Melissa’s Produce

The Joy of the SPAGHETTINI AT HOME Cookbook

Comments Off on The Joy of the SPAGHETTINI AT HOME Cookbook
Spaghettini at Home cookbook, A Love Story about the restaurants, the food and the musicians who perform there

(Gerry Furth-Sides) You wouldn’t expect any ordinary cookbook signing by a restaurant. And this one was filled with joy, delicious food and the “everything will always be fine” feeling that Spaghettini and luxurious Orange County never fails to deliver.

Recipes are by Chef Victor Avila, long part of the restaurant “family,” and so is his son! Debbie Dobbs, our Melissa’s Produce friend, developed the recipes for the first Spaghettini book in 2018, From Our Home to Yours, and for this second book. We already have bookmakers for our “must-tries.”

A performance by DW3, a 20-year sell-out restaurant headliners, was the perfect touch to the elegant luncheon at Italian-inspired Spaghettini Restaurant. On this day partners and Cary Hardwick introduced the new cookbook, Spaghettini at Home marking their 35th anniversary. Find it at //spaghettini.com

The Spaghettini at Home Cookbook team

Spaghettini’s second cookbook celebrates music, cuisine and cocktails. Described by owner-partner, Cary Hardwick, the book is a “love affair” celebrating long-standing relationships with 11 world-class jazz musicians by linking recipes with artist- curated playlists.

Recipes are by Chef Victor Avila who is part of the restaurant “family,” as is his son now! Debbie Dobbs, our Melissa’s Produce friend, developed the recipes for this second book and the first one, From Our Home to Yours in 2018, we use still regularly.

Spaghettini Chef Victor Avila shows us how he makes the historic Ahi Tuna tTartare

As always, we felt far out of reach of real-world worries in Orange County. You can see why in the photo below and at www.spathettini.com. The 35-year-old, 11,000 square-foot mainstay was created from scratch at the height of the abundant 80’s, and the feeling is still there in both the hospitality and the California-Italian cuisine.

Spaghettini makes every meal a special occasion

Bold, beautiful, straightforward food, hospitality and live music make Spaghettini an absolutely stellar experience.   We were treated to a sumptuous meal that was satisfying without being heavy. The menu included the cookbook page to make it.

Burrata and heirloom tomato at Spaghettini Restaurant

Appetizer, salad, side, entree, desert and cocktail recipes number 75. To complete the experience, QR codes are included curated playlists of each artist to “help set the mood.” 

Starters, Salads, Pasta, Entrees, and Desserts and Cocktail – categories are complemented by a thoughtful addition of Sides, Dressings, Sauces and Toppings. And Laurie’s own recipe for making limoncello.

The menu for the spectacular book signing event

Our friend and one of our favorite chefs, Shigefume Tachibe is given full credit for the delectable stacked tower,  Ahi Tuna Tartare. //localfoodeater.com/new-contemporary-japanese-delicatessen-osawa-opens-pasadena/

Chef Victor prepares Ahi Tuna Tartare at Spaghettini Restaurant’s Spaghettini at Home Cookbook event

Pommery Shrimp is so popular it has been on the menu since the restaurant opened.  It remains one of the top-selling items and adds romance to the tradition of Spaghettini Restaurants story.  The creamy Pommery Mustard Sauce is enhanced by wine and Garlic Butter Sauce for true decadence.

Pommery Shrimp headlines the breath-taking buffet table at Spaghettini Restaurant’s Spaghettini at Home Cookbook event
Meyer Lemon Cheesecake at the Spaghettini Restaurant’s Spaghettini at Home Cookbook event
Butterscotch Budino at the Spaghettini Restaurant’s Spaghettini at Home Cookbook event
Spaghettini Restaurant’s Spaghettini at Home Cookbook event

Dedicated Co-owners and managing partners, Laurie Sisneros and Cary Hardwick make it look effortless.  They credit their success to a dedicated staff and kitchen crew that in a few instances now, goes back to opening day. Some staff, and customers, are also in the second and even third generation!

All produce is available from Melissa’s Produce, which brings the best of global products to local markets. Spaghettini has been featuring Melissa’s Produce for just over 20 years. Laughed Cary, “Robert has always come by with something new and said, ‘try this’ or ‘try that.’

Robert Schueller, Melissa’s Produce with Spaghettini Restaurant partners
Melissa’s Produce supplies Spaghettini Restaurant’s Spaghettini at Home Cookbook event

Spaghettini Restaurant, 3005 Old Ranch Pkwy, Seal Beach, CA 90740, (562) 596-2199, (562) 596-2199.  Menu:spaghettini.com

The guests at this Melissa’s Produce full-out media group luncheon were overjoyed to see each other. Exuberant long-time company Marketing Director, Robert Schueller, here with celebrity cookbook author, Katie Chin, directs the Melissa’s media program originally created to engage media to review Melissa’s own cookbooks. With his unassuming magic touch, it evolved into an international superstar “family” group of both cookbook authors and media, with a growing affection and respect for the produce and each other.

Melissa’s Worldwide Produce Marketing Director, Robert Schueller, and celebrity cookbook author, Katie Chin

Why Vasudha Viswanath’s Vegetarian Reset Cookbook is Irresistible!

Comments Off on Why Vasudha Viswanath’s Vegetarian Reset Cookbook is Irresistible!
The Vegetarian Reset- 75 Low Carb, Plant-Forward Recipes from Around the World by Vasudha Viswanath

Is the global transition to “plant-based” headed in the right direction? How sustainable is a plant-based diet if it revolves around refined carbs like bread, rice and noodles, or fake meat, uninspiring salads, and sugary smoothies? 

The Vegetarian Reset – 75 Low Carb, Plant-Forward Recipes from Around the World by Vasudha Viswanath (We Ate Well) answers these questions in an irresistible, delicious way. The author celebrates a lifestyle combining a foodie’s sensibility with eating healthy and always a beautifully satisfying way.

