So as many of you know I have never met my biological Father and this past year has been a lot about reflecting on that loss. But what I have truly realized is that what can be considered a loss can also be considered a gift because in his place I have had some of the most amazing mentors, father figures, close friends and confidence that a girl could ever want. I have never wanted for love, security, "fatherly advice", laughter or compliments. So I would like to take a moment to say thank you to all of you who have held my hand, made me laugh, told me I was beautiful, dried my tears, held me when I was scared, picked me up from scraped knees, taught me how to fix things around the house, let me touch jelly fish at the beach, gave me too much alcohol, told me about things my Mom didn't want me to know about and made me the woman I am today. I won't list you by name because my intention is not to embarrass you in this blog...but thank you...thank you for touching my life and making me the strong, radiant, independent, beautiful woman that I am today...and oh yeah thanks for teaching me about food and wine too...its much appreciated. And Happy Fathers Day to all of you who have been that person who touched a child's life....they may not recognize it at the time but you have meant the world to someone.

Ok enough sentimentality let's go back to talking about food. Tonight I decided to experiment with steak. As many of you know I am a true believer in grass fed beef, but I decided to take it a step further and try Washgyu Rib Eye Steaks. We have all heard of kobe style beef, right? But what exactly is that?

The true kobe beef must come from Japan. It is a cut of beef from the Wagyu cattle or to be more specific the Tajima-ush breed of Wagyu cattle. These cattle are raised based on traditional Japanese methods and they are well known for their flavor, tenderness and marbeling. However, since kobe beef has become such a commodity there has become a knock off version called "kobe style beef." This beef can be raised in the US and its normally a Wagyu cattle crossed with an Angus cattle. They are normally raised on an all grain diet and are supposed to be better for you as they are higher in unsaturated fats. They tend to be raised longer prior to being slaughtered and they are usually hormone, antibiotic and GMR free. So I decided to order some rib-eye steaks from Williams-Sonoma and give this "kobe style beef" a try. I really wanted to know if this was a gimmick or if I could taste and experience a difference in texture or was I just getting ripped off by spending a ton of money on steaks.

And let me just say I am a believer. I have seriously never had such a tender cut of steak. This steak melts in your mouth and even the fat is palatable as its not grisly and hard. It melts and enhances the flavor of the meat without causing you to gag at the back of your throat. I also just seasoned the steak with wine salt and pepper and cooked it on the grill and it was perfect. It had the nice grilled flavor on the exterior and it was still moist and tender inside. It needed no other sauces or seasonings as the grain fed flavors of the meat were inherent. Sure you do have to pay a pretty penny for this type of meat, but for a special occasion this is well worth it. In the event you are looking for Washgyu Steaks my recommendation would be to order them direct from Williams-Sonoma or you can usually find kobe style beef at places like Whole Foods or specialty grocery stores. I do have to say it was pretty cool to get a package in the mail that included a cooler with ice packs and steaks inside...just the very novelty of it made me chuckle. I know I am seriously very easy to entertain.

Hope you all had an amazing weekend. Cheers!