Napa outing the with whole Ohana Clan 7/4 weekend

Dean and Deluca Cheese Display

Pappa's 1972 Sake at Morimoto Napa

I think that was my 7th visit

Hog Island Oyster Bar at Oxbow Market.

Sift Cupcakes at Dean and Deluca

At Hall Winery

Fine Candies at DeLuca 



Frenchie's Tokyo Tea at Morimoto

My Hamachi Tartar! Morimoto and below Kakuni appetizer with congee

Kathryn Hall Exzellence Cabernet Sauvignon

Passion Fruit Marshmallows ~ Dean and Deluca

Looking up the light at Morimoto

Morimoto Market

I love Valrhona Chocolate

Passion Fruit Chocolates ~ Dean and Deluca

One of Napa's recently opened Restaurant in July 2011

The Kitchen Door

Wine Rack at Pico Pico

Market Restaurant

Main Street, St. Helena, Ca.

These are Frenchie's Fish and Chips, really good.

Fried Chicken from Market actually really good with just a little heat of Jalapeno (just a smidgen)

Macarons from Sift Cupcakery in Napa in Bel-air Plaza off Trancas.,

I didn't know they won Cupcake Wars as my daughter pointed it out. 

They make very yummy cupcakes.



On the far left is the Red Velvet with Cream Cheese Frosting, nice cake and frosting is just right.

The middle one is a Cherry Bomb

The fart right one is Champagne

Top Right is the Chocolate Ganache with White Chocolate Shavings with Bavarian Creme in the middle.

Front far left is the Lemon Cupcake filled with Lemon,

The Far front right is the Samoa Cupcake, the cake is a light spongey coconut, filled with chocolate ganache with Toasted coconut on the frosting with the drizzle of chocolate.

Steamed Manila Clams

I've posted this before, but simply said, Steamed Manila Clams.

I

This is a stuff pork chop with garlic sausage. I thikn I made this a few weeks ago.

Krispy Kreme Bread Pudding

Krispy Kreme Bread Pudding

Well as I posted on Facebook, who ever has left over Krispy Kreme's?  Well we always do.

So I had 2 chocolate glazed one left and a lemon custard filled.....well why not.

I didn't follow the recipe on the Cookingchanneltv.com, I like to make my own custard so

voila here it is. I didn't bite into it yet.  Waiting for it to cool down.

Aloha everyone,
It's Sunday 7/23/11.
I haven't been able to update the blog in a bit.  I have been quite busy with work commuting a longer distance these days.  So when I do it's very simple and most of the tie I forget about taking picture.
So I will back track here with what is on my desktop and of places we have been.

Wagyu and Shitake with green onion

Wagyu with Shitake and Green Onion

I try to pick up Wagyu Beef or Kobe at Oto's when I leave work. This time thought i'd take a whirl and make this. Of course Wong's Cuisine make the Shitake Beef really yummy.

1 Wagyu Steak

1/2 yellow onion thinly sliced

1 teaspoon crushed garlic

1 cup of Chicken Stock 

a good helping of the good Japanese Shitake Mushroom dried and soaked, slice in half or quartered

If you can find fresh Shitake use those

3 stalks of green onion sliced in one inch lengths

Corn starch slurry ( I generally use 1 heaping tablespoon and 1/2 cup water) it's easier to thin out with chicken stock or water

2 Tablespoons of Mushroom Shoyu

1 Tablespoon of Oyster Sauce

Salt and Pepper and white pepper to your taste.

I char the onion and garlic in some peanut oil, then add the Wagyu in small amounts to stiry fry fast. Season meat with salt, pepper and white pepper and set meat aside.

Stir fry the green onion and add the mushrooms, add the meat back in

add shoyu and oyster sauce stir to combine, then add corn starch slurry, when it's too thick slowly add more chicken stock to your desired thickness.

Serve with white or brown rice

Lobster Sandwich

Lobster Sandwich my way 

I saw the Lobster tails on sale the small ones at $6.99 and bought 3.

Cooked for 7 minutes only

Split in half pull out meat and don't forget the meat in the tail ends.

Dice and while still warm, salt and pepper and toss in butter and season with  Old Bay Seasoning.

For the mayo is mayo, juice of half a lime, 1/4 of celery stalk sliced very thin then chopped, snipped chive a little sale and pepper and mix well add the lobster and put in a nice gourmet roll. NOT a hotdog bun.

Langostino Tail Salad

Blueberry and Yuzu Croissant Bread Pudding for one



Blueberry and Yuzu Croissant Bread Pudding

I don't buy Croissants everyday nor do I make them everyday.  I know how to make those but that will be winter time to make those.  It's getting so darn hot to bake.

