Living in So Cal I keep trying to remind myself that it is winter elsewhere. And I figure there is no better way to convince myself of that fact than by cooking winter food. I truly love soup and I do actually eat it year round and New England Clam Chowder is one of my favorites...it was one of the few foods that I remember my Grandparents cooking, that I actually liked...I actually think it was my Grandfather who would make it in their basement kitchen, if I remember correctly.



My Grandparents lived in New Jersey and I remember as a kid being so mesmerized by the East Coast oddities that we just didn't have on the West Coast. For example, basements, it is hard to find a basement on the West Coast. And my Grandparent's basement was even better than a regular basement, it had a kitchen in it. Yes, they had an upstairs normal kitchen and a basement kitchen for those days when it was just too hot to cook upstairs. And I am pretty sure they weren't freaks...I think it was kind of common.

Legend has it that when I was a toddler I would have my crib in the basement...yes, I know that sounds creepy, but I am pretty sure it wasn't meant to be cruel or unusual punishment. I think it was just a cool dark place that allowed me to sleep...I am not making it sound any better, am I? Anyway I will just go on with my story. Anyway supposedly my Mom and Grandma put me down for a nap, turned off the lights and left me in the basement and when they came back down to check on me a few hours later I had jumped out of my crib, with my blanket and I was laying on the concrete floor, unscathed and asleep. I truly think it was a sign...my Mom should have known from a young age that I wasn't good with sitting still, being confined or following rules. Love you Mom!!

Anyway back to the soup. I have tried several clam chowder recipes and I have found that they are either watery and healthy and kind of nasty or so fat laden they you can feel your arteries clogging as you eat it. And this recipe is actually a good halfway point, it has good flavor from the bacon and sauteed onion, but it is made with milk and a normal amount of butter. I found the recipe in Southern Living and just a quick shout out, I have liked every recipe I have tried to make of theirs. I actually was really happy with this soup, it is creamy and thick and just screams comfort food. There weren't too many clams so it wasn't chewy and the potatoes are boiled in chicken bouillon so they have a rich salty flavor. I do have to say that if I made this recipe again I would peel the potatoes, but I am also a little obsessive about potato skins, so that is just me.

The wine is just for me to drink...it is not in the recipe!

Ingredients:
3 cups water
2 chicken bouillon cubes
4 medium size red potatoes, diced
2 (6 1/2 oz) cans minced clams, juice drained and reserved
4 slices bacon, cut into 1" pieces
3/4 cup chopped onion
3T butter
1/4 cup plus 2T flour
4 cups milk (I used 1% and that worked just fine)
Salt and pepper, to taste


Anyway start by boiling the potatoes in chicken bouillon and water until soft and tender. Drain the water/bouillon. Yes, I know that sounds weird but you are going to make a roux and use milk for the actual broth of the soup, so this concoction is used just to flavor the potatoes.

Next saute 4 strips of bacon that have been cut into pieces and 1 diced onion in a pan until the bacon is crispy. Remove the bacon and onions and reserve 2T of bacon drippings.


Add the bacon fat and butter to a pot and cook until the butter melts. Add the flour and stir until smooth. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Do not allow this to get brown, you want a white clam chowder.

Drain clam juice from 2 cans of clams and reserve the juice.


Slowly add the clam juice to the flour mixture, stirring constantly. Next add the milk, gradually, also stirring constantly. Cook until it is thick and bubbly and continue to stir. Seriously do not leave this mixture, even for a minute, as the flour mixture will start to stick to the bottom of the pan and can burn if you are not careful. And in my experience most people do not like burnt flour bits in their soup, just sayin'.

Remove from the heat and add the potato, clams, the bacon/onion mixture and salt and pepper to taste. Voila! This is awesome when it is served with some nice crusty bread and a glass of white wine. Cheers!

If you are looking for a cool "field trip," with a little history, good food, cocktails and somewhere off the beaten path, Cold Springs Tavern is the place for you. You are driving this windy road in the middle of nowhere off the Highway 154 and you turn a corner, a left to be exact,  only to see a log cabin looking building nestled in the woods. It almost looks like something out of a Hobit movie, with the exception of the row of cars or motorcycles parked outside.


The Cold Springs Tavern is an old stagecoach stop that was built in the 1860's. On the same property there are also several other historic buildings, some originating on the property and others that have been moved to the property. There is the bar that was an old water bottling plant,  an old bunk house that was used by the Chinese immigrants who built the road in that area and the Ojai jail.


