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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

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

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

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

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.

Get yours today!

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

Sato Sushi

Posted on April 2, 2010 by bayareafoodie


I’ve eaten at a lot of Japanese restaurants and I gotta say this is my favorite if I’m in the mood for Teriyaki and Tempura. This was my go-to birthday/special event dining spot while growing up and every time I get a chance to go back I do. The food, decor and sweet female owner remain the same. I feel at home whenever I return.

Usually I go to sushi joints for the rolls but here (for me) it’s all about the Teriyaki combination dinners. Sato does it right! Before the meal starts you are presented with a hot towel to clean your hands. LOVE that. Then comes the hot tea and salad with a wonderful ginger dressing. Next, Miso soup with green onions and tofu. Then, a bowl of white rice is placed next to a plate with Teriyaki. I chose steak which was cooked perfectly and has a sweet sauce. Finally the HOT (trust me you will probably burn your tongue) Tempura is brought which has 2 giant shrimp and a bevy of veggies. This is not your typical Tempura heavily breaded and cold from sitting under a heat lamp. This is super fresh and arrives at the the table the moment it’s removed from the oil. Wow, I’m kinda drooling just thinking about it. Anyways, you get the point. Sato ignores all the fancy gimmicky stuff and instead provides simple, consistent, delicious yet economical (prices have only increased a few dollars over the last 20 yrs) cuisine.

Oh…don’t let me discourage you from ordering the sushi…it’s good too. Mike ordered a combo platter.

Sato was one of the first Japanese restaurants to open in Pleasanton and I hope it remains forever.

Address:
3015 Hopyard Rd
Pleasanton, CA 94588
Website

Rating:

Sato Japanese Cuisine on Urbanspoon

Filed under: East Bay, Northern CA, PLACES TO EAT/DRINK | Tagged: , , , , , | 1 Comment »