Posted on October 27, 2008 by bayareafoodie
check out those vanilla beans!
You all know I purchased Giada De Laurentiis’ new cookbook “Giada’s Kitchen” in order to attend the signing event. Well, the book is actually really nice. The pictures are beautiful and the recipes are inventive. The first recipe we decided to make was the “Butternut Squash and Vanilla Risotto” (we used acorn squash). Mike “the king of risotto” was intrigued by the use of vanilla in the stock*. I was super surprised to find out a single vanilla bean was $12 ($8 on sale)!!! The dish turned out fabulous. The vanilla was not at all overpowering. It just sits in the background adding a bit of sweetness. The modifications we made to the recipe included using 1.5 cups of wine (a santa lucia highlands chardonnay worked perfectly) and we puréed some of the squash and added it in along with the chunks. I would suggest serving this as a side or starter since it is a bit heavy.
Recipe:Buy the book or grab the recipe from Serious Eats.
*this was the subject of Mike’s chit chat session with Giada.🙄
Filed under: Main Dish, RECIPES, Starters & Soups | Tagged: acorn squash, Butternut Squash and Vanilla Risotto, cooking, food, Giada De Laurentiis, giada's kitchen, RECIPES | 3 Comments »
Posted on October 22, 2008 by bayareafoodie
I’m not really a salad person. I will have one as a starter but never as a main course. The salads we eat at home are not usually worthy of a post. That is until now. This salad was the bomb! The dill dressing went perfectly with the spicy radish, sweet onions and tart apples. We continued to use the leftover dressing throughout the week on any piece of lettuce we could get our hands on.
Rachael Ray, I don’t care what others say about you, I have yet to try a recipe of yours that I didn’t like…
Recipe link
The only thing I left out was the poppy seeds (didn’t have any).
Filed under: RECIPES, Starters & Soups | Tagged: cooking, dill dressing, food, Rachael Ray, Radish Apple and Onion Salad, RECIPES | Leave a comment »
Posted on October 15, 2008 by bayareafoodie
Mike picked this recipe because we had a bunch of arugula and mozzarella to use up. This was our first attempt at a stuffed burger. I was a bit worried that the pesto would ooze out all over the grill but it remained in tact. The pesto did not use a lot of oil so the consistency was more like a paste. We chose to nix the buns and go with naan since we already had it in the fridge. I fell in love with naan ever since we made lamb burgers. It makes the meal much less heavy.
We both found the burgers to be marvelous. They were j-u-i-c-y and flavorful. Looking at those photos makes me want to fire up the grill. You must try this.
Recipe link
Tasty Tip: a blue or swiss cheese would probably also go nicely.
Filed under: Main Dish, RECIPES | Tagged: burger, cooking, food, Gourmet magazine, grill, RECIPES, Sundried Tomato and Arugula Pesto | 2 Comments »
Posted on October 12, 2008 by bayareafoodie
Bon Appétit “Classic” vs. “New” Chicken Parm battle
I found two chicken parmesan recipes from Bon Appétit. The Sept 2008 cover featured a classic version by Mario Batali’s Otto restaurant and the June 2008 issue featured a new somewhat healthier version. Mike and I made both to see… which recipe reigned supreme.
The “classic” version was pretty time consuming to make but worth it. The sauce was tangy and the chicken ooey gooey. Many dishes benefit from some time in the fridge –this is not one of them. Starve yourself for the day and tuck-in! This is best pipin’ hot out the oven.
Modifications to sauce : Mike added fresh oregano plus 1/2 can of tomato paste to thicken. Classic Recipe link
Classic
The “new” recipe was fast and easy to prepare. The garlic chicken covered in cheese was super juicy, and the roasted tomatoes burst in your mouth and were a perfect complement to the chicken. It was a fresh and light dish but when all was said and done I didn’t really feel like I was eating chicken parmesan.
Modifications: I added Italian seasoning and fresh basil to the dish to punch up the flavors. New Recipe link
New
THE VERDICT: both were good in their own ways but if I had to pick a winner it would be… the Classic … you can’t beat crispy chicken slathered with tomato sauce & bubblin’ mozzarella!
Filed under: Main Dish, RECIPES | Tagged: Bon Appétit, Chicken Parmesan, cooking, food, mario batali, otto, RECIPES | Leave a comment »
Posted on October 6, 2008 by bayareafoodie
After making that pumpkin soup you didn’t think we were going to trash these did you?
Mmmm…salty
(Click image to enlarge)
Recipe link
Filed under: RECIPES | Tagged: cooking, food, pumpkin seeds, RECIPES, roasted, snack, toasted | Leave a comment »
Posted on October 5, 2008 by bayareafoodie
We received a Sugerpie pumpkin in our produce shipment from Farm Fresh to You. I really didn’t know what to do with it. My plan was to stick it by the front door and see if it would make it to Halloween but Mike had other ideas. He wanted to make soup and that’s exactly what he did (with a little help from me….).
