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Grilled Rosemary Chicken with Creamy Grits and Shiitake Mushroom Sauce

Posted on March 30, 2009 by bayareafoodie

chickenandgrits
Ready to feel guilty? Then this is the dish for you! On day 3 of Mike’s birthday celebration I decided to make him this for dinner. It was outstanding but also used the majority of a carton of heavy cream. In reflection I could have forgone the cream in the grits and used 1/3 less in the sauce, but you only live once, might as well go all the way. No longer will grits be relegated to the breakfast table.

Modifications to the recipe: added a little parm to the grits, used bacon instead of pancetta in the sauce.

Recipe link

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

Alexander’s Steakhouse

Posted on March 26, 2009 by bayareafoodie

alexanders
For Mike’s birthday we decided to try Alexander’s Steakhouse. I had read numerous positive reviews despite it’s obscure location next to the dilapidated Vallco mall. Alexander’s is all about the meat so if you’re a vegetarian don’t bother. When you enter you are greeted by beef in large glass display cases. As we took our seats in the dining area we saw that the recession has not effected Cupertino. The place was packed. It was dimly lit, loud and kind of chaotic with servers running around. I was really surprised to see a restaurant where you can order a $200 piece of steak so busy.

While looking over the menu we were given complimentary glasses of bubbly (nice touch) as well as an amuse-bouche: celery root custard with shallot marmalade. Mike enjoyed it, I was glad it was free. For our first course I chose the tomato soup with basil oil and Mike had the caesar salad. The soup was the standout dish. Before the main courses came out we received a pallet cleanser: a small square of passion fruit gelee along side a raspberry and blueberry. A delightful bite.

Finally it was time for the beef — you will find a diverse selection of US, Australian and Japanese. Mike ordered the “Beef three ways” (filet, shortribs, kobe patty melt) and I chose the 6 oz. filet mignon. We shared two side dishes — beets & greens and creamed spinach. I was not impressed with the beets, they lacked seasoning. The spinach on the other hand was downright delish. After taking a taste of my steak I knew why the joint was jumpin’. The filet was seasoned and cooked to perfection and the accompanying sauce was on point. Mike started off with his kobe sando as instructed by the server. He enjoyed the filet the best, but the rest were just so-so. One gripe about the menu was that the majority of the meat entrees ranged from 14 oz.- 2 pounds! Who can eat that much? We wanted to try the featured dry aged cuts but they started at 24 oz. Now that I think about it we should have just shared one.

On to dessert… Continue reading →

Filed under: Silicon Valley (all cities) | Tagged: , , , , | Leave a comment »

Kara’s vs. Sprinkles — Cupcake Throwdown

Posted on March 24, 2009 by bayareafoodie
sprinkvskara

Sprinkles (left) vs. Kara's (right)

sprinkvskara2

View from the Top

sprinkvskara31

Check out that cake to frosting ratio

The biggest cupcake rivalry that exists in Silicon Valley is Kara’s vs. Sprinkles!

As mentioned in the past I work in walking distance to Santana row. Kara’s cupcakes opened in October. I was actually kinda excited because I currently have to travel 25 minutes to get my cupcake fix from Sprinkles. When I arrived I was surprised to find a shop the size of a bread box. There is a counter and the door. You can fit maybe two people inside comfortably. I was all jazzed to try their java and banana cakes but the employee working told me that since the store is minuscule they can only make 1/2 of the flavors you will find at other locations. I guess they don’t get the concept of making different flavors each day. I had to settle for lemon, vanilla (pictured above), coconut, fleur de sel and peanut butter.

So how did they measure up to my beloved Sprinkles? There really was no comparison between the two. Sprinkles trounced Kara’s in flavor, variety and size. Kara’s cupcakes tasted like they were straight out of a grocery store bakery (and that’s not a good thing). The cake was dry, almost flavorless and the frosting tasted like a GIANT glob of shortening. The best of the bunch was the coconut.

I really wanted the tiny cakes to be good so I could fulfill my cravings on a more regular basis but I just can’t stomach them. So sad…

Note: An in-depth Sprinkles review can be found here

Filed under: Peninsula, REVIEWS OF PRODUCTS, San Jose, Silicon Valley (all cities) | Tagged: , , , , , , | 8 Comments »

Halibut with Roasted Beets, Beet Greens, and Dill-Orange Gremolata

Posted on March 22, 2009 by bayareafoodie

beetsandhalibut
We got beets! I’ve been waiting for beets to arrive in our produce delivery for months. Beets are the bomb and if you don’t agree, you haven’t had them prepared in a way that brings out their yumminess. After preparing this recipe we learned beet greens are not to be discarded. They are wonderful. At the suggestion of other reviewers we added garlic to the gremolata and once the fish was cooked I finished it with a little orange juice to give it a punch of citrus. The meal was light, healthy and delicious.

Recipe link

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

Irish White Soda Bread w/ Caraway Seeds

Posted on March 17, 2009 by bayareafoodie

irishsodabread1
sodabreadThis has to be the easiest bread recipe in the world. It contains 5 ingredients and no yeast and no waiting for rising. From start to finish it took 35 minutes. I have to be honest I had doubts that this would be edible. I was envisioning a big solid rock emerging from the oven. To my surprise it did turn out. It was dense but still soft and chewy on the inside and tasted just like rye bread. I truly enjoyed it.

Tasty Tip: we used reduced fat buttermilk (2 cups) and it was all good.

