Gourmetish

Weekend in Montecito

2009-12-30T17:17:00.000-08:00

I thought I had died and gone to heaven. I think it took me most of the day to realize how amazing this place was; this house in Montecito. My ex-boyfriend from college texted me right before Christmas to see if I was in town (Santa Ynez Valley) and wanted to meet him at his brother's rental house. His brother and fiance were visiting from Texas and had rented this beautiful house in Montectio with a heated pool and hot tub. As gorgeous as the house was, the best part of my visit wasn't the house, it was the company and the food.

Let me just tell you that these guys know how to eat and drink. Follow me through the day:

Noon-I arrived in Montecito

1pm-Head out to the harbor and stop by Brophy Brothers for a dozen oysters, oyster shooters, and some beer/wine

2pm-Decided it was too crowded so we went to State Street for some window shopping

3pm-Hungry again, we went to the Neighborhood Bar where they have microbrews and satisfying pub food. Ordered the chicken and goat cheese panini and amber beer; 2 thumbs up.

4pm-Stuffed, we head back to the house to rest but not before stopping off at Trader Joe's where I picked up two bottles of wine. The first was a delicious Lane Tanner Pinot Noir (only recently available at TJ's and one of my favorite winemakers) and the second a very cheap bottle of Liberty 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon (Paso Robles) with an impressive label designed by a very talented guy I know.

4pm-7pm-Enjoyed Christmas cookies my mom and I had made along with the wine purchases. Friends opened up yet another bottle of wine they had and we finished with a fourth bottle of Aqua Pumpkin Pinot Noir. They were so impressed with the AP Pinot when they went out to eat that they called up Kenneth Volk Vineyards and ordered 3 cases. I love the spontaneity of it all.

7:30/8pm-Realizing we better eat now before the restaurants close, we head over to nearby Lucky's on Coast Village Road in Montecito. (Note: my responsible friend B was the DD, no need to worry!)

8-10pm-Ordered a bottle of Aqua Pumpkin Pinot Noir (my new friends' favorite of the weekend) right away (not that we needed anymore wine, but we were celebrating the holidays with old and new friends). Going along with the theme of extravagence, our host, B's brother, ordered a dozen oysters that were definitely the BEST oysters I have ever had (ironically from the east coast). Sex on a plate, my friends. They were so good they made you feel almost high (or maybe that was just the massive amount of wine we had consumed?).

B and I were so impressed with the oysters we decided to order another dozen. Our generous host ordered a salmon (perfectly cooked) and steak (melted like butter in my mouth) to share. I don't remeber what we ordered for dessert but I know it was throughly enjoyed.

12am-Fat and happy, we went home and enjoyed a midnight dip in the hot tub (and I tried out the incredible heated pool). I honestly can not imagine living like that. It was a priceless experience.

We all know that food and luxury are great but these things don't matter without good friends. The highlight of my weekend in Montecito was getting to spend time with my old friend and my two new friends from Texas. Such kind-hearted, generous, and fun-loving people that left quite an impression on me (one that I would have had even if we had dined on PB&J sandwiches). I'm looking forward to their return visit so I can show them around our wine country; it's sure to be a good time.

Birthday Trip to LA

2008-11-21T23:28:00.001-08:00

Just a quick comment on my trip. It was entirely food. In twenty-four hours we managed to eat dim sum at Elite, shop at a nearby Asian market, eat tapas at Cobras y Matador, a midnight snack in Thai town at Ruen Pair, and a late breakfast/lunch at my old haunt, HOME in Los Feliz.

A side note: I recently read an article in Wired saying that blogs are dead and that twitter-like sites are taking over. Perhaps there should be food twitters instead of blogs. Since I never have time to blog I'm thinking I should "twitter" my food thoughts.

So here's a breakdown:

1.)Dim Sum at Elite: long wait, everything was tasty, prices on the higher end, sweeter items (BBQ Pork Bao, Almond shrimp ball and Snow Bun with Almond Flavor) were satisfying but some of the dumplings didn't have enough flavor for me (ex: the shark's fin and red clam dumpling). They were also missing a few items I love. Overall I'd go back but I missed the carts. Didn't think I would but I did. It's not better than Pearl in San Diego but it's worth the wait.

2.)Cobras y Matador: I've already been there but remembered it fondly and it was near the concert (The Black Keys!) we were attending. Service was a bit slow considering the place was nearly empty but the food was good. I think we had artichoke fritters and roasted mussels (oven dried tomatoes, saffron, wine). Now I know inflation has greatly affected restaurants but even though the food is good it's way too pricey.

3.)I did a LOT of research before this trip on where to go for Thai food since I had to have good dim sum and good Thai. Well, Ruen Pair is the place and I'm so glad we went. They serve the best papaya salad I've ever had. Truly addictive. I even ate the leftovers for breakfast. We also had tasty shrimp cakes and chicken sate which was also pretty good. The papaya salad was so good (in my opinion) that I'm still thinking about it.

4.)HOME: The neon sign (which has, sadly, changed a bit) says "There's No Place like HOME". It's true. This is still one of my favorite restaurants and it serves simple salads, sandwiches, etc. The prices are still affordable, the portions are large and easy to share, and they have great waffle fries and excellent bruchetta. I almost always get their chicken cesaer salad wrap but this time I got a different sandwich that was just as delicious. I'm sure plenty of people would say I'm exaggerating but, for me, this truly is home. Oh, they also renovated and the whole place is clean and cozy (in a good way, not a "cramped" way) instead of crumbling like it was when I first moved to LA.

While I missed LA food, I did not miss the traffic. The weekend we went it was hazy and crowded and reminds me of why I live in wine country (Santa Barbara's). Being in close proximity to good wine has made it worth it to live without some of my favorite foods. I'm just going to have to improve upon my Asian home-cooking skills and learn how to make a mean papaya salad myself. Guess I'll be stocking up everytime I find an Asian market. Until I can afford to open up my own dim sum restaurant up here, that is. Would it be weird to have a small plates restaurant witih dim sum, tapas, and Thai appetizers?

Food vacation

2008-08-22T23:25:00.000-07:00

I haven't written in ages. My two jobs and 2-year old boy (and newly re-started singing) has kept me so busy that sometimes my head shakes in anticipation of an eruption, much like that of a volcano.

One of the main reasons I don't post as much anymore is because I have moved to an extremely expensive area (Santa Barbara county) and I can rarely afford to go anywhere to eat and I'm so busy I don't cook as often. There are a few places I would like to post about once I have photos: American Flatbread (probably one of the best restaurants in SB county); Yanagi Sushi (new in Santa Maria), Chef Rick's (one of the best chefs in the county), Suvan's Kitchen in Lompoc, China Pavillion in Santa Barbara and Montecito, and a few others.

Now, if you ask me about local wine I can tell you stories. Pretty much all I drink now is local wine. Working with winemakers is a fantastic job. Most of them have past lives unrelated to wine and they all followed their passion.

The reason I'm currently online is that I was searching the corners of the web for dim sum reviews for LA. During the short time I lived in LA I didn't have any foodie friends (fortunately I have a ton of foodie friends now who truly understand) so I never went to dim sum. Then I moved to San Diego and dragged my husband to Pearl and a few others. Pearl had excellent dim sum and a great pond out back. We also made it to San Francisco and ate at a delicious all-Chinese dim sum restaurant where I sat next to two 100-year old Chinese men and the servers spoke little to no English (my kind of place...we speak a common language..food!).

After several hours of research I have finally decided to try Elite dim sum in Monterey Park because other food bloggers took some great photos that have me salivating as I write.

If anyone disagrees with my choice please speak up quickly! I leave Sunday early morning. If all goes as planned, we will go to dim sum, go to Ranch 99 to stock up, go to a concert that night, grab some Sichuan food (depending on when the concert is over) or go to a late-night Thai restaurant, and head to the Westin Bonaventure (gotta love Priceline) where I can think about Monday's meals.

On Monday we'll have to choose between many of my favorites: Home (in Los Feliz right by where I used to live), Doughboys (near my friend's house not far from the Beverly Center), Porto's (for pastries in Glendale), and a few new places I've been wanting to try. No trips to Spago for me, thanks. I'm a working gal who eats at restaurants with working-class prices.

I have been wanting to try that macroon place in Beverly Hills, I think it is. Is it still there? LA eateries seem to come and go so quickly. Another place on my list is Breadbar. Two of my favorite words.

So, friends, if anyone in LA (or nearby) happens to fall upon this post in the next day, please send me your thoughts. Please, be nice. I know I'm a piggie and it might be a tad on the unhealthy side to eat my way through LA, but I know some of you understand.

Hopefully I will remember to bring my camera. If not, I will try to post anyway.

Wish me luck!

Sake from Space

2008-01-27T23:24:00.000-08:00

Tonight I was researching restaurants online for a friend of mine who's living in Kochi-ken, Japan and I came across an interesting article titled "Space Sake -- Sake From Another World" (scroll down to second article on page). If anyone happens to know of some restaurants in that area that she should try--please let me know!

Enjoy!

PS. I'm hoping to start up my blog again soon from the Santa Barbara area.

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY

2007-09-01T17:15:00.000-07:00

Sadly, it has been months since I have written. I have realized that it is very difficult to maintain a blog while taking care of a rambunctious [now] eight-month old boy.

Currently I am listening to my inner dialogue (between myself and myself) and trying to decide whether or not I should continue to blog. If I do continue, should I narrow my focus? That will soon be determined, my friends.

In addition to raising a child, I have had a lot of changes in my life lately. My husband and I are in the process of moving to Santa Barbara County (to the wine country, 40 minutes north of Santa Barbara) and I am studying viticulture/enology at Alan Hancock College (one cannot have too many degrees, I say). My goal is to get a degree in wine marketing and sales by the summer (with an internship this spring). I'll let you know how it goes.

I am finding that life in Santa Barbara's wine country is not easy for a city-girl like me. It's one of the most beautiful places in the country but a big culture-shock to a girl who can't imagine life without dim sum and traditional (especially Sichuan) Chinese cuisine. Fortunately they have some Thai, sushi, and one good Chinese restaurant (that I'm aware of so-far) but it's not enough for an Asian-cuisine obsessed foodie such as myself. I'm hoping there is a Pho place up there somewhere. Recently my husband and I have frequented Mr. Pho in Oceanside and can't imagine not being able to get cheap flavorful Vietnamese eats on a regular basis (and at 9pm when we realize we've almost missed dinner!).

Perhaps one day I can still write those posts about new restaurants I've found in the North County, San Diego area.

Stay tuned for possible (as I have not decided if I want to re-commit myself to the food blog world) adventures in Santa Barbara's wine country.

Travel: Southwest

2007-05-01T16:22:00.000-07:00

Check out my post below about my recent travels (through food) in the Southwest. I had saved it as a draft a while ago so it posted on the day I saved it (oops!). It chronicles my stops in Williams, Albuquerque, Santa Fe, and Sedona.

Upcoming Food Events

2007-04-25T22:00:00.000-07:00

Some upcoming food events in the San Diego area:

April 28 & 29: Encinitas Street Fair
April 28 & 29: Temecula Wine and Music Festival
May 2: 31 cent scoop night at Baskin' Robbins (benefits Firefighters Fund), 5-10pm
May 5: Cinco de Mayo (there's a festival everywhere in San Diego from Oceanside to the gaslamp!)
May 5: Rancho Days Fiesta
May 6: Carlsbad Village Faire
May 11, 12, 13: Gator by the Bay (Zydeco and Crawfish)
May 12: Beach to Brewery Beer and Music Fest
May 12: Family Chocolate Festival at the Quail Botanical Gardens
May 19 & 20: Old Town Temecula Western Days
May 20: Festa Siciliana in Little Italy
May 20: North Park Festival of the Arts
May 25-28: Strawberry Festival in Garden Grove
May 27: Ethnic Food Fair at Balboa Park's International Cottages
June 1-3: Temecula Valley Balloon and Wine Festival
June 6-10: Cherry Valley's Cherry Festival

Carlsbad Farmer's Market: Strawberry Fest

2007-04-16T15:48:00.000-07:00

The Carlsbad Village Farmers' Market will hold its Annual Strawberry Festival on Wednesday, April 18, 1-5pm and Saturday, April 21, 9am-1pm. The markets are held weekly in Carlsbad Village at 2930 Roosevelt Street in the Public Parking Lot between Carlsbad Village Drive and Grand Avenue. The Strawberry Festival celebration will include lots of very special strawberry treats, live music and family fun!

Come for our famous homemade Strawberry Shortcake with whip cream and look for many other strawberry delights including cool Strawberry Smoothies, decadent Chocolate-covered Strawberries, or smooth Strawberry Flan. Make sure you get your fresh local strawberries and, of course, you can also shop for an abundance of other fresh produce, flowers and many fabulous foods and crafts.

The Carlsbad Garden Club will again attend the festival. These “green thumbed gals” will have plants and tools for sale and will be on hand to share their gardening tips. All proceeds from the Club's sales go to a scholarship for a Mira Costa College horticultural student. Call 760-434-2553 or 760-687-6453 for more information.

Travel: Southwest (AZ and NM)

2007-04-16T15:15:00.000-07:00

Williams, AZ (near Grand Canyon): Pine Country Restaurant

If you're going to the Grand Canyon then you know the main towns nearby are Williams or Flagstaff. We stayed in Williams on our way to the Canyon on our trip from California to New Mexico. The most appealing restaurant near our motel was the Pine Country Restaurant.

As you can tell from the recipes I cook, I'm not really into American food. Especially not country food. However, I know a lot of people love some good country cookin'. This restaurant is THE place to go for some American home-style food. The prices are incredible. My mom ordered a 2 pork chop meal for only $8.99 (including sides). She said the chops were cooked perfectly. They also specialize in pies. We took home a slice of apple pie for breakfast and it was still really good that next morning. The service was great in the restaurant as well. I didn't even mind the picnic-style tables because they were new-ish and clean. Just remember that you need to arrive early because there are a TON of tourists eating there who just came from or are headed to the Grand Canyon.

The reason for our trip was to check out some property that my Grandpa owns near Albuquerque that he's never seen. Strange, I know. So my mom and I thought it would be an adventure to take a road trip to see exactly what my Grandpa got himself into. Before we checked out the property we had to pick up some paperwork in a nearby town called Belen. This is the biggest town in the area and it was soooo tiny. There was no where to eat in that area except for a few chains that I was not interested in trying. Apparently Blake's Lottaburger is a big chain in that part of New Mexico. They also had a Teriyaki Chicken in Foil. Needless to say, Belen was not my kind of town and I chose to wait until dinner to eat.

Albuquerque, New Mexico: Flying Star Cafe

After at least an hour of roaming the city for a place to eat that didn't smell bad and wasn't touristy, my mom and I came across the college district. The best tip for travellers is to find the university area for cheap and often times, tasty eats. We debated between a pizza and Mexican place but decided to eat at the Flying Star Cafe where they had a diverse menu.

In the front of the restaurant is a bakery with cake, pies, pastries, bagels, and the biggest cream puffs you've ever seen. We were tempted but only got 2 almond croissants and a cookie for the next day (the croissants were dried out the next day but the cookie was decent).

Fortunately the meals were delicious. Everything is homemade and fresh. My mom ordered fish and chips that were surprisingly great. The fish was crisp but not dry, the fries tasty, and the coleslaw just right. My turkey panini-style sandwich came with green chiles (I had to get something with a southwest flair) and turkey cut straight off the roast. It was almost too rich, the turkey was that good. The potato salad on the side was also made just right (old fashioned, chunky, without too much mayo and it had a lot of fresh veggies in it). I loved the meals so much that I wish we had another day in Albuquerque just so I could go there. Everything was really affordable, too.

I learned from our trip that when you have trouble finding good eats in an unfamiliar town, look for the college area and you're sure to find something good. If we hadn't found the Nob Hill area we might have been out of luck. Albuquerque is not exactly a foodie town. I actually found the city to be fairly dismal. To each his own, I suppose.

Baby Killian at Flying Star Cafe

One of Albuquerque's eateries that we chose not to try.

Santa Fe, New Mexico: Blue Corn Cafe

Our experience in Santa Fe was similar to our experience in Albuquerque but for a different reason. Santa Fe is a wonderful town with beautiful architechture and a lot to do (and eat!). However, it appeared that many of the restaurants in the museum area were located upstairs or were too fancy. This is a problem when you have a four-month old. It's also a problem when it's snowing and you didn't pack for cold weather (so you look kind of disheveled).

Again we spent hours looking for a place to eat. Finally we managed to get the stroller upstairs (not as easy as it sounds with my chubby baby) so we could eat at the Blue Corn Cafe. They seemed to have some local meals to sample which was my goal for our trip.

Our chips and guacamole appetizer was perfect. The blue corn chips were my favorite and it came with salsa (made exactly the way I like it). I love chips that are super thin, crispy, and made fresh. I hadn't had chips that good in a while. Usually when we go to a Mexican restaurant I don't like the chips or the salsa (one or the other).

I ordered a grilled chicken sandwich with a honey chipotle glaze and carmelized onions. Normally I'm hesitant about ordering chicken sandwiches because restaurants tend to dry out the chicken. This sandwich was fantastic. I'm determined to recreate their glaze at home.

My mom had one of their Mexican combos which was very good and perfect for the chilly day (it snowed while we ate). Her rootbeer was great, too. Apparently they make their own. It has a great home brewed flavor and was barely carbonated which we both liked better because it gave you more room to eat!

On our way back to Albuquerque from Santa Fe we wanted to stop by the Whole Foods we saw but missed it so we stopped at a natural grocery store instead. It was one of the most impressive natural food stores I've been to. They had all sorts of nuts, grains, homeopathic supplies, etc. By the register they had some sweet empanadas that we bought for our trip. My mom had the cherry one and I had an apple. They were made by a bakery called Chocolate Maven that I will definitely go to if I ever return to Santa Fe. These sweet empanadas were some of the best pastries I've ever had. Not only that but they couldn't have been that fresh. It was evening when we bought them and we didn't eat them until the next day!

I just checked Chocolate Maven's website (see link above) and they have been featured on the food network by Giada De Laurentiis. I would love to check out their cafe as well during my next visit.

Sedona, AZ: El Rincon Restaurante Mexicano and NY Bagels & Deli

My visit to Sedona was way too short. We were there for dinner and briefly for breakfast (but we stayed in Cottonwood). It has to be one of the most beautiful places I've ever been to (even compared to Yosemite). No wonder it's a huge tourist spot.

As always, I was starved (my mom doesn't ever seem to "need" to eat) and desperate for some good southwest food. We settled on El Rincon restaurante because it was nearby and had good reviews. I'm not sure who reviewed this place, though. The chips and salsa were okay but not great. My mom's sweet tamale and beef taco were pretty good (she thought it was the lightest tamale she's ever had). I had half her taco and while it was good, I've had better in California. My shrimp taco was the grossest meal I've received at a restaurant in a long time. The shrimp looked like they had been boiled and the shredded cheddar didn't go at all. I've had a lot of good shrimp tacos and I really didn't think they could be butchered this badly. I was wrong. It was so gross I couldn't even eat it. Fortunately we had ordered a side of Navajo fry bread (I had only had it at a friends house and never at a restaurant so we had to try it before we got back to Cali). The bread was pretty good but I remembered it tasting better at my friend's house.

So if you stick to the tamales and tacos (and possibly Enchiladas which they seem to specialize in) then you'll be fine. However, if you're picky like me then don't even bother going there. Sedona has many other fine restaurants to choose from.

The next morning we were supposed to get on the road back to CA but we had to drive through Sedona one last time for the view and to pick up breakfast. Since we didn't have time to stop at a restaurant we went to a NY deli and bakery (called New York Bagels & Deli) figuring it would do. It didn't just "do"...it rocked! The bagels were perfect, the hoagies divine, the Elephant Ears/Palmiers the best I've ever had, and the cookies were as well. I still wish I had ordered one of their eclairs. The best part is that it was all cheaper than a deli in NY (or LA for that matter). The prices didn't match the excellent taste.

I love it when you find a great NY deli in the desert. That happened to me once in Palm Springs. I guess it's because a lot of New Yorkers tend to retire where it's warm, like the southwest or Florida.