Vibrant author Vasudha Viswanath of The Vegetarian Reset- 75 Low Carb, Plant-Forward Recipes from Around the World

Chef and lifestyle expert Vasudha Viswanath tackles and solves the never-ending melodrama that foodie vegetarians face daily in the form of what to eat other than “the same old salad”. Since I happen to be a die-hard carnivore and still eat a large salad with greens daily or I miss it, the main issue is how to make these salad, with or without other dishes, satisfy nutritional requirements.

This is a very important concern. We happened on this topic at a media luncheon the other day and one of the writers told the story about how being a vegetarian made her ill over the course of time.

The dishes are nothing short of marvelous with bold, finessed seasonings and appealing flavors. Although she is most inspired by Bangalore, India, where she grew up, the overall scope is international. We wanted to try just about every recipe in the book from starters, Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato soup to the “salads” mentioned above with gorgeous offerings such as this Olivier Salad, a creamy but lighter version of a Russian Salad, her Tandoori Paneer Salad and her breakfast Shakshoka.

Vasudha Viswanath of The Vegetarian Reset recipe for light creamy Olivier Salad

Even a preview of the book showed recipes we want to try. In fact, we just made  a version of the Persian Adasi (p. 123) and used a Melissas’s 6-Bean Medley.  We loved the onion/garlic/cumin/turmeric seasoning flavors, and added pieced of broccoli to make it into a more solid-than-stew dish. Looking forward to trying the dish with lentils.

Our Persian Adasi in Vasudha Viswanath of The Vegetarian Reset using a Melissas’s 6-Bean Medley.

Clear instructions, gorgeous full page photos of the dishes made it all the more enticing. We also loved the Saag Lasagna (p. 62) and the Spring Pea and Spinach Soup, (p. 116). We had authentic insider supplies of Indian the saag and the paneer ingredients from our own Banana Leaf Restaurant!

Spring Pea and Spinach Soup from asudha Viswanath of The Vegetarian Reset

And there is more. Vasudha Viswanath is the founder of We Ate Well, an insider’s community for vegetarians to eat mindfully, joyfully and sustainably on a vegetarian diet. Her web site is www.v8well.com

 Follow Vasudha on Insta:  //www.instagram.com/v8well/ and her web site is www.v8well.com

Vasudha Viswanath’ Saag (spinach) Lasagna in her The Vegetarian Reset


asudha Viswanath of The Vegetarian Reset-p. 123)

How Ojai Pixie Tangerines Pick Up the Salad Beet

Comments Off on How Ojai Pixie Tangerines Pick Up the Salad Beet
Ojai Pixie Beet Salad with Melissa’s produce beets and walnuts

(Gerry Furth-Sides) It’s magical Ojai Pixie Tangerine season. Sweet as a tangerine, and consistently so, but just the right endearing size for a satisfying snack, a breakfast side dish, salad OR the squeeze of citrus on a salad to make it pop.

The tangerines pair naturally with beets for their contrasting color and somewhat surprising, earthy taste that remains the same in all colors, and is from the geosmin in beets – surprising because it is also responsible for that fresh soil scent in your garden following a spring rain.

We start with a simple beet salad using Melissa’s Produce washed, steamed, shrink-wrapped beets in a box, red onion, walnuts and seasoning black pepper grinders.

Simple beet salad base for the Ojai Pixie Tangerine salad

Then we add pixie tangerines and blue cheese to counteract the distinctive, consistent sweetness of the Ojai Pixies.

Our dressing is simply a generous sprinkle of the wonderful Hatun lemon extra virgin olive oil, a gift from @table conversation, and rice vinegar with a dash of coarse salt and ground black pepper for our dressing. We also suggest using roasted, shredded chicken and oven-roasted rinds of the pixies for a surprising complement of flavors and textures.

We used the Lemon of the HATUN Fresh Crush Olive Oils

The clear EVOO complemented the sweet pixies. Türkiye has grown to become one of the top 5 producers of olives and olive oils in the world. This can be attributed in part to the Mediterranean climate and because central Anatolia is rumoured to be the birthplace of the humble olive tree.

Melissa’s Test Kitchen Tom Fraker’s recipe is as follows:

Directions

Preheat oven to 425ºF.

In a bowl, drizzle the balsamic vinegar over the beets and toss to coat.

Spread the beets in a single layer on a cookie sheet and roast in the oven, turning halfway through, until slightly browned; about 5 minutes, total.

Remove from the oven and let cool.

Meanwhile, combine all of the ingredients for the vinaigrette.

Mix well.

In a large mixing bowl, gently combine the beets and tangerines and pour the vinaigrette over the top.

Toss gently and serve over arugula or mixed greens

Melissa’s boxed beets come in the deep burgundy or golden beets to combine or add a springy color
Melissa’s shrink-wrapped beets, washed and ready to use form the box

The tangerines are picked as close to packing as possible so that customers receive  them within two days.  They are put in 1000 pound bins.   With the smaller number of growers aiming for flavor, the high natural sugar content ranges from 13% to a whopping 17%.  

Oven-dried Ojai Pixie tangeries lend the snap of croutons and a springy taste to salads

Even the origin of the Pixie Tangerine is shrouded in a bit of mystery. Scientific literature says that the Pixie Tangerine is “a second generation hybrid (or possibly a self) obtained from open pollination of an F1 hybrid called a Kincy,” meaning that the “seed parent” was a tangerine variety called a Kincy (a cross between a Dancy and a King).  Still,  no one has identified the pollen parent.

Ojai Pixie Tangerines as you see them in the market

The fun part of the pixie story is its season moving to the spring. At the time of its release in 1965 “tangerine season” was considered to be around Christmas time. So the Pixie came ripe at a time when no one was expecting to buy or sell tangerines. 

For more information about Pixie tangerines, go to www.melissas.com.

How to Toast with Pixie Tangerine Classics

Comments Off on How to Toast with Pixie Tangerine Classics
It’s Ojai Pixie season – let’s toast!

