A Fall Craft - Mini Pumpkin Wreath

This blog aint just about food. Today I'm bringing you a Halloween craft idea! I know... you guys didn't know I could be crafty, did you? It's cool, neither did I!! 

Now don't go thinking I'm all sorts of amazing with my crafty skills, cuz I'm not. I actually am one of the least crafty people ever. I want to be crafty. I want to take old junk furniture and turn it into a masterpiece. I want to be able to make my own jewelry and clothes, and sew, and paint drawings, and sell stuff on Etsy. I want to gut my house and re-do it all by myself without calling in a professional. But let's face it, I'm not crafty. I asked for some art supplies two birthdays ago so I could get my art on. Nope, never touched it. It's still in the bag. And yes I've got some old pieces of random furniture that I've purchased throughout the years at numerous yard sales, stashed in the basement, which I vowed to renovate and never did.  I just get intimidated...

But for once, I saw a crafty Halloween idea on Pinterest and knew it was something I could actually start and finish. Sweeeeet! That Pinterest has got me inspired, thinking I can do all sorts of things! I've spent hours pinning different holiday-themed crafts and other house renovating ideas. I have been so inspired to decorate my home with fall and Halloween decorations, that I knew I had to make this wreath made with mini pumpkins from the grocery store.

First you wanna grab a wire hanger from the closet. I molded the wire hanger into a round shape as best I could. Stick each mini pumpkin through the wire... it will go through. I wondered... it does. Mine isn't the best circle, but it'll do. I secured the wire to itself and hung it on our door for guests to see right when they walk up. 

You can purchase the really mini pumpkins from your grocery store in the produce aisle. I got mine at Walmart. They weren't with the other large pumpkins, or even the smaller sized pumpkins that you would still display on your porch. Those are too big for this wreath. I couldn't find the tiny ones at our local outdoor pumpkin stand. Your best bet is to grab the tiny ones from the produce section.

And so there be it. My finished craft project! Isn't this Halloween wreath ultra cute? I think so. And it was super easy too. It better be, cuz that's pretty much the only way I could have completed it.

Go me! :)

Peace, and bacon grease!

 

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Pam Mac D's: New Gluten-Free Market Opens in Burbank

A couple of years ago, I knew nothing about celiacs and gluten intolerance. I've heard about gluten free diet as a fad back in college, and didn't get why people would want to cut out gluten.

Then upon meeting a friend's best friend, I was told that he had celiac disease and could not eat gluten. Now, my roommate is also gluten intolerant. As I started paying attention to it, I realized that it's a pretty hard lifestyle. I thought my roommate would be fine at an Asian restaurant since she can eat rice, but soy sauce is also a no-no!

Well, for these people, life just became easier with the opening of Pam Mac D's in Burbank, an entirely gluten-free market.

From gluten free beer made with Sorghum (which was actually pretty good, light beer) to almond flour, it carries pretty much everything. They also have packed vegan meals from Rahel Ethiopian Restaurant.

Even if you're not on a gluten free diet, doesn't mean you won't enjoy some of the things here.

I absolutely loved the ThinKrisps. I mean, they're cheese crisps!! Crunchy, crispy, cheddary goodness that are so addictive. I can eat a whole container in 5 minutes.

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Last Day for Chimu. Go!!

Today is the last opening day of Chef Mario Orellana's beloved Chimu, a takeout window next to the Grand Central Market offering "Peruvian soul food". His new restaurant, Red Hill, will be opening in December but he plans on serving "Neo-American" food, which means that today may very well be the last day you can have his Peruvian dishes. So, if you haven't gone yet, change your lunch plans and go!

After hearing the closing news, I myself jetted to try it for the first time yesterday. The Lomo Saltado ($12) may well be the best version I've ever had. The beef was so tender and the tomato slices surprisingly juicy.

The Seco de Cordero ($11) made with lamb belly, canario beans, and black beer sauce gives a very different flavor profile that is equally great. Again, the lamb belly was very tender with lightly crisped edges, the crunchy corn provided a nice texture contrast. The sauce was rich and slightly spicy. Soul food, indeed.

Try the traditional Peruvian drinks, too, like the Chicha Morada (purple corn), green barley tea (I believe this was called Emolliente?), and Maracuya (passionfruit).