So if you happen to be driving across the Southwest I recommend you plan your stops ahead of time. There aren't a lot of places to eat along the 40 (unless you like chains). Usually I plan ahead and the one time I didn't made travelling difficult for me. Hopefully my experience can help at least one other person. If you're going to or through Albuquerque, Santa Fe, or Sedona you now have at least one place where you can eat!

New Mexico/Arizona

2007-04-05T23:51:00.000-07:00

Anyone have any restaurants they recommend in New Mexico or Arizona? I think we're taking the 40 one way and the 10 back. We'll be staying in Albequerque for a few days and we're going to try and stop by the Grand Canyon on the way out there.

If you have any tips for good eats alone the way please let me know asap (we leave early Monday).

Thanks!

Lemon Cranberry Muffins

2007-04-04T23:22:00.000-07:00

There is nothing like a good muffin in the morning.

My main muffin problem is that most of my recipes (at least the ones I haven't worn out) are either too rich, too healthy (a.k.a bland), or too savory for breakfast. I have a few muffins that I make regularly but I was looking for something new.

Of course the first place I looked was on food blogs. I found a great recipe on Weekly Dish under Jennifer's muffin category. The recipe sounded simple and used buttermilk (truly the best baking ingredient besides chocolate). They were such a hit with my husband and mother-in-law that I made them again a week later. I wouldn't be surprised if I make them yet again when my parents come to visit this weekend. They're so easy yet so moist and divine. It's a very versatile recipe, too. This past time I added fresh blueberries and you could add practically any fruit (dried or fresh) that you like. Or skip the fruit and just add chocolate.

Flourless Chocolate Cake

2007-04-04T23:08:00.000-07:00

I thought I would continue my chocolate obsession by posting about my husband's birthday cake. I knew he wasn't a huge fan of cake like me. We prefer tarts, pies, and pastries to regular cakes. So I decided to make a cake that doesn't taste like cake.

This flourless chocolate cake recipe comes from my trusty Baking Illustrated cookbook and is very simple. When I told friends and family that I made this cake they were perplexed (although I'm not sure why, hasn't everyone heard of flourless cake?); what holds the cake together? Chocolate of course. 1 whole pound of it. Then there are the 8 eggs and stick of butter. It's baked like you would bake a cheesecake and they recommend to serve it the next day after chilling in the fridge.

I must say, this cake tasted better each day that passed. The cake is extremely rich and will last you a long time if you don't have many family members. It really is heaven for chocoholics. To sum up the cake in a few words: chocolate mousse in cake form. So good.

While I know it's a bit rich for spring and Easter/Passover, it's such a great dessert when you have company coming over. Or if you're really depressed. Or if you're really happy. Or angry. Okay, you get the picture. It's damn good.

As a side note, I used Trader Joe's pound chocolate bar. It's affordable, tasty, and easy (no measuring required).

Hippity Hoppity...

2007-04-04T02:19:00.000-07:00

Easter's on its way. So while I was planning some Easter menu items this evening I remembered the Bunny Biscuits I made last year for Easter. If I make anything else Easterish that turns out I will post those recipes as well.

Enjoy the Bunny Biscuits!

Chocolate PB Cookies

2007-04-01T18:04:00.000-07:00

For the first few months after having my son Killian, I was craving chocolate like mad. It was almost a serious addicition. So of course I had to do something about it. Besides the chocolate bundt cake and hot chocolate that I made recently, I also tried my hand at a few other chocolate recipes.

My favorite peanut butter cookie recipe is one my mom has made since I was little. This time I made the cookies with dark chocolate peanut butter from The Peanut Butter Company. They have this fantastic restaurant in New York City right by where I lived when I went to NYU. The place was tiny when I was living there (it has since expanded) but it has always had fun menu items (everything from peanutbutter and celery to Elvis' favorite sandwich to yummy ice cream with their peanut butter on top). They make their own peanut butter in house and now they have several flavors. It turns out that at some point they started putting it in jars and selling them at grocery stores around the country.

Their spicy peanut butter isn't my favorite. I love spicy food but the spicy-ness that I like has to be flavorful and this one is just hot. However, they have a dark chocolate peanut butter that I discovered recently and it's divine. The PB is very subtle as well as its chocolate flavor. This works perfectly for peanut butter cookies. You can't quite tell their chocolate but there is a little more depth to the cookie. If you'd like you can place a chocolate kiss on top for some extra chocolate. I have one recipe where you put the kiss on after you bake it and one where you put it on towards the end of the baking process. I prefer the latter even though it does melt the kisses a bit.

After a small batch with the kisses I opted for the cookies plain because the kisses were taking away from the simple taste of the PB cookies.

If you would prefer a spicy cookie try a spicy Peanut Butter (they used to have a brand at Whole Foods that I loved but haven't found it there the last time I went). Just replace half of the PB with the spicy stuff. Also, I used to think you couldn't use all natural PB for the entire amount of PB but it turns out you can. The last brand I used was Smart Balance's natural PB which has no hydrogenated oils and it has Omega-3s which are great for you.

PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup peanut butter, your favorite brand and flavor
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
sugar, for coating cookies
chocolate kisses (optional)

1. In a large mixer bowl beat butter or margarine and peanut butter with electric mixer on medium speed about 30 seconds. Add the 1/2 cup sugar and the brown sugar and beat 'til fluffy.

2. Add egg, milk, and vanilla. Beat well.

3. In a medium mixing bowl stir together flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda. With mixer on low speed gradually add flour mixture to peanut butter mixture, beating well. If necessary, cover and chill about 1 hour for easier handling (recommended).

4. Turn oven to 375 degrees. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in additional sugar. Place about 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets.

5. Bake in the 375 oven 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are firm. If using, immediately press a chocolate kiss atop each cookies*. Place cookies onto cooling rack.

*Or bake for about 8 minutes, add the kiss, and bake for an additional 2 minutes.

Tirade about restaurants

2007-03-28T23:06:00.000-07:00

Last week my husband and I had a very disappointing food week. First of all, I've stopped baking (at least during the week) in an attempt to lose weight, have been living off whatever is in the freezer, and had a horrible restaurant week.

When my mother-in-law was in town we decided to take her to Balboa Park on the free museum day (Tuesday). Whenever we visit that area of San Diego we like to hit up either the Garden Grill or Extraordinary Desserts. Since we're on a tight budget we thought the Garden Grill would be ideal. When we pulled up our favorite meditteranean place was replaced by a NY Giant Pizza place (that looked like a chain) that was under construction. The husband and I were truly heartbroken. There aren't any reliable and super affordable Lebanese-type restaurants up in our neck of the woods (or beach?).

So we hung our heads low and retreated home for whatever I could scrounge up. Then this past Saturday we were tired after running errands all day and decided to go to Big Jim's Barbeque. I never posted about my first trip there but I loved their sides, sweet tea, and spicy shrimp. I could take or leave the barbeque but the sides were true quality comfort food for Southerners. Even though the atmosphere was like eating on picnic tables in a run-down building, I didn't mind. My husband was thrilled to finally find some good sweet tea. We were excited to see if our first impression would hold true for the second visit.

Since we were craving some down-home food at a great price, we drove down the PCH towards Big Jim's. When we got to Encinitas we looked at each other and wondered how we missed the restaurant. On the drive back we realized that Big Jim's has been replaced with another restaurant.

We ended up going to Leucadia Pizza since we were starved but it wasn't very good that night (a lot of restaurants have an off night every now and then). Actually, it was pretty bad. So we're truly considering staying in for a long time just in case we're cursed.

Does anyone know of any good and authentic Lebanese/Meditteranean restaurants in San Diego?

We're actually looking into moving to Silicon Valley/the bay area this fall and I'm starting to get excited because we've just had a hard time finding restaurants here (with the exception of our favorite..Ba Ren) that taste great and are priced well. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure there are lots of great restaurants in San Deigo but up in Oceanside there aren't as many options as I would like. We mostly choose between pizza, Thai, pizza, sushi, pizza.

If anyone's reading this from North County (or should I say North Northwest County) and has some good restaurant options, please let me know.

Chocolatier

2007-03-25T18:10:00.000-07:00

About a month ago, I received an email from a woman who offered me a chance to try Nestle's new baking chocolate and review it on my blog.* She works for an internet marketing agency called M80 that is promoting Chocolatier by Nestle. I was hesitant because in the past when I have done that I wasn't impressed with the product. However, she insisted that I could be honest and why would I pass up a chance for free chocolate? I mean, really!

So I picked up some baking bars and chips and headed home to decide what to make with this new baking chocolate. While I don't like Nestle's chocolate for eating, I wanted to give them the benefit of the doubt and use their baking chocolate for one of my favorite recipes.

The best chocolate bundt cake I've ever made was from an issue of Cook's Illustrated. The cake is moist, always comes out of the pan nicely, and is chocolate-y without being too rich. This would be the perfect recipe to see if the chocolate could pass the test.

Honestly, I was pleasantly surprised. It tasted the same as I remembered it. The other time I had made this cake I used Scharffen Berger and Ghiradelli. Unless my memory fails me, this tasted the same as when I had made it with the other reputable brands.

Perhaps this recipe** is so good that you can use any chocolate? I decided to put Chocolatier to the test and see how it tastes in a slightly more "pure" form. See my post below for the results.

*In case you're wondering, I didn't get paid for reviewing the chocolate. So if anyone else has any free chocolate they want me to review. Please, contact me. (grin)

**I found the recipe already posted as a comment here.

Chocolatier Part 2

2007-03-25T17:49:00.000-07:00

There's nothing like a warm mug of hot chocolate on the beach. That's what my husband and I drank last week as we sat on a private section of a public beach one late night while my mother-in-law babysat. We savored each drop and each moment alone together sans baby. We both agreed that this recipe is perfect for any cold night (beach or no beach).

SPICE UP YOUR NIGHT HOT CHOCOLATE

(Inspired by a recipe from Cost Plus' HOT CHOCOLATE cookbook, a gift from my sister-in-law)

7 oz. chopped chocolate (I used Nestle's Chocolatier, 53% dark chocolate)
4 cups 2% milk (I used Lactaid)
1 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. or to taste, ground toasted Sichuan peppercorns

1. Put milk in a heavy saucepan with paprika and Sichuan peppercorn (I sprinkled the peppercorns so that it covered the top and then stirred it all together). Heat milk until it almost reaches a boil.
2. Turn down heat, add chopped chocolate and stir until smooth. Make sure chocolate is well incorporated. Serve immediately or put in a thermos and take to the beach!*

*I tried the leftover hot chocolate the next day and it didn't taste as good so I think the hot chocolate tastes better the night you make it. We drank ours a few hours after I made it and it was still hot from being in the thermos.

Note: I decided to use the Nestle Chocolatier to see if it could pass the hot chocolate taste test. It worked fine in the bundt cake but I wasn't sure if it was good enough for hot chocolate. I honestly thought it was quite tasty and since 50-some percent chocolate works best for this recipe, I would recommend the chocolate to anyone. Even the occasional chocolate snob. While I will still vary which chocolates I use according to the recipe, I would use this chocolate again.

Festivals

2007-03-07T00:15:00.000-08:00

You thought I was going to write a post about local festivals, didn't you? Well, I'm actually referring to the Jamaican fry bread called festivals. What a great name. I can definitely see this "bread" at a street fair or festival. These fried delights are light, crispy, and the perfect snack. I made them alongside jerk chicken and tostones for dinner. They would be great for a party or as an appetizer.

The recipe I used is from Steve Raichlen's The Barbecue Bible. Even though I accidently forgot the sugar in the recipe (3 T.) they turned out great. I suppose I would describe these as being similar to a churro. If you dust them with sugar and cinnamon they would make a nice dessert.

They look a bit like chicken nuggets but I promise you there is no chicken inside. Just a lot of fried goodness.

Baked Dates in Cheddar-Rosemary Pastry

2007-02-22T12:10:00.000-08:00

Perhaps one of the most exiciting aspects of this recipe is how much they look like pigs in a blanket. We all know how the appeal and simplicity of pigs in a blanket works great for appetizers. While the recipe below for Baked Dates in Cheddar-Rosemary Pastry (from Gourmet magazine) takes a little more effort, the results are delicious. These date delights are like a savory dessert and make the perfect snack or party nibbler.

Baked Dates in Cheddar-Rosemary Pastry

1/2 cup butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
3/4 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary leaves
1 1/3 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
2 teaspoons cider vinegar
48 pitted Medjool dates (I used another kind)

1. Pulse butter, cheddar, rosemary, flour, salt, and cayenne in a food processor until mixture resembles cornmeal. Add vinegar and 2 T. very cold water and pulse just until mixture holds together. Lay a piece of plastic wrap on your counter and turn dough out onto it. Form dough into a 6-inch square, cover with more plastic wrap, and chill at least 1 hour.

2. Preheat oven to 400. Put chilled dough on a lightly floured surface and roll out into a 12" square. Cut square into 48 1x3" strips. Wrap each date with a strip, then arrange on 2 baking sheets. Bake until pastry is light golden about 15 minutes. Serve hot.

Spiced Shrimp and Clementine Salsa

2007-01-23T11:17:00.000-08:00

Now is the time to buy a box of clementines before they go out of season and before the price of citrus sky-rockets. If your clementines are getting old and you need to use them up, why not make a meal out of them? This recipe for spiced shrimp and clementine salsa is light and satisfying. It's a great way to get use out of all of those spices in your spice rack that you haven't touched in a while.

I added some olive oil to my bag of spiced shrimp before grilling them. Also, I didn't follow the salsa amounts exactly since I was only making enough for my husband and I. So I eyeballed the measurements. As far as I could tell from the recipe they wanted you to have whole sections of the clementines in the salsa. That would make the salsa too dry and chunky in my opinion so I essentially supremed my clementines. Instead of using a knife I just used my hands to peel off the skin and I separated the flesh with my fingers. When I tasted the final salsa it was a little sour for my taste so I added a little sugar. The final product was delicious and the shrimp would work well with many salsas, sauces, and side dishes. I served the meal with an orzo salad but couscous would go really well with the shrimp.

Southern Biscuits

2007-01-22T11:57:00.000-08:00

Biscuits are my favorite easy-to-make breakfast item. Recently I've been trying new recipes and found 2 that I really like. The first one is the Buttermilk Biscuit recipe from Baking Illustrated (recipes from the magazine Cook's Illustrated). The second recipe also uses buttermilk and is from my mom's huge pile of family recipes. These biscuits are light, fluffy, and flaky.

SOUTHERN BISCUITS

2 cups flour*
2 t. sugar
2 t. baking powder
1 t. salt
1/2 t. baking soda
1/3 c. shortening (or butter)
2/3 c. buttermilk

1. Preheat oven to 450.
2. Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda into a bowl. Cut in shortening thoroughly until mixture looks like meal.
3. Stir in almost all the buttermilk. If dough is not pliable, add just enough milk to make a soft, puffy, easy-to-roll dough.
4. Round up dough on a lightly floured board. Knead lightly 20-25 times, about 1/2 minute. Roll a little less than 1/2" thick. Cut with floured biscuit cutter. Place on ungreased baking sheet or pizza stone. Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.

*note: if you're using self-rising flour omit the baking powder and salt.

Turtle Bars

2007-01-22T11:45:00.000-08:00

In the mood for something sweet? You can't get much sweeter than these Turtle Bars...

TURTLE BARS

2 cups flour

2 cups oats

1/2 t. salt

1 t. baking soda

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

1 1/2 cups melted butter

1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 1/2 cups chopped pecans

1/2-3/4 tub of caramel dip

Preheat oven to 350. Set aside an ungreased cookie/jelly pan sheet (with sides). I used a 13x9x2 pyrex baking dish which makes thicker bars.

Mix together the flour, oats, salt, brown sugar, and melted butter. Pat half of the mixture into the pan an bake 10 minutes. While the base is baking begin to melt the caramel (I took off the foil and microwaved it for a few seconds at a time until it was pourable). Remove the base from the oven and sprinkle with the chocolate chips and pecans. Pour caramel over chips and nuts and spread the remaining half of the cookie mixture over the top.

Bake 15-20 minutes more. Let cool completely before cutting into squares. The bars last for a while in an airtight container but I prefered to heat up the bars before eating.

The reason I've been behind on posts....

2006-12-14T23:05:00.000-08:00

Announcing the Birth of...

KILLIAN JAMES
Born: Dec. 8, 2006
Weight: 7 pounds 6 ounces
Height: 19 inches

Pumpkin Ginger Cheesecake Pie

2006-12-03T00:54:00.000-08:00

Looking for a recipe where you can use that leftover cup of pumpkin in the fridge? Look no further. I have now made this pie twice in the last month and can testify to its tastiness.

This recipe is from last month's Gourmet and doesn't take long to make if you have a food processor. The first time I made it I was a bit more careless in following the directions and the pie turned out perfectly. This time it wasn't quite as tasty and I followed the directions exactly.

A few changes that I recommend making:

1.) Don't follow their instruction for using one less tablespoon of melted butter in the pie crust. I used a full 5 T. the first time and the crust tasted better. Make sure you don't cook the crust to much or it will be a bit too crunchy.

2.) I wouldn't use as much ginger as they call for. It can be too strong and cause too much heartburn for your guests. The gingersnap crust already has ginger in it so you don't want to overpower the pie with ginger.

3.) Use canned pumpkin. The recipe doesn't call for much pumpkin and fresh pumpkin isn't strong enough for this pie. It's too light and loses to the strong ginger flavor. When I used canned pumpkin it turned out much tastier.

4.) If you want to use all (or most) of the filling in the pie then make sure you use a deep-dish pie pan. Otherwise you'll barely fit half of the filling in the pie.

5.) Make a day ahead of when you're serving it. Better yet, make the crust a day before you even make the pie and the pie will be that much simpler. This pie is perfect for guests since you make it ahead of time. I love it even though I'm generally not a huge fan of pumpkin pie or cheesecake. Somehow the two work great with together with the gingersnap* crust.

*I bought really tasty gingersnaps from Sprouts/Henry's/Boney's. They come in a brown bag with purple on it but I don't remember the brand.

Chocolate Crinkles

2006-11-25T18:05:00.000-08:00

Chocolate Crinkles

These cookies are from my childhood and couldn't be easier to make. I like to keep the dough in the fridge and bake only as many cookies as I can eat at a time so that they are always freshly baked. Last night I served these with homemade vanilla ice cream.

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
3 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup cooking oil
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted

Directions:

1. Melt chocolate in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring often. Remove from heat and let cool.

2. In a large mixing bowl beat together flour and baking powder. In a mixer, blend eggs, sugar, vanilla, and cooking oil together. Gradually add to chocolate mixture, until well mixed. Gradually add flour mixture to chocolate mixture. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours or until firm enough to handle.

3. Turn oven to 375. With your hands, shape dough into 1 inch balls. Place powdered sugar in a small bowl. Roll the balls in the powdered sugar. Place about 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets.

4. Bake for 10-12 minutes (only 8 minutes in my oven) or until edges are firm. Cool on rack. If desired, sprinkle with additional powdered sugar.

Just in Time for Turkey Day....

2006-11-21T03:34:00.000-08:00

The other day I was in full-force nesting mode (I think the baby will be here soon..less than 20 days until I'm due!) and was cooking up a storm (now I'm baking up a storm). I've been collecting food magazines lately and have been trying as many recipes as I can before the baby comes.

One recipe that sounded like a good "freezer meal" (something we can pull out of the freezer on a day I can't cook) was Gourmet's Coffee-Braised Beef with Cinnamon and Orange. We ended up eating the roast that day, however, because I thought I had overcooked it. Fortunately I didn't overcook the roast and it was as tender as can be. I will definitely be trying this recipe again with a slow cooker (rather than in the oven) as it leaves a wonderful scent wafting through the house and it would be even more simple in the slow cooker.

Since I had recently found out that my baby was on the small side, I decided to make an extra effort to eat more. So far I've done pretty well. That night I made 3 different sides that would all work wonderfully for Thanksgiving.

1.) Roasted Artichokes

This recipe came from the box the artichokes were sold in (from Trader Joe's). I boiled the chokes a few days before and prepared them so that all I had to do for this meal was roast them with the chuck roast. The combo of balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, garlic, and basil complimented the entire meal. However, I still prefer my artichokes with lemon, garlic, and pepper straight off the grill.

