Random Thoughts on Food

Sweetie Potato Chocolate Bouchons

2011-03-15T16:12:00.000-07:00

Adapted from Thomas Keller's Chocolate Bouchon recipe, I made these with no sugar. They are sweetened only with fresh Sweet Potatoes and unsweetened dried apricots. It's a rich dessert that is not intended to be very sweet. Amazing with a glass of red wine! But hey, what chocolate isn't great with some red wine?!

By the way, bouchon means cork in English. Its the shape of the pastry pan that gives it its name. You can use a muffin pan if you don't have a bouchon pan.

1 medium to large fresh Sweet Potato, baked and cooled
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter, melted
3/4 cup flour
1 cup cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup finely chopped dried apricots (best to put them through a food processor to get them really fine)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup whipping cream
cinnamon

Makes 12 Bouchon.
Spray bouchon pan with cooking spray, or you can use 12-cup muffin pan lined with muffin papers.
Preheat oven to 350.

Scoop out 1 cup of the Sweet Potato from the skin and place in mixing bowl. Add the 3 eggs and the vanilla and beat about 3 minutes. Add the apricots, and continue beating another minute until well mixed.
Sift together the flour, cocoa and salt. Add half of the flour mixture to the sweet potato mixture and mix on low. Add the melted butter, then the remaining flour mixture and beat until incorporated.
Add the walnuts and mix until combined.

Fill each bouchon mold (or muffin cup) 3/4 full and bake about 20 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean, but not dry. Set on rack to cool.

When ready to serve, whip the cream with hand mixer. Dollop a spoonful of whipped cream on each Bouchon and sprinkle with a little cinnamon. Bon Appétit!

Small Time Wedding Cake

2011-03-15T15:00:00.000-07:00

A friend asked me to bake a wedding cake. It was just a very very small party so I took it on.

It was a 3-layer white cake filled with dark chocolate ganache between one layer and white chocolate ganache between the other.

The bride and groom were made from white and dark chocolate and candy flowers and candy pearls.

Arizona Finds No. 2

2011-03-14T18:55:00.000-07:00

Queen Creek Olive Mill in Queen Creek

queencreekolivemill.com

Take the tour when you go....according to the tour guide "it will change your life." Haha. It surely changed mine...I can't seem to eat black olives anymore (you know the kind that come off the tree green and are processed to turn black). But green olives and naturally black olives....bring it on!

There's tastings throughout the store...olives, olive oils and vinegars. But don't fill up because the cafe there is really amazing! Del Piero is Tuscan inspired fare and uses local ingredients to make breakfasts, sandwiches, salads, breads and soups. OH, and gelato!

I didn't try them, but they have Vanilla Bean Olive Oil Waffles! That sounds so yummy! The recipe is on a card next to the Vanilla Bean Olive Oil in the shop...be sure to grab one!

Bake some brownies using the Blood Orange Olive Oil instead of butter....OMG!

My mom made a salad with sliced oranges and drizzled it with the Chocolate Olive Oil. Unfortunately I was not there for dinner that night, but it got rave reviews from all!

If you time it right they might have live music outside where you can sit and enjoy your lunch. Its a gem and totally worth the drive to Queen Creek!

Sweet Po-ta-ta Swirly Shake-a

2011-03-14T17:21:00.000-07:00

A very simple kid-friendly shake with a dose of all the extra goodness you get from Sweet Potatoes!

(Be sure to plan ahead a little bit....the Sweet Potato needs to be baked and fully cooled before you add it to your ice cream!)

Makes 2 shakes.

You need your blender!

1 (medium-size) fresh Sweet Potato
2 cups vanilla ice cream
3/4 cup 2% or whole milk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon sugar and cinnamon sprinkles: (combine 2 teaspoons sugar to 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon and mix well, save the extra for your cinnamon toast tomorrow morning :)

Poke the Sweet Potato with a fork a few times and microwave until fully cooked and very soft. Let it cool completely. Scoop the insides from the sweet potato, (you want about 1 cup) and place it in your blender. Add the ice cream, milk, vanilla and ground cinnamon. Blend until creamy. Pour into glasses and sprinkle about 1/2 teaspoon of the sugar and cinnamon mixture on top of each shake. Swirl the mixture with a straw or spoon to make a swirly design. Slurp!

Sweet Potato Time Again!

2011-03-14T15:09:00.000-07:00

Don't forget to eat your Sweet Potatoes all year long, they are so good for you and yummmmmmy!

Sweet Tater 'Tash
(my Asian-inspired Sweet Potato Succotash)

1 large fresh Sweet Potato, peeled and cubed (1/2 inch cubes)
1/2 cup Shelled Edamame, fresh or frozen (defrosted if frozen)
1/2 cup fresh or frozen Sweet Corn
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon Sesame oil
2 - 3 tablespoons Soy Sauce
1/2 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes (or more if you like it spicier!)
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro, plus some leaves to garnish

Heat olive oil in skillet on medium high heat. Add sweet potato and sauté until golden brown. Add sesame oil and edamame. Sauté another 2 minutes and then add the corn. When the pan is starting to get too dry and have brown bits stick and then add 2 tablespoons soy sauce. Toss to coat everything and let the soy sauce evaporate. Add a little more if necessary. Sprinkle in the red pepper flakes and chopped cilantro and toss. Remove from heat. Garnish with fresh cilantro leaves. Great with seared Mahi!

Arizona Finds No. 1

2011-02-28T18:54:00.000-08:00

Liberty Market in downtown Gilbert
libertymarket.com

It all appears to be farm fresh and simple.
Some of the fare:
Eggs, Pancakes, Wood-fired pizzas. Pressed Sandwiches. Burgers. Salads. Beer and wine.
And outrageously delicious cinnamon buns!

Its a walk up order and a find-your-own-seat system, BUT at busy times, like Sundays mornings the owners greet you, give you a number and find you a table which is ready before you even reach the front of the line!
They make you feel welcome and important!

(And as a side note, check out the bathrooms...mood music and decor is unique to each stall!.... It's the details!)

BFD

2010-04-28T18:16:00.000-07:00

Buffalo Fire Department

Burgers, Fries and Drinks

Chef Shafer opened this burger joint across the street from The Depot. The burgers are great. The wine list is great. And there's plenty of beers to choose from. I do prefer a beer with my burger, but its nice to have lots of nice wine options too. I am partial to the burger made with Chef's famous Thai BBQ sauce -- one of my favorite things over at The Depot.

Tim and I went recently to BFD and decided to go all out with fat and calories: I had the Macaroni & Cheese Burger Stack, with a side of fries. Tim had the BFD Burger wth Buffalo (fried) Chicken, Bleu Cheese and Fried Onions, also with a side of fries. Now Tim can certainly afford the calories, but me? Ha.

So you wanna know what this mac & cheese burger is all about? Its a fried patty made with mac & cheese --think a big scoop of mac & cheese coated in panko bread crumbs and deep fried. Put a thick juicy Angus burger on top, some ranch dressing and there you have what i ate. Yes, I ate that. And it was gooood.

Tim's burger with fried chicken on top was equally good. Check out the pics below for proof of our pigishness!

Buffalo Fire Department

1261 Cabrillo Avenue

Torrance, CA 90501

310 320 2332

buffalofiredepartment.com

Sweet Potato Jalepeno Poppers

2010-03-26T20:22:00.000-07:00

1 large sweet potato, baked, cooled, peeled and mashed
3 ounces cream cheese, cold and cut into 1/4 inch chunks
1-2 jalepeno peppers, seeded and cut into 1/4 inch pieces
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/4 cup sweetened shredded coconut
1 egg, lighly beaten with 1 tablespoon cold water
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
4 cups peanut or vegetable oil

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan. Line a plate with a few paper towels and set aside.
In a shallow bowl mix together the panko bread crumbs, coconut and salt. Using about 2 tablespoons of sweet potato roll it into a ball, take a chunk of cream cheese and one piece of jalepeno and stuff them in the middle of the sweet potato ball. Dip the ball into the egg then coat in the breadcrumb mixture. Repeat until you run out of sweet potato. When oil is hot enough (test it by putting a small piece of bread in. If it sizzles, the oil is ready) using a slotted spoon gently lower 3 poppers at a time into the oil and cook until golden brown. Remove and place on the paper towel lined plate. Repeat until all poppers are cooked. Serve warm.

Rustic Sweet Potato Tarts

2010-03-26T19:55:00.000-07:00

(makes 4 small tarts)

1 tube refrigerated crescent rolls

1 medium to large sweet potato, baked, peeled and mashed

8 ounces brie, outer white rind removed and cut into slices

2 slices precooked bacon, crumbled

2 tablespoons dried cranberries

1 teaspoon lemon juice

5 teaspoons honey, (divided)

kosher salt

Preheat oven to 375. In a small bowl mix the mashed sweet potato with 3 teaspoons honey and 1 teaspoon lemon juice. Mix well. On a cookie sheet press 2 crescent rolls together to form a 5 inch circle.Repeat using the remaining crescent rolls. You will have 4 circles. Leaving a 1/2 inch border spread 1/4 of the sweet potato onto each crescent circle. Layer 1/4 of the brie slices on each. Sprinkle each with 1/2 tablespoon dried cranberries and 1/4 of the crumbled bacon. Drizzle each tart with 1/2 teaspoon honey and sprinkle with a pinch of kosher salt. Fold up the edges of each tart overlapping as you go. Bake at 375 for about 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Sweet Potato Cream Cheese Frosting

2010-03-23T14:39:00.000-07:00

This frosting is so yummy on vanilla cupcakes, spice cupcakes, bran muffins, banana bread, carrot cake, or if you are like me, eaten right off a spoon...

1/4 cup butter, softened to room temp
8 oz. cream cheese, softened to room temp
1 small sweet potato, baked, peeled and mashed (for about 1 cup mashed)
1 teaspooon vanilla extract
a pinch of kosher salt
6 to 7 cups powdered sugar

Cream butter and cream cheese with electric mixer until creamy and smooth. Add sweet potato, vanilla and salt and continue mixing until creamy again. Gradually add the powdered sugar one cup at a time until the desired consistency is reached. Use less powdered sugar if you want a glaze and more if you want a thick frosting. Refrigerate until ready to use. Bring to room temp prior to spreading.

Feeling a little crazy?...sweet potato frosted cupcakes topped with crisp bacon is a fun sweet-and-salty combination!

Or try some toasted coconut sprinkled on top!

Wine Dinner at Frascatti

2009-11-13T15:31:00.000-08:00

Another great dinner by Enrico.

I forgot to take pics as the courses came.

So all I have is the first. I will see if I can get

some pics from someone else and post them.

The dessert was my favorite course.

Is that a surprise?

