Orange Hill Restaurant

With the Holiday season come and nearly gone; it's been a busy time.  And, I haven't been on here for a while, sorry.  I thought I'd review a recent restaurant visit, it's a family tradition.  When we first moved to California we came to Christmas Eve and didn't know what to do with ourselves having no family or friends as of yet.  We went to Outback our first Christmas Eve, charming......not.  Then after a few fumbled restaurant visits we settled on Orange Hill, the ambiance is amazing, the view spectacular and the food great. 

Over the years the food sort of went downhill a bit, not hugely but it had slipped slightly  Christmas 2009 we decided to go somewhere else because the year before Orange Hill had served up a really substandard vegetarian dish for my girls.  Well our new choice had been an even worse one so we decided to head back to Orange Hill hearing that they had a new vegetarian dish on their Christmas Eve menu.  We love the feel; and frankly it felt like home we'd been so many times. 

This year the only thing that I was disappointed in was our table location.  We had specifically asked not to be placed in the bar area, it's much louder than the other sections of the restaurant.  As soon as we got there we were lead to our table in the bar area.  It was loud and I really would have liked not to be sitting right beside the bar but we did have a window table, which I guess sort of made up for all the noise.

We were pleasantly surprised by the menu and the food was amazing, every item that was chosen was delectable.  Orange Hill has upped their game, a nice surprise.   One thing that had not changed was the ambiance, and the other their delicious pesto, butter and breads.  I could literally just go there for the pesto, bread and wine.   The Christmas Eve menu is different from their normal menu and new since we last visited.  You choose an appetizer and entry and the dessert was set. 

I had the mushroom soup to start with, it was rich, earthy, a tad spicy and warm, perfect.  My husband had the beef skewers which he said were really great and full of flavor.  Then both myself and my husband had the scallops which was a great choice being that I had eaten so much of their bread and pesto.  The scallops were bacon wrapped and seared to perfection, simply delicious laid on a bed of black rice and baby bok choy.  My daughters who are both vegetarians had the mushroom raviolli as an entry which was fabulous, a very welcome surprise for vegetarian diners.  My son enjoyed the salmon which he said was delicous as was the roasted chicken enjoyed by my daughters boyfriend. 

Dessert was the chefs selection, and it could not have been a better selection.  The waiter described it as a raspberry chocolate mousse sort of thing but I tasted no raspberry in it except for small decoration drizzle on the plate.  We all tasted a hint of mint but the rich chocolate mousse was the hit of the dessert.  It was rich, really rich and anyone who knows me knows that I rarely think anything is too rich.  But being that this was so rich a quarter sized serving would have sufficed.  Other than the crust being slightly tough, it was definitely delectably delicious. 

All in all a wonderful meal, great view and wonderful company.  We'll be back for Christmas Eve dinner next year, definitely hope to be there sooner though.

A little taste of heaven

Sometimes things just work, I mean really work.  When I take a bite of a new experiment and "oh my gosh" is the first thing out of my mouth, that's usually a good thing.  Well, these were one of those.  I call them Almond butter truffles.  I was inspired to make them by the original Peanut butter balls commonly made at this time of year.  I had a new jar of organic Almond butter in the fridge so, gave it a whirl.

After making the filling I wasn't sure that it would be sweet enough.  The almond butter isn't like regular peanut butter with added sugar and "stuff" in it.  It is basically almonds and a bit of salt.  But once dipped into chocolate, cooled and eaten they proved to be perfect.  They are so good and creamy that it is quite difficult to stop at one.  So I've had to ignore them, or at least try.  It has been made easier but suffing them into the freezer, that way I have to thaw first making it more complicated than simply scarfing.  Hope you enjoy. 

Happy Holidays

Almond butter truffles

2 C. powdered sugar
1 C. organic Almond butter
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 bag milk choc. chips
Cream, enough to make a creamy consistency

Mix all together very well, add enough cream to make a stand up consistency.  When you pull a spoon through a long strand can stand alone and then start to droop.  Put in the fridge to harden overnight.  Roll teaspoon amount into a ball and place on a tray with parchment.  Put in the fridge again to firm up. 

1 1/2 bags semi sweet chocolate melted,
3 tsp corn oil. 

Mix well and put into deep narrow bowl.  Dip each ball into the choc. and shake off well.  Sprinkle immediately so that the sprinkles stick.  Once the chocolate cools, ENJOY!!!!

The amazing Nanaimo Bar

It's been a while, but t'is the Season of goodies, so I will hopefully have time for more posts because there will be a whole boatload of treats made at my house.  I baked Nanaimo bars today, I'm on the Joy of Baking on Facebook where they posted about Nanaimo bars today.  So I was inspired to make my first of many batches.  The Nanaimo bar was originated in.....................................................................Canada.   They were originally thought to have been the invention of some wonderful baker in Nanaimo, BC.  But it seems that there is conflicting information on their true origin.  They may have originated somewhere in Alberta, possibly Ladysmith, BC, who knows.  But wherever they come from they are very Canadian.