Recipe link

Filed under: Dessert / Baked Goods, RECIPES | Tagged: , , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

Guinness Corned Beef and Cabbage

Posted on March 17, 2009 by bayareafoodie

cornedbeef

I married an Irish man so I now celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day. For the first time we made a St. Paddy’s day meal for Mike’s family.

pearsalad

Simple awesome salad

The menu:

  • Pear Salad with blue cheese, bacon, walnuts and shallot vinaigrette (recipe)
  • Guinness Corned Beef with cabbage, potatoes and carrots
  • White Soda Bread w/ caraway seeds (recipe)
  • Sprinkles Irish cupcakes

The main dish was corned beef. I am a corned beef fiend although I grew up eating it in another form… corned beef on rye with mustard and a dill pickle. This was the first time Mike or I had attempted to cook the beef at home. When I read the recipe Mike found I was very concerned that it would not turn out right. The whole idea of boiling meat just sounded wrong but I would find out it was sooo right. The result was amazing. It was tender yet firm and the flavor was perfection. I can’t wait to make it again next year. I’m already planning the menu. Seriously.

Happy St. Patrick’s day!

Beef Recipe link

Tasty Tip: Don’t be tempted to sample the braising liquid before adding the veggies. It will taste like a pool of salt. The Guinness flavor throughout is very mild. We will use 2 bottles of beer next time and less water.

Filed under: Main Dish, RECIPES, Starters & Soups | Tagged: , , , , , | Leave a comment »

Sprinkles Rankings Update – St. Patrick’s Day

Posted on March 16, 2009 by bayareafoodie

The cupcakes have gone green…check it out here

round-6

Round 6: Irish chocolate

Filed under: Sprinkles (Palo Alto) | Tagged: , | 1 Comment »

Sautéed Chicken with Olives, Capers and Roasted Lemons

Posted on March 16, 2009 by bayareafoodie

lemonchick
I was craving lemon chicken so I went on a crusade to find a new recipe. The first I came across was by Lidia Bastianich who is one of Mike’s aunt’s favorite celeb chefs. In her honor I thought we should give it a try. It looked like a light and fresh dish. The result was a smorgasbord of flavors: sour (lemon), tangy (capers) and salty (olives). The chicken paired nicely with the accompanying sauteed spinach & breadcrumbs. Winner, Winner chicken dinner! I now know why aunt Joan is a follower of the PBS star.

Recipe link

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

Nothing Bundt Cakes

Posted on March 12, 2009 by bayareafoodie

bundt-sign
What will be the next food fad after cupcakes? Bundt Cakes! There is a relatively new store in Los Gatos that only sells bundt cakes. They have 10 different flavors and each is topped with their signature cream cheese frosting. After much deliberation, we chose to take home 3 single serving bundtlets: lemon, carrot and marble. I was flabbergasted at the price. A bundtlet is only $3.99 which is cheaper than what most upscale bakeries charge for a cupcake and this is a tad larger.

bundtlet

Bundtlets are cute, but the larger version is a bit scary looking (when you see them you will know what I mean)

So how did they taste? The bundts were moist and flavorful. My favorite was the marble. I’ve admired marble cake since I was a child. My mom would make one every year for my birthday. Mike liked the carrot best. I was very happy to find out their carrot doesn’t contain nuts or raisins (those are the two reasons I never buy carrot anything). The lemon came in a tasty third. I’m not sure if bundt is better than regular cake but I’ll go back to try some more. I’m a bundt-liever!

Address: 421 N. Santa Cruz

Website: http://www.nothingbundtcakes.com/

Filed under: Los Gatos | Tagged: , , , | 4 Comments »

Mo’s Bacon Bar

Posted on March 10, 2009 by bayareafoodie

baconbar

Mike picked up this unique treat for me while browsing around the Los Gatos Coffee Roasting Company. He knows me well. The package says Mo’s bar is composed of applewood smoked bacon, Alder wood smoked salt and deep milk chocolate. I was hoping it was a slab of bacon doused in chocolate, alas it was not.baconbar2

The scent reminded me of a bacon dog treat and tasted like smokey, salty chocolate. The bacon bits were minimal and not overly flavorful. The candy paired very well with a glass of Italian red wine but what doesn’t! All I can say is that it was worth the try but not necessarily the $8.95.

Confucius says: I see strips of bacon dipped in chocolate fondue in the near future.

Website: http://www.vosgeschocolate.com/

Filed under: REVIEWS OF PRODUCTS | Tagged: , , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

Zagat San Francisco Dining Deals Pocket Guide

Posted on March 6, 2009 by bayareafoodie

zagat

The economy is awful. Everyone is looking for ways to save money. Zagat to the rescue!

Zagat just released a dining-deals guide for the San Francisco area. The guide features 241 restaurants that serve up cheap eats (well…moderately priced). This is Zagat so you won’t find many $5 footlongs, but affordable meals from some of the best spots in town. If you’re looking for eateries with bargain prix fixe menus or an inexpensive bite this is your handbook. My favorite part was the additional section on Napa because we spend more time there than the city.

A couple of places on my list to chow down are:
Tom Colicchio’s ’wichcraft
BurgerMeister
Cook St. Helena

If you live in the Bay, this is a must have. Get your copy here

Thanks Zagat for sending me mine…

Filed under: REVIEWS OF PRODUCTS | Tagged: , , | Leave a comment »

Collard Greens with Fennel and Orange Butter

Posted on March 3, 2009 by bayareafoodie

orange-collards

If you think the taste of collard greens is too bitter, this recipe is for you. Orange and greens are an inspirational combo. I had no idea how this recipe would turn out when I found it on the Food & Wine magazine website. All I knew was that it would use 3 items from our recent produce shipment:  collard greens, fennel and oranges! Yippee! The orange juice coats the collards and transforms into a sweet glaze. Mike breaded and lightly pan fried some sole filets to go along side. This will grace our table again in the near future.

Recipe link

Filed under: Side Dish | Tagged: , , , , | Leave a comment »