Monday, August 31, 2009
Oakland "Streets Eats" Street Food Festival
We decided to head over to the Oakland "Street Eats" street food festival yesterday, not sure what we'd find. It was way better than we anticipated. We'd never been to Jack London Square, and it was a very pleasant spot; right on the water, sunny, live band playing.
But the food was the star. We tried Gerard's Paella, which we have been wanting to try for a long time. It was truly delicious. Although we thought it would have been even better with a little spice added, we recognize that when you are cooking in a pan that easily feeds 100 people, you have to season to the lowest common denominator.
My great find of the day was LaLoo's Goat Milk Ice Cream. Since Ronin is allergic to dairy from cow's and I am breastfeeding, I haven't had any ice cream in about 7 month. I was so happy to see this stand! I didn't even know that goat milk ice cream existed. Also, it was surprisingly un-goaty. I was expecting a little tang, based on my experience with goat cheese. What I got was a lovely, deep chocolate, not-tangy-at-all, super creamy ice cream. Yum.
Another great moment was when we happened upon a tasting stand for Little Bug, a locally grown, organic, baby food company. Even Ronin got to taste something at this festival: peaches! Giao and I also tasted the fig baby food and it was tasty. Since I find it much more economical (and easy) to make my own baby food, I probably won't be purchasing any in the near future. However, if I were going to purchase baby food, this would be on the top of my list.
I think Giao took some pictures and we'll try to get those posted later.
But the food was the star. We tried Gerard's Paella, which we have been wanting to try for a long time. It was truly delicious. Although we thought it would have been even better with a little spice added, we recognize that when you are cooking in a pan that easily feeds 100 people, you have to season to the lowest common denominator.
My great find of the day was LaLoo's Goat Milk Ice Cream. Since Ronin is allergic to dairy from cow's and I am breastfeeding, I haven't had any ice cream in about 7 month. I was so happy to see this stand! I didn't even know that goat milk ice cream existed. Also, it was surprisingly un-goaty. I was expecting a little tang, based on my experience with goat cheese. What I got was a lovely, deep chocolate, not-tangy-at-all, super creamy ice cream. Yum.
Another great moment was when we happened upon a tasting stand for Little Bug, a locally grown, organic, baby food company. Even Ronin got to taste something at this festival: peaches! Giao and I also tasted the fig baby food and it was tasty. Since I find it much more economical (and easy) to make my own baby food, I probably won't be purchasing any in the near future. However, if I were going to purchase baby food, this would be on the top of my list.
I think Giao took some pictures and we'll try to get those posted later.
Labels: event
Thursday, December 04, 2008
Thankgiving at Home
Another delicious Thanksgiving at home.
We kind of got carried away and forgot to photograph the pies before we dug into them...
Super Smooth Pumpkin Pie
I don't like pumpkin pie, but this one seemed like a hit last year, so I used it again this year.
Pear Cheesecake with Gingersnap Crust
A friend brought this, so I don't have the recipe, but I should ask her for it because it was absolutely delicious.
Classic Apple Pie
-6 apples, peeled and cored
-1 ts cinnamon
-1/4 cup sugar
-squeeze of lemon
Toss the apples with the lemon, sugar and cinnamon and set aside while you pre-bake the crust. Bake bottom crust on 350, pressed into a pie pan for 10-15 minutes, until just beginning to color. Remove from oven and add the apple mixture. Roll out the other batch of dough and place over the top of the apples, pressing into the edges. Trim excess dough. Poke in several places with a knife or fork to allow for steam to escape. If you do not do this, your pie may explode in the oven. Bake on 35 for about 45 minutes, until the crust is golden brown.
Crust:
-1 cup plus 2 tb flour
-1 stick cold butter, diced
Mix flour and butter with your fingers until it resembles the texture of coarse cornmeal. Add water, 1 tb at a time, until you can form a cohesive ball of dough. Roll or press into a greased pie pan.
Chocolate Pecan Pie
Super decadent and always a crowd pleaser.
Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Roasted Apples
This was a new recipe and the tartness of the apples really took the starchy edge off the sweet potatoes.
