Click It. BEAT picks of the week.

My six-year-old linen Pottery Barn duvet cover finally got so worn/thin it tore, so I'm in the market for a new one. Ever since spotting it in Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, I've loved the idea of the one from The Bowery Hotel (above) at home.

Speaking of The Bowery, my take on a pasta dish from their restaurant, Gemma.

And more food talk -- what to do with your Thanksgiving leftovers.

If you're looking for something gripping to read -- Joan Didion's Blue Nights.

Two films to see this weekend -- A Dangerous Method, and The Artist.

Confession: I tried a chia seed Kombucha (I was so excited to see a grape flavor on the shelf, even the abundance of seeds didn't stop me!) today and was NOT into it. Recommendation: stick with the original.

Bazaar magazine Editor-in-Chief Glenda Bailey will be at Book Soup on Sunday afternoon (4:00 p.m.) discussing and signing Harper's Bazaar: Greatest Hits.

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: concierge.com

Eat In. Pasta with green vegetables.

I had a delicious pasta dish (Tagliatelle alla Primavera) on Saturday at Gemma in NYC. By Tuesday night, I was trying (and pretty successfully at that) to recreate it in my own kitchen.

Ingredients: Barilla fettuccine, one small squash, half a bunch of asparagus, one clove of fresh garlic, Colavita extra virgin olive oil, butter, Parmesan, salt, and pepper.

Cook pasta according to package instructions (usually about 11 minutes in boiling water). I put a few chunks of butter in the bottom of a large bowl, to toss the pasta with when it finished cooking and was drained.

I cut off the bottoms of the asparagus, then chopped the stalks into about 2-inch sections. With the squash, I cut the ends off, but waited until it was parboiled to slice it into disks.

After the vegetables had cooked (in a saucepan of boiling water) for just a few minutes to slightly tenderize, I drained them and put them in a pan to sauté with the olive oil and chopped garlic. I didn't really time it, but probably something like 5-10 minutes, until they looked cooked, added a little Parmesan, salt, and pepper while the veggies were still in the pan, then added that whole mix atop the lightly buttered pasta, and tossed.

A great thing about this dish is you can use whatever green vegetables you like--peas, broccoli, artichoke, etc.

This version served two, but could easily be altered for any number of people.

If you like the sound of this dish, check out my (also vegetarian) version of Pane e Vino's Fusilli con Melanzane e Scamorza here.

Buon Appetito!

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credits: the BEAT

Eat In. Smoky fusilli goodness.

Last night for dinner, I tried to re-create a pasta dish from one of my favorite Italian restaurants in L.A. The "Fusilli con Melanzane e Scamorzaa" at Pane e Vino is so delicious. Before having it, I was not particularly a fan of smoked cheese. The smoked mozzarella in this dish though, gives the vegetarian meal such heft (in a good way).

On their menu it's simply described as "corkscrew pasta, smoked mozzarella, eggplant, tomato sauce". Simple enough--but a great combination I honestly wouldn't have come up with on my own.

I had an unopened jar of Trader Joe's Traditional Marinara Sauce in my cupboard, but stopped off at Gelson's for the other ingredients: De Cecco brand fusilli, a small eggplant, and both fresh small mozzarella balls, and smoked Gruyère (I couldn't find smoked mozzarella and didn't want to forgo the smoked flavor).

I rinsed, sliced into discs, chopped (into about 1/2 inch cubes), then rinsed again, and salted the eggplant. Apparently (in some quick research I did) eggplant has a tendency to be bitter, and rinsing and salting can help. I let the rinsed, salted eggplant sit in a colander for 10 or so minutes as I got everything else ready.

The rest was so easy--I just cooked the pasta, drained it, poured it into a large bowl with some marinara sauce at the bottom of it, threw in the eggplant and cheeses, tossed it all together, adding some more sauce along the way, then put it in the oven (at 325° F) for about 20 minutes for the cheeses to melt.

Delizioso!

Pane e Vino is located at 8265 Beverly Boulevard in Los Angeles. Info: panevinola.com, (323) 651-4600

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: panevinola.com

Eat In. Easy Casserole.

Often in the summer months, the stovetop and oven can be forgotten about as means to make a good meal. Obviously no one wants to spend any more time around such a heat producer than necessary when the thermometer is rising, but a few simple steps can create a delicious hearty dinner that will last for days. Fusilli, lean ground beef, marinara sauce, and cheddar cheese are the three main ingredients.

You can find organic fusilli at Trader Joe's, I recommend a higher end market for the ground beef (such as Gelson's), and the grated cheddar, you can buy pre-grated or make yourself. Marinara sauce is easy, a big brand name like Classico won't let you down, or go with the Trader Joe's brand for convenience when you're buying the pasta.

Cook pasta (a little over 2 cups) according to instructions on bag - about ten minutes.

Put ground beef into a large pan until brown/cooked through. Drain excess fat. Pour in marinara sauce (1.5 cups) and stir together.

Mix meat sauce with cooked pasta, and make one layer on the bottom of a large Pyrex dish. op with grated cheddar. Repeat until dish is full.

