Breaking Away

It's the last day of April and I'm still lugging around my ever-faithful puffy, pulling on my winter boots and brushing snow off my car....It's spring everywhere else and I'm still running to warm myself by the fireplace and using Elliot to toast my toes...and it's going to continue for a least another week. 

So this weekend I am getting off this hill, away from this snow and running into the arms of the Napa Valley...  

Thanks to the generosity of Jeff and Carolyn Smith, we'll be settling into their guest house at Hourglass Wine Company. Nestled in St. Helena, Hourglass is  a boutique winery that solely produces Cabernet. And what a Cabernet it is as their wine has quite a cult following.

Though I'm sure it will be hard to leave the Smith's property, we will force ourselves to sip and nibble our way down the 2 lane roads of Napa. On the agenda is a stop at Oxbow Public Market to visit the Fatted Calf and to sample some goodies at Hog Island Oyster Company. Jess has a few vineyards in mind to visit (but I think it's a secret). She's also teased about a fried chicken lunch and dinner at Michael Chiarello's Bottega.

I'm not quite sure what else the weekend will bring but I'm sure we'll be "ahh"ing, laughing and lapping up the warmth the whole time. It's just the break away we all need before another week of wind and wet. 

Wishing you a weekend of warmth and welcomed relaxation!

Old year, new year

It's been a busy break from blogging and I'm gearing myself up to hop back in. In the meantime, here's what we've been up to:

Celebrating the season

My friends, knowing me so well, bought me some fantastic gifts. The first one below is my most treasured as I raved about Tim a few blogs back.

Cooking

Our Italian New Year included homemade ravioli

Seafood Saturday with oysters and an unbelievably delicious Scallop Gratin

4 days on the slopes, some jackpot shopping trips and the arrival of my new entertainment center have rounded out the time.

Tomorrow I'll dedicate a post to our Winter Wonderland and all it's frosty glory...

Fat Kid Sunday

Two fat kids pulled out cookbooks early Sunday morning before eating breakfast. This resultedin a roughly 4 hour cook-off that ended with 3 bloated bodies sprawled out on the floor and one big kitchen mess.

The menu:

Steamed Shrimp Dumplings

Potato & Sauerkraut Pierogies

Naan

Pea & Potato Samosas

White Chicken Chili with Cheddar Cornbread

Turkey Day treat

This Thanksgiving will find us hanging at the lake with Chris, Taude and the whole Miller family. Considering that all the Millers are fantastic cooks and/or bakers, most of the big ticket items have been already assigned. So, it's up to C, Phil, Tom & me to fill in the holes. Tom loves pears, Phil loves poms and everyone loves pie so this will be my contribution:

Pear & Pomegranate Caramel Pie

Start to finish: 1-1/2 hours (40 minutes active), plus cooling
Servings: 8

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into cubes, chilled, divided

6 tablespoons cold water, divided

2 cups pomegranate juice

1 cup dark brown sugar

3 strips lemon zest (optional)

6 tablespoons cornstarch

4 pounds firm pears, such as d’anjou or Bartlett, slightly underripe, peeled and cored, sliced about 1/4-inch thick

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 egg, lightly beaten

To make the crust:

In a large bowl, stir together the flour and salt. Add chilled cubed butter. Use your hands or a pastry cutter to cut butter into the flour until butter pieces are slightly smaller than a pea and the mixture resembles cornmeal. Add 2 tablespoons of water and gently stir mixture together with your hands or a fork until the mixture is evenly moist but not sticky. If the mixture is too dry, add more cold water 1 tablespoon at a time until it reaches desired consistency.

Lay a sheet of plastic wrap on the counter and turn the dough onto it. Push the dough together to form a ball and wrap well in the plastic. Refrigerate until chilled, at least 30 minutes and up to 2 days.

To make the filling:

In a medium saucepan over medium-high, combine the pomegranate juice, brown sugar and lemon zest. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is reduced by half and is very thick, about 20 to 30 minutes.

