tinsel town

Back to the desert from a whirlwind tour of Los Angeles. Moved my recent college grad into her West Hollywood apartment. Had an incredible Peruvian meal at Picca. Sat on a plush couch while Elvis Costello played a mere feet away. Paid seven dollars for twenty minutes to run in and have a cup of coffee with my UCLA daughter. And an unexpected highlight- a detour off the 10 for an impromptu Valentine's Day lunch at Le Pain Quotidien in Claremont.

I ordered an incredible salmon and beet salad with chèvre dressing. The combination of favors was amazing, though the presentation didn’t live up to the taste. Thought I’d deconstruct this salad to make an A-list appetizer for next week’s Academy Awards. Here’s my salmon and arugula roulade with beets and chèvre. Think of rolling up the red carpet with a quad of fresh ingredients.

It’s important to use the best quality smoked salmon. Also be sure your goat cheese is nice and creamy such as Chavrie.

Roasting beets can be messy and time consuming. Trader Joe’s has packaged steamed and peeled baby beets in their refrigerator produce section.

Cut salmon slices into 1-inch by 2-inch strips.

Spread a dollop of softened goat cheese on top of each salmon rectangle.

Toss arugula with a splash of rice vinegar.

Place a few sprigs of arugula in the center of each rectangle.

Slice the beet into ¼ inch slices. Then cut each slice into small triangles. Place a beet triangle on top of the arugula on each strip of salmon.

Carefully roll each rectangle up. Place on a platter and serve. Sure to win best dressed!