Everyone under the sun has swooned over the “crack pie” from Momofuku Milk Bar in New York. When I saw the recipe in Bon Appetit I thought I better make it since I have no plans to visit NYC in the near future. I gotta say I was a bit worried about the lack of ingredients. All it really called for was butter, eggs, sugar, oats and cream. How could that be a pie? It sounded more like a cookie so I looked around the web to see how other people’s pies turned out. The only thing I found was a bunch of inconsistencies. There are many recipes on the net and none are the same. Baking times & temp to ingredients differ. I think pastry chef Christina Tosi doesn’t really want us all to know how to make her addictive pie! But in the end it turned out fabulous. It smelled and tasted like a gooey buttery caramel oat bar.
Tip: I read that some people complained that the pie was a runny pool of butter. You have to cook it for at least 30 minutes AND let the pie rest 2 hours then sit in the fridge preferably overnight. Don’t be impatient…it’s worth the wait!
Also, the BA recipe said to bake for a total of 50 minutes. I did it for 45 because the online comments said it was a bit overcooked. Next time I’ll probably bake for 35 (25 min on 350° & 10 min on 325°) just for a tad more gooeyness.
I’m forever seeing and/or reading about things/places I want to go and 99.9% of the time it’s food related but then I forget. So I’ve decided to make a list (in no particular order). This will be updated on a regular basis (hopefully crossing some things off the list as well as adding).
Note: if something is crossed out it means I have completed the item listed and if I have written a post about what occurred the item title will have a link.
List started (in my head): July 1, 2009
Have any suggestions on things I MUST do? Leave a comment!
CSN (one of the top online U.S. retailers of home and office goods) contacted me to see if I would like to review a product from one of their 200+ online stores. CSN has outlets for every product line imaginable from Bed sets and Barbecue Grills to Espresso Machines and Entertainment Centers. But I’m all about cookware.com — it has everything the home chef could possible want or need.
I decided to use this opportunity to check out a bunch of Rachael Ray pieces that I’ve had my eye on. I love the line of kitchen tools she is producing especially since they are in my kitchen’s signature green color! Keep an eye out for my review in a few weeks.
I’ve wanted to go to Foreign Cinema for many years. Mike and I finally made it for brunch. It was surprisingly warm in San Fran so we sat outside on the patio. I really liked the rustic feel. We, of course, started off with the ever popular pop tart which was warm, light, flaky and perfectly sweet. Very good interpretation of the childhood classic. I had remembered seeing Giada on one of her getaway shows order the Fried eggs deglazed with balsamic served w/rose potato-roasted garlic hash & tender greens so that’s what I decided to get. The dish was a perfect combination of salty (prosciutto), crunchy (potatoes), creamy (egg) and bitter (greens). When you got a mouthful of everything it was harmonious. Mike had never had a Croque Madame so I told him to give it a go. He enjoyed it but he has never tasted Thomas Keller’s so he has no comparison and there is no comparison. Keller’s is king.
Mike adores anything lemon. So when we needed to use up 10 lemons from our new burgeoning lemon tree I decided to make Ina Garten’s lemon cake. I had bookmarked the recipe eons ago due to its stellar reviews. The cake turned out delicious. It’s a cross between cake and pound cake. It was tangy and sweet. Most of the cakes zip came from the glaze so if you want to tone down the tartness use less lemon juice in the glaze or omit it all together.
Tip: Don’t make this too far ahead of when you want to serve because it did dry out after a day.
Recipe link
Food Network, Barefoot Contessa / 2001
The corn is the star of this dish! If you don’t have fresh, sweet corn on the cob don’t bother making this recipe. Unlike most chowders this is light and healthy…don’t let the name fool you. A grand summer supper.
Tip: I made this on the stove top but still grilled the shrimp on the BBQ.
Recipe link
Everyday with Rachael Ray magazine /Aug. 2010
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.
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.
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 boulangerie. 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.
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 fantastic time 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.
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.
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.
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.
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!!!
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.
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.
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.
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
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PLANET BARBECUE!: An Electrifying Journey Around the World’s Barbecue Trail by Steven Raichlen (Workman, May 2010, $22.95).
Thank you to Workman Publishing for providing me with a review copy of this book.
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).
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.
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.
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.
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.
Seattle’s Best has jumped into the canned iced coffee market with a line of Lattes and 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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
We had a bunch of left over corned beef so I decided to try and make a hash. It came out pretty well for a first attempt. To save time I cheated a bit by using a bag of frozen “Ore-Ida Potatoes O’Brien” (cubed potatoes with onions & peppers). I also left out the cream as it seemed unnecessary. It was a meal indeed.
I hope everyone had a wonderful St. Patrick’s Day! This year I kept things simple. Corned Beef, Swiss cheese and Emeril’s Horseradish Mustard on Irish soda bread. I really wanted to make rye bread but couldn’t figure out a way to do it in less than an hour so that’s how soda bread made it into the sando equation. Soda bread is the simplest thing to make and has a very similar flavor to rye. See recipe here
We picked up the beef from Costco and prepared it according to the directions on the package. Drop in pot, cover with water, bring to a boil, cover and simmer 3 hours. So easy!
I’ve said it before and i’ll say it again…boiling meat sounds wrong but in this case it is sooo right! The result is succulent and tender.
If you want to see the Guinness corned beef we made last year go here
It’s been months since Psycho donuts opened in Campbell and all the drama surrounding it’s unusual theme seems to have calmed down. When the doors first opened there were numerous claims that the shop was insensitive to the mental health community because they named donuts “bipolar” among other things. We arrived for our first taste of the crazy donuts on it’s one year anniversary and it looks like they tamed their ways by going for a more horror vibe and less medical. As we stepped inside there was a line so we checked out the Tim Burton-like art on the walls and listened to lady gaga blaring on the sound system. We then placed our order with a woman dressed in a 1940’s white nurses uniform. It’s definitely not your typical donut shop.
We ordered:
Nutella the Hun – Chocolate Nutella cake donut covered in sprinkles
Headbanger’s Evil Twin – Cherry jelly filled donut
Cereal Killer – Donut covered in Cap’n Crunchberries (a bit stale)
Banarama – Custard filled donut with chocolate glaze and dried bananas
My favorite was the Banarama but I always get custard filled so that was not a surprise. The donuts were decent but not good enough to warrant the drive when I have a great little donut shop within walking distance from my home. If you’re in the area and are hankerin’ for a “Moodswing” (peanuts & coconut) stop by.
If Willy Wonka made a soup it would look like this. I made some modifications to the original recipe and created something very unique. Instead of Savoy cabbage I used Red and instead of yukon gold potatoes I used Red which is weird because the soup turned out purple. People who know me will think I did this on purpose because purple is my favorite color but I really had no clue that this would be the outcome of my tinkering with the ingredients.
The end result was far from “grape” tasting. It actually just tasted like potatoes. If I closed my eyes it was a little easier to eat.
I garnished with homemade croutons, parsley and additional bacon.
Mike’s “V” day gift to me this year was from a little local chocolate shop. The chocolate dream box is hidden in a shopping center in Los Gatos –you may have passed by on your way into Lunardi’s grocery. It’s kind of a hidden treasure.
Mike chose the following treats:
(Listed from bottom to top)
tahiti – milk chocolate with vanilla
créme brulée- burnt vanilla cream custard
coffee cup – caramel espresso in dark choc cup
cream coconut – coconut ganache with milk chocolate
caramel truffle – milk chocolate with soft caramel
milk truffle – milk chocolate with cream
He also picked up a pack of salted caramels.
(obviously I’m a Milk chocolate kinda gal)
They were all wonderful — super creamy and flavorful. My favorite was the créme brulée. They are pricey but worth it. Next time you are craving hand made chocolate go local and stop by the dream box.
Mmmm Mmmm good! I needed a fancy dessert for a Valentine’s day at home. The milk chocolate Soufflé in the February issue of Bon Appétit called to me. It was insanely easy to make and more importantly could be done ahead of time. The end result was light, airy, puffed perfection. I passed on the whip that was supposed to go with this and instead made a baileys cream (heavy cream,powdered sugar,baileys). This recipe is a keeper!
Note: I used my complimentary supply of farm fresh eggs from Eggland’s Best to prepare this. Their eggs are so healthy that I didn’t feel bad eating two Soufflés…
Yes, I thought this would be gross. Mike finally decided to use the 6 kiwi’s that had been sitting in our fridge for 2 weeks. He transformed them into a uniquely creamy Ben & Jerry’s ice cream.
It was surprisingly good and very sweet. It had a fresh, clean taste that reminded me of a sorbet. A small scoop is all you need to be satisfied.
I don’t know what it is about onions straight from the farm but those bad boys make me cry. They are soooo strong. Chop some up and our whole house smells for hours. Solution…the onion goggles. Mike and I were given a pair by the Useful Things Website and we both put them to the test (but you won’t see pictures of me!). We used them while preparing two onion heavy dishes and they really worked. Not a tear was shed and they are pretty comfy to wear (imagine sunglasses with foam around the edges). My only gripe was that my nose was still running. Mike said I’d need an onion mask to fix that. The package claims they are also fog free. I guess that comes in handy if you cook in the rain.
