Holiday Desserts!

This scrumptious poached pear dessert is courtesy of my son, an amazing chef in his own right. These are anjou pears poached in red wine, raw sugar and mulling spices.

I truly hope this holiday season has been filled with love and joy for you all.

Yours,

Alison

Tomatillo Time!

The tomatillo skins and fruits are extra colorful this year. It's going to make for a wild salsa!

Today I am trying to capture some decent food images with my old Lumix (Leica lens). I'm actually pretty happy with the result.

The Lumix will serve as my temp camera while I try to find a camera to replace my beloved Nikon D800. Yes, after much angst, I've decided that the D800 is far to heavy for me to use on an ongoing basis. It actually wonks my back after a while. And if I use it with a heavy lens while I'm out tromping around a vineyard for a few hours? Flat on my back for a day or two. Yikes!

So it's time to move on to something lighter. Research mode!! I'm excited to see what I find : )

Rustic Summer Sandwich

Is there anything better than a rustic summer sandwich for lunch during the dog days of August? Warm tomatoes off the vine, just picked basil, artisanal mozzarella, balsamic vinegar, and crusty bread. Just yum!

The Beauty of Imperfect

 

 While hanging in Santa Barbara this week, I came across these blemished beauties at the Saturday Farmer's Market. I was struck by the vibrance and color of these second class fruits. Ideal for jams, ideal for sauces and compotes, but discounted and overlooked by most. 

This got me to thinking, why does everything have to be perfect these days? It didn't used to be like that. Perfect fruit, perfect shoes, perfect dress, perfect house, perfect shampoo. Sadly, I even buy into this mindset somewhat. Clearly it's time in the world to start embracing, even celebrating, the imperfect. The world holds many vibrant gems that sport a few dings and scratches, but are perfectly fine in every other way. Viva la imperfections!

Julia Child's Cherry Clafoutis

Well, I was SO not going to waste my beautiful local cherries that I purchased a few days ago. So I thought maybe some beautiful jam, a cherry pie, or...? Then I remembered my fave! I dug up the Julia Child clafoutis recipe, huzzah!! It's a recipe that you think might be difficult, but really it's not so much. Your fingers get a little stained from all the juice, but it's a small price to pay for the custard-y heaven that is clafoutis. Julia's clafoutis. Nom.

Here's a link to the recipe on Food.com - http://www.food.com/recipe/julia-childs-cherry-clafouti-239454?photo=361982

Flourless Orange, Almond and Ginger Cake

I'm loving many things about the Portland, Oregon area. Many things! 

One of my favorite new eateries here is the St. Honoré Bakery and Cafe. It's a casual little place with fresh soups, killer vol au vonts, savory caprese sandwiches. And hecka amazing flourless orange and almond cakes! It's one of those places where the food is just as beautiful as it is delicious.

Time for another run!!!

Experiencing the Oregon Truffle Festival!!

Wow folks. What an awesome experience. I just recently found out about the Oregon Truffle Festival (OTF). The yearly festival celebrates the burgeoning local truffle industry.

Had an opportunity to catch up with the event at the OTF marketplace today. My gosh, truffle cheeses, truffle charcuterie, truffle ice cream : ) And some amazing local wines as well! All in all, a very tasty day.

Now it's time to find some yummy truffle recipes. First up? It's truffle fondue!!!

Happy New Year!!

Happy New Year everyone!!

I was cooking up some savory omelettes this morning when these beautiful red pepper seeds caught my eye. On this day, (of all days), I am reminded that today is just the start, just the tiniest seed of the new year. I firmly believe you can grow this year into anything you want it to be.

Best of luck and much happiness : )

Alison