(Gerry Furth-Sides) Cheers to you and to and with the magical Ojai Pixie season! Let’s toast with two cocktails, starting with a tangerine martini! We used naturally sweet Ojai Pixie tangerine juice instead of regular tangerine juice. Natalie of “TASTES lovely” provided the base idea recipe for this Tangerine & Honey Thyme Martini. 

Tangerine & Honey Thyme Martini

  • 2 ounces vodka (we substituted gin)
  • Juice from 1 tangerine, about 1/2 cup
  • 1 tablespoon honey thyme simple syrup, equal parts honey, water
  • spring of thyme for garnish
  • In a small sauce pan, bring water and honey to a boil. Stir until the honey is dissolved. Keep an eye on it, the simple syrup will bubble up as soon as it starts boiling. Pour the warm simple syrup into a glass container and add the sprigs of thyme to steep. Transfer to the fridge to cool.
  • In a martini shaker, combine all the cocktail ingredients with ice and shake until cold. Strain into a martini glass. Garnish with a sprig of thyme.

We start with a box of medium-small size Pixies from Melissa’s Worldwide Product. These can be ordered online. Pixies can vary in shape, size, texture and color! Their deep orange yellow skin can be smooth or slightly pebbly, varied as well in shape, size and texture for a little bit of novelty.  

It’s Ojai Pixie season – let’s toast!

Because pixie tangerine’s are sweeter than oranges cocktail master Philip Dobard suggested we substitute gin for vodka. Gin has more botanicals and more flavor. 

It’s Ojai Pixie season – let’s toast!

“Besides, “he added, “the thyme plays well with the botanicals in the gin. Taste and see what you prefer.” We tried the saffron honey and it added richness. 

Philip added the instruction of shaking, rather than stirring, this cocktail. While it is a Martini and thus, as a rule, stirred, this twist contains fruit juice and thus must be shaken so as to emulsify the citrus and, as a bonus, lends the finished product an enticing frothy texture. The Italy pitcher, fresh thyme are from @tableconversation. Please slide to see the recipe. 

This was the first cocktail I ever made. I celebrated by having it for lunch. We would recommend cutting down the honey syrup by at least one half. 

Grown in Southern California’s Ojai Valley, Pixie tangerines are available right now in the supermarket and directly through Melissa’s Produce who supplied these beauties. 

It’s Ojai Pixie season – let’s toast!

We toast with Barbara Hansen’s Pixie Tangerine Cocktail Grab the Pixies while they last! Sweet enough to alone with a BRIX Refractometer sweetness level of 21 (strawberries are 18!)

Toasting Barbara Hansen in her garden and with her beautiful, enticing words: 

“The last rays of the sun mean it’s time for a tequila sunset— and if you’re lucky, it will be one like this. 

Instead of the usual orange juice, it’s made with Pixie tangerine juice, so sweet and intensely flavored that this will be one of the best drinks you can have this spring—by summer Pixies will be gone.

Grown in Southern California’s Ojai Valley, Pixie tangerines are available right now, so grab a few and wind up your day with this Pixie-flavored tequila cocktail.

PIXIE SUNSET 

1/4 cup Pixie tangerine juice 
2 teaspoons lime juice 
2 teaspoons grenadine 
1 1/2 ounces tequila
Ice cubes
1 thin slice Pixie tangerine.

Combine the tangerine juice, lime juice, grenadine and tequila in a cocktail glass. Add ice cubes and place the Pixie slice on the rim.
Makes 1 serving.

For more information about Pixie tangerines, go to www.melissas.com. Below is the bright package you see in the store.

The Modern Hippie Table Book

Comments Off on The Modern Hippie Table Book

To Lauren, “Modern Hippie means a place where old meets new, simple meets sophisticated, and fancy meets fun. The recipes are simple, elegant and appealing. The definition of “hippie” as “fancy” is puzzling.

Lauren Thomas’ The Modern Hippie Table and a “hippie” barefoot look

Hippie lifestyle meant and means “homegrown, simple and as back to nature as possible.” The very word takes us to our first meal in San Francisco when we landed from Washington, D.C. It was simple: fantastic Monterrey cheese, chardonnay and sourdough bread, all eaten outdoors. It was heaven. We kicked off our high heels and never went back.

Eating and entertaining the hippie way translated into food as directly from the farm as possible and entertaining as naturally as possible. It was not being complicated, fussy or “hip”

Lauren presents 70 recipes, most with the southern charm of her South Florida home with a twist. The ROASTED RED CABBAGE WITH GORGONZOLA AND HAZELNUTS is original, brilliant and unexpected with a combination of fascinating flavors and textures.

The brilliant, tempting ROASTED RED CABBAGE WITH GORGONZOLA AND HAZELNUTS Lauren Thomas’ The Modern Hippie Table

Most dishes, however, are part of themed menus plus elaborate tablescape ideas, a la Sandra Lee. They can be termed “homemade” if you happen to have a landscaped rose garden.

A perfect, rustic “SIMPLE BOARD” in Lauren Thomas’ The Modern Hippie Table
Our own ethnic verson of the “SIMPLE BOARD” in Lauren Thomas’ The Modern Hippie Table
Our Mediterranean verson of the “SIMPLE BOARD” in Lauren Thomas’ The Modern Hippie Table

In this debut collection, Lauren shares favorite dishes that can be easily prepared for entertaining. They are pared down to allow hosts’ less time in the kitchen and more time with guests. MASON JAR SALAD DRESSING THREE WAYS is a perfect solution to healthy, interesting, delicious and varied dressing for family and parties.

Lauren’s WILD SALMON SALAD, combines shredded carrots, chopped snap peas and scallions and Sesame Ginger Dressing plus chow mein noodles which are mouth watering even from the recipe. It calls for tinned salmon, which we would substitute for the real thing.

Balsamic Brussels Sprouts from Lauren Thomas’ The Modern Hippie Table with the key ingredient, a refined yet rich balsamic glaze. The plate is a gift from Chez Helene’s Rayjean Fontaine

Some of the recipes are made from scratch, while others make creative use of store-bought convenience foods and pre-made products that help save time.

