dreaming of eating at home

Daruma Gigante, originally uploaded by xopherlance.

I've been up in Walnut Creek for almost 3 weeks now. A bad time to be introduced to Just One Plate, a site devoted to some marvelous restaurants and patisseries (and their chefs) native to L.A. Fortunately, the site gives recipes from these eateries, so perhaps I can prepare braised loup de mer with butter lettuce or seafood nage normand for my grandmother up here. Prospects are doubtful, though: I made banana bread with my sister over the weekend, but it emerged rather gummy and dense.