Random Baking

2009-11-02T13:51:00.000-08:00

JB's Birthday Cupcakes

His request to have Snickerdoodle Cupcakes with Seven Minute Frosting. I personally can't stand the marshmallow texture and insane sugaryness (is that a word?) of the frosting...but it looks cool.

Fresh Fig Tart

This was made back in August when fresh figs were in season. You can do the same thing with those fantastic giant (seedless) black grapes.

Tart crust, cream cheese, sugar & egg filling, fresh figs (or grapes). After baking brush honey or apricot preserves on figs.

Zucchini Spaghetti

2009-11-02T13:36:00.000-08:00

I turned zucchini into spaghetti strands with some little gadget I found in the back of my kitchen gadget drawer. I thought it was a peeler until I pulled it across the zucchini skin...

Black Grape Pie

2009-10-23T13:30:00.000-07:00

Took it to the Wineage last night. Everyone loved it. No one could believe you can make a pie with grapes. The grapes stayed crisp and it was not overly sweet. We all thought a dollop of Creme Fraiche would have made it perfect.

Use whatever your favorite crust recipe is. For a deep dish pie pan use about 6-7 cups seedless black grapes, cut in half or quarters. Mix grapes with 3/4 cup sugar, 5 tablespoons flour. Fill pie shell with grape mixture. Dot wit 2 tablespoons butter. Put on top crust - however you like. Brush crust with cream and sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 400 for about 1 hour, till grapes are bubbly. Cool before serving.

Lunch Today

2009-08-31T13:08:00.000-07:00

If you know me, you know I love fresh figs....

Arugula, fresh figs, Castello Blue, Marcona almonds, evoo & balsamic and a little fleur de sel.

heaven.

Tim’s Blueberry Fennel Salad

2009-07-29T18:46:00.000-07:00

2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
2 teaspoons honey
1 ½ tablespoon fresh lime juice
Pinch of kosher salt
1 cup thinly sliced fennel (bulb only)
1 cup fresh blueberries
10 fresh mint leaves
freshly ground black pepper (optional)

In a small bowl mix together the oil, honey, lime juice and salt. Whisk until honey is fully dissolved. Set aside. On a plate arrange the fennel slices, top with the blueberries and then the mint leaves. Drizzle with the dressing. Sprinkle with black pepper.

Blueberry Chipotle Sauce

2009-07-29T18:44:00.000-07:00

12 ounces frozen blueberries
3 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon chipotle in adobo, chopped small
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

In a covered medium saucepan cook blueberries, honey, chipotle, salt and cinnamon, over medium heat until it reaches a simmer. Stir the mixture, turn the heat to low and simmer uncovered, stirring often, until mixture is reduced and blueberries are very soft, about 20 to 25 minutes.

Serve over brie.
Or over vanilla ice cream.

Blue Goat Sammy

2009-07-29T18:37:00.000-07:00

Blueberry Chévre Sandwich

2 slices good multigrain bread
4 tablespoons mild goat cheese
2 tablespoons apricot preserves
Dash of kosher salt
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 cup (loosely packed) fresh cilantro, use leaves and include some stems

In a small bowl mix together the goat cheese, preserves and a dash of kosher salt until smooth and creamy. Spread ½ of this mixture onto each slice of the bread. Press the blueberries into one of the slices of bread that is spread with the goat cheese mixture. You may have some blueberries left over. Top the blueberries with the cilantro and the 2nd slice of bread.

Summertime Blueberry Salsa

2009-07-29T18:05:00.001-07:00

2 cups fresh blueberries
1 cup diced jicama
1 medium nectarine, diced
½ cup diced red onion
Juice of 1 lime
½ inch piece ginger, grated
1 medium jalepeno, seeded and deveined and very small diced (leave a few seeds if you like the heat)
1 (loosely packed) cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
¼ teaspoon kosher salt

Mix all ingredients together and let stand in fridge for 2 to 3 hours, or overnight. Bring to room temperature and serve over grilled chicken or salmon.

Wilted Spinach Salad with Blueberries & Bacon

2009-07-29T18:00:00.000-07:00

6 oz. baby spinach
1 ¾ cups fresh blueberries, divided use
½ small red onion, very thinly sliced, divided use
2 small apricots, sliced
4 slices bacon
1/8 cup olive oil
1/8 cup balsamic vinegar
1 Tablespoon honey
1/8 cup crumbled blue cheese
¼ teaspoon kosher salt

Toss spinach with 3/4 cup blueberries, ¼ of the onion, all the apricots.
Cook bacon until crisp and remove and drain on a paper towel. Set aside to cool.
Turn heat to low and add the remaining ¼ of the red onion and stir. Add the olive oil, honey and remaining 1 cup blueberries. Stir until blueberries become soft. Turn heat off and add balsamic vinegar and salt. Stir to incorporate.
Toss the dressing with the spinach and blueberries until all the leaves are coated. Add the bacon and blue cheese, toss and serve.

Sweet Potato Rosemary Pizza Won Me a Grand

2009-06-02T13:15:00.001-07:00

Here is the link to Slashfood:
http://www.slashfood.com/2009/04/24/sweet-potato-recipe-contest-winners/
She was one of the judges in the Sweet Potato Contest. You can see my winning recipe there and a great professional photo of it.

Press Release about contest and winners:
http://www.ncsweetpotatoes.com/images/stories/contests/bloggers/bloggercontestrelease.pdf

You can download and print my recipe from here:
http://www.ncsweetpotatoes.com/bloggers-recipe-contest.html

Buon Appétito!

Chocolate Chip Cookies for Tracey

2009-05-13T16:48:00.001-07:00

Ok Trace, try this one. They are buttery and chewy. You always have to undercook your cookies, and whatever you won't eat in one day wrap well and freeze. Then pull them out as you want them. I like to eat my chocolate chip cookies slightly cold still. The cookie is chewy and the chocolate is still cool and crisp.

My other tips:
Forget unsalted butter. Use salted. Just make sure it's real butter! Don't be using margarine or some other crappy substitute.
Use all brown sugar instead of a part white.
Use real vanilla.
Use good chocolate. If you can't get good chocolate chips then chop up a good dark chocolate bar!
Always make sure your walnuts or pecans are fresh. I know too many people who use rancid nuts. Always store your nuts in the freezer.

Chocolate Chip Cookies
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon real vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Stir together flour, baking soda, salt. Beat butter, sugar and vanilla until creamy. Add eggs and beat well. Gradually add flour mixture, beating well. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts.

Drop by heaping tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Press slightly. Bake about 10 minutes until lightly browned but a little undercooked. Cool slightly before removing from cookie sheet. Cool on wire rack.

Mexican Indian Fusion

2009-05-09T09:01:00.000-07:00

I made up a new type of fusion. At least I've never heard of it before. Mexican-Indian. India Indian.

I had marinated some chicken breasts in Indian spices (yogurt, amchoor, garam masala, ginger, garlic, coriander) intending to cook them on May 4. Never got to it.

May 5 rolls around and you know you have to eat Mexican food on Cinco de Mayo. At least here in So Cal you do. I think it's the law.

So I whipped up a mixed green salad and a cilantro viniagrette, a mango, cucumber & pasilla chile salsa, and went forth with grilling the Indian spiced chicken. I threw it all together in a salad: Grilled chicken Salad with Cilantro Viniagrette topped with Mango Salsa. The Indian spices on the chicken worked very well with the sweet and spicy mango salsa as well as the cilantro of the viniagrette. The whole fam really liked the Mexican-Indian fusion. I think I will have to do some more experimenting. But for now here's basically what I did:

The Chicken
4 Chicken breasts (boneless skinless)
1 teaspoon amchoor (dried mango powder)
1 teaspooon garam masala
1 teaspooon powdered ginger
1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup lowfat plain yogurt
juice of 1/2 lemon or lime

Squeeze the lemon juice over the chicken. Mix together all the remaining ingredients and pour over the chicken. Marinate for 3 hours or overnight. Grill until done. Let rest 5 minutes and slice on the bias into 1/4 inch slices.

The Salsa
1 large mango, peeled and diced
1/2 cup cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
1/4 cup red onion, finely diced
1/4 cup pasilla chile, finely diced
1/2 cup rough chopped fresh cilantro
juice of 1 lime
Salt to taste
dash of cayenne pepper to make it spicy (optional)

Mix all the ingredients together and toss to mix the flavors.

The Cilantro Viniagrette
1 cup fresh cilantro
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup cider vinegar
juice of 1 lime
1/2 cup plain yogurt, full fat is best but you can use lowfat
2 tablespoons mayonaise
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons feta cheese (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

Mix all in food processor for about 2 minutes. Pour over mixed greens.

The Meal
Toss mixed greens with the cilantro viniagrette. Place on platter. Assemble sliced chicken over mixed greens. Top chicken with mango salsa. Serve with warm tortillas or naan.

The Girl and the Fig

2009-04-13T22:33:00.001-07:00

I don't remember how I first learned about The Girl and the Fig, but it is a great little restaurant in Sonoma. We had gone for the first time about 2 years ago, and on our trip last week to visit Sonoma State University, I wasn't going to pass up a chance to go back. I think I made the reservation at The Girl and the Fig before I booked the college tour. Priorities...

The restaurant is very quaint, and being on the town square only adds to the charm. The food is French country. Think rustic Provençal. Think Pastis in food.

They focus on fresh, seasonal, local products - vegetables, herbs, cheeses, charcuterie. The wine list contains only Rhone varietals and is easy to manage.

We had a fantastic meal. See my pics. But check out the whole menu on their website http://www.thegirlandthefig.com/. The menu changes regularly. If you find yourself anywhere in the Sonoma Valley make sure to go. Make sure you have a reservation.

South of the Border Sweet Potatoes

2009-03-30T19:37:00.000-07:00

Am I in a sweet potato craze? Maybe so. They are so delish!

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Soft Tacos

2 small sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into about 1/2 inch cubes

1/2 of a small red onion, diced

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1/2 cup frozen sweet corn

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

juice of 1 lime

1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

1 cup thinly sliced cabbage (coleslaw mix is good)

1/2 cup crumbled cotija cheese, (or crumbled feta or crumbled goat cheese)

Salsa of your choice, pico de gallo is good

8 corn tortillas

Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and sweet potato and cook until sweet potato is almost tender, about 15 minutes. Add beans, corn, paprika, cumin, salt and lime juice.

Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until potatoes are completely tender and beans and corn are hot, about 10 more minutes.

While mixture is cooking, heat the tortillas over a gas burner, or wrap them in foil and place in a 400 degree oven directly on the rack, for about 5 minutes.

Assemble tacos: fill tortilla with sweet potato filling, top with cabbage, cilantro, cheese and salsa.

Sweet Potato & Rosemary Pizza

2009-03-23T13:08:00.000-07:00

A sweet twist on one of our favorite pizzas we had in Naples.