For Lauren, the surroundings of the occasion are as beautiful as the meal is delicious. To this end, along with suggestions for practical flowers, linens, and surfaces there are suggested menus for occasions from intimate date nights to friendly gatherings.

Perfect texture and taste pairing in the PEAR GORGONZOLA Lauren Thomas’ The Modern Hippie Table

THE MODERN HIPPIE TABLE offers detailed sections on entertaining followed by chapters organized by course.

Setting the Scene: Creating Intentional Spaces; A Love Affair with Hosting; Planning Ahead for confidence and ease, spending more time with guests);Planning Your Spaces to Entertain (the benefits and fun of changing rooms and locations); Tablescaping;  Setting the Move and Groove with music and lighting; (picking the right music and lighting sets the tone for the occasion), and, oddly, Breakfast.

Our own tea versions tea with botanicals inspired by Lauren Thomas’ The Modern Hippie Table

Lauren Thomas began writing her debut lifestyle cookbook, The Modern Hippie Table, after her creative journey as a lifestyle blogger inspired women to feel good in their own skin, reinvent their passion for the home, and to have fun in the kitchen. Whether she’s working with flavors in the kitchen or setting the scene for a beautiful Lauren lives in south Florida with her architect husband, two teenage children, and Shar Pei pup, Simon.

Botanicals of rosé and roses inspired by Lauren Thomas’ The Modern Hippie Table

Follow Lauren on instagram @the.modern.hippie.way & @collectivebookstudio, and on facebook: the.modern.hippie.way and for more information, please see @melissasproduce

Maria Provenzano’s Everyday Celebrations from Scratch Book

Comments Off on Maria Provenzano’s Everyday Celebrations from Scratch Book
Maria Provenzano’s book, Everyday Celebrations from Scratch

(Gerry Furth-Sides) Maria Provenzano’s book, Everyday Celebrations from Scratch feels as though it confirms our own lifestyle. My mom used to laugh at me affectionately because I “make up a tray of food as elaborately as if it was a dinner party of 20.” Yes. And, then, as now, food even tasted better.

Tray Breakfast for one on the patio inspired by Maria Provansano’s book Everyday Celebrations from Scratch

“Life’s everyday moments are worthy of connecting people together with food and crafts,” according to the sunny author of Everyday Celebrations from Scratch includes step by step, easy recipes, step-by-step craft tutorials and heartfelt insider tips. Maria became emotional on her YouTube book presentation when she shared that she was doing her best to pass down the beloved recipes of her grandfather to keep alive wonderful food and memories.

The White Wine Artichokes, a favorite of Maria, uses frozen artichokes for convenience. She adds recipe adds shallots, fresh thyme and dry white wine for a more refined version, plus a pop of lemon to brighten it up.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is IMG_3130.jpeg
White Wine Artichokes in Maria Provansano’s book Everyday Celebrations from Scratch
Our White Wine Artichokes from Maria Provansano’s book Everyday Celebrations from Scratch

This is as much a book that inspires as much as it instructs a young mom or wife or college grad to set the scene from scratch on a daily basis. Maria shares the essentials for everyday celebrations, including must-haves for a well-stocked pantry and the basic supplies for craft activities anyone can do.

Our holiday basket inspired by Maria Provansano’s book Everyday Celebrations from Scratch. The flower container is a reusable jar that can be used for storage or canning.

Sections include weeknight meals, so even a takeout night is memorable; honoring individual family members; making friends feel special, adding a personal touch to sporting events, and using seasons (and small holidays) to make the days festive the year around.

A spontaneous meal for friends inspired by Maria Provansano’s book Everyday Celebrations from Scratch. We made the tablecloth and placemats from whimsical fabric inspired by Edward Gorey

In our home, my dad would tease about “waiting to buy me a wolf ski jacket until it went on sale,” and then toss a grocery bag at me as we sat down to dinner with the treasured jacket rolled inside of it. Valentine’s Day and Easter he would bring home a box of candy for my mom and little boxes for us.

Our take out from Post & Beam at a table inspired by Maria Provansano’s book Everyday Celebrations from Scratch

Everyday celebrations are the foundations of memories that last a lifetime. We use restaurant tableware to make everyday meals special. That a dear friend, Rayjean Fontaine started me off with plates and saucers from Le St. Germain, Le Vallauris and Le Chardonnay, and even a Le Domê saucer lends a historic touch.

Everyday Celebrations Book inspires plates from Chez Mimi (top), Le St. Germain, Gulfstream and the Ivy (bottom row) lend a historic, sentimental touch.

Maria is already well known as the creator of the site FromScratchwithMaria.com and has had recipes published in numerous magazines, including Bake from Scratch Magazine, Taste of Home, Luxe Life Magazine, and Focus Magazine. She has also been featured on such sites as The Local Moms Network, LaurenConrad.com, Refinery 29, CafeMoms, and Giada De Laurentiis’s Giada: A Digital Weekly. 

On Hallmark Channel’s Home & Family, Maria shares her love of homemade crafts, food, and do-it-yourself (DIY) projects. As a mother, she also loves to inspire families to come together through crafting with kids. A native of the Great Lakes State of Michigan, Maria graduated from Florida State University with a BA in theatre and moved to Los Angeles after completing her degree. She is a wife and a mom to two happy boys, and she loves yoga, a great cup of coffee, and spending time with her family. 

Maria is a lover of all things crafty and is obsessed with cooking and feeding those around her. She is self-taught–and mom-taught, taking inspiration from the most imaginative, organized, detail-oriented person she knows: her mom! Her hope is to inspire others to be hands-on in their own lives.