I have been making Nanaimo bars my whole married life (26 years).   There are many different recipes but they are generally similar.  Nanaimo bars are deliciously creamy, chocolatey, nutty squares that do not require oven baking.  They are by far the favorite in this household over the holidays and pretty much a big hit for those who have tried them.  No one person that I have asked in Southern California has ever heard of them.  I know this because as soon as you say Nanaimo, they say "Nan what?"  They are delicious and I grew up eating them.  No they are not calorie free, nor are they sugar or fat free.  They are filled with everything that makes them worth every caloric bite.  And I say if it's not worth the calories, why eat it? 

Some Nanaimo Bar interesting sites.

Practically Edible

Wikipedia

Joy of Baking - with recipe

Adventures in Puff Pastry

I had my girlfriends over for dinner and lots of wine drinking on Friday night and decided to experiment with puff pastry. My mom raves about the stuff and told me that Trader Joe's only stocks it this time of year, so I figured I should finally give it a try.

I decided to make an appetizer with it, and since my main course was veggie lasagna, I knew it had to be 'Italian-ish'. I want to start using eggplant more and happened to have fresh basil lying around, this was how I created Eggplant Puff Pastry Crisps. The dish was a hit! I think I'll make it and variations of it again over the holidays! Check out my recipe below,

1 package frozen puff pastry

1 eggplant

1/2 cup white wine (any kind you like)

4 cloves of garlic (minced)

approx 1/2 tsp dried thyme

2 Tbsp butter + more to taste :)

1/4 cup shredded mozzarella

4-6 fresh basil leaves (julienned)

Cut eggplant into dime sized pieces.

Simmer wine, butter and minced garlic in a large skillet on medium for 5 minutes. Add thyme and chopped eggplant and let cook until all the wine evaporates and eggplant begins to brown. Add another tbsp butter to the pan and let eggplant cook up to 10 minutes or until it's caramelized. Remove from pan and let cool.

Defrost puff pastry and cut into playing card sized rectangles. Follow baking directions on puff pastry package. Remove puff pastry 1/2 way through the baking process and sprinkle each rectangle with 1 Tbsp of cheese and 2 Tbsp of eggplant mixture. Put baking sheet back in the over and allow puff pastry to finish cooking.

When pastry is golden brown remove from oven and sprinkle with julienned basil.

Serve warm.

Chicken crepes

Late Saturday afternoon I thought that I might just make chicken crepes for dinner; I hadn't made them in years and they are fabulous.  As I often do on the weekend I puttered my time away working on photos and doing a bit of this and that until it was 5:30.  That didn't give me much time to make crepes; but I headed down to the kitchen and dug in.  I really felt like having crepes so they were done in speed mode but turned out just as yummy.

The actual crepe part is very easy to do; much like pancakes that just don't rise.  There are a couple of things to remember;

1.  You cannot leave the pan while cooking crepes, it happens very quickly.
2.  You must put either waxed paper or parchment between each crepe as they come out of the pan.  Otherwise you'll be left with a big mound of stuck crepes.

The longest part of these crepes is the chicken and mushrooms that need cooking.  Once the filling is cooked up it is nothing to put them together and pop them into the oven.  The smell of them cooking is heavenly.

I got this recipe over 30 years ago in High School; we made them in Home Ec class.  And each time I make them I think back to the wonderful teacher I had that year; she was very inspirational and a wonderful woman, Mrs. Bewley.

Crepes
1 c. sifted all purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
3 eggs, beaten well
1 1/4 c. milk
2 tbsp melted butter


Mix flour and salt together, mix eggs, milk and butter together.  Use electric mixer or whisk and mix together until smooth.  Best made an hour ahead of cooking or overnight.

Pour about 3 tbsp. of batter into a hot well oiled pan.  Immediately rotate pan so that the batter covers the entire bottom.  Crepe should be as thin as possible.  As soon as the edges brown; flip over.  Let brown slightly and remove and place parchment or waxed paper between each.  Set aside for filling later.

Filling Chicken Crepes


1/2 C butter
1/2 flour
1 1/2 half and half
1 cup well seasoned chicken broth
salt and pepper
2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1/2 C cooked mushrooms chopped
2 tbsp dry sherry (or more)  ;)
1/2 C. sour cream

Make a roux with the butter and flour; add cream, broth and salt and pepper to make a nice cream sauce.  Divide sauce in half; to one half add chicken, Sherry and mushrooms for filling.   In the second half add sour cream for sauce on top.  Roll crepes with about 1 -2 tbsp of chicken mixture and place into baking dish seam down.  After complete; cover with sour cream sauce and sprinkle with Parmesan reggiano and chives.  Bake at 350 for about 20 min, until hot.  Makes 4-6 servings.  Yum.