I regretted not ordering the Chancho (pork belly) - I heard that's great too. Really, I should've ordered the whole menu. Maybe I'll see you there today.

Chimu
324 S Hill St
Los Angeles, CA 90013
(213) 625-1097

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Foie Friday #2: Potted Chicken Liver and Foie Gras Parfait, Larry's in Venice

Week two of Foie Fridays. Go foie!

Chef Brendan Collins of Waterloo and City quickly became quite famous for his charcuterie, and he expands his repertoire at the new Larry's in Venice. This week's Foie Friday is his Potted Chicken Liver and Foie Gras Parfait ($12), a must try at Larry's for foie fans.

The smooth decadence is topped with sweet potato jelly and housemade pickles, and served alongside wonderful toasted brioche. I don't really "get" the pickles, but that aside I could probably easily eat half a pot by myself.

Oh wait. I did.

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Stone Beer Pairing Dinner at Sammy's Woodfired Pizza and Grill

It was only a few years ago that I started getting into beer, and I'm still not one for IPAs. Still, I know that Stone beers are supposed to be great. Not long ago, Sammy's Woodfired Pizza and Grill in El Segundo sent out a dinner invitation, paired with Stone beers. I figured I would probably enjoy IPAs much better when it's paired with proper food, especially when the promised food included lobster mac and cheese.

Sammy's Woodfired Pizza has many locations in California (and some in Nevada), but the newest El Segundo location is the first one that also has a grill. This makes it the best location, since it has awesome, inexpensive grilled lamb chops! More on that later.

Our dinner started with the Ahi Poki [sic] with Chukka, soy sauce, green onion, sesame oil ($11)

It's a pretty nice poke dominated by the flavors of the sesame oil (no complaint). I like the unusually puffy wonton crisp.

Lobster Mac and Cheese with Tillamook® cheddar cheese ($9), made with real lobster chunks, and lobster bisque as a base.

Real lobster chunks for a hot, cheesy, $9 bowl? Yep, and it's a good sized bowl, too! The added lobster bisque made for a nice flavor base, as well.

Joining us for dinner was Stone's sales rep for the LA region who explained to us the reasoning behind each pairing.

The above two dishes were paired with Stone Cali-Belgique IPA, 6.9% ABV. This was a beer made using Stone IPA as a starter and Belgian yeast. It was not too bitter and well balanced. It brings out the spiciness of the poke. For the mac and cheese, the hops and the cheese balance each other nicely and the dry finish cuts the richness. As far as IPAs go, I can easily drink this even without food.

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Rocky Road Fudge {Week 5 of The 12 Weeks of Christmas Cookies and Sweets!}

It's Week 5 of the 12 Weeks of Christmas challenge, hosted by Brenda at Meal Planning Magic. Christmas is quickly approaching, people! Have you started shopping? Have you thought about it? I bought one present for PJ last week. And I feel pretty accomplished about it.

Fudge is one of those things that I instantly associate with Christmas time. It's rich, it's high in calories, but it's oh so good. I can never eat too much since it is so rich, but that's probably a good thing for my waist line. I love all kinds of fudge... peanut butter, chocolate, butterscotch, you name it and I'll eat it. I was super geeked to see this 10 minute recipe for making fudge over at my dear friend, Sarah's blog. Since I'm having to make a different treat each week, I've been trying to make easy and quick recipes. This one totally fit the bill.

I had never made fudge before and I was surprised at how simple it really is to whip together. Just melt some chocolate, condensed milk, and salt... throw in some peanuts and marshmallows... stir.... and BAM, you're done! Well, you gotta refrigerate it and allow it to harden of course. Unless you just want to eat the melted chocolate with peanuts and marshmallows thrown in. It wouldn't be fudge, but it definitely would be delicious. But I recommend making this fudge. I loved the crunch from the nuts in contrast to the pillowy marshmallows :)

Rocky Road Fudge

from Fantastical Sharing of Recipes

• 3 cups milk chocolate chips
• 1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup unsalted peanuts
• 1 and 1/2 cups mini marshmallows

Line a 8x8 inch baking dish with parchment paper or spray lightly with nonstick cooking spray. In a saucepan, combine chocolate chips, condensed milk, and salt. Heat on low, stirring constantly. Once smooth and completely melted, add peanuts and marshmallows. Stir again until smooth and peanuts and marshmallows are completely coated. Pour and spread into the baking dish. Refrigerate until firm, and slice when ready to serve.