1 premade pizza dough, or bread dough brought to room temp. (available in fridge section in many markets, or use frozen bread dough, thawed and risen)

8 - 10 slices provolone cheese

1 sweet potato, peeled and very thinly sliced

1 teaspoon fresh rosemary leaves

1 tablespoon freshly grated parmesan cheese

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 Tablespoons olive oil

salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Roll out dough to about a 10 inch round. Brush with some olive oil. Cover with a single layer of provolone slices. Cover cheese with a single layer of the sweet potato slices. Sprinkle with rosemary leaves, parmesan cheese, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Drizzle with about 1 tablespoon olive oil. Bake at 450 degrees for about 10 minutes, or until golden and bubbly.

Sweet Potato Ice Cream

2009-03-23T10:35:00.000-07:00

This easy to make ice cream is like sweet potato cheesecake laced with cinnamon. Drizzled with hot fudge makes it even more decadent.

If you don't have an ice cream maker, you can try using the baggie method (see below).

1 medium sweet potato, roasted (bake an extra one at dinner time), cooled, and skin removed

8 ounces cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
dash salt
1/4 cup melted good quality chocolate, cooled slightly (optional)

Place the cream cheese and sweet potato (no skin) in food processor and process until smooth and creamy. Add brown sugar, and continue processing until smooth again. While processor is running, using the chute gradually add whole milk, cream, cinnamon and salt. Stop processor and scrape down sides and then process until everything is incorporated. Transfer mixture into a bowl, chill in fridge until cold, if necessary.

Follow directions for your ice cream maker to churn into ice cream.

During the last 2-3 minutes of churning, drizzle the melted chocolate into the ice cream so it forms ribbons.

Baggie Method for Making Ice Cream

1 heavy duty quart size ziplock baggie
1 heavy duty gallon size ziplock baggie
lots of ice
about 2 cups rock salt

Pour about 1 cup ice cream "batter" into quart size baggie, remove air and seal. Add 2-3 cups of ice and 2 cups of rock salt to gallon size baggie. Place the smaller baggie with ice cream mix into the large baggie. Seal the large baggie. Gently agitate, roll, turn, and flip the baggie continuously for about 10 to 15 minutes. You will notice the ice cream consistency changing and getting more solid. If necessary add more ice as you are working. When the ice cream is the consistency you like remove the smaller baggie and dry it off before opening it. Be careful not to get salt or water into your ice cream.

La Sirena Grill

2009-03-09T12:24:00.000-07:00

I've been to La Sirena Grill just once before and really liked the menu and the atmosphere. It's a small place with a hip feel. And there's the cool "firewall" outside which I took a glimpse at, but it was too cold to sit outside.

On Saturday evening while out buying a couple new Shun knives decided before heading home to the kiddies we needed to go have a drink and a bite to eat. We sat at the bar and chatted with Carlos, the bartender. He was full of good stories and all the history of La Sirena. It started in Laguna Beach about 10 years ago in a little cottage serving contemporary healthy Mexican food. There's also a location in Irvine, and now the El Segundo one, which is more fine dining.

Their concept is to "support sustainable farms and ranches that use traditional methods to preserve the integrity of our land and water. The animals are treated humanely and fed all-natural vegetarian diets without the use of hormones or antibiotics. Our commitment to sustainability is not limited to just food. We use earth-friendly to-go packaging, which include sugar, corn, and potato based products. Most items are compostable or biodegradable, and our menus are printed on 100% recycled paper with soy-based inks."

And not only that, but the food is really delicious. Even though we debated getting the BBQ Duck Tamale or the Porcini & Truffle Quesadilla, we kept it simple this time since we were only having a snack. We had Ahi Tacos. They were yummy.

We also got to watch as the chef continuously brought out different tasting plates to the two young women sitting next to us. The chef himself is very young, I think Carlos said 23. So he was doing a very good job of impressing these two girls. They were oohing and ahhhing over everything he brought.

They have tequila tastings every night from 5 to 6pm. They have like 50 different tequilas you can try all for $3 each. We asked Carlos about the most expensive tequila they have. He pointed to it (it's kept way up on the highest shelf), and said it's $65 a shot. Must be some good stuff.

He gave us a shot of the pineapple infused tequila that was sitting on the bar. It was a giant jar full of fresh pineapple chunks with tequila poured over it. It can sit there indefinitely I'm sure. The tequila tasted like pineapple. Then he cut up a chunk of the pineapple for us to try - tasted just like tequila with absolutely no hint of pineapple.

http://www.lasirenagrill.com/

Mozza

2009-03-06T20:53:00.000-08:00

I finally got to go to Pizzeria Mozza. For my birthday. I've been wanting to go since before they even opened. Being the food dork that I am I followed the news of the opening - I think it's been open about 3 years now. For anyone who might not know it's Mario Batali (Iron chef with orange crocs) and Nancy Silverton's (La Brea Bakery founder) place.

Anyway, the pizza was fantastic. There are only a couple places that I know of where you can get authentic Neopolitan style pizza (outside of Naples) - Antica Pizzeria in Marina del Rey, Pizzeria Bianco in Phoenix and Pizzeria Mozza in Hollywood.

The reservation required 30 days in advance. No more, no less. When you pull up the valet asks you if you have a reservation. If you don't they will not park your car. There's no way you are getting a table without a reservation.

We went with 2 other couples and we all had different pizzas. I had one with squash blossoms and fresh buffalo mozzerella. The mozzerella was put on after the pizza came out of the wood burning oven. It was so fresh and creamy it literally melted in your mouth.

Then we had to have the famous Butterscotch Budino. Bro read about it in Australia and told me about it. I guess it's got a following. I love butterscotch and I love custard, so it was a given that I'd love it. They add a little fleur de Sel to it for that subtle salty sweet thing.

I found the recipe online. I'll give it a try one of these days. After lent.

Herr's Dill Pickle Chips

2009-02-27T17:21:00.000-08:00

How hilarious was it when I brought in the box UPS left on the doorstep and opened it only to find 40 bags of Herr's Dill Pickle Potato Chips! Is that not the best birthday gift ever?!
(check out earlier February post, "Potato Chips").

Evidently John actually had to drive over to Nottingham (PA) to get them at the factory because they are not available in stores. Now that is a special birthday gift!

Thanks Nancy and John!

Special Ed Quiche

2009-02-18T12:33:00.000-08:00

MM requested a veggie quiche recipe. I tried to tell her to sauté some fresh veggies and put them in the quiche before she bakes it. What was I thinking?!

She came back and requested the special ed version. I must admit that I have never made this one, but it looks simple enough and since there is no milk I can pretty much guarantee it won't be a soupy mess. It came from an old issue of Bon Appétit so it should be good.

Special Ed Spinach Quiche for MM
(if you don't want to use spinach, choose another veggie instead. Asparagus would be yummy).

1 tablespoon butter
1 onion, chopped
1 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained well!!!
1 9-inch refrigerated ready piecrust (1/2 box)
1 teaspoon all purpose flour
1/2 cup (about 2 ounces) grated Monterey Jack
1/2 cup (about 2 ounces) grated Parmesan
4 eggs
1/2 cup lowfat cottage cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Melt butter in heavy medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté until translucent, about 8 minutes. Add spinach and stir until spinach is dry, about 3 minutes. Cool slightly.
Preheat oven to 375°F. Dust 1 side of crust with flour. Transfer to 9-inch-diameter quiche dish or pie pan, floured side down. Press into pan, sealing any cracks. Trim edges. Sprinkle both cheeses over bottom of crust. Top with spinach mixture. Beat eggs, cottage cheese, salt, pepper, nutmeg in large bowl to blend. Pour over spinach. Bake until filling is set, about 50 minutes. Cool slightly. Cut into wedges and serve.

Joe Latti

2009-02-09T16:06:00.001-08:00

I've been hanging on to this newspaper clipping for a couple year. It's titled "Get your swirl on, Philly style." It's a review of Joe's Italian Ice and Ice Cream in Garden Grove.

All I could imagine was having a Joe Latti like the one's we've had in Oxford, PA. There's nothing like it anywhere except Pennsylvania, . . . and Garden Grove I guess. If you grew up on Italian water ice, like I did, then shaved ice, snow cones, and icee's are not even close to what you crave.

Supposedly the soft serve at Joe's is also Philly style. Which means real cream with all that good butterfat - it's so creamy and dense.

Anyway, we finally took the trek to Joe's. It was so exciting - like a field trip! (My life is rather boring). I got a blood orange Joe Latti. Son #1 did too. Son #2 got a mango Joe Latti. There were so many flavors it was hard to choose. Bada Bing Cherry, Passion Fruit, Bananadana, Grape, Grapefruit, Cantaloupe, Honeydew, Black Raspberry and on and on. It was so worth the trip! I brought home a quart of blood orange Italian Ice so hubby could have some too. We polished it off in less than a week. And by the way, it traveled well too. We live an hour from Joe's so I did pack an insulated bag with an ice pack in it but I think the Italian Ice would have make it home just fine without it.

I realized that Joe's is not all that far from where son #1 plays his club volleyball tournaments. We spend many hours on weekends at ASC watching his games, and I think Joe's is only about 10 minutes from there. I'm really craving a softserve dipped in butterscotch. Guess I'll be gettin' my swirl on more often now.

Joe's Italian Ice and Ice Cream
12302 Harbor Blvd., Garden Grove
www.joesice.com

Black and Whites

2009-02-06T12:54:00.000-08:00

All week I have been craving a Black and White from the Torrance Bakery. No one makes them like the Torrance Bakery. I know this is a New Yorker's cookie and I have no idea if the Torrance Bakery is making them authentic, but they are the best.

They are like 5 inches in diameter - huge. And I love the way the buttery sugar cookie is coated with white frosting all over the top and then dipped in chocolate on one half. The white frosting gets all hard and slightly crunchy and the chocolate is just perfectly smooth and snappy.

I like to eat the chocolate side first because I love the taste and texture of the chocolate over the white. Maybe they should consider dipping the whole cookie in chocolate!

Another great cookie from the Torrance Bakery is the Chocolate Chewy. It's so chocolately and chewy. Ha. What do ya know, they named it appropriately. The LA Times ran the recipe for them several years ago and now I beg the Times, please, get me the recipe for their Black and Whites!

Cake Wrecks

2009-02-06T12:45:00.000-08:00

Check out this blog when you have some time to kill: www.cakewrecks.blogspot.com

The "Literal LOLs" are pretty good.

Potato Chips

2009-02-03T12:12:00.000-08:00

Have you ever tried those Ridge Cut Salt and Pepper potato chips from Trader Joes? You gotta. They rock.

I grew up on Charles Chips. Remember the tin can? And they would get delivered right to your front door. My mom sold them for a while so we had chips around all the time. As kids whenever we'd go somewhere in the family/business van we'd sit on cans of Charlie Chips.

