12 years: Watermelon Mai Tai

On August 6, Thatboy and I celebrated 12 years of marriage.

It's crazy.  I barely feel old enough to have a nearly 7 year old, let alone be married for 12 years. 

Before Thatkid was born, we used to go all out with anniversary celebrations.  But that became a lot harder once we had kids. 

This year we had tickets to a show that just happened to be 2 days before our anniversary and we decided to celebrate early.  We called up the babysitter, made reservations at Juniper and Ivy, and made an evening out of it.


Thatboy had been wanting to try Juniper and Ivy for years, but we just don't get downtown by ourselves often, and it's not a kids restaurant. 

We started off with a couple of fancy drinks while we exchanged presents.

Soon after we were greeted with an amuse bouche from the chef - their version of deviled eggs - a meringue base with whipped egg yolk which literally melted in your mouth.

We decided that rather than order entrees (plates) we would order a bunch of the smaller plates and share, tapas style.  That way we could try more things from the menu. 

First up were chicken curry arancini balls, and Thatboy's favorite menu item, Baja Yellowtail tostada.

Then came the lamb with pine nuts.

One of the restaurant specialties is their buttermilk biscuit.  We got our with a fois gras butter.  This was right up our alley - hot and served in its own baking dish, with the butter melting down into it.

Next came the salads.  Thatboy can't turn down anything with heirloom tomatoes, so the tomato salad with jalapeno caught his eye.  And the watermelon salad with granita and avocado seemed like a wonderful fresh summer salad.  Both had just the right amount of kick to make them both refreshing and spicy.

Neither of us can turn down burrata, so obviously the burrata and nectarine salad made its way to our table.

Round 2 of drinks.

Then came the more main-course bites.  This lasagna layered thinly sliced potato with pork belly.  It was so good, I'm thinking of playing around to try and make my own version for Passover this year. 

The Carne Cruda Asada was topped with quail egg and cotija.  I couldn't get over how cute the little quail eggs were on top. 

Our final dish was the Uni Carbonara.  I'm fairly sure that uni is the reason the word umami was invented.  It captures the flavor perfectly.

We ended the evening with the restaurant's signature dessert - the Yodel.  A twist on a swiss roll, chocolate cake filled with white chocolate balls with hot chocolate poured over top.  And to celebrate our anniversary, the kitchen also sent over sparkling rose and a chocolate ice cream bar.

We enjoyed our dinner so much, we ended up being a little late to our show.  But in keeping with the evening, it was a fantastic show and a wonderful addition to the evening.  It was one of the nicest anniversaries we've spent since the boys were born.

In keeping with the celebratory theme of the evening, I thought a drink recipe might be nice.  Thatboy and I really enjoyed the specialty cocktails at Juniper and Ivy and it made me realize that we mostly have been sticking to beer and wine at home.  So I decided to fancy it up a bit.

We had made a recent trip to IKEA while redoing the boys' rooms this summer and picked up some elderflower syrup.  Which is such a great addition to summer drinks - both alcoholic and non-alcoholic.  Which is how it got added to a watermelon mai tai recipe AND a lemonade recipe.  Something for Thatboy and I to enjoy, and something for the boys to enjoy!

Watermelon Mai Tai (Adapted from the Food Network)

1 cup cubed watermelon

6 Tbsp rum

1/4 cup elderflower syrup

juice of 2 limes

2 Tbsp sugar

1. Puree all ingredients.
2. Serve over ice.

Elderflower Lemonade

Juice of 5 lemons

1 cup sugar

3 cups water

1/4 cup elderflower syrup

1. Combine all ingredients.  Stir until sugar dissolves.  
2. Serve over ice.

Oh How We've Changed: Almond Crescents

Prior to Thatbaby, Thatboy and I had our Palm Springs weekends down to a science.  Lots of pool time, shopping, and dining out at nice restaurants.

