August 11, 2011

Out to Eat: Ad Hoc, Yountville

Earlier this week I showed you our pictures from The French Laundry and today I’m gonna give you a sneak peak of our Brunch at Ad Hoc (another EXCELLENT Thomas Keller restaurant in Yountville). We’ve been to Ad Hoc three times now and I think this particular menu has been my FAVORITE! Here’s the deal about Ad Hoc– everyday they post a new menu and you get exactly what they serve! It’s family style. As in, they bring enough food for your party and you dish it out on your own plates. Three courses for $34 a person (for Brunch) was music to my ears after our fancy pants dinner at The French Laundry. The cool part is that you can get second helpings if you want! The portions are always plenty for the two of us so we’ve never asked, but I’m pretty sure I know a few people who would!
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recipes, Uncategorized

August 10, 2011

Spicy Blue Bottle Espresso Martini

Earlier this year Casey and I spent an entire week coming up with this Spiced Espresso Martini drink for a San Francisco themed episode of Food(ography) with Mo Rocca on the The Cooking Channel. Within a few days our kitchen literally smelled like a coffee shop and I ingested more sweetened condensed milk than I care to talk about. We were so high on caffeine that week; fortunately this drink was worth the effort!

We made this cocktail with our favorite local coffee roasters- Blue Bottle Coffee. Their Hayes Valley Espresso has just the right amount of sweet & spice with a hint of chocolate that works beautifully with this martini. You should really taste a sip of the condensed milk/espresso mixture before you get to mixing your cocktail. It’s heaven! Now let’s discuss the spice! There’s curry AND chili powder in this martini. It may sound weird but let me tell you it’s absolutely scrumptious. If you’re daring and you enjoy a spicy kick, add a very small dash of cayenne. Everyone at the dinner party LOVED this cocktail and I’m pretty sure you will too.

So here’s the scoop. I made this drink for TV! You’re invited to watch me mix it up!

WHERE: The Cooking Channel

TV SHOW: Food(ography) with Mo Rocca

WHEN: It aired last night! Check your local listings or The Cooking Channel Website!

DINNER PARTY GUESTS: Kasey & Matt from Turntable Kitchen & Megan of Marge Bakery & A Sweet Spoonful.
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out & about, Uncategorized

August 8, 2011

#3. Go to the French Laundry (again!)

You may remember that I had a goal to dine at The French Laundry during my 31st year of existence. I’ve been there twice before at different points in my life but I’ve been aching to try it again. Some people save money to buy a car, others save for expensive handbags or electronics. I save money for food. It’s always been this way, I swear. Before you say, “Tracy! You could have bought groceries for a few weeks with that meal from The French Laundry,” let me tell you the experience this past weekend was…EPIC. Epic in flashing lights, EPIC.

#3. Go to the French Laundry (again!) = DONE. But I couldn’t have done it without some help!
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Photography, Uncategorized

August 7, 2011

365-Week 30

A food related photo everyday until 2012. Here’s week 30:

216/365 Three course wine & food pairing in the Bubble Room @ J Winery.

Uncategorized

August 5, 2011

Cream Cheese Cinnamon Rolls

The idea of waking up to a batch of homemade gooey cinnamon rolls baking in the oven is extremely novel isn’t it? It’s straight out of a Norman Rockwell painting! The reality is that it takes time for dough to rise and cinnamon rolls to bake. Since I’m the chief baker in my house, this fantasy isn’t going to happen unless I take the bull by the horns and make my own cream cheese cinnamon rolls. Amidst a busy weekend I carved out a nice chunk of time for this doughy adventure. I let the dough rise, spread cream cheese on it, folded the dough and slathered it with filling then rolled it up and made legit cinnamon rolls. I then put those rolls in the fridge overnight with plans to bake them the moment the sun came up. Let me tell you; it was a true test of patience.

Early the next morning I could hear a few small little Cooper yawns coming through the baby monitor. It’s time! It was as if I was pregnant and my water broke and I was getting to ready to rush to the hospital. In reality I ran into the kitchen, turned on the oven and took the cinnamon rolls out of the fridge to sit on the counter and rise. Within a half hour I had the cinnamon rolls in the oven. I made my coffee and waited for Casey to wake up to the delicious smell of cinnamon rolls baking away. I waited and waited and then it dawned on me. This wasn’t his fantasy. It was mine. After I glazed the cinnamon rolls, I brought him a bite in bed and within minutes he was up and eating cinnamon rolls with us in the kitchen. If I can get him out of bed on a weekend morning before 8am with one bite of a cinnamon roll, it’s a true testament to how good they are. Now let’s ignore the fact that I ate three of them that morning. OK?

Oh! We can cross off something else from my 31 comes before 32 list! #9. Make cinnamon rolls from scratch= DONE!

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Uncategorized

August 4, 2011

Episode #12 is Live!!

Friends! This week on the Joy the Baker Podcast over at Homefries, we’re at it again!

On episode 12, we talk about RED FLAGS!! Red flags when it comes to:

Baking
Boys
Restaurants
Traveling

We also overuse the BING sound. You won’t want to miss it! Come check it out!

If you want to ask us a question, email us!

Homefries has its own Facebook page! You’ll totally LIKE it. And if you’re on Twitter, you should follow Homefries!

recipes, Uncategorized

August 3, 2011

Tuscan Kale Salad w/ Pecorino

Kale and I have enjoyed a sultry love affair for over a year now. We’ve definitely moved past the puppy dog phase and we’re currently treading in the I leave a toothbrush in his medicine cabinet territory. Yes, I’m talking about KALE. Lately I’ve been looking for something new to “spice up” our relationship. I’ve seen this salad on a few of my favorite food blogs and I thought it might lead us back to the non-stop PDA phase. It worked! Suddenly I’m absolutely infatuated with kale again and all it took was this simple salad!

Close your eyes and you might think you’re eating a Caesar salad. Open your eyes and look at that dark leafy green pile of healthy kale sitting on your plate! Crazy, huh? You’ll notice how creamy/sharp the Pecorino is and that lemony red pepper dressing sure is tangy AND spicy, right? I find that the texture of the kale shreds pairs so well with bits of the crunchy country bread crumbs, don’t you? Now that I know how easy it is to make this, I’m totally going on a Raw Tuscan Kale Salad bender. Think Nicolas Cage in Leaving Las Vegas but sub the alcohol with Kale. Watch me.
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