Brussel Sprouts with Pine Nuts and Parmesan
Brussel sprouts are a favorite veggie of mine for the holidays, although I hated them as a child. This was a tasty, bright rendition.
Sausage-Sourdough Stuffing
Roasted Root Veggies with Pomegranite
A friend made a root veggie salad with pomegranite last year and I decided to riff on that for this year. The brightness of the pomegranite really contrasts nicely with the earthiness of the root veggies.
Dinner Rolls
This is Alexis' mom's recipe and these rolls are always a hit.
-1 pint milk
-1 egg, beaten
-1/2 cup butter
-1/3 cup sugar
-1 package yeast
-1/4 cup warm water
-1 and 1/2 ts salt
-1/2 ts baking soda
-1 ts baking powder
-flour (there is no predetermined amount, read recipe below)
Scald the milk and remove the film from the top. Add the butter and the sugar to the milk and stir to dissolve. When milk is cool to the touch, add the egg and stir to combine. Dissolve the yeast in the warm water, wait 10 minutes, and add it to the mixture. Then add enough flour to make a thin batter. Let this rise on the counter, uncovered, for 2 hours. Add the salt, baking powder, the baking soda and enough flour to make a stiff dough. Knead the dough on a floured surface until smooth. Put the dough in a greased bowl, cover with a damp cloth and store in the refridgerator for 24 hours before using. Pull off small pieces of dough, roll into balls and place in a greased muffin tin. Bake at 450 for 10 minutes, or until golden brown.
Cheddar Chive Biscuits
We decided to call these "biscuits" this year instead of "scones". I think that did the trick, although we've always liked these, no matter what they are called.
-3 cups flour
-1 tb baking powder
-1 tb sugar
-2 ts salt
-1/2 cup chives, finely chopped
-2 cups grated cheddar
-2 cups heavy cream
Combine the dry ingredients. Mix in the cheese and chives. Add the cream and stir until a dough forms. You may need to add a little more cream to get a dough to form. Put the dough on a floured surface and knead a several times, until the dough is smooth. Separate the dough into 2 parts and form each into a disc about 1 in thick. Cut each disc into 8 trianuglar pieces. Spread out the pieces on a large, greased cookie sheet and bake on 400 for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.
Green Beans with Bacon and Garlic
You really can't go wrong with bacon.
Whole Roasted Pig
We decided to have another Thanksgiving sans turkey because, really, no one likes turkey. This was the smalled pig we could order from Toon Kee, at about 20 lbs and $140. The meat was very moist, tender and flavorful and there was a lot of it. The skin was crispy and perfectWe sent people home with bags of pork and we ate it for days. It was also really nice to order the pig and just pick it up down the street right before we were ready to serve dinner. This allowed us full use of the oven for the rest of the food.
We kind of got carried away and forgot to photograph the pies before we dug into them...
Super Smooth Pumpkin PieI don't like pumpkin pie, but this one seemed like a hit last year, so I used it again this year.
-1 recipe pie crust (below)
-15 oz unsweetened pumpkin puree
-3/4 cup packed brown sugar
-2 ts each ground ginger and cinnamon
-1 ts nutmeg
-1/2 ts salt
-1 and 1/3 cup half and half
-3 eggs, beaten
-1 ts vanilla extract
In a sauce pot, combine the pumpkin and spices over low heat, stirring for a couple of minutes. This mellows the spices a bit. Dump the mixture into the food processor and puree for a minute. Add the half and half while pureeing, then the vanilla, then the eggs, one by one. Pour into partially baked pie shell. Bake at 375 for 1 hour or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Crust:
-1 cup plus 2 tb flour
-1 stick cold butter, diced
Mix flour and butter with your fingers until it resembles the texture of coarse cornmeal. Add water, 1 tb at a time, until you can form a cohesive ball of dough. Roll or press into a greased pie pan.