Printable Recipe

Be sure to check out all the other wonderful Christmas goodies in the blog hop below. You can get your baking list ideas right here!

Linking up to: Tasty Traditions, GCC Recipe Swap, Full Plate Thursday, Simple Lives Thursday, Turning the Table Thursday, It's a Keeper Thursday, What's Cooking Thursdays?, Twisted Thursdays, Sweet Treats Thursday, These Chicks Cooked, Making It With Allie, and Tastetastic Thursday.


Peace, and bacon grease!

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WWDB? Ben & Jerry's Maple Blondie Ice Cream

Wow, it's been awhile since I've wrote up a WWDB? post. And if you dunno what that is, it stands for WHAT WOULD DESI BUY? When I test a product and love it, I like to share it with you all so you can enjoy it too.

You're about to see alot of posts about ice cream that I would recommend. Yes, we eat alot of ice cream. And yes, we both are somewhat lactose intolerant. Lactaid comes in handy at our house :)

Are you guys fans of Ben & Jerry's ice cream? Me, I think they're pretty durn fun. They make ice cream tasty, of course, as well as super cool and fun. One that I've recently tasted and liked alot was Maple Blondie. If you like maple flavors, you'll love this. It's a maple-flavored ice cream with maple blondie chunks with a maple caramel swirl. How can you pass up maple, blondies, and caramel? Obviously, I couldn't!

And I've gotta try this controversial Schweddy Balls! Anybody had it, or is it banned in your house?

What are your fave ice cream brands and flavors?

P.S. Any ideas on what to call these posts? I originally thought of it as a spin on WWJD/What Would Jesus Do? But now, WWDB makes me feel a bit sacrilegious.  Anyone got a different creative name for these product review and recommendation posts I do?

Note to self: Don't equate myself with Jesus.

Peace, and bacon grease!

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Barrel Aged Cocktail Flight, New Fall Menu at 1886 Bar

Vintage Caprice, 1886's barrel-aged gin cocktail has been on the menu since last season. At that time, it was a 4-month aged cocktail. What we didn't know then, is that they were still aging 2/3 of the barrel. Now, the 8-month aged version has hit this Pasadena gem, and guests can now enjoy a whole flight of the Vintage Caprice: a freshly made one, the 4-month, and the 8-month aged. It's the best way to see what barrel aging does.

The Caprice is a forgotten classic cocktail made with gin (1886 uses Beefeater), benedictine, dry vermouth, and orange bitters. 1886 barman Danny Cymbal thought it had potential for aging. The "Vintage" Caprice is this cocktail aged in a Hudson bourbon barrel that has been rinsed with sherry. To fill the barrel, they dumped 24 bottles of Beefeater.

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Menu Planning - Week of 10/24/11

What's up peeps? How's everyone's Monday going? Mine's decent enough, though my tummy is bothering me a bit. The weekend was fun... Saturday me and my mama went shopping at out to eat at BJ's Restaurant inside the mall. Um, love their beer battered fish that my mama let me try. My open faced pot roast sandwich was pretty good but I'll definitely be back for that fish! Yesterday, I met up with my bestie since we had to reschedule our plans last week, and more shopping and eating... this time at a different mall and we ate at Johnny Rockets. I hadn't been there in literally like 10 or 15 years... I had remembered it being overpriced and the food not so good. But it was pretty good this time. And I was anticipating the price so that didn't bother me either. We will definitely go back. And tonight I'm going out to eat at Bonefish Grill with some grade school friends! That's alot of eating out and spending money. So I'll definitely be fixing some home-cooked meals the rest of the week.

Well, my menu plan for the week is pretty much staying the same as last week. Cuz we didn't really make anything on the menu plan except the Skillet Lasagna which I will eventually post about, and burritos. So I'll be recycling 5 meals from last week. And tonight I'm going out to eat... and I'm sure we'll order something another day this week. So my menu plan is all set for the week by default!

Oh, and one more thing I forgot to add. This just may have been what made the weekend really great. I got accepted into Xavier University's Community Counseling graduate program! Woot woot! Go me :) I start in January. I'm overly excited. And terrified all at the same time! 

