Fare to Remember

Season's Eatings!

2011-12-26T16:54:00.000-08:00

I sure hope that everyone out there has had as delicious of a Christmas as I. I am so fortunate to have wonderful friends and family, near and far, and was able to spend time with so many loved ones this season. As we head into the new year, I'm going to leave you with a few visions of sugarplums... or at least visions of some of the goodies I feasted on over Christmas....

Guacamole with pomegranate seeds

Roasted pine nuts

Mini tarltet appetizers (pear and brie with blood orange syrup; gorgonzola with almond sorrel pesto)

Roasted apple and butternut squash soup

Crab!

Fresh-baked cinnamon rolls

On that note, I'm over and out for a few weeks as I embark on my annual foreign escapade. Destination: Myanmar. Tasty tales and of course, fare to remember, will ensue. Cheers!

Coconut Flour Pancakes: It Must Be Sunday!

2011-11-20T15:52:00.001-08:00

Nothing says Sunday like pancakes, at least in my world. Pancakes don't have a place in my breakfast lineup any other day of the week - but on Sunday, Sunday, Sunday! - if all is right in my world, I can have a leisurely morning and a breakfast that includes a big stack of carbs. Ah - nothing better.

My current pancake obsession, however, is a complete departure from any traditional pancake that we all know and love. I've been converted to coconut flour pancakes. That's right - not a grain to be found in these fluffy flapjacks. No flour, no buckwheat, no sourdough. Hell - there's not even any dairy in the version that I make. Well, ok - eggs (if we're calling those dairy) - but no milk. They are totally caveman approved (perfectly paleo, if you're into that sort of thing... which I am, more and more) - and gluten-free as well. I saw them on the Nourishing Days blog, and tried them immediately. I haven't looked back since.

My main reason for giving these a go is that when I was in Laos, I had a coconut pancake of sorts made by a woman squatting in the street over a tiny coconut husk fire. The cake from her griddle was incredible - fluffy and savory, with a hint of coconut flavor. I've wanted to recreate it ever since, but I had no idea if her cake had a name or where I might find a recipe. So when I found this recipe, I was hoping it might somewhat replicate that delicious morsel of Lao street food. Well, it didn't. But boy - it sure is a damn good pancake regardless. So it's now my go-to. I love them because you can't make them very big (the batter just doesn't allow it) - so it satisfies my pancake craving without having to eat more than I should. In fact, when I'm making them just for myself, I cut the recipe in half, which is more than enough for one.

At any rate, I've included the Nourishing Days recipe in full below since it's obviously been perfected to perfection. I, however, don't add any sweetener or vanilla to mine. Just straight up works for me. I hope you give them a try!

(Note: You can buy coconut flour in bulk at Whole Foods. The recipe says you can use regular cow's milk or coconut milk - I always use light coconut milk from Trader Joe's.)

Fluffy Coconut Flour Pancakes
Recipe Notes: Both cow and coconut milk work well in this recipe. You can also add cinnamon or fruit as desired. Just keep the pancakes small and watch them so they don’t burn.

4 eggs, room temperature
1 cup milk (raw cow’s or coconut both work)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon honey or a pinch of Stevia
1/2 cup coconut flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
coconut oil or butter for frying

Preheat griddle over medium-low heat. In a small bowl beat eggs until frothy, about two minutes. Mix in milk, vanilla, and honey or stevia. In a medium-sized bowl combine coconut flour, baking soda, and sea salt and whisk together. Stir wet mixture into dry until coconut flour is incorporated. Grease griddle with butter or coconut oil. Ladle a few tablespoons of batter into pan for each pancake. Spread out slightly with the back of a spoon. The pancakes should be 2-3 inches in diameter and fairly thick. Cook for a few minutes on each side, until the tops dry out slightly and the bottoms start to brown. Flip and cook an additional 2-3 minutes. Serve hot with butter, coconut oil, honey, syrup, or fruit.

Soup's On! Italian Chicken Sausage and Artichoke Soup

2011-11-17T18:03:00.000-08:00

Sometimes a little down time in your doctor's office waiting room is a really good thing. At my last doctor visit, I had a solid block of time as I sat waiting (and waiting... and waiting), so I had the chance to read an entire rumpled year-old copy of Sunset magazine, cover to cover. It was actually quite a luxury in the middle of a work day!

What I found that day in the pages of the tattered magazine has turned into this chilly season's go-to soup. I saw the picture (the same one that appears here), and I knew I would make it based on looks alone (it was a good first impression, what can I say? I'm a sucker for a sexy soup). When I read the super-simple ingredients and close-to-zero prep time, the deal was sealed.

As advertised, it was quick, delicious, gorgeous and YUMMY! The only change I made to the recipe was to use spinach instead of Swiss chard, since that's what I had in the house.

So, this recipe comes HIGHLY recommended from little old me. Take it or leave it - but trust me - you want to take it.

Italian Chicken Sausage and Artichoke Soup
Sunset Magazine, January 2011

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound Italian chicken sausage, casings removed and meat broken into chunks or rolled into meatballs (the fennel flavor of Italian sausage tastes fantastic in this recipe, but any type of chicken sausage will work)
3 cans (15 oz. each) reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 pound frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and halved
1 bunch Swiss chard (1 lb.), stemmed and chopped (I used spinach)

Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Cook sausage until browned, stirring often, 10 minutes. Add broth, artichokes, and 2 cups water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer. Add chard and cook, covered, until wilted, about 3 minutes. Ladle soup into bowls and serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Wordless Wednesday: Heirloom Pears

2011-11-16T07:16:00.000-08:00

Beet It!

2011-11-06T17:43:00.001-08:00

I love vegetables that taste like dirt. Mushrooms, spinach, carrots... all dirty-tasting veg in their own special ways, and I love em. But the topper has to be beets. I freaking love beets. (Qualifier: I love beets that are roasted. You can keep the sickly pickled beets out of a can that somehow found their way to the top of every green salad served in the 70s and tainted my love of beets until I grew up and wised up. Gag. As Oprah always says, "When you know better, you do better" - I know better and roast my beets these days. I'm catching up for nearly four decades of beet deprivation. But I digress.)

So when my mom was in town recently, we found some gorgeous beets at the last St. Helena Farmer's Market of the season. We decided to try and recreate a dish that we'd shared together when mom treated me to dinner at Pago in Salt Lake City that made me swoon: Cinnamon Beets.
Since the dish is no longer on their menu anymore (bastards!) we were recreating from memory. Luckily, it was pretty straightforward: roasted beets on a bed of simply-dressed arugula (lightly coated with EVOO) and served with a dollop of Greek yogurt. The twist was that the beets were topped with a generous sprinkling of a cinnamon/walnut crunch concoction that resembled the texture of a finely-ground cinnamon lollipop combined with finely chopped walnuts - it was the consistency of sand.

I will admit I was skeptical at the time: cinnamon and beets? Such an earthy (dirty) main ingredient paired up with basically cinnamon candy? Oh Lordy - am I ever glad I gave it a try (and you should too!) because the combination of flavors is dynamite. Damn you beets with cinnamon - I can't quit you!

Thank goodness my mom was around to help me with the candy part of the recipe. I would have had to search online (or more likely knowing me, wing it!) for a hard candy recipe that I could tweak to get maximum cinnamon flavor. But dear old mom basically had a hard candy recipe in her head. How handy is that?! So, we gave it a go, and the results couldn't have been any better. Her candy recipe is below. (Note: it makes LOADS of the stuff - I won't have to make it again for years - so you could probably cut it in half and still have extra to go around.) The rest of the dish is basically as I described above. If you don't know how to roast beets, I'm afraid you're on your own. (Just kidding! Check here.)

But seriously give it a try. So freaking good. Thanks Pago.

Cinnamon Hard Candy

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1/2 cube butter (1/4 cup)
1 Tablespoon corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon oil

Combine all ingredients except for the cinnamon oil in a saucepan; stir over medium heat until all ingredients are melted into a syrup and come to a rolling boil. Reduce heat and continue to cook at a slow boil until the mixture has reached the hard-crack stage*. Once at hard-crack stage, add the cinnamon oil and stir well. Pour the candy syrup into a flat, greased cookie sheet and spread it out until it is very thin (be careful - it will be molten hot!!). Cool thoroughly.

Once cool, pop the candy from the pan (you may need a knife to break it up into large shards), and crush it by using a meat tenderizer or other heavy object! (Place it under a sheet of plastic wrap and pound away until it is crushed to the consistency of sand). Combine with an equal amount of finely-chopped walnuts for the beet topping.

*Not familiar with candy-making (what the heck is hard-crack stage??)? Here's a quick primer thanks to The Science of Cooking:

As a sugar syrup is cooked, water boils away, the sugar concentration increases, and the temperature rises. The highest temperature that the sugar syrup reaches tells you what the syrup will be like when it cools.

Hard-Crack Stage
300° F–310° F

The hard-crack stage is the highest temperature you are likely to see specified in a candy recipe. At these temperatures, there is almost no water left in the syrup. Drop a little of the molten syrup in cold water and it will form hard, brittle threads that break when bent. CAUTION: To avoid burns, allow the syrup to cool in the cold water for a few moments before touching it!

Olive Oil Tasting at Round Pond Estate

2011-10-26T18:57:00.000-07:00

Who says that the Napa Valley is all about wine? True... wine factors pretty heavily in our way of life and it's the main reason people visit our little corner of the world, but it's not all that we've got going on. Case in point: I took my mom to a fabulous olive oil tasting at the Round Pond Olive Mill in Rutherford over the weekend.

Now I've done some olive oil tasting in my time (most memorable being the one I did in Mendoza, Argentina), but the Round Pond tasting was by far and away the best I've ever experienced. It started out with a walk through one of the estate olive tree groves, moved on to a tour of the state-of-the-art Italian mill, and then transitioned to a sit-down, guided tasting of their estate olive oils, vinegars and syrups. The tasting was then followed by a pretty lavish spread of gorgeous food, where we were free to try different combinations of the goods with complementary fruits, vegetables, cheeses and bread. (And don't despair - tastings of Round Pond's award-winning wines were also available... we can veer from the wine path around here, but we can't exit completely!)

I learned so much during the tour and tasting - but I won't divulge too much because you really should come and do the tour yourself! But a few nuggets:

Save the extra virgin olive oils for dressing salads or enjoying straight from the bottle as a finishing oil - just don't cook with it! Heat raises the levels of oleic acid in the oil, making it bitter. Use a virgin or regular olive oil to cook with, since you won't be paying the premium required to produce the low levels of oleic acids in the extra virgins.
It takes about two trees worth of olives from the Round Pond groves to produce one gallon of extra virgin olive oil.
Coughing when tasting olive oils is considered a compliment. (You cough when the oils hit the back of your throat.)
The best way to sample vinegar is to pour a few drops over a sugar cube, then suck on the sugar cube before it dissolves.

At any rate, the whole experience at Round Pond was stellar. Come up and give it a try sometime - I'll go with you!

Foraging Figs

2011-10-22T09:19:00.000-07:00

Look at these beauties - I believe these are Adriatic figs - the tree from which I nabbed them growing in a ditch in a vineyard. Laden with fruit, the tree was the last thing on the minds of the vineyard workers harvesting the grapes. So, no harm no foul, I took home a stash. Since this variety is not as sweet as the Black Mission Figs that I love to eat raw, I broiled them with some honey to bring out their sweetness, and finished them off with a sprinkling of sea salt. It made for a sweet and savory breakfast. Thanks Mother Nature!

This Chicken is Rockin'!

2011-10-18T17:45:00.000-07:00

The amount of chicken breasts that I consume on a weekly basis can be staggering. It's my go-to protein - lean, easy to prepare, versatile. But at the end of the day, it's so very boring. Lord help me if I overcook it. There's really nothing worse than dry chicken breasts. Gack!

So recently, I veered from my rut and went for the chicken thighs in the butcher case. Thighs - with the skin! I had a hankering for something juicy, meaty, tender... and a chicken breast wasn't going to cut it. I even had in mind the way I wanted to cook them - similar to brick chicken on the grill, but done in the oven in a cast iron skillet. I envisioned them having a seared, crispy skin that would impart its flavor to the meat of the thighs, melding with the flavors of lemon, roasted garlic and fresh herbs. I was salivating at my vision for these thighs before a single ingredient ever hit the pan.

Proud to say this dish rocked. If it looks good in the picture, I can guarantee it tasted even better. You must try.

This is how you do it:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees
You will need two cast iron skillets; one slightly larger to hold the chicken and the smaller one to weight and set on top (the second skillet will act as a clamshell grill, helping to cook the chicken thighs on both sides at once)
Line the smaller skillet with tin foil and weight with either a brick, or in my case, rocks!
Place the rock-filled skillet in the oven to get up to temperature as you prep the chicken and do the stovetop steps below
Peel the cloves from an entire bulb of garlic; smash lightly with the flat side of a wide butcher knife
Peel and finely dice one shallot
Coat the bottom of a cast iron skillet with a glug of olive oil; add the shallot and garlic cloves
Over medium/low heat on the stove, cook until the shallots and garlic are soft and caramelized
Remove the shallots and garlic and turn the heat up on the skillet to high
Lightly coat six chicken thighs with olive oil; sprinkle with kosher salt
When the stovetop skillet is piping hot, place the thighs skin-side down
Cook the thighs until the skins are seared to a beautiful brown color (approximately 7-8 minutes); remove the thighs from the skillet (leave any drippings) and remove the skillet from the heat (turn off the stove)
Return the garlic and shallots to the bottom of the skillet
Add a layer of fresh herb sprigs to the skillet; I used rosemary and lemon thyme
Return the thighs to the skillet, skin side up
Cut two lemons in quarters and squeeze the juice over the chicken; scatter the quarter rinds amongst the thighs
Add another layer of fresh herb sprigs on top of the chicken
Place the preheated second weighted skillet on top of the chicken-filled skillet; place the entire kit and caboodle back into the 400 degree oven
Cook for approximately 20 minutes until the thighs are cooked through
Eat up!

You Say It's Your Birthday!

2011-10-10T16:30:00.000-07:00

It sure was! Today - the 10th - is my actual birthday, but I got the chance to celebrate for a couple of days - and will keep celebrating for even a few more! It's not really like me (the ongoing celebration) - but hey. Why not? Rand and I got to try a few new restaurants (new to us anyway) and I am happy as a clam with our choices. Both highly recommended: La Mar - a Peruvian fusion place on the Embarcadero in San Francisco, and Eiko's, a modern Japanese hangout here in Napa. iPhone photos below (and I got myself the new iPhone as a present to myself! So hopefully, my iPhone photos in the future will be better!). I also had a chance to do some cooking over my self-made long weekend, so I'll have some new goodies to share with you in the coming days as well. So, little bit of exploring, a little bit of sticking close to home - a good birthday all around. Thank you everyoe for the birthday wishes. I think this aging thing is going to be ok!

La Mar

(Pictured above - pisco cocktails, of course! When at a Peruvian resto, it should be required that you have a drink made with Peru's signature spirit. Ran had the Pisco Sour and I had the Pisco Punch. Shown also are the amazing plantain and sweet potato chips with a trio of dipping sauces.)

Causa Casera: Artichokes, asparagus, avocado and tomato confit on top of yellow potato.

Cebiche Mixto: Yellowtail from Mexico, calamari and shrimp in an ají amarillo leche de tigre with cilantro, red onion, habanero, Peruvian corn and yam.

Almuercito Chalaco: Cebiche chalaco, empanada tamalito, y anticuchos de carne (mixed seafood cebiche, sweet corn empanada, grilled skirt steak skewers)

EIko's

Eiko's bar/lounge

Hamachi bon bons (hamachi wrapped around snow crab with eel sauce and tobiko)

Chicken lettuce wraps

My sashimi plate

Ran's shrimp tempura bento box

All in Favor of Fennel Say "Aye"

2011-10-08T18:13:00.000-07:00

Aye! See those roasted veggies up there? That's fennel and cauliflower, roasted in anticipation of making a soup. I had visions of an earthy, silky, smooth soup, inspired by the rainy days we've been having. But you know what? These veggies never made it into a soup. They smelled SO good when I pulled them from the oven, that I pretty much ate them for lunch right there on the spot. The fennel was the real culprit - I was defenseless. My soup never even had a chance. If you think you're not a fan of fennel, try roasting it with a little bit of olive oil and kosher salt (high heat - 400 degrees - until it's caramelized). The licorice flavor and aroma of the raw bulb melt away, leaving a savory, rich morsel of goodness. So that's pretty much all I have to say - just try it. And next time, if I can avoid the temptation, I'll work on bringing you a soup recipe. But I wouldn't count on it...

Wordless Wednesday: Pink Pearl Apples

2011-10-05T07:03:00.000-07:00

Fine Dining: Kitchen Door

2011-09-25T19:22:00.001-07:00

So we could have just gone home. My lovely husband and I ventured out of the house this afternoon, with nothing on the agenda but to see "Moneyball." We show up at the theater however, only to find out that the online listing I consulted had the movie's start time WRONG. (Imagine that - the internet got something wrong!) So we had two hours to spare before the actual start time. Like I said, we could have just gone home.

But no! We started wandering our fair town instead. It's something that we don't do nearly enough, and with Napa really starting to come into its own, wandering is a worthwhile venture.

We decided to grab a bite to eat. With so many new restaurants cropping up in Napa, there are several that I have yet to visit, despite trying my best. There were two places at the top of my list:

Eiko's, a new take on Japanese food from Eiko Nakamura of Fujiya - one of the world's best sushi restaurants located in an outlet mall (I kid you not) - although now that Eiko's is open, Fujiya has closed.
Kitchen Door, the latest highly-touted restaurant from Chef Todd Humphries (Martini House) in the Oxbow Market that calls its food "an ingredient-driven menu of handmade multi-ethnic comfort food."

Decisions, decisions. But, after strollin up to Eiko's and learning that they're not open for lunch on Sunday, the decision was made for us. Kitchen Door it was.

What we ordered:

Padrone peppers. (As I mentioned in a previous post, I can't get enough of these right now. The Kitchen Door version came prepared with lime and Korean chili flakes, and was draped with thin slices of handmade lardo. The peppers were perfectly blistered and tasty - I thought the lardo was completely unnecessary.)
Korean Short Ribs with bacon fried rice. (Ran ordered these thinking he was ordering traditional ribs - oops.)
Roast Duck Banh Mi Vietnamese-style sandwich with sweet potato fries. (Um - hardly. I ordered this envisioning juicy slices of roast duck amid the pickled veggies and fresh herbs. What I got though was mostly a thick smearing of duck pate on the too-big roll, with a few spare chunks of roast duck wedged in here and there. Not what I envisioned at all, and I won't be ordering it again. The fries however - perfectly executed. They were some of the best sweet potato fries I've tasted, and that's saying something since my favorite version is from Gott's, Kitchen Door's next door neighbor.)

