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O Chateau French Wine Tasting in Paris

Posted on September 2, 2010 by bayareafoodie

While in Paris I wanted to make sure Mike had the opportunity to do a tasting of French wines. O Chateau fit the bill perfectly. It is a fairly new establishment right near the Louvre. We chose the 1 hour  introductory tasting which was held in O Chateau’s intimate wine cellar. Leading our tasting was Lionel, a very informed handsome young French sommelier (he spoke English of course). Our tasting included 3 French wines: a Sauvignon Blanc from the Val De Loire region, a Cab Sauv/Syrah from Sud-Quest and a red blend from Rhone.

While tasting we learned about the different French wine regions and what varietals they produced as well as wine tasting techniques and how to read a French wine label (it is different than the US).

Mike and I were very impressed with the amount of information provided as well as the quality of the wines poured. We would highly recommend this activity to any wine lovers.

Tip: if you purchase a Paris Pass this tasting is included for free (usually 30 Euro/per person)! And you’ll need to make  a reservation with or without the pass.

Website: http://www.o-chateau.com/

Filed under: France, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK | Tagged: , , , , | 1 Comment »

L’Avant Comptoir

Posted on August 31, 2010 by bayareafoodie


We ended up at Chef Yves Camdeborde trendy wine bar “L’Avant Comptoir” two times on our trip. The first was on our food tour and the second we came on our own to get a crêpe. We were told they were the best in Paris. We actually attempted to have dinner at the famed bistro “Le Comptoir” next door but the wait was 1 hour and I was hungry. The procedure for ordering a crêpe begins by walking up to a little window of the bar. There you’ll find a bunch of different ingredients to choose from written on a chalk board or you can opt for the special of the day (of course we didn’t notice that until we had already ordered). I had chicken w/ Gruyere &  Mike had artichoke w/ Gruyere. They were huge and very tasty. I could only finish half. If you find yourself in the Latin Quarter it’s definitely worth a trip.

Address: 9 carrefour de l’Odéon, M° Odeon.

Filed under: France, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK | Tagged: , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Paris Left Bank Food & Wine Walking Tour

Posted on August 26, 2010 by bayareafoodie

After hours of online research on Paris restaurants and food I was overwhelmed and decided I needed help. When I found Wendy Lyn’s website on Paris I knew she would be the best tour guide. Wendy, originally from the South, has been living in Paris for 20 years, works as a food writer and is very well connected. Our tour began with a visit to Eric Kayser’s boulanger. Kayser is known throughout Paris as one of the best bakers. Here we sampled a traditional french baguette, chocolate croissant and little airy sugar coated balls of dough all while hearing about the history of bread making.

Then we headed to the local farmers market to chat with vendors and sample their goods. We ended up purchasing salted caramels, Foie Gras and a dried herb and vegetable bouillon pack. Unfortunately, the cheese shop Wendy usually includes on the tour was closed for renovation so we didn’t get to see that but she did give us some information on how a cheese shop operates.

Next stop Chocolatier Patrick Roger’s Boutique. Roger is known as a chocolate artist in France. In addition to his edible creations he makes chocolate sculptures. On display the day we visited was a giant elephant. My favorite confection was hands down the hazelnut praline chocolate bar which Wendy referred to as “chocolate crack”.

Our final destination was Chef Yves Camdeborde’s tiny wine bar “L’Avant Comptoir” where we drank wine, ate ham croquettes and BUTTER while learning about French wine varietals.

Mike and I had a blast on this excursion through the Left Bank. Wendy was super sweet and full of knowledge about the French food scene. We can’t wait to go back.

Website: http://www.thepariskitchen.com/

Filed under: France, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK | Tagged: , , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

San Sebastián, Spain

Posted on August 17, 2010 by bayareafoodie

San Sebastián is a gorgeous beach town located in the Basque country and is known as the Culinary Capital of Spain with the highest concentrations of Michelin stars in the world. We were in San Sebastián for a family reunion. Mike has a cousin that lives there so we were not visiting to spend hundreds of dollars on fancy meals but to eat as the locals do.