Bake in oven for about 20 minutes at 325°F.

Enjoy!

Will last in fridge for about two days - typically four dinner size servings, but as portion sizes are rough, it could serve six if you had last minute guests.

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Eat Out. Milk.

Sometimes, it's the items not bolded or pictured on the menu that really end up taking the show. Milk does quite a bit to live up to its cute and appropriate name, but it's got a few surprises up its sleeve too.

Sitting on the corner of Beverly and Poinsettia, Milk is a bakery/ice cream parlor which always seems to be buzzing with activity. Step inside the mostly white interior and you can't help but be enticed by the shop's pastel-colored and adorably crafted goodies. I first got roped in by the alluring-sounding milkshakes, and while the giant, creamy concoctions do in fact deliver, a milkshake is a milkshake. And a milkshake shouldn't cost $6-$7.

You can spend those precious dollars instead on just getting a scoop of ice cream or on the other treats of the bakery. The goods are freshly baked everyday, so are sure to vary, but the cupcakes and cookies are generally pretty delicious. Leslie's mentioned that the moon pies could be better, though.

But our pick for your Milk bill? The food. Strange to suggest for a place which you might not even realize serves hot entrees in the first place, but check out the ever-changing chalkboard of daily specials on the left wall and you might find a few delightful surprises. The orechiette pasta with pesto and chicken, for one, is totally spot on. The portions are huge and rich with fresh flavors of roasted tomatoes and pine nuts.

Plus, actually eating a meal will make you feel better about all the dessert you'll probably can't help but consume afterward.

Milk is located at 7290 Beverly Blvd.

-- Chau Tu

Photo credit: theBEAT

Eat In. Pesto

I try to eat whole, raw foods throughout the day. My mini fridge and desk drawer at work are stocked whole pieces of fruit, almonds, and raw cheeses. Of course, I muck it all up at night when I eat something like this, but every once in awhile I'll do pesto--the most wholesome comfort food there is--made from my out-of-control basil plant pictured above. Cheap (if you stick to getting small amounts of bulk items, like pine nuts, at Whole Foods), easy, and beautiful on a plate, pesto warmed by ravioli is a wonderful dinner and makes you feel good too.

Well, here we go, another one of Heather's its-so-simple, no-real-measurements-to-speak-of recipes! Sorry, readers, that's just how I cook.


Ingredients:

• 1 cup fresh basil
• A handful toasted or raw pine nuts (2 tablespoons?)
• 3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
  
• Grated Parmesan (again, 2 tablespoons?)
• Olive Oil (until it looks right! 1/3 cupish)
• A pinch of coarse Salt (sea or kosher) and pepper
  

Directions:

• Using a food processor (need one? check this), chop the basil, nuts, and garlic together.
• Add the salt, pepper, and cheese.
• Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while the food processor is running.
• Pause occasionally to check the consistency and scrape the sides.
• The finished product should be rough (not a paste), but well combined.

You can improvise on this method and add other ingredients: sundried tomatoes, spinach, even replace basil with other herbs--like parsley--as a base.

-- Heather Robertson

Eat In. Mac and Cheese.

OK, believe it or not, homemade macaroni is one of the easiest things I've ever made. And the pay-off is ridiculous. The recipe below makes 6ish servings (it makes as much in the picture above), but you could probably half the ingredients or play around with it until it feeds as many as you'd like. Also, be aware that there is--in my rough estimation--7000 calories packed in here. But hey, that's comfort food for you.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. elbow macaroni
• 3 tblsp. butter (plus a little extra to grease the baking pan)
• 3 tblsp. flour
• 2 cups cream
• 6 cups of cheese (we used cheddar and monterey jack)
• 6 slices of bacon*
• Salt, pepper, and whatever spices you like (we used a mix of cayenne, garlic powder, onion powder, and a bit of nutmeg)
• breadcrumbs for topping

Directions:

• Prepare the macaroni according to the package (or, you know, boil it in water with a little bit of salt and oil, duh).
• Cook the bacon in a skillet, crumble or slice it, and make sure to reserve the delicious, greasy fat.
• Melt the butter in a sauce pan.
• Once the butter is done foaming, add the flour and whisk until all the lumps are gone.
• Let the roux (aka the butter and flour) darken to a sandy blonde.
• Whisk in salt, pepper, and spices
• Add the cream slowly, whisking the whole time until it's smooth.
• Dump in the cheese and whisk until everything is melted and tasty.
• Mix the cheese sauce, bacon bites, and drained pasta in the pasta pot.
• Pour the yummy mixture into a greased glass baking pan ( 13x9, maybe?).
• Spoon a few tablespoons of the reserved bacon fat into the breadcrumbs and mix until crumbly.
• Top your casserole with extra cheese and breadcrumbs.
• Bake at 375ish for 20ish minutes-- basically until the breadcrumbs are toasty and the cheese is bubbly.

*This is totally optional. I'd imagine you could also use a veggie, like peas. However, if you do opt out of the bacon, have some melted butter on hand to toss the breadcrumbs in.

-- Heather Robertson