Nov 23 2010

First Photo Adventure…

My friend Kristen and I drove to Wine and Roses in Lodi, CA yesterday so I could play with my new camera. The skies were overcast and the rain had started, but we were determined to make an afternoon of it. We arrived at the property – they have a beautiful hotel, restaurant and spa – and we could not wait to explore the amazing grounds.

We toured the grounds and met one of the sweetest gardeners. He took us on a mini tour and told us about the English tea/herb garden, the tropical fern sanctuary, pointed out plant species and told us lots of stories about the land, restaurant and hotel’s history. It was really cool to chat with him.

We had just missed our chance to eat at the restaurant and from the menu and what I’ve heard from people that have dined there – we will definitely be making a return visit. I know Kristen and I both had her eye on the Chioggas and Golden Beet Spinach Salad – served with Nicolau Farms Goat Cheese, Meyer Lemon Confit Dressing & Roasted Pine Nuts – yum!

We left Wine and Roses and ended up at Five Guys for burgers and fries. (Slight leap from a healthy beet and spinach salad – LOL)

The Five Guys chain is new to the Sacramento area. You have your choice of 15 different toppings ranging from grilled onions and mushrooms to the more common pickles, ketchup, mustard and mayo. They have self serve peanuts to eat and photograph while you wait for your food.

I was totally being a camera nerd while waiting for them to call our number. Just wondering… is it a bad sign if the fry grease leaks through the bag on the less than 5 foot walk from the counter to the table?

Nope… it’s not. These fries hit the spot on a rainy/chilly day.

The burger was tasty – but the amount of ketchup they put on it – was crazy town. Next time I will hold the ketchup.

All in all it was a fabulous day. We turned a furloughed work day into a fun mini adventure. I see lots of little photo outings in my near future. Right now I have to get to the store so I can prepare 2 appetizers and 2 desserts to take to my Mom and Dad’s for Thanksgiving. Too much time playing with the camera, not enough time in the kitchen. I’m guessing it will eventually balance out.

Until then – I’m going to drive some of you crazy with the photos 😉 no worries, I will be back to the recipes soon!

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Nov 22 2010

Thankful for Cuties…

I have not purposely neglected the blog – I’ve been having fun with my new toy!

 

The Canon Rebel T2i. I’ve been wanting a new camera for the past year. Some of the blogs I frequent make me giddy when I see their amazing photos. I did a bunch of research, emailed back and forth with other bloggers, talked to photographer friends and posted questions on some photography forums.

I had so much camera envy at the Foodbuzz Blogger Festival in San Francisco, that I decided to just go for it. I’ve been saving money, had several gift cards and Amazon was having a great deal on the camera I wanted.

I have spent the last 3 days reading the manual, geeking out with our buddy Aaron who has a Canon, learning a ton about the different settings, lenses, etc.  – I have so much more to learn.

I took two photography classes in college – yah… that was back in 1991 and again in 1993. Old school 35mm, chemicals, dark rooms, etc. My friend Paul and I had a mild obsession with cemeteries and photographing statues, markers, etc. I’m definitely in a different place now… ya think?

I’m excited to learn more about my camera, photography in general, lenses, settings, composition and lighting… seriously, I could barely sleep last night – I was awake for hours thinking of all the places I want to take my new camera.

I’m on vacation for the week and the possibilities are endless.

So no cooking today… just a bunch of test photos trying out my new lenses and settings. I love some of the photos, others, not so much. Total camera and macro lens newbie.

I am really enjoying myself. I look forward to the practice, practice, practice – trial and error. Right now I’m just trying to get comfortable with the 18-55 mm that came with the camera. I have not even taken the 55-250 mm out of the box. That will happen this afternoon. My girlfriend Kristen and I are headed out on a little photo adventure. I can’t wait!

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Nov 17 2010

Seasonal Cuisine with Chef Michael Tuohy

I attended an amazing class at the co-op Monday night. I had the class on my radar the minute the course list came out and I’m so glad I signed up.

Autumn Harvest – Seasonal Cuisine with Chef Michael Tuohy of Grange Restaurant, located in the Citizen Hotel in Sacramento, CA. Chef Michael Tuohy is known for his farm to table inspired menus. Throughout the night he mentioned names of some local farms he uses for Grange. Del Rio Botanical, Riverdog Farm, Prather Ranch, Passmore Ranch and the list went on. He mentioned that we are so lucky to live near incredible farms and growers in the area. He talked about the importance of supporting local farms and it made me want to visit each and every farm.  He also talked a bit about the slow food movement and gave us a homework assignment to fill out the following postcard:

Strongly opposing FDA approval of genetically engineered AquAdvantage salmon. You can learn more here.