This trip, catered to Thatbaby, meant we didn't stick with our usual food choices (with one notable exception).  Since we were going to be out at zoos and museums during the day, we decided to pack lunches, so we wouldn't have to worry about overpriced crap.  Which meant our first stop of the weekend was Trader Joes.  (This was also good so I could load up on cereal bars - which is the second thing out of Thatbaby's mouth when he wakes up- and fruit for snacking.)  I figured there would be a restaurant in the same shopping center, and I was right!  So we found our first breakfast at The Palms Cafe.

The great thing about most breakfast places is that we don't have to order Thatbaby his own breakfast.  Portions are always so large he can share ours.  My omelet came with a side of pancakes and fruit, and those sides became Thatbaby's breakfast.  We don't do pancakes very often, so they're a definite favorite when we eat out. 

For dinner, Thatboy and I were debating between a couple of easy sounding, toddler friendly options and decided to give La Perlita a shot.  

This small, unassuming, family run restaurant is located in a strip mall, which was deserted on a Saturday night.  But don't let that dissuade you.  It really is a "little pearl" in the desert.  The food was wonderful.  Thatboy had a relleno and enchilada he raved about.  I had my typical fajitas, and Thatbaby had a quesadilla - which he had been talking about all evening in anticipation.  It wasn't just the food that impressed us, but also the atmosphere.  The man in the background is the owner, and he personally spent a great deal of time ensuring Thatbaby's happiness and providing entertainment in the form of "magic tricks" and masks.   He spoke with us about our meals, what brought us in, and a little about the restaurant itself. 

The one restaurant we knew we would continue to return to, regardless of Thatbaby's preferences, was Norma's.  

This is one of Thatboy's favorite restaurants, so it stays on schedule.  Thatbaby is a big fan for a couple of reasons.  Firstly, because as soon as you're seated they greet you with a smoothie shot.  Thatbaby is a huge fan of smoothies.  So much so that we ended up getting him a full size one to work on.  Thatbaby also loved sharing Thatboy's chocolate and peanut butter waffles.  But I think the highlight of breakfast at Norma's for Thatbaby was being able to run around and explore the grounds.

With hammocks, chairs, swings and fountains, he found plenty to keep him entertained while Thatboy enjoyed his coffee.

We saved the "most fun" restaurant for our last night.  And it lived up to all our expectations.  Jackalope Ranch is more like Disneyland than a restaurant.

To be fair, the atmosphere almost reminds me of a restaurant IN Disneyland - like the Blue Bayou.

There is something in every corner of the space to look at and distract young diners.  

Thatbaby was so happy munching on his quesadilla and looking around, that Thatboy and I were able to have a full, uninterrupted conversation at dinner.  Which hasn't happened since we started dining with Thatbaby at 6 months.

So our dining experiences may not be what they once were, but we're finding new and different ways to enjoy ourselves when going out.  One is definitely to manage expectations by catering a bit to our youngest dining companion.

In truth, we often opt for the path of least resistance when it comes to Thatbaby.  It's not so much a matter of spoiling him, but setting him up for success.  Like instead of fighting him when I'm in the kitchen, I find ways to have him help me.  Lately he's been helping with cookies.  Which means I'm usually making easy recipes with few steps and ingredients.  He has become the master of turning on and off the Kitchen Aid.  And there is nothing he likes better than "dump[ing] it out" with the ingredients.

These almond crescent cookies are one of those few steps/ingredient type recipes.  Almond paste is one of those ingredients that needs very little else.  Adding more almonds only heightens the great flavor.  I made a little glaze by mixing confectioner's sugar and water, but they are just as tasty without.

Almond Crescents

1/2 lb almond paste

1/2 cup confectioner's sugar

1 egg white

1/2 cup blanched, slivered almonds, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 300.  Place almond paste in an electric mixer and mix until the paste is soft and pliable.
2. Add the confectioner's sugar and egg white and beat until combined.
3. Place the mixture in a ziplock bag and snip off the end.  Use this makeshift pastry bag to pipe out tubes, bending the ends to create a crescent on a parchment or silpat lined cookie sheet.
4. Sprinkle the almonds over these crescents.  Let stand for 20 minutes.
5. Bake for 20 minutes.  Cool, then remove from pan.