Maria Provensano’s book Everyday Celebrations Book (p. 93)
Our Help-Yourself-Salad platter inspired by Maria Provensano’s book Everyday Celebrations Book (p. 93)

Follow Maria on Instagram @fromscratchwithmaria

While we aspire to a heavenly DIY workroom like Maria Provensano’s in book Everyday Celebrations Book, we use purchased reusable canning jars for homemade sun-dried tomato’s with our secret ingredient, mayo and pesto as holiday gifts.

A Feast Honoring the First Authentic Spanish Thanksgiving in 1565

Comments Off on A Feast Honoring the First Authentic Spanish Thanksgiving in 1565

(Gerry Furth-Sides) Spain dishes will once again be on our authentic first Thanksgiving table this year. We will toast to all of it with Spanish Rioja and Temperanillo. This is after learning that the first Thanksgiving was actually celebrated in St. Augustine, Florida in 1565 as documented by archaeologists at Florida’s Museum of Natural History.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is IMG_5396.jpg
On the menu are: a chestnut soup, Tortilla La Espańola with potato and onion, flavored with wild black garlic.  A cheeseboard filled with specialty items from Spain will be offered so guests can choose from savory Salamanca dry-cured Iberico de cebo pork salchichón;  Idiazabal do (Craw Sheep milk smoked basque, aged 60 days); Spanish green and black olives; quince paste  and a roasted garlic tomato to spread onto barra (like a French baguette), and tomatohazelnuts from Galacia. To choose from on the sweeter side:  a dense fig almond cake; almendra garrapiñada (sugar coated almonds), black dried raisins and fresh grapes.
This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is MV5BOTk2MjQyNTAzNF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwODI3OTM3MzE@._V1_.jpg
García de la Cruz was founded in 1872, and the table set here is in 1905 so we are sure that our Thanksgiving feast highlighted by the extra virgin olive oil is “Gran Hotel” worthy – and may have even served at the real hotel!

 

Fine olive oils should only be used for dipping finishing touches to dishes, and only when they are cool because the flavor of the oil changes when heated.  This is especially true with refined García de la Cruz, the early harvest olive oil in its exquisite bottle.  Even its regal citrus green color reflects the fullness of the fruit at the time of its harvest, giving a hint of the elaborate aromas and flavor to follow.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is IMG_5433.jpg
No goblet is too good for the Garcia de la Cruz extra virgin olive oil, which we have on our Spanish-themed Thanksgiving table alongside fresh bread.

And we also loved using a little bit of it to give an added oomph to these homespun classics we make regularly.  Just open the bottle and add a layer of the oil to make the flavors come alive and vibrant.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is 32B347D2-D2B5-402E-AA98-9AC6E9BE872B.jpg
A layer of García de la Cruz olive oil over the roasted tomatoes, homemade mayonnaise and pesto gives it an instant, added vibrancy

Roasted Tomato  (www.wimpy vegetarian.com,  via shockinglydelish

All you need to make these roasted tomatoes in a bottle are tomatoes, salt, pepper, olive oil,  salt, a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and garlic. This is more to a cook’s taste than exact amounts. Because the tomatoes are being roasted, it is better to use firm, older one.

Simply slice tomatoes and drizzle them evenly with the rest of the ingredients.  Roast at 350 degrees until they look crisp around the edges.  Cool and bottle.

Homemade Mayonaise

  • 1 large egg at room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon red or white wine vinegar
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt to taste
  • 1 cup grapeseed oil
  • generous drizzle of García de la Cruz extra virgin olive oil
  • lemon juice, optional

Place the raw egg in a food processor and pulse for 20 seconds. Add the mustard, vinegar, and salt, and process another 20 seconds.

Scrape down the bowl sides in the food processor.  Slowly add ¼ of the oil in drops to emulsify. Once emulsification begins, gently stream in the rest of the oil.  Scrape and process an extra 10 seconds.  Taste and adjust with seasonings and lemon juice for taste. 

Pesto

  • Cup of fresh basil leaves
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 3 tablespoons pine nuts
  • kosher salt and ground pepper to taste
  • 1/3 cup olive or grapeseed oil

Combine basic, garlic, pine nuts and Parmasan in the food processor bowl. Season with a slow stream of oil until emulsified.  Season to taste.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is 41B49F21-BA95-4C5C-BABE-C6562B96D9D4.jpg
The García de la Cruz inspired tart with a drizzle of the extra virgin olive oil on top. Spanish chorizo lends heat to the potatoes, , shallots, garlic and parsley

García de la Cruz Tart

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is IMG_5319.jpg
Spanish Sweet paprika gave the country’s chorizo its characteristic and now world-famous color.

For the García de la cruz tart filling

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 1 large red onion, thinly sliced
  • 2 leafy sprigs sage (about 10 medium leaves)
  • 8 ounces basque cheese
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed
  • 1 tablespoon parsley leaves, chopped
  • black pepper to season
  • 5 small potatoes
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon hazelnuts, chopped

Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet until hot but not smoking. Add onion and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until softened and golden brown, about 7 minutes. Remove from the heat. Strip the leaves from one of the sage sprigs, chop the leaves, and stir into the onions. Set aside.

Combine the basque cheese cheese, ricotta cheese, garlic, and parsley in a medium bowl. Season with black pepper.

Slice the potatoes thinly. Place another tablespoon of olive oil and salt into a bowl and stir in the potato slices, making sure they are all coated with oil.

Roll out the chilled dough to 1/4-inch thick and trim any uneven edges until you get a circle about 14 inches across.  Place the dough circle on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Spread the cooled onions evenly over the dough, leaving a 3-inch outer border. Spoon the cheese mix over the onions and fold up the edges of the dough, tucking and pleating as you go a bit rustic.

Arrange the oiled potato slices  close to each over the visible cheese mix, overlapping slightly (the crostata will expand), and brush some of the previously reserved egg white, thinned with a splash of cold water, evenly over the crust.