Hopefully 4 years outta school won't hinder me too much. Pretty sure I'm not gonna have a life for the next couple of years.

Peace, and bacon grease!

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Fleming's: Annual Wine Tastings, New Small Plates

Every September, Fleming's revamps their "Fleming's 100" wine list. Now, what that means for you is that every September, there are multiple wine tasting/pairing events at Fleming's! That included a series of "Opening Nights" on Fridays, where guests can taste 25 wines from their list of 100 for just $25! Not only that, this year we also got a sampling of their new small plates menu.

The first three weeks showcased the same wines across all Fleming's, while the last week featured wines chosen by the local Wine Manager. I made it to this last night to Fleming's at LA Live in downtown LA.

The wine selection included Kelly Fleming wines from Napa Valley which is owned by Fleming’s cofounder’s wife.

Here are some of the highlights for me:
1. Il Conte d’Alba, Moscato D’Asti, Italy, NV. This sparkling moscato is made from the Moscato di Canelli grape, the sweetness is just right for me.
2. La Croix Gratiot, Picpoul de Pinet, Coteaux du Languedoc, France 2010. Very crisp and clean.

3. Meyer Syrah, Mendocino county, 2006
4. Rombauer Zinfandel, Napa Valley, 2009. Suprisingly pretty sweet. Smooth.
5. Justin Cabernet, Paso Robles, 2009. Always a crowd pleaser. Fruity, a bit of tannin for a bright finish.

The middle table was also consistently refilled with a tray of their new small plates items. They had started with some flatbreads then moved up to scallops (these ran out quickly), Filet Mignon Skewers with gorgonzola bacon fondue, ...

.. to New Zealand lamb chops with pistachio-mint pesto!

Even when preparing a whole tray of them, they still managed to get the lamb chops medium rare and so tender.

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Foie Friday #1: Foie Gras Sushi, Eva Restaurant

Yes, they're apparently banning foie gras in Los Angeles come July 2012 ... Alas.
That means I'm going to eat it every chance I get before then. I'm also introducing a new series on my blog: Foie Fridays!

Every Friday I will (try to) post a foie gras dish that you can order in Los Angeles, or an article/video about why foie gras is not as cruel as they make it out to be (I mean, really, have you seen how they raise chickens? Watch Food, Inc!)

First up is a dish (sometimes) served at Eva Restaurant in West Hollywood:

Foie Gras Sushi, smoked tea plum, toasted sesame.

This dish by Chef Mark Gold won the LA Magazine's "Island Style Cook-off" aka the "pupu challenge". With a generous piece of roasted foie gras and only lightly sauced, it's one of the most decadent "sushi" you'd have. Their menu does change regularly, but you can always try to ask for this dish!

What are your favorite foie dishes?

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3 hours? Really?

Just wondering. Does it take anyone else 3 hours to write up a post? Or is that just my slow ass? Cuz I fell asleep early last night, hadn't blogged about my recipe or edited my photos for two cooking challenges, and then woke back up at one in the AM and had to have the post scheduled to publish at 8 AM the next day. I HAD to blog that night at 1:00 AM. But no biggie, I thought. It shouldn't take too long. 3 hours later, yes at 4:00 AM, my post was finally complete. But I had to wake up for work at 7 AM!! Screwed.

Now today I'm surviving off of few hours of sleep. I feel like I'm back in high school or college, pulling late nights to finish an assignment at the last minute. But not exactly because I do actually like blogging and editing photos.

But why the heck did it take me 3 hours to write up a post, edit several photos, and do all of the necessary requirements for two cooking challenges??? That's the part I just don't get. And I'm shaking my head at myself. I highly doubt that it takes anyone 3 hours to write up a post.  I'm still confused why it took me that long.

I guess it's the perfectionist in me? 

Or maybe it's the sluggish, technology-challenged, old lady in me?

Probably the latter.

So I'm guessing my old, slow, tired butt will be passed out at 7 o'clock tonight!!

Just wanted to share and make you guys feel better about yourselves. Because at least you aren't the slowest blogger in the world. That award goes to me  :)

That is all.

Peace, and bacon grease!