In a small glass, whisk together the corn starch with the remaining 4 tablespoons of water. While whisking the pomegranate syrup, slowly pour in the cornstarch mixture. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook for 1 minute. Remove the syrup from the heat, discard the lemon zest, and cool to room temperature.

Heat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Lightly dust the counter with flour. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and cut in half. Roll out one dough half to about 1/8-inch thickness. Transfer the dough to an 9-inch deep dish pie plate and press it gently into the plate. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the pears, cooled pomegranate mixture, cinnamon and nutmeg. Toss well to combine. Transfer the mixture to the dough-lined pie plate, pressing the fruit down or mounding it as needed to fit.
With a pastry brush, brush the overhanging pie dough lightly with the whisked egg. If needed, lightly dust the counter with flour. Roll the other dough half out to a thickness of about 1/8-inch. Use cookie cutters or a paring knife to cut 2 or 3 small holes at the center.

Carefully place the rolled crust over the pie, centering the holes over the top center of the pie. Press together the overhanging dough at the sides to seal with the egg.

Trim the overhanging dough to about 1-inch all around the pie and fold the overhang under itself so that it rests on the lip of the pie plate. Decorate the pie edges as desired and lightly brush the entire top and edges with the remaining beaten egg.
Transfer the pie to a rimmed baking sheet and bake until the crust is deep golden brown and the filling is bubbling, about 50 to 55 minutes. Transfer the pie to a cooling rack and cool to room temperature before serving.

Eating our way around SF...

After a howlin' good time at Chans & Laura's Halloween party, C, Tom & I hightailed through torrential downpours to San Francisco for a couple days of eating. My blog time is running out so here are the highlights...

The beds at the Hyatt

Combo sandwich from Mario's

(we proceeded this by Black & Tans, curry, samosa and naan at Kennedy's)

Oysters, scallops, mussels, house-cured sardines and carpaccio at Foreign Cinema

A Sunday morning Irish Coffee courtesy of friendly Larry at The Buena Vista that left us all stumbling the streets a little.

We followed this up with the two words we've been saying for weeks now: DIM SUM! Thank you, Yank Sing for the hours of steamed joy!

Ahhh, good times! Thanks T, C, and SF :)

A Girl's Night In

After weeks and weeks of day after day activities, tonight I am locking myself in my house for some much needed cleaning, quality kitty bonding and overall down time. However, I need to bribe myself to actually stay indoors and successfully mark off items on my to-do list.

Tonight's bribe: Lively Up Yourself Lentil Soup courtesy of 101Cookbooks.

2 cups black beluga lentils (or green French lentils), picked over and rinsed

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

1 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt

1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes

2 cups water

3 cups of a big leafy green (chard, kale, etc), rinsed well, deveined, finely chopped

Saffron Yogurt

a pinch of saffron (30-40 threads)

1 tablespoon boiling water

two pinches of salt

1/2 cup 2% Greek Yogurt

Bring 6 cups of water to a boil in a large saucepan, add the lentils, and cook for about 20 minutes, or until tender. Drain and set aside.

While the lentils are cooking, make the saffron yogurt by combining the saffron threads and boiling water in a tiny cup. Let the saffron steep for a few minutes. Now stir the saffron along with the liquid into the yogurt. Mix in the salt and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a heavy soup pot over medium heat, then add the onion and salt and saute until tender, a couple minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, lentils, and water and continue cooking for a few more minutes, letting the soup come back up to a simmer. Stir in the chopped greens, and wait another minute. Taste and adjust the seasoning if need be. Ladle into bowls, and serve with a dollop of the saffron yogurt.

Serves 6 to 8.

Variations:

- You can serve it with a poached egg on top,

- or crunchy, fried shallots,

- with a drizzle of chive infused cream,

- or with chunks of tiny pan-fried butternut squash cubes.

- Make a thicker version by using just a bit of water, and then spoon it over an omelette in the morning.

- Have some cooked farro or wheat berries around? Toss some in. Millet might be good too.

- You can finish the soup by adding your favorite spices or spice blends. Smoked paprika, crushed chiles, toasted cumin, would all work nicely.

