Cotija Corn Off the Cob

This past weekend I went to Palm Springs for a faaaaaabulous getaway. Seriously, it was the kind of fabulous weekend that requires multiple a’s. It was so nice to get out of town for a couple of days and just live in the lap of luxury, dipping my feet into the pool, drinking wine, and feeling relaxed. I wish it didn’t end. On Saturday, we stopped by the bar at the Ace Hotel for drinks and appetizers. One of the delicious things we tried was corn off the cob mixed with Cotija cheese and lime juice. I love Cotija cheese since I tried my hand at cooking with it at Raul’s birthday party several months ago. I love that squeaky salty texture and I have been thinking of ways to use it ever since. This recipe is essentially Mexican corn, but served in a much easier way off the cob and like a salsa. I think this would be really great with some black beans thrown in the mix or the corn grilled over a gas or charcoal grill for a nice smoky flavor.



Cotija Corn Off The Cob

(Inspired by the Ace Hotel in Palm Springs)

Makes at least 4 servings as an appetizer

4 ears of corn on the cob, husks removed
6 ounces cotija cheese, cubed or crumbled
Juice of 1 large lime
1/4 teaspoon chili powder, or more to taste
1 teaspoon cilantro, chopped
Kosher salt to taste

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt and then the corn. Boil the corn for about 3-5 minutes until tender. Let the corn dry and cool down. Using a knife, remove the kernels from the cob.

In a large bowl, mix the corn kernels, cotija cheese, lime juice, chili powder, and cilantro. Taste and adjust the seasonings as necessary. Season with salt and serve warm with corn chips, microwaving if necessary.

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Foodbuzz Festival: The Rest

You'd think that with a stomach full of food and wine, I would be pretty content. Well, you would be wrong. After lugging all of our swag back to the hotel, we quickly got ready and went back out to catch the bus to dinner, hosted by Outstanding in the Field. The dinner was held in a warehouse with one looooooooong table snaking throughout the place. After (yet another) glass of wine, we made our way to our seats. My dining companions were Kelly, HC, Brooke, Nastassia, Sonja, Christina, Joy and Angela. I have to say, we had a pretty fabulous table :)







Dinner was quite the impressive affair with many, many courses as I have known and come to love about Foodbuzz dinners. For me, the highlights were the crispy mushrooms on top of the risotto, and the ROCKIN' brussels sprouts with bonito flakes, guanciale, and FRIED GARLIC! I also may have eaten one (or five thousand) shrimp chips. I didn't try the dessert, but from what I hear, I didn't miss much. I had great conversations with all of the people around me including thoughtful discussion about asparagus pee, and I learned that when HC comes back from the bathroom and asks you to smell his finger, you do it because it could smell like rose and chamomile...aka more swag (bubble bath) for the trip home.











After the Foodbuzz Blogger Awards, we headed back to the bar at Hotel Vitale. I was thrilled to spend more time chatting with Jenn. I also got to meet Denise and Lenny of Chez Us, Peter and Christey of Fotocuisine, Mark of No Recipes and Peter of Souvlaki for the Soul. It was a great evening and everyone was awesome. A little too much wine later, we stumbled back to our hotel to get pack and get some sleep.

Sunday morning was a brunch sponsored by Nature's Pride bread. Besides the thick cuts of bacon, my favorite food item was the croque monsieur which was slathered with a truffle mustard. That mustard...I am still dreaming about it. Unfortunately, with my hangover, I wasn't able to consume much else, but I did manage a few bites of the salad with the incredible pears from Frog Hollow Farm. Too soon it was quick goodbyes and then a BART ride back to SFO. Overall, I had a really fantastic weekend. I came back with a hangover, a few extra pounds, and wonderful memories!! I can't wait until next year!