So bottom line? It was fine dining, as Ran called it. Meaning, it was fine. Nothing special. Fantastic atmosphere - we ate on the patio overlooking the river - and some elements of our meal were stellar. But the meal as a whole didn't knock me out. In addition, there were some gaps in service. Our padrones arrived ten minutes after our entrees, for example. I was also greatly annoyed that after ordering at the counter, they give you a number and deliver the food to you (great - love it - no issues there) - but you have to schlep silverware, your awkward order number in its tall holder, water glasses and condiments - all without the aid of a tray. There wasn't a tray to be found to carry all of that stuff, and I was hauling goods for two since Ran was out saving us a prime table. So Kitchen Door - offer up a couple trays, why don't ya?

Anyhow, I'll eat there again for sure. I'll try different menu items, and hope for a better all-over experience. In the meantime though - Eiko's, you're next!

Blossoming in the Kitchen

2011-09-18T18:08:00.000-07:00

So I'm at the farmer's market with one of my bestest foodie friends, Glenn. It was pretty amazing how we both honed in on a basket brimming with squash blossoms at precisely the same time. Between the two of us, we bought out the farmer's stash for the day, before the market had officially even opened (we're no dummies - we were there 15 minutes before the official opening time, cash in hand).

Of course we got to talking how we were going to prepare our little treasures, and of course the fall-back way is to stuff them with some cheesy gooeyness, batter and fry them. Glenn was going to do just that, but as good as that sounds (and is!) - I told Glenn that I was going to challenge myself to come up with a lighter version of the dish that was every bit as delicious.

Mission accomplished - and it was altogether a much easier, quicker dish to prepare than the fried version. Here's what I did:

I still wanted a creamy, soft inside, so I went with a fat-free ricotta.
To the ricotta, I added some fresh chopped herbs (basil, oregano), some roasted and chopped garlic, and some chopped up sundried tomatoes that I had packed in olive oil.
I scooped a generous tablespoon of the mixture into the blossoms, and twisted the open end to hold it all together.
I dunked each blossom in an egg white bath (I added a tablespoon of water for every two egg whites and whisked until frothy)
Rolled the stuffed/dunked blossoms in panko bread crumbs
Baked at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes (turning once) until they were browned and the filling was warmed through

How about that, huh? Totally my new go-to method of making squash blossoms. Eat your heart out, Glenn!

White After Labor Day? Yes Please...

2011-09-15T19:32:00.000-07:00

At the Chimney Rock Winery "White Party"... celebrating their white wines like Pinto Gris and Elevage Blanc. So yes. White after Labor Day works for me, fashionable or not! And if the wine, decor and attire at the party were all white, the food most definitely were not. Deelish... check out that paella!!

Out and About: Morimoto Napa

2011-09-11T20:43:00.000-07:00

My husband and I recently were accused of being DINKS. Well, of course we are! I, being more familiar with the acronym, knew that yes, we fit the criteria for a Dual Income No Kids household. It just took a little 'splainin until Ran realized we weren't being insulted. In fact, our friends referred to us as such with a little bit of envy - we were free to go and do as we pleased - no sitters to arrange, no curfews to which to adhere, no real restraints on our discretionary funds. While I'm not going to debate the merits of DINKs vs. non-DINKs, all of that is true, and Ran and I take full advantage of our DINKy situation.

Couple our DINK status with the fact that we live and work in the Wine Country, and man - do we have a pretty sweet deal. After an especially tough week on so many levels, an opportunity presented itself for us to enjoy a night on the town, and boy did we pounce. In our world, a night on the town translated to a dinner at Morimoto restaurant here in Napa: Iron Chef, here we come.

Now, we'd both enjoyed many an evening at the Morimoto bar, enjoying appetizers and amazing cocktails (that's my Lemongrass Mojito pictured - yum). But in the year+ or so that it's been open, we'd never actually sat for dinner. The time had come.

So let me set the table for you: First of all, we were bound to have a good time, no matter what. Our mode that night was to celebrate life and to savor being in the moment. Spending time together was going to be our reward that evening regardless; we could have been at the KFC. Our spirits aside, however, we were looking forward to checking out the acclaimed restaurant and seeing for ourselves if it lived up to all the hype. The short answer: yes and no.

We DID have a lovely time. Despite practically yelling at each other across our table in the noisy, noisy restaurant, we laughed, talked and cajoled each other all evening long. (Note to self and others that book in the warm months: request an outside table.) The food was mostly very good, and sometimes exceptional. The service, however, was sadly not up to par.

I ordered the Chef's Omakase Tasting Menu (the best deal by far at $120 per person for seven courses that beautifully cover the Morimoto gamut). To round out our experience, we chose another five courses for Randall so that we'd be assured of truly sampling a little bit of every corner of the vast menu.

As to be expected, where Morimoto excelled was with the fish dishes. Our tempura shrimp appetizer (Asian buffalo wing style), the legendary toro tartare appetizer (I can't ever go there without ordering it), the sushi, and one particular oil-poached fish dish were exceptional. The fish dish from my tasting menu, three precious bites, was my favorite taste of the evening (I wish I knew what it was!). It was so delicate, so perfectly cooked, so nicely paired with fresh cilantro that made the whole bite pop with freshness - I could have had more. Way more.

Where the food fell short was in the entrees. Ran ordered the whole roasted lobster, and nowhere on the menu did it specify that it was seasoned with Chinese five spice. On the advice of our waiter, we ordered the duck confit fried rice to accompany it, and it too was seasoned with Chinese five spice. Now, I hold nothing against the Chinese five spice, but Ran isn't the biggest fan, and here he was with his main dish and his starchy side, both overpowered by the strong flavor. And they were both oversalted as well. As for my main dish, I got a couple bites of toro/mushroom Wellington (meh); wagyu beef (good, but literally two bites); and a duck cheek (?) something or other than was so bland I wish that there had been salt at the table. So, we had had bite after bite - mostly fantastic - leading up to the big finish, and the big finish was a big disappointment.

As for the service, I'm sorry: If you are paying the kind of prices that Morimoto demands, I expect nothing short of excellence. But there were some very basic service missteps. To my point, I had to ask for silverware no fewer than four times. For example, we ordered the ramen. Our server exclaimed that we absolutely MUST use a fork in order to get every last noodle. But he didn't bring a fork. Example #2: I had a lovely watermelon sorbet as an intermezzo course, but was left with only chopsticks with which to try and eat it. Huh. There were little episodes like this throughout the night where the service just simply missed its mark.

But again: fantastic night. Final assessment: Go. Absolutely go. But stick to starters, sushi and cocktails. In fact - just go to the bar! You get mostly the same experience, can order the entire menu right there, and it's super fun. You'll drop some coin, but hey - when you go where the beautiful people go, that's what you'd expect, right?

Anyhow - enjoy the photos from our evening, because yes, I lugged my big camera along and played blogger every step of the way. Grin.

Toro tartare - a must!

Tempura popcorn shrimp

My favorite dish of the night - some sort of oil-poached fish.

Bagna Cauda

Chicken ramen noodle soup

Egg custard with a foie gras gelee and a slice of duck breast - this was AMAZING. I could have licked the dish clean. Maybe I did.

Out of focus watermelon sorbet

Sushi!

Tasting menu entree

Oven-roasted lobster

Duck confit fried rice

Peach sorbet with jalepeno churros (sorry - bad photo!)

Tofu cheesecake

Coffee - Ran especially liked the china

Mignardise

Spanish Roulette Anyone? It's Padrone Season!

2011-09-04T20:43:00.000-07:00

You know what's really great about late summer? Besides warm weather, long days and any excuse for a backyard barbecue? Padrone peppers. Or if your Spanish, pimientos de Padrón. When these little nuggets of deliciousness start showing up at the farmer's market, I grab them up like there's no tomorrow. Because literally, tomorrow they won't be there. They're always gone way too soon.

The deal with Padrones, or their cousins, the Shishito peppers (both from the capsicum annuum family; one popular in Spanish cuisine, the other in Japanese), is that they are so freaking simple to prepare and if you're like me, you literally can't stop eating them. Healthy, quick, delicious - what's not to like? Both peppers are very mild in flavor, but the Padrones have a hidden kick. As the title of this post suggests, eating them is called playing "Spanish Roulette," since about one in ten of the peppers has some heat to it (this according to my farmer dude). When that kick of heat shows up though, I love it! It's not even as hot as a jalapeno, so it's not like it will sear the taste buds off your tongue. Nope - just a welcome flame of warmth to liven things up a bit. If you're not a gambler, however, stick to the Shishitos - no heat there at all.

(The Padrones are short and squat - pictured above. The Shishitos are long and skinny - pictured below.)

Preparing them is a piece of cake: Place the peppers and a drizzle of good olive oil in a nice big frying pan, and simply saute them on high heat them until they're blistered. Sprinkle with a generous dose of kosher salt, and snacking heaven awaits.

Tacos + Tequila

2011-08-30T17:45:00.000-07:00

So there I was, wandering lost in the hard alcohol section of the adult beverage market, and I find myself in front of the Tequila selection. I stare. I know nothing. I wonder to myself what the heck all of the various terms on the labels mean: reposado, gold, silver, anejo. It's a mystery. I move along. Someday I'll learn, I tell myself. Someday.

Well wouldn't you know it. That someday has come.

Literally, within a day of my market musings, an inviting invite arrived in my email inbox, subject line: Tacos + Tequila. I knew before I even clicked it open that I would accept said invite.

Turns out that the invitation was from Tout Suite Social Club, a fresh take on social networking/lifestyle branding/technology and just plain fun interactivity based here in Napa Valley. I'd been hearing the buzz about Tout Suite for a bit, and had been hoping to check them out in person before I fell sorely behind the times. Finally, Tacos + Tequila gave me a real excuse to go and meet some new people, indulge my inner social networking geek, grub on some good food, and inform myself on all things tequila. Sign me up!

I won't go on and on about Tout Suite, but I will say this: check them out. Become a member. Enjoy all of the content that they are creating for folks just like you. It's a really cool platform to introduce you to todays influential tastemakers. In a nutshell, they host casual, irreverent, funny events at their St. Helena studio (Meet Your Maker, Tasting in the Dark, Tout Socials and others); get a variety of guests to come meet, mingle and nosh; and stream it all online for your viewing pleasure (and archive everything for future viewing in case you can't catch it live). It's like an interactive dinner party with some educational (and, let's admit it - marketing) elements. But I love it, and think even if you're not in the room for the party, the episodes are entertaining enough that you'll want to investigate.

My marketing geekiness aside, I really truly was there for the Tacos + Tequila. A girl's gotta eat, right? The evening did not disappoint.

Tout Suite's in-house chef, Paul Wiggins, dished up huge platters of taco makins, including grilled albacore, repollo picoso (a spicy cabbage slaw with tomato, lime and oregano), an Argentine chimichurri, and a sweet bay scallop ceviche that was my favorite (made with agave nectar, zucchini, jalapeno, avocado, red onion, tomato, cilantro and loads of citrus... delish).

The food was meant to be paired with the Los Osuna 100% blue agave spirits, brought by Jesus Padilla whose family has been making the libation in Mexico since 1876. I learned that this particular brand can't technically be called a Tequila, since like a true Champagne or Port, the name Tequila is reserved for those spirits actually made within a specific region. See? Learned one thing new right there, before I even took a sip.

Jesus walked us through a tasting, teaching us that like wine, Tequila has legs. Also like wine, there are nuances and flavors on the nose and on the palette. And all of those descriptors? They mostly indicate aging and the time that the Tequila has spent in whiskey barrels. The longer the aging, the deeper the color, and I suppose, the more complex the flavors. And those Tequilas marked Gold? Turns out Gold is code word for "filler." No wonder those college margarita-slash-shots-on-a-dare days hurt. Bottom line: spend the money for the good stuff.

Since it was a Tout Social, there were many new people to meet, many new Twitter accounts to follow, many new blogs to explore. In short: my people! I had a great time, learned lots, and hopefully made some new friends. Mission accomplished Tout Suite!

A Photo Ode to Summer

2011-08-24T20:33:00.000-07:00

Summer, oh Summer. I guess it's officially over, no? With school back in session, Labor Day right around the corner, and Halloween displays already going up in the supermarkets, I suppose I can wax nostalgic about my so-called Summer. Cool temperatures may have mocked me, but despite working entirely too hard at my day job (as my lack of blogging will attest), I managed to play hard too. So here's my look back at some carefree days of Summer, of course spent in true Fare to Remember fashion: in the company of wonderful friends and family, and with good eats at every turn. So, in no particular order, I present my Summer of 2011...

Beaches... boogie boarding...
Camping, with pancakes for breakfast made on the griddle over the fire....
Surrounded by the kids that I love (that big kid in the middle there especially)...
Quiet moments... solitaire... books...

Cocktails...
Grilling... ribs!
Boating... wakeboarding... waterskiing...
Cocktails...
Dogs...
Wet dogs...
Exhausted dogs...
Beer can chicken...
Fresh heirloom tomatoes...
...made into fresh caprese salad...
A little cabin in the woods...
...with this view of Lake Tahoe...
...and this cozy fire when the sun goes down...
...and fun details giving away its 1932 roots like these vintage spice boxes...
...and these badges of honor from its most recent ursine visitor......where mornings start with coffee on the deck...
... and end with what else? Cocktails! (Or as in this pic, wine!)
Ice cream...
Sand castles...
Games of tug-o-war...
Fireside singalongs...
And s'mores!
Sayonara Summer - see you next year! (Full disclosure: Fall is actually my favorite season, so I'm not too sad...)

Going Mobile: Gas Station Gourmet

2011-08-19T13:06:00.000-07:00

If you ever find yourself on the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada, say, after a couple of days of rock climbing in Yosemite's Tuolumne Meadows, there really is only one place to head for grub: the Mobile gas station in Lee Vining. I'm sure there are other places, but whenever I find myself in this neck of the woods, I never make it anywhere else. Neither does anyone else, apparently. The line is always out the door at the famous "Whoa Nelllie Deli" tucked inside the gas station's convenience store.

Tucked behind the racks of t-shirts and postcards, next to the beer coolers and the stacks of firewood for sale, the deli churns out amazing fare that not only satisfies ravenous outdoor adventurers, but gourmands alike. Their food goes beyond the expected burgers and sandwiches (all of which look incredible), but the menu includes the likes of veal osso bucco, elk chops, slow-roasted pork ribs with huckleberry barbecue sauce (enjoyed by my climbing partner Matt, top), fish tacos (enjoyed by yours truly, below) and more.

There's not much more to say, really - except "go there now." They've got live music several nights a week in the summer on their packed outdoor seating area, ever-changing menu specials, and gas for your car and a dumping station for your RV. Seriously genius.

Some views of the climbing...
(I'm not a very good climber, and usually I'm scared out of my wits on exposed multi-pitch routes, but there's just something about it that keeps me coming back. Mostly it's thanks to Matt, my longtime friend and climbing partner who keeps me safe and knows and respects my limits. But then there are also the views... ahhh.)

Summer On a Plate: Grilled Veggie Salad

2011-08-13T17:19:00.000-07:00

You want quick, easy and healthy? This one's for you! I had a dozen or so beautiful little summer squash on my hands, thanks to my bi-weekly CSA delivery, and knew that unless I used them up in one fell swoop, a few might not make it. So to the grill I went, and charred them until they were blistered and just this side of al dente (that would be the toothsome side - not the mushy side). They were joined on said grill by some asparagus as well, and if I'd had had other goodies to toss on there (peppers, eggplant) - I woulda done them too. I didn't dress them up for grilling with anything but a light coating of olive oil, since I knew that their destiny was in this salad which gets beaucoup flavor from a simple dressing and fresh herbs.

Once grilled, I left the squash and asparagus in the fridge to chill, went about my day, and assembled the salad in about five minutes before serving. The chopped up grilled veg went into a big bowl with some stunning diced tomatoes (also from the CSA), a sprinkling of feta cheese, and a whole snarl of chopped basil. By a snarl, I mean a lot (I love fresh basil!). Separately, I mixed up a quick lemon vinaigrette (1 clove crushed garlic, the juice of one lemon, ample kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper)- poured, tossed, and voila. Instant summer veggie heaven.

It was so good that I'm not dreading the onslaught of squash I'm bound to get delivered in the coming weeks as farms find themselves with the inevitable bounty. To that I say bring it on, CSA. Bring it on.

Heating Up for Summer: Gratin of Greens

2011-07-24T13:22:00.000-07:00

This is not exactly a summer dish. But then again, summer hasn't quite yet found its way to Northern California ... yet (there are signs, yes, there are signs!). But the cool temperatures have somehow not impacted people's gardens too much, as witnessed by the huge shopping bag full of greens deposited on my desk last week by my friend Aerial. (Thank you Aerial!)

I love me some greens, simply sauteed and maybe spinkled with a dash of vinegar, but due to some various and sundry personal issues that cropped up last week, I was in the mood for comfort food. Something warm and homey. So I whipped up this gratin, and loaded it with what I just knew would taste great on a cool summer night: bacon, cheese, toasted breadcrumbs. Oh yeah. So I veered from my usual healthy fare and gave in to my heart. Sometimes you just have to do it. (Honestly - it's not that bad... everything in the recipe is used in moderation. Omit the bacon and even the breadcrumbs and it would still be every bit as good.)

At any rate, it is quite delicious, and an excellent way to turn a mountain of greens into a manageable dish. Courtesy of Aerial, my greens of choice were Swiss chard and kale, but really, any greens will do. You just needs LOTS of them. So if you're with me here in the not-quite-hot Bay Area, give this recipe a try now; for those of you in other parts of the country where the weather is sweltering, well... tuck it away for a cold Winter's night. (Note: I served the gratin scooped over some creamy soft polenta and it was divine!)

Gratin of Greens (adapted from a Whole Foods Market recipe)

4 strips of bacon, chopped
8 cups chopped, packed greens (stems removed) - kale, swiss chard, mustard greens, etc.
 1 cup water  
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil  
1 tablespoon butter
 1 cup nonfat milk  
2 tablespoons flour
 Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper  
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided  
1 tablespoon whole wheat bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large saute pan, cook bacon to desired crispness (go crispy!); place on paper towels to drain excess grease. Reserve drippings. Add the chopped greens to the bacon drippings and cook over medium heat until leaves are just tender, 3 to 4 minutes, Adding water as needed for moisture. Drain and set greens aside. In the same saucepan, heat olive oil and butter over medium heat. When butter has melted, whisk in the flour until blended. Whisk constantly for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the milk. Continue cooking and stirring until the sauce thickens, 3 to 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and stir in half of the grated cheese. Stir in the cooked chard and bacon, then transfer to an oiled 9x9-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and breadcrumbs. Bake for 20 minutes or until hot and bubbling.