spiced pumpkin soup garnished w/ heavy cream, cilantro & roasted pumpkin seeds
The ingredients used in this dish were pretty unique for a pumpkin soup (banana, coconut and curry) but they all melded perfectly. The flavor was not overly sweet and the spice was subtle. I actually added a little extra condensed milk because I prefer the sweetness. When we make this again I might even use regular coconut milk instead of unsweetened. I wish I had smell-o-vision because this had a wonderful aroma. If you want an early taste of the holidays try this sumptuous soup. I’m glad Mike saved the pumpkin from its Halloween demise…
Recipe source: Bon Appétit Magazine – November 2002
Recipe link
Need instructions for cooking a pumpkin? Look here
Note: This is my entry for the First Thursday: Color orange event (Hey, it started out orange!) held by Michelle @ Thursday Night Smackdown
Filed under: RECIPES, Starters & Soups | Tagged: bon appetit magazine, cooking, food, halloween, pumpkin soup | 1 Comment »
Posted on October 4, 2008 by bayareafoodie
Have you ever made pasta in the same manner as a risotto? Well, here’s your chance. It’s the same concept except you substitute small pasta for the rice. The result is a slow cooked masterpiece and well worth the time it takes to prepare. The sauce was so rich and creamy I actually felt guilty eating it. It tasted as though I would put on 5 pounds once I finished. Mike and I probably should have eaten smaller portions with a salad instead of devouring the entire pan. Next time, oh yes, there will be a next time, I think I will use 1/2 the amount of cheese and add a little more tomato. I’m sure it will turn out just as good and I will have a clear conscience 😀.
Step 1 - make Tomato Confit
Step 2,3 - brown the pasta and start adding stock
Step 4 - add tomatoes, cheese & herbs
Note: After checking the Chavrie Goat cheese label I see it’s not super high in fat but it sure tastes like it is…
Recipe link
Filed under: Main Dish, RECIPES | Tagged: cooking, Creamy Pasta with Tomato Confit and Fresh Goat Cheese, food, food and wine magazine, RECIPES, risotto | Leave a comment »
Posted on October 1, 2008 by bayareafoodie
What to do with a huge ripe melon? Make sorbet! Summer is supposed to be over, but the last 2 weeks we had some fiery days down here in the South Bay. Beat the heat with this…
We looked to Emeril for the recipe.
BTW – this melon was from our first shipment of organic produce from Farm Fresh to You.
Filed under: Dessert / Baked Goods, RECIPES | Tagged: cooking, dessert, Emeril Lagasse, food, Honeydew Melon, RECIPES, sorbet | Leave a comment »
Posted on September 29, 2008 by bayareafoodie
Mike & I woke up to a pizza episode on the Essence of Emeril. Emeril’s Pizza Alla Napoletana was inspirational. We had a basket of cherry tomats to use up so we decided to create our own interpretation of his pizza. We rolled out a Trader Joe’s pre-made dough then rubbed it with a garlic clove. Next, we sprinkled our tomatoes (that had been salted and peppered), fresh buffalo mozzarella, torn purple basil (from our AeroGarden), chopped oregano (from our outdoor garden) and a drizzle of EVOO. Tossed it in the oven and 10 minutes later…
This was the best pizza we have ever made at home and quite possibly the best pizza we have ever had. Goes to show if you use fresh ingredients you can do wonders… The tomatoes were insanely sweet and the hint of garlic in the background was spectacular!
BTW- the tomatoes were from our first shipment of organic produce from Farm Fresh to You.
Tasty Tip: tools to prepare the perfect pizza
Filed under: Main Dish, RECIPES | Tagged: cooking, Emeril Lagasse, food, Heirloom tomato and buffalo mozzarella, pizza, Pizza Alla Napoletana, recipesstone | Leave a comment »
Posted on September 24, 2008 by bayareafoodie
Indian food has never been a favorite of mine, probably because the only times I have had it was when coworkers took me to all-you-can-eat Indian lunch buffets. It was always a bad experience where I ended up eating tons of bread and not much else. When I saw this chicken recipe in the October 08 issue of Food & Wine magazine I thought it was time to give Indian food another try. The mag recommended making a cilantro mint yogurt sauce to accompany the Tikka because it does bring the heat. Both had beautiful colors and flavors. Served with grilled naan and a simple cucumber & tomato salad I have a new found affection for Indian food.
Recipe link
Filed under: Main Dish, RECIPES | Tagged: Chicken Tikka, Cilantro and Yogurt Sauce, cooking, food, food and wine magazine, indian, RECIPES | Leave a comment »
Posted on September 23, 2008 by bayareafoodie
Pete, the winner of Rachael Ray’s Hey, Can you cook?! competition returned to the show to prepare a meal. His dish looked really good so we made it. What do you think? The scallops were grand and the corn I could totally see eating at our next Thanksgiving dinner. They were super buttery and had all those memorable holiday flavors. I think Pete deserves his win…
Recipe link
Filed under: Main Dish, RECIPES, Side Dish, Starters & Soups | Tagged: cooking, food, Rachael Ray show, RECIPES, Seared Scallops with Roasted Corn and Herbs | Leave a comment »
Posted on September 18, 2008 by bayareafoodie
I was in the mood for mussels. I order them at restaurants all the time but have never made them at home. I didn’t think it would be so easy. Once you take the time to clean them the actual prep/cook time is minimal. Mike and I picked up 2 lbs of farm raised black and New Zealand green lipped mussels for $10 at Whole Foods market. What a deal! We got a mixture because we didn’t know which was better. Now we know… go for the green lipped, they were much more meaty and sweet. I like my mussels drenched in garlic. The recipe I used only asked for 1 measly garlic clove. I used 3 and when I make this again I will probably use 4. We served this up with a side salad and crusty garlic bread (yes, more garlic). Excellent meal.