If you can handle looking a little corny (at least these match our kitchen) the onion goggles get the job done!
It’s been 2 years since I started this blog. Time has really flown by. ’09 was a truly filling year (I have the tight jeans to prove it!). To celebrate I broke out our ebelskiver pan and the new chocolate pancake mix from WS.
2010 should be a tasty year on Bay Area Foodie since Mike and I are heading to Spain and France this summer!!! Keep an eye out for that. If this is your first visit or your 100th — THANKS for stopping by!
It was time to test the new chocolate ebelskiver mix from WS. We used three different fillings and they all turned out wicked awesome but the caramel was the best!
The recipe for Chocolate Ebelskivers is on the mix if you buy it. If you don’t, I’ve attempted to give you a recipe below…
For the pancakes:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbs. granulated sugar
4 eggs, separated
2 cups milk
4 Tbs. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted, plus more for cooking
cocoa powder (if you want to make them chocolate)
For the filling:
We used Nutella, Peanut butter and Caramel sauce right out of the jars (placed them in the fridge for 10 minutes b4 so they would be easier to work with). You want it to be a paste like consistency not soft and runny.
Directions:
To make the pancakes, in a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and granulated sugar. In another bowl, lightly whisk the egg yolks, then whisk in the milk and the 4 Tbs. melted butter. Whisk the egg yolk mixture into the flour mixture until well combined; the batter will be lumpy. Using an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on high speed until stiff but not dry peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the whites into the batter in two additions.
Put 1/8 tsp. melted butter in each well of a filled-pancake pan. Set over medium heat and heat until the butter begins to bubble. Pour 1 Tbs. batter into each well. Spoon 1 tsp. of the filling of your choice into the center of each pancake and top with 1 Tbs. batter. Cook until the bottoms are golden brown and crispy, about 3 minutes. Using 2 skewers, flip the pancakes over and cook until golden and crispy, about 3 minutes more. Transfer the pancakes to a plate. Repeat with the remaining batter and filling. Dust with powdered sugar.
What to do with a bushel of carrots from your latest CSA delivery? MAKE CARROT SOUP!! Man, this was good. Ginger and lemon are a fantastic compliment to carrots. I would have never guessed.
They say to serve with sour cream but it’s good with or without.
For our one big night out in Maui we took my sister and husband to Merriman’s to thank them for hosting us. Mike and I became familiar with Merriman’s on our honeymoon in Kona where we had a fantastic meal so we were excited to try the Lahaina location.
We arrived at 6pm just as the sun was setting. The views from the restaurant are breathtaking. It’s situated right on the ocean. Before dinner we had a drink at the bar and enjoyed the scene. After the sun disappeared into the horizon we were seated. We decided to start things off with the “Pupu” taster which included: Kalua pig quesadillas, sashimi and surfing goat cheese with beet chutney. Chef-Owner Peter Merriman is a pioneer in the “Farm to Table” concept and serves all fresh local ingredients. We also got the beet and Kula strawberry salad to share. Everything was lovely.
For my main course I chose the Filet with sauteed Maui onions and mushrooms, Mike went with the signature Ahi tuna & pumpkin puree and my sister picked the Lamb with gnocchi and her husband the Ribeye. Each dish was delicious and the portions were huge. You have the option to order a full or half portion …we got the full and if I went again I would get the half because I couldn’t finish my entree and that is rare! Even though we were all truly stuffed Mike insisted we order dessert. We decided on the Maui pineapple upside down cake with coconut gelato which was a sweet finish.
One of my favorite parts of the night was the 2 person live band that played throughout the evening. Imagine an older lady and gentleman with acoustic instruments playing War’s “low rider” and Outkast’s “Hey Ya” (it made me chuckle). It’s not the kind of music you’d expect to hear in this type of establishment.
If I had to compare the two Merriman’s restaurants we have been to I would say the food was better in Kona but the ambiance ruled in Maui. This is an expensive restaurant but the atmosphere and tasty eats are worth the hefty price tag.
Tip: bring a jacket — the restaurant is open so it’s as though you are sitting outside and can get chilly.
Mike and I headed to Maui to visit my newly relocated sister and her hubby & kids in early December. One of our day trips took us upcountry to Kula where there is a cool goat farm. When we arrived 2 baby goats (boy & girl) were being hand fed. They had just been born a few hours before our arrival. They were super cute. We then headed out on the tour which is a 15-20 min walk around the farm where you hear a bit about the history, see the goats and feed them.
Girls with the Goats
The tour ends with a sampling of about 6 different goat cheeses. I’m not a big fan of goat cheese but this stuff was good and there were like 34 varieties. My favorite was called “Canada” which has goat cheese mixed with cranberries, cinnamon and honey. We ended up bringing some home on the plane along with the Tzatziki flavor. If you have goat cheese at any of the finer restaurants on Maui it’s most likely from the Surfing Goat Dairy. It was a fun adventure.
Humans weren’t the only ones who got a holiday treat this year. I made Rachael Ray’s Peanut-Carob Isabooscotti for Edison and all his little buddies. This was really easy to make. The only problem I had was melting the carob. As soon as the chips became soft they would instantly turn into a hard ball. I tried the microwave and stovetop with the same results so we ended up with very little carob but Ed didn’t seem to mind. He ate them up!
Since Mr. Ed doesn’t eat people food we sometimes worry that treats like these can wreak havoc on his system but everything was solid ….if you know what I mean…TMI?
Happy holidays everyone! For the first time we decided to make sweet gifts for the family. To our surprise everything turned out perfect. I thought making toffee and fudge were recipes for disaster but they were really easy to prepare. Add some tins from the dollar store and you have a very festive gift.
Tip: after smoothing out the chocolate on top of the toffee don’t just toss it in the fridge. Let it sit for like 10 minutes to make sure all the chips melt completely. We didn’t, which just meant when we broke it up there were some chips still in tact. No biggie.
This fudge was made with mostly milk chocolate so it was not super rich which is my preference.
The morning after my Gary Danko birthday meal we headed to Tartine for a quick bite before heading back to San Jose. We were unfamiliar with this part of town so we were not sure of the location but as soon as we saw the line we figured we had found it. It’s much smaller than I expected.
We ended up getting the apple bread pudding and the Croque monsieur which was cheesy, hammy, tomatoey goodness on top of a thick, crusty, scrumptious slice of bread. The pudding was just ok… the Croque was delish.
I wish we had a bigger appetite. I gotta come back to try the huge morning buns and the croissants.
Warning: the cute carrots that came with the Croque were hot & spicy!
My birthday week ended with dinner at Gary Danko in San Francisco. It was time to try the #1 Bay Area Zagat rated restaurant. When we arrived we were seated in a cozy corner booth. We were surprised to see that the place was packed on a Thursday night in November. I guess you don’t have a slump in business when you are so highly acclaimed. We started with a couple glasses of bubbly as we looked over the menu. One gripe about the menu… I thought the choice of wine by the glass was limited and the prices exorbitant. After the shock wore off I moved to the food. You have the option to have a 3, 4 or 5 course meal. We went with 3 since we had already partook in 3 other “b” day dinners over the last 7 days. To my delight there was an abundance of lobster on the menu that I just couldn’t pass up.
Our order:
Amuse bouche
Asparagus soup
Starters Risotto with Lobster, Shimeji Mushrooms and Butternut Squash
Crispy Farm Egg with White Polenta, Chanterelle Mushrooms, Frisée and Pancetta
Mains
Roast Maine Lobster with Potato Purée, Chanterelle Mushrooms, Corn and Tarragon
Horseradish Crusted Salmon Medallion with Dilled Cucumbers and Mustard Sauce
Dessert
Baked Chocolate Soufflé with Two Sauces
Warm Louisiana Butter Cake with Caramelized Apples, Huckleberry Compote and Vanilla Ice Cream
Complimentary birthday lemon tart
Complimentary plate of bite size treats
The standout dish of the night was hands down the crispy farm egg. Imagine eating a deep fried poached egg. Pure deliciousness! Runner up was the roast lobster which was cooked perfectly and served with super buttery potatoes. The remaining dishes were nothing special. The risotto was a bit bland and the salmon dry. Dessert arrived and continue to arrive. They really like to dish out the sweets! Mike loved the butter cake with apples so much so that he really didn’t share.
The service was the way I like it…not overly attentive. They came around when we needed them then left us to enjoy ourselves. I especially appreciated the woman who would refill our bread plates after each course. I hate being given a single roll at the beginning of a meal and then nothing more.
Overall the food and setting was great but not the best in the Bay Area. The evening ended with our server giving us a fancy packaged banana cream cheese muffin (for the morning — which was yummy). If I were to go again I would do as the couple next to us did. Bring my own bottle of wine and order the 3 course menu but get 1 dessert and the cheese course to share. The cheese cart looked fabulous.
Sorry about the hazy cell phone pics. It was dark.
Check it out… We finally made a recipe from our Thomas Keller “Bouchon” cookbook! Mike whipped this soup up on a week night to boot! It was not super difficult to make and it turned out fantastic. Sweet with a little spice. This would be a perfect starter course at a dinner party especially during the holidays.