Foodbuzz Blogger Festival: Day 2 Morning and Afternoon

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After feeling sufficiently rested, Joy and I met up with Sonja, Gaby, and Rachael to head over to the Ferry Building. Upstairs there were a few pastries and coffee set out before Pim’s book signing. I finally got to meet Kelly of Sass and Veracity as well!! We decided to forgo the pastries and head downstairs to explore the market. There are so many great places in the Ferry Building, but we were all focused on Miette. After some deliberation I decided on a Scharffen Berger chocolate cake covered in two layers of chocolate ganache. To be on the safe side, I washed it down with a rose geranium macaron. It was honestly one of the best breakfasts I have had in a long time! Our little group also managed to consume a brownie, chocolate pot de crème, caramel pot de crème, and a lemon tart. Pretty impressive, huh?

We also got to wander around the market and try many samples including the cutest little apples I have ever seen. Being from California, I know the produce we have at this time of year is amazing so it was funny to see how excited people from outside of the state got when they saw things like strawberries in November and persimmons.

After many samples, I washed everything down with a hibiscus iced tea which was very refreshing. Since I didn’t get in to the Cowgirl Creamery tasting, I made my way back to Vitale for the farm to table discussion headed by Chef Paul Arenstam of the Americano Restaurant and Bar at the Hotel Vitale and [blah hat guy] who is the General Manager at Hearst Ranch. I actually thought the discussion would be about all aspects of farming, but the focus in this discussion was about grassfed beef. Since I already use local and grassfed beef exclusively this discussion wasn’t anything new for me, but I am sure other people learned a lot. One of the highlights was when we were offered a discount on Hearst Ranch’s cattle share program. All you need to do to redeem it is use the code “Foodbuzz” at checkout for a 30% discount. It’s a pricey program, so grab some friends and split the tab (and all that beef!!)

After a quick cab ride, we found ourselves at the Metreon which was the site of the taste pavilion. We rushed upstairs only to be told we had to wait a while so they could finish setting up. Once they opened the gate, everyone rushed in. Having experienced an overwhelming taste pavilion last year at Slow Food Nation, I knew the best thing I could do was walk all the way to the back glancing at what everyone was offering and then make my way back to the front. I am so glad I started in the back!! I got to meet Zoe Francois and get a signed copy of her new book Healthy Bread in 5 Minutes a Day. Soon after the taste pavilion opened up, it was time for our tasting of California sparkling wines. Each glass was delicious in its own way, but my favorite (of course) was the most expensive. Just proves that Gaby and I are not cheap dates! Of course after that we were a little buzzed and we ate and drank a lot! Highlights for me were the pumpkin pie caramellos and passionfruit marshmallows (best marshmallows EVER) from BonBonBar, the chardonnay which didn’t even taste like a chardonnay from Bandit wine (in earth friendly packaging no less), and the beef hotdogs from [company]. I also met a few more people such as Shannon from Tri To Cook and Brooke of Foodwoolf. It was great to run into Krissy and Daniel from The Food Addicts. We stayed long enough at the taste pavilion to grab some more swag. My arms were sore from carrying so much stuff!! The rest of my Foodbuzz Festival adventures coming tomorrow!

Foodbuzz Festival: Day 1

When I landed in SFO, I headed straight to the Galleria Park and then to Hotel Vitale which was the location of the cocktail reception. Unfortunately I arrived just as the reception was ending, so after registering quickly, I ran over to the Ferry Building for dinner. Luckily, I brought my appetite. After a quick introduction to Sonja of Active Foodie, Rachael of La Fuji Mama, Gaby of What’s Gaby Cooking, and my roommate Joy of Gourmeted, I decided I needed to get some food in me stat. Luckily, there was plenty to choose from.

A long line was beginning to form at the Roli Roti truck whose porchetta sandwiches were getting rave reviews from everyone around. I believe it was Gaby who described the sandwich as “life changing”. This may seem dramatic to some, but honestly it was not an exaggeration. This was the best sandwich I think I had ever eaten and so worth the wait. The pork belly and loin with crispy skin added a great flavor and texture. I now wish I would have picked up one of their shirts that said “I heart crispy skin”. The rosemary potatoes on the side were really good as well and this is coming from someone who doesn’t really like potatoes. Even though I didn’t want to stop eating the sandwich, I knew there was a lot more food to try and I didn’t want to fill up too quickly. I grazed a bit at the chicharrones, and set off on my next food mission.