Recipe link
Filed under: Main Dish, RECIPES, Starters & Soups | Tagged: cooking, food, food & wine magazine october 2008, mussels, New Zealand green lipped mussels, RECIPES, Sauvignon Blanc–Steamed Mussels, wine | Leave a comment »
Posted on September 16, 2008 by bayareafoodie
Tis the season to be eating tomatoes! I was watching the Tomato episode of Jamie Oliver’s show Jamie at Home and decided to make a tomato feast. Mike and I went to the farmers market and got a bevy of heirlooms. They look soooo good this time of year.
We followed Jamie’s instructions for making the “mothership tomato salad”. As seen on the show this is the starting point for numerous dishes. From this we made a caprese salad as well as a tomato pasta salad. The tomatoes we purchased were perfect. Ripe and juicy. Jamie suggests that you salt your tomats before eating to concentrate the flavors. This salting process really does make a difference with the final product. Preparing the two dishes was super easy. For the caprese layer tomato, mozzarella, black pepper, balsamic, red chile and basil, and then you’re good to go.
For the salad you smash up the remaining tomatoes with your hands, add to cooked rotini pasta and dig in. Pop it in the fridge for a bit and it’s 10Xs better. Quick, simple and delicious recipes.
Recipe link
Filed under: Main Dish, RECIPES, Starters & Soups | Tagged: caprese salad, cooking, food, jamie oliver, pasta salad, RECIPES, tomatoes | 7 Comments »
Posted on September 8, 2008 by bayareafoodie
The Baileys Shiver is my new go-to after dinner cocktail on a hot night. I have been a fan of baileys on the rocks since I was a kid (literally). On the rare occasion where my dad would have an alcoholic beverage this was his drink of choice and he would always allow me to have a little sip. Well, my old Baileys has gotten a face-lift known as the Shiver and it is mighty good.
Recipe (quantities are for one serving)
Step 1: Drop 2 large ice cubes into your blender (that’s 2 per person)
Step 2: Add 3 ½ oz. of Baileys per person
Step 3: Blend until completely smooth
Step 4: Pour into your glasses
Tasty Tip: Add a scoop of vanilla froyo to the mix and it’s even better.
More Baileys recipes
Filed under: Cocktails, RECIPES | Tagged: baileys, blended drink, cocktails, cooking, food, RECIPES, shiver | 3 Comments »
Posted on September 7, 2008 by bayareafoodie
I was excited to see a recipe from Charles Phan of the Slanted Door in the Sept. issue of Food & Wine. I love Asian cuisine but I usually find it difficult to prepare at home. This dish on the other hand was extremely easy to make. One of the main ingredients was fish sauce. When Mike cracked open the bottle he made a funny face. This was our first time cooking with fish sauce and we were a bit worried about its pungent smell but it ended up tasting fantastic. After we finished eating Mike said, “I would make this again in a heartbeat.” It was that good. The sauce was sweet yet peppery and the cilantro gave it a fresh punch. Next time we fix this I might throw in some bean sprouts.
Tasty Tip: Make a little extra sauce – Mike and I had to duel over who would get the last spoonful!
Recipe link
Filed under: Main Dish, RECIPES | Tagged: asian, Caramelized Black Pepper Chicken, charles phan, cooking, food, food & wine magazine, RECIPES, slanted door | 2 Comments »
Posted on August 25, 2008 by bayareafoodie
This was the first pasta sauce I have made where you throw everything in a Cuisinart — no stove top cooking involved. When finished it looked like a cream sauce, yet no dairy was added. It was simple and flavorful. Perfect for a hot summer night. This was one of the “30 best fast recipes” featured in the Sept. issue of Food & Wine mag.
Recipe link
Filed under: Main Dish, RECIPES | Tagged: cooking, food, food & wine magazine, pasta, Penne with Triple Tomato Sauce, RECIPES | 2 Comments »
Posted on August 19, 2008 by bayareafoodie
I was viewing TV the other night and a show came on all about sandwiches. One place in NY that serves up Elvis’ favorite sando made an impression on my mind. After watching I was determined to make one. I found a version of the recipe and whipped out one of my favorite wedding gifts…THE GRIDDLER!
I love this 4-in-1 grill. It transforms a regular sandwich to a warm, ooey gooey, crispy delight. Instead of following the recipe exactly I decided to kick it up a few notches by adding nutella and honey. I’ve read that bacon is also a good addition.
I personally enjoyed the honey version best and Mike liked the nutella. Next time I would slice the bananas instead of mash. The consistency was a little too babyfoodie for my taste. Overall a sweet sandwich.