2.) Stuffed Mushrooms

Usually I just grill mushrooms if I'm already grilling but I decided to try something different. I didn't feel like putting much effort into making stuffed mushrooms so I just used a recipe from the Food Network.

I could barely keep myself from eating all of the mushrooms before my husband came to the table. These are super simple and very tasty. To make my life easier I had already chopped up the ingredients and toasted some homemade breadcrumbs (always better than store bought in my opinion) the night before.

3.) Brussel Sprouts and Potatoes

I've made this recipe before but this time I included the potatoes. While this dish should provide leftovers (with only 2 of us eating the meal), I couldn't leave a single morsel on the plate. Every piece of bacon, potato, and sprout was consumed during the meal. This would be a great side for Thanksgiving. You can prepare all of the ingredients ahead of time.

With all of the baking I've done lately I should have some more posts soon but just in case...have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

** I will most likely be posting more than one post at a time so be sure to check below each post for a new entry!**

Tip: Spring Rolls

2006-11-21T03:28:00.000-08:00

A few months ago I discovered a package of spring roll wrappers in the refrigerated (noodle) section of Ranch 99 that was different from the rest. They looked like lumpia wrappers but didn't specify on the package.

I made spring rolls using these wrappers and they were truly the best spring rolls I've ever made and some of the best I've ever tasted. The wrappers fry to a perfect golden color and are crispy without bubbling up. Hopefully they stock these wrappers everytime! (If I get them next time I go to 99 Ranch Market I'll try to remember to take a picture of the package.)

Red Bean Buns

2006-11-21T03:20:00.000-08:00

I have finally made steamed red bean buns with the help of a fantastic bao mix that I bought from Ranch 99.

The instructions are in English and are very easy to understand. I used my electric mixer with the paddle attachment to mix the dough and the dough hook to knead it (the mix requires 45 minutes total kneading time). When it came time to making the buns I used a rolling pin to make the dough thin.

The final result was delicious. Using about 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons of sweet red bean paste seemed to be ideal. I steamed the buns 4 at a time in my small steamer for 15-20 minutes. They reheat nicely in the microwave.

Apple-Oat Muffins

2006-11-02T14:01:00.000-08:00

Last Christmas I got my mom a subscription to Vegetarian Times because she was trying to cook more healthy meals with less meat. Well, that gift idea failed because she just passed the magazines off to me without trying any of the recipes. So she gets to wait and see if the recipes turn out well for me before she tries to make them.

Most recipes in Vegetarian Times are super simple or they require vegan products that I won't spend the money on . However, occasionally I find something delicious to make.

Before I went on bedrest I made a batch of Apple-Oat Muffins from VT that were delicious and much healthier than the average muffin.

Apple-Oat Muffins
01-MAR-06, Vegetarian Times

Makes 12 -- Low-fat

This muffin is so delicious and moist, it’s one of our top 5 favorite recipes in the issue. The batter fills the muffin cups more than most recipes, but it won’t overflow when baked.

2 cups peeled, finely diced apples, such as McIntosh (2 to 3 medium apples)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup quick-cooking oats
2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
8 oz. plain low-fat yogurt (1 cup)
1/4 cup non-fat milk
2 Tbs. vegetable oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 large egg

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Coat 12 standard muffin pan cups with cooking spray.

2. Place diced apple on paper towels to drain; pat dry. Combine flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in medium bowl, and stir with whisk. Combine yogurt, milk, oil, vanilla and egg in small bowl and stir to blend. Make well in center of flour mixture; add milk mixture, stirring just until moist. Mix in apple.

3. Divide batter evenly among prepared cups. Bake 20 minutes, or until muffins spring back when pressed lightly in center. Remove from pan, and cool on wire rack.

PER SERVING: 174 CAL; 4 G PROT; 3 G TOTAL FAT (0 SAT. FAT); 32 G CARB.; 19 MG CHOL; 248 MG SOD.; 1 G FIBER; 16 G SUGARS

Cheesy Ghosts and Bats

2006-10-31T00:17:00.000-08:00

Happy Halloween!

These cheese crackers (appropriately shaped as ghosts and bats for Halloween) are divine. They're made with a pastry-like dough so they melt in your mouth and are quite addictive. These are sure to be a hit with kids and adults. Although you can skip the cookie cutters if you like and just make them into cheese straws or rectangles for the adults.

Cheese Straws/Crackers

1 pound sharp cheddar cheese
1 3/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 pound butter

Finely grate cheese; combine with other ingredients and beat until creamy, adding a few drops of water if neccessary to form a firm dough. Divide dough in half. Roll each section 1/4" thick. Cut into strips about 6" x 3/8". Twist. Place on ungreased cookie sheet; chill in freezer 15 minutes or longer to maintain shape. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes. Makes 5-6 dozen cheese straws.

*The food processor works great for this dough or you can blend my hand and then add a tablespoon of water. If you plan on using cookie cutters then roll dough into a disc and refrigerate for at least an hour before rolling and cutting out. My crackers were fairly thick so they took about 18 minutes to bake. Bake until slightly golden but not brown.

Plum Tart with Streusel

2006-10-27T12:14:00.000-07:00

Recently Dianka from Na Zdravi posted about her mom's delicious plum kolach. It reminded me that I never posted about my own mother's plum dessert that she made a few months ago. It was one of the best desserts I've had all year and I had been meaning to post about it for a while now. Her plum tart has a cookie crust and used sugar plums that we found at Ranch 99 and a streusel top. I found that ice cream was a must with this dessert to cut the extra sweetness from the sugar plums. My mom and I both agree that next time we'll use a slightly less sweet plum.

Fortunately my mom was kind enough to write down the recipe that she concocted for this dessert. She combined various plum tarts that she's made in the past and came up with this version:

Plum Tart with Streusel

Plums:

You need enough Italian plums (prunes), split and de-stoned to cover a square 9” pan in a thick layer. You will put the plums cut side up. Mix the plums in a bowl with 1 to 3 T. cornstarch (depending on how juicy they are), 1 T. lemon juice.

Crust:

1 stick butter
1 c. plus 6 T. powdered sugar
1 egg
½ tsp. salt
1 ¾ c flour
1 tsp. vanilla
Optional: zest from one lemon

Using a pastry cutter, cut in the butter with the flour and powdered sugar and salt. When crumbs form, add egg. If the mixture is too dry to form a roll, you can add (by the drops) cold water or milk or lemon juice so that you can form a roll.

Put the roll in cellophane wrap and put in refrigerator until firm enough to cut into ¼ - ½ inch circles. Cover the bottom and sides of the 9” square pan with the circles, pressing the circles together to make an even crust.

Streusel:
½ c. brown sugar, packed
1 stick of butter, cut into 1 T. pats
1 or 2 tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. salt
1 c. plus 2 T. flour

Using a pastry cutter, cut butter into rest of ingredients until small crumble is achieved.

Pre–heat oven to 425 degrees.

Layer plums on top of crust and then sprinkle the streusel over plums. If you like a tarter tart, use less streusel.

Bake in 425 degree oven for 15 min. Lower temperature to 375 degrees and bake 30 to 40 minutes (depends on how hot your oven maintains temperature). Crust should be brown, streusel should be browned and the plums should be bubbling and cooked through. Serve warm or at room temperature with vanilla ice cream on top.

Lemon Festival

2006-10-27T12:00:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, October 21st I convinced my parents to let me leave the house and go to the Lemon Festival in nearby Goleta, CA. The festival ended up being fairly small and mostly centered around children but it was still fun nonetheless.

Our first sample of lemon goods was a nice cold cup of fresh Lemonade. My criteria for a good lemonade is tartness, a mild sweetness, and a fresh taste. Fortunately this lemonade passed the test.

If I had felt like walking around the festival more I might have eaten a bratwurst or tried some lemon ice cream. Since I was actually hoping I could convince my friend (who was visiting at the time) to go to a local Hawaiian/burger joint I knew there was only one more "must eat" at the fair.

Before we left we tried a slice of Lemon Meringue Pie ($2, they also had lemon bars) from a local bakery; I believe it was Anna's bakery. The pie looked average and I wasn't really expecting much since I've had a lot of bad lemon meringue pie in my day. However, I have to say this was the best lemon meringue pie (aside from one I made about a year ago) that I've ever had. I can't pinpoint it's strongest feature but I think it was just the fresh lemon flavor balanced with the perfectly fluffy meringue. It had just the right kick of lemon without being too intense.

So the Lemon Festival ended up being a lot more low-key than I was hoping but it was still an enjoyable afternoon and it's a good day when you have a tasty fresh lemonade and pie.

Jello 1-2-3

2006-10-21T00:05:00.000-07:00

When I first arrived at my parents' house 3 weeks ago I was starting bedrest and coming down with a wicked cold. Whenever I'm sick my appetite changes and I was actually in the mood for jello; something I normally can't stand.

Here's the catch. I was craving jello but it had to be Jello 1-2-3. You may remember this from the 80s and 90s. It came in a box and it turned into a jello dessert with 3 layers. The bottom layer is regular jello, the second layer is a bit creamier, and the top layer is foamy. This was one of my favorite treats growing up.

Well, after some internet research, I found a recipe that looked like it might work. Since I have been on bedrest I had to beg my mom to make it for me. While it ended up being a bit more of a Jello 1-2, it was just as tasty as I remembered. I'm hoping I can convince her to make it again before I leave in a few weeks.

Here is the recipe that I found:

JELLO 1-2-3

3/4 cup boiling water
1 package Jello (4-serving size)
1/2 cup cold water
1/2 cup cool whip , thawed

1. Pour boiling water into blender. Add gelatin. Cover and blend at low speed until gelatin is completely dissolved, about 30 seconds.
2. Combine cold water ice cubes to make 1-1/4 cups. Add to gelatin and stir until ice is partially melted.
3. Then add whipped topping; blend at high speed for 30 seconds.
4. Pour into dessert glasses.
5. Chill about 30 minutes. Dessert layers as it chills. Garnish as desired.

Carlsbad Village Harvest Festivals

2006-10-11T15:00:00.000-07:00

Carlsbad Village Harvest Festivals

Wednesday, October 18,
1-5pm and
Saturday, October 21,
9am-1pm
Carlsbad Village in the Roosevelt Street Parking Lot
between Carlsbad Village Drive and Grand Avenue

The Harvest Festivals will include lots of special Autumn treats and family fun!
Come on Wednesday to visit our Pumpkin Patch and pick out a fine specimen, then register it to enter the Jack O'Lantern Contest.
Carve it at home and bring it back on Saturday
for the judging...
and everyone who entered on Wednesday
wins a prize!
The kids can join in our Autumn Scavenger Hunt and Apple Bobbing
for fun and prizes while learning about
the Farmers' Market.

IN ADDITION TO SEASONAL PRODUCE
AND FRESH FLOWERS...
CHECK OUT THESE AND MANY OTHER DELIGHTS:
Tasty Pumpkin Tamales - Wed & Sat
Decadent Pumpkin Flan - Sat
Incredible Dessert Crepes - Sat
Delicious Pumpkin Bread - Wed & Sat
For more information call 760/687-6453 or 434-2559

Update

2006-09-30T19:04:00.000-07:00

It looks like gourmetish may be taking a break for a while. This past week I went into premature labor and have been put on bedrest for the rest of the pregnancy. That also means I'll probably have this baby earlier than planned.

I'm heading to my parents house so that they can take care of me since my husband is unable to get off of work for the next 2 months. Due to the bed rest I will most likely be unable to cook or try new restaurants.

The past few months I've been behind on posting so I actually have a few posts and pictures to share and I will surely have more time to post over the next few weeks. Otherwise I will be taking it easy until December or January.

I look forward to reading everyone else's blogs and coming up with a list of recipes and restaurants to try in the future.

Oceanside Harbor Days

2006-09-16T21:17:00.000-07:00

I had no idea that Oceanside had such a cute harbor. It's hidden from view of the highway and is the perfect place for a picnic by the water. Today was my first day walking around the harbor so I'm not sure what it's normally like but it was fairly crowded for Oceanside's annual Harbor Days.

It was absolutely gorgeous today with a beautiful breeze. Parking is a bit difficult depending on what time you arrive but they seem to have shuttle buses that leave from a parking lot by the harbor (near the car show). We managed to catch a spot on the side of the harbor not too far from the fair.

This is a smaller fair than Oceanside's Fourth of July celebration, there were many vendors and a row of food vendors in addition to the already existing restaurants, shops, and cafes by the harbor. I can't resist a good sausage so we bought a spicy sausage (I believe there was only one sausage vendor there) since they are huge and great for splitting.

There is also a vendor that sells good freshly squeezed raspberry lemonade for $3. A much better deal than the $5 lemonade-type drinks being sold by other vendors. Like always, I had to get a funnel cake with powdered sugar. It's one of those things I usually only eat once every 3-5 years so it's unusual that I've had 2 this year so far.

In case you were wondering about entertainment, there is a stage for performers not far from the row of restaurants and shops. This afternoon we saw a Japanese Taiko Drum Performance. To check out the Harbor Days schedule click here.

If you're in the area I recommend stopping by. There's a lot to see and it's very relaxing to walk around the harbor. Hopefully tomorrow is as beautiful as it was today.

Dry-Fried Beef

2006-09-16T13:32:00.000-07:00

I've been dying to make dry-fried beef for a long time. It's one of my favorite Szechuan dishes. While I knew it wouldn't be as good as Ba Ren's I thought I'd give it a chance. I think I over-fried the beef by 30 seconds and I didn't have the hot bean sauce on hand but otherwise I thought this was pretty good for my first try and I think this recipe seems pretty accurate. The Szechuan peppercorns really do make a difference. My version wasn't very hot but I'm assuming that the hot bean sauce is what gives it the extra kick.

Dry-Fried Beef

From Chinese Cooking by JG Press

¾ lb. boneless lean beef
1 T. hot bean sauce (I used roasted red chili paste)
1 T. dry sherry (I used Shoa Xing Rice Wine)
½ t. sugar
1 or 2 small, dry, hot chile peppers, crumbled and seeded (if desired)
½ c. canola oil
1 large stalk celery, cut into matchstick size pieces
1 medium-size carrot, cut into matchstick size pieces
2 t. minced garlic
1 t. minced fresh ginger
2 whole green onions, cut into 1 ½-inch lengths
1 t. sesame oil
½ t. Szechuan peppercorns, roasted and crushed

Cut meat into 1/8-inch thick slices, then cut into shreds 1/8-inch wide and 2 inches long. In a bowl, combine the hot bean sauce, sherry, sugar, and chile peppers. Set aside.

Pour oil in a wok and heat over medium-high heat to 360 degrees. Add ½ of the meat and stir to separate shreds. Cook until meat is dark brown, slightly shriveled, and chewy (about 2 ½ to 3 minutes). Remove with slotted spoon and drain on a paper bag or towels. Reheat oil to 360 and repeat with remainder of meat.

Pour off all buy 3 T. oil. Increase heat to high. When oil is hot, add celery and carrot and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add garlic and ginger and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Return meat to pan, add hot bean sauce mixture, and cook, stirring, until most of the liquid has evaporated. Stir in the sesame oil and crushed peppercorns before serving.

Greek Festival 2006

2006-09-14T12:39:00.000-07:00

It was a beautiful day this past Saturday. The weather was perfect for an outdoor Greek festival.

Every year a Greek Festival is held in Cardiff-by-the-Sea at the Sts Constantine & Helen Greek Orthodox Church. This year it was on Saturday September 9th and Sunday September 10th.

I'm sorry I didn't post this on Saturday night. I hope some of you were able to make it to one of the many festivals in San Diego this past weekend. See my previous event post (below) for more events this month.

When my husband and I first arrived at the festival (which, by the way, costs a mere $2 for entry) we came across what looked like a little Greek town. The church has a few buildings that look like they were transported here straight from the a coastal town in Greece. These buildings lie beneath a gigantic cliff which makes you feel as if you're directly at the beach. They set up tents in between these buildings and the golden-domed church.

The smells of lamb roasting on a spit, meat being roasted for gyros, and skewers barbequed for visitors were very welcoming. There was constantly music being played under the largest tent and Greek dancing performed by the younger adult church go-ers.

I wish I could have tried all of the food at the fair. They were only serving the skewers with the combination plate in their tented "restaurant" ($12 for a sampler plate including: bread, salad, skewer, spanikopita, dolmas and greek lasagna). We had just spent money on pastries so we skipped the sampler plate and had a tasty (and large) gyro for $6.

The pastries available at the festival were quite impressive. They devoted an entire building to pastries. You could either buy one of their sample boxes (baklava or Greek sampler) or you could build your own box. Since I prefer the pastries over the cakes and sugar cookies, I grabbed a box and filled it with baklava, saragli (rolled honey-nut pastry), katarfi (shredded honey-nut pastry), and galatoboureko (custard pastry).

We also had to get a serving of rizogalo (Greek rice pudding) since it's my husband's favorite. Normally I don't like pudding (of any kind) but this had a terrific flavor or vanilla, cinnamon, and something else that made this pudding delicious. The rice must have been extremely short because it felt more like tapioca than rice.

The Greek coffee (also a "must" for my hubby) was thick like Turkish coffee and complimented the pastries perfectly. The bitterness (with a touch of cinnamon) cut the excess sweetness of the honey.

We saved the pastries for home but ate the rice pudding, coffee, and one piece of baklava while we were there. All of the pastries were delicious (and tasted great the next day) and were better than most I've had in Greek restaurants and bakeries. I'm dying to know who made them (a bakery or the church go-ers?).

The best addition to the "pastry room" was Smilin' Jack on the accordian (that's what the sign said). He really did have a great smile. Unfortunately all I had on me was my cell phone's camera but he was quite entertaining.

Other food at the Greek festival included the Greek deli (where you could get a plate with feta, hummus, pita, and olives), booths with side dishes like tiropito (cheese phyllo pie) and dolmas, and Loukoumathes or Greek honey donuts (which looked very good but we had already spent a lot on the pastries). For the kiddies they had a carnival-type set up with games they could play to win prizes. There were also a few non-food vendors but nothing that I found to be particularly impressive. But who cares?! I went for the food and I left very satisfied.

September events

2006-09-08T04:10:00.000-07:00

Sept. 9: Fiesta Carlsbad
Sat. 9 & 10: Greek Festival in Cardiff
Sat. 9 & 10: Korean Festival
Sept. 10: Stone Brewing's 10th Anniversary Fest (tickets sold out)
Sept. 12: Pacific Beach Restaurant Walk
Sept. 13: Taste of Downtown
Sept. 16: Old Town Art Festival
Sept. 16 & 17: Oceanside Harbor Days
Sept. 17: House of Pacific Relations-Austria; music, dance, food
Sept. 22: San Diego Festival of Beer
Sept. 23: Menghini Arts and Music Festival; bbq, music, arts/crafts
Sept. 23: Taste of Carlsbad
Sept. 23: Adams Ave. Street Fair; over 300 vendors
Sept 24: Oktoberfest in Encinitas
Sept. 24: House of Pacific Relations-Germany; music, dance, food

For more September events in nearby areas check out my first food festival and second food festival posts.

Let me know if I'm missing any events for this month! September is one busy event month in San Diego!

Mint Meringues

2006-09-04T15:27:00.000-07:00

These are a childhood favorite of mine.

Mint Meringues

2 egg whites
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
4 to 6 drops green or red food coloring, optional
1 package mini chocolate chips

1.In mixer, beat egg whites until foamy. With mixer on high speed, gradually add sugar, about a tablespoon at a time, beating well after each addition, until whites hold stiff, glossy peaks. Add peppermint extract and food color; eat for 1 more minute. Fold in chocolate chips.

2. Drop meringue mixture by rounded teaspoonfuls onto well-greased baking sheets (or silpats or parchment paper), spacing cookies about 1 inch apart. Bake in a 200 degree oven for 1 hour or until outside is dry and set; cookies should not turn brown. Let cool on baking sheets for about 5 minutes, then transfer to racks and let cool completely. Store airtight.

Comments: For a lighter green color only use about 4 drops of the food coloring. Otherwise they look very artificial and store bought. If you want to make these look prettier then you can pipe them onto the silpat/cookie sheet. I eat these up so quickly that I could care less how they look.