The vibe of the class was totally different than other co-op classes I’ve taken. Chef Michael definitely had a huge following. A few people at my table had participated in his farmer’s market summer tours. He takes groups of “foodies” to the farmer’s market (on Wednesdays) – decides right then and there (based on availability) what to buy and then everyone follows him back to Grange where he and his staff prepare lunch using the ingredients he just picked up at the market. I’m definitely going to check that out next summer.

I was totally mesmerized  by Chef Michael’s enthusiasm and passion for what he does. He engaged the class in conversation and gave us a lot to think about.

I was so excited to see what was in store for us for the evening. You all know I’m a huge celery root fan after having made the Williams-Sonoma Celery Root and Carrot Salad recipe. I was really looking forward to our first course – Celery Root and Parsnip Soup with Celery Leaves and Truffle Oil. I snuck over to the table before class and snapped a quick photo of the ingredients.

The Ingredients:
Celery Root – peeled and roughly chopped
Parsnips – peeled and roughly chopped
Celery – rough chopped – reserve leaves for garnish
Yellow Onion – rough chopped
Heavy Whipping Cream – could use potato to make it a vegan recipe
Butter
Water
Grapeseed Oil
Kosher Salt
White Pepper
Truffle Oil

Chef Michael talked about this being “Cooking Season” – the summer is spent eating lightly, grilling, etc. and the fall/winter months are spent creating heartwarming dishes. I would consider the Celery Root and Parsnip Soup to be comfort food. He mentioned that the recipe was probably still floating around the MSNBC Today Show website, but I couldn’t find it. We were given the recipe last night, but I didn’t get permission to post it, so I will leave you with – it was freakin’ fabulous! He pureed the ingredients in the Vitamix and it was silky smooth, I loved it!

Chef Michael brought along some micro celery greens and it was my first time having those. They were so flavorful, he also mentioned that they are pretty hard to find.

Next up was the Dungenesse Crab Salad with Grapefruit, Orange, Avocado and Pimenton Vinaigrette. I had no idea what pimenton was. Now I know.

Pimenton is a Spanish paprika. The dulce has a sweet, smokier flavor, while the picante packs more heat. Chef Michael says that the two cans of pimenton are his favorite spices to use.

The fresh crab salad was layered with flavors. The vinaigrette took it over the top. I did manage to find the MSNBC recipe for this. The recipe they have online uses peekytoe crab – which are found on the east coast (Maine) – so just sub out the peekytoe for the dungenesse… which is availble on the right coast – ha! West coast…

Link to the crab salad recipe on MSNBC

The final dish of the evening was something I never would have ordered in a restaurant. I will now think twice before saying that. Pan Roasted Sablefish with Spiced Chickpea Stew, Spanish Chorizo, Greens (Kale) and Saffron Aioli.

Wow…just wow…

The fish was cooked to perfection. Sablefish is also known as Black Cod. It’s a succulent fish with a high oil content – uber heart healthy. I still have a fear of cooking fish, but I understand the basics and I think I could re-create this dish in my own kitchen. Chef Michael explained that you want to cook the fish skin side down – if you are wanting to serve it skin side up. Whatever side you want to present, goes down first – makes sense. He took extra time and went into the co-op kitchen to make sure our fish was cooked to his liking. The fish melted in my mouth. I even tasted the super crispy skin. The chorizo gave it some heat and I could have eaten the kale, chickpeas and broth all day. They accidentally left the saffron aioli off our dishes, but we did get to watch Chef Michael prepare some using a mortar and pestle.

We talked a little about finishing oils and we got the chance to reserve a bottle of Katz 2010 Olio Nuovo – looking forward to getting that in December.

The co-op also provided yummy snacks for the evening. Idiazabal cheese, Manchego cheese, quince paste, Marcona almonds in oil and sea salt and Acme bread.

I had a fantastic time and connected with fellow foodies at my table. I am now armed with the names of some good Afghan, Indian, and Pho restaurants in the Sacramento area. I can’t wait to try some of them.

Each day I am thankful for this blog and everyone who reads, comments and supports me. While I got a lot out of my old blogging format/style, I am having a blast with the food stuff. I feel so much more fullfilled and connected to what I’m doing now. So thanks… thanks for making this a fun place for me to write.

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