Filed under: Main Dish, RECIPES | Tagged: cooking, Elvis Presley, food, honey, nutella, panini grill, Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwich, RECIPES | Leave a comment »
Posted on August 14, 2008 by bayareafoodie
Everyone is always looking for new methods to prepare chicken. I challenged Mike to whip up the bird in ways he hadn’t made before. Here are the results:
Meal #1 → Baked Chicken Breasts with Tomatoes, Smoked bacon, and Madeira. This originally called for ham but things are always better with bacon! Served over buttery rice this was delicious. Smokey, salty, sweet — a great treat. Trust me…it tasted a lot better than that photo looks. I was too hungry to make this look pretty.
Meal #2 → Braised Chicken Cacciatore with Polenta. Mike used chicken thighs for this. The meat fell right off the bone and was tender and moist. This was actually better after time. Cook a day ahead and watch the flavors meld. Both dishes will be added to our chicken rotation. You can find the recipes in the Joy of Cooking: All about Chicken cookbook. This book is packed with poultry!
Filed under: Main Dish, RECIPES | Tagged: chicken, Chicken Cacciatore, food, joy of cooking, RECIPES, smoked bacon | Leave a comment »
Posted on August 13, 2008 by bayareafoodie
We were in Napa for a family reunion last month. For dinner one evening Francisco (Mike’s cousin’s husband) prepared traditional Spanish Tortillas. Francisco is from Spain. When I heard tortilla I immediately thought of the Mexican version but this was completely different. It was more like a frittata composed of eggs, onion and potatoes. Francisco let me watch him prepare the tortillas. The prep actually took most of the day since he was cooking for 25 people. He did everything from memory so there was no recipe. The tortilla was served up with a delicious tomato gazpacho. The tortilla was light and fluffy yet hearty. The flavors were very subtle — it would also pair nicely with a simple salad of baby greens and tomatoes drizzled with evoo and balsamic.
Gracias Francisco! Mike and I will try to make this on our own someday soon.
From what I remember (I started drinking beer around the time of the flipping, which is the most difficult part of the process) this recipe is very similar to Francisco’s.
More photos (click to enlarge):
Francisco @ work Frying Potatoes Potato & Egg Mix
Filed under: Main Dish, RECIPES | Tagged: cooking, food, RECIPES, Spanish tortilla | Leave a comment »
Posted on August 4, 2008 by bayareafoodie
I was craving Fajitas but didn’t know how to prepare the steak. I ended up using a Paula Deen recipe. The result was displeasing due to the lack of flavor. It probably wasn’t the best idea to look to the kooky southern cook for a Mexican recipe but it was called Gold Medal Fajitas. It sounded like a winner. Oh, well… at least it looked good. Anyone have a tasty Fajita recipe to share with me?
Recipe link, if interested
Filed under: Main Dish, RECIPES | Tagged: fajitas, food, mexican, paula deen, recipe | Leave a comment »
Posted on July 25, 2008 by bayareafoodie
So which burger looks better? On the left you have the cover model of the July 08 bon appetit mag and on the right you have our version. We made a couple substitutions to the ingredients. First, we didn’t have cheddar so we used swiss. Next, instead of searching for canned chipotles we mixed in a ground chili chipotle spice to the ketchup that we had on hand. Finally, I wasn’t in the mood for an english muffin so we used soft, fresh ciabatta. They said they used a muffin but that sure looks like a bun. If you ask me the bon appetit burger had some work done and some retouching.
Either way you look at it, it was a bangin’ burger. The ketchup had a spicy kick and the onions were sweet. Variations of this burger will grace our table for years to come… gotta add some bacon and maybe avocado or shrooms next time!
Recipe link
Filed under: Main Dish, RECIPES | Tagged: bon appetit magazine, burger, Cheddar Burger With Balsamic Onions and Chipotle Ketchu, food, RECIPES | 1 Comment »
Posted on July 23, 2008 by bayareafoodie
Apple crisp is one of my favorite desserts. My mom made one growing up that was outstanding. Of course when I asked her for the recipe she could not find it so off to the food network I went. I found a recipe from Rachael Ray’s sister. As many of you know Rachael doesn’t bake. I have made this two times and both turned out remarkable. Those sisters know how to cook!
Tasty tip: Double the topping mixture (not the cinnamon mix) for extra sweet goodness.
Recipe link
Filed under: Dessert / Baked Goods, RECIPES | Tagged: 30 minute meals, apple crisp, dessert, food, Rachael Ray's sister, RECIPES | Leave a comment »
Posted on July 16, 2008 by bayareafoodie
Once a year, maybe twice I will dust off my deep fryer and make Fried Chicken. It is one of the few meals I create without Mike’s help. I LOVE my fried chicken. It’s so simple to make I hate to even say it’s a secret family recipe. There are no eggs or buttermilk. I use 3 ingredients: flour and large amounts of Lawry’s Seasoned Salt and Garlic Salt. To prepare I mix them all together then dredge the wings and drop into hot oil (365 degrees/7 minutes/8-10 wings). This produces a thin, salty, crispy skin. I don’t like thick batter covering my chicken.
Once again, I outdid myself. 😆 Having a portable deep fryer makes preparing this dish really easy. I can do all my frying outside to keep the funk in the house to a minimum, and clean up is a snap.
Note: Stay tuned for the Ad Hoc part II review. Mike and I will be returning to Ad Hoc at the end of the month to try the Fried Chicken everyone is going gaga over. We’ll see if it deserves all the accolades.