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Caramel Apple Marshmallow Dip {Improv Cooking Challenge} + {Week 4 of The 12 Weeks of Christmas Cookies and Sweets!}

Top of the morning to you! I was recently contacted by Sheryl at Lady Behind the Curtain to participate in a monthly cooking challenge called The Improv Cooking Challenge, where each month we all have to make a dish that features two specific ingredients. I was all over that! 

For October, the first month, we had to make something with Caramel and Apple. That's where all those caramel apple recipes I've bookmarked came in handy, and I finally settled on this version of Caramel Apple Dip. I've seen variations of this simple yet delicious snack slash dessert recipe showing up all over the blogsphere and knew it would be made one fall day with some crisp apples. This was the perfect opportunity.

As you know, I'm also participating in The 12 Weeks of Christmas Cookies and Sweets weekly challenge, hosted by Brenda at Meal Planning Magic. Not gonna lie, it's tough to come up with a recipe to make every week, as well as find the time to make it during the week. So I figured why not kill two birds with one stone? So I'm submitting this Caramel Apple Dip to both linkies. This counts as a holiday "sweet", right? I say yes. Nod with me.

The slight modifications I made to the recipe were that I used dark brown sugar instead of light brown sugar, and Hershey's caramel topping not Ghiradelli. We only needed 4 apples total instead of 6-8, (since there is only me and Peej), and used 2 granny smith apples and 2 honeycrisps. Had to use those honeycrisps since they're in season! Her recipe says to use 1/4-1/2 cup caramel, so we used 1/3 cup. We also didn't really measure out the heath bits... we just used as much as it took to completely cover the dip. I'll leave Tina's measurement of 1/2 cup heath bits since we just winged it. Oh yeah, and I added in the word "marshmallow" to the title, because in the future I hope to make a similar caramel apple recipe that doesn't include marshmallow, so I'll probably call that just Caramel Apple Dip, so I'll need to be able to differentiate the two. 

I'm always thinking ahead like that. Ok not always but usually. Ok not usually but sometimes. Ok ok hardly ever.

Caramel Apple Marshmallow Dip

ever so slightly adapted from Mommy's Kitchen

• 8-oz block of cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup marshmallow cream
• 1/3 cup Hershey's caramel topping, + more for drizzling
• 1 tbsp dark brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup heath toffee bits (or however much you want to cover the dip)
• 2 granny smith apples, sliced
• 2 honeycrisp apples, sliced

Blend cream cheese and marshmallow cream in a medium mixing bowl until creamy. Add 1/3 cup caramel, dark brown sugar, and vanilla and blend until smooth. Transfer to a decorative bowl, or the center of a platter. Drizzle more caramel topping on top and sprinkle generously with toffee bits. If using bowl, place it in the center of a platter and surround with the sliced apples.

Printable Recipe

We couldn't stop eating this! It's a sweet dip, so it was kinda like our dessert before dinner. I'm so glad I've got some leftover for a snack tomorrow at work, too!

Don't worry, PJ already knows about my love affair with caramel  :)

Be sure to check out the Improv Cooking Challenge blog hop below!

And check out some tasty treats at The 12 Weeks of Christmas Cookies and Sweets blog hop below, too!

Peace, and bacon grease!

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Meat 101 Classes at Nick+Stef's

Can you taste the difference between bone-in and boneless steaks? How about wet aged vs dry aged? Or meats from America vs New Zealand? or Argentina?

Well, now you can learn by tasting them back to back during one of Nick+Stef's Meat 101 classes, starting on Thursday October 20 (that's tomorrow).

The classes happen every other Thursday at 7:30PM and will last about 30 minutes. The cost is $35 and attendees will get the meats for that class plus whatever wine/beer/whisky pairing they are doing. Here is the class schedule:
10/20: "Which Rib-Eye to Buy?" Bone-in, Boneless, or Dry-Aged.
11/3: "New York, New York, ... and New York!" Same idea as the rib-eye, but with New York steaks.
11/17: "A Well Aged Steak". Try wet aged vs dry aged rib-eyes, and wet aged vs dry-agged New York steaks.
12/1: "US vs The World". Learn the difference between steaks (and wines) from New Zealand, Argentina, and America.