Bake the crostata 40–45 minutes until the crust is golden brown and the potatoes are cooked through. Remove from the oven and cool slightly on the baking sheet before serving. Chop the leaves from the second sprig of sage and sprinkle over the finished crostata. This is quite rich, so I like to serve it with just a simple green salad.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is 0542D211-B4F1-4F10-9FD2-8716072E20FE.jpg
Our Wild Basque Tart with wild mushroom, black wild garlic, pearl onion, Cabrales, orange preserve, chestnut, hazelnut

Ingredients

  • 5 tablespoons plain flour
  • 3.5 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • a pinch of salt
  • 10 small pearl onions
  • 1 large Melissas’s wild black garlic clove
  • 4 cups mixed Melissas’s wild mushrooms
  • 2 ½ Melissa’s steamed, peeled chestnuts
  • 3 tablespoons orange preserves with peel, sweetened with grape juice
  • 1/4 cup Cabrales (Asturian strong blue cheese)
  • 2 sprigs fresh thyme

Method
Finely slice onions and mushrooms, mush garlic and chestnuts into a soft, flat paste.

Heat 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil in a large frying pan over a high heat. Add onions, stirring constantly until caramelized. Add garlic, mushrooms, thyme and chestnuts, cooking until mushrooms are golden brown. Season to taste and cool.

For the shell: We used the JOY OF COOKING (p. 692) ruff pastry, mixed with ground Mrs. Cubbison). Blind bake at 350 degrees. Cool for five minutes.

Add the mushroom mix to the pastry shell and bake 20 minutes 350F

For the perfect finishing touch, drizzle with García de la cruz extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with thyme. 

Comida Feliz!

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is IMG_5399.jpg
Accompany your Spanish Thanksgiving with a hearty temperanillo from Spain and a cream sherry with dessert
This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is IMG_5402.jpg
Chestnut flan with hazelnut garnish and in the Nutella couli finishes off a Spanish Thanksgiving feast

Third Generation (!)Bella Sun Luci’s New Salad Dressings

Comments Off on Third Generation (!)Bella Sun Luci’s New Salad Dressings
The brand new line of Bella Sun Luci vinaigrettes

(Gerry Furth-Sides) Founded in 1986, Mooney Farms in Chico, California is a third-generation certified, woman-owned family farm. (Read details below). When I had a problem with the bottle seal, I got an immediate response on how to use it properly! It is another case, like Capri gelato, of taking a European food item and adding a dose of American expertise to it.

It’s been so long that I can’t even remember seeing purchased salad dressing on our fridge shelf. We love them! A drizzle takes the place of individually adding flavored or EVOO olive oil, rice vinegar and now-gone Melissa’s Produce herb grinder to a dish.

For us, one Bella Sun Luci vinaigrette replaces EVOO, rice vinegar, individual seasonings

The salad dressings made with 100% California oil are making their debut here in Los Angeles. Researching other dressings for oil designations confirmed that even very expensive dressings labeled “Italian olive oil” these days do not designate actual origin. Due to crop shortages it can come from any variety of places.

Turn this baby beet, goat cheese, asparagus salad into three with different Bella Sun Luci Vinaigrettes

There are three available varieties: Authentic Balsamic Vinaigrette with absolutely silky, aged balsamic vinegar and our go-to favorite; a familiar friend, Tuscan-Style Sonoma Vinaigrette, rich with garlic and sun-dried tomatoes, and Premium California Vinaigrette with sweet oranges and wildflower honey that has a slight tang to it.

The name “Bella Sun Luci” sounded vaguely familiar. That’s because a bottle of their their sun-dried tomatoes, that has been a fridge mainstay since we found it at COSTCO years ago.

Our old friend, always in the fridge, is the Bella San Luci sun dried Tomatoes

The Bella Sun Luci Italian Kitchen line actually is best known for Sun Dried Tomatoes dried under the central California sun, and Sun-Dried Tomatoes in Olive Oil. We used to add the fresh-flavored oil from them to our salads!

Below is our beef, artichoke heart, black olive and chopped sun-dried tomato on a bed of chopped romaine lettuce.

Bella Sun Luci Sonoma Vinaigrette drizzled over a beef on romaine salad with Suni Dried Tomatoes

For any salad begging to be finished off with a Mediterranean flavor, the Bella Sun Luci Sonoma Vinaigrette fits the bill.

We also added a few chopped up sun-dried tomatoes to the salad to enhance the flavor. The tomatoes are so dense we use kitchen shears Below is a shrimp, roasted corn and peas (Trader Joe frozen), plus fresh pine nuts and baby tomatoes (courtesy of Melissa’s Produce) on a bed of mixed greens.

We love and are “never without” the frozen 2-lb bags of excellent shrimp from our supermarket offered on the Friday sale at $5 a pound. A drizzle of Bella Sun Luci California Vinaigrette to the shrimp after cooking lends a summery, citrusy flavor and a unique finish.

Our summery shrimp salad finished off with a drizzle of Bella Sun Luci Sonoma Vinaigrette

A drizzle of Bella Sun Luci Sonoma Vinaigrette and sun-dried tomato completes our textured “Land and Sea Double Protein” salad. We love it year-round to inspire a touch of summer. All the ingredients are easy to keep on hand: (frozen) French haricot vert, tinned sardines, hard boiled egg, chopped Bella Sun Luck sun-dried tomato, homemade croutons, swiss cheese cubes and hazelnuts (courtesy Melissa’s produce). Lightly toast the hazelnuts to be sure of their crunch.

Our double-protein Bella Sun Luci Sonoma Vinaigrette and Sun-dried tomato sardine and hard-boiled egg salad

Premium California Vinaigrette is made with sweet oranges and wildflower honey. Each dressing starts with Mooney Farms’ own California Extra Virgin Olive Oil the highest quality ingredients added to each one, such as herbs, spices, robust vinegar, orange peel, and raw honey.

Premium California Vinaigrette is made with sweet oranges and wildflower honey.
Our Mediterranean sardine, blue cheese salad with a sprinkle of Premium California Vinaigrette made with sweet oranges and wildflower honey.
Our Potato Ball, green olive and squash salad with a drizzle of Premium California Vinaigrette made with sweet oranges and wildflower honey.