Filed under: Main Dish, RECIPES | Tagged: deep fryer, food, fried chicken, RECIPES | Leave a comment »
Posted on July 14, 2008 by bayareafoodie
So did the h-u-g-e burger on the July cover of bon appétit call to you as you stood at the checkout in the grocery store? That burger looked so darn good I had to have it. The cover story gave recipes for a variety of burgers. The 1st burger Mike chose to recreate was the Curried Lamb Burger with Grilled Vegetables and Mint Raita.
I found the texture of the lamb patty to be wonderful and it was super juicy. Much nicer than regular beef. The sauce was minty fresh, and I will use that naan more often. It is a nice alternative to a bun. The only thing I wasn’t crazy about was the curry flavor. I have never been a fan. It was cool to be adventurous and try something new but I think I’ll stick to my royale with cheese.
Recipe link
Next on the list: Cheddar Burger with Balsamic Onions and Chipotle Ketchup. The bon appétit covers have been really enticing this year, so much that I just ordered a subscription. It’s much cheaper than buying the individual issues.
Filed under: Main Dish, RECIPES | Tagged: bon appetit magazine, burger, curried lamb burgers, food, grilled vegetables, july 2008, mint raita, RECIPES | 1 Comment »
Posted on July 13, 2008 by bayareafoodie
I’d never heard of Eton Mess before watching Nigella Lawson whip up a batch on her show Nigella Express. Eton mess is a dessert of English origin consisting of a mixture of strawberries, pieces of meringue and cream and was first created at Eton College in Britain. Although I find meringue nests unappetizing, Nigella made them look divine.
The meringue crumbled in the cream was awesomely sweet. This was one of the best strawberry desserts I’ve had. It was a tasty mess, indeed.
Recipe link
Note: The only modification I made to the recipe was use balsamic instead of pomegranate juice. Nigella mentioned on the show that you could use that as an alternative.
Filed under: Dessert / Baked Goods, RECIPES | Tagged: cream, dessert, eton mess, food, meringue, nigella express, nigella lawson, RECIPES, strawberries | Leave a comment »
Posted on July 10, 2008 by bayareafoodie
For some reason Mike really wanted to cook some bone-in chicken breasts. The thought of a chicken dinner never makes me overly excited but if he’s cooking, I’m eating. I did my part by finding a recipe in my new go-to cookbook. The dish was entitled Zesty Braised Chicken with Lemon and Capers.
This chicken was fab-u-lous. The skin was crispy and the sauce buttery and tangy. It was so good I actually did a happy dance in my chair. It was really something special and on a Wednesday night…
Man, I am really lucky to have a husband that likes to cook.
Recipe link
Filed under: Main Dish, RECIPES | Tagged: bone-in chicken breast, Braised Chicken, Capers, food, Lemon, RECIPES | Leave a comment »
Posted on July 8, 2008 by bayareafoodie
Yes, that says Buffalo. How did we come about preparing such a unique kind of meat? Here is the scenario…
Setting – Whole Foods Meat Counter
Mike: “That london broil looks nice”
Me: “I think that’s buffalo”
Mike: “No, the meat above that is buffalo”
Me: “No, I’m pretty sure that is also buffalo”
Mike (to the butcher): “I’ll take that nice london broil”
Setting – Our Kitchen unpacking the groceries
Me (looking at the wrapped meat label): “I knew it was buffalo…”
So that’s how we ended up eating a weird cut of buffalo. Oddly after scouring epicurious and foodtv.com I couldn’t find that many preparation options for our broil. We ended up using a recipe I found on the Eating Well website. Because Buffalo is a super lean meat you have to cook it pretty rare to avoid making it tough. Mike as always did a bang up job grilling and everything turned out nice. The sauce was similar to a Greek tzatzikiz and went perfect with the meat and the bitter radicchio. I adore beets so those were the highlight of the dish for me. Although tasty I don’t think this will go on our list of things to make again.
Filed under: Main Dish, RECIPES, Side Dish | Tagged: buffalo, eating well, food, Grilled Buffalo Steak with Radicchio-Beet Skewers, RECIPES | Leave a comment »
Posted on July 7, 2008 by bayareafoodie
Every year we spend the 4th of July at home with our dog Edison. 
Our 105 lb black lab mix is deathly afraid of fireworks. Most of the evening he is cowering in our closet as our neighbors light off M-80’s loud enough to rock our foundation. This year in between consoling Mr. Ed we made S’mores. I decided I wanted to do something different so instead of a chocolate bar we used Nutella. I also toasted some coconut to toss on top because I like it. The Nutella was a brilliant substitution. Instead of the usual semi melted chunk of chocolate we had creamy chocolaty hazelnut. Give me S’more! I’ll never use a chocolate bar again…
Filed under: Dessert / Baked Goods, RECIPES | Tagged: dessert, food, nutella, Nutella Coconut S'mores, RECIPES, smore | Leave a comment »
Posted on July 4, 2008 by bayareafoodie
Mike bought a big, new, manly grill. It has a Rotisserie… we decided to take it for a spin.
Two hours and two birds later we had this…
Juicy, fall off the bone chicken. That grill was worth every penny!!