Also, this time I made them a bit soft since my mom needed to use the oven after me. So I only cooked them for about 40 minutes, making the insides soft and a bit gooey. I actually prefer them a bit soft in the center rather than completely dried out (as you will often find in the store). For soft centers bake around 45-50 minutes (as my oven runs a bit hot).

Remember, the chocolate chips are optional but be sure to use mini-chocolate chips. I can't make meringues without them! You could also try dried fruit (cranberries, cherries, etc.) for a healthier dessert.

Royal Thai

2006-09-02T13:24:00.000-07:00

This past week I've been MIA because my mom was in town visiting. We did plenty of eating so I'll have several new posts to share this week.

On Thursday we went to the convention center because my mom loves quilting and they were having their annual San Diego Quilt Show this weekend. After a few hours of walking around the show we were starved and tired. Since the gaslamp is right across the street we went there for a late lunch.

One of the closest restaurants that was open was Royal Thai on 5th Ave. They were having a lunch special which included soup, salad, rice, spring roll, and entree for about $7-$9 each. Great deal. But did it taste good?

The soup of the day arrived first and wasn't much to look at but had a great flavor. It was mildly spicy with a black pepper flavor and included noodles, scallions, and a few veggies. Despite the warm day, I found this soup to be very comforting.

Next our lunch specials arrived. My mom ordered the Hot Thai Basil chicken which wasn't very spicy (she specified "mild" when she ordered) but had a great flavor and the white meat chicken wasn't dried out like it often is in these specials. I ordered the Drunken Noodles with shrimp and didn't specify how spicy I wanted them so they had quite a kick. Even though the photo (below) isn't the most appetizing picture, I thought the meal was very satisfying and a great deal. It was actually a LOT of food.

Service was very attentive despite the fact that it was towards the end of their lunch shift and I thought the atmosphere was tasteful enough(especially for dinner time when they put out nicer place settings).

If you work or live near the Gaslamp you should definitely check this place out. You can't beat $8 for an all-inclusive lunch.

Royal Thai

467 5th Ave, San Diego, 92101 - (619) 230-8424

Szechuan Peppercorns

2006-08-24T23:15:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I'm not actually celebrating my birthday today. I've had a very bad week so I'm postponing my birthday until Saturday. However, I had to share one gift that I received in the mail today.

My husband was very smart this year and got me gifts from my Amazon wish list rather than trying to surprise me with gifts I don't want. I know, that sounds terrible but he has a habit of getting me things I don't like even though I make it easy for him by always giving him several options. So this year I made a long list on Amazon so that he felt like it was more of a surprise.

I'm so happy because my first gift arrived today: Szechuan peppercorns! Not just szechuan peppercorns; 1 POUND of them!

Aren't they beautiful!?! I can't wait to use them. They smell like heaven and make me feel like I now own a pound of some illegal substance rather than a spice. Nothing beats that "ma la" (tongue-numbing spicy) high. No drugs for me, thank you. Just szechuan peppercorns!

So expect to see more dishes with this spice in it. If you can't find them at your local Asian market (I couldn't) then you can buy a smaller amount from Dean and Deluca and other retailers via Amazon. Mine are from J.R. Mushrooms & Specialties.

Note: Szechuan Peppercorns are not actually a pepper. They are dried ash berries from a tree that is a member of the citrus family. From 1968 until 2005 they were illegal in the U.S. since they carried a citrus canker virus. Now they are legal but must be heat-treated to kill the canker virus before being sent to the U.S.

Calamari Fritti

2006-08-23T23:07:00.000-07:00

Last night I knew I had to use the calamari that I had de-thawed in my fridge before it went bad. Since it was already 10pm and we were starving, I decided to make a quick calamari; something I've never done before. Now that I own a deep fryer it's a fairly easy meal to make.

I had an unopened box of corn flakes and heard that they made a good coating for calamari. So, I coated the squid in flour, then an egg/milk mixture (1 egg, 1 T. milk), and a final coating of crunched up corn flakes. Then I deep fried each batch for 1-2 minutes until golden.

The calamari were really good. I served them with a roasted red pepper marinara sauce on the side. The calamari were much more tender than I expected (since they had been previously frozen) and the corn flakes provided the perfect crunch and flavor. It didn't even need any spices (although some spice wouldn't have hurt the dish).

For a quick snack or appetizer I definitely recommend making calamari fritti with corn flakes! Or, if you're like me, it can make a quick late-night meal.

Shrimp Stir-fry Tip

2006-08-20T23:08:00.000-07:00

The other week my husband and I unintentionally had a fabulous meal. I needed to make something quick so I decided on a shrimp stir-fry with walnuts (any excuse to use those fresh walnuts my mom gave me).

I remembered that back in college a friend had recommended coating the shrimp in tapioca starch before frying. I tried it and was impressed with the crispness it provided not to mention how easy it was to coat the damp shrimp in the starch (no egg or flour needed!).

You can find tapioca starch at your local Asian market. Just coat the shrimp in the starch and stir fry in your wok for approximately 2 minutes per side; add the walnuts towards the end so that they toast lightly. Drain on a paper towel while you stir-fry your vegetables and some thin slices of fresh ginger. Be sure not to overcook the vegetables and add the sauce (I recommend a simple sauce of 2 T. soy sauce, 2 T. Shaoxing rice wine, and 2 tsp. of brown sugar) right before serving. Don't let vegetable steam in the sauce for too long or they will get mushy.

I served the shrimp separately from the stir-fried veggies so that they stayed crisp. We piled the shrimp and vegetables on top of a mound of jasmine rice.

It was the simplest and most delicious meal that I have ever prepared that quickly. The tapioca starch not only makes the shrimp crispy but it adds a subtle nutty flavor that's not too overpowering. We ended up eating the entire dish despite the fact that I had made enough for 4 people.

(not the most appetizing picture but you get the idea)

Hot German Potato Salad

2006-08-15T15:00:00.000-07:00

As much as I love Tip Top Meats, I wasn't satsified by their German potato salad. Determined to make a batch of my own GPS, I searched through my cookbook collection for the perfect recipe.

Betty Crocker's Picture Cook Book from 1956 provided my recipe. It was hot, rich, and full of fat. Therefore, fully authentic in the eyes of this German girl.

I was very satisfied with the turnout and would recommend this recipe to anyone wanting to make a true hot German potato salad. However, I would like to live to a ripe old age so I probably won't make this again. Why? you ask. Read on.....

WARNING: The following may cause heart attack, clogged arteries, high blood pressure, and other health problems. Make at your own risk.

Hot German Potato Salad
from Betty Crocker's Picture Cook Book c.1956
p.389

Boil 6 med. potatoes (or a bag of mini potatoes) in their jackets. Peel and slice thinly.

Fry slowly in skillet, then drain on paper...
6 slices bacon

Saute in bacon fat until golden brown...
3/4 cup chopped onion

Blend in...
2 T. glour
1 to 2 T. sugar
1 1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. celery seeds
dash of pepper (needs more than a dash in my opinion)

Cook over low heat, stirring until smooth and bubbly. Remove from heat. Stir in...
3/4 c. water
1/3 c. vinegar

Bring to boil, stirring constantly. Boil 1 minute. Stir in carefully the potatoes and the crumbled bits of bacon. Remove from heat, cover, and let stand until ready to serve.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Cream Cheese Ice Cream

2006-08-10T17:11:00.000-07:00

Yet another attempt at making ice cream with my ancient ice cream maker. This time it worked but I didn't like it. Turns out I don't really like cheesecake/cream cheese flavors. My husband, on the other hand, enjoyed this cream cheese ice cream with blackberries and whip cream.

The nice thing about this ice cream is that it's extremely quick to make since it involved no eggs. As always, I replaced the milk and cream with half-and-half (but I still followed the directions exactly). You might want to scrape down the sides of the ice cream maker after a minute or two to keep the ice cream from sticking to the sides.

Lemon Ice Cream

2006-08-09T20:14:00.000-07:00

I tried making the Lemon Meringue Ice Cream recipe from my Gourmet cookbook the other day but it didn't turn out as planned. I scrapped the meringue because I added 3 egg whites instead of 2 so it didn't crisp up enough. As far as the ice cream goes, it turned into scrambled eggs (even though I did everything right!) so I had to strain it 4 times and lost some of the egg in the process. However, I managed to save it and the taste was pretty impressive. This ice cream has quite a zip to it and tastes kind of like an intense frozen lemon curd. Very tasty.

My ancient ice cream maker is finally starting to give out on me so I was hoping some of you, readers, would have a suggestion as to what ice cream maker I should ask for (my birthday is coming up and I have hinted to my mom that I could use a new one). Anyone have a favorite brand?

Cherry Goat Cheese Bruschetta

2006-08-08T11:56:00.000-07:00

This Cherry Goat Cheese Bruschetta couldn't be more simple. Slice a baguette and toast after drizzling with olive oil. Add crumbled goat cheese and diced cherries and serve. Top with frsehly ground black pepper if desired.

You could probably use cherries and goat cheese with a puff pastry base instead. It would end up being a bit more dessert-like but just as pleasing.

Surprise Cookies

2006-08-07T11:43:00.000-07:00

I've been meaning to make these cookies for a long time. This recipe comes from my mom's collection and I'm sure she must have made these for me as a kid.

Originally I was thinking of putting jelly beans inside of these cookies but the reality of a cooked jelly bean inside a cookie didn't sound very good. So I ended up using candy-coated chocolates.

Surprise Cookies

3/4 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
candy coated chocolate or jelly beans or gumdrops or chocolate covered peanuts
3/4 cup sifted powdered sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. In a large mixer bowl beat butter with electric mixer on medium speed until softened (about 30 seconds). Add sugar and salt and beat until fluffy.

3. Add egg and vanilla. Beat well.

4. With mixer on low speed gradually beat in flour until well mixed.

5. Shape the dough into 1-inch balls. Press a piece of desired candy in center of each and shape the dough aroudn it so you can't see the candy. Place balls about 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets.

6. Bake for about 15 minutes or until edges are golden. Place powdered sugar in a plastic bag. With a pancake turner transfer 2 or 3 cookies at a time to the bag of powdered sugar. Gently shake cookies in powdered sugar until coated. Cool on a cooling rack. When cool, gently shake cookies again in powdered sugar.

Surprise!

Local Food Events

2006-08-06T11:38:00.000-07:00

Next Sunday there will be a fair in Hillcrest: City Fest 2006.

Taste of the Pacific: Pacific Islander's Festival on the 23rd and 24th of September.

Also on the 23rd of September: The San Elijo Hills Festival Del Mar

For more Southern CA food festivals in the upcoming months click here or here.

****
Side note: if you live in Rancho Penasquitos, Carmel Mountain Ranch, Rancho Bernardo, Bernardo Heights, Bernardo Trails, Bernardo Oaks, Oaks North, Pomerado Park and the Lake Hodges area then you should boil your water until further notice as the water has tested positive for E.Coli. For more information click here.

Brownies, Walnut Chews, and Beer Bread

2006-08-03T18:14:00.000-07:00

Double Chocolate Brownies

The other day I was trying to decide what to make for my friend's birthday. She loves food almost as much as I do and definitely has a sweet tooth. I know that she loves almond croissants, chocolate, and bakery items but isn't as fond of desserts like cookies. Since I had already gotten a birthday box (so cute! from Michael's) to put the dessert in, I had to make something that would fit. Plus her husband and daughter are a bit picky so I knew I couldn't make anything too fancy.

After deciding on brownies I tried to find a good recipe but none of the recipes I had looked good. I like a good chewy, fudgy brownie that isn't too dry or cake-like. Martha had several brownie recipes on her site so I finaly settled on the double chocolate brownies.

This was the first time I had ever used parchment paper (I finally found it for cheap at Target. Reynold's now makes it in a roll) as I usually use my silpats for anything that needs a nonstick surface. While I love my silpats, they don't work for brownies and bar cookies so I'm thrilled that I now know where to get parchment paper nearby. It makes such a HUGE difference when cutting them and keeping the brownies in perfect squares.

Walnut Chews

Right before Lisa stopped running her blog, Comfort Food/In a Nutshell, I copied down a recipe that she had made. She had started a nut theme and one of her first posts on nuts was for Chewy Walnut Squares from Tina Salter's Nuts: Sweet and Savory Recipes from Diamond of California.

Chewy Walnut Squares:

makes 16

1 c. chopped walnuts, 1/2 c. flour, 1/4 tsp. baking soda, 1/4 tsp. salt, 1 c. packed brown sugar, 1 tsp. vanilla extract, 1 egg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spread walnuts on a baking sheet or in a shallow pan. Bake, stirring once or twice, until lightly browned and fragrant, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool. Leave oven set to 350 degrees.

Line an 8-inch-square baking pan with a 16-inch sheet of aluminum foil; press foil firmly to make a snug fit, and let excess foil drape over edges. Coat foil generously with vegetable oil spray.

In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt.

In a medium bowl, beat brown sugar, vanilla, and egg until smooth. Gradually stir in flour mixture until well blended. Stir in walnuts; batter will be quite stiff. Scrape into pan, spreading evenly.

Bake until lightly browned at the edges and the top no longer looks wet, 20 to 22 minutes. (The center will appear soft and underbaked but will firm as it cools.) Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Grasp the overhanging foil and lift from pan in one piece; place on a work surface. With a long, sharp knife, cut into 2-inch squares. Peel squares from the foil and serve at room temperature.

Store airtight at room temperature up to 5 days.

Notes: These bars are incredibly addictive. I am using all my willpower to keep from eating them all before my husband gets home. I used walnuts from a local farm near my mom's in the Santa Barbara wine country. This one farm also makes walnut oil that must be divine if it's as incredible as their walnut. They honestly taste nothing like the walnuts you buy in the store. It's not just that they are super fresh. They have a special almost "smoky" flavor. I couldn't find a website for the walnuts but I found the website for the company that makes the walnut oil.

Thanks to Lisa for originally posting this recipe. Since her blog is no longer published I decided to repost the recipe so you could all try it.

Whole Wheat Beer Bread

There are many recipes for beer bread out there but I think this one is perfect because it's so simple and fast. Plus it's easy to memorize.

Thanks to Susan from Farmgirl Fare for posting both the original beer bread recipe as well as coming up with this alternative whole wheat version. Check it out. I decided to make the whole wheat version one night because we were out of milk for the following morning and my husband must have milk with his cereal. So I took the lonely bottle of beer in the back of the fridge and made the whole wheat version since it lasts longer in your belly. I'm sure the original beer bread recipe she posted with cheddar cheese is just as good. I liked the whole wheat version because we could eat it with cheese, jam, butter, or Nutella. It was so satisfying with Nutella. Just two thick slices can keep you going all morning long.

Kuat

2006-07-30T13:19:00.000-07:00

In the fall of 2002 my boyfriend (now husband) and I stopped by a 7-11 outside of Richmond, VA to pick up a cold soda. I'm always on the look out for new and unusual drinks or food products and was immediately drawn to the green soda bottle on the top shelf labeled Kuat. You might be thinking "Kuat? That doesn't sound appetizing!" I can see how you would think that given the name but I had to try it for myself.

The bottle said it was a product of Coca-Cola so we assumed it was brand-new to the market. The label also said that it contained guarana berries which contains guaranine, a substance that is identical to caffeine.

Guarana berries grow in South America and were named "secret eyes" after their appearance. Guarana is the pure seed of the Paullinia Cupana vine - a climbing shrub found in isolated areas of the Amazon rainforest (Guarana Co.).

After a few sips of the Guarana soda we were hooked. It is probably an acquired taste but it didn't take long before we liked it. If I remember correctly, Kuat tasted fruity and perhaps a little bitter.

Apparently Kuat is still being sold under different names in other countries like Brazil. What I don't understand is why Coca-Cola didn't market the soda and only tested it in random 7-11's for one to two months. We only saw it that one day and everytime we went back they didn't have Kuat.

So, if you work at Coca-Cola and have any say in the matter, please bring back Kuat! I think it would do really well with the right marketing campaign. As far as I remember it was refreshing, unique, and a good alternative to cola.

If anyone ever sees this soda being sold please let me know!

Heaven Sent Desserts

2006-07-26T18:09:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday my husband and I spent the day in San Diego having meals with various friends. The heat was beyond unbearable and none of the restaurants seemed to have air conditioning (or if they did it couldn't cope with the heat). After a hot lunch and dinner I knew I needed to sit down somewhere cool for dessert. We had passed a bakery before dinner called Heaven Sent Desserts that looked like it would fit the bill.

Parking was easy to find on the street and I was pleased to find that their air conditioning was far better than the other restaurants I had been to that day.

After looking over the desserts in the glass case I had a feeling that I wasn't going to be blown away. The prices ranged from $2-$8 for items such as a slice of cake, bread pudding, or a single macaroon.

My favorite desserts are tarts, cookies, brownies/bars, and other homey desserts rather than cakes and puddings. It just so happens that Heaven Sent Desserts had mostly cakes that night. They did have a lemon curd tart that looked good and one of my friends ordered the apple pie/tartlet. I decided just to order a sundried cranberry coconut macaroon ($2). My husband split their New Orlean's Style Bourbon bread pudding which comes with vanilla ice cream with another friend.

Since I'm not a fan of bread pudding I just took my husband's word on how it tasted. He said it wasn't bad but not the best he's had (but then again, my mom makes a killer bread pudding so he has high standards now).

I tried eating my macaroon but it was so dry and tasteless that I couldn't even finish it. A macaroon should be moist and flavorful. It's a very simple dessert to make so I was disappointed that one of their smallest items wasn't really edible.

The Dutch apple pie on the other hand wasn't bad. The crust was crisp and the streusel was acceptable. However, it still didn't "wow" me. To be honest with you, I'm so tired of going to bakeries or dessert restaurants and being disappointed with what I ordered. While it doesn't matter so much for $2 I really hate paying up to $10 for a dessert plate only to leave unsatisfied.

Another local dessert spot is Extraordinary Desserts. However, I mostly go there for the atmosphere (and tea!). I was hoping Heaven Sent Desserts would be an additional San Diego option for dessert but it just isn't worth the drive down to North Park. If you're vegan it might be worth the trip for you. They have several vegan desserts available on their menu.

I try to visit an eatery more than once before writing a review but since it takes between 40 minutes and 2 hours to get to San Diego (yes, it took 2 hours this past weekend) I am usually only able to visit San Diego eateries once.

So, just because I wasn't impressed with their desserts, that doesn't mean you shouldn't go to Heaven Sent Desserts. The owner is a former air force servicemember and I do feel that it's important to support people who volunteer(ed) for the military whenever you can.

If you need a break from the heat or just a quiet place to catch up with a friend I think this place is perfectly suitable. They have coffee, ice cream, and other drinks in case you're not in the mood for dessert. As mentioned in Alice's review, they have adorable coffee cups. (Side note: it's funny because I didn't realize it was the same dessert place that Alice had reviewed until after I left. I think her review was very accurate.)

Heaven Sent Desserts
3001 University Ave.
corner of 30th St.
619/793-4758

Chocolate Velvet Ice Cream

2006-07-26T17:42:00.000-07:00

With this heat it's amazing that I've managed to eat anything besides ice cream. There is nothing like a good homemade ice cream to cool you off. I've also been craving chocolate like mad this week (even though I wasn't interested in it during the first half of my pregnancy) so I had no choice but to make chocolate ice cream to satisfy my craving and cool off.

This is only the second time I've made ice cream but the recipe I used made it quite simple. Whenever I want a basic recipe that is most likely going to turn out great, I turn to my big yellow Gourmet cookbook.

For the recipe click here.

Notes:

1. I used half and half instead of the milk and cream and it turned out perfectly.

2. For the chocolate I used a combination of Ghiradelli and 2 kinds of South American chocolates from Trader Joes. Don't bother making this with anything but good chocolate.

3. I didn't use Dutch-processed cocoa because I have not been able to find it anywhere. The organic cocoa from TJ's worked fine.

4. Just like the description says, this ice cream has an intense chocolate flavor. I think it tastes like frozen chocolate custard (which is what it is) rather than a typical chocolate ice cream that you would buy in the store. I think you could probably add less chopped chocolate if you want a milder chocolate taste.