-15 oz unsweetened pumpkin puree
-3/4 cup packed brown sugar
-2 ts each ground ginger and cinnamon
-1 ts nutmeg
-1/2 ts salt
-1 and 1/3 cup half and half
-3 eggs, beaten
-1 ts vanilla extract
In a sauce pot, combine the pumpkin and spices over low heat, stirring for a couple of minutes. This mellows the spices a bit. Dump the mixture into the food processor and puree for a minute. Add the half and half while pureeing, then the vanilla, then the eggs, one by one. Pour into partially baked pie shell. Bake at 375 for 1 hour or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Crust:
-1 cup plus 2 tb flour
-1 stick cold butter, diced
Mix flour and butter with your fingers until it resembles the texture of coarse cornmeal. Add water, 1 tb at a time, until you can form a cohesive ball of dough. Roll or press into a greased pie pan.
Pear Cheesecake with Gingersnap Crust
A friend brought this, so I don't have the recipe, but I should ask her for it because it was absolutely delicious.
Classic Apple Pie
Apple Pie
-2 crust recipes (below)-6 apples, peeled and cored
-1 ts cinnamon
-1/4 cup sugar
-squeeze of lemon
Toss the apples with the lemon, sugar and cinnamon and set aside while you pre-bake the crust. Bake bottom crust on 350, pressed into a pie pan for 10-15 minutes, until just beginning to color. Remove from oven and add the apple mixture. Roll out the other batch of dough and place over the top of the apples, pressing into the edges. Trim excess dough. Poke in several places with a knife or fork to allow for steam to escape. If you do not do this, your pie may explode in the oven. Bake on 35 for about 45 minutes, until the crust is golden brown.
Crust:
-1 cup plus 2 tb flour
-1 stick cold butter, diced
Mix flour and butter with your fingers until it resembles the texture of coarse cornmeal. Add water, 1 tb at a time, until you can form a cohesive ball of dough. Roll or press into a greased pie pan.
Chocolate Pecan Pie
Super decadent and always a crowd pleaser.
Chocolate Pecan Pie
-1 recipe pie crust (see Apple Pie above)
-1 cup pecans
-1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
-4 eggs, beaten
-1/2 cup sugar
-1/2 cup brown sugar
-1/2 cup light corn syrup
-1/2 ts vanilla extract
-1 pinch salt
Combine the sugars, corn syrup, vanilla, salt and eggs. Stir in the pecans and chocolate chips. Pour into a partially baked pie shell and bake on 375 for 45-50 minutes.
-1 recipe pie crust (see Apple Pie above)
-1 cup pecans
-1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
-4 eggs, beaten
-1/2 cup sugar
-1/2 cup brown sugar
-1/2 cup light corn syrup
-1/2 ts vanilla extract
-1 pinch salt
Combine the sugars, corn syrup, vanilla, salt and eggs. Stir in the pecans and chocolate chips. Pour into a partially baked pie shell and bake on 375 for 45-50 minutes.
Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Roasted Apples
This was a new recipe and the tartness of the apples really took the starchy edge off the sweet potatoes.
-5 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped in large chunks
-4 apples, peeled and cubed
-1/2 stick butter
-1 cup cream
-salt and pepper to taste
Boil the potatoes until fork tender. In the baking dish, bake the apples for about 40 minutes on 350, until tender. Drain the potatoes and mash them. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir to combine.
-4 apples, peeled and cubed
-1/2 stick butter
-1 cup cream
-salt and pepper to taste
Boil the potatoes until fork tender. In the baking dish, bake the apples for about 40 minutes on 350, until tender. Drain the potatoes and mash them. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir to combine.
Brussel Sprouts with Pine Nuts and Parmesan
Brussel sprouts are a favorite veggie of mine for the holidays, although I hated them as a child. This was a tasty, bright rendition.
-3 lbs brussel sprouts, trimmed and quartered
-1/2 cup pine nuts
-juice of 1 lemon
-1 cup grated parmesan
-salt and pepper to taste
In a large pan, sautee the brussel sprouts on medium. When brussel sprouts are tender and slightly caramelized, season with the rest of the ingredients and serve.
-1/2 cup pine nuts
-juice of 1 lemon
-1 cup grated parmesan
-salt and pepper to taste
In a large pan, sautee the brussel sprouts on medium. When brussel sprouts are tender and slightly caramelized, season with the rest of the ingredients and serve.