Last but not least and our favorite that we are trying over just about every salad, veggie and pasta dish is the Bella Sun Luci Balsamic Vinaigrette. It shows off the purest of the Bella Sun Luci flagship product line vinaigrettes , features premium California-grown and Mediterranean-inspired foods created from authentic family recipes.

The family matriarch Gretchen Mooney is the mother to the Mooney children and she was the original women owner, now Mary and her sister Kelly run the company teaching their children the roles and responsibilities to take ownership.

The highly respected family has a 100,000-square-foot facility and 200-year-old olive trees planted among rows of lavender and rosemary, which reflects the family’s rich history of the Mediterranean.

A quartet of salads with drizzles of Premium Balsamic Vinaigrette.
Silky Premium Balsamic Vinaigrette drizzled over a sardine salad with feta, Hatch pecans, and asparagus
A drizzle of Premium California Vinaigrette over asparagus made with sweet oranges and wildflower honey adds a unique touch to roasted asparagus drizzled with balsamic glaze.

The Bella Sun Luci line also includes deliciously sweet Plant-Based Tomato Jerky, Pasta Sauces, Bruschetta Spreads, Bottled Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Risotto, and Marinades. Visit BellaSunLuci.com to learn more and follow on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest.

We Use and Love the Beef It Up! Book

Comments Off on We Use and Love the Beef It Up! Book

(Gerry Furth-Sides) Any conversation with me about beef always used to start with my mother’s entire family of 15 all being meat brokers. Now the story is Jessica Formicola’s new, authoritative, illustrated, comprehensive and compact book, Beef It Up! //www.storey.com/books/beef-it-up/

The extensive, current information by non-profit Certified Angus Beef Brand Ambassador, Formicola, may be found elsewhere. But not in one source . Examples are below. Amy is the “Julia” and the Amy Riolo of beef.

Authority Jessica Formicola shows how to use her new book, Beef It Up! (youtube)

Formicola’s Beef It Up! easily qualifies as a “must-have” reference Book. While the recipes feel commercially fashionable, Jessica’s serving tips, butters, sauces and condiments are a book in themselves.

Her “insider’s take” balsamic glaze notes are “pure Julia” on how to make pricy store-bought items for pennies. And no wonder. Jessica is also the creator of the 4 S philosophy: salt, seasoning, sauce and substitution, helping you create easy restaurant-quality meals.

Visuals connect perfectly organized information “at-a-glance.” Helpful, illustrated charts accompany describe beef cut descriptions, alone with their best cooking methods and uses, for example. And they are ingeniously organized to instantly give you a gestalt-like understanding. I love this book.

All the beef information you need, and only the pictures in Jessica Formicola’s new Beef It Up!

Recipes throughout the book correspond with the cuts that Formicola describes.  There is an entire section of clearly written and often illustrated helpful tips for beef shopping, storage, safe handling, and even how to defrost properly.

The beef picture and part of the chart from Jessica Formicola’s new Beef It Up!

Cooking methods are analyzed.  There are two-page overviews of what to look for when purchasing and new ways of preparing the cuts, and how to correct the dish when it is not perfect.

Jessica answered my own questions about cooking NY strip steak in a cast-iron pan – finish it off in the oven if isn’t cooked inside enough when fully seared. We did not have to use the oven.

Our “life-changing pan-fried” New York Strip Steak (bottom) from Jessica Formicola’s new Beef It Up! book

The one thing I learned during this NY Strip Steak experience is that I prefer a ribeye. The Beef It Up! book explains why: the “large rib section comes form the center be highly marbled, naturally juicy, and superbly flavored.” NY Strips are primarily marbled around the edge.

The New York Strip on a platte

I even prefer a burger, which also deserved respect. Did you know, as Jessica rhetorically asks, ” that up to 100 people and almost two years are dedicated to raising one cow. This is not to say that we loved an accompaniment of red cabbage slaw, salad greens, Hatch sweet onions and cherry tomatoes, courtesy Melissa’s Produce, who introduced us to the book.

There are so many other choices: Fifty recipes in the book range from comfort food, such as American meatloaf to ethnic fusion, such as beefy white queso, bacon cheeseburger in a bowl, to classics like Vietnamese beef and rice noodles. Jessica’s enticing promise is “Dinner in 15 minutes flat.”

Our burger prepared with tips from the Jessica Formicola’s new Beef It Up! book

How to get the best burger tips: beef no leaner than 80 percent; use a press or make a well with your fingers in the middle of the patty to prevent mounding during cooking.

Jessica Our burger prepared with tips from the Jessica Formicola’s new Beef It Up! book

Freezing patties for an hour before cooking helps them set.  It will also get them to be the same temperature throughout. This is key, according to Jessica.

Cooking a burger with help from Jessica Formicola’s Beef It Up! book

Jessica Formicola is a TV Personality, cookbook author, small business coach, recipe developer, freelance writer, brand ambassador, travel and food writer blogger, photographer, social media expert, professional eater and a psychotherapist on the side.

Author of Beef It Up!, Jessica Formicola, Brand Ambassador of the Certified Angus Beef Board (photo courtesy Sally Eckus)

Read our story about the historic Piedmontese Beef at: //localfoodeater.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=28687&action=edit

Read our story about Bone-in-Butcher, the Fourth Generation Restaurant Supplier who became a Personal Shopper //localfoodeater.com/how-dallas-based-bone-in-butcher-became-personal-shoppers/

Amy Riolo’s “Must-Have” (!)  Italian Recipes & Mediterranean Lifestyle Books

Comments Off on Amy Riolo’s “Must-Have” (!)  Italian Recipes & Mediterranean Lifestyle Books

(Gerry Furth-Sides) Amy Riolo’s Italian Recipes and Mediterranean Lifestyle for dummies books both need to be up there on your bookshelf with Julia, The Joy of Cooking and New Larousse Gastronomique.  She is a writer after my own heart, seeking out and sharing fascinating individual facts and trends about global cuisine and the cooks who create them.