But even before that, Dad was a huge chip fan. I wonder if it's an East Coast thing? Kinda like Ice Cream, but that's another blog. Dessert would be potato chips and beer. To this day when I visit them I love sitting up late chatting with dad and having chips and beer.

Another one of my newer favorites is the Spicy Thai chips from Kettle. Pretty spicy tho.

I would like to see some Dill Chips. Charlie Chips made them and they were awesome. Tasted like a dill pickle. C'mon, Trader Joe, make 'em!

Christmas Food

2009-01-12T09:58:00.000-08:00

As usual Christmas at my parents' house was a constant feast. We ate and drank and ate and drank for a week. Mom always starts prepping for Christmas a few months in advance with plans and menus and games. She must start cooking and freezing food about 3 weeks in advance b/c there's so much and it's all so easy to prepare when we are all together. And on top of the roast beef, shrimp, fish, pork roast, tamales, omlettes, sausages, meatballs, homemade pasta there are tons of pizzelles, cookies and chocolate! And with 25 to 30 relatives around for a week it's no small task to feed them all every day.

I always get put in charge of the cookies. Not only do I love making them but I am the only one that drives (vs. flys) to Mom and Dad's and therefore can take a giant crate full of cookies. I started Thanksgiving weekend baking a few batches a week and freezing them. It's amazing how many cookies 30 people eat in a week - LOTS and LOTS!

One day we gave Mom a break and went over to The Monastery. It's a bar and grill where you order burgers, and you go outside and grill them yourself. We also played sand volleyball, pool, and pingpong while we were there. Great place.

The best was some competition Bro put Mom up to. One day he challenged her to a pasta making competiton. Doesn't he know that he can't compete with Mom's homemade pasta! Anyway, Mom was slaving half the day kneeding the dough and cranking the pasta machine. She did get some help from some of the kids. She must have made 5 pounds of fettuccine! All day we waited for Bro to start making his pasta. It never happened. Was it a set up to get Mom to make homemade pasta?!

Catch Up Time - La Sosta

2009-01-12T09:51:00.000-08:00

I know I never posted about La Sosta and it's been a while now so I'll give a quick rundown. It was really nice. I liked the ambiance - small, dim and a waiter with an Italian accent. Real? I don't know, but it was cool. I remember the food was really good. However, I don't remember what we ate except for the salad I had. It was thinly sliced fennel and pink grapefruit. A fantastic combination in my book. What I do remember was the truffles. It was white truffle season. We were going to order them, but when the waiter misquoted the price at $50 and came back and told us it was $130, we decided to live vicariouly through the kitchen door. Everytime that door swung open the smell of truffles came floating out and seemed to hover right over our table. The folks sitting at the next table must have ordered everything with truffles b/c the smell lingered all night. We probably enjoyed the truffles just as much as they did!

Campaign Withdrawls

2008-11-12T17:55:00.001-08:00

I decided to post a comment I made on a recent blog post of MM's:

I have heard so many people say how desperate they were for the campaign to end.

I was not ready for it to end. I'm sure there must be others out there like me, but no one has admitted it publicly.

I loved listening to all the debating and harassing. I loved the media attention to every detail. I loved the liberal radio shows. I loved the hokey emails our conservative friends and relatives sent b/c I loved looking up the real facts and telling them not to forward such garbage without knowing the truth.

I loved the conversations it sparked. I loved the interest our teenage boys took in politics. I loved hearing from my bro in Australia that he sees first hand that the world wants to see Obama win. I loved feeling passionate about who I wanted to win instead of feeling like I was voting for the lesser of two evils.

I loved Tina Fey. I think she made a better Sarah Palin than Sarah Palin. I loved the late night comedy. I loved the Colbert Report.

I love that I was proven wrong when 2 years ago I personally said "There's no way in hell our country will ever vote for a man named Obama."

I am very sad that it had to come to an end. It was great to see our country so awakened. There was a commentary on the radio by comedian Paula Poundstone this morning that was great - she is putting it out there that we, as a country, are ready to help. Mr. President Elect, tell us what we can do to make our country better. Take advantage of us while we are all fired up - we are finally eager to get things done!

Now I am going to have dinner at La Sosta. I'll let you know how it is.

Nothing to do with Food

2008-10-27T12:56:00.001-07:00

Son #2 just submitted a short animated film to the South Bay Film Festival. Turns out he's a finalist and his film will be shown in it's entirety (all ~3 minutes) at the Festival on November 1st.

Just had to brag for him on my soapbox.

At some point after the festival, the films will be posted online to view. Check it out at http://www.southbayfilms.com/ Just a warning to anyone who needs it, some of the movies posted on that site might be adult themed.

If you want to view Son #2's film only, you can see it on his blog: www.thabno.blogspot.com

Generosity, Trust and Community Service

2008-10-27T12:26:00.000-07:00

There really are so many nice people out there in the world. Today I was at Sam's Club buying all the food for our Toberman dinner and a very nice gentleman started chatting with me as we waited in line. I guess he was wondering why I had 40 pounds of pork, 2 gallons of BBQ sauce, a zillion buns, 5 bags of salad, 4 giant bags of veggies, and a gallon of salad dressing. He found out what I was up to, and handed me $20 for Toberman. I was completely caught off guard. How generous! It's nice to know that there are people who are still generous and of course, trusting! Thank you sir! I know that the kids at Toberman will be happy to know of your generosity.

Toberman Settlement House is a place in San Pedro where those in need can receive assistance. There are many ways they help those in the community, you can check it out at www.toberman.org.

Anyway, along with 3 other families, my kids and I cook and serve dinner to about 120 children each month. We started this project about 5 or 6 years ago and have been there every month since. It's a very rewarding project and it's nice to see how much these children appreciate a nutritious hot meal. With food costs skyrocketing and the economy the way it is today we really need to look out for those who are hungry.

Mexican Food in Indiana

2008-08-04T19:53:00.001-07:00

Scary thought isn't it? But what the heck, we decided to try it anyway. My sis lives in Indy so we are visting this week.

I wish I had taken a pic of this Mexican restaurant because you would die to see it. We were there for lunch and the place looked like a nightclub just waiting for the darkness. It was like a huge warehouse with a stage, a bar, a row of booths and about 8 tables.

I ordered a margarita because I learned my lesson at HT Grill -- when in doubt of the cleanliness or freshness order hard liquor. Weirdest margarita I've ever tasted. Not sure why. I tried to pinpoint why so weird, but not possible.

I ordered a mushroom quesadilla. Naturally, being in Indiana I expected to see canned mushrooms. I figure if that's what I'm expecting and they miraculously have fresh I'll be thrilled. No such luck. But they did saute the mushrooms along with onions and tomatoes. But you have to hear about the cheese. This was not real cheese. It was likc nacho cheese from a can. Oh my. Can you even imagine?! Why don't they use real cheese? It's beyond me why a restaurant wouldn't use real cheese. It seemed like food from a snack bar at a ball game. That's where I'd expect to see that quesadilla.

Moral of the story - go with your gut (don't eat Mexican food in Indiana).

Unless I go to Japan, I am never ever ever having sushi outside California.

Horrible Food at HT Grill, Fantastic at Zazou

2008-07-12T18:04:00.000-07:00

I felt like Gordon Ramsey last night. Have you seen him on Kitchen Nightmares? The ones when he is gagging and running off to the bathroom?

We went to HT Grill in Redondo Beach because we knew they had outdoor seating and it seemed like a good place for a Friday night happy hour drink. My first turn off was pulling into the parking lot, not realizing it was for valet only. I swear they took our car 8 feet from where we got out. And its not just tip, they charge $3.75 for that. There's plenty of free parking in the village so we felt stupid and ripped off - I can't believe they can get away with that.

Next we go in and the bar is is pretty lively. We wished the crowd was a little younger though. It seemed to be the over-50 beach crowd. Maybe you have to hit Hermosa for the younger set. We ordered wine and waited for an outdoor table. When we got seated outside the table was wobbly and the hostess said she's get it fixed. A busser came over, told us to hold our glasses, shoved the table really hard into the wall it was adjacent to, and said "there."

Ok, that was weird.

Next, I opened the menu and it was filthy. I hate eating in restaurants that have dirty menus. Come on, who hasn't heard of a first impression? At this point I told hubby that I was fine with drinks and a snack and then we'd have to skeedaddle. So we ordered an appetizer -- a crab tower. When it came, almost too quickly I might add, it was repulsive looking. It sat on a black plate that was dirty, it was topped with alfalfa sprouts that looked 2-weeks old and the giant layer of crab was clearly from a can.

Oh my gosh, do I have to taste this?! I stared at it for a few minutes wondering. I wished I was drinking hard alcohol so it would hopefully kill anything I might get.

I took off the sprouts. I picked at the crab, found some over-ripe avocado, under-ripe tomatoes and a very weird cream sauce that it was swimming in. The waitress asked us how it was. We said not very good. She practically insisted on bringing us something else and pretty much admitted that the crab tower isn't good. She even asked us if we'd be staying for dinner phrasing it more like she knew we would not be, "you're not staying to eat are you?."

How did she know???

I watched another customer pick apart the same appetizer and send it back. How could a restaurant be so dumb?! I swear I was so repulsed I thought I'd be sick today.

I kept thinking about the restaurant review in this past week's LA Times Food Section. It was on Gladstones in Malibu. They got no stars and a review saying the food is actually "bad." It was described as off-color and off-taste and way overpriced. It's so sad that people go to these places thinking they are going to get a good meal. Of course Gladstones is a tourist trap so they probably are just taking advantage of people who don't know any better.

So back to last night. After taking a walk on the beach we picked up our car, and drove it to a free parking spot on the street a block away and went to Zazou for a real dinner.

Oh my gosh, it's like night and day. It's such a fantastic place! You walk in and it smells so good.

The hostess is excited about the day's specials, the waiter doesn't tell us his name (I hate knowing my waiter's name), has a cute smile, seems genuinely happy to be working at Zazou, and doesn't hover at all during the evening (I hate hovering waiters).

Ahhhhhh. Sweet relief to be in a decent restaurant!

The menu is spotless. The tableclothes are white. The bread is the best in town. The wine is excellent. And for some reason I was in the mood for boring chicken. But instead of the potatoes it comes with I am in the mood for some pasta. The waiter even suggested that I have it with olive oil and garlic. It's so nice when a waiter knows something about food!

Yeah for Zazou -- our evening wasn't a bust after all! Thank you! Thank you!