Sausage-Sourdough Stuffing
-1 loaf sourdough, cubed
-6 sausages
-8 stalks celery, diced
-3 carrots, peeled and diced
-1 onion, diced
-4 eggs, lightly beaten
-1 can chicken broth
-salt and pepper to taste
-several sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves only
Remove sausage from casings and sautee until browned, breaking up the sausage into small bits while cooking. Remove the sausage from the pan. In the same pan sautee the onions, carrot and celery until translucent. Pour the egg and broth on the bread and stir to coat. Add the sausage, thyme and veggies to the bread mixture. Spead the mixture in a large baking pan bake on 350 for 30-45 minutes, until crust is nice and brown.
-6 sausages
-8 stalks celery, diced
-3 carrots, peeled and diced
-1 onion, diced
-4 eggs, lightly beaten
-1 can chicken broth
-salt and pepper to taste
-several sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves only
Remove sausage from casings and sautee until browned, breaking up the sausage into small bits while cooking. Remove the sausage from the pan. In the same pan sautee the onions, carrot and celery until translucent. Pour the egg and broth on the bread and stir to coat. Add the sausage, thyme and veggies to the bread mixture. Spead the mixture in a large baking pan bake on 350 for 30-45 minutes, until crust is nice and brown.
Roasted Root Veggies with Pomegranite
A friend made a root veggie salad with pomegranite last year and I decided to riff on that for this year. The brightness of the pomegranite really contrasts nicely with the earthiness of the root veggies.
-seeds of 1 pomegranite
-5 medium beets, peeled and diced
-4 parsnips, peeled and diced
-4 turnips, peeled and diced
-salt and pepper to taste
Spread the diced veggies on a large baking sheet or jelly roll pan. Season with salt, pepper and olive oil. Roast on 375 for about and hour, or until tender. Toss with pomegranite seeds and serve.
-5 medium beets, peeled and diced
-4 parsnips, peeled and diced
-4 turnips, peeled and diced
-salt and pepper to taste
Spread the diced veggies on a large baking sheet or jelly roll pan. Season with salt, pepper and olive oil. Roast on 375 for about and hour, or until tender. Toss with pomegranite seeds and serve.
Dinner RollsThis is Alexis' mom's recipe and these rolls are always a hit.
-1 egg, beaten
-1/2 cup butter
-1/3 cup sugar
-1 package yeast
-1/4 cup warm water
-1 and 1/2 ts salt
-1/2 ts baking soda
-1 ts baking powder
-flour (there is no predetermined amount, read recipe below)
Scald the milk and remove the film from the top. Add the butter and the sugar to the milk and stir to dissolve. When milk is cool to the touch, add the egg and stir to combine. Dissolve the yeast in the warm water, wait 10 minutes, and add it to the mixture. Then add enough flour to make a thin batter. Let this rise on the counter, uncovered, for 2 hours. Add the salt, baking powder, the baking soda and enough flour to make a stiff dough. Knead the dough on a floured surface until smooth. Put the dough in a greased bowl, cover with a damp cloth and store in the refridgerator for 24 hours before using. Pull off small pieces of dough, roll into balls and place in a greased muffin tin. Bake at 450 for 10 minutes, or until golden brown.
Cheddar Chive BiscuitsWe decided to call these "biscuits" this year instead of "scones". I think that did the trick, although we've always liked these, no matter what they are called.
-3 cups flour
-1 tb baking powder
-1 tb sugar
-2 ts salt
-1/2 cup chives, finely chopped
-2 cups grated cheddar
-2 cups heavy cream
Combine the dry ingredients. Mix in the cheese and chives. Add the cream and stir until a dough forms. You may need to add a little more cream to get a dough to form. Put the dough on a floured surface and knead a several times, until the dough is smooth. Separate the dough into 2 parts and form each into a disc about 1 in thick. Cut each disc into 8 trianuglar pieces. Spread out the pieces on a large, greased cookie sheet and bake on 400 for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.
Green Beans with Bacon and Garlic
You really can't go wrong with bacon.
-1 lb green beans, trimmed and chopped
-6 slices bacon, chopped
-3 cloves garlic, minced
-pepper to taste
Sautee the bacon until crispy. Drain out some of the fat. Add in the garlic and green beans and sautee until tender. Season with pepper.
