Cycling Foodie

Original Thanksgiving plans included a trip to Sonoma County. Those plans changed unexpectedly and last minute. We learned late morning while we were on a ride that the meal was going to be served mid-afternoon. This just might be an important detail to let your guests who are traveling from out of town know ahead of time, but … all is well that ends well. So, we found ourselves without any of the traditional Thanksgiving makings and certainly did not want to head to the store, or out to find an open store, after riding, so on our way back we rolled through Downtown Davis to see who might be open.

I was a little cranky already, because the wind proved to be a bit much for me yesterday on the ride. I really don’t understand how sometimes it doesn’t look that windy, but it feels like I have my own personal gale force winds. I guess it’s just one of those mysteries. Luckily for me, I had a riding partner who stayed just far enough ahead of me to not hear me whining out loud, “This sucks! I am NOT having fun!” But not so far ahead that I felt alone out there in my very own personal tornado.

After the ride, a quick check online showed that there was still a reservation available at 4pm at The Mustard Seed in Downtown Davis. The menu promised a “traditional” Thanksgiving menu. I must admit I had a few reservations of my own, because when it comes to “traditional” stuffing, I have rules. Besides, dinner at 4pm? Hmph.

I groused and grumbled around for a while in the afternoon and decided to take my frustration out on that nagging spot on the laundry room floor, rather than share my general unpleasantness with someone who was going to great lengths to be very sweet to me. The good news is that the laundry room floor looks great!

Traditional. Hmph. We’ll see.Wish I had just made the meal myself. Next year.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We arrived promptly and were seated right away at a lovely table by the window, overlooking the patio tables. The table setting was elegant and simple. Service was friendly and professional.

We enjoyed a Cazar Pinot Noir (2010), which went nicely with each course.

First Course:  Golden Butternut Squash and Apple Bisque. Normally, I am not much for bisques, because they tend to be too rich for me, but this one had a nice balance of savory and sweet and was not too rich.

 Second Course:  Pomegranates, Cinnamon Persimmons, Autumn Greens & Laura Chenel Goat Cheese. The pictures say it all … I could feel every last trace of grumpiness leave. This was the kind of salad I would make for myself. Fresh, crisp greens. Fruit. Cheese. Perfectly lightly dressed.

Main Course: Diestel Ranch Turkey Breast Roulade, Traditional Stuffing, Mashed Yukon Gold Potatoes, Country Gravy, & Cranberry Chutney.

I was surprised by the generous portions served. There were two large slices of turkey breast, and generous sides of roasted brussel sprouts, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and cranberry chutney. Everything tasted homemade from scratch, like I would make. Even the gravy was good; it was rich and flavorful without being too heavy.

The brussel sprouts were tender and perfectly roasted. Brussel sprouts are devine when they are cooked right, but they tend to have a bad reputation because so many people overcook them. My favorite way to prepare them is roasting, and these were cooked exactly how I like them cooked. I tried really hard to leave a couple for leftovers today, but that didn’t happen.

The stuffing … I hate to admit, but this was as good as my own. I grew up with this style of stuffing, and so very few people get this right (in my ever-so-humble opinion). So, any doubts about “traditional” were completely dissolved after just one bite. You’ve won me over.

Cranberry chutney … I grew up hating cranberries because we always had to endure that slimy, jellied glop that slides out of a can. At some point my family discovered fresh cranberries, and we experimented a bit with a few recipes, and some came out pretty good, but I was never that big of a fan of cranberry relish or chutney. I have to say, though, that this chutney was wonderful. Tart, sweet, cooked just right.

Mashed potatoes … perfect.

And then there was pie …

So, after all that … I had better get ready for a big bike ride today!

I wonder how many miles we’ll need to ride tomorrow to work this off?

More photos and details to follow.

Sunday, November 11, 2012

Last night a little foodie exploration and treat was in order, so off to Paragary’s Bar & Oven in Midtown Sacramento. I’d never been there before, but have heard wonderful things about it. Now, I know why!

We shared a special Manhattan and it was really good. I am not a big mixed drink aficionado, and have not had a Manhattan since I don’t know when, but wow. OK, we didn’t officially share it, but I sampled it a couple of times. I sampled an aperitif, Branca Menta, which was interesting and I’ll have it another time, but I decided to just stick with wine. I wanted something a little earthy to pair with the Wood Oven Roasted Portobello Mushroom appetizer, so I ordered a glass of the Sangiovese (Perazzeta, Tuscany, 2010). My fellow foodie friend had the Malbec (Crios, Mendoza, Argentina, 2010).

The Wood Oven Roasted Portobello Mushroom appetizer was fantastic. Each item was divine on its own, but a little of each together formed the perfect bite.

