Insalata Caprese

I love the summer months, especially when tomatoes ripen. This is a simple but hearty salad. Remember the basil plant from Trader Joe's--pick a few leaves, wash them and chiffonade. Perfect for the salad.

Insalata Caprese

Ripe tomatoes, sliced

Fresh mozzarella, sliced

Basil leaves, chiffonade

Sea salt

Olive oil

Balsamic vinegar

Assemble salad by alternating sliced tomatoes and sliced mozzarella. Sprinkle basil leaves on top. Add sea salt and olive oil. Reduce the balsamic vinegar by boiling over low heat until reduced in half. Drizzle over salad.

 

 

2012 08 05

A Simple Oysters Rockefeller

Oysters were on sale and we decided to make oysters rockefeller. This is a simple recipe using frozen creamed spinach.

Flint's Oysters Rockefeller

12 raw medium oysters
1 box frozen creamed spinach, defrosted
1/4 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
Seasoned bread crumbs
Tabasco

Shuck the oysters and place on a lined cookie sheet. Stir the creamed spinach and add a tablespoon on top of each oyster. Sprinkle some Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs on top of each oyster. Add a shot of Tabasco to taste.

Cook in 400 degree oven until the bread crumbs are browned. Squeeze lemon on top and enjoy.



2012 08 01

Cornflake Chicken

My husband purchased some boneless, skinless chicken breasts and it was a struggle to come up with a way to cook them and still keep them moist. We decided to make cornflake chicken and it was the right choice--moist, flavorful and delicious.

 

Cornflake Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

6 Tbs mayonnaise

2 Tbs Dijon mustard

½ tsp garlic salt

½ cup crushed cornflakes

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Rinse and pat chicken breasts dry. Mix mayo, mustard and garlic salt in small bowl. Generously coat chicken breasts with mixture. Coat chicken breasts with cornflakes.

Place chicken pieces on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 20 minutes.



 

 

 

2012 08 01

Vendimia

We were in Mendoza to attend Vendimia, the Harvest Festival, celebrating the malbec. The final celebration takes place the first weekend in March and features several parades and an impressive Central Act.

 

On Friday evening, the Via Blanca de las Reinas takes place. It is a parade that presents the queen from each of the districts. Just as in Mardi Gras, goodies are thrown from the floats to eager spectators, numbering over 200,000. Instead of beads, you get plums, apples, bunches of grapes and even cantaloupes.

 



On Saturday morning, the Carrusel de Vendimia occurs. This is a longer parade featuring the same floats as the night before with additional participants such as gauchos and members of each district in their traditional dress.

 

 

 

The main event is held on Saturday night at the Frank Romero Day Greek Theatre. This is a large outdoor amphitheater which seats over 20,000. The festivities include a spectacular song, dance and light show with over 1,000 actors and dancers. At the end, the queen of the festival is crowned.

 

 

 

You can purchase the tickets in person if you are in Mendoza on the day when the tickets go on sale, usually weeks before the main event. Otherwise, you can purchase an excursion from a travel agency that includes the ticket to the show and transportation to the theatre. It's well worth the extra costs because it would be a logistical nightmare to get out to the theatre.

 

We purchased tickets for the malbec section and were seated 4 rows from the front. Our tickets cost 300 pesos each, including transportation to and from the theatre.

 

 

2012 03 03

Mollejas in Buenos Aires

In March we went to Mendoza, Argentina. We had a layover in Buenos Aires and had to transfer from Ezeiza, the international terminal to Aeroparque, the domestic terminal. We took the Tienda Leon shuttle to their office in town and left our luggage. Juana M was a short walk from the office.

 

 

Chimichurri in various forms.

 

Mollejas with lemons on top--these were the best we had on our entire trip. Look at the size of the bife de chorizo. This is the equivalent of our sirloin strip. I always ask that it be cooked "jugoso." I like my steak rare and the Argentines cook it well done.

 

 

2012 02 29

Thursday Night Dinner 8/2/2012

Here's tonight's dinner at Flavor. Another great meal.

Salmone Affumicato--Smoked Salmon Carpaccio Style Garnished with Shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano, Minced Red Onions, Chives, Lemon and Extra Virgin Olive Oil served with 2007 Domaine Carneros Brut.

 

Risotto Con Salsiccia E Pomodor--Arborio Rice Cooked with Organic Heirloom Tomatoes and Homemade Italian Style Sausage Flavored with Aromatic Herbs served with 2008 Alexander Valley Vineyards, "Redemption" Zinfandel from the Dry Creek Valley

 

Anastra Arrosto--Roasted Duck Breast Served in a Black Olive Barolo Wine Sauce Garnished with Ratatouille and Petite Herb Potatoes served with 2010 Colome Malbec from Valle Calchaqui, Mendoza, Argentina. The Barolo sauce was amazing. So delicious!

 

Crostata Di Pesce--Organic Peach Galette Garnished with Vanilla Creme Fraiche served with 2009 Bonterra Muscat from Bartolucci Vineyards, Lake County

2012 08 12

Mollejas

We were introduced to mollejas or sweetbreads on our first trip to Argentina. In the bay area, we get our beef sweetbreads at Lunardi's. They're usually frozen blocks weighing 2 1/2 lbs. After defrosting in the refrigerator, the sweetbreads are cleaned and the connective tissue is removed. My husband then adds a little Accent and soaks them in water. He dries them and grills them. Squeeze some lemon on them and they're delicious. They're a little like liver but firmer in texture.

2012 07 28