Recipes used:
We made one sweet and one savory. Huli Huli Hawaiian glaze and Lemon and Rosemary marinade (Warning: this stuff is potent — Mike’s hands after numerous washes smelled like garlic for 24 hours).
Filed under: Main Dish, RECIPES | Tagged: bbq, food, Huli Huli Hawaiian glaze, Lemon and Rosemary marinade, RECIPES, rotisserie chicken | Leave a comment »
Posted on July 2, 2008 by bayareafoodie
I finally attempted to make Eggs Benedict at home. I have been traveling to all kinds of breakfast cafes trying to find the Best Benedict of the Bay when I thought “Hey, I can do this.” So I decided on a ham AND bacon benedict smothered in, of course, Béarnaise. For a first try at pouched eggs I was pretty impressed with the creation Mike and I concocted. Our eggs were a little less runny than I would have liked but other than that it was pure heaven. Now all I need to do is work up a mean potato side dish and I could be in the running.
Filed under: Main Dish, RECIPES | Tagged: bearnaise, breakfast, eggs benedict, food, pouched egg, RECIPES | Leave a comment »
Posted on June 21, 2008 by bayareafoodie
Mike and I took our dog Edison to Mendocino for a long weekend. We rented a beautiful house on the coast with Mike’s cousin John and his wife Raquel.
John and Raquel are wonderful cooks. On our first night they prepared a foodie feast. Here was the menu:
Cesar salad with giant crouton 
Grilled Flank Steak with sauteed Portabella and Cremini mushrooms and garlic mashed potatoes. They found the recipe on epicurious. The steak was marinated in a soy mixture and grilled to perfection. The mushrooms were combined with a hefty amount of balsamic so they had a peppery kick. Everything turned out delicious.
You would think that the meal was complete but NO… there was more. Raquel had made a Tomato and Cheese Tart the day before so we all had a slice of that too. I had not had anything like it before. For some reason I was expecting egg but all it contained was a light flaky crust with dijon mustard covered in Parmesan cheese and sliced tomatoes. It was finished off with a drizzle of garlic herb oil. Very unique and tasty.
After all that I was completely stuffed but then came dessert…. see deep dark chocolate cookie post.
Filed under: Main Dish, RECIPES | Tagged: epicurious, flank steak, food, Portabella and Cremini Mushrooms, RECIPES, tomato and cheese tart | Leave a comment »
Posted on June 21, 2008 by bayareafoodie
While in Mendocino Raquel made the deep dark chocolate cookies from the bon appetit June 2008 issue. Wow, these were sinful. They were great right out of the oven but I think I preferred eating the balls of dough. They tasted like dark chocolate truffles! Made without butter or flour you can pretend they are healthy.
Tasty tip: watch the oven closely or these bad boys will burn. Recipe link
Filed under: Dessert / Baked Goods, RECIPES | Tagged: bon appetit magazine, deep dark chocolate cookies, food, June 2008, RECIPES | Leave a comment »
Posted on June 15, 2008 by bayareafoodie
When I saw the special June Grilling issue of Gourmet magazine I was inspired to make the pulled pork sandwich gracing the cover. After I read that it takes 10 hours to prepare I decided to make my own version of a pork slider. Here is my creation:
PORK
Mike’s parents have a no-fail recipe for preparing pork tenderloin on the grill. It comes out perfect every time Mike makes it. First you marinate the meat in equal parts of vermouth, oil and soy. You can drop some fresh thyme leaves in if you have it. Marinate for at least an hour then remove, add salt and pepper and toss on the grill for 10 minutes a side. You may have to adjust the time depending on the size of the loin.
COLESLAW
I did use the recipe from the magazine for the coleslaw. I like my slaw a bit sweeter but other than that it turned out well. It actually tasted better the day after I made it.
Assembly: I took a couple slices of the pork and placed them on a soft roll then topped it with the slaw and a dollop of bbq sauce. Delish!
For a side dish I decided on a roasted corn and tomato salad by Emeril Lagasse. I found this recipe while cruising the Food network website. I r-e-a-l-l-y wanted to love this salad. I mean look at it, it’s gorgeous! Unfortunately, the taste didn’t live up to the beauty. It was bla. Maybe it was because I left out the jalapeno peppers. I didn’t want it to be spicy. 😳
Filed under: Main Dish, RECIPES, Side Dish | Tagged: bbq, coleslaw, corn salad, Emeril Lagasse, food, pork slider, pork tenderloin, RECIPES, roasted corn and tomato salad | 1 Comment »
Posted on June 9, 2008 by bayareafoodie
With summer comes homemade ice cream. Our ice cream machine is super easy to use. No ice or hand churning necessary…just set it and forget it.
This weekend Mike made Peanut butter ice cream to go with the Barefoot Contessa brownies I made. Chocolate and peanut butter is a classic combination. I found the ice cream recipe on a fellow food blog called Kitchen Chick. It turned out fantastic. This was the best ice cream we have made and we’ve made a lot! The flavor and consistency was perfect. The brownies also turned out terrific. They contained a chocolate triple threat (chocolate chips, melted chocolate and chocolate mix). These bad boys were flaky on top and ooey-gooey in the middle. Awesome summer treat!
