What a gift to live in Laurel Canyon. The jasmine is creeping along the path that leads to our house, blooming and scenting the air, which is absolutely heavenly. Just yesterday morning, I peered out from my bedroom window, and gazed upon two deer grazing on the hill opposite our house. Today I pointed out two eagles flying in the sky to my son Jake, who quickly said, “oh Mommy, they are so beautiful.” In the spring, wild turtles sun themselves in their favorite spot: through the dappled sunlight of the ivy that curls up the hillside next to our house. I will always be a Venice girl, but Laurel Canyon has it’s own unique pleasures: the most amazing creative community that are, drum roll please….nice! If you happen to live in Los Angeles, the search for the perfect neighborhood can be one of the hardest things to find.  For whatever reason, the average length of stay in L.A. is about 4-5 years. Much like Venice beach, the community spirit is chilled and creative. Essentially we’re talking Venice beach in the hills. Home to many legends such as Jim Morrison (the only house he ever owned is opposite the Laurel Canyon Country Store), Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, The Beatles, and Iggy Pop to name a few. We see Steven Tyler from Aerosmith zooming up and down the hill from time to time. What I love about the canyon is the contrast of living with coyotes howling at night, with Sunset Strip on your doorstep.

Back to the food! Our family enjoys pasta dishes at least twice a week with big salads, and when I was thinking of what to share this week, I realized that I’ve shared three pasta recipes in 2 years! What the heck? Here’s a recipe that you’re going to love for two reasons: a pasta dish that’s affordable and so stonkingly good you’ll want to make it again and again.

Tomato Sauce with Porcini Mushrooms

1/4 cups onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
tablespoon unsalted butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
14 oz tin of premium organic plum tomatoes with their juice, chopped
1 oz dried porcini mushrooms
fresh basil to garnish
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
Your choice of conchiglie, penne, or spaghetti pasta

1. In a medium size bowl, add the mushrooms and pour on 2 cups of hot water. Cover with a plate and soak for 30 minutes. Strain the mushrooms, saving the soaking water for the sauce. Stain the soaking water to remove woody bits from the mushrooms.

2. In a saucepan heat the olive oil and butter and saute the onion until it turns translucent. Add the garlic and cook for a minute. Add the chopped tomatoes and the mushrooms with strained soaking water. Stir the sauce, low heat, and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Serve with fresh basil and freshly grated Parmesan.

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