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