including this one, enjoy what she calls an indoor-outdoor lifestyle that embraces open-air activities like hiking and surfing, and carries that same aesthetic inside. This home embodies the interplay between the indoors and outdoors. “We’re surrounded by so much natural beauty with a lot of our homes near the ocean, and with a lot of green landscaping. We try to incorporate those beautiful tones inspired by nature,” says Gayer.
This client’s particular passions and hobbies also inspired the design. “Our client is a big ocean lover. He loves surfing and boating,” says Gayer. Various shades of blue appear throughout as a nod to the ocean waves and the clear sky above.
The remodel plan kept in place several of the home’s original architectural features, including the wall of windows at the back of the house. “The challenge with so much natural light is to ensure the space doesn’t feel too exposed. We leaned into the fact that it’s a bright open space,” says Gayer. She intentionally chose materials that didn’t disrupt the eye from enjoying the outdoor views. Crisp-white paint and millwork embrace and amplify the light through clerestory windows. Lighter wood tones in the flooring and furniture are reminiscent of sand; a reminder that the beach is just a block away.
Because so much of the outdoor space can be seen from the common living area, it feels like a natural extension of the home. “It was important to allow that outdoor space to be a room in and of itself and not feel like the interior was competing with it,” says Gayer. Interior design elements continue outdoors, including touches of the coastal-blue color palette, crisp-white paint, and light-wood furniture. Corrugated metal and galvanized light fixtures add to the maritime atmosphere, and ample seating entices family and friends to stay awhile.
As the project progressed, the owner saw his creative vision for the inside of the home coming to life and wondered if the exterior would live up to the interior. “Updating exteriors can get costly, so they’re not always a top priority for clients,” says Gayer. Midway through the project, the client decided updating the exterior would be crucial to realizing its full potential. So, they lightened up the shingles by painting them a custom oatmeal hue. New house numbers and exterior lighting were also added, as well as new decking from the curbside to the front door. A landscape plan from Bridget Skinner, a local landscape architect, featured a new palette for all the plants and included grasses and succulents.
“I am so glad our client wanted to update the exterior,” says Gayer. “We always want the exterior to speak to the interior. It should give a peek into what the inside is going to feel like. It added to the charm of the home.” And charm it has. Indoors and out, this beach home truly embodies California cool.

“Take a hike,” might be closely associated with an unkind dismissal, but there is something to be said for the suggestion. With people admittedly spending too much time on electronic devices and having a 24-7 “on” status, the world is experiencing high stress and insomnia. Taking a hike and immersing yourself in nature could be just what the doctor ordered.Hiking Is Healing.Many people connect to several devices every single day. When those devices don’t work correctly, what’s the first thing you do? Turn the device off. When you reboot a smartphone or tablet, it works better. The same can be true for your body. If you want to clear your mind, improve your physical health, or recharge your battery, you will find that hiking is a total mind, body, and soul healer.
Getting outside, exploring nature, and being in the moment can all be done while hiking. Time outside is a powerful reset for your mental well-being. It’s proven that being in nature for just twenty minutes reduces stress hormones. In fact, just two hours a week in nature promotes good physical and mental health. A quick online search yields results for grief support groups centered around the activity. Grief hikes are aimed to get you out of a circle and into the wilderness to process your pain in a healthy way.
Start Simple.Not all hikes are created equal. Day hikes allow you to return to the trailhead in one day. They can vary from easy to moderate and difficult based on terrain, distance, and elevation gain and loss. Horseshoe Bend in Arizona is a relatively flat trail and less than two miles roundtrip, but a whole lot of beauty is packed into each step. For those with above-average fitness and the right gear (see sidebar), Half Dome in Yosemite, California (fourteen to sixteen miles roundtrip) and Hanakapiai Falls (approximately eight miles roundtrip) on the Napali Coast of Kauai, Hawaii are both life-changing.
For longer hikes, say anything above fifteen miles in a day, consider camping overnight. Although you break up the trek with rest, you also have additional weight with every step. Remember this: happy campers and hikers pack light. For multiday hikes, it is essential to test out your gear beforehand, have enough water and/or water treatment options, bring a first-aid kit, and notify someone at home of your plan. If fact, almost all long-distance hikers utilize hiking poles to help improve balance, reduce stress on knees, and increase speed. Long-haul hikes that are worthy of doing in their entirety or in sections are the Camino de Santiago (St. James’ Way) in Northern Spain or the Appalachian Trail (AT) in the Eastern United States.
Leave the Roads.Leave the fast pace of the highway or the downtown traffic jams and take to the trails. Hiking is as easy or as challenging as you want it to be. However, hiking is certainly a gateway to getting more vitamin N (Nature). You may eat right, take supplements, and go to the gym, but why not embrace the natural benefits of the outdoors through hiking, too? For better total health, consider spending more time near a green space and on a hiking trail.