Our first food adventure: Pintxos (Basque tapas). The old part of the city has streets full of Pintxos bars where you order a drink and start noshing on the plates of small bites arranged on the bar. Get ready to get your carbs on – most are slices of bread topped with different goodies. Each has a toothpick in it and when you are ready to leave you hand over your toothpicks to the bartender and he will let you know the amount you owe.


2nd was a traditional meal at Aldanondo restaurante which specializes in grilled steak. Our group of 10 shared a bunch of appetizers and then each ordered a main course. Apps included: white asparagus, tuna salad, prawns, green beans and my new favorite thing grilled peppers with salt. For our main dish Mike and I shared the steak which was HUGE. The meat was perfectly cooked and well seasoned. It came with a simple mixed green salad which we requested instead of fries. Delicious! website: http://www.aldanondo.com/

Our final dinner was at La Fabrica. Here they prepare classic dishes with a new twist. We all decided to order the 3 course prix fixe menu which was cheap by American standards. I started out with the mushroom ravioli with foie gras cream followed by a local white fish with tomato sauce and for dessert an apple tart. Everyone loved the food.  website: http://www.restaurantelafabrica.es/home.html

We had a blast in San Sebastián. It’s a very relaxing destination. Mike and I plan to return when we win the lotto so we can try some of the spots with stars.

Non Foodie Note: if you do visit make sure you take a day trip to Bilbao to see the Guggenheim. Out of the 6 museums we visited in Spain/France that was my favorite.

Filed under: Outside the Bay Area, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK, Spain | Tagged: , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Chocolateria San Ginés

Posted on August 12, 2010 by bayareafoodie


Before leaving for Madrid I did some online research and one place kept popping up as a must do activity — eat Hot chocolate and Churros at Chocolateria San Ginés. We arrived at 11:30pm (early by Spanish standards) and the cafe was about half full. We easily found a table and immediately ordered …2 hot chocolates and 1 plate of churros. No menu necessary. When everything arrived it looked beautiful. The churros are not like what you find at Disneyland covered in cinnamon sugar and doughy in the middle. It was a slightly sweet crispy dough and when dipped in the warm milk chocolate it was the ultimate combination. The chocolate is really not for drinking but dipping because it is so thick and rich. This is one of those don’t miss opportunities when in Madrid and since it’s practically open all day and night you have no excuse not to try it.

Note: I found the recipe on the Food Network. I haven’t tried it so I can’t vouch for its authenticity but if you can’t make it to Madrid and you want to give it a try this may be your best bet.

Address: Pasadizo de San Ginés, 11

Filed under: PLACES TO EAT/DRINK, Spain | Tagged: , , | Leave a Comment »

Mercado de San Miguel

Posted on August 12, 2010 by bayareafoodie


Mike has a cousin that lives in Madrid and one of the places she suggested we check out was the Mercado de San Miguel – a hip new indoor farmers market filled with over 30 vendors selling seafood, sandwiches, fresh vegetables, sweets, baked goods, tapas, wine, ham and more (similar to Oxbow market – if you’ve been to Napa). Mike and I hit up the Mercado for a light bite a few hours after we landed in Madrid. We arrived around 3pm on a Friday and the place was packed. Not a free seat in site. Many locals were enjoying plates of oysters and bottles of wine. Mike and I decided to share a simple jamon sandwich and a beer. Our internal body clocks were totally off so we didn’t want a big meal and this hit the spot.

Website: http://www.mercadodesanmiguel.es/

Filed under: PLACES TO EAT/DRINK, Spain | Tagged: , | Leave a Comment »

Adventurous Appetites Tapas Tour

Posted on August 10, 2010 by bayareafoodie


For our first foodie adventure in Spain Mike and I decided to go on a Tapas tour since we had limited time in Madrid and no idea where to go. Our walking tour started in the heart of the city at the Puerta del Sol where we met our guide James. We had a fairly small group of 6 people which was nice because any more and you would have difficulty finding spots in bars where we could all be together.

