Breakfast.

 They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day.

 Who says it has to be fancy?

Why can't it be simple?

But why can't it be simple yet "spiced" up?

But with what?

Caramelization is what makes things tasty.  Very tasty.

You don't just caramelize onions and potatoes, or whatever you find to be savory, but you can also caramelize fruit.

Apples, plums, pears, bananas.

Anything with sugar.

Caramelization occurs when sugars are heated and become browned.  They can be natural sugars, or added sugars.

Oatmeal is lethal. Certified gf oats are lethal in the sense that they'll burn a whole in your wallet.  And regular oats are lethal to the stomach.  Lose: lose situation. No bueno.

What about quinoa?

Safe!!

But its extremely nutty...

The flavor is...

What would play nicely off of quinoa?

Bananas!

Carmalized bananas!

Basil Macaroni and Cheese.

Macaroni and Cheese is comfort food...

So is Chili...

But I think I want the Mac n Cheese...

Anchovies.

Europe makes me think of deep, vibrant colors.  Not just in Italy or Spain.  Or in paintings or mosaics, but in food.

Balsamic vinegars drizzled into deeply infused olive oils and crusty bread.  Rich cheeses and olives.

What about Pasta with Anchovies, Lemon, and Olives?

Thanks to Shauna James and Daniel Ahern, we have a pleasant evening in Europe.

* ALWAYS salt your water when boiling your pasta.  That includes potatoes.  Anything starchy that serves as a staple for a dish. Wait until the water is hot enough to dissolve the salt - otherwise it will eat away at your pot.  Be generous.  You want the water to taste like sea water, or very close to it.  It's important to salt your dishes in layers, so to speak.  As the cook, you gain more control and a more accurate perception of your flavors.  Don't forget, flavors bloom.

As another note: anchovies and olives are salty, period.  If the base is too salty, add an additional 3/4 cup of wine and 2-4 more tablespoons of butter.  That may sound like a lot, but as the butter melts, and the sauce is tossed in with the pasta, it forms a creamy glaze.  Before adding the pasta, the sauce may seem pungent, but realize its a concentrate and will become more subdued as it envelopes the pasta.

Waffles.

 

We went to the farmer's market.  And it was raining.

I liked it.  It kind of made me happy.  The light mist seems to make everything look brighter.

A cute older couple always has the nicest set up.  To me, its the epitome of what an old fashioned farmer's market is supposed to look like.

I always feel funny taking pictures at the farmer's market. It's almost as if something that rightfully belongs to them is being taken away through a photograph.  So I asked if I could take a picture and they were more than happy for me to do so.

 Lights also illuminate in an antique fashion in the misty rain...

 It's relaxing.

Not until you begin to freeze.  Bright, sharp colors remind you how you really feel in your flip-flops and wet jeans.

The next morning, I want waffles.

I'm kind of ruined.

When I hear the single two syllable word, it makes me think of Shrek.

I'm not going to say why, because we all know the line.  Unfortunately.

Anywho... Lets go for something light, crisp, and tasty. 

BAM!!! Take this! Smack. Yo'..mAma...good.

http://www.food.com/recipe/gluten-free-waffles-40362 

 I don't know how a waffle can be smack your mama good, but these are pretty darn tasty. 

 

Skrimp.

Eww.

It's very important to clean your meat.

Whether it be chicken, beef, fish, or shrimp.  As my sister and I call it, "skrimp."

Rinsing your meat disposes of any bone dust, dyes, or bacteria.

Using cool water is key.  Delicate meats, such as fish, crustaceans, or filleted items, will begin to cook rather than being cleansed if warm or hot water is used.  Warm water may also prove to be a breeding ground for bacteria.

In the case of shrimp, they must be de-veined.  Running along their belly and sometimes their back along the track of waste...or simply put, poop.  Take a sharp knife and run run it along its underside and it becomes easily removed.

I don't mind doing it, but when an eyeball is left, and a face is seen, or a part of their mustache is visible?  No thank you.  I'm not for that.

But I am about this.  Shrimp and Coconut Curry with Green Beans.  Don't be afraid to add more salt and your chosen form of heat, ie, jalepenos or chile.

So Good.

We spent a day in Julian.

Its so astronomically gorgeous.

The colors are so vivid.

Julian is famous for Apple pie.

And Hot Apple Cider.