According to their web page, they are rated as the BEST place for a romantic getaway in California. I personally would not have used the word "romantic" to describe it, however this is coming from the least romantic person on the place of the Earth. Now that I think about it, I really can't think of any experience that I would describe as "romantic"....ok wait maybe Bora Bora...just sayin'. I would use the following words instead to describe the Cold Springs Tavern-eclectic, fun, original, historical, cool, different, interesting, enthralling, warm and yummy.

The minute you walk into the restaurant you feel like you have stepped back in history. This place was out of control for my A.D.D as every wall has an artifact, picture, game head or other just random thing to look at. They have a few large fireplaces that make it cozy this time of year and just adds to the old school ambiance. Their dining room consists of several rooms, resembling a house, with a mish-mash of different tables and chairs, which add to the appeal. We wandered through a few rooms, looking for a table in front of a large stone fireplace, that was perfect for a cozy lunch.


I have been here twice, both for lunch, and to be honest I don't remember what I ate the first time. However, I was here a few weeks ago and I have been big on exploring game recently, so I decided to try some of their game delicacies. I ordered the Wild Game Black Bean Chili, which has rabbit, venison and buffalo. It was incredible! Full of flavor, spicy but not overpowering and the game was cooked perfectly, not too chewy and there was not a strong gamey flavor, which a lot of people are adverse to.


I also tried the Venison Steak Sandwich, which was also great. It had an incredible charbroiled taste, caramelized onions that were too die for and just good flavor. I do have to caution you, if you are adverse to the chewy texture of venison , you will not care for this sandwich.

We also ordered a Buffalo Burger. I hadn't had buffalo before and I loved it. It kind of reminds me of grass fed beef as the flavor is similar to beef, but it does have a bit of an earthy or herbal flavor to it. Loved it! And they have incredible onion rings if you are a fan!




We were on our way to wine country so we didn't lollygag, however the bar looked like a fun and festive place to just chill and have a few cocktails. They also have live music on some nights. I definitely recommend stopping by this place, especially if you are on your way to the Santa Ynez area. It truly has good food, fun history and is just a fun place to be. Here is the web page to check out the calendar, driving directions and hours: http://www.coldspringtavern.com/index.html

In 2013 I have had quite an adventure as I have explored the waters of the dating world. Let me start by saying I am well aware of the fact that I am not perfect and I recognize completely that in 2013 I have been a self-proclaimed commitment phoebe who has excelled as the One Date Wonder aka. Enigma, but since this is my blog, this is my opinion.  And I thought I would share with you all my David Letterman-eque Top 10 List of Dating No's:

I have to admit that it is very rare for me to make homemade marinara sauce. This is probably due to the fact that I have a family of marinara sauce aficionados and it almost feels sacrilegious to tread on their sauce toes. I am pretty sure my very first food was marinara sauce, my first food memory had to have been marinara sauce and it is definitely my comfort food. I always remember a pot of marinara sauce on the stove, during the holidays, simmering away, usually stacked on two burners so that it doesn't cook too fast or scorch. The smell of olive oil, garlic and onions sends me right back to Mama Kathleen's kitchen and it was always an indicator that some type of Italian deliciousness was in my near future.


This sauce was always the base for my Mom's lasagna or manicotti or baked rigatoni or even pizza and it was heaven! I always remember it raining, well because I grew up in Northern California, and I remember the kitchen windows being foggy from the heat or steam of the sauce and the pasta. And I remember taking a spoon and tasting the sauce out of a big pot, most of the time burning my tongue, but still enjoying the tradition all the same.

So I decided to try Giada's Marinara Sauce recipe. I figured, maybe just maybe, if I made another families recipe, it wouldn't feel so much like I was cheating on my Mom, Aunts, Uncles, Grandmas, etc. To begin with, the sauce of my youth never had vegetables in it, so I was a little concerned by the celery and carrots, but I decided to stay true to the recipe. And I have to say I actually couldn't taste them at all.


 The sauce was perfect. It is not Mama Kathleen's but it was perfect for the Braciola and it accomplished the same smells and flavor profile of my youth, so I was happy. It has a nice balance of acidity from the tomatoes and the olive oil. I was thrilled to find San Marzano tomatoes, which in my opinion, are the King of all tomatoes. They just taste fresh, they don't have that canned taste and they have a strong tomato taste.