Mike pouring cider

Our first stop was a bar known for Asturian cider and blue cheese. The cider was alcoholic but not like what you would expect in the states. It tasted like olives or a dirty martini. Definitely an acquired taste. Along with the drinks came plates of complimentary ham and cheese as well as a cold potato salad. Then came the creamiest blue cheese I have ever tasted. It was like pâté and was spread on sliced bread. Awesome! We also tried some tasty chorizo and potatoes with paprika before heading off to our next location. While walking James gave some basic history of Madrid and the food culture.

blue cheese

Next stop:  Jamón!
Here we tried the daddy of all Spanish ham — iberico along with manchego cheese, salami, olives and washed it all down with Sangria. Yum.

Destination #3 was a small wine bar. Here we drank terrific red wine while feasting on blood pudding, roasted peppers with salt, lamb sweetbreads, steak w/ mushrooms, croquettes with prosciutto, tripe with chick peas and paella.

You’d think that was the end but we had one final spot for Seafood. While we sipped white wine a bevy of sea creatures were placed on our table… octopus with potatoes, anchovies with potato chips and olives, garlic shrimp and barnacles ( looks like a tiny elephant foot and tastes like a salty clam). Everything was fresh and delicious.

This was hands down our favorite event on our European vacation. When the night is over you will be full and content. We would highly recommend taking this tour. James is a fantastic guide.

Note: In order to try and keep the tours bar/restaurant locations from becoming overrun with tourists I did not reveal the names.

Website: http://www.adventurousappetites.com/

Filed under: PLACES TO EAT/DRINK, Spain | Tagged: , , | 1 Comment »

Scallops with Mushrooms in White-Wine Sauce

Posted on July 14, 2010 by bayareafoodie


This was killer…literally. I could hear my heart cry as I devoured every morsel. Mike and I are trying to get back in shape by doing the P90X workout. This is not on the diet but this is what Mike decided to prepare for dinner the other night. He obviously didn’t read the ingredients before going to the store. Heavy cream, butter, cheese, egg yolk, and more butter! It was sinfully delicious though. The sauce was the one of the best I’ve ever tasted. It would be a perfect starter course. Really don’t attempt to eat this as a main dish as we did.

I just decided Mike was preparing us for our trip to Paris. We leave in 1 week!!!

Recipe link

Filed under: Main Dish, RECIPES, Starters & Soups | Tagged: | 1 Comment »

CADE Winery

Posted on July 13, 2010 by bayareafoodie


Guest post by Mike (my wine guy)

On one of our recent trips to Napa, Nicole and I decided to visit Cade Winery (a PlumpJack property) because we had tasted their wine at Pebble Beach Food & Wine and were impressed. The winery is located at the top of Howell Mountain which takes a bit of time to get to but it’s worth every mile.

When you first arrive it almost seems like you’re in the Sierras. The building is Gold LEED certified which means is was built in the most environmentally conscious way. The tasting room is more like a living room than a business and we got to sit on comfortable couches while tasting four outstanding wines. It costs $20 per person but the “pours” are huge and you get personal attention – there was only one other couple that joined us. The winery-rep spent an entire hour explaining the wines and the production process. We were told they only have about 6-8 people max per tasting session.

We tasted the 2008 Sauvignon Blanc, the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Cuvee, the 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain and the 2007 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon. All were amazing. The Sauvignon Blanc was refreshing and the 7% Semillon blended in made it that much more complex. All three Cabs were out of this world but I particularly loved the Howell Mountain for it’s smokey aroma and herbal/black cherry finish.

After the tasting the winery rep took Nicole and I on a quick tour of the wine caves and barrel room – very impressive. If you’re looking for a unique tasting experience you can’t find a better, more inviting place than Cade.

Website: http://www.cadewinery.com/cade/

Tastings offered Monday-Sunday from 10 am – 4 pm by appointment only.

I have to say this is one of my favorite spots now (I almost didn’t post this so it stays a secret…Nicole)

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Filed under: Napa Valley, Northern CA, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK | Tagged: , , , | Leave a Comment »

Shrimp and Fingerling Potatoes in Tomato Broth

Posted on July 8, 2010 by bayareafoodie


My bread was super happy to slop up this broth. It was tasty and hearty but next time I would add some more variety of fish. Maybe scallops and halibut.

