Gobble Gobble
This is one of my favorite pictures from Thanksgiving a couple years ago. There wasn’t a burner to spare in the preparation for the feast.
Throughout the day the courses we prepared played musical chairs on the burner (not to mention the oven) until everything was completed to perfection.
A hearty, traditional meal was prepared. It featured ham (boiled in Guinness until it fell off the bone) and turkey, a savory stuffing with sausage, apples and sage, scalloped potatoes – three cheeses browned on top, gooey and hot, several vegetables, a salad with romaine hearts, croutons, nuts and dried cranberries, and cranberries – two ways – a classic jelly and berries with citrus.
Did someone say dessert? Who knows where the room in our bellies came from, but our indulgence was topped off with pumpkin pie and an apple cranberry tart.
The whole day of cooking, eating, and drinking with friends was a rare treat – I was truly thankful; what a luxury!
In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I hope that you find your burners full of food, your tables full of loved ones and your spirit full of thanks.
Gobble Gobble!
mkmtCOOK | Comment (0)Becoming a Chili Head
Upon departing Houston, I bought a bag of D.L. Jardine’s® Texas Chili Bag o’Fixins in the airport so that I could share a little bit of Texas at home with Paul.
It was the perfect rainy Saturday afternoon College Football viewing meal. I served it with tortilla chips, sour cream, grated cheddar cheese, onions, and cilantro.
This is the recipe that came inside the bag with my comments.
Texas Chili
1 D.L. Jardine’s® Texas Chili Bag O’Fixins Kit
2 lbs diced or ground chuck beef (I used cubed)
1 8oz can of tomato sauce
1 15oz can kidney or pinto beans (optional)
Sear meat until redness turns gray (don’t brown); drain off excess fat.
Add about 3 cups of water and tomato sauce. (I used chicken stock). Now add the contents of the large pak of our original Texas Chili spice blend and diced bell pepper/celery pak. Mix well and turn up the heat on the kettle. (Love the kettle, although mine was more like an All-Clad stock pot)!
The test of a genuine Texas Chili Head comes next…. (Who knew I was becoming a Chili Head). You choose how hot the chili is by how much of the crushed red pepper pak you add. For chili that is near hot, add ¼ teaspoon of red pepper. Try one teaspoon for chili that is “hotter than a two dollar pistol on Saturday night.” If you want your Texas Chili even hotter, keep pouring and may the good Lord help you. Watch for smoke and fallout.
Return top to kettle and help keep the flavor in and let chili simmer for 1 hour or until the meat is tender. Add water as needed (no additional water was needed for mine). Salt to taste.
About 30 minutes before you are ready to dig in, add beans if desired. (I did kidney beans).
Now is also the time to mix in the Masa for those that like the flavor and thickness it adds to their chili. Mix the flour with enough water to form a pourable mixture and stir into chili until it reached desired thickness. (I used it all).
Just simmer another 20-30 minutes and you’re ready for the best bowl of authentic “Texas Red” that has ever been fixed. Enjoy!
mkmtCOOK | Comment (0)Good Eats in AZ
A weekend of good eats was had in Arizona with special shout outs going to Nico’s Taco’s in Oro Valley (near Tucson) and radioMILANO in Phoenix.
Nico’s Taco’s is an unassuming Mexican spot in a strip mall in suburbia. Part of a local chain, this is the only one I’ve been to so I’m only able to vouch for its food.
Starving after a hike amongst the Suguaro cacti in Catalina State Park, we spotted Nico’s as we were driving to our hotel and it called to us. We each ordered two tacos and between 3 of us, there was enough food to feed 5! Two were with shredded chicken, two with carne asada and the last two carnitas. Served on corn tortillas, all soft but one, the tacos were overflowing with direct from the grill, meaty goodness, guacamole, shredded lettuce, grated cheese, a little sour cream and fresh salsa – two types, one red and one green, both hot, hot, hot!
