Posted on July 4, 2009 by bayareafoodie
Keller is on the left side
I was cravin’ a kicked up BLT and found two recipes online from Thomas Keller (French Laundry/Ad Hoc) and Tom Colicchio (Craft/Top Chef). I couldn’t decide which to try so I made both (on different days…I’m not that piggy!). I hate to say it but it ended up in a tie. Both sandos were good but definitely missing something.
The Pro’s:
Keller – yummy bread and cheese selection
Colicchio - frisee with oil/vinegar was a grand addition
The Con’s:
Keller – Needed a more flavorful sauce. Mayo just didn’t cut it.
Colicchio – This needed a big juicy slice of tomato. It was a tad dry.
Next time I will make a combination of the two.
Keller – Recipe link
Colicchio (from his new cookbook: ‘witchcraft) – Recipe link
Filed under: Main Dish, RECIPES | Tagged: blt, cooking, food, french laundry, Fried Egg Sandwiches, thomas keller, tom colicchio, top chef, witchcraft | Leave a Comment »
Posted on July 4, 2009 by bayareafoodie
Happy 4th everyone! Another one bites the dust…rankings updated here
round 10: lemon blueberry
Tip: For those of you who are on facebook and twitter be sure to check out Sprinkles daily tweets b4 you go to the shop. They usually have a secret word of the day which gets you FREE cupcakes. The cupcake pictured above cost me $0.00!!!
Filed under: REVIEWS OF PRODUCTS, VERY RANDOM THOUGHTS | Tagged: free cupcakes, lemon blueberry, rankings, sprinkles cupcakes | Leave a Comment »
Posted on July 1, 2009 by bayareafoodie
I picked this Mario Batali recipe because we had not been to the grocery in a week and it included ingredients that we had at home. This is similar to a dish I have made many times but this is a bit more zippy in flavor. I love this kind of pasta sauce because you toss everything in a blender and you’re done. Super easy and fast. Make sure you don’t try this on a first date because the garlic is potent.
Recipe link (we used penne and 1/2 tsp. of red pepper flakes!)
Filed under: Main Dish, RECIPES | Tagged: cooking, food, mario batali, pasta, Ziti with Pesto Pantesco | Leave a Comment »
Posted on June 28, 2009 by bayareafoodie
Mike decided to surprise me with a new burger he found in the Great Burgers cookbook by Bob Sloan. Preparing us for our upcoming trip to NOLA he made the Bayou burger which is a lamb/andouille sausage patty packed with cajun flare. This had great flavor and was super juicy. I will warn you that these bad boys stay with you far after the time you eat them (if you know what I mean)…
Ingredients (adapted from Great Burgers- makes 4)
1lb ground lamb
1 andouille sausage (3 ounces) cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1/2 cup chopped onion
3 tbsp. chopped garlic
1 egg beaten
2 tsp. cajun seasoning
2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. dried basil
pepper to taste
Mix everything together to make burgers. Cook 5 minutes then flip for 4-5 more minutes. Serve with red onion, lettuce and mayo or creole mustard. We added tomato.
Buy the book
Hey! I’m in the process of planning our New Orleans trip. Any suggestions for food/fun please leave a comment here or send me an email.
Filed under: Main Dish, RECIPES | Tagged: andouille sausage, bayou burger, bbq, bob sloan, burgers, cajun, cooking, food, lamb | Leave a Comment »
Posted on June 20, 2009 by bayareafoodie
If you were thinking about having organic produce delivered to your home here is your chance. I received a coupon code for $5 off your first shipment from Farm Fresh to You, a Bay Area delivery service. We’ve been getting deliveries from them for almost a year and we really enjoy it. To redeem this offer mention promo code #6164 when signing up. Please let them know I referred you by giving them my customer id# 63355. Enjoy!
Website: http://www.farmfreshtoyou.com/
*This discount is for NEW customers only.