I always have Blueberries, and Yuzu is always stocked.  I buy the Trader Joe's Mini Croissants.

Hubby likes those and quick to bake while I prepare lunch for work now that I have to travel 70 miles each way to work.  Eghads.

I had a couple extra ones that he didn't eat.  So  well it's a simple as this:

1 Le Creuset Covered Ramekin this is the oval size

1 Egg

dash of cinnamon

2 stale mini Croissants tear or cut into cubes

1/4 cup Blueberries

1 Tablespoon of mini chocolate morsels

1 Tablespoon of sugar

1/4 half and half

2 Teaspoon Yuzu Juice

I beat the egg, add the half and half, cinnamon, sugar and yuzu juice.  Mix well just use a whip no need for mixer here it's for one and one less headache. Then add the Croissants or bread of choice. Add a little more half if need be you can tell.

Then I butter the ramekin with a little butter then start to layer and add the blueberries and chocolate morsels.

Bake in toaster or convection oven 350 for 20 minutes top will be golden brown.

I only ate half and took the other half to work.

Sprinkle with Powdered sugar.

Lamb Chops for Father's Day for Pappa

Thai Marinade Lamb Chops

I don't eat Lamb Chops not matter what the butcher tells me to do., I just can't eat them.

I like the smell but taste and texture don't agree with me.

Hubby loves these, so I tried a different marinade and he liked them.

1/4 Thai Fish Sauce

1/4 Lite Shoyu

2 teaspoons brown sugar

Garlic and Shallot

Splash of Sesame (a couple drops)

1 Tablespoon Blood Orange Juice and Zest of the same

Cilantro  (Your choice on how much)

I gave this a whirl in the bullet

Poured marinade and let it soak at least 2 hours - 24 hours.

I have a great Grill Pan and heat it up nicely and a splash of a little Good Olive Oil.

They will cook fast for medium, so keep an eye on them.

I deglazed the pan and added a pat of butter and poured over the chops.

I served with brown rice.

Kobacha and Squash Blossom Tempura

Kobacha Squash and Squash Blossom Tempura

After the Farmer's Market trek yesterday of course I had to cook some veggie's up.

With some of the blossoms and the Fava Beans I cooked up a Ilocano (filipino) dish my mom would make

similar to Pinakbet.  We call it Dinendeng. 

Today I took some Kobacha (young one) Squash sliced some thinly and cleaned the Squash Blossoms

and voila....Tempura. ....and yes my own Tempura sauce.

Bon Appetit.

Spaghetti

Spaghetti

Picked up some fresh noodles at Podesto's.  They have some really good spaghetti noodles.

The sauce is basic with Porcini Muschrooms my favorite.

Veggies I got at the Farmer's Market yesterday

I scored at the Farmer's Market yesterday,

No description needed right? 

Pork Teriyaki

Grilled Pork Teriyaki

Simple as that

Ahi Tuna Ceviche

Ahi Tuna Ceviche

I have been ono (craving) Ahi for a few days.  I wanted to make Poke but

I had and a ripened Haas Avocado, Cilantro and some Tomato and Limes,

so voila Ceviche it is.....

I would normally fry up som Wonton Pi, had those but was too lasy to fry up.

But I tell you this was good and hit the spot! 

Asparagus, Baby Fava Bean, Peas and Pancetta Salad

This was dinner tonight

I really didn't want to cook since it was just me tonight.

So I had bought some nice young Fava Beans at the Organic Store in Napa earlier this week,

had peas, and I had some Fresh Asparagus.

Heated up some Molinari Pancetta and let cool.

Peeled the Fava Beans and removed the outer skin and cut in half

Sliced asparagus spears on the bias

Snipped some chive

I blanched the Fava's first, then blanched the asparagus, blanched the peas

and put in ice cold bath

The dressing:

1 Tablespoon good olive oil

2 teaspoons Blood Orange Vinegar

Salt and Pepper



Tempura

This was dinner last night

Tempura Salmon, Halibut, Large Gulf Prawns and Asparagus

Plus my homemade Tempura Dipping Sauce

Haumea's Fish Sauce Chicken Wings(Inspired by PokPok Chicken Wings)

Garlic Fish Sauce Chicken Wings

You know Osha in the city on Union St., makes some dang good Angel Wings.

Well I think I have finally found and inspired and made my own version up of the Pok Pok Wings I saw on TV the other day they looked real good but seemed so overpowered with too many flavors.  I like to be able to still taste the chicken with the sauce. 

So I got it to where I want it to be, I'm sure I'll add something else down the line.

Okay the party wings washed cleaned, dried then seasoned.  I Kosher salt, pepper and Old Bay Seasoning on the wings.