They held a media preview last week for the third class ("A Well Aged Steak"). Clockwise from the top left is the dry aged rib eye, wet aged rib eye, wet aged New York, and dry aged New York.

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Menu Planning - Week of 10/17/11

Why hello there my sexy peeps! How the heck are ya? How did everyone's weekends go? Mine was plenty fine, though some of my plans got canceled. I was supposed to meet up with my bestie for lunch on Saturday because we haven't seen each other in wayyyy too long! But unfortunately she wasn't feeling well and was also worn out and stressed from the week so we decided to meet up next week, also because we are both broke and get paid next week. Then I was also supposed to go shopping with my mama and help her return some clothes I bought her for her birthday that were too big, but she had a sinus headache and said we'll wait til next weekend. Man, either some sickness is really going around, or people just don't wanna hang out with me! :) But that was ok, because Saturday was Sweetest Day and I wanted to spend time with my sweetest anyway! Thanks, Hallmark, for the made-up holiday :) He worked a couple of hours that day, but we ended up spending most of the day together which was great, because otherwise I was only going to be spending the late evening with him. So I'm actually glad it worked out like it did! Saturday evening, PJ and I did some fine dining at The Palace Restaurant inside the Cincinnatian Hotel downtown on Vine Street. Talk about ultra fancy!!! (And feeling out of place lol). I'll post a review one of these days. Ya know, probably like a year from now. That's how I roll.

Did you like reading that whole book of a paragraph? Hey, I had alot to say! And I'm not done either...

Sunday was also great because PJ and I and his family all went to Keeneland for the horse races! That was my first time there. I originally had plans to hang with my mama on Sunday, but switched around some plans so that I wouldn't miss the horse races. I'm always nagging PJ about how we never go anywhere and he's a homebody so he's content with being home all the time, but we're young and I like to get out sometimes! I wasn't gonna miss this... I had to be able to cross it off of my bucket list. Horse races... check!

And man was it beautiful. Beautiful scenery and trees. The sun was beaming, yet it wasn't scorching hot. It was nice to spend time with family, drinking beers and margaritas (had my first one and I.LOVE!), betting on the races... though PJ and I didn't really bet much except on a couple of races; we spent our money on crap food and alcohol instead. What?

Some of those ladies are dressed to kill, too! I mean, why would you wear heels and a dress meant for a wedding to a horse race, where you have to stand most of the time? I would have been so uncomfortable! I've seen the ladies all dressed up in their dresses and oversized floppy sun hats (on tv), and wondered if I should go buy me a hat to wear to the event and attempt to dress up. But I decided against it when people said it aint the Kentucky Derby! And I'm so glad I didn't because I would have wanted to shoot myself if I had to stand and walk around in heels all day long! But there were still tons of ladies dressed to impress. I would too if I had a boxed seat and didn't have to do much walking.

But we had a blast, and will definitely go back one day when we actually have betting money. Plus we'll come better prepared with some foldable seats and maybe a cooler of beers and snacks for tailgating before time.

Are you guys tired of my weekend wrap-ups yet? I hope not, cuz I love to share them with you. Let's get on to the food already though....

Gotta keep it kinda cheap until Friday, cuz I'm broke as a joke! Especially after Keeneland yesterday and The Palace on Saturday. I never understood those folks who claim that money doesn't buy you happiness. Because I'm pretty sure I can't eat a delicious meal, enjoy some alcoholic beverages, gamble and other fun things without money. Just sayin. How shallow do I sound right now? You still love me though, right?

So yeah, I'm trying to work with items I already have in the pantry or fridge, or recipes that don't require me to buy a lot of ingredients. 

Oh, and can I puh-lease make this danged skillet lasagna already?!? If I don't make it this week I give up!!! lol

Monday 10/17/11:  Skillet Lasagna, with ciabatta bread

Tuesday 10/18/11:  Burritos with refried beans, onions, maybe some chicken and Avocado Dressing, with frozen corn

Wednesday 10/19/11:  Ranch Chicken with frozen veggies

Thursday 10/20/11:   Two-Packet Pork Chops and Ranch-Roasted Potatoes 

Friday 10/21/11:   Sweet Chicky Nuggets (like Chick-Fila) with frozen waffle fries

Saturday 10/22/11:  Chicken Alfredo Biscuit Casserole

Sunday 10/23/11:  Long John Silver copycat fish, and "chips" 

Make it a good one, yall!