See my past posts about this great local company:
Our first delivery
Recipes made with our produce
Filed under: VERY RANDOM THOUGHTS | Tagged: bay area, cooking, coupon, discount, Farm Fresh To You, food, grocery, northern california, Organic Produce Home Delivery, service | 1 Comment »
Posted on June 18, 2009 by bayareafoodie
I finally made it to Bouchon, Thomas Keller’s French bistro! The restaurant is tricky to locate in the Venetian hotel but well worth the search. We were lucky enough to get a table outside in the sun (which is next to one of the pools). It took an extraordinarily long time to decide what we wanted to order because everything sounded fantabulous. As we sipped on mimosa’s we needed to have the specials explained at least twice. 
Rachel and I ended up with the Croque Madame which is toasted ham & cheese on brioche with a fried egg and mornay sauce (Béchamel) and a side of pommes frites (fries). It was beyond good. It was sinful and I ate the entire thing without batting an eye. Dena had her first benedict. Unbelievable, right?…at our age! Well, her first was a doozy — Eggs Florentine (substitute spinach and smoked salmon for the ham). I loved everything about our long relaxing brunch and I can’t wait to return. I’ve already decided what I’m having next time.
Website: http://www.bouchonbistro.com/
Filed under: Las Vegas | Tagged: Bouchon, brunch, Croque Madame, food, review, thomas keller, vegas, venetian hotel | 5 Comments »
Posted on June 17, 2009 by bayareafoodie
Hubert Keller, best known for his upscale restaurant Fleur de Lys, has a burger joint in the Mandalay Bay hotel. I’d heard good things about the restaurant so I wanted to give it a try. Keller is supposed to be a burger master (he’s even written a book about burgers). When we arrived it was not what I envisioned. I thought it would be more high end but it’s really just a sports bar. It was filled with men yelling at TV screens. As we were seated I thought to myself… I’m here for the burgers not the ambiance. Looking over the menu I was surprised to find only 4 chef created burgers to choose from and none were appealing at the time. I ended up making my own mushroom & swiss burger with Black Angus beef — not very exciting. The beef was really fresh but overcooked. The fries were hot and tasty but nothing special. They were just piled on a plate and didn’t come with any dipping sauces. Let’s just say I wasn’t impressed — I expected more from a potential Top Chef Master…
Rating: 
Website: http://www.mandalaybay.com/dining/burgerbar.aspx
Filed under: Las Vegas | Tagged: burger bar, food, Hubert Keller, mandalay bay hotel, review, vegas | Leave a Comment »
Posted on June 15, 2009 by bayareafoodie
images © FIX Bellagio
I took an impromptu trip to Las Vegas with my BFF’s from college (Hi- Rachel & Dena!). We stayed at the Bellagio hotel and after walking around for hours earlier in the day we were in no mood to leave so we ended up at Fix for dinner. Fix is like eating in a night club. The music is pumping nonstop. I had to hold back busting a move during dinner. Many of the songs played were from the 90’s which was cool since they brought back some college memories. We decided to get a bunch of small plates to share. We went with the soft shell crabs (special of the day), crispy rock shrimp, lobster tacos, BLT wedge salad, yellowtail sashimi and spring rolls. Everything I tasted was great but I do wish the tacos were larger (see picture below).
the lobster tacos (each was the size of a pinky finger)
I couldn’t leave without dessert because the choices were so enticing. We (I) chose the banana bread pudding with coconut ice cream and the espresso milkshake with warm chocolate cake/brownie. The bread pudding was the best I’ve ever had (and I’ve had a lot). The milkshake looked just like a hot cup of espresso (foam and all). I almost called the waitress over to say we got the wrong order then I took a sip and it was a chilly shake. Excellent presentation. Overall, I enjoyed the vibe and food but felt it was overpriced even for Las Vegas standards. I will return for dessert at the very least.
P.S. The pineapple mojito was awesome.
Rating: 
Website: http://www.bellagio.com/restaurants/fix.aspx
Filed under: Las Vegas, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK | Tagged: banana bread pudding, bellagio hotel, fix restaurant, food, lobster tacos, review | Leave a Comment »
Posted on June 13, 2009 by bayareafoodie
This was nothing like the orange chicken at Panda Express. This was much healthier because it’s not fried. I found this recipe in the 15 minute meal section of June’s Bon Appétit. As you can see we added mushrooms because they came along with the peas in our produce delivery and we used yellow onion instead of red. I have to admit I think I like the Panda Express version better but this was a tasty alternative and my waist appreciated it.