In a plastic bag, 1/4 cup of rice flour, 2/3 cup of flour, garlic and onion powder, old bay seasoning, salt and pepper shake up the mix and coat shake 8 wings at a time. (This is to your taste I just shake and don't measure)

Deep fry until golden brown. Since it's wings I use a fry pan and do one package at one time.  

In a medium pot:

1/4 cup Thai Fish Sauce you need the good stuff and don't use Rufina

1/4 cup Light Yamasa Soy Sauce (Because of the saltiness already I went with light shoyu)

1 Tablespoon Shao Xing Wine (I always have this at home now)

1/4 cup of Mirin (Use the good stuff it makes a difference)

1 heaping teaspoon of crushed garlic (if you crush it yourself make it into a paste with a little kosher salt)

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup of light brown sugar 

1 Tablespoon of Honey 

1 teaspoon of olive oil or use 1 teaspoon from the oil in the pan

Let this simmer while you are frying the wings up, when you are doing the last batch of wing on the turns , then crank the heat up a bit but watch it as it will boil over and you don't want it to get to hard crack take it to syrupy or soft crack once the wings are all cooked slather the sauce on and toss well..... 

Voila......enjoy with rice of course we eat brown rice blend ..... 

Gateaux Angel Cake inspired by Laura Calder

French Angel Cake
Its like a cross over Chiffon/Angel Food Cook
No oil, no butter

Prep Time:15 minInactive Prep Time:1 hr 45 minCook Time:1 hr 0 min

IntermediateServes:

10 servings.

 Ingredients

•6 eggs, separated
•1 cup sugar
•1 teaspoon vanilla extract ( I used 1 teaspoon vanilla paste and 1 teaspoon Yuzu Juice and Lemon Zest)
•1 cup sifted all-purpose flour
•Blackberries and white currants, for serving  (It's good with any fresh fruit)
•Whipped cream, creme fraiche, parfait or ice cream, for serving

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Grease and line a 9-inch springform pan.
Beat the whites to stiff peaks in a bowl. Beat in the yolks, one by one.
Continuing to beat, add the sugar and vanilla, and finally the flour. You should have a very high, moussy batter.
Pour the batter into the pan and bake until golden on top, risen high, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Be sure it is fully cooked when you take it out - it is a big cake. Let the cake cool 15 minutes. Remove the sides of the pan and let cool completely. Transfer the cake to a serving platter.

Cover with blackberries and white currants. Serve with whipped cream, creme fraiche, parfait, or ice cream.

Voila!

Note:  I have a convection oven, so I reduced the cooking time down about 10-15 minutes. If your oven runs hot bring it down a bit.

Had to make it.....Texas Buttermilk Sheetcake

Sometimes you just want some dark chocolate and nuts and this is fast.

The recipe is further back in my blog.

This one hits the spot. 

Tempura Garlic Spam Musubi

Tempura Garlic Spam Musubi 

Well here you go, Tempura Garlic Spam Musubi.

I tell you this hit the spot too.

Homemade Shredded Beef Tacos

No explanation right? 

Shredded Beef Tacos

Combination Tempura

Been on a Tempura kick lately,

so this time, we have Tempura Yukon Gold Potato

Aspragus and Broccoli

Salmon and Shrimp

For the batter, you can use Tempurakanko but I have used 3 types of Japanese Tempura and

I prefer the Hime Brand it's nice and light

Tempura  Dipping Sauce:

1 Cup Dashi

1/4 cup Lite Shoyu

1/4 cup Mirin 

1 Tablespoon Sugar 

1 Teaspoon Honey 

Heat sauce until warm and serve warm.  

Huckleberry and Blueberry Croissant Bread Pudding

Huckleberry and Blueberry

Croissant Bread Pudding

I think cooking or baking keeps my mind off being sick, but augh well, I had purchased some beautiful

Huge Blueberries and I had some stash of Huckleberries in freezer didn't want to use them all up.

I also had 2 stale croissants hubby never got around to eating.

So voila .....bread pudding and I just love Huckleberries!!

Tempura Garlic Spam Musubi oh yeah!!!

Tempura Garlic Spam Musubi 

One of the calabash posted a tempura musubi a while back, and since I have been

in Tempura mode and I haven't been feeling great with Asthma and Allergy problems, I stood in the kitchen

and well what do I make. 

I had made Spam for hubby's lunch while I went to work and used up the left over and

voila.

Oh and side order Tako and Masago.

Keahi (Kay-ah-hee) on the way to Fed X Station with Mommy

Our new baby on the way to Federal Express to send work out.

Want her to get used to riding in the car for long rides.  She does so good too.

As long as she doesn't start chewing on the seat and doors hehehe.  She is 3 months old now

and had her 2 round of shots today.