Heidi's notes: I've found that French green lentils and black beluga lentils hold their shape nicely - they don't go to mush in the pot. I sometimes used fire-roasted organic crushed tomatoes, they lend a lovely deep smoky flavor to whatever you use them in. If you come across them, give them a try in this soup. If not, regular crushed tomatoes are just fine. Can't find greek yogurt, no problem - just use whole plain yogurt. Vegans can skip the yogurt entirely and finish the soup with a generous drizzle of good olive oil instead. And just a reminder, this makes a nice big pot of soup, so use a large pot - I eat the leftovers all week.

Try it out!

Ode to Fall

Mr. Tom meandered over last night and whipped up a savory dinner in honor of fall's arrival. He kept me at bay by first shaking up some prickly pear margaritas and once I was successfully distracted, he started in on dinner. Like Santa arriving a few months too soon, he swiftly unloaded his bag of goodness. I couldn't help but get giddy...pumpkins, Heirloom tomatoes, a woody chunk of ginger, sourdough bread, cream, Chevre, arugula, oh my!

Usually not one who can sit by idly and watch someone else cook, I was fully entertained by my chef for evening as he sliced, grated, stirred, sniffed and seasoned. I perched in a chair or atop the counter so as to have the best view of the action (my prickly pear libation not far from reach).

As the soup came together, it was time to start the sandwiches. Heirlooms, goat cheese, arugula all grilled up between two crusty pieces of sourdough. The sight of these sitting open-faced in the pan was beautiful. So beautiful, in fact, that I couldn’t peel my eyes away to grab the camera. (Bad Meesh!). But trust me, the green and beet red tomatoes with their signature swirls, laid out over creamy cheese and soon topped with zesty arugula was truly picture worthy. Alas, I couldn’t stand and admire the food all night. Tom nudged me out of my trance by handing me the “lids” to the sandwiches. A few more minutes of toasting, a ladling of creamy pumpkin goodness in the gourd shells, a little cream, seeds and nutmeg/cinnamon sprinkling and it was time to eat.

Now, I shouldn’t have to tell you how amazing this was ‘cause, if you know me, you know I wouldn’t write about it unless I couldn’t get my mind off of it. But let me take a few to relive the flavors…smooth pumpkin taken a notch up on the richness scale by the heavy cream whipped into a frenzy and dolloped on top.Salty, crunchy pumpkin seeds mingling with little chunks of pumpkin flesh scraped carefully from the sides. Ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon coming in to finish it off and leaving behind a unique yet nostalgic taste.

While leaning back in my chair and praising the pumpkins, I glanced down to see the sandwich glancing up at me.

I was so overtaken by the soup that I had forgotten there was more to this autumnalmeal. I took a breath and then I took a bite…and then nearly shed a tear. Really, what is more perfect that warm Chevre let alone warm goat cheese crowned with moist, juicy tomatoes all mixing together to coat the surface of sour bread? (Aside from the aforementioned soup, that is). Tom couldn’t help but break into smile at my apparent proximity to food nirvana and I couldn't blame him. Being a happy eater all my life, it’s not hard to tell when I am really enjoying something. And this I was loving!

A few more nibbles on my sandwich and a dozen or so more teaspoons of soup and I could eat no more. I tucked the sandwich and pumpkin bowl aside so that C could have a wee sample of the dishes and know that I haven’t flipped my lid over just any ol’ meal nor put aside my kitchen control issues for any old chef.

I'm full...

and it's all their fault --->

I've mentioned these boys a few times but never really explained what makes them such a common topic.

Starting off with nothing but a desire to bring good deli sandwiches to Truckee, Eric & Tom have quickly developed a loyal fan base. Their fresh baked breads, creative sandwiches and daily specials continue to impress and excite even the every day visitor. The guys have taken their talents and great personalities outside of their deli space too by participating in local events such as Truckee Thursdays and the Autumn Food and Wine Festival (where they earned a silver medal for pairing, a feat that some local fine dining restaurants have been trying to do for years). And, as if running the deli and cooking out in the community weren't enough, they also offer a full catering menu (which has been the source of some stellar Clear Capital lunches).