I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. This year Mike and I were given the task to make a turkey, green beans, cranberry sauce and gravy.
After much deliberation and many hours looking through foodie magazines we decided to go with the following recipes:
Sage Butter-Roasted Turkey with Cider Gravy (Bon Appétit, November 2009)
Bacon Braised Green Beans by Emeril Lagasse (Food Network magazine, November 2009)
Cranberry, Pomegranate, and Meyer Lemon Relish (Bon Appétit, November 2008)
Mike and I have yet to master the art of cooking a turkey. It gives us problems every year. It just never seems to cook all the way through. Even with all the trouble the breast meat was nice and the gravy was fantastic but next year I want ham! The cranberries were tart and lovely but the green beans were the star of the meal. I lost track of all the compliments I received. These were super simple to prepare and I have a feeling I will be asked to make these again next year!
Tip: if you try the turkey recipe make sure you remove most of the salt rub before cooking the bird. Also, clean out the bottom of the pan so your gravy isn’t too salty.
I first heard about Sucré Sweet shop on our visit to New Orleans in August. The Pastry chef Tariq Hanna had just won TLC’s “Ultimate Cake-Off” so he was all over the local TV news. I really wanted to stop by while in town but time didn’t allow. Then 2 months later I received an email from one of their reps asking if I’d like to sample the goods. What a coincidence…. it was heaven sent.
Soon after I had my hands on a selection of Sucré chocolates. We received their Sugar & Spice collection which is handmade for the holidays. It includes 3 varieties of truffles: gingerbread milk chocolate, candy cane white chocolate and eggnog dark chocolate. Since I’m a sucker for anything eggnog I grabbed one of those immediately. I was worried that the dark chocolate was going to mask the eggnog flavor but it didn’t. It was a perfect silky bite. The candy cane was next and it had a velvety texture with a minty fresh flavor. The final offering was the gingerbread. I knew even before tasting that it would be my least favorite. I’ve never been a gingerbread fan. This was spicy and a bit more dense than the others. Mike enjoyed it but he is a “hot” guy :wink:.
We were also sent a milk chocolate bar with Sicilian pistachios and candied rose petals. I know … really unique combination. It was almost too pretty to eat. The bar itself was creamy and the nuts and petals didn’t add any prominent flavors but it did add a delightful crunch.
Good news — I’m not the only one getting a treat this year! I have been given a discount code for my readers so you can also indulge in the Sucré goodness this holiday season. For $5 off shipping use code: SPCA (expires 11/30/09).
What makes this deal even sweeter is that a portion of every dollar spent online will benefit the animals of the LA/SPCA. As you’ve seen on our blog we are dog lovers. Our Edison was a pound puppy so we think this is a great way to support a good cause. Sucré luxury chocolates would be great stocking stuffers!
Mike and I took my sister and her husband to Napa for a weekend before they moved from the Bay Area to Hawaii. We decided we would dine at Bottega, Michael Chiarello’s newest creation. On the night we arrived he was actually in the house. While waiting for our table he walked through the bar and mingled with guests. As he was making his way back to the kitchen he made a comment to my sister and brother-in-law. The waiting area is small and the place was packed so my sister was sitting on her husband’s lap. Chef Chiarello said something like “You guys look comfortable… I’m gonna bring you a menu, actually maybe just dessert.” (at lease that’s what I think I heard — it was noisy so I could be a little off but that was the jist).
Soon after we were seated at a large round table in the side dining area. We started our meal with a raw fish appetizer and fresh mozzarella. For mains, I chose the seafood stew, Mike had the Quail and my sister and hubby shared a giant porterhouse steak and fries. For dessert we had a yummy cookie plate and a tart. The food and service was very good definitely worthy of a Top Chef Master but we didn’t expect anything less. For years Mike & I have been fans of the NapaStyle empire Chiarello created. If you haven’t heard about his wine club check it out. We have been members for over 2 years and we love it.
Pictured: Mozzarella (top left), Fish app served on a salt rock (top right), Stew (bottom left), Quail (bottom right)
Boon Fly is a cozy cafe located in a bright red barn facade at the Carneros Inn (a Plumpjack resort) in Napa. It is a casual set up with a homey menu. The night we went I ordered the Fried Chicken and Mike had the Meatloaf special. Mike’s meal came with a large carafe of wine, salad AND dessert for $29. Great deal! It took some time for our meal to arrive. We found out it was due to the chicken being made to order. I was surprised by the huge serving size. The chicken was amazing. Just like I make it at home…it had a crispy light batter without any fancy herbs and spices but to give it a little kick they added a hint of hot sauce to the batter. Brilliant! It is the polar opposite of Ad Hoc’s famous thick buttermilk battered herby creation. To all those folks who think Ad Hoc’s got the best fried chicken in Napa, think again…they’ve got some serious competition! Mike gobbled down his meatloaf within minutes without any complaints. We finished things off with an awesome slice of banana creme pie.
Boon Fly is a great place to grab a tasty bite for a reasonable price. We look forward to coming back to try the breakfast. We hear it is out- of- sight.
I’ve been c-r-a-v-i-n-g lobster. The kind of lobster I had growing up in Massachusetts when my family would hop in our station wagon and drive to New Hampshire in search of the ultimate lobster meal. Since moving to California, long gone are the days of cheap, simple lobster eats. Lobster tends to be insanely expensive and come in extreme forms. I don’t want lobster sliders, sushi rolls or mac & cheese. I’m going back to basics…I want a lobster so fresh and tasty all it needs is a little drawn butter to make my mouth water. Head, tail, legs and guts. I wanna get my hands dirty and maybe even my shirt. Lobster Gram to the rescue!
Thanks to Foodbuzz and their monthly blogging event where they sponsor 24 people to create 24 meals in 24 hours Mike and I were transported back in time to one of my fondest childhood memories. We had LIVE Maine lobsters delivered to our door from one of the top lobster delivery services on the net…Lobster Gram.
WOW! what a day…the lobsters arrived right on time and were alive and kickin’, well actually they were a bit jet-lagged initially but they perked up. I was amazed to find that they were so fresh that there was no fishy smell at all. Not even the shipping container smelled. The box comes with everything you could possibly need to create the perfect dinner: a great detailed cooking guide, lemons, butter, bibs, crackers, picks and hand wipes. The entire process of ordering online to cooking was surprisingly simple. Lobster Gram makes things fool proof. The end result was FANTASTIC! The lobster was super tender and sweet. It didn’t even need butter… but that didn’t stop us from using it!
Here is a video that shows the delivery, prep and the plunge into the pot:
To complete our crustacean feast we prepared the following sides:
Cheddar Biscuits with Garlic Butter
Corn on the Cob with Shallot -Thyme Butter
The only modification to the biscuit recipe we made was to double the amount of garlic. They were really fast and easy to make. Awesome right out of the oven. The corn had wonderful flavor. The only change next time would be to use corn off the cob so we don’t lose all the buttery shallot goodness on the plate!
and for dessert…
Apple Galette with Caramel Sauce and Vanilla cream
This treat consisted of sliced apples on top of a 5″ circular puff pastry and what you can’t see is what makes it taste so unique – under the apples is a half dollar size disc of pure almond paste. We’d never used almond paste before and a little goes a long way. Yum!
If you’ve ever considered having lobsters delivered — JUST DO IT!! This was a totally fun and rewarding experience! I can’t wait to do it again and again and again…
When I saw this recipe I knew I had to make it. It looked sooooo good. The end product was more bread-like then the usual moist buttery pound cake consistency but still wonderful. When nutella is cooked the potent flavor of hazelnut transforms into a lovely light chocolate. As suggested we served this with homemade coffee ice cream that Mike made. Scrumptious!
Note: The recipe says use the entire container of nutella… it will seem like a lot but it really isn’t.
A&E Home Entertainment has sent me a copy of the “TOP CHEF: NEW YORK – Season 5” DVD collection (which was just released yesterday) to give away to one of my fine readers. Jam-packed with enticing extras including never-before-aired Stew Room footage, extended interviews, cooking demonstrations and more — TOP CHEF: NEW YORK will satisfy the appetite of any fan, foodie or cook.
To win this tasty set all you have to do is leave a comment on this post that answers this question… which cheftestant (any season) would you like to cook you a meal?
As Padma would say “Readers… you have 10 days to enter. Your time starts NOW — Good luck!”
I was recently sent a sample of a new olive oil produced right here in California! The launch of California Olive Ranch Extra Virgin olive Oil marks the first time a US brand has mass-produced high quality, fresh, affordable, everyday EVOO for the US marketplace.
I didn’t introduce olive oil into my daily diet until 4 years ago… before that I was a butter girl. I now know that EVOO is not only healthy but super tasty, so I was excited to try this fresh product.
To test the flavor Mike & I did a tasting between it and a couple other similar priced oils — Colavita and Whole Foods 365.
Here are the results: California Olive Ranch(100% Californian): deep green/yellow color, strong fruity nose, full bodied, distinct olive flavor with peppery finish. Colavita (100% Italian): light yellow color, no apparent smell, medium body, mild flavor. Whole Foods 365 (Italian/Spain/Greece Mix): light yellow color, delicate aroma, thin body, fruity flavor.