Fava Saga

2011-06-14T19:56:00.000-07:00

"Bag o favas in office frig" read the text from my friend Kristin, an invitation to help myself to the fava beans she had been shelling for days on end. Kristin was in the midst of a fava saga - she had inherited something like a 10-gallon trash bag full of the beans in their thick, puffy pods (about 20 pounds) as a result of another friend's garden generosity. Now if you know favas... they are a lot of work for very little return, to put it mildly. Not only do you have to free the beans from their outer pod, they have an inner pod as well that requires parboiling in order to remove. It's labor intensive, and Kristin, having socked away more than ten cups of the doubly-shelled beans in her freezer, was done. The remainder of her favas had to find a home, so naturally I jumped at them. I love me some favas.

So I strolled down to the office frig, and picked up what I can only describe as the largest assembly of fava beans I'd ever seen in my life outside of the farmers market - a mini trash bag, if you will, full of the green nuggets. It was like striking gold, especially since Kristin had done all of the round-one shelling. But my work was still cut out for me. I spent hours and hours and hours that evening parboiling and shelling my little heart out, and came away the proud owner of about six cups of my own finished product. Most went into the freezer, but what goes around comes around: I happened to be heading to a dinner party at Kristin's house the very next day... my contribution? A salad featuring fava beans, of course!

Now the salad came about in an interesting way as well. The week prior to receiving my fava bounty, my friend Carolyn had forwarded me a link to a Martha Stewart recipe for an asparagus, artichoke and fava bean salad. "This looks like something right up your alley," read her email. And of course it was.

But you know me: recipes are usually only sources of inspiration; rarely do I follow them to a T. This one was no exception. There were a couple of steps in there that I just wasn't going to do: paring down artichokes to their tender hearts from scratch - which I find to be a waste, since if I'm going to buy whole artichokes, I'm eating whole artichokes; and simmering white asparagus in a milk concoction for 45 minutes until tender - seriously? Blanching regular old green asparagus for about a minute in boiling water works beautifully for me. So, my version used canned and drained artichoke hearts, and quickly blanched asparagus. I shaved off a good couple hours of prep time. In addition, Martha's version would make for a beautifully composed, plated dish... but that isn't exactly ideal for a potluck gathering. So in my version, I tossed all of the ingredients together with some spring greens in order for it to be easily doled out from a big salad bowl.

I even tweaked the dressing - possibly the best part of this salad and what made it so yummy. Martha's version was good... but it was pale in color. I realized I wanted something green - everything in the salad was basically a shade of green, so I went monochromatic, and bumped up the flavor in a subtly different way. So, if you're aching to get some green onto your plate (literally), give this a try. Below is Martha's recipe for the salad with my adjustments noted (visit her website for her complete version).

For the Dressing

1/3 cup low-fat buttermilk
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 scallion, green part only (I used 4 scallions and a hefty handful of chives - that made for the green color of my dressing)
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper (I added way more)

Puree all the ingredients in a food processor until smooth.

For the Salad (my version)

2 14-ounce cans of artichoke hearts, drained and quartered
1 pound green asparagus, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 cup fresh fava bean pods, doubly shelled
1/2 cup fresh mint, chopped
4-5 cups fresh spring greens
1/2-3/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled

Combine all salad ingredients, toss with dressing and serve.

Thinking Inside the Box

2011-06-11T13:51:00.001-07:00

I finally did it. I joined a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) delivery service. I've been hemming and hawing for years now about joining one, but finally pulled the trigger when some good friends of mine raved about their CSA (and now mine), Farm Fresh to You. It seems like a perfect fit - customizable fruit/veggie options so I don't wind up with items I'd never use; home delivery on a predetermined schedule (for now, I'm going with every other week); a wide variety of organic fruits, vegetables and herbs year round. And did I mention, they bring it right to my door? Love it. I got my first box a couple days ago, and couldn't be more pleased. In fact, most of it's already gone... so good.

Here's to Project Sweet Life

2011-06-06T20:35:00.000-07:00

"A good teacher is like a candle - it consumes itself to light the way for others." ~Author Unknown

Today marks a day that I just can't let go unnoticed. After more than 30 years of shaping young minds, imparting knowledge, mentoring, and generally just working her butt off for the benefit of her three kids, my mom is retiring. Retiring! A momentous milestone, a day well-earned, a long time in coming. I couldn't be more proud of my mom - her vast accomplishments and the legacy that she leaves in her wake will forever be the bar to which I strive. She is now free to embark on her self-described "Project Sweet Life," and to that I say, get on with it! No one deserves it more than you. Savor your coming days, eat up the possibilities that present themselves in your path, relish the small pleasures you've had to overlook while providing for everyone else. Congratulations, mom. I love you.

Utah? You Bet!

2011-06-06T18:34:00.000-07:00

Some celebrations just call for ice cream. And if you happen to be lucky enough, that ice cream would be the famed Aggie Ice Cream from Utah State University, in Logan, Utah. I was in Logan last weekend to witness a milestone and reaffirm that my third-generation Aggie blood still runs blue.

The milestone in question was to see my talented dad perform with the group he toured with during college at USU in the 60s called The Balladiers. The performance was 43 years after their USO tour in 1968 to the Far East. They put on an amazing concert at the university's Performance Hall to a capacity crowd, strumming and singing their hearts out for two hours. It was an experience not likely to ever be repeated in such a formal way, and one that our family will never forget. I'm so proud of my rock-star, 12-string guitar-playing dad and his band mates that my heart just swells with pride thinking about what a special occasion the performance was. Words really just can't express. So thank you dad and dear Balladiers for the memories.

And in true Fare to Remember fashion, the memories can't possibly be complete without sealing the deal over food! So, once the concert was over, the guitars were all packed and the microphones silenced, we headed for the USU Ice Cream Shop to celebrate and let my dad sign a few autographs (I just made that up...). My nephew, pictured above, is enjoying one of Aggie Ice Cream's signature flavors: Aggie Blue Mint. Mint ice cream, tinted blue, with Oreo cookie bits and white chocolate chunks. Yum, eh?

The fact that the school mascot is an Aggie, you can surmise correctly that as an ag school established in the late 1800s, USU has a proud tradition of excellence in the animal sciences. In USU's case, dairying in particular. The first lick is a rite of passage for any student, and it lives up to its reputation as being some of the best ice cream you'll ever have the good fortune to try.

Here's a little bit of Aggie Ice Cream history, cobbled together from a couple of sources on USU's website:

"Aggie Ice Cream has 26 different flavors and is known around the world. Why is it so good? Well, [it] has a 12% butterfat content [and is] aged slightly longer and contains less air than most commercial brands.

"The high quality of ice cream that is being made and enjoyed around the world today links back to 1921 when Professor Gustav Wilster revitalized the dairying department after WWI. He taught his skills to his students and then [sent] them out into the world. Gustav must be credited with not only the creation of Aggie Ice Cream, but also the birth of the Utah ice cream industry. The achievements of his students led to the founding of such landmark Utah companies as Caspers Ice Cream, Farrs Ice Cream, and Snelgroves Ice Cream.

"More recently, a Korean USU student loved the ice cream so much, he devised a plan to take it home with him. He gathered a group of Korean business men, who proposed the idea to USU, and in June 2000, the first international Aggie Ice Cream Shop was opened in Seoul. Not only that, but Aggie Ice Cream was also the first ice cream to make it to outer space, thanks to USU's aerospace technologies division."

So there you have it. They make cheese too.... but I'd best just stop with the ice cream, because you do know how I can drone on and on about cheese! This post is cheesy enough. (Rim shot.)

Switching gears here, I'm also going to do a couple of Utah restaurant shout-outs. Not that they have anything to do with Aggie Ice Cream, but when I go home, my mom always makes a point of introducing me to Salt Lake City's newest and hottest. So, she and I have shared many a fine moment over great meals, and I just think a couple places warrant a mention in the event you ever find yourself in Salt Lake City and are looking for a place to eat.

Pago: Located in the ever-hip 9th and 9th area of SLC, Pago is one of the many Utah restaurants joining the farm to table movement. I had a beet dish there that transported me over the moon; I aim to recreate it someday. Called "Cinnamon Beets" on the menu, the roasted baby beets come topped with a cinnamon/nut brittle that is to die for. It is served on a bed of greens with Greek yogurt and truffled honey. Beet perfection, if ever there was such a thing.

The Copper Onion: Um, hello delicious! "The Copper Onion serves a wide array of dishes and [features] a menu designed to explore and share. An insistent focus on the freshest and best is paramount; sausages and burgers are ground daily, bread is baked and ice cream is made in house, offering casual diners an exceptional experience at affordable prices." The charcuterie plate mom and I shared took me straight back to Argentina; my salad of just-picked greens spiked with fresh mint was unexpected and refreshing; our entrees of cheeseburger and mussels in a black pepper cream sauce were both spot on. My brother lives right around the corner and is a regular patron, and my sister evidently knows Chef/Owner Ryan Lowder... so The Copper Onion will be in our family rotation for years to come. Thank goodness!

iPhone pics....

Bringing Argentina Home

2011-04-20T18:04:00.000-07:00

So I recently went to Argentina. (Surely you know that, but it's always fun to say it again.) Whenever I travel, I like to come home and prepare a big meal to share with friends that reflects the cuisine of the places I've visited. Argentina was certainly no exception - I was just waiting for the right opportunity to do it up right.

That opportunity came a few weekends back when I was able to reciprocate my friend Jeff's hospitality (if you recall, he and his family had us over and he cooked up an amazing feast). The stars aligned for a weekend when everyone was available, and I got to work.

I have to say, I am very proud of the meal. It was completely over the top - more food than I care to admit, but that completely synchs with the Argentine way of over indulgence. Had to be true to form, right?

The tough part was narrowing down the menu (yes - what follows is the abbreviated version of what I originally had down on paper). Grilling steaks - no brainer. No Argentine meal would be complete or authentic without it. But the rest of it - do I pick from the Spanish influence? Or go with the Italian influence? Hard to choose, so I tried to incorporate a little of everything.

What follows is a blow-by-blow of the evening's menu, including wine pairings (which for the most part I had hand-carried back with me from Mendoza). I've also included some of the recipes so you can recreate my favorites if your little heart so desires. It's written in my version of Spanish (what little I know helped along by Google translate), so apologies to all of you who actually speak and read the language... I'm sure there's some silly "lost in translation" segments in there, but obviously, I wouldn't know. Grin.

Picadas: Salumis (Lomo, Bresaola, Secchi, Prosciutto), Olives y Más Provoleto

Cóctel Desnudo Perro

(Antipasti of meat meat and more meat! Plus olives, peppers, hearts of palm. Grilled provolone with crackers. Naked Dog Pisco Cocktail, a simple, super good recipe from The Pisco Book, which was photographed by my talented friend, Shelley, who just so happens to own a pisco import biz, ClearGrape.)

Empanadas Acelga y Salad Mixto con Vinagreta de Torrontes

(Swiss chard empanadas - the empanadas were basically the only thing I didn't make from scratch. Mixed greed salad with Torrontes vinaigrette.)

2009 Crios de Susana Balbo Torrentes (Salta)

Ravioles de Calabaza con Pesto de Sorrel

(Homemade butternut squash ravioli with sorrel almond pesto)

2008 Zolo Torrentes (Lujan de Cuyo)

Tortilla Espanola con Sofrito

(Potato tort with fried tomato sauce - recipes below.)

2006 Occhioverde Merlot (Valle de Uco)

Mollejas de Ternera Chorizo Tres Maneras

(Veal sweetbreads; a trio of sausages)

A note about sweetbreads: I was ecstatic that I made sweetbreads from scratch, and they turned out to be succulent and delicious. It's ironically the one dish that I failed to get a photo of - so sad! (The one above I nabbed from Gastronomical Me, which had been nabbed from somewhere else, but the URL doesn't work.) But I am a sweetbread convert and will make them again. It is a multi-step, multi-day process, but so very worth it in the end. When I make them again, I'll post the directions and recipe.

Bife de Costilla con Chimichurri, Frijoles Verde y Zanahoria

(Wood-grilled T-bone steaks - cooked them over wine barrel staves, no less - with chimichurri, steamed green beans and carrots. Chimichurri recipe below.)

2008 Bramare Viña Cobos Malbec (Lujan de Cuyo) 2007 Bramare Viña Cobos Malbec (Marchiori Vineyard, Lujan de Cuyo)

Dulce Vigilante (Quesillo y Membrillo)
Helados con Dulce de Leche y Salsa de Cabernet al Chocolat
Mate

("Vigilante Dessert" of manchego cheese and quince paste; coffee ice cream with dulce de leche and chocolate cabernet sauce - I guess I don't have a picture of that either, duh. Mate tea.)

Tortilla Espanola
(Adapted from About.com)

6-7 medium potatoes, peeled
1 whole yellow onion
5-6 large eggs
2-3 cups of olive oil for pan frying
Salt to taste

Cut the peeled potatoes in half lengthwise. With the flat side on the cutting surface, slice the potato in 1/8 inch-thick slices. Make sure to separate the pieces that stick together. It is not necessary to slice the potatoes paper thin and it is best not to use a food processor or mandolin because most will slice the potatoes too thin. If you slice them a bit thick, don’t worry – it will simply take a bit longer for them to cook.

Peel and chop the onion into 1/4 inch pieces. Put potatoes and onions into a bowl and mix them together. Salt the mixture.

In a large, heavy, non-stick frying pan, heat the olive oil on medium high heat. Drop a single piece of potato into the oil to ensure it is hot enough to fry. Carefully place the potato and onion mixture into the frying pan, spreading them evenly over the surface. The oil should almost cover the potatoes. You may need to turn down the heat slightly, so the potatoes do not burn.

Leave in pan until the potatoes are cooked. If you can poke a piece of potato with a spatula and it easily breaks in two, your potatoes are done. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon or spatula; place in a colander to drain excess oil.

Crack the eggs into a large mixing bowl and beat by hand with a whisk or fork. Pour in the potato/onion mixture and combine with a large spoon.

Heat 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil in a small, non-stick frying pan (approx. 9-10”) and heat on medium. When hot, pour in the potato/onion mixture and spread evenly. Allow the egg to cook around the edges. Carefully lift up one side of the omelet to check if the egg has slightly browned. The center of the omelet should not be completely cooked and the egg will still be runny.

When the omelet has browned on the bottom, it is ready to be turned to cook the other side. Place a large dinner plate (12”) upside down over the frying pan. With one hand on the frying pan handle and the other on top of the plate to hold it steady, quickly turn the frying pan over and the omelet will fall onto the plate. Place the pan back on the stove and put just enough oil to cover the bottom and sides; let warm for 30 seconds or so. Slide the omelet (which is probably still a bit runny) from the plate into the frying pan, using a spatula to catch any egg mixture that runs out. Use the spatula to shape the sides of the omelet. Cook for 3-4 minutes, or until the center is completely cooked through. Turn off the heat and allow the omelet to set for a minimum of 30 minutes before removing from the frying pan. Serve sliced like a pie; top with sofrito (recipe below).

Sofrito
(Adapted from About.com)

1 can crushed tomatoes (28-29 oz)
1 long green pepper (Anaheim or other type that is not “hot”)
1 yellow onion
1 clove garlic
Olive oil
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
Salt and pepper to taste

Finely chop the onion and garlic. Chop the pepper into 1/4" (or smaller) pieces. Heat a large frying pan with a heavy bottom over medium heat. Pour in enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Put the onions into the pan and sauté them until they are transparent, reducing the heat if necessary so as not to burn them. Add the green pepper and continue to cook for 5 minutes, adding olive oil if necessary. Be sure to stir often so vegetables do not burn. Add the minced garlic and sauté for 1 minute more. Pour the crushed tomatoes and paprika into the pan and mix well. Continue to cook for about 10-15 minutes.

Chimichurri
(Adapted from Asado Argentina. This is the absolute best approximation of the very best chimichurris I had in Argentina; it is scrumptious!)

1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup water
1 small bunch flat leaf-parsley; chopped (should equal about 1/2 cup)
1 medium onion; finely chopped
4 cloves garlic; finely minced
1/2 of a red bell pepper; seeded and finely diced
1 tomato; peeled, seeded, finely chopped
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon bay leaf; very small flakes
1 tablespoon coarse salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
hot chili flakes to taste (Aji Molido if you can find it)

Add all of the ingredients except the oil and vinegar into a large bowl and toss well to make sure that the salt is spread evenly around the ingredients. Next add the vinegar and water. Mix well. Finally, add the oil and mix well. Make sure that the liquids cover the rest of the ingredients. If not, add equal parts of oil, water, and vinegar until they are covered at least by a quarter of an inch. Transfer to a non-reactive clean bowl or jar and cover well. Place in the refrigerator to allow the flavors to blend overnight. For better results prepare at least 2 or 3 days ahead of time. If refrigerated, allow sauce to sit at room temperature for at least an hour or until the oil, if congealed, thins out before serving.

Hashing it Out with Spaghetti Squash

2011-03-29T19:23:00.000-07:00

I love spaghetti squash with all my heart, don't you? I seriously can tuck into a huge bowl of spaghetti squash - sprinkling of olive oil, dash of salt & peppa - and call it dinner. Of course I love it all dressed up with marinara or pesto or alfredo sauce as well - all of those tricks intended to show off its pasta imitating abilities. My latest love, however, is spaghetti squash hash browns. Never had them? Well let me introduce you to your next favorite weekend brunch item, people!

It couldn't be more simple:

Nuke the spaghetti squash until it's soft - about 1 minute per pound. Microwaving spaghetti squash is really the easiest and quickest way to prepare it - what's easier than pushing a button and walking away? Make sure to pierce the squash with a knife kind of all over to allow vents for the steam to escape, but other than that, just throw the whole thing in and let it do its thing.
Once it's cooked, slice the squash in half lengthwise and pull the strands out with a fork. Give the whole squash some time to cool before cutting into it - and even so, be aware that the inside will be scorching hot and steam will burst forth. Don't get burned, in other words.
Spread a pile of the squash into a skillet or atop a griddle that has been heated with olive oil (or butter - your fat of choice), and fry it up just as you would hash browns. Just as with regular old potato hash browns, a thin layer is best so you can get them evenly browned. Crisp them up to your preference, using a little extra oil if necessary.
Making them as plain as the day is long is fantastic - just sprinkle with salt and pepper. Or, do a loaded version (sorta like in the photo above): chopped scallion and Parmesan cheese being my go-to ingredients.