Recipe link
Filed under: Main Dish, RECIPES | Tagged: asian, chinese, cooking, food, orange chicken, Spicy Orange Chicken Stir-Fry | 1 Comment »
Posted on June 11, 2009 by bayareafoodie
I hope you all watched the first episode of Top Chef Masters last night. We enjoyed it although I was a bit grossed out by the shower scene. I’m happy to say that Mike stayed awake for the entire hour which is unusual since it’s on way past his bedtime. My only hope is that host Kelly Choi gets her eat on during the season because she is a tad skinny.
As you can see we had a pre- show pizza party courtesy of Bravo (we couldn’t wait till 10pm to eat!). They provided the grub and swag. Thanks Bravo!
So what are your predictions for the winner? Without seeing all the chefs in action I’m going out on a limb and picking John Besh because of his Iron Chef experience – Mike is keeping his choice local and thinks Cindy Pawlcyn is gonna take home the prize. We’ll see..
Leave a comment with your choice of Top Chef Master!
Filed under: REVIEWS OF PRODUCTS, VERY RANDOM THOUGHTS | Tagged: bravo, cooking show, kelly choi, Top chef masters, tv | 2 Comments »
Posted on June 10, 2009 by bayareafoodie
Only 4 more Sprinkles cupcakes to go! I can’t believe it!
Anyone try the Key Lime? I did…see my thoughts here
Filed under: REVIEWS OF PRODUCTS, VERY RANDOM THOUGHTS | Tagged: sprinkles key lime cupcake | 3 Comments »
Posted on June 8, 2009 by bayareafoodie
I’m baaaack! Sorry for the sporadic posts… my real job has actually been keeping me very busy 
Welcome to another episode of Top Scallop (if you watch Top Chef you’ll know what I mean). We have been eating a lot of scallops lately. These were covered in a light garlic sauce. I know it’s hard to see but trust me it’s there. Of course it was good — they were covered in garlic cream and served with buttered rice!
Recipe link
Filed under: Main Dish, RECIPES | Tagged: cooking, Emeril Lagasse, food, Seared Scallops with Roasted Garlic Cream | 2 Comments »
Posted on May 28, 2009 by bayareafoodie
gyro pita sandwich
Just a quick review of the new Opa! restaurant that opened in Los Gatos. Opa! is a small chain of Greek restaurants in the South Bay. We had never been to one before so we went without any expectations. Finally a place I can get a gyro that doesn’t look seedy. On our first visit Mike ordered the Greek burger which came with Opa! fries (hand cut fries with feta cheese). I l-o-v-e a good gyro so that’s what I ordered on the two occasions we’ve been. If you are not feeling the fries ask for a salad (they will charge you more). I received a wonderful plate of cucumbers,tomatoes,onion and feta with a Greek dressing. Everything was super fresh. One time we ordered the baklava for dessert. It was good but drowning in honey. A bit too sweet for me…if you can believe it!
greek burger
Although the location is not large both times we have gone we were seated immediately, the service was good, the portions large and the prices very reasonable. A nice casual spot in the heart of LG. I’m a fan!
Website: http://www.opalosgatos.com/
Filed under: Los Gatos | Tagged: food, greek, Mediterranean, opa!, restaurant, review | Leave a Comment »
Posted on May 27, 2009 by bayareafoodie
I know this has nothing to do with food but I wanted to share a cool tour we took of Washington DC at night. If you get a chance I would highly recommend the tour company OnBoard. They specialize in small tour groups (25-30 people) and if you’ve been to any monument in DC you should recognize that this is a major benefit. Most tour groups we saw were 50+ deep and forget about hearing what the guide had to say off the bus (if they even got off the bus) because there are hundreds of people (mainly loud kids) roaming around each site. This was a 3 hour tour (7-10pm) that flew by because it was filled with interesting information and even though a thunder/lightning rain STORM came pouring down on us we still had a great time. If you’re in DC for a short time this is the way to go to see it all!