Verdict…Buy local! California Olive Ranch was the most flavorful and aromatic. In a blind taste test we would have no problem picking out the CA EVOO because its characteristics are so pronounced.
scampi pasta
Next, we cooked with it. We used it in three dishes; a corn and tomato salad, a shrimp scampi pasta and roasted cauliflower & red peppers with a caper vinaigrette. All dishes turned out delicious. The oil is very versatile.
If you’re looking for a robust oil to add to your kitchen arsenal give California Olive Ranch a try, you won’t be disappointed.
I wanted to try something new with our beets — no roasting or salads. The October 2009 Food & Wine magazine had the solution…risotto! Not only was it tasty but it was gorgeous to look at. To accompany the risotto Mike served a fantastic Pinot from Burrell School Winery. It had tons of berry flavor and a hint of spice which is what made it so nice with the risotto – it added a bit of a kick to the meal. Burrell is a hidden jewel in the Santa Cruz Mountains. The wines are complex, unique and very affordable. Stop by the old, red school house and taste some great wine, meet wonderful people and take in the spectacular view.
About a month ago we were at a party that was catered by Purple Onion. There were salads, little sandwiches and desserts. Everything was super tasty. Mike and I decided we had to try the place out. We arrived on a Friday just after noon and it was fairly full. We actually bumped into Mike’s mom who was finishing her lunch. I immediately knew we were going to like the food because his mom has a discerning pallet so if she is a regular it’s gotta be good. I ordered the turkey sandwich and Mike had the tuna melt. Each came with a side salad. When it arrived it looked like a work of art. The salad was so colorful. I took a bite of my sandwich and it was amazingly fresh. The bread was warm and a bit toasted like it had been taken straight from the oven. Delicious. Mike enjoyed his tuna too. We will be back to try out the rest of the menu.
Yum! I was looking for a way to use up some peaches and this is what I found! Ice cream covered in lemon marinated peaches, buttery graham cracker crumble and a cinnamon syrup. The little crunchies make the sundae. If you’re smart you’ll double the recipe. Honestly, you really don’t need the syrup. It’s grand with or without.
view from the top
For the vanilla ice cream we used the Williams-Sonoma Ice cream starter. The few egg based ice creams we’ve made have not impressed me. They are overly creamy and have a milky taste so when I saw this mix I snapped it up. It was fantastic and does not skimp on the Madagascar Bourbon. The flavor was bananas – not literally… I will use this again and again even though it’s a bit overpriced. Need an ice cream maker? This one is awesome.
We got a box of figs in our produce shipment and I had no idea what to do with them. We had never cooked with figs. I ended up winging it because I couldn’t find one recipe that had everything I wanted. First I slathered a pork loin with evoo, salt, pepper and fresh rosemary and thyme. Mike then threw it on the grill and did his thing. Meanwhile, I made a fig sauce using a Martha Stewart recipe I found online (below). I was low on port so I used 1/2 port & 1/2 red wine. It was not overly sweet so I added a little sugar. The sauce came together easily. It was thick, closer to a glaze. I could have thinned it out with some water but I liked the consistency. It was a wonderful complement to the pork.
Usually when I make linguine with clams I make the pasta in one pot and the clams & broth in another. When I found this recipe where you cook your pasta in the clam broth I knew I needed to try it out. It seemed like a interesting idea. As I followed the directions I ended up needing to add a lot of extra wine & water to the pot in order to cover the pasta so it would cook. There just wasn’t enough broth. Because we used packaged pasta it needed time and liquid to get soft which left us with a thick starchy sauce instead of a broth. In the end it still tasted really good but I think this would work marvelously with fresh pasta.
I don’t discriminate even when it comes to wine… jug,bottle,box or can I will give anything a try. When Foodbuzz offered to send me a sample of the new Black Box wines I said, “bring it on!” Black Box wines feature 9 varietals from all over the world. Each box holds the equivalent of 4 bottles for a very reasonable $22-32. I was hoping to receive a Cabernet or Riesling, but alas a 2008 Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand showed up at my door. Mike and I rarely drink Sauv Blanc as I prefer a sweeter white wine but it is the summer so on a hot afternoon we had a glass.
Here are our tasting notes
Color: pale gold
Aroma: floral, melon
Taste: crisp, dry, acidic, bitter with a metallic/tin like finish
We disliked the harsh aftertaste it left in our mouths so this was not a wine we would break out and drink on its own. It needs to accompany food. We used the remainder of the box to cook with and it was fantastic. A favorite dish was a clam linguine. I would be up for trying other Black Box wines.
We just received a copy of a new cookbook published by Mike’s family friend. The book is filled with mouthwatering classic Italian recipes that are simple and quick to prepare. The prominent theme throughout is the importance of eating together as a family and it stresses the benefits of getting children involved with cooking at home at an early age. Recipes come complete with kitchen tips, weekly menus and shopping lists for people on the go. It also includes useful sections that help you decide what to make with the items you have in your fridge and how to turn leftovers into a delicious meal.
The first thing we decided to make was the tomato soup because we had some ripe heirloom tomatoes that needed to be devoured. The soup turned out lovely and surprisingly light. We paired it with a grilled cheese panini. Delightful!
Recipe for Creamy Tomato Soup
Adapted from Cooking Dinner by Barkett & Pruett
1/4 cup olive oil
1 minced garlic clove
1/2 cup onion, chopped fine
1 carrot, chopped fine
1 celery rib, chopped fine
4 fresh basil leaves
1 small sprig fresh oregano
1 small sprig fresh thyme
1/2 tsp sea salt
dash ground pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 28-oz can quality diced tomatoes
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, optional
Heat olive oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic,onion,carrot and celery. Saute 5-8 minutes, stirring often. Add herbs, salt, pepper and wine, reduce heat to low and cook for 5 minutes more. Add diced tomatoes and 1 cup broth. Bring to boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 min. Remove from heat. Remove herbs and blend soup with an immersion blender or in small batches in blender. Be careful of hot liquid! Add remaining broth and cream. Reheat over low heat until barely boiling. Taste and adjust salt/pepper.
*We used 1/2 canned and 1/2 fresh tomatoes.Makes 4 small bowls or 2 large.
I’d seen this bad boy on Iron Chef numerous times and I wanted one, but was leery to buy it because it almost cost as much as the mixer. My parents ended up giving the attachment to Mike as a birthday gift (thanks M&D!) The 3 piece set includes a roller/kneader attachment, a spaghetti cutter and a fettuccine cutter.
It was surprisingly easy to use and worked perfectly on our first try. I totally thought this would be a 1/2 day experiment but I guess to get it done on Iron Chef in 60 minutes it’s got to be fast. I would highly recommend this purchase if you like fresh pasta.
For our first use we made fettuccine with Ratatouille since we had a fridge full of veggies. The pasta turned out wonderful. We were missing the eggplant so we added portabella mushrooms to the sauce. It was delicious. The only thing we would change next time is add more garlic. We used the extra sauce to top some halibut a couple days later. It tasted even better!
Just when I think I’m close to done they add some more! I guess someone thought a raspberry cupcake was needed — after trying cherry I wasn’t so sure. Rankings updated here
This was my overall favorite dinner in New Orleans. John Besh’s Lüke is a French brasserie paying homage to NOLA’s past. The decor is bright & simple with a business casual vibe. We were seated in the back room in front of the kitchen. The menu reminded me of Thomas Keller’s Bouchon (which is a good thing). Lots of hearty bistro dishes with a Louisiana spin. Many entrées were calling to me (mussels, steak & frites) but I went with the redfish amandine since it was a more local ingredient. Mike decided on the nightly 3 course special. His meal began with a crawfish bisque, a light and flavorful soup. Then came lamb shoulder in a giant house made ravioli with a tomato sauce. It was delightful. My redfish had a light, flaky, salty crust and a wonderful almond butter lemon sauce. It was perfect. We finished the night with Mike’s third course a pecan bread pudding with vanilla bean ice cream. Simply scrumptious. The only thing that was a little off during our visit was our server. She would come and ask if we needed anything but you could tell her head was somewhere else and she was not really listening to our response. No big deal. I would return in a heartbeat.
We went to New Orleans in August because Mike had a convention to attend (not because we are gluttons for punishment!). While Mike was away I had to keep myself busy so I decided to take a cooking class at the New Orleans School of Cooking. Every morning they hold a 3 hour session where you watch local dishes be prepared and then eat them. Our cook for the day was Miss Barbara a native of Louisiana. The menu was a cajun feast: chicken & andouille sausage gumbo, chicken & smoked sausage jambalaya, pina colada bread pudding with a whiskey sauce and pralines. Along with the lesson you learn about the differences in cajun and creole cooking styles and cultures.
They may not be the most beautiful or colorful dishes but they sure tasted good. I left with a packet of recipes to try at home, a full stomach and a cold Abita beer. What a wonderful find.
Tip: make a reservation in advance and bring a coupon. You’ll find one in the visitors guide.
Would I pass up trying a gourmet cupcake shop? Hell, no! The Kupcake factory is a chain in New Orleans and they just happen to have a location down the street from Cochon. By the look of the place I really wasn’t expecting much. The decor/presentation was lacking.