Recipe link

Filed under: Main Dish, RECIPES | Tagged: , , | 2 Comments »

Grilled Pizza

Posted on June 28, 2010 by bayareafoodie

I’ve read articles about grilling pizza for years. We finally gave it a go. I don’t know if I’ve said it before but pizza may be my favorite food. I can eat it daily. To make life easy we used Trader Joe’s pre-made pizza dough. A 1 pound ball produces one large regular crust pizza with a crispy outside and soft inside or two thin crust pizzas. We had 2 balls one white and one wheat so we tried both sizes. It was much easier to make two small pizza’s… being able to flip raw dough onto the grill without making a mess takes mad skilz.

What we made:
Wheat pizza dough with onions,peppers, shrooms, buffalo mozz and tomato sauce.
White pizza dough with tomato sauce, buffalo mozz, fresh basil, crushed black pepper and sea salt.

Step by Step Instructions

The directions say to brush the raw dough with olive oil before grilling. We used olive oil mixed with crushed garlic cloves to add a little zing.

It was time consuming to make but well worth it. The pizza turned out delicious. Just like those fancy artisanal pizza joints with brick ovens.

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Filed under: Main Dish, RECIPES | Tagged: , , | 3 Comments »

PLANET BARBECUE! Cookbook Review

Posted on June 18, 2010 by bayareafoodie


Steven Raichlen, the Baron of BBQ is back with a new guide to grilling around the world. Raichlen hit the road for his latest cookbook PLANET BARBECUE! visiting 60 countries on six continents to chronicle the practice of live fire grilling. His five year adventure has resulted in a glorious 638 page manual filled with over 300 barbecue recipes from around the globe.

PLANET takes you on a cultural culinary journey without leaving your kitchen… for breakfast indulge in an Argentinean steak & eggs dish called the “Buenos Aires Heart Stopper“, venture over to Belgium for a light lunch of Salmon Glazed with Belgian Cherry Beer, stop by a roadside stand for a snack of Cambodian Coconut-Grilled Corn, enjoy a Serbian Bacon Cheese Pork Roulade for dinner and finish off the night with Azerbaijan Grilled Ice Cream.

Interlaced between recipes are essays revealing Raichlen’s travel tips for each country including must try dishes and restaurants to visit. If that wasn’t enough there are also bios on some of the most famous international grill masters. The book concludes with an in-depth discussion on how to achieve the perfect live fire grilling environment at home including proper equipment and fuel to controlling cooking temps and cleaning.

PLANET takes Barbecue books to a whole new level – it is a cookbook and travel guide all rolled into one.

The first recipe we tried was Filet Mignons with Whisky Mushroom Sauce. See it here

———————————————————–
PLANET BARBECUE!: An Electrifying Journey Around the World’s Barbecue Trail by Steven Raichlen (Workman, May 2010, $22.95).

Buy it here

Other Raichlen books:
The Barbeque Bible (Mike swears by this!)

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Filet Mignons with Whisky Mushroom Sauce

Posted on June 18, 2010 by bayareafoodie


The first recipe we decided to prepare from Steven Raichlen’s new BBQ cookbook was Filet Mignons with Whisky Mushroom Sauce a dish from Uraguay. It’s beef wrapped in bacon smothered in a creamy wild mushroom sauce. What’s not to like?

Recipe adapted from PLANET BARBECUE!: An Electrifying Journey Around the World’s Barbecue Trail by S. Raichlen (Workman, May 2010).

Serves 4

Ingredients

Sauce:
12 ounces wild mushrooms (porcini, chantrelle)
2 tbsp (1/4 stick) butter
1 shallot, thinly sliced
2 tsp all-purpose flour
1 cup beef stock
1/4 cup whipping cream
2 tbsp scotch whisky
2 tsp dijon mustard
1/2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
kosher salt & ground pepper

Steaks:
4 filet mignons (each 1.5 inches thick & 6-8 ounces)
4 slices country style bacon
8 bay leaves (optional)
butcher string

Preparation

Make the sauce:  Trim/clean mushrooms and thinly slice. Melt butter in pan over medium heat. Add shallot and cook until translucent but not brown, about 2 minutes. Add mushrooms and increase heat to high. Cook until tender stirring often and most of the liquid has evaporated, about 3 minutes. Stir in flour and cook, stirring, until flour evenly coats the mushrooms, about 1 minute. Stir in beef stock and cream bring to boil, stirring well. Reduce heat and simmer until slightly reduced, 3-5 minutes, stirring often. Add whisky, mustard, lemon zest and stir until blended, about 2 minutes. Season with salt & pepper to taste. Sauce can be prepared up to 1 hour ahead and kept warm.