Now, it's true that when they opened Christine & I cursed them and said they wouldn't last a year. But that is only because we wanted their space to operate our own food haven. After one or two sandwiches we caved. Now we're die hard fans. Whether we're dragging ourselves (and our tired faces) in for veggie bagels and Americanos before work, or for sandos and DCs midday, we are never disappointed. (It doesn't help that they boys are a bit charming to boot hence our nicknaming it Cute Boy Deli).

Today, we decided to introduce Robyn and Keelan to the tastiness of FBD and were treated to an extra special lunch. Knowing how much I loved the almond-cheese goodness from Red Bicycle, Tom surprised me with a re-recreation of it.

Smooth as heaven goat cheese surrounded by toasty almond crunchiness then drizzled with honey so sweet the bees all came to check it out. Sliding in next to the cheese treats were some crunchy fried wontons kissed with a finger licking good sauce.

We had to shoo away the curious FBD diners and brush off the requests to "just have a sample" 'cause these goodies were all ours!

After clearing away our rich, toasty and all around lovely treats, we dove into our sandwiches. I'm a fan of the new turkey wrap which seemed especially yummy today, C ordered up their thai chicken wrap (which had a perfectly spicy peanut sauce) and Robyn hit up the tried & true & tasty roast beef.

While Keelan enjoyed the sandos, he was really all about the cookies. Using his baby sign language, he told us over and over again "more, More, MORE!"

As I sit here now on a Friday afternoon, I am kind of bummed that tomorrow I will have to find another place to get my lunch. There's not much in the area that I can say actually competes with these boys (especially after our lunch today) . With their hearty breakfast burritos, soon-to-be legendary sandwiches and housemade soups, to big-as-your face cookies and down-to-earth personalities, the FBD boys are definitely a new gem in Truckee.

Check 'em out: Full Belly Deli

Summer Send-Off

It seems that flipping the calendar page to the month of September is like waving a welcome flag to Fall. My only wish upon returning from my trip was one more weekend at the lake... one more tow behind the boat, one more early morning paddle on Tahoe, one more dinner/drink in a lounge chair on a deck. Fortunately for me, Mother Nature heard my wish and granted me all that I wished and more. And fortunately for me, I have some killer friends.

I've mentioned my lovelies, Chris & Taude, several times throughout my short blogger life and provided peeks into their fantabulous life as caretakers for the Merrill Estate in Tahoe City. This past weekend they extended their wonderful arms to myself and a close crew of their friends to revel in a weekend at the lake. Steven Merrill was kind enough to open his personal home and all it's goodies to us. Being the ever-perfect planners, C & T (as I refer to them in text) lined up a stellar experience complete with food, music, food, relaxation and views of the lake from every angle.

The weekend kicked off on Friday with drinks & dinner at the main house. C & I were greeted at the entrance by Tracy wielding melon margaritas in a cocktail shaker. As we took our first steps onto the back deck, her husband and chef for the weekend, Randy appeared with seared Ahi draped over wasabi guacamole with a slim cracker foundation. A sit, a sip, and a bite in I knew we were in for one hell of a weekend.

With the glorious taste of the Ahi app still resting on my tongue, Randy hollered that dinner was ready. We meandered our way into the dining room to be greeted by our first of many tantalizing spreads. Baby green salad with pear,honey pecans and gorgonzola, spicy baked beans, a blackened pork shoulder (that I am still dreaming about) laid next to two perfectly pink sides of Salmon, warm corn and flour tortillas and a trio of mouthwatering toppings. The next 30-45 minutes were filled with mmms, oh mys, hell yeahs, and "where's Randy so I can kiss him?" I'm sure, tucked in the kitchen, Randy was having a good chuckle knowing that the menu for the rest of the weekend was only going to go from good to great to "ARE YOU F'N KIDDING ME!?"

Once we finished licking our fingers and our plates, it was time to head out for some entertainment via Asylum Street Spankers who were displaying their musical greatness at the Crystal Bay Club. We loaded in the van and hightailed to stateline. Not being familiar with the band at all, I headed in only knowing that the female singer looked like C's sister, Steph (and she totally did if Steph were ready to burst with a baby). We were held captive by the talent through knee slapping at their cornier lyrics and gasping at some of their more off-color numbers.