-6 slices bacon, chopped
-3 cloves garlic, minced
-pepper to taste
Sautee the bacon until crispy. Drain out some of the fat. Add in the garlic and green beans and sautee until tender. Season with pepper.
Whole Roasted Pig
We decided to have another Thanksgiving sans turkey because, really, no one likes turkey. This was the smalled pig we could order from Toon Kee, at about 20 lbs and $140. The meat was very moist, tender and flavorful and there was a lot of it. The skin was crispy and perfectWe sent people home with bags of pork and we ate it for days. It was also really nice to order the pig and just pick it up down the street right before we were ready to serve dinner. This allowed us full use of the oven for the rest of the food.
Labels: apple, beet greens, beets, brussel sprouts, dessert recipes, dinner recipes, event, n, parsnip, pie, sweet potatoes, turnip
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Slow Food Festival, San Francisco, CA
It was a beautiful day so we decided to check out the Slow Food Festival. There were so many things to choose from, but we settled on this tasty mufaletta sandwich from Armandino's Salumi in Seattle. Armandio is Mario Batali's dad and his home cured salumi is quite delicious. This sandwich was $7 and contained about 3 kinds of salumi, along with a pesto and mozzerella cheese.
Ratings:
Food: 2
Service: NA
Decor: NA
Armandino's Salumi
309 3rd Ave S
Seattle, WA 98104
Ratings:
Food: 2
Service: NA
Decor: NA
Armandino's Salumi
309 3rd Ave S
Seattle, WA 98104
Labels: event, Food: 2, sandwich
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Taste of Penn
The most interesting (at least for me) official event at Giao's college reunion was "A Taste of Penn". It was essentially a room full of themed buffets, the best of which was the Native American table. Also interesting was the kid who puked in his plate in line in front of us...
Native American:
Pickled Pumpkin
Cold and strange and very delicious. The acid really took the edge off of the usually cloying sweetness of pumpkin.
Bison Meatballs
Earthy, tender and all around tasty.
African American:
Jerk Chicken
Oddly flavorless.
Stewed Fish and Veggies
Sightly spicy, but nothing special.
Mac and Cheese
A very good, cheesy version of this classic.
Asian:
Eggrolls
Too bready and greasy.
Latin American:
Empanadas (tasty), Plantain Chips (not crisp enough), Some sort of weird tortilla roll (forgettable).
Steak with Cilantro Sauce
A bit tough, but the sauce was good.
Native American:
Pickled Pumpkin
Cold and strange and very delicious. The acid really took the edge off of the usually cloying sweetness of pumpkin.
Bison MeatballsEarthy, tender and all around tasty.
African American:
Jerk Chicken
Oddly flavorless.
Stewed Fish and Veggies
Sightly spicy, but nothing special.
Mac and Cheese
A very good, cheesy version of this classic.
Asian:
Eggrolls
Too bready and greasy.
Latin American:
Empanadas (tasty), Plantain Chips (not crisp enough), Some sort of weird tortilla roll (forgettable).
Steak with Cilantro Sauce
A bit tough, but the sauce was good.
Friday, April 11, 2008
Western Approach Ribbon Cutting BBQ
A co-worker of mine stumbled upon the ribbon cutting ceremony for the Western Approach to the Bay Bridge. He saw Arnold getting out of his car and so we dashed back to the event to try to get some pictures. The pictures of Arnold didn't turn out that well, but we did get some halfway decent BBQ out of the deal.
Cupcakes
The expanse of cupcakes was quite impressive, although we didn't eat any and they were melting in the sun.
Fruit Salad, Pickles, Baked Beans, BBQ Chicken and Brisket
Cupcakes
The expanse of cupcakes was quite impressive, although we didn't eat any and they were melting in the sun.
Fruit Salad, Pickles, Baked Beans, BBQ Chicken and Brisket
Labels: event
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Italian Lunch hosted by Caruso Wines
Amy, of Caruso Wines, transformed a stodgy conference room into a cheery family style Italian lunch. Giao and his coworkers had a great time partaking in the great homemade sauce and sumptuous meatballs on ziti. Afterwards we celebrated Amy's birthday, with what Giao is told, a great cake.
