All posts filed under: Food

san francisco weekend social calendar – june 29 to july 1

Published by

I have decided to include a new entry on my blog called San Francisco Weekend Social Calendar.  The purpose of this entry is to loop you in on what I recommend  to do over the weekend in San Francisco. Tourists are welcome of course. So for this weekend, being June 29 thru July 1, I recommend the following  {click on photo for details}: Friday, June 29, 2012 – AT&T Park For The Garlic Festival. Need I say more, Garlic, The Giants, good times 🙂 Saturday, June 30, 2012 – Private Garden Dinner for 10 at Regazza. This is a special offer which in my opinion is amazing if you have a group of friends on a budget (or not) Sunday, July 30,2012 – Eurocup Final Italy vs Spain (Go Italy!!!) at Lalola Bar De Tapas . Whether you are a fan of soccer (a.k.a. football) or not doesn’t matter. It’s a fun filled experience for sure.

healthy recipe: herbed ricotta tart

Published by

I’ve never been a fan of ricotta cheese, but since my diet, I experienced it while indulging in lasagna with ricotta cheese. It wasn’t that bad.  So to keep the diet going, while I ween myself off of Nutrisystem, I am looking for ways to incorporate ricotta cheese into my favorite eats. Hence the herbed ricotta tart which, once again, I found on my favorite site here. Check it out and let me know what you think? Oh and if you happen to be on a diet like myself, consider a smaller portion with 3/4 plate full of veggies. (see photo below) half-pound (250g) spring onions (See headnote) 1 tablespoon butter 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme, plus more for sprinkling over the finished tart 8 ounces (285g) fresh goat cheese or fresh ricotta 1 large egg 1/2 cup (125ml) crème fraîche or heavy cream 1/2 cup (125ml) whole milk 2 ounces (55g) spicy Spanish-style chorizo sausage, finely diced salt and freshly-ground pepper one pre-baked 9-inch (22cm) tart shell (see Note) 1. Slice the spring onions into 1/2-inch (2cm) …

a french cake recipe from my childhood

Published by

When I was little, our extended family had a visiting day once a month, where everyone got together on a specific date and had coffee and dessert. It was the host/housewife’s turn to show off her baking skills and so, she would make a few desserts over a span of a day or two in preparation for the occasion and serve them  in beautiful dishes from her collection of fine china. Being a child, I never turned down dessert and actually behaved during the visit, per my mother’s request,  just so I could earn  my fair share of the goodies.  I didn’t know it then, but I totally appreciated cakes with dried fruits and when we moved to the United States, those recipes and the tradition all disappeared. Fast forward to a hundred years later (being today) I was actually, extremely overjoyed  when I came across here, a recipe similar to or perhaps even the same as the one  my mother and aunts used to follow for the best  dried fruit cake ever. Apricot, Almond …

healthy recipe: garlic shrimp and grits

Published by

Lately I have honed in on recipes which read gluten free and it’s not because I was medically diagnosed with any stomach related issues, it’s just I find the meals lighter  on the stomach and easily digestable. And, since I am always looking for ways to eat healthy, here is a recipe that I am actually happy to try out this week. Ingredients 3/4 cup instant grits Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese 3 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 1/4 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails intact 2 large cloves garlic, minced Pinch of cayenne pepper (optional) Juice of 1/2 lemon, plus wedges for serving 2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh parsley Bring 3 cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat, covered. Uncover and slowly whisk in the grits, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Reduce the heat to medium low and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the parmesan and 1 tablespoon butter. Remove from the heat and season with …