Prepare the steaks: Wrap a slice of bacon around the side of each filet, sandwiching 2 bay leaves, if using, between the bacon and beef on opposite sides. Tie bacon in place with butcher string. Season top and bottom of steaks with salt & pepper.

Set up the grill for direct grilling and preheat to high. To be authentic you’d grill over oak or eucalyptus embers.

When ready to cook, brush and oil grill grate. Arrange filets on the hot grate and grill to taste 4-6 minutes per side for med-rare. Don’t forget to grill the sides to brown the bacon.

Transfer steaks to plate and remove string. Spoon sauce over the top and serve at once.

See my review of the cookbook here

Buy the book here


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Chicken Tostadas

Posted on June 12, 2010 by bayareafoodie


I find Mexican food the most difficult cuisine to make at home. My tacos, fajitas & enchiladas never taste as good as they do in a restaurant… until now. This recipe blew me away.

Recipe link

Filed under: Main Dish, RECIPES | Tagged: , | Leave a Comment »

BarBersQ

Posted on June 9, 2010 by bayareafoodie


If you’re looking for Memphis style BBQ in Napa look no further than BarBersQ. The place is rockin’  — literally. Mike couldn’t stop shimmying his shoulders as classic R&B and Neo Soul tunes piped through the restaurant.

You’d think this being a barbecue joint I would order ribs or pulled pork but I had heard they had fried chicken and I NEVER pass up fried chicken. Mike chose the Caesar salad (very nice) and the Q combo with brisket and chicken. My 4 pieces of Southern fried chicken arrived with a side of collard greens and mashed potatoes. The chicken was hot with a light crispy skin that had a hint of sweetness. Compared to competing fowl I’d put it above Ad Hoc but just below Boon Fly’s versions. It comes with a vinegar hot sauce that looks more intimidating than it is. It actually could be hotter.


Mike enjoyed his BBQ but preferred the chicken over the beef.


We finished off our meal with a hefty slice of chocolate bundt cake from our favorite ABC Bakery.


We were beyond stuffed…it took days to digest.

Although it’s not located in the most prime location (in a strip mall sandwiched between a Target and a Whole Foods) I’d go back in a heartbeat. The large portions, tasty eats, reasonable prices, casually chic decor and jazzy music make up for the lackluster outdoor setting.

Rating:

Website: http://www.barbersq.com/

Filed under: Napa Valley, Northern CA, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK | Tagged: , , , , , | 2 Comments »

Ad Hoc Brunch

Posted on June 6, 2010 by bayareafoodie

Thomas Keller’s Ad Hoc serves up Brunch every Sunday from 10-1pm and it’s become supremely popular. We arrived at 10:10 and the placed was full by 10:30. It’s a 3 course meal for $34.  I had heard from others that the Brunch menu included Bouchon pastries, yogurt and then a choice of a breakfasty main dish (waffles, pancakes, eggs) but on our visit the format had changed. This is the menu we received on May 16, 2010 (no choices available).

Ice berg lettuce with buttermilk dressing, red onions, apples and walnuts

Steak & scrambled eggs with creme fraiche, wild mushroom ragu and fava beans

Oven roasted potatoes

Beignets covered in sugar with strawberry, vanilla and chocolate dipping sauces

The salad was good but nothing special. The steak and eggs on the other hand was a masterpiece. It still amazes me how every single bite is perfectly seasoned. The man knows how to use salt! The beignets were divine even though they were more like donuts; dipped in a combo of vanilla-strawberry sauce was delish. We left satisfied but not stuffed (which is always a good thing).

Next visit I would make my reservation for a later time. It definitely is more of an early lunch menu than a breakfast. I don’t usually wake up and have a salad with my french press.