Here is the recipe for the sauce:



Directions
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 small onions, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 stalks celery, finely chopped

2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 (32-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes

2 dried bay leaves

In a large casserole pot, heat the oil over a medium-high flame. Add the onions and garlic and saute until the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the celery, carrots, and 1/2 teaspoon of each salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and bay leaves, and simmer uncovered over low heat until the sauce thickens, about 1 hour. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Season the sauce with more salt and pepper, to taste. (The sauce can be made 1 day ahead. Cool, then cover and refrigerate. Rewarm over medium heat before using.)

Now for the braciola. If you are unfamiliar with braciola, it is a thin cut of meat that is stuffed, normally with cheese, bread crumbs and herbs and cooked in a white wine marinara sauce. I found that it goes by several different spellings, being listed as braciola and braciole. In all actuality, what we call braciola here in the US, is known in Italy as involtini.




First of all I made the cheese mixture. I used a smoked Provolone cheese and a Romano cheese. I added some bread crumbs, garlic and parsley.  Then stir in the olive oil.

Next take the flank steak and season with salt and pepper. I did find it interesting that I actually had a hard time finding flank steak around Christmas, but I think that was just because people were buying larger cuts of meats, like roasts or prime rib, etc.



Layer the cheese mixture on the steak. Be prepared for some of it to fall out during the rolling process.


Start rolling up the steak, including the filling, from the short side, kind of like a burrito.  Use kitchen twine to tie it and hold it together. I also used some kitchen pins, like the kind that are used on a turkey to assist in this process.


Brown the steak in olive oil, on all sides.



Add white wine marinara sauce to the pan, cover it in foil and place it in the oven.


Take the braciola out of the oven every 30 minutes and baste it with additional tomato sauce to keep it tender and moist. Cook it for the last 30 minutes, uncovered.

Remove from the oven and slice, removing the pins and the twine. I served mine over pasta with the sauce from the pan.

Ingredients
1/2 cup dried Italian-style bread crumbs
1 garlic clove, minced
2/3 cup grated Pecorino Romano
1/3 cup grated provolone
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
4 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (1 1/2-pound) flank steak
1 cup dry white wine
3 1/4 cups Simple Tomato Sauce

Directions
Stir the first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl to blend. Stir in 2 tablespoons of the oil. Season mixture with salt and pepper and set aside.

Lay the flank steak flat on the work surface. Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture evenly over the steak to cover the top evenly. Starting at 1 short end, roll up the steak as for a jelly roll to enclose the filling completely. Using butcher's twine, tie the steak roll to secure. Sprinkle the braciola with salt and pepper.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a heavy large ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add the braciole and cook until browned on all sides, about 8 minutes. Add the wine to the pan and bring to a boil. Stir in the marinara sauce. Cover partially with foil and bake until the meat is almost tender, turning the braciola and basting with the sauce every 30 minutes. After 1 hour, uncover and continue baking until the meat is tender, about 30 minutes longer. The total cooking time should be about 1 1/2 hours.

Remove the braciola from the sauce. Using a large sharp knife, cut the braciola crosswise and diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Transfer the slices to plates. Spoon the sauce over and serve.


I made this recipe for Christmas dinner and it was perfect. The meat was tender, the filling was melted inside and the sauce was rich and comforting. It truly felt festive and had the perfect colors for any holiday table.  I also love the fact that this meal looks like it was technically challenging and it just screams "I spent hours in the kitchen," which if you sat in the kitchen while it cooked, I guess you can technically claim that you did. But honestly it was easy to make, not too challenging or labor intensive. Amazing flavor and beautiful presentation! I paired this with a Cabernet Sauvignon and it was perfect. Cheers!

I love the holidays and I have incredible Christmas memories, from a young age until today. My Mom did an amazing job of making Christmas magical, everything from the Nutcracker to the Rockettes to Christmas light tours. And my family did an incredible job of celebrating food and wine, sure year round, but especially around the holidays. We had the traditional Italian Christmas Eve feast of the 7 fishes, Christmas morning brunch and I always remember as a kid getting dressed up and going out to dinner somewhere "fancy" around the holidays as a special treat. As I got older I carried on the food traditions, often being the one to cook, in order to capture the food memories of my youth. When I was married, it was common for our house to be filled with 15-20 people, including family and friends and I have fond memories of cooking for days. So for me, even today, Christmas is definitely about the food.




This Christmas I had the pleasure of cooking an intimate Christmas dinner for some dear friends. To commemorate the Italian fish tradition of my childhood and my life changing trip to New Orleans this past year, I made this incredible appetizer-Prosciutto Wrapped Shrimp with Bourbon BBQ Sauce. This was seriously the food highlight of my holiday. This BBQ sauce was out of this world! And the shrimp were cooked perfectly and the prosciutto was crispy and with a nice glass of Cab, I was a happy girl!