And there you have it. Yumm-o breakfast goodie that's oh-so-good for you. Mangia!

Rockin Ramen

2011-03-03T15:11:00.000-08:00

Ok, raise your hand if you love ramen noodle soup. (You'll notice that my hand is held high, even waving frantically with enthusiasm.) That's right - the pre-packaged ramen soup - made up of a brick of dry noodles and a mystery spice packet (just add water), loaded with sodium and calories, and a staple of college students' diets everywhere - I am a fan.

It's such a guilty pleasure. In the last couple of weeks when I've been down with a nasty cold, it's pretty much all I've wanted to eat. Or slurp, as the case may be. It's an odd thing that I find myself loving ramen, but I know exactly from where this love stems. When I was a kid, before I was old enough to get a "real" job, I had the opportunity to seasonally work on my grandparents' ranch to make a little pocket money. The tasks were varied and mundane, but I distinctly remember the highlight of my day would be lunch. I would take a break with my cousin (who was my same age and also roped into ranch duty), and he and I would sit at grandma's kitchen table gleefully slurping up Top Ramen, making sure we each got our own full package. It was a real treat, since such packaged fare wasn't served at my house, presumably due to my siblings' allergies and hopefully thanks to my mom's healthier food sensibilities (it couldn't have been because it was too expensive - my single mom of three would have surely jumped all over it otherwise). But at grandma's house, boy oh boy, ramen was the shizz. (Let's just note that my grandma - who loved to eat and reveled in dining out - wasn't much of a day-to-day cook. Maybe that is obvious.) At any rate, it's a comfort food to me, and I crave it quite a bit.

And there's the dilemma. It's quick and comforting - but not exactly the type of whole and wholesome food I generally prefer to feed myself. So in these past weeks of nursing a cold, I did indulge once, but quickly wanted to come up with a better solution to satisfy my craving. So, I made my own.

I devised a simple but rich Asian-inspired broth and cooked a big batch that would last for days. At the same time, I steamed vegetables so that I could add them to the broth (again, enough to last several days - goodies like broccoli, shiitake mushrooms and carrots), and instead of using traditional ramen noodles (or any of my other favorite substitutes like soba or rice noodles), I used tofu noodles. Do you even know about tofu noodles? If not, learn now! You can get tofu noodles in the refrigerated tofu section of a good grocery store (like Whole Foods). They are extremely low in calories, contain zero carbs, and have ample protein. The caveat is that unless you can find fresh tofu noodles (my local Whole Foods has them - lucky me!), the packaged noodles come stored in a liquid that has a bit of an off-putting odor when you first open them. But no worries - simply rinse the noodles under some hot water, and voila - a perfect pasta substitute.

So, I've included my recipe for the broth below, and believe me, it's delicious. Way better than what comes of the mystery spice packet in the Top Ramen package. It's quick too - it honestly doesn't take much more effort to make homemade than to boil up the packaged brick of ramen. I know I've been a happy camper all week long, with just a little minimal effort at the start. Get slurping!

Ramen broth

1 tablespoon oil (I use sesame, but any cooking oil will do)
6 scallions, chopped (include the green tops)
4 cloves garlic, minced or crushed
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, chopped
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 teaspoon dried red-pepper flakes (optional)
2 cups water
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth or homemade stock
Salt, to taste
Zest of 1 lemon, grated
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons fish sauce

In a large stock pot, heat the cooking oil over moderately low heat. Add the scallions, garlic and ginger and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the chicken and cook until well-browned, about 5 minutes. Add the soy sauce, red-pepper flakes, water and broth and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and add in the lemon zest, lemon juice, sesame oil and fish sauce. Simmer for 5 minutes. Ladle over noodles and veggies.

Good Eats at Goodies Getaway

2011-02-24T18:32:00.000-08:00

Boy, am I a sad sight to behold. I've been down with a nasty cold all week, but lucky for me - misery does love company. Ran has the crud too, so we've been sniffling, coughing, sneezing and napping together. But lest you feel too bad for us, we came down with this ickiness at the tail end of a long weekend getaway that couldn't have been more vibrant!

We packed the car with gear and the dog and headed North for President's Day weekend. Destination: Lake Shastina, to "Goodies Getaway" - a treasure of a lakeside cabin owned by family friends who graciously tossed us the keys. (Kirk, Robbie - thanks again!) It's a nearly five-hour drive, terminating a bit past the town of Weed, CA, which is just shy of the Oregon border. (True story: what song pops up on our playlist en route to Weed? Ray Charles' "Let's Go Get Stoned." I had a chuckle.) We were joined by our good friend John and his new gal, Maya, and the four of us spent three days laughing, lounging and living the good life. The commanding silhouette of Mt. Shasta dominated our views (that photo above? Taken from the deck), good wine filled our glasses, and of course, it wouldn't be a Fare to Remember post if some amazing food didn't grace our table.

Maya and John pulled out all the stops one night and made a full-on Korean BBQ meal (Maya is Korean). For starters, Maya whipped up a simple but popular Korean appetizer of thinly-sliced beef and raw green onion. She didn't know the name of the dish, but it's apparently a take on bulgogi, as far as I can discern from trying to find something similar online. (Bulgogi: thinly sliced or shredded beef marinated in soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, sugar, scallions, and black pepper. Bulgogi literally means "fire meat.") Maya seared the super-thin beef quickly in a hot pan, dipped the pieces into a mixture of sesame oil, salt and pepper, then used it to wrap up the sliced scallion. Mmm mmm good - a quick, simple and super delicious start to our meal.

The main attraction, however, was the barbecued ribs - or galbi. We had beef ribs, prepped traditionally (marinade recipes abound online - this one is probably very close to what we had), and cooked over a charcoal fire. The ribs were served with a couple of sides: kimchee, platycodon banchan (the root of a flower - doraji - slathered in a sweet/spicy cause), and white rice. But not just any white rice. Maya mixed in a bit of barley as well, giving the finished product not only a nice, toothy bite, but more healthy fiber as well. She also made a fabulous spinach, kale and garlic dish that I lapped up like it was going out of style. She normally makes the dish with mustard greens and spinach, but the boom town that is Weed (population 2,978), doesn't stock mustard greens. Lucky to find kale, I assured her it would make a good substitute, and I dare say I was right. It was delicious.

I delighted in the entire meal, and Maya delighted in my delight. She was astounded that I ate the kimchee and platycodon with such relish - how does a white girl learn to like such foreign and spicy dishes? I assured her that this wasn't my first time at the rodeo.

At any rate, the weekend was lovely all around, and it re-awakened my desire to eat more Korean food. I'm craving it right now actually, even though the only thing I can stomach with this cold is chicken soup. So if anyone wants to join me for bibimbap once my taste buds return, you've got a date! In the meantime, enjoy a few photos from our weekend.

Mt. Shasta, Weed, Goodies Getaway....

Views of Lake Shastina

Sunsets over the lake

Views of the nearby Castle Crags...
I hope to climb there some day.

Casa Hunsaker

2011-02-13T17:23:00.000-08:00

Words really can't describe the meal I shared this past weekend with some very dear friends. I won't even try, actually. But I gotta say, when someone will stay up multiple nights in a row until 3 a.m. prepping exquisite ingredients to exacting standards and then present you with a meal consisting of three different appetizers, four stunning, multi-layered courses, two loaves of fresh-baked brioche, and wine pairings throughout, you know there is love in the house. That someone would be my friend Jeff, and yep: major love. For an intimate crowd of six, Jeff really outdid himself by flexing his culinary muscle and creating an evening of food and memories that I will treasure for all my days. He followed recipes from Thomas Keller's The French Laundry Cookbook, and I swear, it was even better than being at the real restaurant. You see, not only was the food divine, but Jeff and his wife Shannon's kids were on hand (whom I adore), dashing in and out and providing the lively spirit that only kids can bring to the table. We laughed, we we got loud, we played (literally - Wii kicks ass!), and we all stayed up way past our bedtimes. Jeff had a blast cooking - he's like me in that regard, it brings him joy! - and we all reaped the copious rewards. So Jeff and Shannon, Linda, Mik and Ran - thank you for an evening I didn't even know I needed. Another Fare to Remember iconic meal in the company of the ones I love.

Appetizers: Poached shrimp and avocado sliders; leek tart; Parmesan crisps.

Parsley oil, step 1 of the amazing first course...

...of tomato tartar, haricot verts in a cream vinaigrette with frisee and tomato powder. OMG. My fave course, hands down. I will be making this dish for certain. Stay tuned.

Beef bourguignon... need I say more?

Yep, that's a 2000 Joseph Phelps Insignia. Perfect.

Cheese/salad course. The salad had pears poached in verjus. And you know how much I love cheese....

Berry crème brûlée in a tuille cup with three homemade sauces: crème anglaise, raspberry and caramel.

The goodness continued even the next day....

French toast with the leftover brioche (courtesy of Randall). Really? I am so spoiled.

I'm Back! The Lowdown on Argentina

2011-02-06T15:16:00.000-08:00

It's been a while, eh? My apologies for being absent for so long from Fare to Remember, but I've been having fun! I spent three weeks in Argentina, and upon my return, all of my free time went to blogging about that experience. So Fare to Remember has been a bit neglected, but certainly not forgotten! You see, over at that new, one-time Argentina blog, I have a whole lot of delicious adventures to share with you. So, sorry to be a tease, but if you want to know all about my food and wine experiences while in Buenos Aires and Mendoza, click on over to here:

Picture This: Argentina

A couple of the food/wine-related highlights include (see - I'm thinking of you!):

If you're interested things other than Argentine food and wine, here's a few of my other favorite sections:

There's a lot over there to pore through, look at and peruse at your leisure, but I sure do hope you take a few minutes and check it out, send me your feedback, and get inspired to hit the road! In return, I promise to bring Fare to Remember back to its regularly scheduled programming. Whatever that is!

Photo sneak peeks....

My Sweet Holidays

2010-12-26T16:02:00.000-08:00

Another Christmas down. That means another year of great memories, great gatherings, great food. From our humble abode, Rand and I enjoyed cozy evenings by the fire, good books and time spent together. We visited with family, connected with wonderful friends, and dearly missed our loved ones far away. Got to see Christmas from the childrens' eyes - joyful! - and even shared a gift or two between ourselves. In the true spirit of Christmas, we gave of ourselves to others, and reflected on what is most important to us in the grand scheme of things. Once again, nothing material even made the list. Although I do so love my new Pyrex set....

At any rate, that brings us to the New Year. By the time most of you will be reading this, I will be making my way to Argentina via a solid 24 hours of travel. I will ring in 2011 in Buenos Aires, preferably with a Pisco Sour in one hand and an empanada in the other. Or a steak on my plate and a glass of Malbec at the ready. Or paella in the pan with a gourd of mate ready to wash it all down. All while watching a tango show. Whatever. The point is, I am outta here. For three weeks, I'll be living it up in South America without a care in the world.

It's a fitting way for me to start the year. I just got a promotion and quasi new job - it's a fresh start awaiting me when I return. This trip to Argentina - planned when said promotion wasn't even in my mind's eye - is an awesome capper to a fairly rough year for me personally, and a wonderful way for me to celebrate my accomplishments. Dare I say it? I deserve it.

So while I'm off gallivanting and soaking up some me time (me! me! me!), Fare to Remember will be uncharacteristically silent. But don't you worry - it's only because when I return, I'll have a DELUGE of great foodie tales and adventures to share with you.

So Happy New Year to you all. Adios!

(The photos: iPhone fun.)

Mushroom Hunting: What a Trip!

2010-12-14T17:19:00.000-08:00

So, it's been rainy round these parts. No complaints - the rain is a welcome sight, and hey, let's face it, Napa Valley is no Minneapolis. Things could definitely be worse.

I bring up the rain because here in Northern California, rain means one thing and one thing only to a select group of diligent, fungus-obsessed souls: mushrooms! A good friend of ours, John, is one such fervent mycologist, and lucky for me, he often invites Randall along for his foraging adventures. Such was the case last week. The duo was out the door at the crack of dawn to an undisclosed location somewhere along the Sonoma coast to a site where John has been successfully gathering mushrooms for decades. I think he made Ran wear a blindfold to the secret spot. I'm not exactly kidding. (Mushroom hunters are VERY territorial - I am jeopardizing my relationship with John by the mere fact that I mention the coast - to him, "Northern California" is entirely too precise when describing his hunting grounds.)

Now, I wasn't there (I just got to reap the rewards!) - but apparently the day involved miles of hiking, soaking wet clothing and mud up to there. And the mushrooms don't just jump out and scream "Hey there! Here I am!" - no no. They lie in wait under the duff and dirt of the forest floor, beneath the protective canopies of certain species of trees. Finding them takes skill and practice. I believe it was Michael Pollan in one of his books that described the ability to see mushrooms in the wild as a learned knack he called "getting your mushroom eyes on" - or something to that effect. The clever fungi use all of nature's camouflage tricks to stay as hidden as possible, when in fact, they are just about everywhere underfoot. (Bit of trivia: the single largest living organism on the planet is, in fact, a mushroom.) And then there's the whole component of actually knowing - really, truly knowing - which mushrooms are safe to consume, as opposed to which ones are toxic. It's a fine line - but one you don't want to find out the hard way. One mistake will cost you your life - or at the very least, a vital organ or two. John, thankfully, is one of those people that really, truly does know the difference. I've personally trusted my own life to his mushroom identification skills many a time - and I'm still here.

Now - the types of mushrooms that the boys were hunting that day were varied: black trumpet, hedgehog (above), other varieties that I'd never heard of (like that big yellow one pictured below)... but mainly, the prized matsutake. (Chantrelles and morels - my absolute favorites - will be a different trip.) If you ever want to know what money smells like, just take a big whiff of a matsutake. The matsutake are highly prized in Japan where they can go for almost $1,000 per pound. Here, they don't command quite a sum, but you can still expect to pay anywhere from $25-$50 per pound if you can find them fresh (usually at a farmer's market).

Here's a bit of good info, excerpted from The New York Times:

"The name matsutake means 'pine mushroom' in Japan, where the local species grows in association with Japanese red pines. About 15 other closely related species occur worldwide, including the American matsutake, which flourishes in coniferous forests across North America (and particularly in the Northwest and Northern California) [in association] with fir, spruce and pine, as well as tanoaks.

"Japanese pay a premium for young, unopened matsutakes, before the veil between the cap and the stem breaks, which stay fresh better than more mature ones. (Matsutakes at this stage have a phallic appearance, and women at the imperial court at Kyoto once were forbidden to speak the mushroom's name.) However, there's no difference in flavor.

"The price and availability vary considerably, depending on the domestic and international harvests and demand from Japan."

Bless them, the boys brought back two bushels full of the gems. And that was after a really sweet bargaining trade on their way home. They stopped in Bodega Bay and greeted the Dungeness crab fisherman pulling up to the docks. A few rare and prized mushrooms go a long way toward negotiating a killer deal on the freshest crab imaginable.

So guess what my dinner was that night? You got it - heaps and heaps of sauteed mushrooms with fresh cracked crab. (I kept the mushrooms really simple to let their natural flavor shine through. I sauteed them in a combination of olive oil and butter - small amounts of both, just enough to coat the pan - and drained the juice as the mushrooms released their water. Salted them lightly. In the end, they were caramelized, tender and almost steak-like). Heaven!

So boys - when the next hunting trip?

Ran's pictures from the harbor in Bodega Bay...

A Cookie Tease

2010-12-10T09:20:00.001-08:00

What is Christmas without cookies? The cookies in the photo above are one of my most recent favorite finds: Cornmeal Ginger Shortbread Cookies from the Cakebread Cellars Napa Valley cookbook. And you know that if I actually baked them, they must be simple to make. Indeed. Wanna know how it's done and get the recipe? Well click on over to FoodFixe where this recipe and my guest post are part of FoodFixe's 12 Days of Cookies. And browse around while you're there - the cookie recipes being featured right now are outstanding!

Food Truck Frenzy... in Napa!

2010-12-05T20:46:00.000-08:00

The food trucks have arrived in Napa with a vengeance. Finally! Over this past year, in this crappy economy, chefs have taken to the streets here in my corner of the world, and I couldn't be more excited.

Now food trucks - and not just of the roach coach variety - have been staples in Napa Valley for eons, but mainly in the form of mobile taquerias. I venture to say that the taco trucks here in town offer some of the very best Mexican street food you'll find anywhere north of the border, and they've always been an excellent place to get a great meal on the cheap. But now, the offerings here in town have exploded - from Thai food and dim sum, to wood-fired chicken and grass-fed beef sliders - street food has become an elevated and delicious alternative to the high-end restaurants that are the norm around here.

My dilemma for the past few months has been figuring out how to pay a visit to each of these new food trucks that I've been hearing so much about, when most of them are only open during the day when I'm at work more than 35 miles away. Let alone track them down - they've each got different spots staked out around the city and sometimes the locations change. Hm.

Lucky for me, the Oxbow Market solved my problem. On the first Friday of every month, a selection of food trucks circle their wagons and have an all-out late-night party called "Food Truck Friday." From 5 p.m. until midnight, the trucks are all in one location and serve up their popular fare. Last Friday was only the second time the event has been held, and the first time I've attended. The trucks that participated were Dim Sum Charlie’s, Karma Karma Thai Food, Street-Eatz, Chicago Style Hot Dogs, Phat Salads and Wraps, Crossroad Rotisserie Chicken and Mark's the Spot. In addition, there are many tasting rooms in the neighborhood that also stayed open late, and people bought bottles and were enjoying glasses of wine with their food truck nibbles. It is Napa, after all!

But wow. It was pretty obvious from the crowd that had assembled and the lengthy lines of hungry folk at each truck, that this is the type of activity that us Napkins sorely crave: affordable, good food; a place to gather; and late hours. What a freaking concept. I even spied one of Napa's premier caterers there, checking out the goods. She's got a kitchen full of the finest Napa has to offer, and yet, she too was in on the scene (besides - who wants to cook if you do it all day for a living?). And with offerings like artichoke pokoras; wood-oven pork belly sandwiches with cranberry and fig relish; confit duck wings with spicy plum sauce; udon noodles in a savory broth tossed with foie gras, braised duck leg and fresh herbs... are you sensing my predicament? It was difficult to narrow down our choices.