As an award-winning, best-selling author, chef, television personality, Mediterranean lifestyle advocate,
considered one of the world’s foremost authorities on culinary culture. For more information, please see her website, //www.amyriolo.com/web/about/ We covered another book of author Rioli: //localfoodeater.com/italian-diabetes-cookbook/

Her compact, accessible, and affordable hard-cover paperback cookbooks hold encyclopedic breadth and depth into Italian culinary culture and a dazzling array of recipes— all with the charm of a favorite, very glamorous, internationally renowned relative. 

Glam Amy Riolo, author Italian Recipes and Mediterranean Lifestyle for dummies books

In Amy’s  youtube presentation hosted by Melissa’s Produce, Amy explains  how a “lecture at the Smithsonian” on the Mediterranean diet (!!) prompted the book.  You can watch  the presentation on //www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5ikLguxiLI)

International culinary expert Amy Riolo talks about her new Mediterranean Lifestyle and Italian Recipes books for dummies

One of the gifts and joys of Amy’s books is confirmation of our own Mediterranean cuisine preference.  It is also a reminder that living this culinary lifestyle doesn’t mean long hours with complicated recipes. The books are divided into parts of a meal and nutritional themes. Thoughtful icon-marked REMEMBER and TIPS line the content. 

Caution:  The page-turner 300-page books also lead to side research to her descriptions of the difference in traditions between America and Italy, such as the Seven Fishes.  It is a wonderful “rabbit hole” you won’t regret.

Amy Riolo talks about her new Mediterranean Lifestyle and Italian Recipes books for dummies

Recipes are natural, clear, scrumptious and appealing, each with tens of variation she encourages. A salad, espresso and homemade pesto on pasta is used to illustrate her work.

We used Chef Amy Riolo’s privately-labelled Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oil is made by Fatttoria Italiana Martelli – an award-winning, fourth generation family-owned estate in a region of Italy, where Amy also leads tours.  

Chef Amy Riolo’s privately-labelled Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oil made by Fatttoria Italiana Martelli

Her blend is individually and carefully  crafted with two olive cultivars indigenous to Abruzzo, an area known as “The greenest region in Europe.”  Gentile di Chieti and the Intosso olive varieties are harvested directly from the plant and milled immediately, allowing harmonious, sweet, fresh, and fruity characteristics to permeate the oil.

This prompted us to esearch on the difference between Spanish and Italian olive oil.  It turns out that Spanish oil has a nuttier, fruitier taste and is yellow-gold in color; it’s also more widely available Italian live oil is typicallv a darker green, with a grassier taste and herbal smell, and authentic bottles are harder to find. So Amy’s oil IS A FIND.

We tried it in a variation of an Amy recipe, and my own, with romaine lettuce. Inspired to research, we learned that the Romans first naming it “COS” from the Greek Aegean Island where it originated and brought it to England and Europe, where the buyers labeled it after the purveyors. Next, neutral appearing Artichokes are actually low in fat, high in fiber and loaded with antioxidants, vitamin C, vitamin K, folate, phosphorus and magnesium.  It was perfect in this Mediterranean salad.

Artichoke salad “dressed” dressed with a drizzle of Amy Riolo EVOO, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper

Amy answered an age-old question of mine with this salad: how fiber in foods takes satisfies hunger.  This answers why dishes, such as our artichoke, walnut salad is not only satisfying for taste and texture, but filling enough for a meal.  She also reminded us that a squeeze of lemon or the zest not only can spark a dish.  It adds an anti-viral and anti-microbial property!

A variation of a Mediterranean salad from Amy Riolo’s Italian Recipe Book for dummies

The Pasta section of Italian Recipes is filled with history, how-to-make illustrations (including trofie!), descriptions, dried pasta information and recipes.  

The official Pesto Recipe in Amy Riolo’s Italian Recipes for dummies book
Pesto with Amy Riolo’s EVVO, Melissa’s basil and pine nuts

A confirmed trofie and pappardelle-only eater, I prepared a sort of penne out of convenient box because it was sort of “baby” small and cute, also thinking that the pesto made with Amy’s Olive oil would fill in the holes and indentations.

Penne pasta “dressed” in pesto sauce made from a recipe in Amy Riolo’s Italian Recipes book for dummies, using Amy Riolo Extra Virgin Olive Oil

In her description, Amy adds the fun fact that Penne is “called ‘pens’ because they are shaped like the quills once used as writing instruments. “ She also points out that penne is now “more commonly eaten outside of Italy!  

Penne pasta “dressed” in pesto sauce made from a recipe in Amy Riolo’s Italian Recipes book for dummies

And, ah, espresso.  The thought was enough for me to down a fresh little cup – you never linger over espresso.  Again, there is a complete listing of variations,  full history and customs, including roasting, plus a how-to section on making and making sweets to accompany caffe.

A “quick” espresso, as described in Amy Riolo’s Italian Recipes for dummies book

I was so happy to read that caffe (the affectionate term Italians use for all coffees, is indeed served after every meal.  And that espresso does, indeed, have less caffeine than regular coffee.  I cannot wait to make the anise biscotti.  Bon Apetito!

A quick espresso or a larger latte with a middle eastern pastry: it is all explained in Amy Riolo’s Italian Recipes for dummies book

A graduate of Cornell University, Amy is a food historian, culinary anthropologist known for sharing history, culture, and nutrition through global cuisine as well as simplifying recipes for the home cook. In 2021 she co-founded the international organization A.N.I.T.A. (National Italian Academy of Italian Food).

@MelissasProduce

@amyriolo 

@fordummies 

#amyriolo 

#mediterraneanlifestyle

#italianrecipes

For more terrific coverage please see @tableconverwsation @fayelevy @melissa’s and the SOCAL radio show: //socalrestaurantshow.com/media/podcasts/show-490-september-10-2022-chef-amy-riolo-with-italian-recipes-for-dummies/

— 

Cuisines

Authors