See our past Ad Hoc adventures:
Fried Chicken night
Pork dinner

Filed under: Napa Valley, Northern CA, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK | Tagged: , , , | Leave a Comment »

Seattle’s Best Canned Iced Lattes

Posted on June 1, 2010 by bayareafoodie


Seattle’s Best has jumped into the canned iced coffee market with a line of Lattes. We were lucky to receive a few samples. I am not a daily coffee drinker but I love the taste of coffee. You’ll never find me drinking a cup in the morning just for the purpose of getting caffeine in my system. I enjoy coffee as a night cap or a sweet treat (as a child and to this day my favorite flavor ice cream is coffee).  I was excited to try this new product for two reasons: I find cold java drinks refreshing and there are very few opportunities to frequent Seattle’s Best cafes in the South Bay.

First we tried the Mocha, which I thought would be my favorite, but it was not as rich as I would have liked. Next, the Latte which was smooth and milky with a hint of coffee running through. We saved the best for last…Vanilla Latte which was full of flavor. The vanilla was very pronounced and left me craving for more.

If you live in the Western U.S. stop by your local grocery or convenience store to get your hands on these cool drinks.

For more info visit: www.SBCIcedLattes.com

Filed under: REVIEWS OF PRODUCTS | Tagged: | 1 Comment »

Roasted Beet, Onion and Orange Salad

Posted on May 26, 2010 by bayareafoodie


My new favorite thing is roasted pearl onions. Soooo good! I can’t believe this is the first time we made them?!

Recipe link

Filed under: RECIPES, Starters & Soups | Tagged: , , | 1 Comment »

New Sprinkles Flavor: Salty Caramel

Posted on May 23, 2010 by bayareafoodie

It’s baaaaaaaaack!  A new flavor brought me back to my old stomping grounds. See how it ranks

Filed under: Northern CA, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK, Palo Alto, REVIEWS OF PRODUCTS | Tagged: , | Leave a Comment »

Gale Gand’s Vanilla Bean Rice Pudding

Posted on May 18, 2010 by bayareafoodie


Rice pudding was a lot easier to make then I thought. The vanilla beans looked so pretty and the flavor was outstanding. We used an entire vanilla bean instead of half  — what a waste not to. We served it with strawberries as suggested the first time but the next we used ripe banana slices and I gotta say I liked it even better. Tasted like a banana cream pie. The consistency was thick and creamy, not at all runny like grocery store pudding can be. A wonderful, fast, easy treat.

Tips: This was sweet even by my standards so I would recommend adding the sugar slowly and tasting to see how much you like.

The rice also could have been a little softer so I would leave it on the stove for 30 minutes instead of 20.

Recipe link
Food & Wine magazine /Sept. 2004

Filed under: Dessert / Baked Goods, RECIPES | Tagged: , , | 1 Comment »

Pink Lemonade

Posted on May 9, 2010 by bayareafoodie


Mike and I planted two lemon trees in our backyard over 4 years ago and we have yet to see a single piece of fruit. We tried planting them in different parts of the yard and used numerous soils but they would not grow. We had no idea what we were doing wrong so we came to the conclusion that we had bought duds and went to the nursery to buy another. This time we passed on the tiny $10 trees and went for a big boy – one that actually had a good amount of flowers/buds. We planted it in the Fall and look at it now!! WE GOT LEMONS!!!

The first thing I made was lemonade because it was finally warm and not raining last weekend. This recipe is a bit unique. I’d never thought to make lemonade in a blender. It gave it a nice frothy consistency. This can taste just like the stuff you get at Hot Dog on a Stick™ if you add more grenadine (which I did on my second batch).

Recipe link
We have been on a unintentional Ina Garten cooking spree lately.

Filed under: Cocktails, RECIPES | Tagged: , , , , | 1 Comment »

Chicken Pot Pie

Posted on April 29, 2010 by bayareafoodie



This is not the pot pie I grew up eating. The filling is not thick and creamy it’s more of a broth base which makes it seem more healthy than it probably is. When the buttery pastry deflated down into the bowl and got all saucy it was delicious. We made 4 pies and ate 2 a few days later and it was just as tasty. It’s a very warm and hearty meal.