This would actually be a perfect recipe for a New Years Eve party, as well, just in case you are looking for some festive ideas for the next food soiree. And it is easy and not time consuming-win/win!!


First of all make the BBQ sauce, which can be made in advance. Saute the onion and rosemary leaves in olive oil. I love the smell of fresh rosemary, it just makes me happy!!! Next add the garlic and continue to cook.


Take the sauce off the heat and add the bourbon, which is a whiskey, in case you are unfamiliar with it, like I was us until recently. Add the brown sugar, I used smoked brown sugar, which was an awesome choice! Add the Dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, salt and pepper. Also add the prepared BBQ sauce, I used a hickory smoked sauce because I really love that smoky flavor, and it worked really well with the prosciutto.


Put all of the sauce ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth. I actually kept mine a little chunky just because the sauce is also used as a dipping sauce and I wanted a little texture to it, but that is just me.

Next take the shrimp and wrap them in prosciutto. Mine weren't the prettiest and I was concerned about how well the prosciutto would stick to the shrimp, but it adhered well in the cooking process, as it was assisted with the BBQ sauce.

Put the shrimp on a baking sheet and baste with the sauce. Cook for 5 minutes in a 400 degree oven. Flip the shrimp and baste again, cook for another 5 minutes.

Serve with the extra sauce and a little parsley for garnish and you have the perfect holiday appetizer or hell I could have easily sat down with my glass of wine and just ate the whole plate...just sayin'.




BARBECUE SAUCE
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 teaspoon chopped rosemary leaves
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
2 tablespoons bourbon
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup prepared barbecue sauce, preferably a less sweet brand
Dash of Worcestershire sauce
Dash of hot sauce
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

SHRIMP
24 extra-large shrimp, shelled and deveined
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
12 slices of prosciutto, halved lengthwise
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
Lime wedges, for serving





MAKE THE BARBECUE SAUCE In a medium skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the onion and rosemary and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion begins to brown, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until softened and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Stir in all of the remaining barbecue sauce ingredients and season with salt and pepper. In a food processor, puree the barbecue sauce until smooth. Transfer the sauce to a bowl.

PREPARE THE SHRIMP Preheat the oven to 400°. In a medium bowl, toss the shrimp with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Wrap each shrimp in a half slice of prosciutto and transfer to a rimmed baking sheet. Brush the shrimp with some of the barbecue sauce and arrange them 1 inch apart. Roast the shrimp for 5 minutes. Turn the shrimp over, brush with more barbecue sauce and roast for about 5 minutes longer, until the shrimp are firm and white throughout and the barbecue sauce is shiny. Transfer the shrimp to a platter and sprinkle with the chopped parsley. Serve with lime wedges and any remaining barbecue sauce for dipping.

MAKE AHEAD The barbecue sauce can be refrigerated for 3 days. The prosciutto-wrapped shrimp can be refrigerated for 8 hours before roasting.

Hope everyone had a fabulous holiday! Cheers!!

I have definitely been in the Christmas baking spirit and I have had so much fun with it. You can actually tell just how much fun I have been having when you look at my kitchen. Even after cleaning up after my baking I am finding remnants of a cookie explosion all over my kitchen....smear of chocolate across the outside of the fridge, shard of candy cane stuck in my foot, white chocolate on my camera lens and peppermint in my hair.





I decided the other day that although I love chocolate, I supposed some people do not share that same affinity, so I made one batch of cookies that were sans chocolate. Yes, I agree, I think people who don't like chocolate are just weird, but I am trying to accommodate the masses. Haha. So I made Orange Cranberry Cookies and I hate to admit this, but they were really good. The citrus in the frosting and in the cookie batter, the tanginess from the cranberries and the sweetness from the sugar are just a really nice combination. The cookies are light and fluffy and for some reason, cranberries scream holidays to me, so it just works!

My Kitchenaid mixer is definitely getting a workout these days and this recipe also allowed me to pull it off the shelf. Cream the butter with the white and brown sugar. Add the egg. Next add the orange zest and orange juice.

Combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl and then mix with the butter mixture.


Stir in the cranberries. I did not use the optional walnuts and I can't tell you why, maybe it just didn't feel right.

Drop the dough onto a cookie sheet, about a tablespoon per cookie, and bake for 12 minutes in a 375 degree oven.

Once they are cool, combine the powdered sugar, orange zest and orange juice and drizzle over the cookies. Easy Peasy and Yummy!!