We bought 2 cupcakes: banana and hummingbird (banana, pineapple and walnut cake with cream cheese frosting). I was pleasantly surprised with the banana. It was the first time that I’d had a cupcake that is cut in half and frosting is layered in the middle. This made the cake a little messy to eat but worth the trouble. The banana flavor was on point. The hummingbird, although it had a cute name, didn’t taste like anything at all. Conclusion… I wasn’t blown away but, I’d come back to try some more.
When I read about a new hot spot in the warehouse district of New Orleans that featured the pig I put it on our list of things to do. Cochon butcher is the tiny sister cafe for Cochon Restaurant. It serves up house made meats in different forms, beer, wine and also has a full bar. We popped in for lunch one afternoon and ordered the pastrami with sauerkraut on rye and the BBQ pork with potato salad.
The pastrami tasted nothing like the pastrami I’ve had in the past. Covered in thousand island dressing and kraut the flavor became unrecognizable but still tasty. The pork was smokey, spicy but a bit dry. We are guessing it was a vinegar based BBQ sauce cause we couldn’t see anything. It could have used a little KC Masterpiece. The bread and sides for both sandos were very good. If you’re looking for meat this is the spot to come.
Warning: when we left we smelled like fried food for the rest of the day (not sure why). I would have preferred to smell like bacon…
I arrived at Cafe Du Monde thinking we were walking into a tourist trap. I expected mediocre food for outrageous prices but knew this is something you just don’t skip when in New Orleans. We sat down at one of the many outdoor tables and a waitress came by and took our order… 2 orders of beignets and 2 cafe au lait. A few minutes later we were covered in powdered sugar and happy as clams. I was soo wrong about this place. The beignets were hot, light, fresh and under $2 for 3! They could be making so much more money – I would pay double.
You can’t go to New Orleans and not eat at one of Emeril’s many restaurants. We decide to try NOLA located in the French Quarter. It’s a 3 story building so we needed to take an elevator to get to our table on the 2nd floor. Mike thought this was so cool. The cuisine is an updated twist on classic New Orleans fare. For my main course I chose the shrimp and grits and Mike ordered the hickory roasted duck for his. Our dinner arrived within minutes. No joke…in under 8. It kinda felt like a fast food joint it came so fast. I took a bite of my dish and it was delightful. Cheddar grits with smoked bacon and mushrooms topped with plump shrimp in a creole tomato glaze and a butter sauce. It was a salty, sweet slightly spicy masterpiece. Unfortunately, Mike’s meal wasn’t as good. His duck was cooked well and was smokey but the whiskey caramel glaze wasn’t really there which left the meat a bit dry. It was accompanied by cornbread pudding and a green bean/corn salad which were great. It would have been a knock out dish if only it had more sauce. Maybe they left something out in the rush to get it to our table? As soon as we placed our forks down our plates were whisked away and we were handed dessert menus. We didn’t order appetizers because we knew we wanted to have dessert. We went with the banana pudding layer cake and fancy coffee drinks with liqueur. Both were tasty but nothing to write home about. We paid the bill and were in and out within an hour. The evening felt rushed. It was as though they were in some kind of competition to see how many tables they could turn in a single night. In the end there were ups and downs during our NOLA visit so we left with mixed feelings.
When I heard there was a food tour of NOLA I was intrigued. This was a 3 hour walking tour (mostly inside!) that covers the rich culinary history of New Orleans. Here was our tour schedule:
1st stop – the historic Antoine’s where we received a tour of the many dining rooms as well as the kitchen.
Tastings: Gumbo creole (Louisiana gumbo with blue crabs, oysters, and gulf shrimp)
Crevettes remoulade (boiled Louisiana shrimp served cold in Antoine’s remoulade dressing)
2nd stop – Supposed to be Leah’s pralines but it was closed on Sunday (we went back the next day and tried some)
3rd stop – Brennan’s for a tour of the restaurant (no food)
4th stop – Kitchen Witch (new & used cook book store)
5th stop – Tony Seville’s Pirates Alley Cafe
Tasting: Rum cake
6th stop – La Divina Cafe
Tastings: Muffalino (twist on the classic Muffuletta sandwich – same ingredients but in panini form) Coconut Gelato
Overall Mike and I enjoyed all aspects of the tour especially the food. All the dishes were wonderful. Antoine’s deserves all the praise it gets and the muffalino is better in my opinion to the original Muffuletta. Our journey through the French Quarter led by a local former chef passed quickly and our tummies were full at the end. The concept of a food tour is brilliant. Being able to sample different cuisines at one time is awesome. Each major city should have one.
So I wanted to go to a neighborhood gem. Something away from the French Quarter. After doing some research I came up with Dante’s Kitchen which is located in Uptown. The best way to get there is to hop on the St. Charles streetcar and get off at Carrollton & Maple (close to the end of the line). When we arrived at the cute cottage for Sunday brunch (15 minutes before the restaurant opened) there was already a line of about 6 people. I was immediately reassured that we had made a good decision about making the trek from our hotel on Canal (~30 min streetcar/15 min taxi). When the doors opened we were quickly seated and proceeded to look over the menu. It was difficult to decide what to order since everything sounded delicious. I ended up with the brioche french toast with peaches and Mike had the debris with poached eggs (biscuits topped with pulled pork, eggs and hollandaise). Yes, we reversed our usual orders. We had a 3 hour walking tour following our meal so I didn’t want to eat anything too heavy. Both dished were fabulous. I can only imagine what dinner is like.
Tip: There are no reservations for brunch so if you’re not going to arrive before the doors open come about 30-40 minutes after because the entire dining area was filled within 10 minutes of opening and you don’t want to stand out in the heat waiting for a table. It’s brutal or maybe it’s just me. No one else seemed fazed…maybe we were the only tourists?
This was our first stop after getting off the plane in New Orleans. Mother’s is a well known establishment featuring down home Southern/Cajun fare. A couple people who are from the area had recommended we come at some point on our trip. When you arrive there will most likely be a line outside. The operating procedure is to get in line and wait until the bouncer at the door gives you the okay to enter the building then order and pay for your eats at the counter BEFORE sitting down at a table. The setting and service is not the best… just remember you are there for the food. We ordered the fried chicken, famous Ferdi Po’Boy and the bread pudding. We started off with the Ferdi which is baked ham, roast beef and debris (the yummy drippings left in the pan after the meat is roasted) on a soft roll. It was tasty and my first experience having debris. Where have you been all my life? I am a fan! The fried chicken came 25 minutes later because it is made to order — it’s not sitting under a heat lamp (they tell you this before you order). The chicken was wonderful – cooked perfectly with a thin crispy, salty skin. We finished with the bread pudding which was good but not the best I’ve had. It was the perfect meal after a long day of traveling. I see why this is a NOLA institution.
Mike and I just returned from our trip to the big easy. We had a blast eating our way around NOLA. When people said it’s hot in August I figured I could handle it since I went to school in Arizona but this was a heat that I had never experienced. I could only make it one block before the sweat began drippin’ everywhere. Since we new it was going to be steamy we planned to keep our adventures casual and fun. Here was our itinerary:
Day 1 (Sat): Dinner at Mother’s, walk down Bourbon Street
Day 5 (Wed): Cooking class, Check out farmers market, dinner at Luke, Music on Frenchmen St.
Day 6 (Thur): Muffuletta sandwich from Central Grocery
*I will write a separate post for each of the restaurant reviews over the next few days.
Non-Foodie Highlights:
SWAMP TOUR – We went on an air-boat tour of the Louisiana swamps. It was fast and furious. This is not a nature tour, this is a high speed excursion through the swamps on a search for alligators… and there were plenty! Check it out:
MUSIC – Walking back to our hotel on Monday we ran into a 7 piece brass band on the corner of Canal & Bourbon St. in front of the Foot Locker. They were fantastic and they played for a couple hours for tips. What made it even more entertaining is that people would just start dancing in the street. It was hilarious to see some battle as if they were on “So you think you can dance”. This location seems to be where many groups come to play because we saw a 10 piece band on Wednesday night but they were not as good. Here is a sample of the boys from Monday:
Start of Vamp tour - St Louis Cathedral (check out that full moon)
VAMPIRE TOUR – Interesting tour about the history of vampires in New Orleans. We also saw some of the sites from the movie “Interview with the Vampire”. I gatta be honest it kinda creeped me out. Tip: wear your bug repellent. We didn’t and we have many bites all over (weird… no other night did we even see mosquito’s…)
PEOPLE – everyone from the tour guides, to the taxi drivers to the hotel staff were really friendly. Very polite folks.
Low-light:
BOURBON ST – We had no idea that Bourbon Street was just a string of bars blaring cheesy karaoke type music, strip clubs, daiquiri/pizza joints and more strip clubs. It’s Vegas to the 10th power. Don’t expect cool jazz clubs cause you won’t find them here – go to Frenchmen St!
We did everything we wanted to do except eat a peanut butter bacon burger at Yo-mama’s bar. We just couldn’t get ourselves to do it. Maybe next time.