Mix: Barefoot Contessa Brownie Mix
Tools: Cuisinart Ice Cream machine
More photos (click to enlarge):
Since this turned out so well I’m submitting it to the “You Scream, I Scream, We All Scream for Frozen Desserts!” Food Blog Event hosted by Mike’s Table (btw, not my Mike).
Filed under: Dessert / Baked Goods, RECIPES | Tagged: barefoot contessa, chocolate brownie, dessert, food, homemade ice cream, peanut butter ice cream, RECIPES | 1 Comment »
Posted on June 5, 2008 by bayareafoodie
Mike and I hosted a get together last Friday night. Since we both had to work during the day I came up with the idea to make a lasagna because we could make it in advance. I ended up using a recipe I found in the December 07 Food & Wine Magazine. It was a variation on a lasagna and looked really yummy. It consisted of penne pasta, a hearty amount of lamb and veal, some tomatoes and a creamy cheese sauce. It turned out really good. A small amount goes a long way with this dish. It’s very rich. We easily fed 9 people and still had leftovers for two more meals.
Minor modifications for next time would include more tomatoes and maybe some garlic. This was my first Italian dish without any garlic…
Photo gallery (Click to enlarge):
You can also find the recipe in the 2008 Food & Wine Annual Cookbook
Filed under: Main Dish, RECIPES | Tagged: food, food and wine magazine, Lasagna-Style Baked Pennette with Meat Sauce, pasta, recipe, RECIPES | Leave a comment »
Posted on May 28, 2008 by bayareafoodie
A couple times a year we have a wine & food night with friends. The evening consists of decadent food and many bottles of fantastic wine. This time Mike and I were assigned the salad course.
I attempted to make the Caprese Salad Mike and I ate at Enoteca San Marco last month. I had found an adaptation of the recipe online. I will admit I didn’t have time to make the pesto so I picked some up at Whole Foods. It was fresh and had the exact same ingredients the recipe called for but it was not as garlicky as I would have liked.
The 2 hour roasted tomatoes turned out well but didn’t have the same consistency as I remember at Enoteca. Enoteca looked and tasted more like stewed tomatoes.
Final verdict: No complaints from the foodies but I think I could do better.
You can find the original recipe in Mario’s cookbook:Molto Italiano: 327 Simple Italian Recipes to Cook at Home
Filed under: RECIPES, Starters & Soups | Tagged: caprese salad, enoteca san marco, food, mario batali, mozzarella, pesto, recipe, RECIPES, salad, tomatoes, wine | Leave a comment »
Posted on May 27, 2008 by bayareafoodie
The Sprinkles cupcake shop is still not open in Palo Alto so I had to bake up a batch myself to hold me over. I picked up the red velvet mix from Williams-Sonoma. They turned out terrific… If I say so myself!
Get yourself some!
Filed under: Dessert / Baked Goods, RECIPES | Tagged: baking, cupcakes, food, red velvet, sprinkles cupcakes, williams sonoma | Leave a comment »
Posted on May 24, 2008 by bayareafoodie
I have been watching Rachael Ray hammer out her 30 minute meals for the past 3 years and not once have I actually been motivated to try to recreate her dishes. That is until now…
Last weekend on an episode called “Believe in Bacon” she made American-Italian all’Amatriciana and for some reason I was moved. I went to the grocery, picked up the items I needed and set the clock for 30 minutes. I wanted to see if I could beat her time. I soon realized that she is a really fast chopper and she doesn’t follow all the steps that are listed on the recipe during her show. Looking at the instructions it takes 25 minutes just for the sauce to cook. That leaves me with 5 to organize, clean, chop and grab pots –IMPOSSIBLE. When I had finished it took me about 55 minutes. But it was worth it. Mike loved it and so did I. The pasta called for pepper bacon and fire roasted tomatoes so it was smokey and had a bit of heat. I was super surprised. Rachael knows her stuff.
Recipe link
By the way I didn’t use the cheddar. I stuck with Parm and I added chopped basil like she did on the show.
Rachael 30 minute meal cookbooks:
Classic 30 minute Meals
30 minute Meals
30 minute Meals 2
Filed under: Main Dish, RECIPES | Tagged: 30 minute meals, American-Italian all'Amatriciana, bacon, Believe in Bacon, fire roasted tomatoes, food, food network, pasta, Rachael Ray, RECIPES | 4 Comments »
Posted on April 17, 2008 by bayareafoodie
There is an A-M-A-Z-I-N-G chocolate cream pie in the February 08 issue of Food and Wine magazine. It actually has you sieve the chocolate filling before you add to the crust. This process makes the pie extra silky and creamy. Since you can prepare this up to a day in advance it is great for when you are having guests over. This got me some rave reviews at our last dinner party.
By the way the whipped cream that goes along with this is scrumptious …I could of eaten a bowl of just cream! 😯
Recipe link
Get the magazine
Filed under: Dessert / Baked Goods, RECIPES | Tagged: chocolate cream pie, dessert, food, food and wine magazine, RECIPES, whipped cream | Leave a comment »
Posted on April 16, 2008 by bayareafoodie
Mike went and did it again. Another killer risotto — this time with veal, shiitaki mushrooms and asparagus tips. The recipe can be found in our favorite cookbook: Risotto. If you make this dish, add more veal and double the amount of asparagus. We chose to omit the cream and add Emmentaler cheese. Serve with a simple green salad, some crusty bread and a hearty Pinot. You will not be disappointed!
