Made another cheesecake

Cheesecake

Okay instead of turning on the heat, I figured what the heck, bake a cheesecake.

So the kitchen is warm, the cheesecake came out nice and we'll taste this one tomorrow.

Good night. 

Our 4 days off

We really needed some time off, after the past couple months.

Our journey took us to the Wine Country of course. Saw some friends met some new friends, had some great wine and tour and great food.

Here goes.

This is at Alpha Omega, you know I've been wanting to go there and never got around to it.  Our friend Bridget Raymond whom is Wine Propietress of Brijitte Wines, sent us there and whoah very nice.  Met a local wahine that works there and well we talked story for a while.  These are the fountains on the grounds quite nice the grounds.  Jackie our new friend at A/O also plants the gardens there as well.

New French Oak Barrels. On the left up there are one of the owners.

These are the grapes after they've been pressed and gone through the fermentation.

It really looked like fall and glad we were there this weekend.

The drive through the tunnel of trees.

Went to Calistoga for lunch and also went to revisit Crystal Geiser been 25 years or so since we last went there.

This Red Dragon fly was something

We had lunch at Brannan's

I had a Ceasar Salad with Salmon

This salmon was so perfectly cooked the skin was exceptionally crispy.

We both had Butternut Squash Soup it was pretty good.

Pappa had a burger but I did not take a photo of it. It was just a burger.

See my hubby in my glass. :-)

This guy was riding this bicycle through the window at Brannan's interesting.

 The grounds and tasting at Cakebread was what I expected. I also got an autographed Cookbook from Delores Cakebread.  The Reserve Chardonnay was awesome.

It was soooo nice seeing the fall colors.

Pappa's Miso Clam Soup at Morimoto, we had dinner with our son and his girlfriend.

Pappa's Kobe just like he likes it.

Red Snapper Display at Morimoto

Morimoto Sushi Rice Pudding with Manila Mango and Verbena Bean Sauce with Tuille

Hubby and his 28 year old Morimoto Sake. Son had some too they both liked it.

I've posted these doughnuts before from Morimoto. They are very good.

Doors should be opening very soon in Napa for Tyler Florence.

Love this entry at Celadon

This is going to be our next dining experience

Last night 11/13/10 we dined at Boulevard One Mission St.,  San Francisco

Nice dining experience $$$$ but worth it.

Monterey Red Abalone and Oyster Starter with Lobster Mushroom and other mushrooms. This was so yummy.

Hubby's Angus Filet Mignon with Chard and Fingerlings cooked medium rare, excellent

This was my Halibut Entree with wilted spinach, a squash blossom stuffed with deliciousness on a bed of avocado quinoa and couscous this was delish!

My dessert was a semifreddo with a oat cookie on top with some passion fruit very subtle. Also with White Chocolate scoop icecream and medallion, with some cookie crumb.

We had some good wine as well '07 Duckhorn Cabernet Sauvignon, 2004 Chateauneuf Du Pape, and 2000 Chateau Mageaux

It was indeed a beautiful weekend.

 

My Cheesecake yum yum

I'm not one to really bake a Cheesecake, but I got a tip from a great Chef., and Voila...............just need a lot of time on your hands. What's next,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,hmmmm  thinking of making Croissants but it might just be easier to get the Trader Joe's box out. :-)

Cheesecake

Cheesecake Baked very slowly

Pappardelle Pasta with Langostino Tails

Here's a delish item my daughter and I made a few weeks ago

Coffee Crunch Cupcakes.

My in-laws and my mom loved Coffee Crunch and here it is. Thank goodness I got the Crunch Recipe.

Clam Chowder and Foccacia Bread

Well I love a GOOD bowl of Clam Chowder , we love Albonetti's in Monterey, so I gave it another whirl.  I had made the Shrimp Bisque last week and took a little of that technique into here.  I think I have tried every cooking version to make clam chowder.  My fish monger had chopped clams already packaged ready to cook (mmmm) one less headache and was reasonable $5.00 for a brick.  I used it all as hubby likes clams.