Labels: event
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Clear Channel Holiday Party Appetizers
We went to the Clear Channel company holiday party and it was perhaps the lamest party ever. The food was minimal and mediocre. There was a cash bar. AND a domestic beer was $9. AND, you had to wait in line to buy a drink ticket then wait in another line for the actual drink. Seriously. If we were actually employees of Clear Channel and this was our holiday party, we would have been pissed. As it were, we just left after about 45 minutes.
Seared Ahi on a Chip
Tasty, if unoriginal.
Veggies and Dip
Um, what is there to say?
Chocolate Covered Strawberries (ok), Raspberry Tart (too sweet and underbaked), Profiterole (uninteresting).
Salmon Bite
Tiny.
Seared Ahi on a Chip
Tasty, if unoriginal.
Veggies and Dip
Um, what is there to say?
Chocolate Covered Strawberries (ok), Raspberry Tart (too sweet and underbaked), Profiterole (uninteresting).
Salmon Bite
Tiny.
Labels: event
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Snacks at TomatoFest at the Quail Lodge Resort, Carmel, CA
We went to TomatoFest for an afternoon of food and wine. Over 60 restaurants provided small dishes using the tomato as a main ingredient and many wineries were offering tastings of probably hundreds of wines. Overall, we were very disappointed in the quality of the food and in the poor planning of the event. Although there were 2500 attendees, each restaurant only provided 1000 portions. This means that there was absolutely no way for each person to try each dish and that if you wanted to try even some of them you had to find your way through crowds of obese guests elbowing their ways to the front of the line. It was a bit of a spectacle. Anyways, as far as the food goes, there were very few items that we ate more than a bite of. A few items were good, most were mediocre and a few were so disgusting that we had to spit it out in the garbage. For the $90 entry fee, this event did not provide a $90 experience in terms of food. It was a fun event, however, full of music and drinks, etc. And if you aren't food snobs like we are, you probably would have enjoyed the food a bit more. Full disclosure: The folks at TomatoFest were kind enough to offer us discounted tickets.
Fried Green Tomato
Sorry for the awful picture. This morsel, which was offered on trays as we walked in the gate, was actually quite tasty. It was made with a firm tomato and had a crunchy, flavorful crust.
Pulled Pork with Tomato Sauce from Chef Ted Consoli at Sticks, The Inn at Spanish Bay
Not terrible, if a bit sweet.
Tomato and Mozzerella Shooter from Peppoli at Pebble Beach, The Inn at Spanish Bay
Thick, tomatoey and refreshing.
Tomato and Fish Ball on Bread from Isabella's Italian Seafood and Steaks
Hard and just not a good flavor combo.
Fried Provolone with Tomato Slice, Salad and Bread from The Forge in the Forest
Not only was this dish inedible, the chef didn't even bother to attempt to use the tomato in an interesting way, he just threw a tomato slice on a soggy piece of fried cheese.
Asagio Kashi Risotto with Marble Stripe and Brandywine Tomato Sauces from the Marriot Monterey
The tomato sauces were pretty tasty, but the combo of risotto with tomato sauce was a bit weird.
Tomato Meringue Pies from Chef Bunyan Fortune at the Terrace Grill at La Playa Hotel
While this was an interesting and inspired idea, the execution was terrible. If the chef had gone savory instead of sweet, this would have been a winner.
Ceviche from Bahama Billy's Island Steakhouse
Giao thought this was very good, as did Alexis' mom. It was fresh and the acidity and sweetness of the tomatos really added to the dish.
Shrimp Fritter on a Corn Cake with Tomato Oil and Avocado Creme Fraiche from The Sardine Factory
The shrimp was good, but the corn cake was tough.
Tomato-Avocado Thing with Fried Something from Chef Wendy Brodie at The Art of Food
While Alexis really liked this, she can't for the life of her remember what it was.
Tomato and Salmon Bruschetta from Farallon
Seriously, if you are going to present a dish as a part of a festival, why would you do the most common item you could think of, and then not do it very well?