*sorry the pics aren’t super clear but the rain made things difficult
Filed under: REVIEWS OF PRODUCTS, VERY RANDOM THOUGHTS | Tagged: monuments, night tour, onboard tours, tour, tour guide, washington dc at night | Leave a Comment »
Posted on May 25, 2009 by bayareafoodie
This was at the top of my list of things to do when going to Washington DC. Mike’s brothers’ eldest daughter graduated (with honors 
) from Georgetown University last weekend (Good job Christine!) so we made the trek east to be part of her big day. Georgetown cupcake seems to have a legion of fans. When we arrived there was a loooong line outside the tiny shop so we decided to come back at a later time. Christine had already warned us that these cupcakes were not as good as Sprinkles so I wasn’t gonna wait in line, but I had to try for myself. On our second visit the line was gone and so were most of the flavors I wanted to try.
We ended up with lemon, carrot, toffee crunch and red velvet. The best was the lemon. That cupcake could give Sprinkles a run for their money. What made it special was the lemon zest throughout the cake and frosting. It tasted really good even though the humidity had made the frosting melt. I would actually wait in line for another one of those…the others — not a chance.
Website: http://georgetowncupcake.com/
Filed under: REVIEWS OF PRODUCTS, Washington DC | Tagged: georgetown cupcakes, georgetown university | Leave a Comment »
Posted on May 25, 2009 by bayareafoodie
These Buitoni Agnolotti’s (similiar to ravioli) arrived at our house as another perk of being a FoodBuzz member. I love mushrooms so I was psyched to try them. Picture fresh pasta filled with a mixture of crimini & portobella shrooms, cheese and garlic. All good things. To go along with them Mike and I decided to prepare a light sauce as to not mask the flavors. Good choice because the mushrooms were not overly flavorful. The balsamic brown butter sauce was a Giada recipe and was a perfect compliment — sweet and nutty. I would definitely pick these up if I saw them in the grocery and I was looking for a quick tasty meal.
Recipe link (we substituted pine nuts for walnuts)
Filed under: Main Dish, RECIPES, REVIEWS OF PRODUCTS | Tagged: Buitoni Wild Mushroom Agnolotti, cooking, food, Giada De Laurentiis, Ravioli with Balsamic Brown Butter | Leave a Comment »
Posted on May 13, 2009 by bayareafoodie
Another exciting episode with Edison… Sprinkles is not only for humans…I totally forgot to blog about the doggie cupcakes. We have bought these for him a couple times. He likes them but they take some time and effort to eat…
done
Filed under: TREATS FOR DOGS | Tagged: doggie cupcakes, Palo Alto, sprinkles cupcakes | 1 Comment »
Posted on May 11, 2009 by bayareafoodie
For a risotto this was easy to make (of course I say that because Mike made it ). The first day we ate this the lemon just lingered in the background and gave a kiss of citrus. The next day it was much more pronounced. This was the first risotto I’ve had that was better the following day. Not at all clumpy or dry and the flavors matured. Good stuff!
Recipe link
Filed under: Main Dish, RECIPES | Tagged: cooking, food, Gourmet magazine, Lemony Risotto with Asparagus and Shrimp, May 2009 | 1 Comment »
Posted on May 9, 2009 by bayareafoodie
Back to cooking at home…. after all that Food & Wine…
This dish is meant to be served cool (the pasta) so it would be perfect on a hot night. I actually think it would also be good served warm. The flavor is very floral with the many herbs used. It’s like a mouthful of Spring. This was light and tasty.
Recipe link
Filed under: Main Dish, RECIPES | Tagged: cooking, Emeril Lagasse, food, Pan Sauteed Scallops with Fresh Herb Pasta Salad and a Parsley Coulis | 1 Comment »
Posted on May 5, 2009 by bayareafoodie
MY AEROGARDEN!!!!
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