Fall soup

Is there anything better than soup and fresh bread on a rainy day?  Soup simmering in a slow cooker all day filling the house with the aromas of your childhood is pretty good.  I thought soup was a good idea; it's pouring out which I love and take advantage of when we get them so soup it was.  I decided to throw it all into the slow cooker; so much less work.  I started by coating the entire crock with olive oil, added a half chopped red onion, about a cup of shredded carrot, vegetable broth and crimini mushrooms.

Next I oven baked a squash and once it was done I scooped that into the soup.  I threw in a cup of shredded green cabbage and locked'r down for a couple of hours.  It took no time to fill the house with the warm smells of soup cooking.  I love that; knowing that dinner is being made whether I am present in the kitchen or not.  I am really starting to like this slow cooker thing.

After several hours I opened it up and had a taste.  Always be very careful when you taste food made in the slow cooker, it's freaking boiling.  So; the soup had a lot more flavor than I had anticipated.  I added some white wine; wine is almost always a nice addition.  Then thought about my flavorings; you can go many different way with a soup like this.  Being that it was raining and reminding me very much of a day back home I decided to go the turkey soup route.  I got out the poultry seasoning and added about a tablespoon; just the smell brings me back to Thanksgiving dinner.  I added some salt and pepper and that's it; lid back on until dinner time.

I will serve it with a nice loaf of fresh whole grain bread with a some Tuscano cheese.  For dessert?  Fresh baked Oatmeal cookies.

LAO FISH SAUCE

*

I'm lucky enough to work in a non-profit organization with very a diverse and wonderful staff. Eating lunch in our break room is always an interesting culinary adventure. Almost every day for lunch, each one of us has different type of cultural or ethnic food. It's common that in one afternoon there will be Iraqi, Lao, Turkish, Ethiopian, Chilean, Ugandan, Mexican and Italian food- all at the same table. This is not the type of office where people are brown-bagging a turkey sandwich and an apple.

It's always exciting to see what everyone brings and to hear how they make it. We all automatically become foodies- the staff has no choice, it's just all so interesting. To me, the Ethiopian dishes always smell the best. I love Ethiopian food and the dishes in our lunch room usually consist of potatoes, greens, or cabbage with warm smelling unfamiliar spices that I can never put my finger on.

As you can tell, I view my co-workers lunch box contents very warmly and think of each day as a fun, world food experience. That was until today. Today has stunted my culinary curiosity. I hope this isn't permanent but I find myself longing for the scent of microwaved Lean Cuisines the elementary school PB&J's. I smelled a food so awful today that any time I recall its scent, I get goosebumps- seriously.

The food that destroyed my nasal passage and has left me in nauseous convulsions is called Pahdek. I can't think of how to best describe this edible concoction so I've decide to leave the details up to Wikipedia: "Padek is a traditional Laotian condiment made from fermented or pickled fish that has been cured. Often known as Laotian Fish Sauce, it is a thicker, seasoned fish sauce that often contains chunks of fish in it. The fermentation takes a long time, giving Padaek a rich aroma similar to fine cheeses..."

Let me start my rant by saying that I'm not a complete Asian food amateur, I know all about the complexity of fish sauce and how commonly used it is in many cuisines. But Lao fish sauce ain't no ordinary, slightly aromatic, mildly fishy sauce. This isn't the thin, clear fish sauce most of us Westerners are used to. This is a black, thick, insanely fowl smelling substance. I love my amazing Lao friend who excitedly explained to me this morning that she brought her favorite sauce to work. Next, she told me that her mom warned her not to bring the sauce to work and that she was nervous about how other staff members might judge its smell. "Who cares what they think!" I naively assured her, "It can't be that bad- we're used to all the random ethnic food smells!" Oh god, was I wrong. So, so wrong.

I consider myself to have a pretty open mind and invited my friend to open her sauce as we all ate together. The moment she cracked the lid I felt like I was slapped across the face with a dead body. " Oh my gosh, I'm sorry but that smells really strong," I commented trying to be as polite as possible.

"Wait no, that smells like VERY, strong. Wow, I don't think I can handle that being right next to me!" I said, then timidly asked my friend if she could try to keep the lid closed and move down a few seats.

Everyone at the table simply could not believe how intense this stuff smelled. Let me attempt to describe the many odors that create the intricate Lao fish sauce smell: dead fish (duh!), bile, blue cheese, vinegar, a polluted river, parmesan cheese, more fish and finally, a touch of garlic.

I learn something new about food every day in my office, but I never expected to become acquainted with smell of death in a busy San Diego non-profit. If you take anything away from this story, I hope it's that if you ever hear someone from Laos talking about Pahdek- You'll save yourself and start running away. Run farther and faster than you've ever ran before.

*image from: www.nowthatsnifty.blogspot.com/2009/07/298-condiments-from-around-world.html