In all honesty, it was a bit overwhelming to me since I was looking for food, people, and trying to take pictures all at the same time. I was so happy to finally meet people I have connected with via the blog and Twitter. Kelly of Evil Shenanigans, Olga of Mango Tomato and her identical twin Anna, Nastassia of Let Me Eat Cake, Christina of Hot Pink Manolos, Cathy of Gastronomy Blog, and Angela of Spinach Tiger. I also ran into some old favorites including The Duo Dishes and Greg of Sippity Sup. The food highlights besides that amazing pork sandwich were the steak and gruyere pies from The Pie Truck (seriously fantastic steak and gruyere mixture in a flaky buttery crust…you can’t go wrong with that) and freshly shucked Oysters from Hog Island Oyster Co. I am pretty sure I had never had freshly shucked oysters before and in about the span of a minute, I ate five in a row!

After I was completely satisfied, I headed back to the hotel to get some rest and gear up for the next day of eating and drinking. More on that tomorrow…

Rye-Crusted Pork Medallions

After the patty melts last week, I had a ton of leftover rye bread. I had just opened up copy of Everyday Food and turned to the fall section. I was actually looking for something to do with the pork loin I had just purchased and I was so happy that this recipe allowed me to kill two birds with one stone. I did these in my stainless steel skillet so I had a little problem with sticking, but overall I really enjoyed these. The onion rye I used had a great depth. Next time, I would slice these a little thinner, but otherwise I wouldn't change a thing.

So it is taking me a while to go through all my pictures from the Foodbuzz Festival this past weekend. As expected, I had a phenomenal time and met a bunch of wonderful people. I think I have just about recovered from the food coma and I am looking forward to sharing my experiences at some point this week!







Rye-Crusted Pork Medallions
(Adapted from Everyday Food: Great Food Fast)

Makes 2 servings

2 slices rye bread, roughly chopped
Coarse salt and fresh ground black pepper
1 egg
3/4 pound boneless, center cut pork loin, sliced into medallions 1/2-inch thcik
1 tablespoon canola oil

In a food processor, pulse the bread to measure 1 cup of coarse crumbs. Transfer to a large bowl and season with salt and pepper. In another bowl, whisk the egg with 1 teaspoon water.

Season the pork on both sides with salt and pepper. Dip each medallion in the egg mixture with one hand, then use the other hand to dredge in breadcrumbs. Transfer to a plate.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Place the medallions in the skillet; cook until the pork is golden brown and the center is no longer pink. Serve warm.

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Garlic Basil Shrimp

I used to spend most of Saturday morning and afternoon watching Food Network shows and getting ideas. Unfortunately, the range of hosts on that channel is barely tolerable so I find myself tuning in less and less. Sometimes though, I still like to catch up on repeat episodes of Ellie Krieger's show. I find her personality to be a little dry and boring, but her recipes are very good and she is certainly not as annoying as some of the current "talent" on the network. In a repeat episode, I saw this recipe and immediately set out to make it. The tomatoes are definitely dwindling at the farmers market, but a small basket of organic cherry tomatoes was a pretty good bargain as was a little bundle of basil. I had all the rest except for the wine. I briefly considered subbing chicken stock and lemon juice for the wine, but was happy to purchase an inexpensive bottle couple of days later. I suppose if you don't drink wine (the horror!), you can do the chicken stock/lemon juice sub. Served on top of my favorite harvest grains mix, this was a really simple meal. Unfortunately my coworkers don't like it so much when I have shrimpy leftovers for lunch, but whatever...they sure aren't complaining when I bring those baked goods in!