But the display of musical ingenuity was undebatable. I wish for more visits to our town so that I can further enjoy them. We soon wrapped up our night and sped back to the ranch to hop in bed and dream about what Randy could be making for breakfast.

And what a dream Saturday morning was...reading in the living room as the sun perched over the lake, trying to write about Athens but being distracted by a sight I lived near, sipping coffee and watching the crew wipe the sleep out of their eyes. While Randy cooked and some boated, Chris, Tracy, Kerry & I took to the paddleboards for a leisurely paddle atop the blue. Upon returning, we were greeted with a divine breakfast of egg & meaty goodness paired with unbelievably delicious sweet potato home fries. Once again the moaning of food paradise.

With no plans for the day aside from eating lunch and dinner, we all set out to find our personal happiness whether reading by the boathouse, taking a bike or boat ride, getting a massage from our in-house masseuse, Jen, or just floating about.

We met up later in the afternoon for the 2nd annual tennis "tournament".

Some were competing while others were just goofing.

C was our entertainment with good ol' cheering at the court ("U-G-L-Y, you ain't got no alibi...") and we were kept hydrated by a few batches of refreshing and intoxicating Bourbon Slushies.

Taude won the prize for the best last minute costume and for rocking it so well...

After we rested, showered, slept or whatever everyone did after tennis, we filed into the main living room to mingle, drink, play Rummy, etc.

Randy doesn't like to be duped into singing Eagles cheers ("E-A-G-L-E-S..Whoa, wait a friggin' minute!!")

Randy kept us satisfied with palette cleansing fruit cups until the mussels were ready.

And boy, were they worth the wait. My gift of words can't even begin to describe the treasure trove of greatness he served us. Feeding like we were characters from Lord of the Flies, we dipped, sucked, scraped and sipped every last drop of this dish. We sopped the glory up with bleu cheese garlic bread. We poured the juice into glasses and dreamed of the Bloody Marys we could make. We were cresting on food nirvana.

In a tizzy of food and drink euphoria, we were soon nudged into the dining room for the main course.

Thinking it just couldn't possibly get any better was a huge misunderstanding...chicken roulade with asparagus, Jarlsberg & crab topped with Tracy's delicate yet flavor-FULL curry sauce or a red pepper remoulade, tender fingerling potatoes, sauteed green beans, wine..it's a miracle we didn't start singing or crying!

Once we pulled/rolled ourselves away from the table, the desserts were served. I missed them as I stepped outside to check out the sky (C caught a shooting star that I missed while looking for shooting stars). Full up to my Eve's Apple, I probably wouldn't have been able to indulge in much but I'm sore that I didn't get a forkful of Tracy's Grasshopper Pie or Elizabeth's (seemingly) 6-inch tall cheesecake loaded with berries. But I needed to be free of food coma for dancing and Charades...

I didn't monopolize the games this year (you're welcome, everybody!) but Charades are always a good time. We wrapped up the game without Taude having to act out High School Musical and crept to our beds.

Once again, Randy was there to feed us in the morning. This time, Huevos...and this time still as good! We ate, we paddled, we sunned, we boated, we yoga'd on the lawn, we wished it wasn't Sunday and we could go on living at Steven's house until we were old and fat. However, reality is reality and the weekend had to end.

I wiped the tears away as I packed up my stuff, hung my weekend robe and took one last dip into the lake and into Randy's smooth-as-butter guacamole. "I'll dream of you 'til next year" I said as we put the car in first and pulled away.

To all that were there, thanks for the memories.

To C & T, thanks a million times plus one for every smile I had.

To Randy, the offer to be your 2nd wife in exchange for food is still on the table.

and to Steven Merrill (should his eyes ever spy this), thanks for your kindness in opening your home to us and for allowing me to bask in the glory of the place you and your family have created over generations!

As I sit here on my deck donning a cozy fleece I whisper to Mother Nature "Now bring on Fall!"