What was lacking in atmosphere was made up for in portions. We sat at a table on the sidewalk next to the parking lot but were so focused on our taco consumption, we hardly noticed.
radioMILANO was a completely different experience altogether. Located not in a strip mall, but on a corner in Phoenix flanked by several other restaurants from LGO Hospitality – La Grande Orange Pizzeria, La Grande Orange Grocery, and Postino Winecafé, radioMILANO has a sophisticated suburban family sensibility about it. I would classify the menu as classic American comfort food with dishes that included spaghetti and meatballs, roasted chicken, and meatloaf. The stand out dish to me – also classic comfort food but with a refreshing twist – Deviled Eggs with Bacon and Chives. I’m working on getting the recipe to make for myself and share with you!
mkmtEAT | Comment (0)Paso Robles Wine Harvest Weekend
I had the good fortune to be invited to the Wine Harvest in Paso Robles at the beginning of October. One of the benefits of having a husband with a friend who shirked corporate America a few years ago and decided to make a career out of a passion by becoming a partner in the Four Vines winery. We stayed with our friend, Bill Grant of Four Vines and his girlfriend, Janell Dusi of J. Dusi Wines and were treated like special visitors everywhere we went.
The weekend was full beginning with a winemaker dinner on Friday night. Bistro Laurent paired with the Edward Sellers Winery and wine maker, Amy Butler did a top notch job pairing her wines with the menu.
The first course was Heirloom Tomato and Lobster Salad served with a 2005 Roussanne with 100% of its grapes coming from the Denner vineyard. This was followed by a Salmon appetizer paired with the ’06 Vertigo, a blend of Grenache, Mouvedre, and Syrah. The entrée was perfectly cooked, melt in the mouth tender local Paso lamb chops served with the ’04 Cuvée de Cinque, a blend of five grapes, all Rhone varietals.
At the end of the night there was a drawing for a magnum of Cuvée de Cinq signed by Amy Butler and guess who won? Lucky me! My tablemates were so excited that they all signed the box so I have a real memento of the evening and everyone with whom it was shared.
Saturday was spent wine tasting. We started with the Alternative BBQ at Four Vines– they’re in the process of increasing the size of the tasting room and adding an Oakville Grocer type deli so the BBQ was held outside. Winemaker, Chris Tietge is also a chef and put together an Asian inspired menu that featured chicken satay with peanut and tamarind sauces, cucumber salad, and pork finger sandwiches. Everything was grilled on the “Jimmy” flatbed truck grill. We couldn’t get enough!
After a couple hours, we headed down Vineyard Avenue to Denner Vineyards followed by Jada Vineyard with our final stop for the day at the newly opened, Jack Creek Cellars. We were greeted warmly at all wineries thanks to our friends and tasted some real treasures. The trunk of the car was full of wine by the time the day ended.
We grilled at Casa Billy Grant for dinner so our final stops were Pier 46 Seafood Company where we picked up some bright red sockeye salmon and fresh line caught wild halibut. Next we visited 15 Degrees Wine and Cheese shop where we picked up some cheese and dessert. We cooked up a storm while our host treated us to some special wines from his cellar – starting with vintage Ruinart champagne.
On Sunday Paul and I went to the plaza in downtown Paso and strolled around town, poking around in the boutiques, doing our best to stimulate the local economy. There has been a lot of rebuilding going on since the big earthquake in 2003 and the plaza reminded us of Sonoma or Healdsburg with a mixture of upscale shopping and good dining mixed in with a few stores that have been there for a long time.
We had lunch at the Crooked Kilt – a cavernous Irish pub that features every NFL Sunday football game on their many televisions. You guess why we chose this restaurant – Paul was in heaven! And, it turned out to be an excellent choice for food. I had a crisp Steak Salad with big cubes of Niman Ranch beef, pine nuts, blue cheese, avocado and onions mixed with Romaine. Paul went for the Frisco Burger a fat, juicy burger on sourdough bread with cheese and a little secret sauce.
After lunch we had a couple more wine tasting stops to make and we lingered at each one. Turley Wine Cellars was first on the list. The staff was friendly and knowledgeable and made us feel very welcome. Our last stop was Terry Hoage Vineyards. I was particularly impressed with the tasting room. It is a barn that was refaced with 300 year old wood from Terry’s family farm in Iowa. It was beautiful and brilliantly perched on top of the hill with panoramic views of the vines and some up and coming olive orchards. We chatted with Terry and his wife about their operation and enjoyed a sneak taste of some of the grapes that were just harvested.
And just when we thought we were going home we received the most generous invitation to have dinner with the first family of Paso. Every Sunday four generations gather and dine together. It was truly special to have been included in this warm and intimate family gathering.