Tip: if you’re going make sure you have a tourist guide mailed to your home before you go. You can get one here. This was the first city I’ve been to that didn’t have millions of “things to do” kiosks and flyers/brochures all over the airport. The place was a ghost town.
We received 4 ears of corn in our produce delivery so we decided to make a chowder. We made a couple changes to the Tyler Florence recipe we found included adding BACON! Instead of using the butter we used the bacon drippings to saute the onion, garlic and thyme. We also sprinkled in some additional herbs and we substituted half and half for the cream to make it nice and light. Delish!
Yum, Yum, Yum. I truly enjoyed this. It was so garlicky that it kinda tasted like a scampi. If you like garlic you should like this. The only modification to the recipe was we used half the amount of chili flakes. For some reason I prefer to taste my food and not have my mouth on fi-yah.
The title says it all. This was super simple to prepare. When you think of Cioppino you usually think of a pot boiling away for hours. This was done in 30 minutes but doesn’t lack flavor. Our modifications to the recipe included adding fresh basil and substituting chicken stock for the water. For the fish we chose jumbo shrimp, mussels and scallops. I think any hearty white fish would go well. Served with crusty garlic bread this was a fantastic meal that we were able to whip up after a long day at work.
Summertime = cocktails in our house. I have yet to like a Bobby Flay recipe or restaurant but he does know his way around a blender. This was a cool treat. Garnished with some toasted coconut it was a perfect after work pick me up.
Mike really loved this dish. The flavors were very Mediterranean inspired and would be grand with couscous (we didn’t have any). The topping was a wonderful combination of sweet and sour.
We decided to try a bfast joint in Palo Alto on our way to IKEA. I looked on Yelp for a highly rated place. When we arrived at Joanie’s there was a line. When we left, there was a line. I guess there were a lot of 4+ person parties because we were seated immediately. The cafe is cute and clean. I ordered the benedict and Mike the bacon, tomato, spinach, & feta omelettte. My benedict was just ok. The sauce was not very flavorful. I couldn’t taste it when I had a mouthful of egg and ham along with it. Disappointing because it looked so good and the potatoes were some of the best I’ve had (lots of peppers and onions). Mike really enjoyed his eggs and fruit but I don’t think we will go out of our way to return (it is 25 minutes from our home).
OMG! This was awesome. Little stacks from heaven. Mario put his foot in this recipe. If you like eggplant, you’ll love this…heck, if you don’t like eggplant I have a feeling you’ll like this. It was time consuming and messy to make (why are eggplant recipes always so complicated?) but sooo worth it. The tomato sauce that went along with this will now be our go-to pasta sauce. I would of been happy with just a bowl of sauce!
We served this up as a side dish at our 4th of July Fried Chicken dinner. This is not your typical corn bread, it’s light and airy more like a frittata because you use a lot of beaten eggs. It’s also not sweet. I think I would have liked it a tad more sweet so I will add more sugar next time. Nice alternative to the norm.
Instead of going on a trip for our 3rd wedding anniversary we chose to have dinner at Manresa, a well established (2 Michelin star) restaurant in Los Gatos. It has had a resurgence of popularity because the owner/chef David Kinch destroyed Bobby Flay in a recent Iron Chef “cabbage” battle. This was our first visit to Manresa. We had heard rave reviews from friends for years but the expensive price tag had always kept us away. We finally decided to bite the bullet and go.
As you enter the restaurant there is a little window into the kitchen. We peeked in and there was Chef Kinch working away. It was cool to see him. We then approached the Maître d’ and requested outside seating because it was a beautiful evening. He informed us that their butane delivery had not come for the heat lamps so they were only seating inside, which was fine with us. He then stepped away for a moment and returned to tell us that he would seat us outside if we wanted so we had a private dining experience on their outdoor patio. Our reservation was at 6:30pm and the restaurant was already half full. As we walked through the room we could see some jealous glares.
There were only two options on the menu: a 4 course meal of your choice for $95/per person or the chefs tasting menu for $160/per person. We went all out and had the tasting menu so we didn’t have to make any decisions. You are not told what will be included only that you’ll start at the sea (usually raw), proceed to the garden, return to the sea, move to proteins and end with dessert.
Our 14 course dinner included the following (each dish had a super fancy description but after 3+ glasses of wine each we couldn’t remember the details):
Amuse bouche
roasted red pepper jellies (like a candy gum drop) & mini olive madeleines
mint & lavender lemon granita
fried herb balls (we totally missed what this was but it tasted wonderful)
egg w/ maple syrup and chives
To the Sea
calamari (raw) with a wasabi sauce
To the Garden
mix of potatoes and mushrooms with a butter foam
vegetable garden salad <potatoes,carrot,squash,cucumber,greens,edible flowers,edible dirt> with vegy stock foam (the edible dirt tasted like dirt)
Back to the Sea
flounder with chanterelle mushrooms and beef bone marrow consomme (our favorite dish!!!)
Proteins
chicken confit with a seaweed broth (a little salty)
squab with beets and Foie Gras foam
lamb with peas, fig sauce and indian curry mustard
Dessert
strawberries with vanilla yogurt and strawberry consomme
chocolate mouse cake with olive oil ice cream
strawberry jellies & mini chocolate madeleines
Manresa’s biodynamic vegetables are grown exclusively for Manresa at Cynthia Sandberg’s Love Apple Farm in the nearby Santa Cruz Mountains and harvested in the morning for the evening menu.
It may sound like a lot of food but each course was only 2-3 bites. When we were done we were full not stuffed. Check out the slide show — by dessert it was too dark for my cell phone to take pics (sorry)
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With our meal we started off with glasses of a sparkling Riesling then polished off a 2002 bottle of Joseph Phelps Insignia (magical). We brought this from home and the somellier was very nice to decant and serve it to us throughout the night. All the servers we had (about 6) were top notch. One thing we noticed that was unusual was for each course they gave us a new fork, knife and spoon whether we used them or not. After two courses we said that it was not necessary to clear them but we were told with a smile “oh, yes it absolutely is.” so we just went with it. I feel sorry for the dishwashers!
Manresa has now overtaken Picasso as our most expensive meal but well worth the expense. We l-o-v-e-d the food and ambiance. Mike said he would return annually for our anniversary. We will see…
Mike made these per my request on the 4th of July to accompany our Southern themed meal. This is the kind of cocktail where you can slam 4 without noticing. It tastes really good. We made way more than was needed for the number of guests we had over so days later the liquor is much more pronounced and I’m still sippin’ on them. It does take some effort to make but well worth it. I found this recipe in the Aug/Sept issue of the Food Network magazine.
These were soooo good and easy to make. Tasted similar to the ones I get at the Counter. I used 2 medium sized onions (red & white). I didn’t have the patience to do more than one batch so I tossed them all in at the same time. They still turned out fantastic, just had to keep them in the fryer a little longer (about 4-5 minutes). I will make these again and again. Great recipe Pioneer Woman!
If you don’t have a portable deep fryer I highly recommend getting one like ours (see here).
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.
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!!!
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!)
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.
If you were thinking about having organic produce delivered to your home here is your chance. I received a coupon code for $15 off your first shipment from Farm Fresh to You, a Bay Area delivery service. We’ve been getting deliveries from them for over 5 years and we really enjoy it. To redeem this offer mention promo code #NICZ9497 when signing up. Enjoy!
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.
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…
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.
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.
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!
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!
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!
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
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.
These Buitoni Agnolotti’s (similiar to ravioli) arrived at our house as another perk of being a member of the FoodBuzz Tastemaker Program. 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)
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…
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!
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.
Welcome to Foodie Paradise! If you can only go to one event during Pebble Beach Food & Wine this is it. You’ll find a little bit of everything here…famous chefs serving up their tasty bites, 100’s of wines from premiere wineries, cookbook signings, photo ops and panels. The slide show below will show all the highlights. Mike and I have decided Pebble Beach Wine & Food will be a yearly event for us.
Noteworthy dishes & wines:
My favorite dish: Michael Schulson's braised pork belly and kimchi slider. This was sweet & spicy an awesome combo.
Most clever dish: Mark Estee's BLT (pork belly,romaine ice cream, tomato gelee on a mini english muffin)
Best red wine: O’Shaughnessy Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 2005
Best white wine: Morlet Vineyards “La Proportion Doree” Sonoma County
Best wine find: Terrazas de los Andes “Cheval” 2005
*tons more of Mike’s wine analysis can be found at the end of this post!
*to turn the groovy accompanying music on/off, click on the speaker in the top left corner
Tips for those going for the first time:
Many online food communities had discounts for this event including FoodBuzz and Zagat about 1 week before. I even saw some cheaper tickets on Craigslist.
Make sure you pick up a map from the guy working the entrance to 17 mile drive. One wrong turn and you’ll be lost.
If going to a cooking demo and you have a cookbook from the featured Chef bring it with you. Usually there is a signing after the demo. They also sell books on site.
