Dinner a Deux

This year marked our first Valentine's Day as a married couple where we lived in the same city (imagine that).  Last year, Paul flew out to Salt Lake and we had dinner at one of my favorite restaurants, The Paris Bistro.  While usually this restaurant can do no wrong in my book, their Valentine's menu was a complete let down for me.  It was a prix-fixe menu (so the options were very limited) and the items they did have on offer were surprisingly underwhelming and no where near as good as their usual offerings.  To top it all off, at $65 per person, it was no bargain.

After looking around at my favorite restaurants here in San Diego and seeing that all of them were offering prix-fixe menus for Valentine's Day, we decided to spend this year making a feast for ourselves at home (in an effort to avoid repeating the disappointment of last year's experience).

I put Paul in charge of the first course, and he did not disappoint when he decided to assemble a cheese board with the following cheeses:

For Christmas, my sister Renee got us these awesome cheese knives from Sur La Table:

And the cheese board gave us an excuse to finally use them - thanks Renee!

It was hard to pick a favorite between them since they were all delicious. The gouda was so interesting with the bits of black truffle infused throughout (as you can see here):

And the taleggio tasted truly amazing served atop a baguette with smoked salmon:

And it tasted even better paired with champagne, of course:

For the main course, I made my ravioli with brown butter walnut sauce that I have featured on the site before:

 

I used store bought pasta instead of making my own from scratch since it was a week night and it tasted great:

We accompanied dinner with one of my favorite wines, which we first tried in Portugal on our backpacking trip through Europe:

And for dessert, I tried my hand at making a souffle for the first time.  I have always been terrified of trying to make a souffle since you always hear horror stories about how if you so much as sneeze, let alone slam a door, a souffle will collapse in the oven and be destroyed.  Since I was scared and didn't have high hopes of it working out, I just made a simple chocolate souffle.  But I am happy to say, it is one of the easiest desserts that I have ever made (and delicious too), so stay tuned for more complicated flavor combos soon!

To start with, you will need a souffle pan (I got mine at Crate and Barrel for $10):

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Rub the inside of the souffle pan with butter, then coat with sugar, like so:

Take half a bag of bittersweet chocolate chips (I used Ghirardelli):

 And melt them in a double boiler (I don't have a double boiler, so I made my own version of one by placing a glass mixing bowl over gently boiling water and it worked just fine):

Stir the chocolate as it melts so that it doesn't burn:

And heat until it is completely melted:

Then add 3 egg yolks and stir to mix (it will look grainy and similar to brownie mix batter, as pictured below):

Next, add a pinch of salt to 6 egg whites (I'm not sure exactly how much a pinch of salt is - lucky, I have a measuring spoon just in case):

Whisk salt and egg whites together at medium speed until they just hold soft peaks, like so:

Add 1/3 cup of sugar and beat at medium speed to mix.  Increase speed to high and beat until the whites just hold stiff peaks, like so:

Add 1/2 of egg white mixture to chocolate mixture and mix thoroughly to combine:

Add chocolate and egg white mixture to the remaining egg whites and fold carefully (so as not to deflate egg whites) to mix:

Then pour the batter into the souffle dish:

And bake for 25 minutes (whatever you do, DO NOT open the oven to check on the souffle or it will collapse).  When it is finished it, should have risen to the top of the pan (it will start to sink almost immediately after you remove it from the oven, so don't worry if it doesn't stay tall and fluffy for long):

Since it was Valentine's Day, I decorated my souffle with rose pedals, powdered sugar, and a heart:

I served it with Rosa Regale sparkling red wine (which I have posted about before):

Hope you all had a lovely Valentine's Day! 