When it was finally time to leave our hearts were happy and stomachs full. We spent the drive reminiscing about how much fun over the weekend and scheming about our return.
mkmtEAT, mkmtGO | Comment (0)Hotel ICON
Business took me to Houston. I wasn’t sure what to expect. I haven’t spent much time in Texas and had never been to Houston. I stayed downtown at the Hotel ICON, a luxury boutique hotel located in the former Union National Bank building that was built in 1911. After a $35 million renovation, it has received numerous awards including Condé Nast Traveler Hot List of Top 100 New Hotels in the World 2004. Besides, Anderson Cooper and the CNN staff stayed there during hurricane Ike – it was the only hotel in Houston that had power -if it was good for AC, it would be good for me.
The lobby is grand and beautifully designed in a contemporary, romantic, Texan style. Original details in this Neo-Classical building such as the massive vault behind the registration desk and the elevators have been left in tact. I was told that there was no getting the vault out of there! Another large vault in the basement has been turned into a wine cellar and private dining room. A bit of Texas slipped into the bar and covered the chairs with cowhide.
Service was friendly and hospitable. The hotel has a car for guests who need to be driven around the downtown area. This came in handy to me and was so much more pleasant that taking a taxi. The drivers were polite and knowledgeable. I asked many questions about where to eat and shop and got some good answers.
The rooms are spacious, comfortable, and well-appointed, also in a contemporary romantic style featuring lush fabrics and warm, vibrant colors. The desk had plenty of space to work, wi-fi, and an ergonomic chair that made working in my room a pleasure. The piece de la resistance was the Jacuzzi bath with a view into the bedroom. They call it “the ultimate bath”. I certainly enjoyed mine. True to Texas, the towel holder in the bathroom was a bull’s head with horns.
Despite some restaurant recommendations from friends and staff, I opted to dine in and went downstairs to Voice restaurant. Chef Michael Kramer took over 8 months ago and has made Voice a destination for fine dining in Houston. I feasted on the Gulf Blue Crab Cakes with avocado, shaved fennel and cilantro. There were two little round cakes and while they were tasty, they were not very substantial. The Hawaiian Hearts of Palm Salad with baby arugula, cucumber, almonds and white balsamic vinegar came next. I had ordered the other arugula salad on the menu and the waiter brought this one which while not what I was expecting was good, although I am not a hearts of Palm fan. 
Still hungry I ordered one more appetizer – Potato Gnocchi with morels, asparagus, and proscuitto. It was by far the best of the three, warm, flavorful and a decent sized portion for an appetizer. I left my bar table sated and ready to head back upstairs for the “ultimate bath”.
As seems to be the trend lately, there was one snafu. My room did not have hot water on the last day. I called the front desk and instead of ‘fessing up to what was going on, they said they’d send an electrician to take a look. I didn’t understand the correlation between electrician and water, and went downstairs to the Spa to bathe. Forty minutes later someone showed up to take a look but it was too late and I sent them away. Upon checkout I registered my complaint. I did not expect a hotel of this quality or standard to be short of hot water; unacceptable. Apparently, there was an issue with the city (fixing pipes that were damaged in the hurricane). I was given an apology and my meal from the previous night was comped. It was the least they could do.
Despite the water, the rest of my stay at the ICON was enjoyable and while I’m not sure if the hotel is an icon by definition (an important and enduring symbol), with the history behind the building and the current iteration of stylish, luxury hotel, it could be working its way toward icon status in the future.
mkmtEAT, mkmtGO | Comment (0)Big Night In
Our next cookbook club will be cooking from Big Night In: More Than 100 Wonderful Recipes for Feeding Family and Friends Italian-Style by Domenica Marchetti. Here’s a snapshot of what we have to look forward to:
In Big Night In, Domenica Marchetti shows us how to cook and entertain at home like a native Italian. She brings appealing specialties to the table that fill the stomach and warm the heart of anyone who pulls up a chair. Seventy-five delicious dishes include the likes of Veal and Mushroom Stew in a Puff Pastry Crust and Gabriella’s Lasagna alla Bolognese. And luscious desserts such as Chocolate Grappa Cake make the perfect ending to a wonderful evening. Tips on planning the meal make it easy for everyone—including the host—to have a memorable big night in, with the pleasure of Italian-style cooking and the hospitality that can only be found at home with friends and family. Suggested menus make it all to easy to plan your own Big Night In!
Our group will be meeting on November 9th to share recipes and feedback followed by some live postings on the Chronicle Books website blog. Join in the fun and start cooking for your own big night in.
mkmtCOOK | Comment (0)