Tomato Tartlettes from Chef Dory Ford of Bon Appetit at the Monterey Bay Aquarium
These were tart and light. A nice little bite. One of the better attempts at a tomato tart. The filling almost tasted like lemon meringue.
Tomato Goop of Some Sort from Chef Patrick Durant of Stillwater Bar and Grill at the Lodge at Pebble Beach
Not memorable in any way. We can't even remember what it was.
Fried Olive from Chef Anthony Keene at Carmel Valley Ranch
Terrible. Fried and cold just don't go together.
Tomato Mojito from Executive Chef Phillipe Breneman at Paragon Restaurant and Bar
Yummy. An inspired use of the tomato.
Shrimp and Tomatoes on a Chip from Chef Michael Dunn at Yankee Pier
Nothing really going on here. It was edible, but that's about it.
Tomato Lasagna from Tusca Ristorante
The flavor was ok, but it was rather cold and the top was so hard we couldn't get a fork through it.
Soupy Tomatos and Seafood from Chef Christopher Caul at Christopher's on Lincoln
Ok, but not memorable.
Tomato Sorbet from Chef Colin Moody at Asilomar Conference Grounds
Alexis loved this. And we also saw a lot of little kids who really seemed to love this.
Heirloom Tomato Sorbet with Shrimp Tartare, Avocado and Cilantro from Marinus Restaurant at Bernardus Lodge
We liked the idea of this dish, but just having eaten such a lovely sorbet, this one sort of fell flat and the fishiness was a bit weird.
We're not sure where this cam from, or what it was, but maybe that's a good thing because it was by far the most disgusting thing we tried all day. Alexis spit it out. It was semi-frozen and nutty and gross.
Crab Salad with Tomato Sorbet from Pacific's Edge
The concept of this dish was great, but the crab was way too mayo-y, which made the sorbet taste weird.
Tomato Gelatin with Shrimp, Celery and Cream from L'Auberge Carmel
Giao thought that for sure Alexis would hate this, but actually, she liked it. The tomato flavor was clear and bright.
Shrimp Log and Tomatoes on a Cracker from Chef A. Scott Cater at Casablanca Restaurant
Pretty gross, actually.
Heirloom Tomato, Goat Cheese and Basil Sorbet on a Puff Pastry from the California Culinary Academy
This was one of the better dishes. The basil sorbet was great and all of the flavors melded well.
Lobster Roll from Edgar's
This was one of the best items we had. It was seasoned well and the lobster was tender. We ate the whole thing.
Peach, Green Tomato and Salmon Sorbet from the Google Kitchens
Weird.
Ice Cream from Monterey Plaza Hotel
Tasty, and pretty, but it didn't seem to really contain tomatoes.
Goat Cheese Quesadilla from ??
Quesadillas are never bad.
TomatoFest
Quail Lodge Resort
8205 Valley Greens Drive
Carmel, CA 93923
Fried Green Tomato
Sorry for the awful picture. This morsel, which was offered on trays as we walked in the gate, was actually quite tasty. It was made with a firm tomato and had a crunchy, flavorful crust.
Pulled Pork with Tomato Sauce from Chef Ted Consoli at Sticks, The Inn at Spanish Bay
Not terrible, if a bit sweet.
Tomato and Mozzerella Shooter from Peppoli at Pebble Beach, The Inn at Spanish Bay
Thick, tomatoey and refreshing.
Tomato and Fish Ball on Bread from Isabella's Italian Seafood and Steaks
Hard and just not a good flavor combo.
Fried Provolone with Tomato Slice, Salad and Bread from The Forge in the Forest
Not only was this dish inedible, the chef didn't even bother to attempt to use the tomato in an interesting way, he just threw a tomato slice on a soggy piece of fried cheese.
Asagio Kashi Risotto with Marble Stripe and Brandywine Tomato Sauces from the Marriot MontereyThe tomato sauces were pretty tasty, but the combo of risotto with tomato sauce was a bit weird.
Tomato Meringue Pies from Chef Bunyan Fortune at the Terrace Grill at La Playa Hotel
While this was an interesting and inspired idea, the execution was terrible. If the chef had gone savory instead of sweet, this would have been a winner.
