Monterey Gourmet

My girlfriend came to spend last weekend with me, and this was...

Fri, 15 Jun 2012 22:29:00 -0700

My girlfriend came to spend last weekend with me, and this was the treat I set out to greet her when she arrived, since I knew she would be hungry.

I love to entertain and any opportunity to bring out all my kitchen stuff is a good day for me! I decanted a nice bottle of Rioja that my friends gave me, from when they lived in Spain. It is called Beronia and it went nicely with my 2 year aged parm from Italy and my Irish Cheddar. We also had a stack of Sopressata to go along with some multi-grain crackers.

Not a bad little appetizer. Of course for dinner, I made my signature risotto with Italian sausage, sweet carmelized onions, lemon zest, Parmesan cheese, and wilted arugula. I also had a fresh garden salad of goodies that I picked up at the farmers market. I think my favorite part of this dinner was that almost everything was farm fresh. The veggies and all the fixins were fresh from the farm to the market. Gotta love living in the salad bowl of America!!!

Mmmm…Chorizo and Eggs When I think of breakfast or getting...

Fri, 15 Jun 2012 22:12:00 -0700

Mmmm…Chorizo and Eggs

When I think of breakfast or getting a late night snack after a long night of dancing, I think of Chorizo and Egg breakfast tacos. Since it is hard to come by breakfast tacos, I opted for the meal with a side of two tortillas.

This was taken at a place called The Breakfast Club. They serve you on a platter and there is more food than you can shake a stick at, but I enjoyed every last morsel!

This is also a great way to cure a hangover, incidentally!

Fresh Bread

Fri, 15 Jun 2012 22:11:38 -0700

Nothing like the smell of fresh bread to make a house smell like a home….and less like rotten...

Engagement Chicken Part 2

Sun, 03 Jun 2012 21:16:05 -0700

So the first time I tried the “engagement chicken,” it was undercooked and I may have...

Don't Quit Your Dayjob - The Reprise

Wed, 09 May 2012 20:17:02 -0700

I have to admit my hopes were dashed, after my stock-turned-aspic event. I took that giant bowl of...

Don't Quit Your Dayjob!

Sat, 05 May 2012 22:31:25 -0700

I am not sure if anyone else suffers from this, but I often think I am better at something that I...

Step 5: Marriage Friendly Pizza 1. Remove from oven and...

Sat, 05 May 2012 22:07:00 -0700

Step 5: Marriage Friendly Pizza

1. Remove from oven and drizzle balsamic vinegar on top. Use something well aged to add sweetness. This will balance out the flavors. I used an 18 year aged balsamic, which is sweet, sticky and perfect for the tangy goat cheese, salty prosciutto and bitter arugula.

2. Enjoy!

I drank a glass of King Estate Pinot Gris from Oregon, which was a nice pairing against the goat cheese and arugula, in my uneducated opinion.

Step 4: Marriage Friendly Pizza 1. Crumble lots of goat cheese...

Sat, 05 May 2012 22:06:00 -0700

Step 4: Marriage Friendly Pizza

1. Crumble lots of goat cheese on the pear side of the pizza, and any leftovers on your significant other’s half.

2. Put in pre-heated oven at 425 degrees for 15 minutes.

Step 3: Marriage Friendly Pizza 1. Layer fresh & organic...

Sat, 05 May 2012 22:05:00 -0700

Step 3: Marriage Friendly Pizza

1. Layer fresh & organic baby arugula across the entire pizza.

Step 2: Marriage Friendly Pizza 1. Layer fresh sliced Bosc...

Sat, 05 May 2012 22:04:00 -0700

Step 2: Marriage Friendly Pizza

1. Layer fresh sliced Bosc pears on top of the prosciutto.

2. Layer crumbled goat cheese on top of the chicken. I only put the cheese on half, for now.

Step 1: Marriage Friendly Pizza 1. Gluten-Free homemade...

Sat, 05 May 2012 22:03:00 -0700

Step 1: Marriage Friendly Pizza

1. Gluten-Free homemade crust.

2. Layer on prosciutto on one side and roasted chicken on the other (chicken comes from cleaned rotisserie chicken) The crust is so warm that the prosciutto is literally melting on the crust - YUM!

Monterey Farmers Market - The Fish Guy

Wed, 02 May 2012 10:28:34 -0700

So today is Tuesday and it is my favorite farmer’s market day. I love this market because it...

Hit the cheese shop in Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA, today and did the wine and cheese pairing, too. Whoa!...

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 08:55:13 -0700

Hit the cheese shop in Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA, today and did the wine and cheese pairing, too. Whoa!...

Get your own delicious!

Sat, 14 Apr 2012 17:24:04 -0700

Get your own delicious!

A little something to get your mouth watering.

Sat, 14 Apr 2012 17:20:00 -0700

A little something to get your mouth watering.

I Went to Bed in the Fetal Position...

Sat, 14 Apr 2012 17:11:39 -0700

MMMM…..I LOVE French food! Let me repeat….I LOVE French food. However, it does not...

Love this infographic and find it so appropriate. My husband is...

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 07:02:00 -0700

Love this infographic and find it so appropriate. My husband is trying to adapt to my meal time ad-hoc photo sessions…

source: http://columnfivemedia.com/work-items/flowtown-infographic-how-to-spot-a-yelp-user/

What we are sipping on tonight…

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 20:49:42 -0700

What we are sipping on tonight…

Inspiration

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 16:54:04 -0700

James Beard really sums it up when he talks about food being universal. It transcends language,...

"Food is our common ground, a universal experience."

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 16:50:09 -0700

“Food is our common ground, a universal experience.” - James Beard