We went to this tiny little cafe.  The Soup and Such Cafe.  It was absolutely delightful.

We ordered their beef hamburgers with a fresh dill potato salad, a grilled salmon sandwich with a light dressing to accomany it, a fresh garden soup, and a thai chicken curry soup.

Delicious.

Once the meal was over, my father ordered a slice of pumpkin cheesecake.

Apple pie, Cheesecake??

Common... Glutenized.

The solution?

Pumpkin Spiced Latte.

Starbucks anyone?

No no, its called Starbucks al a Home.

....and the internet.

Pumpkin Spiced Latte  = so crankin' good.

Add your own touch.  There's always the advantage of making it at home.

Cookie. Cont.

I don't have a picture.  But you're just going to have to trust me.

...simple things in life make the world go round.

Like a Chocolate Chip cookie.

Cookie.

Chocolate is good. 

Like chocolate cake…

Chocolate peanut butter cups…

Crisp chocolate cookies…

Chocolate frosting…

And oh yeah, the cupcake too…

Chocolate kisses…

Chocolate covered almonds…

Chocolate soufflés…

Chocolate tarts…

Mmmm and Chocolate Chips…

Chocolate chips are genius.  They really are. 

What makes a brown sugar cookie batter taste good?

Chocolate Chips. 

Duh…

That’s what makes Pumpkin Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies taste so good.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies 

Pumpkin Patch.

It's fall.  Officially. And finally.

I'm so happy.

Pumpkin!

Don't hate on pumpkin because everyone burns it to a pulp during this time of the year.  
I'm not going to lie.  The Pumpkin Bread was pretty darn tasty.  I thought it was anyway.

Pumpkin should not immediately be envisioned with Pumpkin Pie.

Rather, why not pumpkin bread pudding?

My first vision was pumpkin almond biscotti.  Not exactly epic.

Once I got the biscottis to crisp, I laced them with a chocolate ganche and leaving them out to dry.

Being that San Diego seems to be going through a menopausal stage, it decided to rain.  The problem with that?  I left the kitchen window open, with the result of soft, bread-like cookies.

If you have never heard of a biscotti, that needs to change.  Now.

A biscotti is an Italian, twiced baked cookie, that is meant to be dunked.  Preferably in coffee.

The biscottis tasted good, but they were nothing to be blown away with.
A) It took a day until the spices meshed.
B) Tasted good, but it was like dunking a dry bread-like cookie thing in coffee.
C) It only tasted truly delightful dunked in coffee.

My tastebuds were not satisfied.

I present to you: Pumpkin Almond Chocolate Bread Pudding.

Its not labor intensive, but it is lengthy.  But please do take into consideration the fact that it is gluten free. 

Exactly how many gluten free bread pudding recipes do you come across that tastes good, isn't made from nasty rice bread, and makes your tastebuds sing?

Point proven.  I would say it's worth it. 

On a day it's raining outside and you need and want some comfort food, here you go:

Tea Time.

Is it fall?  Many would say, "Of course it is!  Don't you look at your calendar?"

I do, thank you very much.  But according to San Diego it says:

 

I'm 104 degrees, to...

 

I'm extremely hot and yet now, I'm extremely humid.  To...

Thunder and Lightening...all day, to...

Peace, calm, serenity.

After two weeks of bipolar San Diegan havoc, its time for tea.

 

Pumpkins. 

Scarves.

Cranberries.

Boots.

Spices.

All of these things make me think of fall.

For a successful quick bread, cake, or anything with a light, fluffy consistency, bring all of your ingredients to room temperature.  It keeps components of your batter from solidifying.  The reactions will happen more freely, allowing for a lighter cake.

Pumpkin is a squash.  It could be cubed and sauteed with leeks, sage, bacon bits, and some chipotle smoke, and most people wouldn't be able to tell that its the same squash used to make a pie.

Cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, define the "pumpkin taste."  Although, pumpkin may be the only squash that can carry those flavors properly.  That may be the reason why people love the pumpkin so much.

Pescado.

People don't like fish.

Fish doesn't mean breaded and fried, or just grilled with a lemon wedge squeezed over it.

Different types of fish have different flavors.

Not all fish tastes the same.

Salmon for example, has a very distinct flavor.  Some find it to be too strong.  Swordfish is flavorful, yet mellow.  Sole is mild...yet tasty.