Here is the recipe:


1 cup butter, softened
 1 cup white sugar
 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
 1 egg
 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
 2 tablespoons orange juice
 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
 1/2 teaspoon salt
 2 cups chopped cranberries
 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

 1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest
 3 tablespoons orange juice
 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar


Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
In a large bowl, cream together the butter, white sugar and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg until well blended. Mix in 1 teaspoon orange zest and 2 tablespoons orange juice. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; stir into the orange mixture. Mix in cranberries and if using, walnuts, until evenly distributed. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Cookies should be spaced at least 2 inches apart.
Bake for 12 to 14 minutes in the preheated oven, until the edges are golden. Remove from cookie sheets to cool on wire racks.
In a small bowl, mix together 1/2 teaspoon orange zest, 3 tablespoons orange juice and confectioners' sugar until smooth. Spread over the tops of cooled cookies. Let stand until set.

On a side note, I was just thinking the other day about how I missed writing letters to Santa and/or sitting on Santa's lap...get your mind out of the gutter. And I was thinking oh maybe I should write a "Dear Santa" letter for this blog, not to be confused with a "Dear John," letter, I am really good at those. But a large box ended up at my door and I realized I did not need to write a Santa letter because Santa knows me so well! Thank you Santa!! You seriously made my friggin year!!

So I made Peppermint Bark, ok sure the recipe calls it Holiday Bark, but let's be honest it has peppermint flavoring and it is candy so technically it is Peppermint Bark. And in my humble opinion, Peppermint Bark is a hell of a lot more descriptive than "Holiday Bark." Now if any of you were wondering how candy bark got it's name, let me help. Bark, in general, is a form of candy that is made in flat sheets, and supposedly in someones mind when the candy was broken up it resembled small chunks of bark, hence the name. Ok sure I am with you, in my estimation, this does not look much like bark, but hell it is tradition now so I am just going to go with it. I, for one, have never seen bark that was black and white and had red/white dots on it, but maybe I just haven't seen bark with the measles (joking).



Now this bark is super easy and it looks extremely festive. And I will be honest I was concerned because the peppermint extract smelled completely overpowering and I was afraid that my "Holiday Bark," was going to taste like Scope mouthwash. Did anyone else put extracts in their sodas at high school football games because it was easier to get a hold of than alcohol? Mom, ear muffs XOXO!

However, thankfully I was wrong and this bark has great flavor. It is pepperminty, but it is complimented by the flavors of the dark and white chocolate and it is really good! I was also a little concerned because it was pretty dang hard to break the bark into "bark" sized pieces so I had visions of chipped teeth and bark injuries, but it actually is way easier to eat, especially in comparison to breaking it into bits.

So first of all take a package of dark chocolate chips (friggin love dark chocolate chips)...it seriously takes a ton of willpower for me to bake with them instead of eat them. Melt in a microwave for 1 1/2-2 minutes. The recipe says 3 minutes, but at least in my microwave they would be charred.


Add 1T of vegetable oil and 1 tsp peppermint extract in a small bowl. Add half the peppermint mixture to the dark chocolate and combine.

Spread the chocolate mixture into a 9x13 pan that is covered in foil and sprayed with cooking spray. Let chill for 1 hour.

Melt 8 oz of a white chocolate bar, broken into pieces, in the microwave. The recipe says 2 minutes, but I found that 1 1/2 minutes was a bit more accurate. I also stopped it at 30 second intervals to check on it and stir it.

Spread the white chocolate layer over the dark chocolate.

Sprinkle with 1/2 cup peppermint starlight mints that have been crushed. If you are unfamiliar with starlight mints they are the mints that every restaurant gives out with your bill. So if you are super desperate for mints just start collecting them at restaurants...joking...they are cheap...and actually I have extras so just hit me up. Also sprinkle the bark with 4 oz of another white chocolate bar that has been chopped up.

I found it to be beneficial to kind of press the white chocolate and peppermint candy pieces, otherwise they just fall off when you are breaking the candy into "bark". Chill for 2 more hours before breaking it into bark.

Now I have to just tell a brief little personal story about my measuring cup. I moved out right after high school, one of those who just couldn't wait to spread my wings. And my uncle gave me this glass measuring cup as a birthday/moving present. To this day I still have that measuring cup and it is one of my prized possessions. It has been through countless houses, relationships, meals, cooking experiments and baking catastrophes with me. And although I have had other measuring cups that have come and gone this one has been my constant. So thank you HR for my measuring cup and cheers to all of the memories that I have created with this measuring cup and the future adventures we will have together.