Modifications to save time: We BBQ’d a couple boneless chicken breasts instead of roasting and we used pre-made puff pastry for the tops.

Recipe link

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Pebble Beach Food & Wine 2010 Lexus Grand Tasting

Posted on April 18, 2010 by bayareafoodie

Morimoto, Jamie Lauren, Richard Reddington, Michael Chiarello

Mike and I were lucky enough to attend the Sunday Grand Tasting event at the Third Annual Pebble Beach Food & Wine festival courtesy of Foodbuzz our favorite foodie social network.  The weather was not as nice as 2009 but that didn’t put a damper on our day. After taking a quick stroll around the tents to get acquainted we noticed right off the bat that we had entered Porkapalooza. Tons of chefs chose to serve pork  — which is always alright with me! Our favorite was by Richard Reddington of REDD (Napa). It was not only the best pork dish but our top dish of the day. Richard’s glazed pork belly was smothered in a sauce I wanted to take a bath in.

Reddington (REDD) - Glazed pork belly, soy caramel,apples & burdock

Other standout eats:
I’ve never eaten an anchovy raw in all its glory. This was the perfect combination of salty, creamy, sweet and crunchy.

Jamie Lauren - Marinated anchovy bruschetta w/ beet puree, burrata & lemon evoo

There was a little issue with the execution of this next dish because the pastry was a tad hard but all was forgotten when I tasted that plump sweet lobster.

Mark Gaier/Clark Frasier (Arrows, Maine) - Grilled lobster w/ marscapone, tomatoes & basil

I’m a sucker for pizza. They called it a tarte but really it was a thin crust pizza and I loved every morsel of it. This was a close runner up for best bite.

Walter Manzke (Church & State) - Bacon, gruyere, onion tarte

One thing lacking this year was desserts but the berry cobbler by Dory Ford of Aqua Terra was pretty tasty.

Enough food bring on the wine…

Mike (my wine guy) will continue with our prize picks:

2007 Buty Champoux Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc: Supple and big body cab blend with super fine tannins. Lots of berry upfront and a nice hint of spice on the finish. This Washington wine is a great buy.
2006 Cade Howell Mtn. Cab Sauvignon:  Big, bold cab with tons of dark fruit up front and a nice vanilla and chocolate finish.  Very delicate tannins. Beautiful wine.
2007 Hanzell Chardonnay: a wonderfully refreshing California Chard with tons of melon up front and a nice mineral finish. Not your typical CA Chard – in a good way.
2007 Molly Dooker Blue Eyed Boy Shiraz: a fabulous velvety Shiraz from down under. Great smoky aroma with tons of currant upfront and a hint of pepper on the finish.

Another Grand Tasting bites the dust.  We can’t wait till next year. Thanks Foodbuzz!

Additional photos:

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Want more? Check out our adventures from Pebble Beach F&W 2009…
Lexus Grand Tasting @ Pebble Beach Food & Wine 2009
Farm-to-Table Lunch, Pebble Beach Food & Wine 2009
Thomas Keller Cooking Demo – Pebble Beach Food & Wine 2009
Vérité Wine Tasting – Pebble Beach Food & Wine 2009

Filed under: Monterey Peninsula, Northern CA, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK | Tagged: , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

Italian Wedding Soup

Posted on April 11, 2010 by bayareafoodie

The contessa really put her foot in this soup.

This really should be called super yummy meatball soup. I didn’t think I would enjoy a chicken meatball so much but without them this soup would be boring. I plan on making these meatballs to add to my next bowl of spaghetti.

Tip: Don’t be afraid of the dill. It really adds to the dish.

Recipe link

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Nespresso Essenza C100 Automatic Espresso Maker

Posted on April 4, 2010 by bayareafoodie


For Christmas my parents gave us the Nespresso Essenza C100 Automatic Espresso Maker with Aeroccino Plus Automatic Milk Frother. I  L-O-V-E this machine. In 2 minutes you are drinking great espresso without the muss & fuss. All you need to do is turn it on, pop in the capsule and push start. We made a little video to show you how easy it is.

cappuccino

cappuccino

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Get yours today!

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