I hope you all have a good weekend. I'm heading up to San Francisco for the Foodbuzz Festival and I could not be more excited. It's going to be a great weekend of eating and drinking. I'm sure I will have plenty to Twitter about and I promise to take lots of pictures and share stories when I return.



Garlic Basil Shrimp
(Adapted from Ellie Krieger)

Makes 2-3 servings

1 tablespoon olive oil
3/4 pounds large shrimp (20 to 25 per pound), peeled and deveined
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
Pinch dried hot red-pepper flakes, or more to taste
6 tablespoons dry white wine
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil leaves
3/4 cup grape tomatoes, halved
Salt and freshly ground black pepper


Heat the oil in a large heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then saute shrimp, turning over once, until just cooked through, about 2 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a large bowl.

Add garlic and red pepper flakes to the oil remaining in skillet and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add wine and cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes. Stir in basil and tomatoes and season the sauce with salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste. Return the shrimp to pan and cook just until heated through.

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Apple Cider Cookies/Muffin Tops

So I know some people only share their recipe triumphs on their blogs, but honestly some of my fails have been really awesome triumphs. Take these doughnut/cookie/muffin tops for example. I have been really hesitant about apple cider doughnuts because of the frying factor. Now that I live in a small studio, the thought of frying things and having the place stink for days is off-putting so I have been wanting to try cider doughnuts for a while, but in a way that I wouldn't have to mess up the place. I thought I had found the perfect recipe after finding Shannon's version of baked cider doughnuts, but I soon realized that with no doughnut pan and no yeast in the recipe, these would not be the apple-y puff pieces I had hoped and dreamed of. That said, these weren't bad. They were really great as soft cookies or nicely cooked muffin tops. Especially when mixed with the simple cinnamon sugar instead of bothering with a glaze. I still have plenty of cider left so if I find a good recipe for good baked cider douhnuts, I am totally willing to try it again. Any suggestions? Leave them in the comments!

Apple Cider Cookie/Muffin Tops
(Adapted from Tri to Cook)

For the apple puree:
1 apple, peeled and diced
3/4 cup apple cider

Dry ingredients:
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (or white whole wheat)
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt

Wet ingredients:
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup apple puree (from above)
1 ounce agave nectar
1 1/2 ounces apple cider
1 1/2 ounces greek yogurt
1 1/2 tablespoon canola oil

For the topping:
1 cup apple cider
1/4 cup powdered sugar
OR cinnamon-sugar mixture

Prepare the apple puree by simmering the diced apple and 3/4 cup cider over medium-low heat until broken down. Puree with immersion blender (or regular one). You should have 1/4 cup puree. If you have more than this, return to heat and simmer until reduced. Let cool. This can be made ahead, if you'd like.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray cookie sheet lightly with cooking spray or line with parchment paper. To prepare the glaze: add 1 cup cider to small saucepan and simmer over med-low heat until reduced to 1/4 cup. Whisk in the powdered sugar until smooth and glossy adding more cider or powdered sugar as needed.

Combine the dry ingredients and whisk/stir well together in a small bowl. Whisk together wet ingredients in a medium bowl . Add dry ingredients to wet and stir until just combined. Add the mixture by the tablespoon-full to the baking sheet leaving about an inch between the cookies. Bake 10 minutes or until cooked through. Remove from oven and turn onto cooling rack. Repeat with remaining dough. Add cinnamon-sugar to plate. When cooled slightly, dip the cookies in glaze OR into cinnamon-sugar mix. Serve warm.

Printable Recipe

Patty Melts

After the Albondigas, I had just a bit of beef leftover. I am by no means a vegetarian, but I noticed I have been eating a lot of vegetarian meals lately. This week I have turned into a complete carnivore! I remembered this recipe that I came across recently so instead of re-freezing the meat, I used it up in these simple sandwiches. I used to think I hated things like rye bread, but I picked up some onion rye at TJs and really enjoyed it with these sandwiches. You really can't go wrong with sweet onions and nutty cheese. I think next time I will make the patties a little flatter, but this is a really good meal after say, a night of drinking (just saying!). I think the only only thing that would make this sandwich better is some sort of spread. If you decide to try it, let me know what you come up with!