But narrow them down we did. We started with a good old street food staple - a Chicago dog - which we shared to whet our appetites as we waited for the remainder of our orders. Then Ran and I split up - he went to Mark's the Spot to order their slider sampler; I went to Dim Sum Charlie's to get their "Ten Dolla Make You Holla" sampler. Excellent choices both. I was very stoic and did not order the rosemary fries from Street Eatz... that was tough - especially since everyone was raving and they smelled SO good. But we did enough damage, without adding deep fried goodness to the mix. The dim sum sampler came with a honey pork bun, a steamed pork bun, and five different dumplings - all delish.
And the sliders from Marks - awesome. The sampler trio is composed of three different sliders, each served on an artisan brioche bun - the Oooh Girl Chicken (organic buttermilk fried boneless chicken thigh with pepper aioli and slaw), the Baby Bubba Burger (Niman Ranch beef patty with onions two ways, spicy aioli and slaw), and the BBB Good (bacon, basil and brie with carmelized apple). OMG. They were all spectacular, but I'd go back for the beef slider again and again.
I would venture a guess that I will return to Food Truck Friday... often. I'm already bummed I'll miss the January event. There certainly are wrinkles to be ironed out - the lines were very long, and some of the trucks were not well equipped to handle the crowds (cooking to order? Really?) - but for only the second time out the gate, I predict that things will only get better. You certainly couldn't argue with the food - it was worth the wait.

We're certainly no Portland (the Oregon city boasts more than 700 food trucks - heaven!) - but in this little corner of the world, assembling more than a half a dozen food trucks in one locale seems like quite a victory. So come on up and see me sometime - I've got a great truck or two to show off.

Tollhouse with a Twist

2010-11-30T17:40:00.000-08:00

So a funny thing happened as I was scrolling through my Twitter feed the other day... I actually found something utterly and totally interesting! (I jest - I LOVE Twitter and find amazing, funny, insightful, creative, inspirational and helpful tidbits there all the time.) But this one post completely caught my eye. In less than 140 characters, it spelled out how to take a Tollhouse chocolate chip cookie recipe and turn it on its head. Coincidentally, I was actually in the market for a good cookie recipe, so I thought I'd give the tweeter's idea a try (sorry - I can't even find the tweet now to give proper credit!).

At any rate, the twist: use half semi-sweet chips and half dark chocolate chips, and then add potato chips to the batter as well. Potato chips? What the....? But the idea intrigued me. Could this simple twist on a classic recipe turn out a cookie creation that had that sweet/salty combination that I so very much love? I had to try it.

So I made the recipe according to the Twitter instructions - meaning, I winged it. I followed the Tollhouse recipe on the back of the chocolate chip package, and dutifully swapped half of the semi-sweet chips for Ghirardelli dark chocolate nibs. But when it got to the potato chip portion... where to start? The tweet did specify that the potato chips should be crushed into dime-sized pieces, but that was about it (140 characters only go so far....). How much to add? Did I want ridged chips or just plain old plain chips? I made the executive decision: plain original Lays potato chips, in a quantity that I eyeballed, but just seemed about right - I'm guessing about 1 to 1-1/2 cups of crushed potato chips. Then I threw in chopped walnuts for good measure. It made for a very chunky dough - really tough to stir - but the elbow grease is totally worth it.

The end result: quite possibly one of the best chocolate chip cookies you'll ever make. The dark chocolate addition - excellent as I suspected. As for the potato chips, they did add a saltiness, although it was subtle. What they really imparted, however, was texture and structure. You know how Tollhouse cookies usually fall flat? Not these. They held a nice, round-ish shape, and remained moist. The potato chips also added a nearly-imperceptible crunch... here was a bit more body than in your average cookie. And no one - I mean no one - was the wiser. I took my platter of cookies to a meeting, and they disappeared in a heartbeat, with everyone remarking just how delicious they were. Not a single soul said "Hey - is that a potato chip in my cookie?" (They really did almost just disappear when the cookies were baked.)

So, dear readers, I have no recipe for you ... just a concept that I know works. Try it out, and let me know if your experiment is as successful as mine!

Giving Thanks

2010-11-23T20:28:00.001-08:00

As we're about to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday, I have so much for which to be grateful. My list could go on and on and on. But that would be boring. So I'm just going to focus this post on one person for whom I am thankful each and every day, and who just doesn't hear it from me enough. That person is my mom.

If you think that I'm a well-rounded, talented person (why thank you!) - you need to get a load of my mom. I get most of my best traits from her, I suspect (no disrespect to dad!), and I love her more than I could ever express. I just had the pleasure of spending some quality time with her - she came for a five-day visit and spoiled me rotten. As is our usual, we covered a lot of ground while she was here. She's been the one to teach me to love the backroads, to enjoy getting lost, and to delight in discovering new things. So that's just what we did.

The following is a photo journey of our recent time together, as it pertains to the theme of this blog - namely yumminess shared in the company of the ones we love. (I'm sticking to mainly images because I found out that dear mom doesn't actually READ this blog... just looks at the "pretty pictures" - hmph!) At any rate, enjoy the view, and if you're lucky enough, go give your mom a heart-felt squeeze. Happy Thanksgiving!

Adventures with Mom, November 2010

We hit the road. Took the road less traveled....
Why don't I live HERE?? I mean, get a load of that tire swing!

We enjoyed some great meals out...
Sol Food in San Rafael was at the top of my list of places to take mom for a killer lunch. I love love love this totally funky Peurto Rican cuisine hot spot. Despite being a bright green hole-in-the-wall, it's certainly not an undiscovered locale (just ask the Food Network). The Ensalada Con Pollo (baked chicken salad) and Tostones Con Mojo (Fried smashed green plantains with garlic and olive oil) keep me coming back for more.

We enjoyed a terribly mediocre meal out....
I say "enjoyed" because the company was stellar and sometimes that's all you need. But I'm sad to say that my mom treated Ran and me to a dinner out at the much-touted Bottega in Yountville, and we all walked away mostly disappointed. We should have stopped at starter courses and wine - those were by far the best components of the meal. Between the three of us, we ordered the soup of the day (butternut squash with toasted hazelnuts), the Brussels sprouts salad (shaved sprouts, seived egg, hazelnuts and a perfect light lemon-based dressing), and the cheese pudding (a savory Pecorino flan of sorts served with braised rapini and crostini). All were delicious. I loved the way the wines were presented. Instead of wines by the glass, they offered wines by the glass and a half, and they came in petit carafes to the table. It's the perfect amount of wine for me over the course of the meal, and the wine list truly was impressive. The only thing that tainted the starting course was the constant - and I mean constant - inquiries from the service staff to clear our half-eaten plates. I love attentive staff, but for the fourth time, yes! We're going to finish that plate. Sheesh!

Unfortunately, the good part of the meal nose-dived into the not-so-good part of the meal for our entrees. I got the rabbit, and although the meat itself was perfectly cooked, it was served with a sauce that was so overwhelmingly powered by vinegar, that it was almost off-putting. The acidity hit your nose far before the fork got to your tongue. Mom got the "Angry Prawns" - nothing special there, not even worth four more words. And Ran - on my pleading - got the daily pork special. I mean if you heard the server describe a slow-roasted herb-stuffed pork loin wrapped in pork belly with crispy skin, served with brown-butter sauteed apples over creamy polenta, wouldn't you order it too? Let's just say it was far better in theory than in reality. Ick. So - bummer. A big, expensive strikeout. Sorry mom.

We enjoyed some great meals in...
It was the opening week of Dungeness crab season... we had to do it.

We baked...
Two different kinds of cookies. You heard me right - yes, I baked (I had mom there to hold my hand, after all!). You'll be hearing about these two cookie creations soon (Tollhouse with a twist, and Cornmeal Ginger Shortbread).

We fed ourselves spiritually....
Mom was such a sport, and joined me for a candlelight Yoga class followed by an organic/biodynamic wine tasting, paired with raw foods. The evening was all about "focusing on mindfulness and gratitude for the Thanksgiving Holidays" - basically bringing awareness of how we're feeding our body and soul, and focusing on treating ourselves well. Mom did great in the Yoga class, declined the wine tasting, and pretty much dismissed the raw foods. Too hippie, I get it. :) But I, of course, loved the foods we tried (there was chocolate mousse made from avocados for God's sake!), and I discovered a wine brand that I now adore just on sheer principle: Aum Cellars. The wine I ended up liking most was the 2008 Howell Mountain Cabernet, and not just because the front label is stunning. The wine is crafted with love and attention, and the winemaker, Peter Hoffmann (on hand to pour for the event), writes on the back label: "Never surrender the opportunity to participate in the forming of the future." I need to print that out in 60 point font and plaster it in my surroundings. Namaste.

We drove all the way to Healdsburg just so mom could get her favorite cream soda (made by the Bear Republic Brewing Company)...

...and discovered that Healdsburg's Downtown Bakery & Creamery sells all of its various pastry doughs to go! It might just turn me into a semi-homemade baker yet - what a find!

We visited farm stands...
We stopped in at the organic Green String Farm in Petaluma (their promise of kale turned out to be false... but made for good wandering and pictures!).

And while I was in a meeting at the nearby Solano Community College, mom discovered THE find of the entire week: Larry's Produce. She picked me up with stories of produce flowing out of Larry's not in shopping carts, but wheelbarrows, and prices that would simply blow my head clean off. And she was right - this place, a seasonal farm stand in Fairfield (part of the Suisun Valley Harvest Trail) - was utterly fantastic. Indescribable. And freaking CHEAP. Despite already having loaded up on Thanksgiving groceries, I loaded up a wheelbarrow of my own anyway. I just couldn't resist. Sigh.

And then she was gone....
Mom departed town, but left goodies in her wake: a huge Thanksgiving gift tin loaded with Made-in-Utah products. I miss her already, but I'm feeling the love from home!

Love you, mom. Thanks for the tasty memories.

Winters, CA: I think I'm in love....

2010-11-21T16:50:00.000-08:00

That's it. I'm moving to Winters, California. Winters, California... here I come!

Ok ok.. that may have been said in haste (I'm not moving anywhere), but man... I recently discovered this quaint little town and I am SO tempted to give small(er) town living a try. (Instead, I'm putting the squeeze on my mom to pack her bags and relocate there... mom - have you called the realtor yet?).

Anyhow... Winters. I've had the opportunity to explore this hidden-in-plain-sight gem a couple of times in the last few weeks. Once, when Ran took me on a weekend getaway and we stayed in a cabin nearby, and a second time when I dragged my visiting mom back over the river and through the woods to explore her future retirement community. It's a mere 35 miles from my home here in Napa, but obscured from view by the strip mall sprawl of Vacaville along I-80.

I really did fall in love with this place on first look. Not only is the town itself cute as a button, laid out around a small town square (complete with white gazebo and town clock - straight out of a movie), but it's obviously family-friendly (I counted no fewer than four parks with playgrounds and ball fields), VERY affordable (the realty listings nearly made me cry), and surprisingly diverse (in my two trips, I've seen people of all colors and persuasions). It's also surrounded by stunning acre upon acre of meticulously groomed farms, orchards and vineyards, and is within a stone's throw of a variety of outdoor recreation (cycling, whitewater rafting, boating, fishing, hiking...). All of that is well and good, but what does my budding love affair with Winters have to do with this blog? It's the food, of course!

I had the chance to talk to loads of locals - some new to town, some long-timers - and everyone agrees: there is not a bad place to eat in Winters. Along the main drag, Railroad Avenue, you'll find everything from a cyclist-clogged coffee shop to a trendy tapas bar. There's the requisite small-town diner with the line out the door for its hearty breakfasts; a candy shop and soda fountain; a steakhouse complete with taxidermy animal heads mounted on the wall and portion sizes of beef to match... and likely much more. There's also two - soon to be three - wine tasting rooms within a two-block radius, one of which is also home to the Winters Cheese Company.

I was there on a Saturday night, and I tell you - the place was hopping. Putah Creek Cafe was churning out blistery thin-crust pizzas from its wood-burning pizza oven on the street corner; Cody's Restaurant was grilling tri-tip and chicken on the sidewalk a half a block down the street; the Turkovich Family Winery tasting room was open late and bursting at the seams with a young, hip crowd; the Opera House was gearing up for a night of live music, and The Buckhorn Steakhouse was packed with a 45 minute wait to get a table. People were out, the scene was lively, people were laughing and talking to each other, friends and strangers alike... it was awesome.

Winters will not remain a secret for long. Indeed, the very week following my initial weekend trip, the San Francisco Chronicle highlighted the town in its weekly Street Date feature (I gasped when I opened up the paper, and there was "my" Winters, its charm exposed for all to see!). So, I suggest you get on out there to take a look around and enjoy all that Winters has to offer before the tour buses start descending. If you can't get there, here's a photo tour - go ahead, live vicariously!

Scenes from around and about town...

The Buckhorn Steakhouse - big flavors, big portions. Their website has a great list of 20 reasons to visit Winters - make sure to check it out!

Putah Creek Cafe - the quintessential small town diner. Bakery cases overflowing with house-made goodies, counter space for when you can't score a hard-to land booth, and good, good food. My mom opted for breakfast for her mid-day meal (the thick-cut applewood smoked bacon was amazing); I went for the homemade pezole. It was an excellent choice.

Putah Creek Cafe fires up its wood-burning pizza oven in the afternoon and keeps it going well into the evening. Fresh, piping hot pizza, right there on the street corner.

One of the tasting rooms in town, Turkovich Family Wines. The room is casual and elegant, and stays open late on weekends to take advantage of the people out and about. the buzz is lively, and you'll find all of Winters newest young residents bellied up to the bar, with out of town guests in tow (and in awe). In addition to their lineup of wines, they also pour and sell a champagne imported from Argentina (the winemaker's father-in-law is the Argentine winemaker).

The Winters Cheese Company shares a tasting room with Turkovich Family Wines. As it should - the cheesemaker and the winemaker are brothers. Seems as though the whole family is involved in the shop - there's mom behind the cash register, and a cousin behind the bar. I bought loads of cheese, but I should have bought the shirt too!

The other tasting room in town, Berryessa Gap Vineyards.

Breakfast at Cody's - nothing fancy, but pancakes to order and the chef knew pretty much everyone by name. Those that she didn't know by name, she came out personally to greet, as she was carrying a customer's baby on her hip - giving the babe's mom a chance to eat her meal kid-free.

...and later in the day, Cody's was grilling up a storm for the dinner crowd.

Rootstock, a brand new gift shop and soon-to-be tasting room in Winters. When the tasting room is up and running it will represent three different Yolo County wineries.

Views from along Putah Creek, the river that runs through the center of Winters.

Cheesy Fun

2010-11-21T16:41:00.000-08:00

So here's a fun Thanksgiving Day idea: have a cheese tasting! I know I'm gunna. It makes for a fun and interesting appetizer course... not to mention oh-so-freaking tasty.

Here's the deal: I recently got a gift membership to an artisan cheese of the month club. Imagine: four different artisan cheeses from all over the world delivered right to your door once a month, complete with fromager tasting notes. It's heaven I tell ya. Along with the cheese itself, the shipments come with a guide for how to conduct a cheese tasting based on a "cheese clock" where the mildest of cheeses is placed on a platter at 6:00, and the selection gets subsequently more bold as you move clockwise. Also included are beverage pairing recommendations, which are pretty much as you would suspect: white wines, champagnes and lighter style beers with the mild cheeses; bold red wines, dessert wines or dark beers as you move to the stronger cheeses.

At a recent dinner party with friends, I gave it a whirl. I loaded up a cheese clock with my monthly club cheeses, as well as a selection I had picked up at the Winters Cheese Company (you did read my love letter to Winters, right?). In all, eight different cheeses, each with its own very distinct flavor profile. No two were similar in the least, and it made for some great tasty nibbles and some lively comparison notes. We did the whole shebang - beverage pairings and all. Here's what was on our cheese clock that night:

Laurier (goat's milk; Vermont): "Adorned with hand-selected bay leaves that give it a gentle bit of spiciness. The cheese's white bloomy rind protects the protects the rind protects the cheese while creating wonderful layers of flavor and texture."
Camembert (sheep and cow's milk; Hudson Valley, New York): "Meltingly smooth and buttery with the texture of a triple-creme."
Caerphilly (cow's milk; Winters, California): "A light-coloured (almost white), crumbly cheese with a pleasant sour tang."
Garlic and Chive Cheddar (cow's milk; Winters, California): "Chive gives a slight onion flavor with just enough garlic to compliment it. This cheese is reminiscent of a traditional English Cotswald."
Sage Cheddar (cow's milk; Winters, California): "Sage adds a fragrant herbal aroma and a slightly sweet taste to the Cheddar flavors."
Smoked Cheddar (cow's milk; Winters, California): "Hickory wood chips give the traditional Cheddar a sweet and delicate smokey flavor and aroma."
Appenzeller (cow's milk; Switzerland): "This cheese receives its unique flavors from the herbs, liquors and wines that comprise the solution in which the wheels are bathed. It has an herbaceous, nutty flavor and a smooth milky finish."
Stilton (cow's milk; Great Britain): "Rich, creamy and characterized by its typical blue veining with rich complex flavors and a piquant finish."

We tasted the cheeses with a variety of crackers, as well as with apples and pears, and paired the cheeses with the appropriate wines. I, of course, loved every cheese. I honestly didn't have a favorite. The rest of the tasters were divided: two people picked the Stilton as their favorite, while two others picked the Sage Cheddar. Everyone - hands-down - enjoyed the Laurier.

At any rate, it was a fun casual activity to pass the time before dinner as we chatted and sipped our various wines. It's a great cocktail party activity because it's interactive, and certainly (if you build your clock right), there will be something for everyone.

At any rate, if you'd like to get a really good overview of how to create a cheese clock and pair your cheeses with the appropriate beverages, check out artisanalcheese.com.

Coleslaw Two Ways

2010-11-07T18:18:00.000-08:00

How very typical of me to start a coleslaw binge just as the cooler weather is taking over. Coleslaw - that staple of summer picnics and BBQs everywhere... my timing couldn't be any worse. The issue for me, is that I don't necessarily like coleslaw. The mayonnaise-laden dressings that are typical are generally just icky, IMHO. Let alone too sweet. So the summer came and went without me really missing out on a coleslaw fix.

But I do like cabbage. So does Randall. He posed an innocent question one evening: "Why don't we eat more cabbage?" He was right. Why didn't we? Healthy, crunchy, filling.... a good cabbage salad (non-dressed) can last for days in the fridge.... sheesh! That's my kinda food. Off to the store I went.

I remembered that I know how to make a mean Asian slaw, and the reason for the cabbage prompt from Rand was that he had just seen a recipe for a creamy coleslaw made with Greek yogurt. Two great variations of coleslaw with no mayo in sight - awesome. So I stocked up on basic coleslaw ingredients, spent a few minutes chopping (which you know I love!), and made both dressings. The resulting batch was huge, but I left it undressed. That allowed us to help ourselves to the heap of fixings throughout the week, and dress it as our moods dictated. Aside from the huge salad bowl taking up valuable real estate in our fridge, it was great.