Breakfast of Champions

We received a lot of fantastic, thoughtful wedding gifts.  As you might imagine after reading this blog, some of my favorites are the kitchen related items.  And while I probably would never be able to choose one favorite item above all others, I do have to say that the panini press has gotten a lot of love from me.  I often say that I think I was Italian in a past life due to my love of all things pasta, wine, and parmesan related.  And I have to say that when it comes to sandwiches, you'd be hard pressed to come up with a more delicious way to combine ingredients than by simultaneously toasting, melting, and compressing them all together into one tightly sealed little package.

Although I haven't yet met a panini I didn't like, one of my all time favorites is a breakfast panini with bacon, egg, and cheddar.  When I was living in Salt Lake, there was this local bakery that sold the perfect ciabatta rolls for paninis at my neighborhood market.  Since moving to San Diego, I was at a loss as to where to find these types of rolls.

That is, until the other day when I discovered Con Pane Rustic Breads and Cafe (for some reason they don't seem to have their own webpage, so I linked to another blog that reviewed them).  This shop is in Liberty Station in Point Loma, which used to be a Naval Training Center but has now been repurposed by the city as a multi-use shopping and residential area.

But I digress.  Con Pane is fabulous.  Fantastic sandwiches, coffees, and other baked goods, including freshly baked bread (and more specifically for my panini making quests, ciabatta rolls).  So long as you have access to a panini press and a delicious bread supply, these sandwiches are quick and easy to make, not to mention delicious.

Mmmm, delicious ciabatta.  Thanks Con Pane!

First, cut open the ciabatta roll:

Top with scrambled eggs:

Bacon (I used veggie bacon but you could of course use regular bacon too):

And sliced sharp cheddar cheese:

Replace top of roll:

And place in heated panini press:

Press down on handle of panini press to apply pressure to sandwich as demonstrated below (isn't Paul an awesome sous chef?):

Once the panini is finished it will be golden brown and have these beautiful grill marks on it:

Cut the panini in half on the diagonal like so:

It will make enough to share (or not depending on your mood).

Mmmm, melty, eggy, cheesy goodness.  Enjoy!

Super Sunday Funday Snacks

If you're anything like me, after your team is out of contention you stop caring about football very much.  Inevitably, this happens to me every year (since the Chargers always seem to find a way to let me down).  So to be honest, I had no idea who was even playing in the Super Bowl this year until the game came on.  But I did know one thing for sure - I was going to use the game as an excuse to enjoy some beers and some tasty snacks.

The big hit of my Super Bowl parties is always my beer, bean, and cheese dip (I've included the recipe below).  And really, what goes better with football than beery, cheesy goodness?

This year, I followed the chips and cheese with some chili cheese fries (for my go to chili recipe, see my friend Hailey's blog):

And brownies (these beauties happened to be the cover recipe of Bon Appetit this month and I can safely say that they were not kidding when they warned that you would want to eat the entire tray by yourself):

And of course, I followed up all of this hard work in the kitchen with a cold, delicious beer (or five, but really, who's counting?):

Hope you all had a great Super Bowl Sunday too!  Now off to the gym . . .

Beer, Bean, and Cheese Dip

1/2 cup pale ale (avoid IPA - the hop flavor will overwhelm the dip)
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
1 can refried beans
1 can of Rotel diced tomatoes and green chilies
1 16 oz package of Velveeta

Bring beer, cumin, and garlic powder to a simmer over medium heat.  Add beans and Rotel.  Stir for one minute.  Chop Velveeta into 8-10 cubes and add to mixture.  Stir until cheese melts.  Serve with tortilla chips (and beer) and enjoy!

Champagne Wishes and Caviar Dreams

Every Christmas, my father-in-law makes these delicious blinis (which as far as I can tell are just mini-Russian pancakes) with caviar and smoked salmon.  I had actually never had caviar until I had it at my in-laws house.  And boy, as with all things of luxury, was it a slippery slope.  It was so delicious and decadent and I was immediately hooked.  Until, that is, I found out that caviar costs upwards of $100 for an ounce.