Filed under: Main Dish, RECIPES | Tagged: asparagus tips, food, RECIPES, risotto, shiitaki mushrooms, veal | Leave a comment »
Posted on April 7, 2008 by bayareafoodie
Mike and I finally broke out the pizza stone we got as an engagement gift (2 years ago!). We decided to make a vegetable pizza with whole wheat crust. I don’t know why we didn’t do this earlier. I loooove pizza. We have it at least 4 times a month. I actually worked at a pizza place for 2 years during high school so I’m no newbie to the art of pizza prep. To make things easy we purchased the dough pre-made from Trader Joe’s which is a nice alternative to making dough from scratch. To start things off we sauteed the onions, peppers and shrooms before putting them on the pizza to ensure the crust didn’t get soggy. Next we rolled, sauced, cheesed and assembled everything then baked the pizza for 10-12 minutes at 450 degrees. It turned out magnificent. The dough was perfect — using a pizza stone really makes a difference. The pizza seemed a lot healthier. There was no grease and the veggies were crisp. Next time we are going to try more exotic flavors and fresh herbs. This was a great test run… I have a feeling we will have a lot less pizza deliveries in the future.
Tasty Tip: Invest in a pizza stone if you want authentic pizza crust. We got ours from Sur La Table but you can also order online from Amazon
Pics of the process..
Continue reading →
Filed under: Main Dish, RECIPES | Tagged: food, homemade, pizza, pizza stone, RECIPES, trader joe's, whole wheat dough | 2 Comments »
Posted on April 3, 2008 by bayareafoodie
Mike whipped up this classic french fish dish the other night. He got the recipe out of the “best of Cooking Light 9” special edition magazine. It can also be prepared using sole or flounder.
Take the cod and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat a large skillet over medium heat then coat with cooking spray. Add fish. Cook 2 minutes on each side or until flaky. Remove from pan, cover and keep warm. Add 3/4 cup dry white wine and chicken broth plus shallots (1/3 c) and garlic (1tbsp). Bring to boil. Simmer 10 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in 5 tsp butter, 1/4tsp salt, 1 tbsp chives, and 1.5 tsp fresh tarragon. Spoon sauce over fish and serve.
Filed under: Main Dish, RECIPES | Tagged: cod, fish, food, recipe, tarragon butter sauce | Leave a comment »
Posted on March 25, 2008 by bayareafoodie
We finally made a one pot meal. The Feb 2008 issue of Sunset magazine titled “slow-cooked comfort” had a recipe for Smokey Beef Stew.
The preparation was fairly easy and it was all done in a single pot. I love that! The main ingredients included a 4lb beef chuck, smoked bacon, potatoes, onions, carrots, chipotle chile powder, smoked paprika and TWO full bottles of dry red wine. After 4 hours we had ourselves a delicious dinner for 8 (Yes, we had guests coming over!). It was garnished with chives and blue cheese.
The finished product was very hearty and had a spicy kick but the blue cheese helped tame the heat.
Continue reading →
Filed under: Main Dish, RECIPES | Tagged: beef stew, food, one pot meal, pot roast, RECIPES, sunset magazine | Leave a comment »
Posted on March 14, 2008 by bayareafoodie
In an attempt to eat more healthy (during the week) Mike and I have been feasting on tons of white fish. Last night we tried orange roughy. We decided to cook on the grill so we placed the fish in some foil with a drizzle of evoo, lemon slices and a sprig of rosemary and thyme from the garden. I tossed in a few slices of tomato in mine. We seasoned it with some Citrus Rosemary salt from the NapaStyle salt box I gave Mike for Xmas.
It was super easy to prepare and surprisingly scrumptious. It tasted like butter.
Filed under: Main Dish, RECIPES | Tagged: food, napastyle, orange roughy | Leave a comment »
Posted on February 18, 2008 by bayareafoodie
If you ever get an invite to our house for risotto don’t pass it up! Mike is a risotto master. It doesn’t matter what kind he makes it always turns out fabulous. It is so good that I can’t order risotto in restaurants because they can never compare. For this special day he decided to make Lobster Risotto. It was his first attempt at preparing anything with lobster and he did a wonderful job. He chose this variety because he knows I am a lobster fanatic. My family lived in Massachusetts for many years so I have been eating lobster since I was young. Below are some pics of the fruits of his labor…
Mike started things off by making his own lobster stock which infused the rice with even more yummy lobster flavor. The final dish was silky and luscious. You can’t celebrate a special occasion at our house without a bottle of Joseph Phelps wine. This evening Mike chose a 2004 Chardonnay called Ovation which is what I gave him after I finished my 3rd helping of risotto!
Mike’s risotto cookbook of choice is by Judith Barrett and Norma Wasserman. It’s a winner. Purchase it here: Risotto
Filed under: Main Dish, RECIPES | Tagged: food, lobster, recipe, RECIPES, risotto | 3 Comments »
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