MM's Boring Chicken for The Dave

2008-07-09T13:46:00.000-07:00

MM has inspired me to post about chicken. If you want to see her 'Boring Chicken' she makes for The Dave, visit her blog (link at bottom of my page). I actually don't cook chicken very often anymore because it is so dang boring. And it's disgusting how they are raised and killed. I am turned off of any chicken that looks too big and was raised and killed 'normally'. What is normally you ask? I don't know. But if they are abnormally large for a chicken (turkey-sized) forget it! I have discovered that Kosher chicken is really tasty. If you feel like having some boring chicken, this is the way to go. Take a whole cut up kosher chicken, bone-in and skin-on (this is important for flavor -- you may think that boneless-skinless chicken breast is the way to go, but really you may as well just eat your sauce). So take the chicken, loosen the skin but don't remove it. Rub olive oil, lemon juice, kosher salt and garlic all over under the skin and then on the skin. Let it sit for an hour or several hours in the fridge. Now cook the chicken either in a dutch oven, doufeu, or on the grill. It is the tastiest chicken you will ever have!

Places I Want to Eat

2008-07-08T22:00:00.000-07:00

This summer I am going to hit a few LA restaurants. Here's the list of the ones I'd like to get to:

Campanile (on a Thursday)
AOC
London LA (probably has a long wait tho)
Mozza
Ford's Filling Station
Brix (Hermosa Beach)

Of course there are many more I'd like to go to but I can't fit them all in during the summer.

We went to Tracht's in Long Beach last weekend. I thought the food was good but not fantastic. I didn't like the atmosphere - it's in a hotel and it was empty on a Thursday night. The wait staff was very attentive (probably b/c they only had one other table). The best part of the meal was tasting all the sauces that went with our steaks. Bearnaise, lobster bearnaise, green peppercorn, horseradish, and tamarind. For how much money we spent I felt that we should have been up in LA somewhere fun.

Loving Food Feels Like a Curse Sometimes

2008-07-08T21:26:00.000-07:00

Some days when I don't feel like cooking (or rather dealing with a mess to clean up) it can feel like a curse. When I crave some good and healthy food like a simple fresh green salad with some fresh figs, or some heirloom tomatoes lightly tossed with a dressing of oil, balsamic vinegar and fleur de sel it seems impossible to find it anywhere but in my own kitchen. I know what you are thinking: what's gonna get dirty? A salad spinner, a knife, a cutting board and a bowl? Big deal. Wash the damn dishes. But it's not like that. I feel like I always have to clean up before I can start preparing any meal. Dishes from the previous meal (lunch and breakfast, and if I'm not so lucky, dinner from the night before). Plus, I have 3 boys here (2 teens and hubby). They won't be satisfied with just that salad. Sometimes I think the dirty dishes multiply exponentially within minutes around here.

So we make an attempt to find a place to go out to eat that will be close to home, relatively cheap, and serve fresh healthy food, and some meat for my carnivore son. It's not easy to find that place in suburbia. Even in the suburbs of LA. I wonder how the Westside would fair? I know Whole Foods is always an option. But sometimes the ambiance is a turn off. Plus Whole Foods is not all that inexpensive. Tonight it set me back $45 for a very mediocre meal with the ambience of a fast food joint. Don't get me wrong, I love Whole Foods for grocery shopping. But where else can we go? Forget chain restaurants. Salads in chains are usually from a bag, never rinsed and doused in bottled dressing. Ick. I am on a mission to find a good place here in the South Bay. I'm sure there's something out there.

My Enchiladas

2008-06-30T09:31:00.000-07:00

Bro asked for my enchilada recipe so I may as well just post it here. I haven't made the one he's refering to it in a long, long time so we'll see if I can remember. When I make enchiladas I usually just throw in whatever I have on hand -- any type of beans, corn, zucchini, bell peppers, onions, chiles, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, leftover chicken, salsa, whatever's around. I think this might be the one he wants. I can't give measurements, you can adjust to how much you are making and to your taste.

Corn tortillas
Black beans, drained and rinsed
Pinto beans, drained and rinsed
Diced green chiles
Frozen sweet corn
Cheddar cheese, shredded (I think I used cheddar cheese soup at one time -- find a good one though)
Enchilada sauce (ES) (if it's too spicy for you either make your own, or add some tomato sauce to mellow it)

Most likely I layered the dish like a lasagna. Be sure to start with some ES in the bottom of the pan. Also mix some ES with all the other ingredients and after you put on the last layer of tortillas top it off with some ES and some shredded cheese. Cover it and bake until the tortillas are really soft and it's all bubbly.

Does that sound like the one? Can you get all these ingredients in AU?

Wine Club Dinner at Frascatti

2008-06-06T16:10:00.001-07:00

The picture was taken with my phone. If you can see it, it is Quaglie Ripiene alle Olive, Pomodori Tarantini, Torta di Cavolfiori, or in English: Black Olive Stuffed Quail with Cherry Tomato Sauce over a Cauliflower Tart. It was quite yummy. We drank it with La Coopérative des Garagistes Andrew Murray Vineyard Grenache 2005. The wine was pretty good too. Des Garagistes is the wine club that hubby and I joined last fall. We make wine in a garage. I have dubbed it the Wineage (sounds like garage) since it's not a winery and it's not a garage. The garage is very nice -- temperature controlled, carpet, 8 wine barrels (I think), a big wine vat, a small wine vat, and all the other equipment we need to make some good wine. The chef at Frascati recently joined the group and so he prepared a dinner for all of us. He took our wines and tasted them and then designed a menu around them. All the food and wine was great. We especially enjoyed the 2005 Granache and the 2005 GSM.

We enjoyed meeting Tom Stolpman from Stolpman Vineyards who was having dinner with us. Our group buys grapes from Stolpman. Hubby and I had just been at his tasting room last weekend and told him that. He said next time give him a call and he'll get us over to the vineyard. Ok, Tom, we're holding you to that! He also gave us the rundown on a wine rating system he likes. If you ever happen to meet him make sure you get him to share this with you, it's hilarious!

This is the dessert. Can you tell it was good?!

It's always fun going to a wine club event. Whether we are crushing, pressing, bottling or just eating and drinking we always have a great time. More on des Garagistes in some other blog.

Wine and Pizza

2008-06-02T15:56:00.000-07:00

I think wine and pizza and my two favorite things to consume. I won't bore you with any wine tasting notes because to me its either I like it or I don't. Plus that's the job of the pros. Just a side note though, just in case any pros ever stumble upon my blog -- if a wine is described as "the forest floor" it really doesn't sound all that appealing.

Over Memorial Day weekend we went to Lompoc. Correctly pronounced Lom-poke. The locals very quickly corrected our pronunciation. I say add the "o" back onto the end and then we'd all pronounce it right. Anyway, we ran into a couple who grew up there calling in Lompton (like Compton). So for anyone who's never been there you can get an idea of the beauty.

We stayed there as our hub to visit the wineries of the area. And there are some great one's right in Lompoc at the Wine Ghetto. I kid you not. The Wine Ghetto. It's a bunch of wineries who have their space in an industrial park. Forget spending money on beautiful buildings and retail shops. I guess their focus is the wine. We hit Palmina (with a 2-for-1 tasting coupon I printed from their website), and paid only ten bucks for both of us to have wine, crackers, salami and cheese. We didn't get to keep the glasses but who cares, we got enough of those everywhere else. And while we were there, the owner of Flying Goat Cellars came in for a tasting. So, darn it, we couldn't go taste his wine. We also hit LaVie while in the Ghetto and had a nice time chatting with the owners -- a very young couple (even younger than me and hubby!) who are passionate about their wine and do almost all the work themselves! We were hoping to also hit Fiddlehead but we took too long chatting at LaVie and it was too late.

On Santa Rosa road we tasted at Sanford and LaFond. LaFond was super crowded so it was hard to feel comfortable. Plus all the people were really beautiful. They must have come in the beautiful people limo. But we had a picnic out in the vineyard and then moved on to Sanford. We ran into someone that hubby works with.
They live in Los Olivos and he works in the South Bay?
Hey, we could do that hunny.
Actually he stays in the South Bay all week and goes home on the weekends. Damn.
Sanford's Pinots are great. Wasn't Sanford featured in Sideways?

On the 246 we hit Babcock and Melville. Evidently Babcock has some award that only 10 wineries in the world have and it's the only one in the United States. Wine was good and the glass to keep was a Riedel. Sister-in-Law bought a wine there but we didn't. Instead, we bought an old cut up wine barrel. I think I can sand them a little bit and make some beautiful bread and cheese boards. One piece has a hole in it from the cork, so I can get a little bowl to put there for olive oil and serve bread on it.

Melville was fun. We had a great time there chatting with the winery folk and then having a picnic. The tasting room was lively and inviting and the vineyard had lots of picnic space. I liked the wine a lot and I also like that they don't have a wine club, just a mailing list.

In Solvang we visited Stolpman. Our wine making club buys some grapes from them so we thought we should check it out. Just a little better than the stuff we make. Ha ha.

And I can't finish up without mentioning the pizza we had. We went to Los Alamos to American Flatbread Pizza. It came recommended by a friend who used to live up that way with a warning that there'd be a long wait but it would be worth it. When it comes to pizza from a woodburning oven, I'm always up for the wait. Plus, we saw the Flying Goat guy there. Good sign. We had a group of 10 and we were told 1 1/2 hours minimum. But it ended up as less than an hour b/c another large group gave up on their wait and we got their spot! The pizza was fantastic. They use fresh ingredients from local farms. They're only open on Friday and Saturday from 5 to 10 pm because the rest of the week they make pizza to sell in the frozen food section at Whole Foods. If you go, save room for dessert because it was delish.

Oh, we never got to go and check it out, but supposedly there's a "Pinot Prison" in Lompoc. Good excuse for another trip.

THE Party was a Success!

2008-05-05T10:12:00.000-07:00

On Friday night I threw the biggest, baddest party I've ever thrown. It was absolutely the best party ever! Hubby turned 40, so I put my heart and soul into it. We had a fantastic band, The Usual Suspectz, (http://www.theusualsuspectz.com/) who played great stuff from the 60's/70's. They really made the party so much fun! We did a little dancing. Played "Hubby Jeopardy." Ate. Drank. Ate. Drank. Drank.

The menu was Slow Roasted BBQ Brisket, Sticky Coconut Chicken with Cilantro Coconut Mint Chutney on the side, Brown Sugar Plank Grilled Salmon (did anyone miss this? oops, we realized we forgot to put it out! I must say though that it was delicious when we ate it on Saturday!). Aloo Chat Rice (an Indian recipe), Tomato-Watermelon Salad, Cesear Salad, and lots of yummy appetizers like Brie with Garlic-Cherry Chutney, and Won-Tons with Smoked Gouda and Dried Apricots dipped in Sweet Chile Sauce.