So, although the coleslaw season has technically passed, you should give one or both of these variations a try regardless. After all, healthy, tasty, crunchy and colorful never go out of season!

Coleslaw Base Ingredients
(Of course all of this is optional - use ingredients you like!)

1/2 head green cabbage, chopped
1/2 head red cabbage, chopped
6 scallions, chopped
2 cups sugar snap peas, chopped
1 red pepper, diced
2 large carrots, shredded
1 head cilantro, chopped
1 cup nuts (I like roasted peanuts or toasted almond slivers)

Asian Slaw Dressing

1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons fish sauce (optional... but really, you want it, trust me!)
2+ tablespoons sugar

Whisk all ingredients until sugar has had a chance to dissolve. Taste; add more sugar if it needs to be a tad sweeter.

Creamy Yogurt/Lime Dressing

1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
The juice of one large lime
2 tablespoons sugar
Kosher salt, to taste

Combine all ingredients and stir well.

Coconut Cream Pie: And the Secret Ingrediant Is....

2010-10-26T19:52:00.000-07:00

Remember a week or so ago I speculated that I would share with you what I made when I spent an entire day in the kitchen? Well, obviously I didn't. I was suffering from the fever that was going around (Giants fever!). I've had it since the Spring, but symptoms were especially acute the past week. (The Giants win the pennant! The Giants win the pennant!). So, no blogging.

But tonight's an off night - the World Series doesn't start until tomorrow - so I'll sneak in some writing before I'm MIA until the whole baseball shebang is said and done.

So back to a week ago, a Sunday spent puttering in the kitchen. I mentioned that my oven and stove top were going nonstop all day, but guess what I didn't do? Bake. (If you know me and this blog, that's no surprise.) Despite not baking, guess what I DID make? A pie!

A pie? Me? What is this - a midlife crisis? (Well yes, but the pie doesn't have anything to do with my turning-40 mind games.... that's a different post for a different blog!). But no - I haven't suddenly gained a sweet tooth and hankering for pastries (even though if I had to choose my poison, pie would be it - it's in the Angell family DNA to require pie at regular intervals, right dad?). I just was curious to try out a no-bake coconut cream pie recipe I saw on some TV show or another, the reason being that the filling was made from tofu.

Tofu pie filling? A semblance of a healthy treat? An almost guilt-free indulgence? I had to give it a whirl. Apparently I'm completely behind the times about tofu pies - turns out hippies, vegetarians and raw foodists have holding out on me. I blame my mom - there was not a lot of tofu experiments at our house growing up. (Now watch - she'll comment that of course she made us tofu pies as kids - she just was clever enough not to tell us! I wouldn't put it past her.) At any rate, unbeknownst to me, when you give a block of firm tofu a whirl in your food processor, it takes on a smooth, creamy consistency ready to take on the flavors of whatever you'd like to add to it. In this case, it was coconut, but I see experiments in my future with berries, citrus, or even savory ingredients. It opened up a whole new world of possibilities in my head.

The other reason I love this recipe? It only requires eyeballed measurements. I made the entire pie without busting out a single measuring implement - ahh. So, there's only some general instructions included below on how to make the pie - you just have to taste as you go along and adjust the ingredients to your liking. That's my kind of non-baking!

So, I whipped up this pie in literally a matter of minutes, and helped myself to a sliver. Success! It really does work, and it really is good. But it still was a pie - in my house (ack!) - so I had to say goodbye. I took my lovely pie to work on Monday morning, placed it in the coffee room for all to enjoy, and it was gone within minutes. Tofu? No one had a clue.

And on that note - GO GIANTS!

No-Bake Tofu Coconut Cream Pie

For the crust:

1 package of graham crackers (I don't know how many crackers constitute a package, but each and every brand of graham crackers packages its crackers in the same fashion - it's just one of those wax-paper wrapped packages in the box - all of them)
1/2 a cube of butter (I think that's about 2-3 tablespoons), melted

Crumble the graham crackers into a food processor; pulse until they are pulverized into crumbs. Add the melted butter; pulse until the crumbs are moist. Press the crumbs evenly into the base of a pie plate.

Note: the even easier option is to use a pre-made graham cracker crust. I won't tell.

For the filling:

1 1-pound block of firm or extra firm tofu (I used Lite extra firm)
1/2 cup +/- of coconut milk (I used light coconut milk and it was fine)
1/2 cup +/- sugar
1 teaspoon coconut extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 package of shredded coconut (I used unsweetened) - approximately 4 cups. Toast 1 cup for sprinkling on top of the pie.

Break up the tofu block into a food processor; whirl on high until smooth. Once smooth, start adding the remaining ingredients (except the coconut) until you reach the level of sweetness/coco-nuttiness that suits your tastes. Transfer to a mixing bowl and stir in the shredded coconut. Pour filling into the pie crust. Top with the toasted coconut. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or until firm.

Snack Attack! Spicy Baked Chick Peas

2010-10-17T20:18:00.000-07:00

Boy, it's Sunday night, and I actually felt like I had a weekend. A bona fide weekend with a couple of days off in a row and no obligations. And a great weekend it was! I got to celebrate my big 4-0 (again!) with a delightful dinner at Bouchon in Yountville, a treat by my bestest gal pal, Carolyn (she spoils me rotten....), revel as the Giants took Game 1 in the National League Conference Series, enjoy lazy mornings where I got to sleep late and read the paper in bed, and - joy of joys - actually spend time in the kitchen.

This morning arrived with a gray drizzle. Perfect. The first rain of the year coincided with my lazy attitude, so it completely confirmed my homebody status. Since the sun wasn't shining, I had no guilt that I wasn't out hiking, walking the dog, exploring or otherwise soaking in a spectacular Autumn day. Nope - we lit a fire in the fireplace and basically hunkered down, Ran in front of the various sporting match-ups that dominate the Sunday television lineup, and me puttering in the kitchen with ideas aplenty on how to stock my larder for the coming week (stock my larder? Who says that?).

At any rate, my oven was on all afternoon, and the stovetop hardly saw an idle moment. I'll probably blog later in the week about many of the things I made today (stay tuned!), but first and foremost on the list was taking care of snack food for the afternoon. I mean, what is watching sports all day without snacks? And since I've outlawed packaged snack food in my house, I needed to come up with something on my own. Chick peas to the rescue.

The humble chick pea. Garbanzo bean if you'd like. I love the little buggers. I eat them in some form nearly every day of the week (seriously - hummus is a staple of my diet). I've written about roasting raw chick peas in the husk on the BBQ grill (one of my all-time fave snacks) - but you just can't count on walking into a store and finding raw, in-the-husk garbanzo beans. It rarely happens. But you know what? You can find pre-cooked garbanzos in a can anywhere, anytime, and with the addition of just a couple spices and a preheated oven, healthy snack time is less than an hour away.

Imagine: crunchy, spicy garbanzo beans that you can Hoover up all you'd like because they're low-cal, no carb, and full of fiber and protein. These baked chick peas rate right up there with kale chips as being one of my favorite go-to healthy snack options.

Preparation couldn't be simpler:

Open a can of garbanzo beans, rinse and drain. (Although seriously, one can's worth will vanish in a heartbeat. Bust open a couple. Trust me.)
Pat dry with paper towels.
In a mixing bowl, toss the garbanzos with a glug of olive oil. Not too much - just enough to coat. I use one of my favoritist olive oils of all time from The Smoked Olive - their chili pepper smoked olive oil. Sheer Heaven. If you don't know about The Smoked Olive - learn now! (I wrote about it here more than a year ago. My love has not waned.)
Season. Just plain Kosher salt will do the trick, but if you want to make the spicy version I like, also add a heavy dusting of paprika (smoked paprika being my choice), some garlic powder, and a couple of shots of your favorite hot chili sauce or Tabasco. Stir to coat well. Taste them - if you like how they taste before going in the oven, you'll like the finished product times ten.
Pour the seasoned garbanzos onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and pop into a preheated 350-degree oven for 45 minutes.

When you pull them from the oven and let them cool just a bit, they get crunchy. And addictive. Voila - perfect snack food for a couch potato marathon. Speaking of... Giants are on (and losing....). Later peeps!

All Hail the Kale, Part 1: Kale Chips

2010-09-30T18:37:00.000-07:00

I freaking love kale. Love it. Maybe you've noticed. I've written about it here. And here. But you know how I love it the very very best? Baked into crispy chips. That's right - kale chips. If you read as many food blogs as I do, you know that recipes and accolades for kale chips are ubiquitous. Everybody - yes everybody - raves.

Talk about the simplest, tastiest, healthiest snack on the planet. I literally make midnight runs to the grocery to pick up kale when the craving for kale chips sets in (alas, I don't grow it in my little garden). Made a big batch tonight because of that very urge. They really do make you feel as though you're eating junk food (salty! crispy!) when that couldn't be farther from the truth. Low-calorie and chock full of iron, fiber, antioxidants, beta carotene, and vitamin K, it's a downright power veggie. Bring it on.

So to make kale chips:

wash
dry
break the leaves off of the thick stems in bite-size chunks
toss with a drizzle of olive oil
season with kosher salt (or any flavored salt/seasoning that you like)
bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 12 minutes, or until the edges start to turn brown.

Once you remove them from the oven and let them cool just a bit, if they've been cooked perfectly, the delicate chips will simply shatter in your mouth with an explosion of flavor, and the bitterness of the green will have vanished. Test the times in your oven - I find that 12 minutes is *perfect* in mine.

OMG - is my batch finished yet???

All Hail the Kale, Part 2: Obsessed

2010-09-30T18:30:00.000-07:00

Somebody stop me...
I can't stop photographing this flowering kale.

Ten, hut! Wine Boot Camp, a Wine Geek's Dream!

2010-09-20T20:32:00.001-07:00

Swirling, sipping, eating, drinking... making new friends, learning new things... relishing the Sonoma County scenery, exploring stunning wineries... Just another fine weekend here in Wine Country!

Actually, this past weekend was, shall I say, slightly better than the average (that is if "slightly" is dripping with sarcasm). It was a stellar weekend. On Saturday, I had the great opportunity to attend Wine Boot Camp, thanks to the generosity of pal Siobhan who writes the fabu blog FOODFIXE (get on over there and subscribe, especially if you have a sweet tooth - Siobhan is a dessert-making queen... especially cheesecakes. Mmmm).

But about this Wine Boot Camp thing: amazing experience. Run by Barbara Drady (that's General Drady to you!) of Affairs of the Vine, it is one packed-to-the-rafters day of wine, wine, wine, food, food, food, and then more wine, wine, wine. Her description sums it up best:

"Wine Boot Camp® is a one-day reconnaissance mission working in the vineyard and the winery. Your day includes visits to two fantastic Sonoma County wineries. Experience and find out how to identify aromas in wine. Learn the secrets of food and wine pairing. Work in the vineyard and blend your own wine. Continental breakfast, gourmet lunch and dinner paired with spectacular wines all while you bask in the glories of beautiful Sonoma Wine Country."

First order of the day: the dozen of us "recruits" took an oath that, in part, had us vow to "learn as much we would like, and promise to not foist our new-found knowledge on those who don't care to hear it" (or something to that effect). Well... since I've already received my honorable discharge, I'm going to break that vow and foist a little bit of knowledge on you. If you don't want to hear it, go ahead and click on through. No questions asked.

So the troops set out for our 12-hour tour of duty, armed with field manuals, uniforms and survival kits, ready to tackle our mission. The wine drinking commenced at 0900 hours, and we never looked back!

Truth be told, I'm not sure I actually learned all that much. As you know, I've lived in Napa Valley for the better part of a decade, and am married to a wine guy. In fact, my husband has taught a very similar wine education course over the years, and I consider myself to be pretty up to speed in the wine department (an expert by no means, but an avid and enthusiastic imbiber!). That being said, it was still a thrill to participate in the Boot Camp and be able to hear the methods and modalities of everything from viticulture to enology from new perspectives. Getting the inside scoop straight from the sources is a wine geek's dream. If you're looking to learn more about wine, I can't speak highly enough of this experience. You WILL walk away with a great understanding of all elements of wine production, from the vine to the bottle.

We visited two vastly different wineries in the course of the day. The palatial Chalk Hill, and the funkier, down-to-earth Michel-Schlumberger. The one thing they do have in common is that they are both estate wineries, meaning that all of their wines are produced from vineyards on the winery property itself. After that, the comparisons pretty much stop. Chalk Hill is a vast, sprawling estate with hundreds of acres devoted not only to vineyards, but a culinary garden, an event pavilion staffed with their own in-house chef, an equestrian center, herds of livestock (including American Bison) and more (the tasting room is pictured above). The winery is famed for its white wines, namely Chardonnay, but also Sauvignon Blanc. They've recently started a red wine program, and if everything is as well-crafted as the Estate Red that I tried... their reds will turn heads soon enough as well. Our engaging and ever-informative host was Chalk Hill's Viticulturist, Mark Lingenfelder, one guy with an astounding amount of interesting information, lore and charm. We were also joined for lunch by Director of Winemaking Lisa Bishop Forbes.

Michel-Schlumberger on the other hand, is more modest in scale and quite a bit more rough around the edges - in a very good way (pictured above). If Chalk Hill is a manicured Grand Dame, Michel-Schlumberger is a fun, hippie uncle - but no less a looker. Snuggled into the lush hills of Wine Creek Canyon overlooking the Dry Creek Valley, Michel-Schlumberger's all-organic estate has commanding views of the surrounding area and a welcoming vibe that begs you to sit and stay for a while. Maybe give the resident pooch a scratch behind the ears, visit the chicken coop (stocked with stunning rare heirloom breeds) or wander through their vegetable-slash-Monarch Butterfly habitat garden. I've loved this gem of a place for many years, because incidentally, it was a 1995 Michel-Schlumberger cabernet that made me fall in love with wine. Retail Director Jim Morris was our affable guide as we tromped through the vineyards and sampled the wines; Winemaker Michael Brunson was also on hand to share a bit about his philosophy.

There is no way that I could ever begin to write about all that we did, ate, drank or accomplished that day - this post would wind up being a mini-novel. So, rather than completely bore you, I'll just let the photos from the day tell most of the story....

0900: Greetings and Sauvignon Blanc at Chalk Hill

0930: Vineyard tour with Mark Lingenfelder

We learned to identify a healthy grape cluster....

With a damaged grape cluster.

We heard time and time again throughout the day how odd the weather has been this season (it will go down as one of the most strange summers in recent memory), and how the wonky weather has affected the crop. In a summer where the high temperatures never got much above 70 degrees most days, a four-day heat wave suddenly appeared where the temps soared to more than 105 degrees. Not so good for the grapes. There was a lot of sunburn damage to the fruit, among other things. Mark armed us with tools and taught us how to carefully cut away the damaged clusters from the vines, dropping them to the ground. Alas, their fate this year is to be nothing more than compost.

1145 hours: Commenced aromatic workshop

If you've never done an aromatic wine workshop, find one. It's a stellar way to learn about the nuances of the aromas and flavors found in wine. You have samples of organic materials - everything from citrus fruits to chocolate, clove to cinnamon, to compare with what is in your glass. We blind tasted eight different varietals of wine:

2009 Girard Sauvignon Blanc
2009 Chateau St. Michelle Reisling
2009 Windsor Chardonnay
2008 Sonoma Coast Vineyards Gold Coast Hills Chardonnay
2006 Canishan Family Cellars Sonoma Valley Pinot Noir
2006 Grove Street Sonoma Merlot
2007 VJB Sonoma Valley Dante Cabernet Sauvignon
2008 Dry Creek Vineyard Zinfandel

I correctly identified five of the eight varietals. Go me!

1300 hours: Lunch and wine pairing at Chalk Hill's Equestrian Center's Event Pavilion. All of the produce in the meal was grown in Chalk Hill's Culinary Garden. Even the lamb was raised by none other than Mark Lingenfelder himself. The only ingredient than came further than 20 miles away was the tiger shrimp in the gazpacho - it was a locavore's dream meal. Menu and wine pairings were as follows (and yes, the meal was as amazing at it looks and sounds)....

Course #1: Heirloom Tomato Gazpacho with black tiger shrimp, bell pepper and cucumber brunoise. (2008 Chalk Hill Chardonnay)

Course #2: Morocan Lamb "Tajine," chick peas and zucchini, panisses (2007 Chalk Hill Estate Red)

Dessert: Roasted Peach "Mille Feuilles" with lemon verbena creme Anglaise (2006 E.V.S. Botrytised Semillon)

Coffee service and Mignardises

Chalk Hill Estate Executive Chef Dider Ageorges

1430 hours: Convoy to Michel-Schlumberger. With full, full bellies we made our way to our second destination of the day... to drink more amazing wines and discover a different sort of beautiful. We were greeted by Jim Morris and Michael Brunson, of course with a crisp glass of Pinot Blanc to prime our palettes. From there, it was a hike off into the vineyards to sample the Michel-Schlumberger wines as we were standing in the vineyards where the grapes were grown.

Michel-Schlumberger is home to loads of critters. Raptor boxes dot the property with frequency (the birds naturally assist with gopher and mice control). There's also a couple of sheep (great lawnmowers), and the very cool chickens.

1630 hours: Blending workshop. We had barrel samples of five different varietals of wine (Merlot, Malbec, Syrah and two different Cabs), and were given the go-ahead to experiment with different blends until we found one to our liking. Once we came up with our own special blend, we got to bottle it up to take home.

My blend is 50% Cabernet, 25% Malbec and 25% Merlot. So yummy.

After the wine blending and before cocktail hour (really?), I had some time to wander Michel-Schlumberger's gardens. These are shots that I like of the flowers, fruits and veggies.

Olives

Figs; pepper

Artichoke

Variegated purple sage; a blossom of some sort!

The Monarch Waystation, with flowers to nourish the commuting butterflies.

This is a picture of the massive oak tree in front of the winery, beneath which we held our blending and tasting sessions. Magnificent, no?

The courtyard patio, where hor's d'oeuvres and sparkling wine (SCV Sea Fog Cuvee Blanc de Noirs, Sonoma Coast) were served before yet another stellar meal.

1845 hours: Food and Wine Pairing Dinner

Chef readying our second feast of the day. Menu and wine pairings were as follows...