Mike and I arrived at The Lodge at Pebble Beach ready for an extraordinary 4 course lunch prepared by celebrity Chefs: Ressul Rassallat (Club XIX), Traci Des Jardins (Jardiniere), Richard Reddington (REDD) and Nicole Plue (REDD). The meal would be served in the historic Club XIX restaurant which overlooks the 18th green at Pebble Beach Golf course. Our 2.5 hour culinary adventure began with a champagne reception outside on the grass with stunning views of Carmel bay. After some small bites and many refills of bubbly we were finally seated inside.
Our MC for the afternoon was Food & Wine Magazine Deputy Wine Editor Ray Isle (he was actually seated next to us and Mike had a field day talking about all kinds of wine stuff with him. For a wine writer he was very down to earth and super nice). As an added bonus to the meal before each course Ray (we are on a first name basis now…) would introduce the winemaker and/or rep from the winery that produced the wine that was paired with each dish. They would give a little info about the winery and the wine. The food was served immediately after the wine was poured. Enough talk! Here is a photo tour..
This alone has made me want to come back to Club XIX
Comments: What a surprising and fantastic way to start the lunch. Mike and I had not eaten Foie Gras before and others at the table that had said it never tasted like this. It was sweet, warm and creamy with a flavor close to caramel. Simply Amazing.
1st Course (Chef Des Jardins)
Devil’s Gulch Rabbit Escabeche w/ Chantenay Carrots, Fava beans, Cara Cara Oranges & Fingerling Potato Chips
wine: 2007 Davis Family Vineyards, Chardonnay, Russian River Valley
This also had fried rabbit skin which tasted like bacon!
Comments: The rabbit was poached and marinated in an acidic mixture. A very light and fresh salad. The paired Chardonnay was complex, full bodied with nice citrus and mineral flavors and a hint of oak. Davis gets his complexity in his wine by fermenting a third of the grapes in stainless and two-thirds in Oak (divided evenly between new, one year and two year old barrels). This attention to detail produces one of the best California Chardonnays we have had in a long time. The wine with the orange was a perfect match. This was Mike’s favorite wine.
Comments: The perfectly cooked halibut wrapped in salty prosciutto was superb with the non giblet tasting Jus. The talk of the table was how the giblet flavor was unrecognizable. I thought they were mushrooms. When it comes to Pinot the MacPhail family are pros. In 2007 they released nine different pinots and in 2006, seven. The wine had a cherry and plum nose with wonderful, spicy fruit up front and a smooth and slightly bold finish. The prosciutto brought out the complexity of the wine.
3rd Course (Chef Des Jardins)
Prather Ranch Lamb, Housemade Ravioli w/ Braised Morels, Spring Garlic Puree & Baby Fennel
wine: 2005 Highlands Estate, Cab Sauvignon, Trace Ridge, Knight’s Valley, CA
I'm not sure what those little crispy nuggets were on top but they made the dish.
Comments: The lamb was good but the handmade ravioli’s stole the show. The accompanying Cab was a big, bold wine that stood up but did not dwarf the meat. Tons of currants and blackberries up front, full bodied and a slight hint of vanilla on the finish. The tannins suggest that the wine will cellar well for at least a decade but it’s outstanding now. This was my favorite wine.
4th Course (Pastry Chef Nicole Plue)
Strawberry Pain Perdu
wine: 2007 M. Chapoutier, Banyuls, Rhone Valley, France
I have renamed this to "pure bliss"
Comments: What you see is a slice of buttery french toast with a bread pudding consistency topped with sliced strawberries, vanilla ice cream and whipped cream. Let’s just say I can’t wait to go to Redd. So, we learned there was something before Port! It seems Napolean loved Banyuls so much he banned it from being exported and then the World turned to Portugal for its after dinner wines. This was incredible as it was not too sweet but had a strong alcoholic nose (bit too strong for Mike’s liking) but the prune/chocolate finish balanced out the sweetness of the dessert.
The Chefs
Reddington, Des Jardins & Plue
The chefs came out of the kitchen at the very end just to say a quick hello. Unfortunately the event had run late so they didn’t get the opportunity to go into any detail about how each dish was prepared. I guess you can’t have everything…
In Conclusion: Our meal started and ended with a bang. The setting, company, food and wine were magnificent. This was an experience Mike and I will forever remember and cherish. Thank you Foodbuzz!
Additional note from Mike – Go visit these wineries! Call ahead as they are small and require reservations.
As Mike and I arrived in beautiful Pebble Beach we both headed off to our first events. He went to the Vérité tasting and I went to the Thomas Keller cooking demo. For those of you who need an introduction Keller is the renown owner/chef of The French Laundry, Bouchon, Ad Hoc and Per Se. Things started off with a quick intro by the head honcho at Food & Wine Magazine Editor-in-Chief Dana Cowin. This was the first time I had seen Chef Keller in the flesh and he was very personable and humorous.
He wasted no time and immediately began making two gnocchi dishes: a classic potato gnocchi with mushrooms and peas then a flour based choux dough gnocchi with onions and a garlic emulsion. Keller made the whole process look easy but I guarantee it isn’t. He grew up making gnocchi with his Nona. She said that you know when the dough is ready when it feels like your earlobe. Thomas said that the key to making great gnocchi is practice. The more times you make it the better it gets. Don’t expect it to turn out perfect the first time.
Throughout his demo he stressed three things:
1. Seasonal cooking is essential to making a successful dish. Everyone should have a garden.
2. The importance of getting kids in the kitchen and cooking.
3. Salt, Salt and more Salt (he loves this stuff). He talked about it at length. He feels salt enhances flavors unlike pepper which can change flavors. That is one thing I noticed while eating at Ad Hoc the food is always seasoned perfectly.
As the cooking came to a close my mouth was watering and I was ready to eat but the gnocchi would not be mine. This was the first demo I’ve been to where you didn’t get to sample the goods at the end (a bit of a let down) so I can’t tell you if the food was tasty (who are we kidding …of course it was) but I can tell you that it smelled heavenly. What we did receive was a cool gift bag that had 4 chocolate bouchons and a French Laundry/ Pebble Beach apron. Spending the morning with Thomas Keller was a fun experience and I’m excited to make gnocchi at home for Mike, he loves them (ya…he will probably end up making them for me…😆).
I usually attend wine seminars with a bit of hesitation. Too many times I have been excited only to have my hopes dashed as I sit for an hour-long “sales pitch” of a particular winery. Nothing could have been further from the truth with the seminar “Vérité Winery – Bordeaux Blends from the Best Sonoma Terroirs” at the 2nd Annual Pebble Beach Food & Wine weekend. Why was this one of the best wine seminars I have ever attended? Simple. Vigneron Winemaster Pierre Seillan. He was affable, funny, knowledgeable and so inspirational that I wanted to start planting my own vineyard ASAP. Not only did I get to taste 8 (yes, I said eight!!) wonderful wines, but I also learned a ton.
The Vérité name comes from the French word for “truth” and Seillan believes his job as a winemaker is to bring forth the truth of the terroir. In Sonoma, he has found some of the best terroirs in the world for growing Bordeaux-style reds that knock your socks off. And is he ever picky. For each vintage he selects grapes from nearly 100 micro-crus, hand selects the oak for his barrels from 10 different forests and uses up to five degrees of toasting on any one barrel. What are micro-crus? Well, Seillan doesn’t just settle for mico-climates, instead believing that within one vineyard there could be rows of micro-crus that each have their own separate climate/terroir combination that gives the grapes in that row unique characteristics. Walk 50 yards and you will find another micro-cru.
Each year, Seillan might start 40 different wines that lead to a release of just three Vérité wines per vintage. Why does he do this? To create a well balanced, complex wine that can be cellared for decades or enjoyed the day you buy it. The process always avoids any one overwhelming characteristic to the wine, thus allowing for sustained complexity as it ages.
I think the real reason I enjoyed listening to Seillan so much is best captured by something he said at the end of the tasting. He mentioned that chemistry shouldn’t drive winemaking, but that the farmer (that’s what he sees himself as) should let the soil, wind, elevation, rain, exposure (the terroir) dictate what to do. He related winemaking to raising a child, “feed them (the vines) well, keep a watchful eye and stick to the basics.” Well, Mr. Seillan, your children have grown up to be the leaders of industry!!
Here is what we tasted. Watch out for the 2005’s… as a group they were amazing!!
Each bottle retails for ~$200
1998 La Muse (90% Merlot, 10% Cab Sauvignon)
Beautiful color, nice nose of chocolate and great sweet blackberry fruit with the first taste. Not too heavy, soft tannins.
1998 La Joie (70% Cab Sauvignon, 30% Merlot)
Much bigger, bolder wine than La Muse. Heavier tannins with rich dark fruity flavor.
2002 La Muse (92.5% Merlot, 7.2% Cab Franc, .3% Malbec)
Incredible nose of rich blueberry and herbs. Full bodied, yet soft on the palette.
2002 La Joie (64.2% Cab Sauvignon, 28.5% Merlot, 7% Cab Frac, .3% Malbec)
Wow!! This wine knocked me on my butt!! Big, bold and complex. Nose of blackberries and chocolate, with soft tannins and an explosion of dark, “jammy” fruit.
2002 Le Désir (52.7% Merlot, 41.2% Cab Franc, 4.5% Cab Sauvignon, 1.6% Malbec)
Wonderful berry and floral aroma with tons of juicy fruit up front. Smooth tannins leave you with a very refreshing sense.