Patty Melts
(From Serious Eats who adapted from Saveur)

Makes 2 sandwiches

8 ounces ground beef
1 small onion, thinly sliced
4 slices rye bread
4 slices Swiss cheese
2 tablespoons Canola oil
2 tablespoons butter, room temperature
Salt and black pepper

Divide the meat into two balls. Form each one into a 1/4-inch patty that is just slightly larger than the slices of bread. Season each patty generously with salt and pepper.

Pour 1 tablespoon of the oil into a small skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until browned, about 10 minutes or so. Set aside.

Heat a large cast iron skillet over high heat. Pour in the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. When it's hot, add the burger patties. Cook for about 2 minutes per side. They should be well browned, but still slightly medium or medium-rare inside. Set aside.

Top two of the slices of bread each with some onions, a slice of cheese, cooked patty, another slice of cheese and finally a slice of bread. Slather each sandwich on top and bottom with the butter.

Wipe out the skillet. Then turn the heat to medium. Add the sandwiches. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes a side, or until the bread is golden browned and the cheese has melted.Slice in half diagonally and serve.
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Saffron Rice with Green Peas

Here is my accompaniment for the Albondigas I had over the weekend. This rice is so easy and pretty too. Of course after the fact, I saw Giada make a similar recipe with pancetta. I guess I'll have to try that next time. This rice was great with the meatballs, but I am looking forward to having it again with all kinds of meats and maybe even some kind of garbanzo bean mixture. This is easily made into a vegetarian dish by using vegetable stock or water in place of the chicken stock.



Saffron Rice with Peas
(Based on Jehan Can Cook)

Makes 2+ servings

1/2 small onion, diced
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup rice
Pinch saffron strands
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup frozen green peas

Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until soft. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, another minute. Add the rice and toast until lightly golden.

Carefully add the chicken stock and saffron. Bring to a boil, season with salt and pepper, then reduce to a simmer and cover. Cook on low for about 15 minutes. Add the peas and cook another 5 minutes until the peas are thawed and the rice is cooked through.

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Albondigas

So...how was everyone's weekend? I wish those two days lasted just a little bit longer. Even with the time change, I am all out of whack. So for me, this was the first year in quite a while that I had no plans for Halloween. That was mostly by choice as I just was not in the mood this year to battle the crowds and head out to West Hollywood's Carnaval. Instead, I ended up having a quiet night at home doing mass amounts of laundry and watching some of my favorite movies. I also found a bit of time to make a wonderful and simple dinner. Just last week I saw this recipe on Mary's site and I immediately bookmarked it to try soon. I had just picked up some grassfed beef at the farmers market and surprisingly, I had the rest of the ingredients at home already which made this even more appealing. The only change I would make to these next time is to use about half the amount of tomatoes. These meatballs were so flavorful and went really well with the saffron rice I will share with you tomorrow. The flavor in these is so outstanding, you would think they would have to cook all day, but this is one satisfying dish you can have ready in no time.



Albondigas
(From One Perfect Bite)

1/2 pound ground beef
4 green onions, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt plus more to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper plus more to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 large tomatoes, chopped or 1 (28-oz.) can plum tomatoes, drained
2 tablespoons red or white wine
2 teaspoons fresh chopped rosemary or 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
Pinch of sugar
Thyme or parsley for garnish (optional)

Place ground beef, green onions, garlic, Parmesan cheese, thyme, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Mix gently to combine. Shape into 12 equal sized meatballs.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Saute meatballs, turning several times, until brown, about 5 minutes.

Add tomatoes, wine, sugar and rosemary. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook, covered, over low heat for 15 minutes until tomatoes are pulpy and meatballs cooked through. Sprinkle with thyme or parsley. Serve hot.

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