Ceviche from Bahama Billy's Island Steakhouse
Giao thought this was very good, as did Alexis' mom. It was fresh and the acidity and sweetness of the tomatos really added to the dish.
Shrimp Fritter on a Corn Cake with Tomato Oil and Avocado Creme Fraiche from The Sardine Factory
The shrimp was good, but the corn cake was tough.
Tomato-Avocado Thing with Fried Something from Chef Wendy Brodie at The Art of Food
While Alexis really liked this, she can't for the life of her remember what it was.
Tomato and Salmon Bruschetta from Farallon
Seriously, if you are going to present a dish as a part of a festival, why would you do the most common item you could think of, and then not do it very well?
Potato and Sweet Corn Vichysoisse with Concasse of Heirloom Tomatoes from Executice Chef Peter Pank of Silverado Resort
This was one of the few dishes that was memorable in a good way. It was refreshing and used the tomatoes as nice accent. The only thing that would have been better is if it were a bit smoother in texture.
This was one of the few dishes that was memorable in a good way. It was refreshing and used the tomatoes as nice accent. The only thing that would have been better is if it were a bit smoother in texture.
Tomato Tartlettes from Chef Dory Ford of Bon Appetit at the Monterey Bay Aquarium
These were tart and light. A nice little bite. One of the better attempts at a tomato tart. The filling almost tasted like lemon meringue.
Tomato Goop of Some Sort from Chef Patrick Durant of Stillwater Bar and Grill at the Lodge at Pebble Beach
Not memorable in any way. We can't even remember what it was.
Fried Olive from Chef Anthony Keene at Carmel Valley Ranch
Terrible. Fried and cold just don't go together.
Tomato Mojito from Executive Chef Phillipe Breneman at Paragon Restaurant and Bar
Yummy. An inspired use of the tomato.
Shrimp and Tomatoes on a Chip from Chef Michael Dunn at Yankee Pier
Nothing really going on here. It was edible, but that's about it.
Tomato Lasagna from Tusca Ristorante
The flavor was ok, but it was rather cold and the top was so hard we couldn't get a fork through it.
Soupy Tomatos and Seafood from Chef Christopher Caul at Christopher's on Lincoln
Ok, but not memorable.
Tomato Sorbet from Chef Colin Moody at Asilomar Conference Grounds
Alexis loved this. And we also saw a lot of little kids who really seemed to love this.
Heirloom Tomato Sorbet with Shrimp Tartare, Avocado and Cilantro from Marinus Restaurant at Bernardus Lodge
We liked the idea of this dish, but just having eaten such a lovely sorbet, this one sort of fell flat and the fishiness was a bit weird.
We're not sure where this cam from, or what it was, but maybe that's a good thing because it was by far the most disgusting thing we tried all day. Alexis spit it out. It was semi-frozen and nutty and gross.
Crab Salad with Tomato Sorbet from Pacific's Edge
The concept of this dish was great, but the crab was way too mayo-y, which made the sorbet taste weird.
Tomato Gelatin with Shrimp, Celery and Cream from L'Auberge Carmel
Giao thought that for sure Alexis would hate this, but actually, she liked it. The tomato flavor was clear and bright.
Shrimp Log and Tomatoes on a Cracker from Chef A. Scott Cater at Casablanca Restaurant
Pretty gross, actually.
Heirloom Tomato, Goat Cheese and Basil Sorbet on a Puff Pastry from the California Culinary Academy
This was one of the better dishes. The basil sorbet was great and all of the flavors melded well.
Lobster Roll from Edgar's
This was one of the best items we had. It was seasoned well and the lobster was tender. We ate the whole thing.
Peach, Green Tomato and Salmon Sorbet from the Google Kitchens
Weird.
Ice Cream from Monterey Plaza Hotel
Tasty, and pretty, but it didn't seem to really contain tomatoes.
Goat Cheese Quesadilla from ??
Quesadillas are never bad.
Quail Lodge Resort
8205 Valley Greens Drive
Carmel, CA 93923
Labels: event, restaurant, review, tomatos
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