Course #1: Sea Scallops alla Caprese - mixed heirloom tomatoes, sweet red onion, fresh basil, lemon and course sea salt (2009 Michel-Schlumberger La Bise Pinot Blanc, Dry Creek Valley)

Course #2: Peppercorn Encrusted Filet of Beef - red wine, balsamic vinegar, brandy and tomato sauce; roasted fingerling potatoes; sauteed baby beans and mushrooms (2006 Michel-Schlumberger La Source Syrah, Dry Creek Valley)

Dessert: Lemon Pudding Cakes with Fresh Blueberries (2002 Michel-Schlumberger Silk Purse Semillon, Dry Creek Valley)

2030 hours: Issuance of Discharge Orders

Phew! Long day, great day. Caloric day (I'm still repenting! It'll be a week of leafy greens and not much else for me!). I'd go back in a heartbeat though....

To all my fellow recruits (most of whom are pictured above) - great to meet you! Mission accomplished!

(To see all of the photos from the day - yes, there are even more! - please visit my Flickr site.)

Toasted Pumpkin Seed Romesco Sauce

2010-09-12T17:02:00.000-07:00

You know those times when you are really looking forward to trying a new dish, only to walk away less than impressed? Such was the case for me a couple of weeks ago. I was stepping up to a lovely catered meal - everything was fresh, gorgeous, healthy - a stunning spread. One of the main entrees was grilled chicken with what sounded like an amazing accompaniment: toasted pumpkin seed Romesco sauce. I was salivating.

Romesco sauce is a classic Spanish roasted red pepper and tomato sauce bursting with flavor and spice. It's made in its traditional form with almonds, hazelnuts, olive oil, roasted garlic, and sometimes even some stale breadcrumbs to add some tooth. Add some smoky paprika, some acid from a lime or red wine vinegar - and wow. You've got yourself a powerhouse of a sauce that tastes great when served with chicken or fish - or even just slathered on a chunk of rustic bread. I was looking forward to trying the caterer's twist on this favorite of mine.

Well, I shouldn't have been so anticipatory. Yawn. The sauce was boring, bland and almost an affront to the title. Romesco sauce, my ass. My disappointed parting thought from that otherwise stellar lunch was that I could do a much better job making the sauce. So that's just what I did.

This past weekend, some Utah Angells descended on Napa Valley and I had the delight of hosting my aunt, uncle and cousins for a BBQ. Not only was it a really fantastic get-together to hang out with family, it gave me a chance to try my hand on the sauce that had been on my mind for weeks. And it turned out great - just as flavorful and bold as a Romesco sauce should be! (Angells - back me up... right?)

So here I give you my version of toasted pumpkin seed Romesco sauce - and I promise it won't disappoint. It's super duper easy - it's basically a three-ingredient recipe, jazzed up with spices. I didn't use breadcrumbs, but did use a lot of pumpkin seeds in order to give it some body. This recipe makes a fair amount (I was feeding ten) - but any leftovers store really well in the fridge. I used the extra from our gathering over some spaghetti squash the next day... still delish.

Toasted Pumpkin Seed Romesco Sauce

1 cup raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
2 tsp. garlic salt
1+ Tbs. chili powder (give the seeds a good coating)
Olive oil, enough to barely coat a large nonstick frying pan
3 roasted red peppers, skins removed (if you don't roast your own peppers, 1 12-ounce jar of roasted peppers, drained, is the equivalent)
1 cup tomato sauce
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tbs. crushed garlic
2 tsp. smoked paprika
Salt and pepper, to taste

On the stovetop, heat the olive oil. Add the pumpkin seeds and spices and toast until the seeds begin to pop. Stir constantly to avoid burning. Drain on a paper towel.

In a food processor, add all of the ingredients except for the olive oil and slat/pepper; puree until smooth. With the processor going, slowly drizzle in the olive oil to emulsify the sauce. Season to taste.

You can then heat it up on the stovetop if you'd like to serve it warm.

Steel Yourself: Savory Oatmeal

2010-09-06T14:43:00.000-07:00

Phew! I am not crazy. Turns out I am not the only person on this planet wise to the ways of savory oatmeal for breakfast. For ever and ever, I've been eating oatmeal sans brown sugar, raisins, or any other of the sweet sprinklings that most people deem necessary. My toppings of choice: butter and salt. OMG good. I make it that way at home, I order it that way in restaurants. It's just the way I like it. Friends scoff. Have been told that I'm loony.

But like I said, turns out, not so much.

I recently became a convert to an even more savory version of my beloved warm cereal on one of my favorite all-time blogs, Appetite, by photographer extraordinaire Penny De Los Santos (it's official - I want her life). She imparts the joys of discovering savory oatmeal to which sharp cheddar, cracked black pepper, sea salt and olive oil are the accouterments. Heaven in bowl. Did you hear me? Heaven! In a Bowl!!

I pretty much made this recipe immediately after reading it, and have enjoyed it every single morning over this long Labor Day weekend when I've had the luxury of leisurely mornings. So naturally, I had to share with you. I hope that you become a convert as well.

Baked Lemons: Add Some Zest to Brunch

2010-09-06T14:21:00.000-07:00

Who needs a brunch idea? This is a good one. Easy too.

Baked lemons, stuffed with whatever your heart desires. The ones pictured here were filled with antipasti-inspired ingredients: sundried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, green olive tapenade, chicken sausage, homemade multigrain croutons, Parmesan, fresh basil.... topped with a heap of shredded mozzerella cheese and baked for 20 minutes in a preheated 350-degree oven. I had juiced the lemons first with a citrus reamer (then scraped out/discarded the remaining fibers), and saved all the juice for salad dressings and marinades - not much goes to waste. I looked forward to an occasion to make this dish as soon as I read about the idea here; a family gathering over the weekend was just the ticket. The lemons turned out to be pretty tasty - the flavors were amazing. One thing I'd change, however: use a meltier cheese inside. The Parmesan - although yummy - just didn't provide the ooze and glue that in hindsight the filling needed. So learn from my mistake, and use a melty cheese to start with.

I like this for brunch because it's a savory dish, but not egg-based, so it really complements the egg dishes and sweet pastries that undoubtedly will be on your menu as well. But of course it would make a great appetizer or side dish for a dinner party too.

The Call of the Cauliflower, Part 1: Roasted Florets

2010-08-15T22:25:00.000-07:00

Ok all you haters out there - prepare to open your minds. I want no pre-conceived notions, no "I don't like it" click-throughs, no stink-face, simply because we're talking about cauliflower here. Ima make a believer out of you. If you just trust me as the cauliflower champion that I am, you will walk away from reading these next couple of blog posts not only wanting to give cauliflower a chance, but actually learning to LOVE it. Yes, I said love. (You - the group over there in the corner? The cauliflower nerds who love it just as much as I? Chime in any time.... let's form an advocacy group!)

Ah, cauliflower. Such a maligned vegetable, for absolutely no good reason. I happen to love it raw and crunchy, plain as the day is long. Or steamed, with a little pat of butter and a sprinkling of salt. But since those are both the primary ways people are accustomed to seeing cauliflower served, they are also the preparations folks have learned to hate. So I'll just pass them right on by and not even try and persuade you.

The next logical option would be to espouse the virtues of baked cauliflower drenched in cream and cheese, such as a decadent gratin. But I won't go there either, because even though I love a cheesy dish probably more than anyone, I'm avoiding the calorie-laden, heavy, hearty, artery-clogging dishes that decimate all health benefits of eating cauliflower in the first place.

The fact is, there are so many more exciting and innovative ways to use cauliflower that are fresh, flavorful and healthy, that it's criminal to dismiss it just out of hand. So let's dive in and explore a couple of options, shall we?

First up: Roasting. This couldn't be any simpler to prepare, and the result of roasting cauliflower under high heat is transformative. Utterly delicious. The way I make it, the little cauliflower kernels come out bursting with flavor, and tasting like those great crunchy bits that we all like to fight over on any baked dish.

Again, no recipe, just a method:

Break up the cauliflower head into tiny florets - like popcorn size
Toss with a glug of olive oil - enough for a light coating
Add the juice of one fresh-squeezed lemon
Season with garlic salt and chili powder
Spread on a baking sheet in one even layer
Roast in a 400-degree oven, stirring occasionally, until the cauliflower is nicely browned and crispy on the edges

Nothing else to it, and it's fabulous. I swear.

The Call of the Cauliflower, Part 2: Counterfeit Carbs

2010-08-15T22:17:00.000-07:00

Ok - not won over yet? The roasted cauliflower - was that still a tough sell? Well what if I told you that you could use cauliflower as a stand-in for your favorite starch? Imagine - replace your carb-loaded mashed potatoes or rice with easily-disguised cauliflower.... and not even notice the difference. It's true. And do you know how I know it's true? I snuck the roasted garlic cauliflower puree past my husband (who - quote - "loathes" cauliflower), letting him assume it was whipped taters.... and he asked for seconds. And thirds. Ha!

Tis simple:

Steam 1/2 a head of cauliflower florets until fork tender (this will make enough for two adequate portions... or if you're like me, just eat it all and call it dinner)
Throw the cooked florets into your food processor with 2-4 tablespoons of plain Greek yogurt (start with less and add as you go - since cauliflower contains so much water, it's easy for the puree to get too thin); puree
Season with kosher salt
If you want to add roasted garlic to the food processor for the puree, all the better (I use about two whole heads of roasted garlic per 1/2 head of cauliflower)
Serve as you would mashed potatoes (I like it with a little bit of butter, chives and salt)

Now faking rice - also easy. The trick is to grate the cauliflower. Grating is an awesome ploy. It renders the cauliflower into completely unrecognizable nibs, which you can then use in dozens of ways (a couple more are coming up... like here and here!). But this fake rice is just that - grated cauliflower that has simply been nuked in the microwave for 2 minutes. You don't even add anything to it before nuking - there's enough water in the cauliflower that it basically steams itself.

So let me repeat the very complicated steps:

Grate
Nuke
Eat

Or get fancy like I did in the pictures - toss in some herbs (in this case, parsley). Voila - herbed rice. No matter the case, it's a five-minute side dish, and it really is amazing. The next time I make this, I'm going to try an Asian-style fried rice version, and I predict great things. But for now, I'm grooving on this plain Jane variety.

So if you're watching your carb intake, or are simply looking for innovative ways to get more veggies in your diet (or to sneak them in your S.O.'s diet - or your kids' diets) - you can't beat these sneaky cauliflower maneuvers. Just try it out for kicks and giggles - it's fun to fool the ones you love.

The Call of the Cauliflower, Part 3: Cauliflower and Kale Tabouli

2010-08-15T22:14:00.000-07:00

Remember how I promised just a minute ago that I'd get you a nice little recipe for grated cauliflower? This one, my dear friends, is the bomb. The shizzle. The whatever-the-kids-are-saying today to indicate vast goodness. Allow me to introduce you to a salad that has, quite possibly, changed my life: Cauliflower and Kale Tabouli.

You know tabouli, right? That freaking awesome Mediterranean salad of parsley, mint, tomatoes, bulgar and maybe some chickpeas if it's fancy? Well this version turns convention on its head and uses only a handful of the traditional ingredients, but comes out tasting just the same, if not better. I saw the idea on one of the many blogs I read, Steamy Kitchen, and tweaked it just a bit more to be even closer to the traditional recipe.

The thing about this salad is that no matter how you choose - or need - to eat, it fits the bill. Pick your diet: vegetarian, vegan, gluten free, low-carb, low fat, raw.... it's all of the above and more. It's jam packed with powerful antioxidants, loads of vitamins, calcium... and lo and behold.... FLAVOR. I made a big batch, thinking it would last me several days (it stands up beautifully in the fridge) - but ate it all in about 48 hours. Once I started in on it, this salad is all I wanted to eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It is that good and addictive.

So without any further ado, here's the best salad that you've never made. Yet.

Cauliflower and Kale Tabouli
(This will make enough for a big party-sized bowl for your next potluck; adjust as you see fit)

1/2 head of cauliflower, grated
1 head of kale, center stems removed and chopped fine (I used flowering kale for the batch in the photos here - I couldn't pass up on the colors!)
1/2 of a good-sized bunch of parsley, stems removed and chopped fine
1/2 cup +/- of mint, chopped fine
1 pint of cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
4 scallions, chopped

For the dressing

The juice of two fresh-squeezed lemons
Equal amount of extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, pressed

To assemble, throw all of the chopped ingredients in a big bowl. Whisk together the dressing ingredients. Pour dressing over the salad and toss. Season to taste with kosher salt. Serve.

The Call of the Cauliflower, Part 4: Cauliflower Pizza Crust

2010-08-15T22:08:00.000-07:00

Now this here, this is the piece de resistance. I've saved the best for last: cauliflower pizza crust. Words simply cannot describe the awesomeness of it - you really do have to make it and taste it and marvel at it to believe it. It's a stellar stand-in for pizza dough - as improbable as it may sounds. But I swear on all that is holy, this crust will knock your socks off.

Again - I have proof. We had out-of-town guests visiting for the weekend, and we celebrated with a homemade pizza party. Since my diet is on double-secret probation, and refined sugars are out (especially if they come in the form of pizza crust), I pulled this recipe out of my back pocket so that I could partake in the festivities as well. Lo and behold, of the four pizzas I made (two with this cauliflower crust, two with a cornmeal crust) - which do you think were the first to go? That's right - the cauliflower crusted pizzas vanished quicker than their traditional counterparts. Everyone loved them. Love love loved them. With a capital L. And that goes for Randall as well, my aforementioned cauliflower-loathing DH.

Now, I'm a pretty imaginative cook, but there's no way I can take credit for this idea. I'd actually seen this recipe online months ago (I tweaked mine slightly), and have been dying to try it ever since. The opportunity just had never presented itself. But after today, I can tell you that this dish will be in permanent rotation at my house. It takes a couple of steps, but baby, when it's pizza that you want, this totally fills the bill. It's worth every single step.

Cauliflower Pizza Crust

1/4 of a head of cauliflower, steamed until fork-tender, then chopped fine (you can also use the fake rice method); you'll need a yield of 1 cup of loosely packed, finely chopped/grated cauliflower
1/2 cup low-fat shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup egg whites
Salt, to taste

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Spread onto a baking sheet that has been generously sprayed with cooking spray (you could also grease the pan with olive oil or butter if you're averse to cooking spray). Use a spatula to form the mixture into a circle. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until edges are nice and crispy (and I mean nice and crispy - they'll be very brown, almost burned). Remove from the oven and top with your favorite toppings*; change the oven from bake to broil. Broil the toppings until cooked through and the cheese is melted.

*The toppings for our cauliflower pizzas were: Pizza #1 - tomato sauce, fresh heirloom tomato slices, spinach, mushrooms, low-fat mozzarella cheese; Pizza #2 - tomato sauce, mushrooms, red bell peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, low-fat mozzarella cheese.

There's an App For That!

2010-08-12T16:16:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm down with the sniffles, so I might as well catch up on some blogging. Nothing too in-depth here - I will likely fall asleep before I fini....

.....zzzzz

Oh! See? This nodding off business is getting old. Another 45 minutes vanished in to the vortex. Let's see if I can stay awake long enough to write about bacon (bacon fixes everything, right?).

A couple of weeks back, I was charged with bringing appetizers to a gathering with friends. My tendency would be to throw together a veggie platter with some hummus and call it good since that's what I like to nibble on, but this particular dinner party called for goodies that I had actually put some thought into. I made two different hors d'oeuvres: mini onion tarts with gorgonzola and cherries, and bacon-wrapped shrimp skewers with a sorrel pesto dip. The tarts turned out to be amazing; the skewers, on the other hand, were good - great flavors - but not as perfectly executed as I had hoped (I'll ask y'all for pointers later).

So the onion tarts. I was the grateful recipient of some gorgeous red torpedo onions from my friend Kristin's garden - they were the inspiration for this dish. As in my typical fashion, there's not so much a recipe for these tasty tarts as some guidelines. Here's what I did:

Sliced the onions into thin slivers, then caramelized them on the stove.
Added a few shots of balsamic vinegar and some chopped rosemary to the caramelized onions; let the vinegar reduce until the onions were sticky and sweet
Added a heaping teaspoon of the onions to pre-made filo pastry tart shells
Added a few crumbles of gorgonzola
Baked until golden and the cheese was melted

That was the first pass. The tarts were good... but seemed a bit too savory. Like they were missing just a little something something. I decided they needed a kick of sweetness, and the plump, juicy cherries sitting on the counter right in front of me proved to be the answer. I plopped a pitted cherry half in each tart for all the subsequent rounds, and they were perfect. So, if you're looking for a simple little appetizer in the few scant weeks that are left of cherry season, this is the one!

My other app, the shrimp and bacon skewers, left me slightly disappointed. Why? What's not to like about prawns? Wrapped in BACON? Well.... my problem was that the two ingredients have vastly different cooking times. Shrimp cooks in an instant, while bacon takes quite a bit longer. So I was stuck with the dilemma of overcooked shrimp/undercooked bacon, no matter what cooking method I attempted. I wound up going with grilling - it seemed to have the best results - but my question for you, dear readers: how do I make this work?! Help me!

Despite this little mishap, the skewers were still very well received at the dinner party. The flavors were awesome. (I served the skewers with a sorrel pesto dip, but failed to get a picture. You can find the sorrel pesto recipe here.) So if I can just get a little advice, I'm certain I'll make these again.

And that's it for this time. I'm due for a nap.....

Living It Up, Loft Style... with Crab!

2010-08-08T16:28:00.000-07:00

Ok - generally, I think I'm pretty cool. Fairly hip to the world. Not entirely primitive in the scheme of things or clueless to what is au courant. I wouldn't exactly say that I'm on the cutting edge, but I didn't think I was wading in the backwaters either. And I'm talking in generalities about everything - technology, fashion, hot spots, friends, hobbies.... whatever. I felt like I had a finger kind of on the pulse.

Um.... turns out, no so much.

I got a bit of a wake up call this week. It hit me - hard up side of the head - that I'm actually quite the country bumpkin. Completely out of my league when it comes to all things trendy, chic and happening. I am, officially, a nerd. Ouch. It stung for a moment as I saw all of my urban fantasies fizzle into reality. But then I looked around and realized I'm ok - more than ok - with my quiet little life and went back to reading my novel. I also realized that I just need to continue living vicariously, and glom onto my friends that have a much more glamourous life than I do.

So that's just what I did this weekend. Ran and I have a friend, Jennifer, who lives in one of those super cool lofts in Oakland - you know the kind: a huge industrial warehouse that has been converted into an amazing living space. That, in and of itself, makes her WAY cooler than I'll ever be. Her loft is particularly spectacular: penthouse level, wrap-around terrace, with sweeping views of the Bay, San Francisco and the East Bay hills. It's got soaring ceilings with 12-foot glass doors and windows providing the same unobstructed view as from the terrace.