Our dessert table was overflowing, thanks in part to mom. She slaved away making mini cheesecakes and pecan lace cookies. I had started ahead (about a month ago) making and freezing cookies. We had Cocoa Nib Shortbread, Apricot & Thyme Shortbread, Chocolate Chip Cookies, Almost Candy Bars, Mixed Nut & Chocolate Tart, Double Dark Chocolate Biscotti, and the Birthday Cake was a Chocolate Stout Cake with a Bittersweet Chocolate Ganache. All homemade. All amazing. I do love my sweets!

Something I have to mention that was not homemade on the sweets table was the Dark Chocolate Almonds. They are from Trader Joes and they are sooo good. They are almonds covered in dark chocolate and sprinkled with sea salt. Great with red wine!

And I was able to enjoy the party much more than I usually do when I throw a party. The key? I hired 2 teenage girls to handle the kitchen. First, they came and decorated. (My least favorite part of a party). And the backyard looked beautiful! Once I got all the food out on the buffet and showed them where everything was to keep the trays full I was done working for the night. They kept the food full, they kept the glasses picked up and clean, they washed dishes and just did an all-around great job. I might have to start hiring them for all my parties.

And I certainly could not have pulled off such a great party without the help of my parents who came over from Arizona 2 days before and worked their butts off until they flew home Saturday morning. Thanks mom and dad! And huge thanks to a bunch of other great friends who did things like cut watermelon for hours, bring appetizers, decorate, get helium and blow up balloons, store cakes in their freezer, fix our outdoor heater, make hubby's scrapbook, and run the Hubby Jeopardy game. Everyone was awesome! Thank you so much!

By the way, for anyone reading this who was here, please come by for a drink. We have so much beer left we will be throwing parties all summer! (Plus we'll share all the new stuff).

Hopefully hubby will get around to writing (or at least emailing) some thank you's. He had such a great time on Saturday afternoon opening all his cards and gifts. He received some nice bottles of wine, good tequila, gift cards, etc., and the Galaxy tickets. Finally he will get to go see Beckham play!

Happy Cinco de Mayo! (guess I should get myself one of those left-over Cervesa's)!

Grilled Cheese Invitational

2008-04-21T19:30:00.000-07:00

This has got to be the coolest thing ever. Too bad I couldn't get in.

They call it "an orgy of cheese." Evidently there's something like 150 people making grilled cheese sandwiches to be judged by up to 800 attendees. Some grilled cheese loving roomies came up with the idea in 2003 and now it's an annual event that got a blip in the LA Times last week. Well, by the time I read the paper and tried to RSVP (that's the only way you can find out the location of the event), it was too late. They reached max capacity. Huge bummer.

I am a grilled cheese junkie.

It's a huge comfort food (white bread, white American cheese, lots of butter, in frypan, served with tomato soup of course).

Foodie food (French baguette, fresh mozzerella, procuitto, fresh basil, olive oil, on panini grill).

An "every-man-for-himself" dinner (any bread on hand, any cheese in fridge, any meat if any, any veggies sliced thin, olive oil or butter, on panini grill).

And dessert (sheepherders bread, Havarti cheese, sliced dates on panini grill) OR (country bread, dark chocolate bar, on panini grill, add créme fraiche after it's grilled).

Makes me want to hit Campanile on Thursday for Grilled Cheese Night.

I am determined to get to the invitational next year. Check it out at www.grilledcheeseinvitational.com
Just don't take my spot.

Um.

2008-04-18T14:42:00.000-07:00

I spoke at a middle school career day yesterday. I have done this before but for some reason I felt a little unprepared this time. Maybe because instead of reviewing my outline and notes before my talk I drank coffee and chatted with other speakers. Anyway I learned something about myself during my talk. I say "um" way too much! I swear I wanted to slap myself. As I rambled on and on about being a personal chef all I could hear myself say was "um". And the more I tried to stop the more I think I said it. I got to the point where I don't even know if I was saying anything that made any sense at all because my focus was all on my "ums". Thank goodness I made it through the talk without any of the kids actually screaming out "MRS. N, STOP SAYING UM!" It really wouldn't have surprised me in the least.

So later in the day I met up with a friend who teaches a college class and who also spoke at the middle school career day. She told me of the time she counted all the "ums" a college student uttered while giving an oral presentation and how she, as the teacher counted them all. Whew!was I glad she wasn't sitting in on my talk! Well, then she proceeded to take a piece of paper out of her pocket and unfold it. On it were lots of tally marks and then a total. 137. What?!

Her daughter, a middle school student, tallied all HER "ums!"

All I can say is there is no way I said "um" 137 times during my talk!

Party Planning and Sprained Ankle

2008-03-30T18:39:00.001-07:00

I have been planning the party for the big 4-0 for some time now. I've been going back and forth on what to serve. I have so many ideas and just not enough time or storage space.

I seem to plan a menu then I look at another magazine or cookbook and change the whole theme. I also figure I will order a few things already prepared.

I was thinking Paella from LaEspanola but they only make it on Saturdays and now the party is on Friday. They said they'd do it for a few more $$ per person. I'm still thinking about it.

I hope hubby doesn't read my blog.

Now that I have sprained my ankle I feel like I will be set back a few weeks too. I am hoping to be up to full use in a week or 2. It must be worse than the ER doc thought b/c it still hurts and it happened almost 2 weeks ago. It has nothing to do with food but I tell you the story. I was jumping on a mini trampoline and somehow it twisted weird. I instantly knew it wasn't good b/c I saw the way it twisted and then immediatly felt excruciating pain from my toes to my knee. My ankle was instantly swollen. Or broken. I dropped to a laying position and got son #2 to get ice right away. Son #1 started phone calls for help. Hubby. No luck. Coolest nurse friend in the world. 15 minutes away. While waiting for her I was writhing in pain not sure if I should elevate it or stay still. Well, it hurt so much I wasn't about to move. Nurse friend says yes, lets get to the ER for an X-ray. Lucky for me Son #1 is over 6 feet tall and strong. Not only did I have to get up but I had to go down a few stairs and then down the hill in our front yard to the car. Thank goodness it wasn't broken, but I was on the couch for 1 day then on crutches for a day. I probably should have used the crutches longer. Ok, now I know how to tie food into this story. Since it happened all I can do is sit around and eat. No power walks, no trampolines, no bike rides, no basketball, no frisbee. It stinks. We need a pool.

How to Get Rid of Food

2008-03-30T18:28:00.000-07:00

I finally figured out how to clean out the fridge. Invite over ten 15 and 16-year old boys. Man can they eat! I kept putting out the food and it kept getting devoured. I bought about 7 pounds of sirloin steak to grill for them, plus I made 5 pounds of spicy chicken wings, salad, 3 bags of chips, salsa, and sodas. In addition, I got rid of a bag of potatoes (threw them in the oven to bake), a tray of baked penne with peas and bechemel from the freezer, a few bags of leftover Easter chocolates and jelly beans. Oh and the 2 cakes we served for dessert! They all seemed very appreciative. Kudos to hubby for grilling the steaks perfectly. And Kudos to the boys for helping me make some fridge and freezer space!

Big Son's Birthday Cake

2008-03-26T21:22:00.000-07:00

Son #1 asked for a Tres Leches cake for his birthday. I have made Tres Leches several times and it's not hard at all. As a matter of fact it's very easy. But you do have to make it at least one day before you serve it so all that milk can soak in.

So since his birthday was 2 days after Easter and I have been hobbling around on a sprained ankle, I basically realized that making a homemade Tres Leches was not happening. So before I left for his volleyball game at 4 pm on his birthday I ripped out the bakery page from the Yellow Pages (remember the Yellow Pages? no one uses them anymore b/c of the internet) and stuck it in my pocket. In between games I would call the Hispanic bakeries to find a cake for hubby to pick up on his way home. I had my doubts. Would there be one along his route? Would a bakery still be open at 7pm? Would they have any Tres Leches? If they did would it be good? I got lucky. The first bakery I tried had it, and they'd be open till 8:45. I had to settle for a cake that serves 18, but oh well, better than one that serves 50. It was just for us 4. It was El Molino Bakery in Lawndale. They even wrote Feliz Cumpleanos on it for us.

It was delicious. Better than mine? Yes. They have way more experience with it than me and my Italian, Polish, Russian heritage. As a matter of fact I'm off to have another piece right now.

Big Son's Birthday Dinner

2008-03-26T20:53:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was Son #1's birthday. 16. Wow. Could I possibly have a 16-year-old?

Anyway, like MM said, I've been a slacker. It's tough to keep up -- So much to eat, so little time to blog. There's so much I haven't blogged about - like the beef recall/slaughterhouse problems, my continuted and expanded hate of chemicals in food, my new calling of helping revamp some school lunch programs, my trip to Marakai, my disgust of canned cream of chicken soup, the discovery of veggies at Sprouts having no taste, my sprained ankle right before Easter preparations, Alton Brown's homemade cottage cheese, should I go on?

So regarding son's birthday and my renewed disgust of any meat that's not organic and Kosher, we let him choose the restaurant for his birthday dinner. Claim Jumper. He's a carnivore. Of course, he's 16 and he plays volleyball for 3 hours every day. Ever since Claim Jumper (CJ) was built many years ago, not 3/4 of a mile from our house (we drive by it several times a day) we have been able to observe the clientele quite regularly. Now, if you don't know CJ, it is primarily a steak place with HUGE servings. I mean huge, huge like one entree could feed my whole family huge. The baked potato is the size of a watermelon. The chocolate eclair is dessert for 6. So too is the clientele. HUGE. It's weird to me. How do these large people find places like this? Do they know? We haven't eaten there since the week they opened. Back then our kids were under 5 and they could eat what they wanted and were only charged something like 5cents for every pound they weighed. Great deal when your kid weighs 45lbs! So flash forward to last night. We ate some good food. Son's burger was a delicious heart attack. My seemingly harmless rotisserie chicken, grilled asparagus and baked sweet potato I'm sure was much more fat and calories than I could have dreamed. There was 2, yes 2, huge scoops of butter on the baked sweet potato. And then about a 1/4 cup of brown sugar. I removed them both. Son was happy with the dinner, that's what matters, it was his night. I did like the food, but next time I know to ask for certain things left off. If there is a next time. Is the clientele huge before they become regulars, or not till after?