Zinc Cafe

2006-07-24T18:40:00.000-07:00

My first visit to Solana Beach occured this past Friday when I met Rorie (from Milk and Honey) for lunch. We met up at the Zinc Cafe which is an quaint cafe nestled in between boutiques on S. Cedros Ave.

The Cafe has mostly outdoor seating underneath shady trees and vines. We sat indoors right next to a wide open window. Fortunately the cafe is close enough to the beach to be cool enough to bear this usually unbearable San Diego heat.

I ordered their homemade lemonade (with a mint sprig and slice of ginger in it) which really helps refresh you on these hot days. They also have a container of cold water on the counter which I find extremely convenient since I can't get enough water lately and there are no waiters so you don't have to ask for water; it's right on the counter.

Rorie ordered a toasted brie sandwich that looked delicious and I couldn't help but order my favorite type of sandwich: buffalo mozzerella caprese sandwich. Normally I like mine heated but with the outside temperature I opted for the sandwich as-is which turned out perfectly light and satisfying.

We ordered a brownie and lemon cheesecake to share and if it weren't for the heat I would have gobbled them up. I love a good moist brownie. Their brownie was moist without being too heavy and rich. The cheesecake was light and lemony but not quite as satisfying (unless cheesecake is your favorite dessert). I brought home the leftover cheesecake to my husband who was happy to indulge.

One of my pet peeves about California restaurants is the pricing. Most California cafes are way overpriced and leave a lot to be desired. I thought the Zinc Cafe was much closer to a reasonable price (there are no sides and the plates aren't overflowing but everything seems to be appropriate for their prices) and the atmosphere is very relaxing. I felt like I was sitting in Rorie's garden rather than a crowded cafe (which it appears to be since it's one of the few restaurants on the block).

I'm very sad to say that I won't be able to meet Rorie there again since she's moving far away to New England but I'm hoping she'll keep posting and of course keep in touch. It's always a shame to make friends right before someone has to move (that keeps happening to me!). That's the life of a travelling gourmand, I suppose. Haha....I'm only joking. I've just moved around a lot. You know what? I probably will continue to do so. There's just so much good food in the world. Someone's got to try it all!

Zinc Cafe, 132 S. Cedros, Solana Beach, CA 92065....858/793-5436

Larb Gai

2006-07-24T16:45:00.000-07:00

I've been wanting to make Larb Gai for a while. It always appeared to be such a simple concept whenever I ordered it at Thai restaurants so I figured it wouldn't be hard to make. Once I realized that I needed to roast rice and grind it into a powder I put the idea of making Larb Gai on hold. Until I found roasted rice powder at the Asian market! After some internet research I concocted my own recipe (based on looks and taste) and came up with this:

Larb Gai

1 pound of ground chicken (or minced chicken breasts)
2 spring onions, chopped
1 small to medium shallot, chopped
1 T. roasted rice powder
2 t. roasted red chile paste
2 thai chiles, minced (optional)
1 T. chopped lemongrass
3 T. cilantro, chopped
3 T. mint, chopped
juice of 2-3 small limes (depending on taste)
2 T. fish sauce
Lettuce or cabbage, chopped
chopped peanuts (optional), for garnish

Vague directions:

1.) Heat up wok until smoking. Add a few tablespoons of canola oil and continue to heat. Cook ground chicken until no longer pink. If using ground chicken be sure to cut with spatula into tiny pieces.

2.) Lower heat to medium. Add roasted rice powder and cook until blended. Add shallots and lemongrass. Cook for another minute or two.

3.) Add cilantro, mint, chile, and red chile paste, and fish sauce. Cook until blended. Be sure to mix ingredients well.

4.) Once cooked, take the chicken mixture out of wok and place in bowl or plate. Squeeze lime juice on top to taste. I like my fairly sour but sometimes they over-do it at restaurants so it was great to be able to make Larb Gai exactly how I like it. Next time I will make mine spicy since my husband doesn't really like this dish. This time I omitted the chiles so it wasn't spicy at all.

5.) Serve on top of lettuce and garnish with additional cilantro leaves and peanuts if desired.

Notes: I added some shredded Kaffir lime leaves but didn't notice too much of a difference since the lime juice is such a bold flavor. I probably won't bother to add them next time.

In my opinion this dish is an acquired taste. Unless you're very familiar with Thai food you might not like it right away. Give it a chance (especially at a restaurant) and if you like it you can try it at home.

A Few of My Favorite Things (a.k.a my second trip to Tip Top)

2006-07-20T17:30:00.000-07:00

True to my word, I have already taken advantage of Tip Top Meats being a short drive from my new residence.

My mom was visiting for a long weekend and I had to bring her to my new find. I knew she would be impressed. I grew up having a German deli near our town that had the best wursts. We also had a local German bakery that was delicious. Since we've moved out west I haven't found an acceptable German deli...until now.

While Tip Top Meats is missing a few of my favorite wursts, they have enough products to compensate. I am truly in love.

On the fourth day my mom was in town we grilled up the mini-bratwursts that I had recently bought from Tip Top along with some great veggies and mini-rolls from the bakery in Carlsbad Village. The meal was so delicious that I knew I had to bring my mom to Tip Top during this visit and not a moment later.

I showed her around the store and pointed out the giant marzipan bar (marzipan is a weakness of mine), the variety of mustards, meats, and beer. Then I brought her back to the restaurant area to show her how cheap the meals really are and discussed which meats we would purchase that day.

I know my mom loves Gelbwurst so I ordered a 1/4 pound of that. Of course, I ended up getting a quarter pound of Decora and Old Forest Salami as well since the man before me was ordering both and I requested a taste while the woman behind the counter was slicing the meat. She was very generous with handing out tastes of the meat (which is a great marketing tactic since I tend to buy more things that way). I also ordered a pound of the German potato salad (which I have decided is good but not great and I probably will just try to make a better version myself).

If you're unfamiliar with most of their deli meats try these three cold cuts. The salami isn't too fatty tasting and is fairly mild. Their gelbwurst is actually peppery (usually it's more bland) and the decora is an herb bologna (yes, I know bologna sounds gross but this bologna isn't anything like that kind that has a first name) with a great flavor. These cold cuts taste great on their marble rye bread.

Since there was an extra person in our house that week I decided to get the apple strudel I had been eyeing during my last visit. It's a huge slab of strudel (comes in many flavors) that seems to be made fresh at Tip Top.

This strudel is worth a trip to Tip Top just for the strudel. The apples are tart and the strudel is just sweet enough to be satisfying without making you sick. It tastes great heated up and is a delicious breakfast item to serve to guests.

Before we left Tip Top I was showing my mom the jam section when I shrieked. They had jam with my mom's (and one of my) last name on it! It was too exciting. I had remembered that my grandpa found the jam once on Long Island but we hadn't seen it since. What do you know? A meat store in Carlsbad, CA (of all places) had that jam! It came in one flavor: red fruit.
So I will be trying the jam soon and cleaning that jar with all my might so that I can show everyone the jam with my last name on it! I hope I'm related to the folks who make the jam! It's not a common last name in the US but I suppose it might be common in Germany.

Anyway, in case it wasn't obvious during the first post, I love this store and if you haven't been you must go there ASAP. If you try anything new let me know what it is and if you recommend it.

Auf Wiedersehen!

Tasty Meat Pastries

2006-07-19T23:34:00.000-07:00

These meat pastries are something my mom and I have been making for years with leftover taco meat. They're simple, delicious, and filling.

I'm not sure what to call these since "Meat Pies" sounds unappetizing to me. I'd hate to call them empanadas since they aren't really empanadas. Any ideas are greatly appreciated.

Meat Pastries

Leftover taco meat (preferably ground beef that you cooked with taco sauce)
2 refrigerated pie crusts, your own or Pillsbury's works fine (in the cheese section)
shredded sharp cheddar (or your favorite cheese)
you can add any spices you desire to the filling

Tools: a biscuit cutter, silpat, cookie sheet, cheese grater, fork, knife, and oven

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1.) Roll out pie crust dough so that it's about half as thick. Cut out circles with the large biscuit cutter and set aside. Repeat until pie crust is used up.

2.) You will need 2 circles of pie crust per pastry. Stretch out the bottom circle slightly. Place the cooked taco meat along with a large pinch of shredded cheese on the center of the circle. Take the second circle and place on top. Pinch together the sides to create an empanada-like pastry. Use a fork to crimp the edges of the pies. Cut 2 slits into the top (for steam release) and sprinkel the top of the pastry with more shredded cheese (without blocking the slits).

3.) Cook in a 350-375 degree oven until slightly golden brown (about 15-25 minutes).

Notes: These will last a long time in an airtight container in the fridge. Perfect for snacks, appetizers, or meals. I find them quite filling.

Variations: Add your favorite spice, hot sauce, or vegetable to the pies for more complexity. You can use any leftover ground meat and any cheese that compliments the meat. These don't have to be Mexican-style. Experiment!

5-Meme

2006-07-14T18:39:00.000-07:00

5-Meme

Five Things in My Freezer:

1. Pine Nuts (they last longer)
2. Red, White, and Blue Rocket popsicles (a favorite from childhood and a random pregnancy craving)
3. Lots of ice packs
4. A Pork Loin
5. Bread (it goes bad if I leave it out more than 2 days)

Five Things in My (hall) Closet:

1. An air popcorn popper that's older than me
2. Board games that are too long to fit in my living room game cabinet
3. A large Lemonade/drink Jar (that makes a LOT of ice tea)
4. A filing cabinet
5. My pasta machine

Five Things in My Car:

1. A travel pillow
2. A non-digital camera
3. A mini-first aid kit
4. A beach towel
5. Aloe Vera Gel (in case I get burned. I should really keep sunblock in there instead!)

Five Things in My Purse:

This is extremely hard as my husband often compares my purse to a duffle bag.

1. Scharffen Berger Lip Balm (I bought it in the Ferry Building in San Fran)
2. A small container of Lactaid pills (darn lactose intolerance)
3. My medicine/bathroom cabinet (you think I'm joking!)
4. My digital camera or at least my camera cell phone
5. A pen and a small pad of paper (this is a necessity).

Tag goes to whomever likes to do memes.

Tom Yum Revisited

2006-07-14T18:31:00.000-07:00

Tom Yum Koong

4-5 cups of homemade chicken stock
1 pound shrimp, shelled and deveined (reserve shells)
1 package of white mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
12 kaffir lime leaves, torn in half
2 scallions, green parts, cut into 2 inch strips
5 thick slices of fresh ginger
3 thai chilies, or to taste
1 tsp. red chile paste
juice of 2-3 limes
2-3 T. fish sauce
1 slice of tomato, if desired

1. Place rinsed off shrimp shells in a pot of the chicken stock. Bring to a boil.
2. Remove shells.
3. Add shrimp, mushrooms, lime leaves, scallions, ginger, chilies, and red chile paste. Boil for 5-6 minutes.
4. Add fish sauce and lime juice and simmer for several more minutes.

I think this soup tastes better after it's been in the fridge for a while and then reheated. Keep all of the ingredients in the soup (do not remove anything; if you need to, instruct guests not to eat leaves, ginger, and chilies).

Personally, I wouldn't bother making this soup without the lime leaves. I did in the past and now I realize that the lime leaves MAKE Tom Yum. Tom Yum without lime leaves is merely a poser.

This soup lasts all week if it's just for one or two people. Otherwise I would say it serves about six. It might be an acquired taste, though. I don't know many people who like Tom Yum who aren't experts regarding Thai cuisine.

You can find kaffir lime leaves at 99 Ranch Market in Kearny Mesa (and other locations in Southern CA) or possibly your local Asian market (they're not easy to find). They are usually in the produce section.

Tip Top Meats

2006-07-12T19:03:00.000-07:00

After a trip to the Carlsbad Farmer's Market I decided to go to Tip Top Meats only a few exits away off the 5. I had heard they serve meals and my husband was starved so we decided to eat at their restaurant before shopping for meat.

I knew the minute we entered the store that I had found what I had been looking for. Every city I live in I look for the local German deli. This is it. They have a huge selection of beer, wine, German and Eastern European goods, condiments galore, and every meat you can think of including all of my favorite sausages (wursts, etc.). In the back of the store you can find their restaurant.

Their restaurant has a big menu with breakfasts, lunch, and I believe dinner. Their prices are great. An all-you-can-eat meat breakfast includes potatoes, eggs, and your choice of meats for less than $6. They have great blue-plate specials and wide range of entrees and sandwiches. I ordered the German Weiner which comes with your choice of bread, a pickle, and a side for less than $4.

I substituted German potato salad for fries. Their German potato salad was definitely authentic (with bacon and scallions) but it was served hot and I prefer it cold or room temperature. The German Weiner plate comes with 2 weiners (and if you know German "hot dogs" you know that they are very very long). I cut one in half to fit the roll and saved the other one for home. My sandwich was great but I was disappointed that they only had nasty mustard available even though they sell a TON of German (and other kinds of) mustard. A true German sausage needs good mustard.

My husband believes that a good sausage needs sauerkraut and while I should agree with him due to my German heritage, I don't care for sauerkraut. He ordered a side of kraut to go with his sandwich.

He said it tasted fresh and it definitely made his sandwich taste better. His corned beef sandwich was very big and only around 6 bucks. The meat was exceptionally tasty.

After lunch we wandered through the store some more and gawked at their huge selection of mustards, olives, desserts, candies, and more. I was in heaven. I feel "in my element" a lot more now that I found a German deli. Now I have a place where I can get my wursts. Our purchases today included landjager, Nuerenberger bratwurst, German weiners, and Braunschweiger (for my husband). I'll definitely post more about these when we cook them. For now I'm freezing them for future dinners.

I got a kick out of some of their products and their candies. They actually had several flavors of Mentos which I've NEVER seen before. I'll be honest, their prices are marked up quite a bit. For instance, their Nutella was over $4 even though you can get it at Trader Joe's for closer to $2. Most of their products are like this. However, I thought their meats were well priced as well as their bakery goods (bread, strudel, etc.).

So expect a lot more German foods (or at least meat) in my posts over the next year. I will definitely take advantage of having Tip Top Meats nearby while I'm in San Diego.

Tip Top Meats: 6118 Paseo Del Norte, Carlsbad, 92011 - (760) 438-2620

(Down the street from the Carlsbad Outlet Mall)

Joey's Smokin' BBQ

2006-07-10T23:16:00.000-07:00

A while back I read about Joey's Smokin' BBQ on Scott's site and was very intrigued. It wasn't until this past Fourth of July that my husband and I ventured down to Carlsbad to see how smokin' Joey's barbeque really is.

First, let me preface this review with my background. I was raised in VA, right outside of Washington D.C. After moving to NYC for a short period of time in college I finished college in Richmond, VA (which I can safely say is definitely the south and has some good BBQ). I've also traveled around the south a bit throughout my growing years. So I think it's safe to say that I've had enough barbeque to be a good judge.

There are MANY types of BBQ and I'm a fan of all types (even though I like the ones that use vinegar in their sauces the best).

So I went to Joey's with an open mind since we are in Southern CA and not Southern VA.

When we arrived at the restaurant (which is almost like a fast food joint) we thought it looked promising. The menu was large (a bit pricey but do-able) and they had our favorite: sweet tea. It's been very frustrating for my husband (who lived in the South for about 20 years of his life) to order ice tea and never have it sweetened to his liking. Once the tea is cold there is NO way to make the tea super sweet (the sugar won't dissolve).

So we ordered 2 sweet teas, a half slab of ribs with the "wet" rub (they have sweet, wet, and dry) and an ear of corn on the cob for me, and a pulled pork sandwich (which comes with beans and cole slaw) for my hubby.

We sat down in a booth and waited for our meal to be delivered. The booth implied that we were going to have a good meal. There was a big roll of paper towels ready for when we got super messy from the BBQ sauce.

Despite the fact that it was the Fourth of July and many restaurants were closed, the restaurant wasn't that busy. At least, it wasn't busy enough for them to have taken as long as they did to get our food delivered to our table.

Once our food arrived we realized this was definitely a no-frills meal. Which is usually ideal with BBQ but I thought $12 for a half slab or baby-back ribs (and no sides) was a bit pricey. They were plenty moist and fairly tender but honestly, I've had better. Much better. I would say that I wasn't mad that I paid that much but I would never order ribs there again. They just weren't worth it to me.

The corn on the cob was very good but I hate it when they leave the corn silks (or hairs) on the cob. It was sweet, hot, and sprinkled with what I believe was paprika. The corn was worth the $2 and it was the highlight of my meal.

It's kind of sad that corn is the highlight of a meal at a restaurant.

My husband's pulled pork sandwich was devoured but mainly because he was starved. He said it was "fine" but he was disgusted by the sides. The "creamy cole slaw " had practically no dressing on it! Who wants to eat shredded cabbage by itself? When I asked him how the beans were he said, "the first word that comes to mind is 'coffee'." That might not be a bad thing but he said they were pretty much inedible.

I could have been more generous with my review of their food but it was the end of the meal that really made me mad at Joey.

We were still slightly hungry after our meal and decided to order a slice of Bourbon Pecan Pie ($2.99 plus tax). Not only did it take FOREVER to get this slice of pie but it was FREEZING cold when it arrived. It had obviously been taken out of the freezer. Call me a fool but I was NOT expecting a frozen slice of pie. I just assumed that any decent BBQ place (or any BBQ place that thought they were decent) would serve home-made pie. We were very ticked off. Since the pie was way too cold to eat we took it home. It was just as disgusting heated up, though. I'm guessing any frozen pie from the grocery store would taste better than this pie.

Oh, the horror.

Needless to say, we will not be going back to Joey's Smokin' BBQ and we are very much hoping to find a better BBQ place in the area. We'll probably try Big Jim's in Encinitas shortly. Hopefully Jim knows better than Joey about how to make good barbeque.

Joey's Smokin' BBQ
6995 El Camino Real
Carlsbad, CA 92009
760/929-1397
Don't get the pie.

Local Food Notes

2006-07-05T11:57:00.000-07:00

TASTE OF LEUCADIA: The Leucadia 101 Main Street Association presents "Taste of Leucadia: Food For Thought" from 6-8:30 p.m. July 13, with many restaurants and art displays along North Coast Highway 101. Event passes are on sale now and cost $15 in advance and $17 at the event, if available. Call (760) 436-2320. This year's Food For Thought will feature samples from A Little Moore Coffee Shop, Beach Tea House 101, Big Jim's Old South Bar-B-Q, Bird House Grill, Calypso, Captain Keno's, El Torito Market, Jam Roc101 Caribbean Grill, Kotija Jr., Le Papagayo, Pannikin, Vida Gourmet Catering, and Vigilucci's Pizzeria, and music by Riz Orkestra, Bazaar Musicians, Shoestring Strap Band, Studio 848 and Palos. Contact (760) 436-2330 or visit www.leucadia101.com.

The 12th annual Encinitas Oktoberfest will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 24 at El Camino Real and Mountain Vista Road, featuring German dancers and bands, crafters and other vendors, food, beer garden, parade, and more.Call (760) 753-6041 or visit www.encinitaschamber.com.

O'side Fair continued

2006-07-03T19:45:00.000-07:00

Please read the O'side Fair post first as this is a continuation.

Ever since I read Alice's post about the San Diego fair I've been craving a funnel cake. I knew they would have funnel cakes at the Oceanside street fair. There must have been at least 4 funnel cake stands.

We chose Mimi's funnel cakes because they looked good and were right by the bratwurst stand. I got a funnel cake with powdered sugar ($5) but they had other toppings such as fruit or honey. Definitely worth 5 bucks.

Since it was so hot today and I'm assuming will be again tomorrow, I plan on getting some Hawaiian shaved ice or a cool drink during our next visit. The fair also had Greek, Hawaiian, BBQ, Asian, and more types of food for sale. I even saw mixed drinks served in whole pineapples.

So, if you decide to go the fair tomorrow, perhaps I'll see you there!

O'side Fair

2006-07-03T19:29:00.000-07:00

What are you doing right now? Unless it involved good food, sun, waves, and good music--get yourself down to the Oceanside Street Fair!

The street fair is right past the Carnival and on the hill overlooking the beach. Down by the beach is a stage where they had really good music during our visit. There was a great blues band that sang a song called "Don't Steal my Jellyroll!" No, they weren't singing about the cake, they were singing about those women with big "bootylicious" booties (of which I am one of them; at least for a white girl). It was very entertaining. I hope they'll be back tomorrow.