2005 Le Muse (88% Merlot, 10% Cab Franc, 2% Malbec)
An outstanding wine. Great aroma of licorice and cherries followed by a burst of dark fruit through the middle. Tannins are a bit heavy but this wine is young.
2005 La Joie (67% Cab Sauvignon, 12% Cab Franc, 12% Merlot, 7% Petit Verdot, 2% Malbec)
Another wow wine!! Great deep purple color. Incredible currant aroma and full of “jammy” dark fruit across your palette. Big, bold, well balanced, this will age exceptionally well.
2005 Le Désir (50% Cab Franc, 39% Merlot, 9% Cab Sauvignon, 2% Malbec)
Nice nose of dark cherries. This wine tastes “cool.” Very refreshing, fruit forward with a bit of spice in the aftertaste.
Our friends over at FoodBuzz were extremely generous and gave Mike and I tickets to the second annual Pebble Beach Food & Wine extravaganza. This is one of the premiere culinary events in the Country with over 60 celebrity chefs and 250 Wineries. It is the ultimate Foodie weekend and we had a fabulous time!
We went to the following events:
Thomas Keller Cooking Demo
Vérité Winery Bordeaux Blends Wine Tasting
Farm-to-Table Lunch
Lexus Grand Tasting – Saturday
We will blog in detail about all of these soon, but in the meantime here is a little taste of what’s to come…
*to turn the music off, click on the speaker in the top left corner
After our St. Patty’s day celebration we were left with a bunch of Guinness and Harp Lager so I attempted to make Black & Tans. I had no luck using the back of a spoon as many websites instructed. When I saw the Lagerhead turtle at Sur la Table a couple days later I thought I’d give it a try. Well, check it out. The key is to have a LARGE head on the first beverage poured into the glass (the one thing the websites neglected to mention). We have only used the turtle twice but so far it works fairly well.
Now that I know about the head it probably would have worked with a spoon… oh, well another kitchen gadget to add to our collection. Bonus: the turtle mouth doubles as a can opener.
Finally a Mexican restaurant in the Saratoga Village. The town is slowly getting revitalized. The owner of “The Basin” recently opened Casa de Cobre in the old Gervais location. The interior has gotten a Latin makeover with copper/turquoise painted walls and handmade tables and chairs (Cute — but I give these things 6 months before they need to be replaced). You won’t find the usual burritos and fajitas here but much lighter unique and flavorful dishes similar to Consuelo’s at Santana Row. Mike and I decided to try a bunch of appetizers. We started off with the guacamole and chips. Everything was made to order and tasted ultra fresh. Next up taquitos. They have 7 varieties. We went with braised bacon!, Chivo (goat), Al pastor (pork with pineapple) and Camarones (shrimp). All were delicious but my favorite was hands down the shrimp (I know….better than bacon). Mike enjoyed the goat best. Then came the black bean flautas and Quesa de hongos (mushroom quesadilla). I’m giving you all the Spanish terminology because that is the way the menu reads. Be prepared to need translation unless you know Spanish. By this point we were pushing maximum capacity but of course had to try dessert. Jiricaya, a cinnamon flan/creme brulee creation arrived and was quickly devoured.
Mike and I decided this is now our favorite Mexican restaurant in the area. The prices are reasonable and you can leave without breaking the bank as long as you stay away from the tasty $9 margaritas. Next visit we are actually gonna try a main course. Welcome Casa de Cobre!
Taquitos
Tasty Tip: you may want to avoid coming on the weekends until all the kinks are worked out and the novelty of a new establishment has worn off –our server said the Saturday before was super busy and the kitchen was slammed.
OMG! These are just like the real deal. I didn’t think Chef Keller would put his name on a product of poor quality. He teamed up with Williams- Sonoma to produce the iconic chocolate Bouchon mix and mold. The mix easily made 24 sensational corks.
Tasty tip: If you want big Bouchons fill the molds to the top, if not fill them just a tad under the lip. The mold works great and the little bad boys slide right out.
So we have been receiving deliveries of organic produce for 6 months now and we LOVE IT. We cook a lot more and eat much more healthy. I’ll be honest with you — I’m sooooo glad it’s Spring. I’m all greened out!
Here are some dishes we have made with our garden goodies (click on images to enlarge):
The only reason we decided to try this recipe is that we received a whole bunch of kiwi’s in our produce delivery. I was extremely skeptical that the ingredients in the salsa would mesh but they did. It had a fresh, tropical vibe. I have to say that the broiling method of cooking the chops was fantastic. When Mike pulled them out of the oven I thought they were burned, but they were charred on the outside and perfectly pink on the inside. It’s a fast and easy dish to prepare.
= 
I decided to use this opportunity to check out a bunch of 
Tips: This was sweet even by my standards so I would recommend adding the sugar slowly and tasting to see how much you like.
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.
Thanks Foodbuzz!
a great detailed cooking guide, lemons, butter, bibs, crackers, picks and hand wipes. The entire process of ordering online to cooking was surprisingly simple. Lobster Gram makes things fool proof. The end result was FANTASTIC! The lobster was super tender and sweet. It didn’t even need butter… but that didn’t stop us from using it!
I wanted to try something new with our beets — no roasting or salads. The October 2009 Food & Wine magazine had the solution…risotto! Not only was it tasty but it was gorgeous to look at. To accompany the risotto Mike served a fantastic Pinot from Burrell School Winery. It had tons of berry flavor and a hint of spice which is what made it so nice with the risotto – it added a bit of a kick to the meal. Burrell is a hidden jewel in the Santa Cruz Mountains. The wines are complex, unique and very affordable. Stop by the old, red school house and taste some great wine, meet wonderful people and take in the spectacular view.
For the vanilla ice cream we used the 
We just received a copy of a new cookbook published by Mike’s family friend. The book is filled with mouthwatering classic Italian recipes that are simple and quick to prepare. The prominent theme throughout is the importance of eating together as a family and it stresses the benefits of getting children involved with cooking at home at an early age. Recipes come complete with kitchen tips, weekly menus and shopping lists for people on the go. It also includes useful sections that help you decide what to make with the items you have in your fridge and how to turn leftovers into a delicious meal.
This was my overall favorite dinner in New Orleans. John Besh’s Lüke is a French brasserie paying homage to NOLA’s past. The decor is bright & simple with a business casual vibe. We were seated in the back room in front of the kitchen. The menu reminded me of Thomas Keller’s Bouchon (which is a good thing). Lots of hearty bistro dishes with a Louisiana spin. Many entrées were calling to me (mussels, steak & frites) but I went with the redfish amandine since it was a more local ingredient. Mike decided on the nightly 3 course special. His meal began with a crawfish bisque, a light and flavorful soup. Then came lamb shoulder in a giant house made ravioli with a tomato sauce. It was delightful. My redfish had a light, flaky, salty crust and a wonderful almond butter lemon sauce. It was perfect. We finished the night with Mike’s third course a pecan bread pudding with vanilla bean ice cream. 
Simply scrumptious. The only thing that was a little off during our visit was our server. She would come and ask if we needed anything but you could tell her head was somewhere else and she was not really listening to our response. No big deal. I would return in a heartbeat.
Website: 
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.
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.
As the cooking came to a close my mouth was watering and I was ready to eat but the gnocchi would not be mine. This was the first demo I’ve been to where you didn’t get to sample the goods at the end (a bit of a let down) so I can’t tell you if the food was tasty (who are we kidding …of course it was) but I can tell you that it smelled heavenly. What we did receive was a cool gift bag that had 4 chocolate bouchons and a French Laundry/ Pebble Beach apron. Spending the morning with Thomas Keller was a fun experience and I’m excited to make gnocchi at home for Mike, he loves them (ya…he will probably end up making them for me…
After our St. Patty’s day celebration we were left with a bunch of Guinness and Harp Lager so I attempted to make Black & Tans. I had no luck using the back of a spoon as many websites instructed. When I saw the 
Finally a Mexican restaurant in the Saratoga Village. The town is slowly getting revitalized. The owner of “The Basin” recently opened Casa de Cobre in the old Gervais location. The interior has gotten a Latin makeover with copper/turquoise painted walls and handmade tables and chairs (Cute — but I give these things 6 months before they need to be replaced). You won’t find the usual burritos and fajitas here but much lighter unique and flavorful dishes similar to Consuelo’s at Santana Row. Mike and I decided to try a bunch of appetizers. We started off with the guacamole and chips. Everything was made to order and tasted ultra fresh. Next up taquitos. They have 7 varieties. We went with braised bacon!, Chivo (goat), Al pastor (pork with pineapple) and Camarones (shrimp). All were delicious but my favorite was hands down the shrimp (I know….better than bacon). Mike enjoyed the goat best. Then came the black bean flautas and Quesa de hongos (mushroom quesadilla). I’m giving you all the Spanish terminology because that is the way the menu reads. Be prepared to need translation unless you know Spanish. By this point we were pushing maximum capacity but of course had to try dessert. Jiricaya, a cinnamon flan/creme brulee creation arrived and was quickly devoured.
Bay Area Foodie 