Peace, and bacon grease!

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FIG Restaurant Launches Catering Service with Whole Pork

FIG Restaurant at the Fairmont Miramar Hotel recently launched a catering arm (available mostly for events held at the hotel and select off-site events). Just walking into their launch party I already know what I want to have at my wedding (if and when that happens): a whole roasted pig brined in pineapple in chile arbol!

Don't eat pork? For their launch party, FIG also prepared a gigantic whole grilled fish

The meat from the two was used to make tacos with island influence (the pork taco was topped with pineapple and the fish had mango salsa). Stay until the end of the night, though, when they start handing out pieces of the crispy pork skin. Cracklins!

Now, if you'd like a more traditional bites for your event, they can certainly deliver with spoons of quinoa salad, mini lobster rolls, grilled beef skewers with chimichurri sauce, and oh-so-tender braised short ribs.

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October's Secret Recipe Club - Avocado Dressing, and Balsamic Vinaigrette

Here's to another month of The Secret Recipe Club! This is my fourth time participating... my first month I brought you some tasty Chicken Lettuce Wraps with Avocado Bacon Dressing. In August, I opted for a dessert... Chocolate Chip Pecan Blondies. And for September, another dessert, and my first time making Molten Lava Cakes. All fantastic picks!

This month, I was assigned the wonderful blog, Get Healthy with Heather... which I so need to do lol! It was fun perusing over her healthy recipes. I was intrigued by her vegan recipes, and many recipes that called for recipes that I'd never heard of before. I finally decided on two dressing recipes, because I like the idea of making my own dressing and controlling what ingredients are going into it. I chose her Avocado Dressing, and her Balsamic Vinaigrette.

I'm obsessed with avocados, and PJ is too, so we both enjoyed the avocado dressing. I decided to add a dash or two of hot sauce to cut the tartness. It added just a hint of spicy that we both liked. And we were nervous about using raw garlic in the dressing at first, but after a quick google search I felt comfortable knowing that eating pureed raw garlic is perfectly fine  :)  

This avocado dressing works great as an actual salad dressing, as a dip, or a spread on any sandwich or taco/burrito.

Avocado Dressing

slightly adapted from Get Healthy with Heather

• 1 avocado
• 1.5 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 2 small cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup of water
• a dash or two of hot sauce

Combine all ingredients in a blender and whirl until smooth. 

Printable Recipe

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The balsamic vinaigrette was tasty as well. I could always use more onions though, that's just me. Next time I'd maybe up the red onion amount to, say, two tablespoons instead of one, which I reflected in the recipe below. We also added a pinch or two of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Balsamic Vinaigrette
ever so slightly adapted from Get Healthy with Heather

•  1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2.5 tbsp dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp red onion, minced
• pinch or two of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Combine all ingredients in a bottle. Shake until combined.

Printable Recipe
 

So yay for more dressings to add to the repertoire! And once again, it was so much fun being in The Secret Recipe Club this month, as well as getting to know Heather through her wonderful blog :) Hopefully some of her healthy habits have worn off on me!




Peace, and bacon grease!

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New Chef at Roy's Downtown, and a $20 Giveaway!

Roy's Restaurant in downtown LA recently brought in a new chef. Blaine Villasin is a Hawaiian-born Filipino who started his career as a line cook at Roy's in La Jolla after training at the Le Cordon Bleu in Pasadena.

We were invited to try out the new chef's own creations (instead of Chef Roy Yamaguchi's signature dishes) with a tasting menu, which started with a plate of Striped Bass Sashimi, tamari chimichurri, black lava salt

The fish was fresh and I certainly liked the intense flavors from the tamari and the black salt, but the chimichurri might be a little overwhelming for the delicate sashimi. The dish was paired with a glass of Le Colture Fagher Prosecco, Veneto, NV. A nice glass of bubbly to start off the night.

5 Spice Seared Scallop Salad with tangerine, baby mache, kumquat, orange vanilla vinaigrette

The scallops were tender though they could be fresher, and I liked the addition of kumquats here.
This was paired with a semi-sweet wine, a 2009 Pfeffingen Riesling, Pfalz.

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