I diced small carrot

1 sliced thin and cleaned throughly 1 leek

Diced 1/4 of a sweet vidalia onion

2 stalks of celery sliced diced thinly

2-3 dutch baby golden potatoes chopped

1 garlic clove crushed and pasted with salt and pepper

1 1/4 inch Molinari Pancetta sliced thinly into lardons

Have a 1/2 pint of organic cream

1/2 of half and half

1 cube of some good organic butter

1/2 cup of white wine the kind that you want to drink don't use the cheap stuff

snipped chive optional

olive oil

1 pinch of saffron soaking in 1 shot glass of warm water

Old Bay Seasoning to your taste

Kosher Salt and Pepper

1/2 cup flour and wondra mixed

1 bottle clam juice

1 small container of clam stock (your fish monger might have some fish stock handy)

Also Morin has a Fish Base now as well.

I try to use organic everything as much as possible.

So hear goes I cooked in this order, provided you prepped your veggies above.

Cook your Pancetta Lardons slow-medium heat once done take them out.

Leave the rendered oil, and add a litte olive oil and move on below.

Saute' slowly the leeks and onion then add garlic in 1 T of the butter with a little olive oil

once they are translucent add the garlic and stir around once that is done

add the veggies and slowly cook them away. Once these are tender

add the wondra/flour mix and stir around again on slow fire don't rush it.,

add 1 T butter here or 2 and a little olive oil and stir around until the flour cooks itself out it will look like a glob.

Slowly add in the clam juice and stock and keep stirring like making homemade gravy it should start smoothing out.

Then add the wine and let it cook away for 15-20 min on med heat don't let it over boil just a nice simmer.

salt and pepper to taste

Add the clams let that simmer 5 more minutes.

Add the cream and half and half and remaining butter add the saffron liquid and flowers.Simmer 5-10 minutes

If you want it think it should be thick here already.  If you want it thinner add more half and half or water up to you or wine.  Or if you have a little more fish stock use that but don't use chicken stock that will mess up the flavor.

That's it serve with Sourdough or in small Sourdough Bowls.  Of course, I made fresh Foccacia

Bon Appetit.

Shrimp Bisque with Scallop

I took time this morning since it was cold, and made shrimp bisque.  I didn't have any Remy or Hennessy,

so I opted to buy E & J Brandy to flambe' the prawns.

I also threw in some Longostein Tails I found at Trader Joe's it added to the flavor and topped off with a nice

seared Scallop.

An hour and a half later voila' this was quite yummy.  The baguette (La Brea) I prefer Il Fornaio but Podesto's was out.

Brown Rice Duck Congee

When I really didn't feel good last week, I had the flu and I normally don't eat congee only when I am really sick.  So here it is, Brown Rice Congee with Roast Duck from the Chinese Deli here.

1/2  cup (dry)Brown Rice Medley (It's my mix, Brown Jasmine, Wild Rice, Gen Mai Brown and a little Jasmine) I rinse the rice first then add:

Lots of stock, garlic, onion and the duck shredded , salt and white pepper then simmer away for an hour.

Noodle Soup with Zucchini and Mushroom with Shredded Duck

This was one of those days the other day, needed comfort I was a tad under the weather.

Noodle soup with shredded duck, zucchini and mushrooms. The crab cakes were from Selland's Market/Cafe near the office.  Those were yummy.

Potatoes Au Gratin

I haven't been on here in a bit.  Been pre-occupied with other things.  Today I made Potatoes Au Gratin with Pancetta and Chive......
I have had a touch of the flu but I'll taste a bit.

Today

I have out of the loop for a bit.  Mom in law was gravely ill, mom lost her battle to breast cancer after being in remission on 9/22 and my father passed away from a heart attack on 10/3.  They will be deeply missed.
Things are so going to be different we know that .  It's been difficult for both families.

I cooked 10 days straight at one point and forget to take pictures of everything.  I guess family was so much more important.

I came down with a cold the other dayand feeling quite drained.

So I cooked today I cooked white corn they looked good we'll have to see how sweet they actually are.

I made a Butter Mochi Cake with Huckleberries fresh ones that I got at the Ferry Bldg last week.  Since I have this cold, I also made some cream of Mushroom and Chicken Soup with Orzo.  I saute'd the mushrooms separately in Sweet Marsala and butter and incorporated into the soup later.