It's located near Jack London Square, buffered by the low drone of the 880 on one side and the haunting wails of the train whistles on the other. You can walk to Oakland's Chinatown or the Alameda estuary waterfront, and in between the scrappy, dark, shipyard bars, you can wander into any number of micro wineries or groovy wine bars that are taking up residence in that part of town as well.

It was a great place to convene for a dinner party.

Earlier in the day, Jennifer had procured fresh Dungeness crab from the Asian fishmonger's warehouse a block up the street, and a crab feed was born. She boiled them briefly (just to... you know.... kill them), then they were finished off by roasting them in a bath of olive oil, butter, garlic and shallots. Pair that with a salad, bread and good wine - perfection.

Now I love me some crab, but I shy away from cleaning them. Not that I wouldn't do it, but luckily for me, I have a husband who is really really good at it. Here's a video where he shows you how to clean crab, if you're interested in making them fresh yourself. Invaluable information folks, take a look:

So anyhow, my hipster coolness was restored (in my mind) for a night. I should be good to go for another 30,000 miles. Now where's my jammies?

Impluse Buy

2010-08-08T15:09:00.000-07:00

This little guy made me take pause. I had to buy him, just because its shape was so darn cute. I'm a sucker for a cute veggie. Cute veggie, meet my grill....

Tiny Slices of Heaven: My Burrata Splurge

2010-08-08T14:23:00.000-07:00

I had a pretty darn good week. Had a few successes, felt good about a couple of milestones, got some great feedback on a couple of personal projects. So, I decided to celebrate. What does that mean? Cheese, of course! I got myself some gorgeous heirloom tomatoes, my favorite multigrain crackers, fresh-cut basil from the garden, coursely-ground sea salt.... and the piece de resistance: Burrata!

If you're not familiar with burrata, first - I'm so sorry. Second, a primer thanks to wikipedia: "Burrata is a fresh Italian cheese, made from mozzarella and cream. The outer shell is solid mozzarella while the inside contains both mozzarella and cream, giving it an unusual, soft texture. It is usually served fresh, at room temperature. The name burrata means 'buttered' in Italian."
I know, huh? Needless to say, it was one decadent treat. But I only had enough to really make it feel like a treat - a couple ounces of the cheese at most. But man - it was heaven.

What do you like to treat yourself with when you feel very accomplished?

Shameless Plug: Irresistibly Gluten Free

2010-08-08T12:24:00.000-07:00

Ahhh... high school. Wouldn't go back even if someone said there was a million bucks in it for me. Not a chance. And I had a pretty darn good high school experience, all told... but go back? No. As in Hell No.

Fortunately, I made it through grades 10, 11 and 12 relatively unscathed and came out the other side with some amazing memories and some even more amazing friends. But when I left the rolling hills of Hillcrest High School in Midvale, Utah.... that was it. Sayonara suckahs... on to bigger and better. Pretty much never looked back.

And then along came this thing called Facebook. If you're of my generation or older, you know the phenomenon... suddenly people from the wayback machine start popping up with friend requests, and (at least in my case), you find that you're delighted to reconnect with them. Or at least most of them. Enter my long-lost friend Rob. Rob, our hilariously funny senior class president, one of the cool kids, has been my friend on Facebook for years now. We even caught up in person briefly a year ago at a class reunion - so fun. He's good people, and has grown up to be a really great guy. He's the father of six kids (yep - six!), and wouldn't you know it - three of those six kids have Celiac's disease. That means running a household full of young children on a gluten free diet. Tough. So what's a family to do? Well, Rob's wife, Christina, took matters of health into her own hands. Over the years, she developed tasty, kid-friendly gluten free recipes that kept their family healthy, while still being able to indulge in graham cracker and pizza cravings. After 15 years of gluten free cooking, she decided to take the plunge and share her wealth of knowledge by writing a cookbook. And her perfect partner in crime: husband Rob, who just so happens to be a talented graphic designer.

So I present to you "Irresistibly Gluten Free" - their labor of love. If gluten free cooking is part of your lifestyle, I suggest you pick up a copy. Like right now. You can get it on Amazon, right here: Irresistibly Gluten Free. And of course, you can visit the website to learn more: IrresistiblyGlutenFree.com

Chopping Therapy

2010-07-25T21:01:00.000-07:00

It's my meditation, my calm. There's a rhythm, a focus, a goal. No matter that it involves a sharp object, almost always the very same sharp object with which I nearly severed my left index finger.

Despite the hazards, I like everything about it. Chopping, that is.

There's something, for me, about being solitary in my kitchen and chopping chopping chopping. The heft of the knife handle, the satisfying Guillotine-like sound of a swift slice, the knock of the blade against my seen-better-days bamboo cutting board. I'm beginning to realize that I get out a lot of aggression when it's just me, my knife and a pile of items that need to be cleaved. And not in an enraged sort of way - more like a methodical, focused, in-the-moment sort of way. Zen, via carrots.

Chopping vegetables offers me the most pleasure, with their solid THUNK or their crisp snap as they meet their fate. Meat, however, is a different contentment altogether. I can see the allure of butchery - or surgery, for that matter. I get a deep-seated fulfillment when I can trim a steak just so, or dress down a chicken breast to its naked, shiny essence with a few strokes of a well-honed knife.

Lately, the chopping has been my escape. I spend several hours on a weekend day prepping mounds of veggies for the grill, enough to last me for the week ahead. I've come to crave that time to myself, and I prefer it to be silent, with only the thuds and whacks of my efforts serving as accompaniment. I don't think about anything but the task at hand - no thoughts of the stresses in my life, no worrying over the trifles, no job, no pets, no DH - just the chopping. Some people like to bake for the very same reason, but for me, there's too much mental involvement in baking (oy - the measuring and recipe-following!). So I'll just chop instead, thank you very much. If I had the time, I'd make Asian-style stir-fry dinners every night, just for the opportunity to chop.

I'm not sure why I'm even writing this - probably because I just finished up my chopping for the week, and I'm so HAPPY. The result of an hour or so of chopping followed by another hour or so at the BBQ means that my fridge is now full of gorgeous grilled veggies, grilled chicken, grilled salmon... my week ahead looks delicious. But alas... no more chopping until next Sunday and a whole new set of stresses rolls around. Sigh.

What about you? How do you find solace in the kitchen? Or do you?

Grilling and Chilling: My 4th of July

2010-07-05T21:18:00.000-07:00

From my decidedly non-scientific poll, it seems as though oodles of folks stuck close to home this past holiday weekend, opting for grilling and chilling as opposed to driving and colliding (I wanted that to rhyme... sorry, lame). That certainly was the case with me. I stuck close to home, and think I turned on the grill for darn near every meal over the long weekend. For my one lone venture to parts yonder, I made it all the way from Napa to St. Helena (phew!), and enjoyed the grill skills of good friends.

The next few posts will give you a run-down of some of the noms I made when left to my own devices; this, however, is the result of the 4th of July extravaganza BBQ put on by my friends:

(Doesn't that look ridiculous?!! Off the hook....)

(This one is my plate, as I was attempting to show restraint at the buffet.... FAIL!)

I dare say, it was not your average Q. This particular group of friends consisted of a local chef and caterer (yo Kinyon!); an Italian who would like nothing more than to hang up his day job and cook, cook, cook; a passionate baker; a food blogger (yours truly); a hobbyist winemaker (lucky me - my DH!), and a couple of devoted foodies thrown in for good measure. Assemble those kind of folks together for a dinner party, and by God, the spread didn't disappoint. My friend Glenn (the Italian), worked up a burger bar beyond belief - lamb burgers with edam cheese and fresh mint; beef burgers with sharp cheddar - and Kinyon grilled them to perfection. Topping choices included carmelized onions, sauteed shiitake mushrooms, avocado, heirloom tomatoes, house-made pickles, arugula, Fatted Calf bacon... and on and on. The rest of the Independence Day spread could have fed Patton's Army: grilled Dijon potato salad, tortellini salad, white bean salad, grilled veggies, Model Bakery buns and rolls... probably more! Not to mention the appetizers, desserts and free-flowing wine.

At the end of the night, I almost wished someone would have taken away my freedom to graze the buffet. We were there to "let freedom ring" and all, but damn... it should be downright unconstitutional for me to indulge like that. Erp.

How about you? Was it a grilling and chilling sort of holiday for you as well? Whatever the case, I hope you enjoyed some good times with good friends over some good food... you know, fare to remember! Read on for some of my grilling adventures from this chill weekend...mmmm!

Grilling and Chilling: Veg!

2010-07-05T21:13:00.000-07:00

One of my absolute favorite things to throw on a grill is vegetables. Any kind of veg - mushrooms, asparagus, squash, fingerling carrots, corn, eggplant, endive... you name it. If it's a vegetable, it's pretty darn likely I will grill it (although I can't say that I've grilled broccoli with much success - steaming doesn't count). Now don't get me wrong - I enjoy a fat ribeye as much as the next carnivore out there - but a juicy steak is a treat. Vegetables - now those are daily necessities in my book.

People often ask me what I eat "for real." Fare to Remember probably gives the impression sometimes that I cook a lot, eat out a lot, and enjoy a huge variety of food. In truth, not so much. In my day-to-day life, I stick with lean proteins, seasonal fruit, whole grains and loads and loads of veggies. Pretty darn predictable on any given day.

So, for my grilling and chilling weekend, I knew that loading up the grill with my farmer's market haul would be at the top of my list. I like to grill loads of stuff in advance - chicken breasts and heaps of veggies - that I then eat all week long. I keep it simple - just toss everything with some good olive oil, season with kosher salt and cracked pepper, and then grill away.

One of my favorite applications for grilled veggies - aside from just eating them straight up - is throwing them in a bowl together with a grain. Pictured above, and one of my all-time faves, is quinoa (ok ok... quinoa is technically a seed - not a grain. So sue me.). I cook the quinoa in my rice cooker (add liquid, push button, walk away - my kind of kitchen duty!) - and I like to prepare it with chicken or vegetable stock as opposed to plain water. The result of combining quinoa and grilled veggies is no less than one humongous bowl of super food - hearty, straight from Mother Nature, exploding with fiber and packed with protein. It's a vegan dish that fulfills darn near every possible nutritional requirement and then some.

So that's my dinner or lunch (or both) 90 percent of the time. The veggies will change with the season, the grain will change according to mood, but the essence is still the same. Lucky me, I can grill year-round here in the gorgeous, temperate Napa Valley, but I have a feeling that if I lived in the heart of Siberia, I'd still find a way to fire up a grill in the midst of a howling blizzard. Now if I could only figure out how to grill that darn broccoli.... anyone?

Grilling and Chilling: French Toast

2010-07-05T21:10:00.000-07:00

I love the internets. Saw a little nugget of information posted on a friend's Facebook page; something to the tune of "Camping? be sure to make French toast kebabs on the grill!" followed by a quick and simple recipe.

Well blow me over. I thought I was pretty adept at making anything and everything on a grill, and totally pride myself on hella good camp eats. But I have never grilled French toast - what a concept. So, of course on this past grilling and chilling weekend, I had to give it a go right here in my own backyard. Results: spectacular. Am officially adding the kebabs to my breakfast/brunch repertoire, camping or not.

Not much to it - just whip up your favorite French toast custard recipe and pour it over big cubes of day-old crusty bread. (My simple custard recipe consists of 3 eggs, 1/2 cup milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla, a dash of cinnamon, a dash of nutmeg, whisked into submission. If I'm feeling a little fancy, I'll add a splash of Grand Marnier.) I let the bread cubes absorb all of the egg mixture (it was a good 20 minute soak), threaded them onto skewers, then cooked them over a hot, well-oiled grill. Dusted the finished kebabs with powdered sugar, then ate them up with butter and maple syrup. SUPER simple. SUPER good. Nuf said.

Grilling and Chilling: Avocados

2010-07-05T21:08:00.000-07:00

Advertising works! During my daily commute, I try my best not to listen to the radio - the incessant ads drive me bonkers. But there are those days when my CD selection just isn't cutting it, the iPod fails to deliver, or I'm just plain lazy... and the radio is a better alternative than listening to the thoughts in my head.

Last week, during one such stretch of radio time, I heard an advertisement from the California Avocado Commission. One of the growers was recounting his favorite way to prepare avocados: brushed with olive oil and lemon juice, grilled, then loaded up with salsa in the middle. Um... hello, yum?

Over this past grilling and chilling weekend, I gave it a go. Happy to report it is delicious. Grilling the avocados until the fruit is warmed all the way through makes them even creamier, and the grilling imparts a bit of smokiness to the flavor. I scooped my warmed avocado directly from the skin with corn chips; mixed with the salsa, the result was like a warm, ready-made guacamole. It takes zero effort, and would make a great appetizer or side dish to any BBQ spread. I, however, enjoyed mine all on its own - now I call that a lunch!

The Secret is Out: Toasted Pasta

2010-06-27T21:32:00.000-07:00

I learned a great new trick from an Italian friend of mine: toasting fresh pasta. It's a great little secret, and apologies to Glenn, but I'm gonna share it.

The premise is simple: take fresh pasta (he used big sheets of lasagna; I opted for linguine), pop it in a hot oven (425 degrees) and bake it until it's toasty brown. Then boil it.

Holy smokes - the result is subtle and yet profound: the pasta takes on a deep, nutty flavor and requires almost zilch to dress it up. I tossed my toasted-then-boiled linguine with a mixture of equal parts lemon juice and olive oil, fresh thyme from my garden, lemon zest, and shreds of asiago cheese. Topped it all with some grilled patty pan squash from the farmer's market, and boy - what a meal.

So if you're looking for a twist on the same old same old, this will do the trick. It's a fantastic light summer meal. Toasted pasta - who knew?

Recent Eats: A Little Culinary Jaunt

2010-06-27T20:20:00.000-07:00

Funny thing... just as I'm vowing to have a monastic dietary life (and for the most part, I am), I seem to be eating out more. The eating out thing pretty much clashes with my intent to get my five-a-day veg fix, eat only lean proteins and whole grains, cut out refined sugars and simple starches... along with my always and forever rule of no fried foods. Not that you can't eat well while eating out, but damn... when you sidle up to the hottest new Southern restaurant and fried green tomatoes are on the menu, well hell. You go with it - life is too freaking short. Right? (Please say I'm right!)

Anyhows - I'd be remiss if I didn't share with you a couple of recent restaurant excursions to places both new and new to me. This quick culinary jaunt will take you from Napa to Marin to downtown Oakland... I get around. If you're making the rounds, you should visit these places too.

First up: Norman Rose Tavern here in Napa. A new-ish joint opened by the same folks that operate my favorite pizza place in town, Azzuro Pizzeria. It took a random Saturday a few weeks back with not much on the docket to finally get me and my DH to this hopping new local spot. We should have gone sooner - but then again, I knew that. It's got a great vibe - totally casual - and a fantastic menu, highlighting lots of local items (Fatted Calf hot dogs!). And I was thrilled - finally a place in town that serves a decent salad (it's amazing the lack of salad choices in the few casual eateries that exist here in Napa). The Norman Rose chop salad is now officially my go-to eating out dish: crisp lettuce and green cabbage, roasted peppers, grilled chicken... healthy, gorgeous, perfectly sized and rightfully priced. Not too bad for my healthy eating pledge, right? Wrong. I had to go and ruin it by sharing a heaping plate of truffle and Parmesan fries. Oh yes I did. But at least I can check that off my list and pass them over the next time. Been there, done that.

Another place I'm going to mention is the new Brick & Bottle in Corte Madera. Stopped in for lunch, and had a really, really good turkey burger (topped with roasted red peppers and avocado - just like I'd make at home); the downside: a really greasy bun. My friends had a club sandwich and chicken salad respectively, both of which looked awesome. If I go back, I'm definitely having the salad - chopped radicchio, watercress, grilled chicken... yum. I mention this place not because it was stellar, rather, because it's new, and I'm eager to hear feedback from anyone out there that's been. Let me know if you're experience was the same as mine: great food, but the prices seemed a bit steep, and our service was lacking. The staff was friendly enough - but our server was a little absent and slow. I also wonder if the location will be to its detriment as well - it's in a strip mall, down the road a bit from the hub of the dining action in Corte Madera. I wonder if folks will seek this place out. So... my verdict is still out. How about you?

And finally, the piece de resistance: Picán in downtown Oakland. Now, "fine dining" and "downtown Oakland" don't necessarily go hand in hand. But that is changing. If there is to be a renaissance in downtown Oakland, Picán is doing its part to lead the way.

Much has been written about this place that serves Southern comfort food with a California twist. Our group went after hearing the rave reviews about the fried chicken (we had to compare with our Ad Hoc fried chicken smackdown results). Alas, after reading the menu, I couldn't pass up the shrimp and grits... had to leave the fried chicken ordering up to Randall (he came through, of course!).

Everyone at the restaurant was really eager to please, which is fortunate. We arrived for an early reservation and were shown to probably the WORST table in the entire place - while the dining room sat mostly empty. Huh?? Of course we requested a change, and to their credit, seated us where we asked to be seated, no attitude given. Our server - who turned out to be someone who had been our waitress at another restaurant in Contra Costa County over a year ago (hey Jill!) - was amazing. It was freakishly weird that I recognized her, but she's great at her job and can spar with Randall like nobody's business. I don't forget folks who can hold their own against Ran! So once we got the perfect table, our night was off to a great start.

I loved everything that we ordered. Everything. For starters: hush puppies, fried green tomatoes, a peach/tomato panzanella salad. Cornbread slathered with butter. Awesome cocktails (it's a bourbon house - all the cocktails are made with southern whiskeys and my Kentucky margarita was amazing. I had two.). The collard greens- to die for; my shrimp and grits - just what I wanted. The fried chicken - the whole reason we were there - also very good. They serve it with a truffled honey on the side (or drizzled tableside if you prefer). Not my ball of wax, but I can see the appeal. I loved that they deboned the breast - great touch. It was delicious, of course. The raves are correct. However, I must admit, Ad Hoc's fried chicken is still tops in my book. The gouda mac and cheese that was served with the chicken (in the cutest little cast iron pot skillet you ever did see) - was amazing, and dare I even say it - almost too rich. For me to say a cheese dish is too rich is outrageous, but this mac and cheese was over the top. It took four of us to try and finish it, and we couldn't do it. It might be the first time in my life I left cheese at the table.

We ordered a couple of desserts to share between the four of us - and my bites of both the pecan tart and the banana pudding were yumm-o. I could have eaten the brown butter caramel sauce on the pecan tart with a spoon, and the buttermilk ice cream that it was served with could make even me an ice cream convert. Good stuff.

So there you have it. Some new dining choices here in the Bay Area. I'm done with dining out for a while, I think... unless, of course anybody out there has some suggestions. Anyone? :)