Girls Day Out

2008-01-08T19:46:00.001-08:00

Well, we never made it out of the South Bay last week. Hubby got sick. So I instead went shopping and out to lunch with a friend and her daughter. We went to China Tea House in Torrance. Great place for a Chinese lunch -- $5.99 for soup, salad and entreé And the entreés were full family style size, not the typical single serving size you see on lunch specials. We actually ate our fill and left with 3 take out boxes of leftovers. The food was good, but our waiter was great! I don't know if he is also the owner, but I felt like I got free entertainment with my lunch. He says that some people don't believe it's authentic Chinese food b/c even though he is Chinese, he doesn't have an accent. So he proceeded to tell us the specials in a thick Chinese accent. He also bowed a lot and told us how honored he was that we were eating in his restaurant.
After more shopping at Sur La Table in Manhattan Beach (got some dusting slippers for my mom -- I might have to try them first) we hit Whole Foods. My friend had never been to that one, so we were there for a long time. We ended up buying 2 bottles of wine, some French Brie and a baguette fresh from the Whole Foods oven. We continued our "girls day out" back at her house eating and drinking and playing a game called Triball. Great game -- basically a 3D Tic Tac Toe.
It was a much needed girls day for me -- I sometimes forget that I live in a testosterone-filled house.

Campanile Grilled Cheese Night

2008-01-02T22:55:00.000-08:00

Obviously, I have a hard time keeping up with blogging. I need someone to transcribe the thoughts in my head to the web.

Just a quick food thing tonight -- since we have a sort of extended Christmas break this year I thought we could take advantage of being able to go out on a Thursday night (meaning out of the South Bay) and hit Campanile for Grilled Cheese night. Well, it seems that many others have had the same idea b/c it's impossible to get a reservation for tomorrow night. I am so disappointed. I even talked hubby into foregoing the start of his 2 week "lactose free" diet so he could go. AND, I offered to suffer through LACMA to help convince him.

Maybe we'll try Ford's Filling Station instead. Then we can hit Surfas too. If you love to cook, and you don't know about Surfas, you must go (www.surfasonline.com) Anyway, we are expecting major rain storms for the next 4 days, so if it's bad we may not be able to go -- we are really wimpy here in LA. Most of us can't drive in the rain.

Osteria Latini

2007-11-12T08:52:00.000-08:00

I know I haven't written a very long time. And it's not that I haven't been out exploring markets or eating out. I guess I just got lazy. But now that I found out that 3 people actually read my blog I guess I should provide something for them!

So on Saturday we went out to Osteria Latini up in Brentwood. We had an 8:30 reservation. We left our friends' house in Redondo Beach around 7pm figuring that the 405 would take about an hour to get there and we could have a drink before being seated. Well, the gods were with us b/c we got there by 7:30. (Side note: the restaurant is really hard to spot. The sign is dark and the restaurant is squeezed in between something like a Quiznos and a bank. It's like the place is a secret - if you don't know about it, forget going b/c you won't get in anyway). But there are obviously many who do know about it b/c it was packed. Granted it's a very small place, but we could barely sqeeze in the door to tell them we arrived. The hostess (also wife of owner) almost laughed at us when we said we were early and would be willing to be seated anytime. And there was no bar. But she happily pointed us in the direction of the Cheesecake Factory where there'd be a bar. We started walking and saw off on the side street, Sor Tino. A few years ago hubbie and I had a drink and a pizza there and thought it was great. That sounded better than Cheesecake Factory. When we entered the cute courtyard we were greeted with a "Buona Sera." They also did not have a bar but were happy to seat us at a table even though we told them we'd only be having a drink. The waitress was very sweet. She had a strong Italian accent - authentic? I don't know. Probably. She helped us with the wine list and graciously recommened a $95 Italian wine. We opted for something much less expensive. It was nice and they even served us bread and olive oil. I think b/c it was still early they had empty tables and that's why they let us sit just for wine. The waitress even shook our hands and said thank you when we left!

Ok, so back to Osteria Latini. We arrived back there at 8:30 and told them we were back. We stood outside for a bit and studied the giant size menu that sat on an easel. Another couple was also checking it out so we started chatting. They also had a reservation for 8:30. After 15 or 20 minutes passed we went to see how much longer. Evidently a bunch of tables were done eating and paid their check but were just sitting and enjoying themselves. At our table! No, actually I'm big on letting people linger. I don't think restaurants should plan to use a table more than once in a night. I know - I belong it Italy. So to make a long story even longer we made friends with the other couple and told the hostess we'd be happy to sit with them at the 6-top we see empty by the front window. She actually seemed relieved that we came up with a plan. I'm sure she didn't want to make us wait any longer but she couldn't exactly tell the lingerers they had to go. It wasn't weird at all (maybe for them it was - they were probably hoping for a nice quiet date and got stuck with us!) Really though the table was large enough that we were able to let them have their space.

So on to the food. We were brought some shortrib ravioi almost immediately. Complimentary. They were so good - rich and tender. I'd never had anything like it. I wasn't sure it we got them b/c of our wait or if it was standard for all tables. The menu looked great. I was torn between the Linguine and Clams and the Lobster Risotto. Funny thing is I hate clams. (I think I ate too many buckets of steamed clams at the Italian Club in Philadelphia as a kid). But the linguine and sauce just sounded so good. I figured if I couldn't eat the clams someone would. Hubbie got the Lobster Ravioli. I thought the Linguine was fantastic. The noodles were al dente and the sauce was flavorful. And I ate some clams and actually enjoyed them. Mary had the same thing and said it was just ok. Evidently she orders it often and said this one was too rich. I didn't think so since it was a clear sauce (white wine, clam juice and olive oil I think). But Mary was convinced it had too much butter. We both added a little crushed red pepper to spice it up. She finished hers and I took about a third of mine home. My kids love this dish so I knew they'd be thrilled. Hubbie's Lobster Ravioli was out of this world. Al dente risotto, chunks of lobster, flavorful rich sauce. So good! Mary's hubbie had the lamb dish which smelled fantastic but I didn't try it.
After dinner we glanced at the dessert menu and decided to pass. But we were still brought a tiny glass of champagne and sorbet. It was really nice. A good end to a great meal. But there was more - a plate of cookies! A generous amout too! Chocolate chip cookies and tiny biscotti. Both were yummy! By the way, we saw all the other tables receive these treats, too. So everyone gets the little extras and boy does it take the dining experience to the next level. We will most certainly go back.
Another side note: the owner is opening a little place in Marina del Rey soon. His wife was telling us about it. I forget what the name will be, but it will be more casual than Osteria Latini. I'm sure the food will be just as great though. Can't wait for that since it will be closer to home.

We wrapped up our evening back at our friends' house tasting some Bacon Chocolate. Yes, you heard me right. Chocolate with tiny flecks of bacon in it. And we're not talking cheap dollar store chocolate here. This is the latest and greatest from Vosges. It was actually pretty good. It's that sweet and salty thing. I'm not sure I could have recognized it as bacon if I didn't know. Maybe.

Fig Season

2007-06-14T21:20:00.000-07:00

I dropped by Whole Foods this morning to pick up a coffee and a scone (you gotta try the one with whole grains and dried fruit, yum) and to my surprise I saw fresh figs! And since I am a food dork, I got very excited. Fig Season is my favorite season!

I know with fresh figs there are the 2 schools of people, the ones who love them dearly and the others who can't stand them. Too bad for those in the latter school. We are so lucky here in SoCal b/c fresh figs don't travel well, and most grown in the U.S. are from California.

I have been known to help myself to fresh figs from neglected neighborhood trees (it's great when the fig tree owner doesn't like them!). Last summer I actually made a map of where all the fig trees are in my neighborhood. I know, dork. But I found at least 6, and those are just the ones that I can freely access without trespassing (too much).

Since those who love figs already know what to do with them I won't delve into any suggestions or recipes. But my favorite way to eat them is wrapped with Prosciutto di Parma.

Yay, summer is here!

BevMo Wine Tasting

2007-06-01T21:35:00.001-07:00

Went to a Saturday afternoon wine tasting at BevMo last weekend. The theme was wines to go with your BBQ. Tasted 12 wines, plus a "mystery" wine where we had to guess the grapes. I think I guesses 2 of the 3 in the mix. Not bad. Anyway, the wines were all good. We like reds that go with bbq and spicy foods, so all these Zinfandels, Petite Sirahs, Sirahs were great for us. But in the end we bought a wine that wasn't on the tasting. It was a Mettler Petite Sirah. The guy running the wine tasting was really talking it up to us and so we were convinced we had to try it. $20, big and fruity. It was excellent. Check it out if you are into Petite Sirah. We've been drinking the McManis Petite Sirah for a couple years now and it's our favorite. (It's only about 10 bucks so you can't beat it). We will have to taste the 2 side by side and see which we like better. I can justify the McManis as an everyday wine, but maybe not the Mettler. I can only hope that someday our wine budget will allow a $20 wine to be everyday.

The wine guy at Trader Joes told me to try the Twin Fin Shiraz. I thought it was really good. I think it cost about $6. Any comments on it?

New Whole Foods Market is Disneyland for Foodies!

2007-05-09T18:02:00.000-07:00

My friend said it first, and it's true: the new Whole Foods Market on Sepulveda and Rosecrans in El Segundo is like Disneyland for foodies! She told me it was bigger than the Whole Foods in Torrance, so of course I asked her, "ok, but is it bigger that the Whole Foods in Alexandria, VA?" (we've both been there, too). And she said yes. Oh my gosh, it can't be true! And even thought I am dedicated to the Torrance store I knew I'd have to get to the new store soon. Well, it is amazing! You walk in and the store just goes on forever. My first thought was "there's no way I have enough time to see it all." Like someone who likes to go to the mall, I could spend the day shopping at Whole Foods. So they have a "bar" for everything: coffee, tea, seafood, bbq, pizza, gelato, chocolate, wine, Asian foods, and on and on. It was so much to take in that I just couldn't decide what to eat for lunch. I settled for the pizza bar and the pizza was outstanding - thin crust, simple ingredients. Then a bit of gelato. The lemon had the perfect tang. Yum-o! It was hard to leave, but I will certainly go back soon.
Since my visit there I have been back to the Torrance Whole Foods (I am there about once a week b/c it's very close to where I live) and I was so sad. It's like the Torrance store is so little and lacking. I almost wish I hadn't visited the new store.

Red Car Brewery

2007-04-22T18:35:00.000-07:00

In our house when we don't feel like cooking dinner, we have our favorite standby restaurant we go to. It's the Red Car Brewery in downtown Torrance. We just call it the brewery. There's even a possibilty that the owner now recognizes us.

It seems that these nights usually fall on Friday for us. It will be about 7:30 and we will be noticing that we are getting hungry - but the kitchen is all clean, so why make a mess. We look at each other, mention a few places we could go, but eventually we always decide on the brewery. You almost never have to wait (even at 8pm on Friday), the food is great and dependably consistent. And the beer is awesome. Plus, and this is a big one, there is live music! Really good music.

They always bring some fresh bread with an oil and vinegar dip. We gobble it up, and they offer to bring more. The big debate ensues, but we give in and go for more. Heck, we are in no hurry - there's great music and a basketball game on which we can see from any seating position because of the multiple TV's throughout the dining room.

