Round Pond Olive Oils
From time to time, I conduct interviews for Napa Valley Wine Radio. Today was one of those days and I interviewed Bill Chambers, Director of Hospitality for Round Pond. Have you heard of Round Pond?...
View ArticleDessert Wines
I recently stopped by my friend’s wine shop, Bacchus and Venus, to taste the 2005 Truchard Roussanne Carneros Napa Valley Botrytis dessert wine. This wine was made from grapes that were allowed to...
View ArticlePierre Robert Cheese
For the past few weeks, I have been developing a course entitled, ”The Cheeses of France”. For this course, I have been doing quite a lot of research – on buying cheeses, on tasting them, on storing...
View ArticleLocal Foods Wheel
If you live in the San Francisco Bay area and want to know what is fresh during which season, check out, “The Local Foods Wheel”. It shows you foods that grow during the different seasons and also...
View ArticleIrish Back Bacon
Talk about great bacon! This bacon was so lean and flavorful – I savored every bite. Irish back bacon is basically pork loin with a bit of side bacon attached. I have tried grocery-store brands of...
View ArticleDark Brown Muscovado Sugar
This dark brown sugar is the best I have ever tasted. It is not the typical brown sugar that is made with refined sugar and molasses – it is rich and unrefined. It is from Mauritius, off the coast of...
View ArticleJ. LeBlanc Nut Oils from France
After trying a number of nut oils, I still love the flavor of the J. LeBlanc Nut Oils from France. These are high quality, small-batch, handcrafted oils. A few years back, I had the pleasure of meeting...
View ArticleTea by Tea Forte
One of my most fun recent discoveries has been teas by Tea Forte. Tea Forte offers high-quality, whole-leaf teas in beautiful silken infusers. The infusers are shaped like a pyramid and have a stem and...
View ArticleVinegars
I have been asked several times lately for recommendations on vinegars I have a few favorites to share with you. Round Pond in Napa Valley makes a couple of nice vinegars – a sangiovese-nebbiolo blend...
View ArticleStoneground Grits
Good Southern cooks know that proper grits take at least 20 minutes to cook! My favorite grits are Speckled Heart stoneground grits. I order them from Callaway Gardens’ online store. Anson Mills also...
View ArticlePan-Roasted Alaskan Halibut
Ingredients4 medium fillets of fresh Alaskan halibut2 Meyer lemons, sliced paper thin1/3 cup grapeseed oil (enough to cover the bottom of the skillet)PaprikaSea salt and pepper You will also...
View ArticleFig, Prosciutto, Gorgonzola and Arugula Pizza
Ingredients 8 ripe black mission figs, quartered if large or halved if small ¼ lb. thinly sliced prosciutto, cut into bite-sized pieces. ¼ lb. gorgonzola cheese (experiment – try Gorgonzola Dolce,...
View ArticleSalad of Arugula, Roasted Pumpkin, Fresh Ricotta and Pecans
Ingredients Approx. 1 lb. arugula, washed and air-dried 2 small pumpkins 1/3 cup olive oil 1 cup fresh ricotta, strained 1 cup pecans, chopped ½ cup olive oil ¼ cup Vinaigre du Banyuls or your favorite...
View ArticleArugula and Fresh Tomato Side Salad
This is a simple salad but you will find yourself serving it often – with chicken, fish, sandwiches or maybe just by itself. Add some crostini with goat cheese for a nice treat! Ingredients 2-3 cups...
View ArticleFresh Pear, Prosciutto and Arugula Salad
Ingredients 2 cups arugula (organic, if possible), washed and dried 2 fresh pears, peeled, cored and sliced into 8 pieces each 1/3 lb. prosciutto or serrano ham, thinly sliced 2 T sweet onion, finely...
View ArticleArugula Pesto
This recipe is fantastic for a quick appetizer with bread or for a sauce with pasta. You can substitute a number of herbs and greens for the arugula with great results. Ingredients 2 handsful of...
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Sungold Tomato and Bread Salad
This dish features some of nature’s best produce – super sweet Sungold tomatoes, sweet red onions and arugula. These fresh ingredients, combined with your favorite toasted bread cubes and a sweet-tart...
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