Serves 4

• 1 pound uncooked jumbo shrimp, shell and tail on, deveined
• 1 quart court bouillon (recipe to follow)
• ⅔ cup cocktail sauce (recipe to follow)

Court Bouillon

• 1 quart water
• 1 cup white wine
• 1 medium onion
• 1 medium carrot
• 2 ribs celery
• 1 bay leaf
• Pinch peppercorns, crushed
• Pinch dried thyme
• 4 parsley stems
• 1 lemon, halved
• 1 teaspoon salt

Cocktail Sauce

• ½ cup ketchup
• 2 teaspoons tamarind paste
• 1 teaspoon prepared horseradish
• ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• ½ teaspoon Crystal hot sauce
• Pinch black pepper

In a saucepan, combine all the ingredients for the court bouillon. Bring to a boil. Cover with a lid, and reduce to simmer for 30 minutes. Strain off any solids and return liquid to saucepan. Check and maintain temperature between 125 to 135 degrees F for poaching.
​

Lower shrimp into prepared court bouillon and poach shrimp until just cooked, approximately 3 to 4 minutes. Remove shrimp from liquid and let cool to the touch, then remove peel. Chill shrimp for service.
In a blender or glass measuring cup, combine all ingredients for the cocktail sauce. Using an immersion or stand blender, puree all the ingredients. Taste and season with additional pepper or hot sauce to your desired tastes.
RECIPE AND PHOTOGRAPH BY KRISTEL MATOUSEK
WWW.PHOTORICALFOOD.COM
SAVE IT FOR LATER. Retain the prepared court bouillon for future seafood poaching needs or as stock for soups. Will hold for 5 days under refrigeration.

Makes 24

• 1 rustic French baguette
• Olive oil, as needed
• ½ cup (4 ounces) whipped caper cream cheese (recipe to follow)
• 1 pound salt-cured salmon, thin sliced (recipe to follow)
• Black sesame seeds and fresh dill, for garnish

Salt-Cured Salmon

• 1 pound salmon fillet, skin on
• 2 ounces sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon white pepper, ground
• 0.5 ounce fresh dill, rough chopped
• 1 ounce vodka (optional)

Whipped Caper Cream Cheese

• 4 ounces cream cheese
• 1 tablespoon minced green onions
• 2 teaspoons minced nonpareil capers
• ¼ cup whole milk

Check the salmon for any bones and remove if needed.
Mix salt and white pepper together in a bowl, then sprinkle half the mixture onto a plastic wrap–lined plate or baking dish. Place salmon skin-side down on a plate, in the mixture. Cover the flesh of the salmon with remaining salt mixture and sprinkle with dill and vodka.
Cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 24 hours.
Remove from refrigerator after 24 hours. Flip filet and refrigerate for an additional 24 hours.
After a combined total of 48 hours of refrigeration, remove salmon from refrigerator, drain accumulated liquid, then rinse curing mixture off the fish. Pat dry with a paper towel. Keep chilled for service.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Whip together the cream cheese with minced green onions and capers. Slowly add milk until fully incorporated to produce a creamy, non-lumpy final product.
Slice the baguette into ½-inch thick slices, brush with olive oil, and place on a baking sheet. Toast in preheated oven until slightly browned. Remove from oven and let cool fully before spreading prepared cream cheese mixture over the surface of the toasted baguette slice.
Cut thin slices from flesh-surface of cured salmon. Place a slice of lox on top of the cream cheese–layered crostini. Garnish with sesame seeds and fresh dill, and serve.
RECIPE AND PHOTOGRAPH BY KRISTEL MATOUSEK
WWW.PHOTORICALFOOD.COM