Since over at my house life is more along the lines of "champagne taste on a beer budget" than the Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous that Robin Leach was always talking about, I have never before attempted to make this dish.  But since Christmas I have been craving it and I decided to give it a shot by making my own poor man's rendition.  I of course bought the least expensive caviar that I could find, which was $9.99 for two ounces (the most expensive part of this meal thank you very much):

I scoured the internet for blini recipes and all of them called for buckwheat flour which I could not find for the life of me, even after going to 3 different grocery stores, so I gave up and bought whole wheat flour.  I really didn't notice a difference.

To make the blini batter, whisk together the following ingredients in a large bowl:

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk (I used soy)
1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted

until it looks smooth and light brown, like so:

Pour the batter into a frying pan over medium-low heat by the 1/8 cup full (about 2 Tbsp).  Cook for about 2 minutes before flipping - you will know when they are ready to flip when tiny bubbles rise to the surface, like so:

Cook for about another minute and then transfer to a plate.  Cover with a paper towel to keep warm.

Don't get discouraged if your first few come out a bit wonky looking - I had the same problem:

But with some practice, I eventually got the hang of it:

Top the blinis with smoked salmon, sour cream, chopped fresh chives, and caviar:

Go ahead and serve them with a glass of champagne (or if you're budget conscious like me, cava) and toast to your resourcefulness at making a beautiful looking yet budget conscious meal.  Cheers!

Eat Light and Fit, Be Light and Fit

If you're anything like me, you ate and drank WAY too much over the holidays.  Now that it's a new year and time for a fresh start, I have a few seemingly simple goals (in theory) in mind:

1.  Spend less/save more.
2.  Eat better.
3.  Exercise more.
4.  Drink less.

So far, in these first 4 days of 2011, I have succeeded in not drinking any alcohol and eating fewer carbs, although I still have yet to hit the gym and am still struggling to pay off those Christmas gifts and holiday trips (which I anticipate I'll be doing for quite some time).

In the spirit of focusing on the positive (as in what I have managed to achieve thus far), I thought I'd share a light and healthy carb-free recipe.  It's super easy (it literally takes under 5 minutes to make) and filling, yet light on calories and fat.  It's great for a light and healthy lunch or dinner, but of course could make a delicious breakfast/brunch option too.  Basically, it's a win-win!  Enjoy!

Smoked Salmon Omelette

2 eggs
1 Tbsp water
1 tsp dried marjoram
1/2 oz fresh chives, finely chopped
1/2 Tbsp dijon mustard
1 1/2 Tbsp low-fat sour cream
2 oz. smoked salmon

Whisk eggs, water, and herbs in a bowl and season with salt and pepper:

  
Spray frying pan with non-stick spray and heat over medium heat.  Add egg, water, and herb mixture and cook until edges begin to set.  Flip once and cook until eggs are set but still moist.  Transfer to plate:

Whisk mustard and sour cream together in small bowl:

Spread 1/2 of omelette with sour cream mixture (use as much or as little as you like):

Top with sliced smoked salmon:

Fold over  to seal and serve immediately:

Happy New Year!

Happy 2011 everyone!  

This holiday season was crazy busy for us, but some of the fun highlights included:

 Baking tons of sugar cookies (and eating all of them before even having a chance to frost them).

 

Decorating a tree (and having Charlie only eat three of the ornaments this year, instead of several ornaments plus the lights).

Finally having a fireplace to hang stockings from!

We headed out to Utah this year and spent 4 days skiing.  We were fortunate enough to arrive there just as it was getting hit by a winter storm that dropped 7 feet of snow in 2 days.  In a word: heaven. 

We spent Christmas Eve at our friend Charlie's cabin up at Alta.  We had to hike through the aforementioned 7 feet of snow to get there, breaking trail on fresh bootpack the entire way.  Here's the view from his front porch just after we arrived:

It was worth it just to see this sunset:

And the Christmas morning sunrise:

I hope that everyone had a very happy holiday season and that 2011 finds you all happy, healthy, and well!