I can't just tell you this.  You have to go out and try it.

Some don't like fish because they think it's too fishy.  If something tastes "fishy," your fish is not fresh.  And you just got ripped off.

There's multiple ways to go about cooking fish. It can be pan seared, broiled, grilled, regardless of how you do it, you cannot over cook it.  Allow me to repeat this.  DO NOT OVER COOK FISH.  ...ever.

Now that that point has been made, lets to move on to how you can put this advice into practice.

There are two good indicators of when the fish has had enough heat.
One:  Insert a fork into the fillet, if the meat flakes up, its done.
Or...
Two:  Look on the side of the fillet.  You want the middle of the fillet to be underdone.  When you remove the fish from off the heat, its going to continue cooking.

By not over cooking your fish, you're preventing chewiness and dryness.  While still obtaining the chance to impress you guests.

My dear aunty got me the Shauna Adhern's new book.  I'm so excited.  This will be our first recipe from her book.  The pictures are fabulous by the way.

Just a note: Sole can be expensive.  The key is to have a mild-tasting fish.  I'm using Talapia.

Click to print

Vegan.

Raise your hand if you're a vegan.  Now, raise your hand if you're not a vegan, and have absolutely no desire to be one.

If you just raised your hand for not being a vegan, slap that arm down.  Fast.

Amazingly to some, food can still taste magnificent without meat.

Eggplant Chana Marsala.

Eggplant within itself, is like a meat.  A vegetable meat.  Its flavor and texture can hold stronger spices so well.
Eggplant and Portabella Mushrooms are the two things that will make you realize that you don't need meat.  Yes, meat is good, such as salmon and lamb.  But if you were to extract beef completely from your diet and replace it with eggplant and Portabella's, you won't miss it.  Trust me.

Ladies, I know you're more apt to take my advice.  Men, calm down. I understand that many of you insist on having meat as a staple.  Take a breath and listen to what I'm saying.

Thickly slice an eggplant, or an entire Portabella, and marinate it.  Yes, I said marinate it.  And then grill it.  Use that in place of a patty on your burger.

Why will that taste so good?  There's the factor of how firm the two vegetables are.  Because of their firm consistency,  they withhold and absorb moister and flavor.  And when you cook it, it becomes tender and still releases amazing flavor.

So you gain juiciness, a smokey flavor from the grill and  you'll enjoy it so much, that you forget that you're not eating meat. 

Tonight at the Dinner Club, we are serving Eggplant Chana Marsala.

The highlight of the dish is the curry.  Nothing can compete to curry.  Curry is a unique flavor.  Its smokey.  It makes me think of cumin and spice.  In fact,  cumin is the ingredient that adds what you call, smoke.  Unless you use smoke condensation in your dish, cumin will give you the most well rounded flavor, but thats only fully supported with a tomato based concentration or curry.  Why not make something that has all three?

And oh, by the way....its vegan. Click on the picture for a full view.

Cooking for the Rich and Famous.

Perhaps I'm stretching the saying a bit...."The Rich and Famous."  But technically I am correct.

Every year at The Neurosciences Institute in La Jolla, an event is held for the sponsors, thanking them for their donations and support. During the evening of the event, several high end restaurants and catering companies come to show off their talents.

When an individual thinks, "The Neurosciences Institute," they think hard core, serious about education, expensive.  Now, lets add the name "La Jolla" next to that.  You know what I think??  Money, the beach,  money, shopping, La Jolla Cove, money, nice houses, rich people, and oh yeah, I forgot, money!

The reason why my behind was there, was because of the wonderful Chef Betsy G.

One, rich people look rich, okay?

Two, they were very nice.  They guiltily sneak sweets, like anyone else.

Three, they appreciate good food.

Chef Betsy G, was presenting gluten free sweets.
We served Orange Almond Biscotti in an Orange Ricotta Mousse, as a "Mousse Tinni."  Along with Espresso Brownie, with a Chocolate Glaze, garnished with Candied Ginger and Vanilla Salt.

Have you ever tasted salts?  Not table salt, or sea salt.  Truffle salt, chipotle salt, what about vanilla salt?

Between the candied ginger and vanilla salt it was magnificent.  The two flavors complemented each other fully. 
Ginger carries a bit of a kick, like a slight spiciness. The salt was mellow and slightly sweet.

                                         All I can say is, bon appetit.