My husband and I only went for an hour this afternoon to grab some dinner but we'll be spending much more time there tomorrow. We found several craft booths with things for the baby's room and a few nice things for our house. Check out the paper cutting booth (I believe it's Japanese) where she sells amazing paper cut designs and embroidered Asian art (hard to explain, you have to see it, though).

My main goal was to get some good food while we were there. After passing numerous sausage stands we picked one where the sausages were grilled in the open (so I could be SURE they were good looking) and they must have had at least 5 types of sausages. Tonight we split a bratwurst but tomorrow I must try the kielbasa (so tasty looking). I used to get teased a LOT in college about how much I love sausages (especially wursts). Yes, it's immature but you know college boys.

Post to be continued because blogger is being stupid about photos.....

My Tomato Peace Tart

2006-06-30T15:12:00.000-07:00

What do you do when you have a basket of delicious yellow cherry tomatoes and a bag of red vine-ripe tomatoes? Make a tomato tart, of course!

I used to have a recipe for a mozzarella, basil, tomato tart that sounded delicious but I misplaced it. So I searched all of my cookbooks and major recipe sites online and I couldn't find any tarts with a tart crust and a cooked center. That's when I got creative.

The reason I call this a tomato peace tart is because the center slice of tomato I used looks almost like a peace sign. It's very hippie-esque and extremely tasty. My husband and I ate it up immediately between a late snack and breakfast this morning. This would be a great dish to bring to a potluck dinner, lunch, or brunch.

Tomato Peace Tart

1 baked parmesean black pepper tart crust from Epicurious
Several cloves of Roasted Garlic
Leftover Homemade Pesto
Fresh mozzarella (log-style is best) that has drained over paper towels to release moisture
Tomatoes of your choice (I used yellow cherry and red vine-ripe tomatoes), seeded
Fresh basil

1.) Follow instructions for making and baking the tart crust by clicking link above. You may subsitute the shortening for more cold butter if you don't have any shortening on hand. Take tart crust out of oven but do not shut off oven.

2.)Raise oven temperature to 400-425 degrees.

3.)Spread roasted garlic evenly over the bottom of the tart crust.

4.)Spread a thin layer of pesto along the bottom of the crust.

5.)Lay thin slices of the fresh mozzarella over the bottom of the crust. Be sure to fill in spaces with shredded fresh mozzarella.

6.)Arrange slices of tomatoes on top of the mozzarella but be sure to get rid of any excess moisture on the tomatoes.

7.)Bake for about 20 minutes or until the cheese is melted, the crust has browned, and the tomatoes have withered a bit (but don't look mushy).

8.)Take a paper towel and gently soak up any moisture/water that may have been released during baking.

9.)Sprinkle with sliced fresh basil (you can do this before you bake it if you prefer).

Enjoy!

Tempura Squash Blossoms with Goat Cheese

2006-06-29T13:27:00.000-07:00

Since I still haven't found our extra memory card I had to use my cell phone camera for a few dishes that I made this past week.

As you can tell, I took the squash blossoms that I bought from the farmer's market and made them into a crunchy delight!

Tempura-Fried Squash Blossoms with Goat Cheese

1.) Remove the stamens from the center of each squash blossom.

2.) Stuff with crumbled goat cheese.

3.) Heat up deep fryer to 375 degrees.

4.) Prepare tempura mix (I use the box kind, just add ice cold water). Coat the entire blossoms and the baby zucchini with tempura batter.

5.) Drop carefully in deep fryer and fry until slightly golden and super crisp!

This was the first time I have ever had squash blossoms and I was blown away. The top part of the flower crystalizes after being fried and is different from any other fried food I've had. It's heavenly. Plus, the zucchini gets very tender but not mushy when frying this way.

While you have to buy blossoms the day of (or day before) you serve them, they're affordable, delicious, and impressive. I definitely want to make them for company sometime.

Carlsbad Farmer's Market

2006-06-24T18:04:00.000-07:00

I'm in such a bad mood. My digital camera all of a sudden decides that the memory card is broken so I can't take pictures unless I find/buy a new memory card. Argh! That really makes me mad since I have so many dishes I want to make but won't unless I have a camera to prove that I really did make it!

Anyway, I did take pictures of my farmer's market finds last Wednesday before the memory card died that night.

***

The Carlsbad farmer's market is from 2-5pm on Roosevelt St. between Grand and Carlsbad Village Dr. They have a nice selection of plants, produce, food-to-go, and baked goods. It's a small market and some booths were pricey but I was still able to get a few items for cheap.

My first find was a bouquet of 5 red sunflowers. They were only $3 for the bunch! We're pretty sure these sunflowers don't come naturally tinged with red but I don't mind--they're so bright, sunny, and uplifting.

One of the first items I noticed on my walk around the market was a tray of squash blossoms. I've never tried these but have been intrigued by them ever since Rorie brought them to my attention. The woman selling the blossoms suggested I just buy a few to try them out and either cook them that night or put them in an airtight container with a damp paper towel until the next day (I did the latter). For my next post I'll let you know what I did with those 3 squash blossoms ($1).

My last purchase was from the Peach and Apricot stand around the corner. I've been craving sweet peaches lately and they had both yellow and white peaches to choose from. They also had a fruit I had never heard of called Plumcots. Apparently, the plums and apricots naturally cross-bred and produced a variation of the two fruits which they call plumcots. The plumcot has the same juicy texture as a plum but an extra sweetness like the apricot. Normally I don't like apricots but these plumcots were even better than the average plum. They come in yellow, purple, and red. The yellow are the sweetest. If they have these the next time I go I might make a plum tart with the plumcots. Although I probably like them in their natural state the best.

I was happy enough with my purchases that I will be back often to see what other surprises the farmer's market has in the future.

Salad Night

2006-06-20T17:30:00.000-07:00

Tonight was salad night. I'm trying to continue my healthy eating because it makes me feel great and it really satisfies me to eat balanced meals. Don't get me wrong, I will be posting sweets here and there, but tonight is all about healthy eating.

My first salad was really just a leftover salad. I had some homemade pesto, boiled some whole wheat pasta, and added diced cucumbers, red peppers, and seeded tomatoes. After I mixed that all up I added some salt and pepper, white wine vinegar (to taste), and olive oil (to taste). Some additional parmesean shavings would have been a nice addition too. If you just want to make this for your meal I would recommend adding more cheese or some sliced/diced chicken for more protein. This would make a great lunch because it has your complex carbs, protein, and veggies.

My next salad I always like to make when I have leftover strawberries and roasted chicken in the fridge. I prefer to use a mixture of lettuces and baby spinach but tonight I only had romaine lettuce for the base of my salad. Next I add sliced roasted chicken, toasted almonds, sliced avocado, green beans that have been steamed 1 minute (or less), sliced strawberries, and sliced cucumbers. Then I dress it with a balsamic or champagne vinaigrette. I love this salad for summers. It's simple yet impressive so it works great for any summer get togethers you might have with friends.

This last salad came from my Food and Wine 2003 Annual Recipes cookbook. This asparagus salad with roasted peppers and goat cheese is so quick to make yet the flavors are intense and complex. A perfect salad for company.

To make my slightly adapted version:

Boil pot of salted water. Add 1 lb. trimmed asparagus and cook for 3 minutes (or less, you want them to be crispy and bright green). Drain and rinse with cold water.

Mix dressing: 1 T. white wine vinegar; 1/2 T. Dijon mustard; 1 T. drained capers (I omitted this); 1/2 t. dried dill; 1 small garlic clove, diced; and I used a teaspoon of diced shallots. Whisk in olive oil (about 3 T.).

To plate: Lay asaparagus side by side on platter and drape with slices of roasted red pepper. Crumble goat cheese on top and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Dress right before serving with 1/2 of the dressing and serve the remaining dressing in a bowl for guests to use as they desire.

Notes:

I almost always have roasted peppers in a jar (usually from Trader Joe's) and this time I also happened to have a container of crumbled goat cheese from Trader Joe's (much more affordable than buying it in a log and is great for pizzas and salads).

The recipe added some pitted Kalamata olives and parmesean shavings on top of the salad.

This was the first recipe I've tried from this cookbook but I'm looking forward to trying more. I got this book (along with 4 other cookbooks) for around $4 at Ross. Good deal since it was originally $30!

Chicken with Cashews (Cashew Gai Ding)

2006-06-15T23:19:00.000-07:00

Last night I decided to try my first recipe from Grace Young's Breath of a Wok. If you're a novice when it comes to Chinese cooking, you just bought a wok, or you need new wok recipes--buy this book. There are numerous care tips for your wok, stories, and a combo of both authentic/traditional and more modern Chinese recipes.

The only adjustments I made to the recipe were omitting the bamboo shoots and using shitake instead of white mushrooms. If you do use shitake instead, add them to the wok later on so they don't get over cooked.

Cashew Gai Ding

from Breath of a Wok by Grace Young

1 pound boneless chicken breasts
1 egg white
1 tablespoon Shoaoxing rice wine or dry sherry
1 Tablespoon light soy sauce
1 pinch of salt
1 pinch white pepper
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
1/4 cup peanut or safflower oil
6 ounces raw cashews
6 slices fresh ginger, julienned
3 spring onions, cut in 2-inch pieces
1/2 pound fresh white mushrooms, quartered
1/4 pound bamboo shoots
1/4 cup chicken stock or water
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry
1 pinch white pepper
1 pinch sugar
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch, dissolved in 1 T. cold stock or water

Dice the chicken and place in a mixture of the lightly beaten egg white mixed with 1 T. wine, soy sauce, salt, 1 pinch of pepper, and 1/2 t. of the cornstarch. Let sit for 10 minutes. Heat the oil in a wok or skillet. Stir fry the cashews and remove. Add the ginger to the wok, stir, add the chicken, and stir for 2 minutes. Add the spring onions, mushrooms, and bamboo shoots. Stir fry until chicken is cooked, or about 5 minutes. Mix the stock, oyster sauce, wine, 1 pinch pepper, sugar, and cornstarch mixture in a small bowl and pour over the chicken in the wok. Stir, add the cashews, and serve immediately.

Serving notes:

I served this dish with Sichuan noodles (not as good as Ba Ren's) and dry-fried long beans.

Ba Ren

2006-06-14T23:44:00.000-07:00

Before I begin my tale about the best Chinese food I've had in a restaurant, I must begin by thanking my dear blogger friend Kirk from mmm-yoso. Thank you, Kirk, for mentioning this restaurant so many times on your blog that I just had to try it for myself.

For a very non-Asian woman, I eat a LOT of Asian food. I try to cook most of it myself and frequent 99 Ranch Market and other Asian markets. My life long dream has been to go to culinary school in China. While I love Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese and Chinese food equally (I'm not as familiar with other ethnic foods from Asia) I have a special place in my heart for Chinese food. Perhaps it's because I'm in love with my wok that I bought from the Wok Shop in San Francisco. Or maybe it's my intense love for dim sum. Whatever the reason, I am obsessed with cooking (and eating, when I can) authentic Chinese food.

Despite this passion, I hadn't eaten authentic Chinese food besides dim sum until last weekend.

Whenever my husband and I venture down to San Diego (usually to go to Ikea, the Container Store, or 99 Ranch Market) we always plan to eat dinner down there. Unfortunately we often times eat the same thing on these outings(we love the Garden Grill on India St.) since we don't always know what restaurants are worth trying.

This time I had a plan. Armed with directions and notes from Kirk's website, my husband and I drove to Kearny Mesa to try the infamous Ba Ren. I say infamous because Kirk has posted on this restuarant so many times that it was clearly a winner. I trust Kirk's reviews as it's clear he's an expert on Asian cuisine (plus I agreed with his dim sum reviews so that was a sign that I could trust him).

When we pulled up the restaurant it was only a little past 5pm and the area looked fairly deserted. Plus the outside of the building is a bit suspect. The grey cement building isn't exactly welcoming.

My husband turned to me and said "Are you sure about this?"

Of course I was sure. Kirk SAID it's one of his favorite restaurants and he SAID it's authentic. In my household, Kirk is the god of all foods Asian.

So we walked into the dining room behind another couple that had just arrived only to find that the dining room was dark. Apparently the owners weren't expecting guests just yet. There was another family sitting in the dark room so at least we were comforted in knowing there were other people who liked this restaurant and were eating early.

The lights came on as soon as we sat down and the mood lightened.

We took a look at the menu and were immediately overwhelmed. The menu is 4 long pages of everything you could ever imagine (as far as Chinese food goes). There is a cold appetizer section, hot pots, dry fried dishes, meats/seafoods/poultry/veggies, soups, noodles, rice, an American-favorites menu (which I would NEVER order from at a place like this), and much more.

The cold appetizers can be ordered from the front of the restaurant where they keep the dishes ready-made in a cart. Clever idea for folks like me who can never wait until their food arrives to eat. This time we did not order appetizers since there were only two of us and we already had an idea what to order from Kirk's recommendations.

Based on the recommendations and the fact that I love hot dishes but my husband is a bit of a wimp when it comes to heat, we decided to order one spicy dish and one non-spicy dish. Since I LOVE spicy noodles but rarely ever find ones I like in American-style restaurants, we ordered the cold Sichuan noodles (knowing we would take some home as great leftovers). Our other two dishes were Stir-fried dry beef ($12.99) and Crispy Rice Crust with Prawns ($14.99).

The first thing to arrive was our spicy noodles. We were impressed immediately. There were ingredients resting on the top of the noodles that I couldn't even begin to guess. Okay, I'll guess. There might have been dried pork pieces in the noodles, msg? (I hope not but I think I saw some crystals that looked msg-ish), something crunchy that I really have never seen before, and scallions. The noodles were thin and somehow crisp in a way (not mushy in the slightest). While this dish is super hot, it's so flavorful that even a wimp (like my husband) will love it. For only $5.99 it's the perfect dish for leftovers and to order EVERY time. Oh yes, we WILL be back, and we WILL order this again.

Our next dish to arrive was the crispy rice crust with prawns. While I had an idea of what this dish was, I didn't realize that it's basically an entree version of Sizzling rice soup (sometimes found in Chinese restaurants). However, this doesn't really work as an entree. They bring out a huge bowl/plate of prawns, lilybuds, bamboo shoots, bok choy, mushrooms, and crispy rice squares (quite a few, too). Then they pour the broth on top and expect you to eat it with your chopsticks. Um, the broth is really important in this dish and all it did in this case was make the massive amounts of crispy rice mushy and clumpy. Not appetizing. The flavor of the broth was good but I couldn't appreciate the dish without a bowl and spoon (plus this was the first time I've had crispy rice get THAT mushy).

Speaking of utensils, I have to mention that not long after we sat down the waiter brought us forks. He did not, mind you, bring forks to any other patron in the restaurant. Needless to say, I was insulted.

Our waiter was nice and spoke English perfectly but I was disappointed that he didn't know what kind of tea we were drinking. I took the brand name label so that I can look at the store and try to guess but the tea was REALLY good and didn't taste the same as most Chinese restaurant teas (which tend to be Jasmine or Oolong). Watch, the tea will end up being one of the types I just mentioned!

Okay, back to the meal.

Our last dish was the stir-fried dry beef. This was probably the highlight of the meal for me (although my husband and I were still reeling from the noodles which we LOVED). The beef is dry-fried to lock in the beef flavor and make it chewy. Then it's stir-fried with mung bean sprouts (so good!), Chinese celery (it's a mini, more flavorful version of American celery), dried chilies, and red bell pepper. This dish is mildly spicy but you don't really notice due to the immense amount of flavor.

Despite my high tolerance for spice/heat, I did find that my lips and mouth were tingling by the end of the meal and I felt a bit, well, high. It was a good high. I'm guessing it was from the endorphines that my brain released since it thought I was on fire. What a meal, huh? Great taste, good price, and a buzz!

So, ladies and gentlemen, if you have not been to Ba Ren, you may miss out on the best Chinese food you've ever had. Be brave, be adventurous, and be prepared.

I'll be back to Ba Ren very soon. The Sichuan Cold Noodles are calling me.

Ba Ren 4957 Diane Ave., San Diego, CA 92117

Open 11am-9:30pm

(858)279-2520

Domestic Goddess a.k.a Mommy

2006-06-12T00:03:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to new-mom, Jennifer, at Domestic Goddess! She had a beautiful baby boy named Leith and is recovering in the hospital after giving birth early. Congratulations!

Longboarder Cafe (Oceanside, CA)

2006-06-11T23:36:00.000-07:00

Finally I remembered to bring a camera! This afternoon my husband and I went to the Longboarder Cafe in Oceanside for what is most likely the tenth time. We love this cafe for a late breakfast or lunch. The prices can't be beat, the food is good, and the atmosphere is relaxing (noisy, but relaxing).

If you want to go to Longboarder, don't go hungry. Or at least be prepared for a long wait on the weekends. I've never had to wait more than a half hour but I'm sure there are times when the late is longer. It's a very popular spot on for breakfast and lunch on the weekends (it's only open until 2pm).

The decor is one of the best things about the cafe. Most walls are painted with beach murals and the rest of the walls are covered with surf memorbilia. There are even two stained-glass windows in the front of a beach and woodies (photo upload is being stupid all of a sudden).

Only one block from the beach, the Longboarder cafe is the perfect addition to your day at the beach. It has a great view of the Oceanside Library (the nicest part of Oceanside, in my opinion)and you can usually feel the ocean breeze through the front door.

After another twenty minutes (or more) of waiting once we were seated, we finally got our order. I had the short stack of french toast (less than $5) with a side of hash browns ($1.99). My hubby ordered the California omelet (avocado, mushrooms, tomato, cheese, sour cream, bacon..it's huge!) which comes with potatoes (of your choice) and toast for less than $7.

I personally think their almond french toast is their best menu item but my husband likes their big omelets and sandwiches. It's definitely diner food but it's great for the price. If you don't believe me you can ask Rorie (from Milk and Honey) or Lisa (from Comfort Food/In a Nutshell) since I met them there once for lunch.

So if you've never made it up (or down) to Oceanside and always wondered what's going on in the land of the marines; check out Longboarder for breakfast or lunch.

Longboarder Cafe
228 N Coast Hwy
Oceanside, CA 92054
760.721.6776

Tarpon Springs, FL

2006-06-07T22:06:00.000-07:00

If you're in the Tampa Bay area of Florida and are in the mood for Greek food: go to Tarpon Springs. Apparently they migrated there from Greece a while ago and settled into this town where they dive for sponges. The entire town is devoted to these natural sponges that they sell in touristy shops alongside Greek restaurants.

Since every restaurant had the same menu and they were all semi-overpriced we decided on the larger restaurant called Hellas with a big menu and some cheap plates. The Greek woman who sat us seemed to own the place and was really funny when my dad motioned for her to go in front of him (we were seated on a platformed area) and she said "oh, no, no, no. Business first. Always business." (Or something to that extent). It was really cute.

They served this cheese as an appetizer that everyone seemed to be ordering (and I will definitely order if ever given the opportunity again). After the cheese was brought to the table the waiter lit it on fire and everyone yelled "OPA!" (like in My Big Fat Greek Wedding). It was quite a spectacle. What a great idea for a party appetizer.

We were having dinner only a few hours later but my husband, dad, and I were hungry so my dad and I split a chicken souvlaki (chicken, tzatiki, onions, and tomato in a pita-like bread) and a Greek salad. The salad was really good but kind of strange. In the center of the salad, buried beneath the lettuce, was a mound of potato salad. It was actually quite good even though I don't normally like mixing my salads quite so much. Everything was fairly affordable, authentic, and tasty.

I would have loved to have eaten dessert there as they had an entire bakery attached to the restaurant (and I love me some baklava!) but we were stuffed.

All in all I would definitely recommend this place to any local or traveller heading to Tampa.

Here's an amusing picture of the entrance to the bakery from the restaurant. It says Bakery Restrooms. Not the best place to put both signs.

Hellas Restaurant
785 Dodecanese Blvd
Tarpon Springs, FL
(727) 943-2400

Fresh fish, anyone?

