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
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
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
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
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
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.
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
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
Blueberry Chévre Sandwich2 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
2 cups fresh blueberries1 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
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.
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
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!
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
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.
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
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.
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
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
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
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
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 baggie1 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.
Herr's Dill Pickle Chips
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").
(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
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.
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
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
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
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!
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
Check out this blog when you have some time to kill: www.cakewrecks.blogspot.com
The "Literal LOLs" are pretty good.
The "Literal LOLs" are pretty good.
Potato Chips
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
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?!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)