We then shared the Little Gems Lettuces salad, with pears, bleu cheese, pecans, and fresh pomegranate. Every aspect of this salad was fresh and perfect. The balance of sweet, tart, savory flavors, and tender crisp lettuce was exquisite. In hindsight, I think this would have been lovely with a sparkling wine.

For entrees, we tried the special tortellini (filled with ricotta, goat cheese, greens, and served with a Gorgonzola cream sauce, garnished with walnuts) and a Pizza Sampler (half homemade fennel sausage with smoked mozzarella, wood-roasted onions, roasted Calabrian chile peppers, and half roasted mushrooms with leeks, fontina, garlic, thyme, mozzarella, and Parmesan cheese).

Normally, I am not a big cream sauce fan (and don’t really want to develop much of a taste for them), but this was fantastic! The pizza was lightly topped and the crust was thin and perfect. This is the kind of pizza I want to make at home. The crust stayed crisp and held up to the toppings, but it was not tough. I love the slightly puffy rim and super thin base. (It also made for yummy lunch leftovers!)

I was only going to look at the dessert menu, but someone promised to share this with me. We shared the Warm Valrhona Chocolate Cake with Espresso Gelato and Chocolate Sauce.

I’m not sure how many miles I’ll have to ride to work all of this off, but every bite was worth it.

 

This was my first trip to Paragary’s Bar & Oven, but my sincerest hope is that it will not be my last. Every aspect of the meal and experience was superb. Our server, Julie, was attentive, friendly, knowledgeable, and professional. The atmosphere was comfortable, elegant, and unpretentious. Check them out online:  http://www.paragarys.com/sacramento-restaurants/paragarys-bar-oven/

 

I was invited to my first ever Christmas Eve Lumpia Party this year. Lumpia? For Christmas Eve? Why not? After all, what better way to celebrate the holiday season than friends gathering to play with food?

There are different types of lumpia. We made a Filipino style, fried lumpia with a pork based filling – ground pork, cabbage, green onions, garlic, egg, and seasonings.  I think this is the recipe that these lumpia were based on, but if not, it is very similar:  http://allrecipes.com/recipe/filipino-lumpia-2/

 

Some recipes call for the filling to be cooked, others not.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We cooked the filling.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Once you get all of the ingredients set up, it’s actually fairly easy to assemble the lumpia. You’ll need the prepared filling, separate the lumpia wrappers and be sure to keep them covered with a moist towel because they dry out easily. Be sure to have a moist towel to cover the rolled lumpia also.

Once you have everything in place, then start wrapping. To wrap, take one wrapper and place some filling on the corner, as shown below.

Now the lumpia are ready to cook.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Serve these with an assortment of sauces, such as Sweet Thai Chili Sauce, Hoisin Sauce, Plum Sauce, or whatever sauce will pair nicely with the filling.

 

We also made some dessert lumpia – one with a honeyed mascarpone and blackberries, and one with bananas.

     

          

 

Honeyed Mascarpone Blackberry 

 

Banana with Cinnamon 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then, as you could probably predict, we began to experiment. What else could we fill these with? We had some homemade fudge, so we wrapped up some with fudge and nuts, and a few with fudge and blackberries.

What a fun tradition! I am already looking forward to next year!

 

Wash fresh blackberries with cool water and set to drain on towels. You’ll want to make sure they’re dry when you assemble the tarts.

Prepare the shortbread crusts  (see “As Promised … Tartlets”).

Prepare the honeyed mascarpone filling. Place the contents of one 8-ounce container of mascarpone in the bowl of a mixer. Add the zest of one lemon. Beat at low speed, drizzling in honey to taste. Add half and half to the desired consistency.

Yes, I know seems very vague, but … to make these tartlets perfect for you, you’ll have to adjust the ingredients to your own taste. I don’t like the filling too sweet, but some do.

Place the mascarpone filling into a pastry bag. In a pinch (like discovering that your very own pastry bags are all still in storage and not in your kitchen) you can use a Ziploc (or other brand) bag. Spoon the filling into the bag and pipe into the shells.

So I’ve been struggling for a few weeks now about what the heck to make for a potluck we’re going to tonight. Having worked as a baker for many years, I typically whip up some yummy baked goods, but I wanted this to be different. Potlucks always seem to have so many desserts, I wanted to make something else. Stumped. I was completely stumped. What was everyone else bringing? What did we NEED? Inspiration eluded me.

We had dinner with a friend last week and he gave us a bottle of wine, a 2009 DeLoach Sonoma County Chardonnay Vinthropic Cuvee.

When it comes to wine, I like white wine, but I will almost always go for red. So this posed a fun challenge for me. What the heck could I make to pair with this wine?  I Googled it. This is what DeLoach recommends:  “a perfect complement to alfresco dining, and pairs well with creamy risotto with shitake mushrooms or a freshly tossed Caesar salad with grilled prawns” ( http://www.boissetfamilyestates.com/products/ProductDetails.aspx?PrdId=767)