2006-06-04T10:52:00.000-07:00

On my recent trip to Tampa, Florida I was lucky enough to go out for a nice seafood dinner thanks to my grandma. My aunt had heard good things about a restaurant called Bonefish Grill about a half hour away from her house. My dad, husband, and I were hoping to have some good seafood while in Florida so we immediately took her up on the suggestion.

At first glance I could tell that I had either seen this restaurant before or that it was definitely a chain. That doesn't bother me at all, as long as the food is good.
Fortunately, the Bonefish Grill did not disappoint.

Our night started out with some Pinot Grigio (only 6 more months until I can drink again!), a basket of fresh bread, and a few plates of pesto olive oil with Kalamata olives. While neither pesto or dipping oil is new to me, I was surprised at how fresh their dipping oil tasted. The Kalamata olive pieces were sparse but extremely flavorful. It only took a few minutes before I had to order another basket of bread.

Perhaps the best thing about this restaurant was their menu. It was huge. Their appetizer selection was quite pleasing (I ended up ordering from it for my meal) with dishes ranging from spicy shrimp to mussels. They actually had a non-fish section which was perfect for my grandma who is very picky. Besides their main entree section and a great list of specials, they also had a big section devoted to grilled fish. You could choose your fish and your sauce of which there were around six options.

My only complaint about the restaurant was the music. They played tension-filled music that would only be appropriate for a bar or nightclub, not an expensive seafood restaurant. It was very strange.

When our meals arrived I realized that I might have over-ordered. I had already eaten half of my dad's and part of my grandmother's salads (which were delicious) and lots of bread by the time my two appetizers arrived. Since I couldn't decide on a meal and knew that my appetite isn't as big as it was pre-pregnancy (strange, huh?) I settled on a plate of calamari with a side of marinara and a side of Thai hot sauce and a plate of bacon-wrapped scallops with fresh mango salsa. My husband got a macademia nut encrusted mahi-mahi with a rum pineapple sauce and a side of garlic mashed potatoes.

I had barely touched my calamari when my dad started giving me samples of his dish, grilled shrimp and scallops with a pan-Asian glaze and little bit of wasabi cream. Part of me wished I had ordered his dish because I LOVE shrimp (my favorite food) and the glaze was balanced nicely with partly sweet and partly spicy flavors.

My calamari was exactly how I like it. Fresh, tender, not chewy, and accompanied by 2 very tasty sauces. Since I love spicy foods I mainly used the Thai dipping sauce.

The bacon-wrapped scallops that I had ordered would have been taken home had we been in San Diego. By the time I got to that plate I was stuffed. However, I gave it the old "college-try" and managed to finish the plate (minus one that I made my dad eat). The scallops were also just how I like them. Not wet, slimy, and chewy but tender, dry, and crispy on the outside. Fortunately the mango salsa was also just how I make it at home. The fruity salsa worked well to cut the grease from the bacon.

While I did remember to take pictures this time, the restaurant was extremely dark and our meals don't look very appetizing (even once I lightened the pictures a bit). So no food pics today (plus I'm having trouble getting the blogger photo upload to work).

If you're ever in Florida I do recommend going to Bonefish. They also have restaurants all over the east coast and a few on the west (closest to CA is in southern Nevada) but I'm guessing the freshest fish would be found in Florida.

Bonefish Grill
numerous locations
http://www.bonefishgrill.com/home.asp

Bun in the Oven

2006-06-02T12:05:00.000-07:00

You may have already figured it out but during my absence over the last few months I have secretly been doing some baking of my own. Yup, there's a bun in my oven! (Okay, that was terrible. Please excuse my puns.)

That's right, I'm expecting my own yummy addition to the family in early December. Now that my morning sickness has subsided I should be able to spend a bit more time cooking in the kitchen.

Thanks to all of you who have continued to check my blog even when there are no new posts.

Check out my newest post below.

Tomatoes Stuffed with Shrimp Salad

2006-06-02T11:54:00.000-07:00

Summer is upon us and it's time to start making those light summer salads. My favorite shrimp salad is from Eating Well's June/July 2005 issue all about shrimp. This tasty salad is perfect for picnics, potluck, and leftovers. I think it tastes even better when you stuff it inside tomatoes.

Click here for the recipe.

Note: When I made this for dinner the other night I was extremely upset to find out that the pound-and-a-half of shrimp that I had bought was smelly! I know, I should have asked to smell it first but it was cheap and looked fine. I was sure that I would have to throw it out but after boiling the shrimp for a few minutes I peeled and chopped them up and quickly stir-fried them in my wok with a tiny amount of minced garlic. This instantly got rid of the shrimpy smell and worked out perfectly in the shrimp salad.

Salish

2006-05-21T15:07:00.000-07:00

Sorry I've been so absent from this blog. I probably won't start posting regularly again until June.

On my way back from a trip to Joshua Tree National Park my family and I decided to stop by Temecula for dinner. Before we could even consider picking a place to eat, I had to go into the Temecula Olive Oil Company store.

When you first enter the store you see a gift shop for everything olives. Against the back of the shop is a bar where you can order ciabatta or baguettes to eat while you shop or take when you go.

To the left of the gift shop is the Olive Oil room. In this room you can find mustards, tapenades, olive oil, salt, salami, and more.

There is a tasting bar where you can try their seasonal olive oils. If you like butter you'll be amazed at the Misson olive oil that tastes just like butter. I prefer more of an earthy olive flavor so I was a big fan of their citrus and their Roturre di Oro oils.

While we were in the tasting room we picked up some salami sans nitrates which I devoured the following week. Usually I get heartburn from salami but this was perfect.

We also tasted their various gourmet salts and were blown away with the Salish. This fancy sea salt is smoked with alderwood which creates a campfire smell and a smoky taste. It's truly incredible and is only around 6 or 7 bucks for a jar that will last me a long time (if my husband doesn't eat it all).

So far we've used the salt on soft pretzels and asparagus and we're pretty much positive that it would be divine on salmon, chicken, steak (heck, any meat), and potatoes.

Next time you're in Temecula you must check out this store. It's gourmet heaven.

Temecula Olive Oil Company
1-866-OLIVE-YOU
28653 Old Town Front Street
Temecula, CA 92590

Popovers

2006-05-04T23:48:00.000-07:00

Growing up I always loved eating popovers but never enjoyed making them because they took forever to bake and you had to lower the temperature. Then I discovered a recipe for popovers in Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa Parties! that only takes 30 minutes and requires no fuss.

Ina Garten's POPOVERS
makes 12

1 1/2 T. unsalted butter, melted (plus softened butter for greasing pans)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
3/4 t. kosher salt
3 extra-large eggs at room temperature
1 1/2 cups whole milk at room temperature

(how easy is this to remember?!)

Preheat oven to 425.

Grease popover pans with softened butter (I used veggie oil spray). Preheat pans.

Meanwhile, whisk together the flour, salt, eggs, milk, and melted butter until smooth. The batter will be thin. Fill the popover pans less than half full and bake for exactly 30 minutes. Do not peek!

Serve hot or reheat before serving.

NOTES: If you don't have popover pans be sure that you buy regular size pans (each pan makes 6 popovers so you'll need 2) and I recommend nonstick. I found mine at Williams Sonoma but I'm sure they sell them many places.

Serving Suggestions: You can serve popovers as a sweet breakfast filled with lemon curd, jam, powdered sugar, fruit sauce or you can have them for brunch or lunch with cold chicken salad (I once ate them with this great mango chicken salad), egg salad, etc. They are also good plain.

The infamous Black & Tan

2006-05-01T23:25:00.000-07:00

Perhaps you've seen it on the news: "Ben & Jerry's apologize for new ice cream flavor name." After seeing this story on the news and reading about it online I was thoroughly intrigued.

It appears that Ben & Jerry's has upset a few people around the globe with their new flavor, Black & Tan. The ice cream was named after the popular beer drink made with Guiness and Harp so that it creates two layers, one black and one tan. However, Black & Tan is also the "nickname of a notoriously violent British militia that operated during Ireland's war of independence" (yahoo, 4/21/06).

While I absolutely DO NOT want to get in an argument, or even discussion, about whether or not Ben & Jerry's has chosen a poor name for the ice cream, I do want to comment briefly on the subject. I have been wondering what the hell they call a Black & Tan (the drink) in Ireland. Do they have a different name for it? If so, please clue me in! If they do have the same name, they should understand that Ben & Jerry's meant no harm by it.

As we all know, any publicity is good publicity. If I hadn't seen the story I wouldn't know the flavor existed. Especially since I try my hardest not to look at the Ben & Jerry's section of the freezer aisle since it's extremely fattening. However, I gave into temptation this past weekend and grabbed myself a pint of the cream stout ice cream mixed with chocolate ice cream.

Here is where I blush in embarassment. Yes, with the help of dear hubby, we managed to finish off an entire pint in one sitting. Not only in one sitting, but in what must have been 10 minutes or less.

You can quote me on this, Ben & Jerry, I am in LOVE with your new Black & Tan ice cream flavor. The cream stout ice cream is like nothing I've tasted before. When mixed with the dark rich chocolate it is truly divine. Usually I'm a gelato snob but Black & Tan is my new exception. There's nothing better. (At least not until I find a new flavor to obsess with.)

So, follow my lead, run to the grocery store and grab yourself a pint of this ice cream goodness. You might need a mature set of taste buds to appreciate the flavor as it is unique, but I think even the average ice cream lover with be pleased.

By the way, the Black & Tan ice cream doesn't taste like beer. It just tastes perfect.

Elephant Ears

2006-04-26T21:14:00.000-07:00

I finally did some cooking and baking last night for the first time in a while. I was very proud. Since I'm still not feeling too well I kept it simple and made a simple chicken dish, mud pie, and Elephant Ears.

If you make them thin enough, these Elephant Ears are crispy and almost as comforting as cinnamon rolls (with, I'm sure, a lot less fat). They only make 4 so make a double or triple batch if it's for more than 2 people.

ELEPHANT EARS

Makes 4.

1/4 cup butter
1 cup flour
2 T. sugar
1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1/3 cup milk
3 T. sugar
1 t. ground cinnamon
sugar, for sprinkling

1.) Preheat oven to 425.

2.) Grease cookie sheet or use a silpat.

3.) Heat butter until melted; set aside. Stir flour, 2 T. sugar, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Stir in the milk and 3 T. of the melted butter until dough forms.

4.) Sprinkle a surface (I use my silpat) lightly with flour; turn dough onto surface. Knead 10 times. Roll dough with a rolling pin or pat with hands into a rectangle, 9X5". Brush with remaining melted butter, using a pastry brush; sprinkle with mixture of 3 T. sugar and the cinnamon.

5.) Roll dough up tightly, beginning at narrow end. Pinch edge of dough into roll to seal. Cut into 4 equal pieces with a sharp knife. Place cut sides up on cookie sheet; pat each into a 6" circle. Sprinle liberally with more sugar.

6.) Bake until golden brown, 8-10 minutes. Immediately remove from cookie sheet with spatula. Let cool on wire rack.

Warning: While these are tasty, they are not actually Elephant Ears. They are a bit more like simple cinnamon rolls. If you make them really thin they may crisp up a bit more than mine did.

I'm still here!

2006-04-24T23:33:00.000-07:00

For those of you who are kind enough to read my blog regularly, I have to apologize for my lack of posts. While I can't explain now, I wanted to let you know that I won't be able to post very often for the next month or so. I will do my best to post once a week. Hopefully by summer (which is coming soon!) I'll be able to post daily again.

Hope you're all well and I will continue to read your blogs as often as I can.

Sweet Potato Chips

2006-04-17T16:17:00.000-07:00

What do you make as a side-dish for dinner when all you have is one sweet potato? Simple. Make baked sweet potato chips.

Baked Sweet Potato Chips

One sweet potato, peeled and sliced paper thin
Cinnamon
Paprika
Brown Sugar
Salt

Preheat oven to 375.

Coat sweet potato slices with olive oil and place side by side on a cookie sheet. I recommend using more than one cookie sheet at a time or else you'll be making batches of chips all night.

Sprinkle chips with cinnamon, paprika, salt, and a little bit of brown sugar.

Bake for 6 minutes and then flip over chips and bake for another 5 minutes.

Drain on paper towels and serve immediately.

Warning: These are addictive.

Bunny Biscuits

2006-04-14T20:59:00.000-07:00

Last night at 2am I was dying of hunger and was craving biscuits so I pulled out my Joy of Cooking to help me decide exactly what kind of biscuits to make. When I opened up to the page about biscuits I found a drawing of the perfect Easter biscuit: bunny biscuits!

These would be a huge hit with kids and were a huge hit with my husband. (chuckle)

BUNNY BISCUITS
adapted slightly from Joy of Cooking
c. 1973

1.) Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2.) Prepare fluffy biscuits:

-Stir together: 1 3/4 cups flour, 2 1/2 t. double-acting baking powder, 1 1/4 t. salt, 1 T. sugar

-Cut in 6 T. chilled butter

-Add 3/4 cup milk

Stir lightly into the flour mixture, using a fork. Turn dough onto a floured surface (I use a silpat). Knead lightly for 1/2 minute.

3.) Roll dough to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut it out with 2 sizes of cookie cutters (one 3-inch and one 1.5-inch cutter). The 3-inch cookie cutter will be used for the bottom or "rear" of the bunny. The 1.5-inch cutter will be used for the bunny's head. Then use the smaller cutter to cut out bunny ears from the sides of your rolled out dough. Roll leftover scraps of dough into balls for the tails. Overlap each part of the bunny so that it bakes together.

4.) Bake on a pizza stone or cookie sheet with a silpat for about 15 minutes or until golden.

Shrimp Banh Mi

2006-04-12T23:23:00.000-07:00

I know I've mentioned this sandwich several times in the past and I just know that you all are dying to get the recipe.

Fortunately the recipe is online at Eating Well.com. This magazine has really surprised me. I think eating healthy is extremely important but it's not always that easy to come up with innovative cooking recipes when limiting fat, calories, etc. Eating Well does a really good job at mixing it up. Their recipes are interesting and satisfying. Their Shrimp Banh Mi is, while not authentic by any means, delicious.

A few notes:

1.) Tonight I used very large shrimp but I actually think that smaller shrimp work better for this sandwich.

2.) Personally, I wouldn't make this if you don't have plain yogurt. While an authentic banh mi has only mayo, the yogurt is healthier and makes the consistency moist and much tastier than just plain mayo.

3.) Add the 1/4 t. of cayenne. It gives it a nice kick without being spicy.

4.) I use my Kyocera slicer to slice up the carrots and cucumbers. I also add the cucumbers to the bowl of rice wine vinegar (although I've just been using rice vinegar). While it sounds like I'm being paid by Kyocera, I'm not. I truly think their mandolines and julienne slicers save LOTS of time and effort.

5.) 99 Ranch Market makes the BEST "sub" rolls for Banh Mi's. Go out and get some and put them in the freezer. If you're not in the area then try your local Asian grocery store. You can also use the rolls for the steak banh mi that I made in the past. Oh, and don't forget to toast them!

6.) The recipe says to spread the mayo mixture on the bottom of each baguette. I think the sandwich would be way too dry if you don't put it on both halves (as well as on the shrimp if you'd like). Plus, it's so tasty that you'll want to use a lot of it.

Pan Seared Sole with Potato Scales and more...

2006-04-11T21:41:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I learned that my apartment complex holds cooking classes once a month for its residents. There is a nice big gourmet kitchen in the clubhouse for just this occasion.

I'll admit it, the reason I signed up for the cooking class this month was because the chef was making crispy tempura squash blossoms stuffed with herbed goat cheese. However, as I suspected, the squash blossoms weren't available in the markets (both grocery and farm) so he made a Fried Chevre with Arugula and Pea Shoot Salad instead. While I was disappointed that I wouldn't be able to try squash blossoms for the first time, the fried chevre was very satisfying. The recipe is very easy. Just cut up a log of good quality goat cheese into small logs. Coat with a few herbs, flour, egg, and dried breadcrumbs. Then chill in the fridge for at least a half hour. Then fry them up until golden brown. Place on top of a salad made with arugula, pea shoots, a few cherry tomatoes, and drizzle with a scallion dressing (made with sour cream).

For the main dish our chef, Michael Hampton (from BigCityChefs), whipped up a pan seared sole with potato scales and a quick lemon-parsley sauce. The "scaly" sole is quite simple. Slice a russet potato on your nifty mandoline (I like my Kyocera slicer for anything super thin) and place on the filet of sole so that it looks a bit like fish scales. Place in the fridge for a few hours and you're ready to fry. This dish has inspired me to make a similar dish later this week or whenever I feel better. (Stay Tuned.)

The reason I went to the class today despite my nausea was that for dessert our chef was making a Ginger Peach Cobbler. Anything ginger is #1 in my book right now (to help with the nausea).

GINGER PEACH COBBLER
Presented by Chef Michael Hampton of BigCityChefs

makes 8-10 servings

8 Peaches, peeled and sliced
3 T. grated ginger
3/4 cup sugar
2 T. cornstarch
1 t. cinnamon
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. kosher salt
3/4 c. heavy cream (or water, if you're lactose intolerant like me)
2 sticks of cold butter

1.) Preheat oven to 375 degrees. (He set the oven to 350 tonight and it turned out fine.)

2.) In a large bowl, add the peaches, ginger, 1/4 c. sugar, cornstarch, and cinnamon and mix together.

3.) For the dough: Into a bowl sift together the flour, 1/2 c. sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut 12 T. into small pieces. Add it to the flour mixture and cut it with a pastry cutter or crumble with your hands until the mixture looks like coarse breadcrumbs. Pour in the cream or water and mix just until the dough comes together. Don't overwork; the dough should be slightly sticky but manageable.

4.) In a 10-inch cast iron skillet over medium-low heat, melt the remaining 4 T. of butter. Add the peaches and cook gently until heated through, about 5 minutes. Drop the dough by tablespoonfuls over the warm peaches. There can be gaps, the dough will puff up and spread out as it bakes. Brush the top with some heavy cream and sprinkle with some sugar; put it into the oven on a baking sheet to catch any drips. Cook for 40 to 45 minutes until the top is browned and the fruit is bubbling.

Simple Pasta Salad

2006-04-11T17:43:00.000-07:00

I haven't been feeling so hot this week so I just haven't felt like cooking or eating (which is very unusual for me). That's when I turn to staple recipes like my simple pasta salad (I really should come up with a more clever name). If you can, try to use whole wheat pasta. Complex carbs are much better for you and will keep you from crashing later in the day.

SIMPLE PASTA SALAD

1 Package of cooked (al dente) pasta, such as penne (do not rinse pasta)

Dressing:

1/3 cup white wine vinegar or white balsamic vinegar (I used some of both)
1/4 cup of good quailty extra virgin olive oil
1-2 T. honey (I just use one big squeeze)
1 t. sweet or dijion mustard
1/8 t. salt, or to taste
1/4 t. pepper, or to taste
1 t. dried basil
1 t. dried dill
1/4 t. dried oregano and tarragon (optional)
a pinch of cayenne pepper
1/4 t. paprika

(The herb and spice measurements can be tweaked to your personal tastes. I just use whatever I have on hand).

Mix all dressing ingredients in a jar. Shake well. Dress pasta while the pasta is still warm. Add chopped vegetables and other ingredients as listed below:

celery, diced
red bell pepper, chopped
English cucumber, chopped
olives, diced
sharp cheddar, cut into small cubes
cherry tomatoes
baby carrots, chopped

The sky's the limit with this pasta salad. It's the dressing that makes it light, refreshing, and so simple to make. Kids love this salad. I used to make it as a kid all of the time and even the picky kids would eat it. It's also perfect for lunch or a picnic in the park.

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

2006-04-10T17:10:00.000-07:00

There's nothing better than a healthy dessert like chocolate covered strawberries. "Healthy?" you say. Sure. Strawberries are healthy and dark chocolate is healthy for you too. Therefore, this is a healthy dessert. No guilt for me, thank you very much.

I've made chocolate covered strawberries in the past but never used enough melted chocolate so they weren't very pretty. I find that for a couple handfuls of strawberries you should melt at least 8 ounces of high quality chocolate. While Ghirardelli isn't my favorite, I happened to have a big chunk of semisweet chocolate from Trader Joe's (less than $2 for 8 ounces). Melt the chocolate over simmering water (I use a double boiler but a metal or glass bowl would work fine). Then I dip the strawberries in the chocolate, put them on a cookie sheet with a silpat, and cool in the fridge for about a half hour (or less).