comfort food – lasagna with caramelized onions

Published by

Eating healthy is a challenge during the colder months of the year, and although I maintain a pretty regimented meal plan on a weekly basis, once in a while I crave the greasiest, the fattiest meal and no matter how much I fight the crave, I give in to it, once a week. Here is a recipe I found, as usual from my favorite site here, which I cannot wait to try over the weekend and of course share with everyone, who is very loyal to my blog. Let me know what you think? Ground Beef, Caramelized Onion, and Spinach Lasagna: Recipe and photos by For the Love of Cooking.net 1 tbsp olive oil, more if needed 2 sweet yellow onions, sliced thickly 1 pound of lean ground beef (I used 93/7) 1 tsp dried basil 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1/2 tsp dried oregano 1/4 tsp onion powder 1 pinch of red pepper flakes Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste 5 cloves garlic, minced 1 (15 ounce) container ricotta cheese 1 egg 1 …

healthy eating: creamy light mac and cheese

Published by

Who doesn’t love mac and cheese America? Sorry everyone else, but the thing is, mac and cheese is probably the most consumed food in the U.S., especially by folks with little kids and  those who are very young at heart. Of course, although delicious, the dish comes with a price to pay, because it is basically full of “probably” everything that isn’t good for you. Because of my family’s commitment to eat healthy, I  have stayed away from  making mac and cheese for the longest time, until of course today, when I decided to search for a healthier mac and cheese recipe, so that I could introduce this tasty dish back into my household. You can either go here to get the recipe or scroll below and if you happen to make it, please let me know what you think of this version? Ingredients 3 cups cubed peeled butternut squash (about 1 [1-pound] squash) 1 1/4 cups fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth 1 1/2 cups fat-free milk 2 garlic cloves 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 2 tablespoons fat-free …

chasing french and italian countryside in napa

Published by

Over the weekend I needed to get away from the cold and the fog and find some sun. So what  better way to do that then to take a trip to Napa and emerse myself in a  mini replica French and Italian countryside escape, while taking in the sun. We got an early start because we wanted to stop off  for breakfast in Sausalito before the town was packed with tourists. We usually eat at my favorite breakfast place, Sausalito Bakery and Cafe  (I don’t care if it’s touristy spot) because of the ambiance, a great cup of coffee and a slice of blueberry and cottage cheese strudel made with filo dough. (It’s actually really delicious and much lighter than the typical strudel made with regular dough). While we sipped coffee we discussed our course of action for Napa, knowing very well we would end up at our usual favorite wineries. Finally or actually after forty five minutes of sipping coffee and watching the restaurants and shops open up and prepare for business, we head …

burlingame avenue, burlingame, ca: a road trip from san francisco

Published by

A quick escape from San Francisco “summer time” dreary weather is Burlingame, CA, about 20 or so miles south of the city. There are many ways of getting there,  by car, by train and by bus. The best day to be on Burlingame Avenue is Saturday after 10a.m., when all the locals, dressed in their casual attire, gather their babies, dogs and elderly parents and walk about the area just to have a family outing. Of course I  go to Burlingame Avenue in Burlingame once a month during the summer months,  and after having an extended breakfast early in the morning  at Crepevine or Stacks, I do some shopping throughout most of the day and then either eat an early dinner or have a light snack before I return to my foggy and cold city. This past weekend,  I discovered a really great eatery, called Urban Bistro, while I was walking towards Crepevine for a brunch get together with some friends. I called everyone and asked them to join me at Urban Bistro just to …

summer recipe: fresh fig tart

Published by

Every summer I cannot resist buying a basket full of figs from my neighborhood farmer’s market. I prefer to eat them freshly washed right out of the basket. But while commuting home last night I contemplated incorporating the figs into a light dessert. Check out what I found here: For crust 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal (not stone-ground) 1 tablespoon sugar 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 stick (1/2 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces 1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary 4 to 5 tablespoons ice water For filling 1/3 cup sour cream 1 cup mascarpone cheese (8 oz) 1/4 cup sugar 1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated fresh lemon zest 1/8 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons red-currant jelly 1 tablespoon honey 1 1/2 lb fresh figs Special equipment: an 11 1/4- by 8- by 1-inch rectangular or 10-inch round fluted tart pan (1 inch deep) with a removable bottom preparation Make crust: Pulse together flour, cornmeal, sugar, and salt in a food processor. Add butter and rosemary and pulse until mixture resembles …