One of us always gets a steak. They have an incredible skirt (or hangar) steak on the menu with a chimichurri sauce that is so juicy my mouth waters just thinking about it. And the price can't be beat, I think it's about $15 and the portion of steak is huge. We can usually share it between 2 of us. I don't think you could get a better steak in any restaurant - even the ones that charge $50 for a steak. My one son usually goes for a bowl of the soup of the day. This time it was clam chowder and besides being a tad salty, it was quite good according to him. I don't like clams or clam chowder, so I took his word for it. He's a pretty good food critic. I try to avoid the burger and fries (best fries in the world!), and go for a salad. It's tough because I love their large, juicy burger, and when I add a side of gorgonzola and smoosh it on the burger it reminds me of Father's Office. But their salads never dissappoint and I really like the one with Cajun chicken. It's like an adult version of chicken fingers on a salad. Oh, and their fish and chips are a must-try if it's your first time.

This time after dinner we broke down and ordered dessert. It's all because the guy at the next table was eating one and we saw it. It was a warm berry cobbler with vanilla ice cream. We shared (or rather fought over) it. Don't tell my hubby, but I ate more than him. His fault, he was watching the band. It was yummy!

So a quick comment on the music. Anytime we've been there it's been some sort of classic rock. We really like "The Mockers," an all-Asian band of middle-aged men that do all Beatles songs. They even have Beatle's haircuts! They are really good. We were wondering if they are moonlighting execs from the Honda headquarters across the street!

My hubbie and I could stay all night an listen, but after about 2 hours the kids want to leave. It's nice the brewery never makes us feel like they want to turn our table. But we pretend we're leaving to appease the kids, and we stand by the band and listen to a few more songs. Finally the kids just walk out the door without us, so until next Friday . . . . .

Buona Sera

2007-04-15T17:52:00.000-07:00

The other night my hubbie and I went out to dinner with some friends. They recommended Buona Sera, a little Italian place in Riviera Village. Knowing that our friends know and appreciate good food we immediately knew we were in for a great dinner.

Well, disappointment set in as soon as we asked the waiter about a couple wines from the wine list. He actually described one as "berry-full!" Ok, I am a foodie and not so much a pro with the wine, but I know that you don't use "berry-full" to describe wine. Needless to say we asked for someone else to help us choose a wine. And we did end up with a very nice dry full-bodied wine. (And as a side note, here's a question for the pros: do you tip based on the price of the wine? Let me explain: say you order a $30 bottle of wine, the standard 15% tip would be a lot less than if you order a $100 bottle of wine and pay a 15% tip. But the waiter did the same amount of work for either, and so there lies my dilemma. What is the right way to tip?)

Alright, moving on to our meal. The Pappa al Pomodoro was good. It's a tomato and bread soup. I tend to think that they weren't using fresh tomatoes though because it didn't taste like it and tomatoes are just barely coming into season. The soup was steaming hot though and I love that. Hubbie had a salad with peppery arugula and crunchy endive which was quite nice. My entree was the risotto of the day which was made with shrimp and asparagus. At first I thought it was quite good. The smell of the shrimp was delicious and the rice very flavorful. But after a few bites I realized that they were incredibly skimpy with the asparagus. There were not even enough 1-inch pieces to make a full stalk! And this is asparagus season! I know you can get good asparagus at a great price right now! As for the shrimp, it was very tender and tasted fresh but I think they skimped on that too. So now I'm a few bites in and I am thinking that the whole dish is too salty, and something else is wrong, something I thought I noticed when he first set down my plate but I didn't want to prejudge based on appearance, but -- I don't think they used arborio rice!

I have to say that sometimes it stinks knowing so much about good food. The dinner we had at Buona Sera was actually quite delicious, and a normal, average diner probably would have loved it. It can really ruin a meal when you unconsciously start picking it apart. It makes you want to just cook at home!

But as a disclaimer (in case our friends who took us there read this) we really had a great time and we would certainly go back and give it another try. But first, the Red Car Brewery!

Keurig Coffee Machine in Ortho Office = Ortho Worth Every Penny!

2007-03-31T22:57:00.000-07:00

I love going to our orthodontist. My kids might not. But as they get their braces tightened I get to enjoy a soothing hot cup of freshly brewed coffee or tea. A single cup made right on the spot. Our orthodontist has this Keurig coffee machine that makes ortho appointments something to look forward to. With this amazing machine there are even choices: French roast, Kona, decaf. Or teas like Earl grey, peppermint, green. This machine is pure magic. I pop in the "pod" of my choice and in about 25 seconds I have a hot cup of the yummiest coffee ever.

Along with the incredible selection of current magazines and today's local newspaper I could hang out in the waiting room all day.

"What son, you're done?" "Are you sure?" "I think your braces might not be quite tight enough."

I don't think I can ever let my kids get their braces taken off.

4 Stores and I forgot the Fennel

2007-03-21T17:05:00.000-07:00

My cooking day yesterday was a long one. I visited 4 stores and still forgot the fennel. The dishes I made were awesome though. My clients selected a fantastic menu. Of course being the connossiour of great food at great prices I had to visit as many grocery stores as possible to get all the best stuff at the best prices. (with the local price of gas at about $3.09/gallon is this really wise, I ask myself?) Oh well. My clients are worth it. So Trader Joes is always my first stop. I can usually get most of my dairy, fresh veggies and any pantry items there. Plus the free mini cup of coffee and sample of Toffee Cereal is a serious draw. Have I mentioned how much I love going to Trader Joes at 8am? Oh my, it's like heaven. I can be in and out of that store in 20 minutes flat! And that includes getting my coffee and yummy sample plus having a quick chat with the very cool and friendly checker. Plus I really dig the way they load the bags. Double paper, loaded full. The fewer bags the better, that's my motto. It's amazing - they can fit a whole cart full of groceries into 2 bags! Take that same cart of groceries to Vons and you will walk out with 59 bags containing 1 item each.

So after Trader Joes it's off to Sams (oh I do keep a cooler with a blue ice in the car to load in all the perishables). Sams is great for meats. Plus from 7 to 10 am (for business members only) they have hot coffee and a pastry of some sort just for us. Oh those poor regular members don't know what they're missing.

Then a quick jaunt into Vons. I hate that store. And I only went because I needed some clam juice and you can't get that at Trader Joes. Yet anyway. So Vons is almost done with a recent remodel. What a pain in the kabootie. I remember the last time they remodeled. I swear it was less than 10 years ago. My theory is that they have to do it often enough so you don't know where anything is and you are forced to zig-zag your way back and forth across the store trying to find what you need. And there is this girl that works there that is so incredibly annoying. I don't go to Vons much, but I know to steer clear of her. She wanders the aisles asking customers if they are finding everything ok, and when the customer replies with "yes," this girl says in the most annoying, much-to-cheery, high-pitched voice: "faaaaaaaaaaaaabbulous". Ugh. Yesterday, after I overheard her a few aisles over I was determined to avoid her at all costs. I had to zig-zag a little extra, but it was so worth it.

By now I decided it was time to take the food home and use the bathroom. All that coffee you know.

Then back out the door to Randy's Farmers Market. Another great store. Tiny. Friendly. Close. Great prices. And they are starting to have a few organic items. In addition to the Italian parsley, fresh basil, tomatoes, lemons, oranges and green onions I needed for my client I picked up some organic gala apples for only 99 cents a pound! By now I remembered I needed fennel. Bummer. None available at Randy's yet.

I guess I have to go back to Vons.

Faaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaabbbulous.

What do the Irish Eat?

2007-03-15T13:02:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I decided to have a St. Patrick's Day party and serve Irish food. Disclaimer here: I do not eat corned beef and nor do I cook it. I find it repulsive. I don't know why anyone would want to ruin a brisket. And why is it called "corned?" But to get back on topic here I decided to serve Irish food without knowing what in the world I would cook. Now as a personal chef I do cook many different things but I have yet to come across an appetizing sounding Irish dish. So what in the world do the Irish eat?

Thank God for the internet because I've never seen an Irish cookbook either! During my online excursions I am finding things like Concannon, Boxty and Ballymole. What?

Finally I came across a recipe for an Irish stew made with beef, potatoes, carrots and Guinness. Ahhh, now that's some tasty sounding stew! I'll also make some Irish Soda Bread - very easy. Maybe a tray of some Irish cheeses - Whole Foods will be very helpful with this. And for dessert: Chocolate Stout Cake. I'll swing in to BevMo to get our "Blessed Trinity" of Guinness, Murphy's and Beamish, and hopefully all my guests will be feeling the luck of the Irish!

note: the Irish don't eat corned beef on special occasions, they don't drink green beer and they don't name their pubs using the word "Irish"
Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Super Job

2007-03-14T22:15:00.000-07:00

These assemble-your-dinners-and-take-them-home-in-a-laundry-basket places are popping up everywhere. I've heard about them for years. I first read about Dream Dinners probably 5 years ago. And now they are finally opening one in the South Bay. Am I happy or am I mad? I'm not sure. As a personal chef I know these places are my competition. But heck, even I don't always have time to make dinner!

If you don't know what these meal assembly places are, think of a salad bar style set up of everything you need to make your dinner. It's all there for you. Meats and veggies all washed, cut, chopped, diced, julienned, etc. ready for you to pick your favorites, toss them all in a pan or bag along with spices or sauces, too. You throw all your assembled meals into your laundry basket (I think a cooler might be better though), and they are ready to take home to cook into hot tasty almost-homemade meals.

Of course I have never set foot in one of these stores yet. So all I know is from articles and hearsay. But they sound like a great alternative to fast food. I like the idea that you are not getting preservatives and a zillion ingredients you can't pronounce. However, I don't condone leaving a personal chef to go the meal assembly route! I'm certain you will greatly miss your personal chef!

So there's another one of these places, Super Suppers, also opening here soon. Right next to Bristol Farms - so who's gonna lose more business, me or Bristol Farms? I think I want to get a job at Super Suppers. It does look Super Cool.

The Start of my Random Food Blog

2007-03-13T11:35:00.000-07:00

Ok, this first blog is going to be very random since I have never done this before. But I am pretty good at rambling on about food - both good and bad - and I am pretty opinionated about it. I guess that comes from growing up in an Italian family where life centered around food. My life still centers around food. I cook for a living as a personal chef and I also teach cooking classes to children. I love grocery shopping. I love farmer's markets. Every trip I take with my family is an "eat-your-way-through-(fill in city here)" tour. I'd much rather spend $150 to eat a fantastic restaurant that buy a new pair of shoes.
So what can you expect to read here? You can look forward to lots of great stuff - from local (and not so local), restaurant reviews, food netwook show critiques (I have several favorites), my days at the grocery stores (I shop at many, sometimes all in one day), recaps of my cooking days for my clients, recaps of my cooking classes with the kids, maybe some recipes, and lots of random thoughts!
Buon Appétito!