Voila. A very "healthy" dessert.

Leucadia Pizza

2006-04-09T15:54:00.000-07:00

My husband and I are desperately trying to find a 2 bedroom apartment to move into in May or June. Yesterday we took a look at one of the last options we have and weren't impressed. So we decided to get apartment hunting off the mind and take a drive down Coast Highway and enjoy the gorgeous weather.

We decided to take a walk around the town of Encinitas and take a look at some of their vintage clothing stores. HOME had the best vintage clothing for both men and women. They have both used clothing and store-designed duds where they buy used clothing and paint on different logos. My husband ended up buying a blue buttoned-up shirt with a skull painted on the breast pocket that is really cute (I mean, bad-ass).

Since we were in Encinitas we remembered that Leucadia pizza was nearby and started craving their gourmet pizzas. We had been once before around the holidays and were very impressed with their goat cheese pizza with pineapple, peppers, bacon, etc.

Just like our previous visit, we managed to eat almost 2 baskets of their (free) garlic bread. It's totally addictive. So be warned. We were barely able to eat our salad and pizza.

I'm trying to be better about eating salads as often as possible and Leucadia pizza makes it really easy to stick by that resolution. They have many types and sizes of salads including Greek, apple and walnut, and a Green salad. We opted for the green salad with a honey mustard dressing made with grainy mustard. The half-sized salad was only 4 bucks and provided 2 servings each.

I was tempted to get the goat cheese pizza again but we decided to be a little more adventurous and ordered the Shrimp Pesto pizza with thin slices of tomatoes and sundried tomatoes. It almost tasted like a pesto pasta with shrimp. The best part about this restaurant is that they have so many sizes of all their dishes. The "small" pizza easily serves 2. We almost had to take some of it home. So we had a huge dinner with garlic bread, salad, and pizza for around $14 (plus tip, etc.). Not bad. Leucadia pizza definitely gets the gourmetish seal of approval.

Leucadia Pizza
315 S. Coast Hwy 101
Encinitas, CA 92024
(760) 942-2222

Also at:
7748 Carmel Mountain Rd.,La Jolla/UTC, (858) 597-2222
12075 Carmel Mountain Rd., Carmel Mt. Home Depot Center, (858) 675-2222
16085 San Dieguito, Del Rayo Village Center,Fairbanks Ranch, (858) 759-2222

Pulled BBQ Pork

2006-04-05T23:44:00.000-07:00

I can't believe I've gone my whole life without a slow cooker. This magical piece of equipment is every busy person's miracle. It's also great for lazy people like me!

Recently I acquired a slow cooker of my very own and gave it a try the other night for dinner. Since dinner is anywhere between 9pm and 5am at my house due to my husband's schedule, I thought the slow cooker would work perfectly for a late night snack. I popped a pork shoulder roast into the cooker around 5pm and it was ready by midnight. Then it took about a half hour to shred and I cooked it for the next three hours until my hubby got home.

Sprout's (otherwise known as Henry's or Boney's in San Diego) carries a really good mini sourdough roll that is perfect for mini burgers or mini pulled pork sandwiches. If you want to have a truly authentic Southern BBQ sandwich you should put some creamy coleslaw on top of the pork.

Notes on this Pulled BBQ Pork recipe:

I cooked the roast on medium-low for 8 hours but could have left it in for several more hours to make it even more tender.
Honestly, I'm not sure if the whole cloves made a difference. They smelled great when I pulled the pork out of the pot but I can't really tell the difference in flavor. If you don't have whole cloves, don't worry about it.
I didn't include the chopped onions because I only had one onion for the whole recipe. I put a half of each onion (sliced) on the top and bottom of the roast.

Cara Cara

2006-04-04T22:27:00.000-07:00

Next time you're at the grocery store and you see some Cara Cara Navel Oranges for sale: buy some! I just recently tried these mild mannered oranges and was quite pleased. They're sweet and subtle and oh-so-pretty.

Avacado Pate

2006-04-03T22:07:00.000-07:00

My favorite go-to appetizer for last minute guests is Avacado pate. I got the recipe from an old Australian Women's Weekly Entertaining Cookbook but I lost it a while ago so I've just been making my own version.

This dip is fantastic served with pita chips. When I make pita chips for myself I just cut pita into triangles, peel apart the layers, and toast. However, if I'm serving this to guests I place the triangles on a big cookie sheet, brush them with melted butter, and sprinkle them with Italian seasoning before toasting in the oven.

Avacado Pate
based on a recipe from a vintage Australian Women's Weekly Entertaining cookbook

3 medium avacados, pitted, peeled and chopped
4 oz. cream cheese
1 medium garlic clove and 1 small shallot (or another medium garlic clove), diced
Juice of half a lemon
salt and pepper to taste

1.) Place all ingredients in food processor and blend until smooth.

2.) Strain in a fine-mesh sieve to remove white pieces of cream cheese.

3.) Scoop into serving dish and chill for several hours before serving so that the flavors can meld and the dip can stiffen.

Optional: For an even better presentation place whole or halved pistachios (shelled) on top of the dip before chilling.

More Food Festivals

2006-04-02T16:59:00.000-07:00

My last post inspired me to research more food festivals in Southern CA in case the book was missing some important ones. I love an excuse to travel and what better reason to travel then a festival for FOOD?

Note: some festivals listed below are not entirely devoted to food but I listed them because there is a specific genre of food served at the festival.

April:

5th Annual “Taste for the Cure” (Newport Beach)

Taste of Huntington Beach (Huntington Beach)
714-842-4481

Linda Vista Multi-Cultural Fair and Parade (San Diego)
www.lindavistafair.org

May:

State Chili Cook-off (Newport Beach)
714/729-1234

Fiesta Hermosa (Hermosa Beach)
http://www.fiestahermosa.com/about_the_festival.htm
Beer and Wine garden.

Pasadena Summer Fest (Pasadena)
http://www.delmanoprod.com/smfst06temp/index.html
featuring A Taste of Summer.

Taste of Fullerton (Fullerton)
714/871.3100

8th Annual Doheny Blues Festival (Dana Point)
International Foods.

International Festival (Aliso Viejo)
www.soka.edu

San Bernadino California State Annual Chili CookOff
www.chilicookoff.com

June:

Irish Faire and Music Festival (Orange County)
818-901-0230
http://www.irishfair.org/

Gourd Festival (Fallbrook)
http://www.welburngourdfarm.com/

Mariachi USA (Hollywood Bowl, LA)
http://www.mariachiusa.com/

Lions Club Fish Fry (Costa Mesa)

South Coast Plaza Summer Food & Wine Festival (Costa Mesa)

Manhattan Wine Auction (Manhattan Beach)
http://www.mbef.org/MBWA/

Street Fair and Chili Cook-Off (Ocean Beach)
619-224-4906

July:

Latin American Festival (Old Town, San Diego)
619/296-3266

Salsa Festival (Oxnard)
http://www.oxnardtourism.com/salsafestival.html
800/269-6273

Lotus Festival (LA)
http://www.laparks.org/grifmet/lotus.htm

August:

Taste of Main Street (Encinitas):
760/943-1950

Tofu Fest (LA)
http://www.tofufest.org/

Nisei Week Japanese Festival (LA)
http://www.niseiweek.org/

La Habra Corn Festival (La Habra)

San Clemente Street Faire and Fiesta (San Clemente)

Chinese Food Festival (LA)
http://www.chinesefoodfestivalla.com/

September:

Taste of Newport (Newport Beach)
http://www.tasteofnewport.com/

Brazilian Street Carnaval (Long Beach)
http://www.carnaval.org/main/

Tofu Fest (LA)
http://www.tofufest.org/

International Street Fair (Orange County)
http://www.orangestreetfair.com/

J.F. Shea Therapeutic Riding Center Annual County BBQ (San Juan Capistrano)

A Taste of Old Pasadena (Pasadena)
www.pfar.org

American Wine and Food Festival (LA)
http://www.wolfgangpuck.com/awff/indexa.htm

October:

Pumpkin Festival (Calabasas)
Mid month.
818/ 224-3671

Celebrate the Craft (La Jolla)

11th annual Persian Festival of Autumn (Mehregan) (Costa Mesa)

Food, Wine & Micro-Brew Fest (Costa Mesa)

Japanese Food Festival (Los Angeles)
http://www.jrasc.com/jrasc_eng/foodFestival.htm

November:

Tamale Festival (Los Angeles)
http://www.eastlosangeles.net/tamalefestival/

January:

Holtville Carrot Festival
http://www.holtvillechamber.ca.gov/

Let me know if I'm missing any Southern CA food events/festivals and if you attend any of the events I've posted. Thanks!

Food Festivals in Southern CA

2006-04-02T16:20:00.000-07:00

Everytime I go to the food section of the library I take a look at the book Food Festivals of Southern California to see what food events are happening this month but I always forget what I read by the time I get home. When I went to the library last week I checked out the book so that I could post events for San Diego and surrounding counties on my blog.

February:

National Date Festival (Indio)
Mid-February
619/863-8247

April:

Orange Blossom Festival (Riverside)
Spring date/month varies.
800/382-8202

Renaissance Pleasure Faire (San Bernadino County)
April-June; 9 weekends.
800/52-FAIRE

Scandinavian Festival (Thousand Oaks)
Third Saturday.
805/493-3151

Avacado Festival (Fallbrook)
619/728-5845
Food, entertainment, contests

Balloon & Wine Festival (Temecula)
909/676-4713

Grapefruit Festival (Borrego Springs)
Third weekend in April
619/767-5555

May:

Summer Farmer's Market (Coronado)
May-October. One Weekend a month.
619/424-4000

Cinco de Mayo Celebration (Oceanside)
619/722-1534
Food, entertainment

Chili Cook-off (Apple Valley)
619/247-3521.
Food, contests.

Strawberry Festival (Oxnard)
Third weekend.
800/2-OXNARD

June:

Hollywood Bowl Summer Festiaval (LA)
June-Sept.
213/972-7300

September:

Grecian Festival By-the-Sea (Long Beach)
Labor Day Weekend
562/494-8929

Newport Seafest (Newport Beach)
714/729-4400
Food, entertainment, arts and crafts, games, boat show.

Oktoberfest (Huntington Beach)
714/895-8020
Food, brew, entertainment.

Oktoberfest (Torrance)
310/327-4384
Food, entertainment, games, yodeling.

Apple Blossom Festival (Oak Glen)
Third weekend.
909/790-9470

Apple Days Festival (Julian)
Mid-Sept. to Mid-November
619/765-1857

October:

Pie Festival (Malibu)
First Saturday.
310/457-7505

Lobster Festival (Redondo Beach)
Third weekend.
310/374-2171

Harvest Hoedown Festival (Fallbrook)
619/728-4031
Food, entertainment, contests.

Oktoberfest (Carlsbad)
619/434-6093
Food, entertainment.

Oktoberfest (Huntington Beach)
714/895-8020
Food, brew, entertainment.

December:

International Tamale Festival (Indio)
First weekend.
800-44-INDIO

Christmas on the Prado (San Diego)
619/239-2001
Food, entertainment, arts and crafts, Santa Lucia Procession.

Winterfest (Lake Elsinore)
909/674-3124
Food, parade, entertainment, arts and crafts, horse-drawn carriage rides.

For more events north of Los Angeles County, for recipes from these events, and more contact information, please check out the book: Food Festivals of Southern California by Bob Carter.

Rudy's

2006-03-29T23:14:00.000-08:00

It is nearly impossible to find an affordable meal in Santa Barbara. Unless you have the hookup. Fortunately, I have the hookup. I know some of the locals. They just so happen to be my parents.

Unlike my mother and father, I cannot go for more than a few hours without eating. My mom can go from breakfast at 9am to dinner at 6pm without eating. If I ate breakfast at 9am I would most definitely be hungry by 11am. So this weekend, during my Santa Barbara visit to see the parents, there were a few moments of pleading to find food, any food, fast!

Fortunately, there is a fantastic Mexican hole-in-the-wall joint called Rudy's in both Santa Barbara and in the "city" of Buellton where my parents live (about 40 minutes north of the city in wine country).

Our first visit to Rudy's was on Sunday when I proclaimed that I could not possibly wait another minute without eating or I was going to die from starvation. Since we were taking a stroll by the water (they have a great art fair on Sunday down by the beach) our closest option food would be on State Street.

I wouldn't have ever gone to Rudy's myself because I can be a bit of a wimp when it comes to trying places that don't look pristine and, well, at least a little gourmetish. However, it came recommended by my parents and I was starved so I gave it a go. While there is no menu on the wall, I took one of the tiny two laminated menus by the register and was pleased to find plenty of viable options. Since I'm not a big fan of rice and beans I was more than happy to order an à la carte taco and a side of chips. My parents ordered a sweet pineapple tamale and a chicken tamale with mole sauce. Normally I'm not a big fan of tamales because they taste too "corny" to me but these were very good. The mole sauce wasn't my favorite but the chicken was so tender and the masa was mild and moist. None of use had tried a sweet tamale before and were pleasantly surprised. It was also moist and tasted like a sweet corn cake (with pineapple).

My taco was fantastic and cheap. Only about $2. It was extremely crispy without being greasy, had shredded beef that was quite flavorful, and plenty of shredded lettuce and cheese. They also have a great salsa bar which is great for someone like me who LOVES spicy food.

Since I was so impressed with our first visit to Rudy's I begged my mom to take me to the one in Buellton on Tuesday. It was a lot bigger and much cleaner than the one in the city and even had a few more options on the menu that looked great. I had already had my mind on their taquitos which I had seen on the counter at the city location. We ordered one chicken and one beef taquito plate for about $3 each. This is a great deal because not only does each plate come with 2 filling taquitos but it also has a handful of chips, lots of guacamole, and a small salad.

The taquitos were delicious. I can't get over how not-greasy their chips and tacos are. I'm so bummed that we don't have a Rudy's in San Diego. To be honest with you, I haven't seen any Mexican restaurants in my area that look good (within 10 minutes of my house). I would love to hear about your favorite Mexican restaurants in San Diego, even if they are far from Vista.

It may be time to make some homemade tortillas again. After my second batch I promised myself I'd wait a while because I eat them WAY too fast. Each batch makes about 20-25 and they're gone within 2-3 days. Can you blame me?

Rudy's Mexican Restaurant
811 State St # E
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
(805) 564-8677

Rudy's Mexican Restaurant
234 E Highway 246
Buellton, CA
(805) 686-5268

Pseudo Panini Press

2006-03-24T14:52:00.000-08:00

Well, I'm off to Santa Barbara for a long weekend so I won't be posting until mid-next week. Hopefully I'll have some good eats to share with you.

Before I go..I have to share my new find with you. The other week I found a cast iron grill press that fits perfectly in a round pan for frying bacon or smushing a sandwich into a panini.

The press didn't work quite as well as I had hoped but I only spent $7 for it at Marshalls and I think it will prove to be versatile. Here is a turkey panini sandwich (turkey, avacado, Bavarian swiss cheese, roasted garlic, and sweet honey mustard) that I made yesterday with the grill press:

Have a great weekend!

Vietnamese Garden Rolls

2006-03-23T01:03:00.000-08:00

These are a favorite of mine but I usually don't have the patience to make them. Not that they take all that long; I just love shrimp and tend to want to eat them right away.

Vietnamese Garden Rolls

You'll need:

Spring Roll Wrappers (you might have to get these in an Asian market)
Lettuce
Thin Vermicelli Rice Noodles (in Asian section of grocery store)
Avacado
Large Cooked Shrimp (tails removed) or tofu cut into rectangles
Shredded carrot
Julienned Cucumber
Bean sprouts
Julienned Red Bell Pepper

Note: All of these vegetables are optional. Tonight I only had avacado and lettuce so that's all I used. The rolls taste much better with additional veggies like carrots and cucumbers.

1.) Soak spring roll wrappers, one or two at a time, in a bowl of cold water. Soak until the wrappers are completely soft. Lightly dry wrapper on a paper towel to soak up extra water.

2.) Soak the noodles in a bowl of hot (but not quite boiling) water for about 3 minutes, until soft.

3.) Place one wrapper down on a plate or cutting board. Place a butterflied shrimp in the center of the wrapper. Top the shrimp with a slice of avacado, a few of each of the vegetables, rice vermicelli noodles, and a small leaf of lettuce.

4.) Fold the top and bottom of the wrapper over the filling. Then fold one side of the wrapper over the filling and roll up towards the opposite side.

5.) Serve with Nuoc Cham dipping sauce or peanut sauce.

Note: the recipe I used this time for Nuoc Cham is not the best one I've ever had. Nigella Lawson actually has a great recipe for it but I can't find it right now. If anyone has it please let me know (I think it's from Nigella Bites). I'd love to get a copy.

Chocolate Mousse

2006-03-22T19:05:00.000-08:00

What do you make when you have a few egg yolks and lots of heavy cream in the fridge? Chocolate Mousse!

I've been craving chocolate mousse all week and it just so happens that I had all of the ingredients available. The recipe I used was from the big Gourmet cookbook. This recipe takes a bit more work than the average chocolate mousse because it cooks the eggs (there are a lot of dirty dishes everywhere when you're done).

My husband was thrilled to come home from work to a big bowl of chocolate mousse. I had to remind him to save some for later.

The picture I took of the mousse is prior to being refrigerated for 6 hours. I almost prefer the lighter mousse to the thick dense mousse you get after it's chilled.

French Almond Macaroons

2006-03-20T21:49:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I finally made French Almond Macaroons from Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook (and website) after staring at the recipe for the last few weeks. I LOVE love LOVE almond macaroons and only discovered the French kind over the past few years.

I did my best to follow the recipe exactly and not rush through the process. So, basically, I did everything right according to the recipe but they didn't really turn out. The macaroons stuck to the Silpat and were way too fragile. They were still delicious and I ate them all (don't worry, I gave a couple to my husband) already. The recipe says it makes 30 but I think it only made about 20.

Here's where I think Martha (or whoever actually wrote the recipe) went wrong:

1.) The baking time was a little too short (or the temperature too low). My second batch of macaroons were in for more than 25 minutes and turned out perfect but the first batch that was in for about 25 minutes did not.

2.) It says to whip the egg whites to medium-soft peaks but I think medium-hard peaks would have turned out better.

3.) This may be because of complaint # 2 above, but the batter spread too far outside of the 2-inch circles I had marked out.

Next time I make these they should turn out much better and I will take the time to sandwich them with the Swiss Meringue Buttercream.

Dry Fry Long Beans with Pork

2006-03-19T16:50:00.000-08:00

If you read my blog you know I love my long beans. I pretty much eat them once a week. The other day I was inspired to change the way I cook my long beans when I read Barbara's post about dry frying on her blog, Tiger and Strawberries.

It wasn't until last night when I was reading one of my Chinese cookbooks that I decided to try the dry fry techinique, also called gan bian. The cookbook I used uses more oil than Barbara did when frying her beans.

According to my cookbook you should heat up about an inch of canola oil in your wok until it reaches 375 degrees (this is for 1 lb. of green beans). Fry beans, sitrring occasionally, until the beans are wrinkled and blistered. It took me about 6 minutes to achieve this effect with the long beans.

I then removed the long beans from the wok and let them drain on a paper bag. I poured out all but 1-2 T. of the oil and cooked a 1/4 lb. of ground pork in the wok until the pork was brown (about 3 minutes). Then I added the beans back to the wok and poured in the sauce (1 T. soy, 1 T. dry sherry, 2 T. chicken broth, 1 t. sugar). The beans were cooked until they absorbed the sauce and my meal was done.

This is an extremely satisfying dish and while it's not all that healthy I'm going to have a hard time not cooking my long beans this way from now on. Next time I make this dish I will try using less oil and see if it cooks the same way.

While it's not the prettiest dish, it's versatile and delicious. You can omit the pork, add dried shrimp and Sichuan preserved turnip or green onions. Normally I stir fry my steamed long beans with ginger and garlic but these dry fried beans don't need the garlic and ginger. They are extremely flavorful with just the small amount of sauce.

I am so excited about this dish and highly recommend it. You can use green beans if you have trouble finding long beans in your area. The cooking time will most likely be cut in half with green beans.