Everyone needs a friend to drink champagne cocktails with

The big news in San Diego this month has been the opening of our very own Sprinkles cupcakery.

Prez was the first to hear about this late last year, especially elated because it was practically around the corner from her house. And yet, she couldn’t quite figure out, based on the description, where this elusive location could possibly be. So we kept our ears and eyes open and we emailed back and forth everytime we heard some further news:

“It’s in the Whole Foods Shopping Center”

“It’s where the yogurt place used to be”

“I drove by and it’s all set up, but it’s empty”

“It’s opening THIS THURSDAY”

The last one prompted a decision as to when we should go on a cupcake-date. (What? You don’t have cupcake dates with your best friends?) Except when we set it up, it turned out to be during San Diego restaurant week. So the query then became “cupcakes or restaurant week?” (An easily more enjoyable choice than “cake or death.”) And since Sprinkles is open year-round and restaurant week is only 2 weeks a year (but is always extended for a second week each time so it’s really 4 weeks a year), we decided to have a dinner date instead of a cupcake date.

And for the record, I heard that opening day, the line at Sprinkles was almost 2 hours long. The nearest Sprinkles is in Orange County, just over 1 hour a way and has no line. You do the math.

Anyway, Prez picked the restaurant, Blue Boheme. I arrived ever so fashionably late. So fashionably late that we probably should have just made the reservations for an hour later. Prez was waiting for me at the bar, sipping a glass of champagne. It’s her latest drink of choice. And actually, I had come bearing a gift – which I proffered as an apology for my lateness. Thatboy and I had discovered Weins’ L’Amour de l'Orange Champagne last summer and I’d been promising Prez a bottle ever since. Except Thatboy and I kept drinking them. This one actually made it into her hands.

She spun around on her barstool excitedly. (Except I’m not actually sure she was sitting on a barstool, it could have just been a chair. And instead of spinning she might have just leaned in my direction. It was dark and I was tired.) “They have champagne cocktails here!”

We were whisked off to our tables where I would soon have my own champagne cocktail. Prez’s was kissed with lavender syrup. I don’t mess around, so I chose the one with St. Germaine liquor. Because lavender syrup? It doesn’t have alcohol in it.

For some reason, even though it seems like Prez and I are having dinner every other week we always have so much to catch up on. So much talking that neither of us ever finishes our meals. I began with the escargot – which was unlike any escargot I’ve ever had before. It was cooked with sausages and chickpeas, the snails removed from their shells. Instead of drowning in garlic butter, they were cooked in a tomato based sauce which gave them a very Spanish feel. How do you say snail en espagnol?

(okay, upon further reflection I see that these are "escargot a la portugaise" so everywhere I wrote "Spanish" sub in "Pourtugese")

Prez had been told the calamari was the thing to get, and so that’s what she started with. And it was also unusual in that it came with an assortment of fried veggies – very similar to one of our favorite snacks at Starlite.

For dinner, Prez had the Boeuf Bourguignone, which she claims tasted like my brisket. Which is good to know in case I ever have fancy people eating dinner at my place. I can whip up a brisket and wow them with my French cuisine. As for me, I got the steak frites. Which was probably the most conventional menu item we ordered. It was just as it was supposed to be – flat flavorful steak served with French fries. And like I said, since we didn’t finish, Thatboy got to enjoy it for dinner the night after.

(In fact, we were talking so much, I forgot to take a picture till I was done, so this is Thatboy's portion)

For dessert we again went in decidedly different directions. Prez got the chocolate mousse and I had the pain d’epice. (which I translated as spice cake and they translated as gingerbread). Their description was just a bit off, for this moist, sweet cake was delicious, but only had the barest hint of ginger.

Since I have posted about Boeuf Bourguignon twice in the past week, I thought perhaps I should share my own recipe for it. It's not the world famous Julia Child recipe, and it's even a little different than Toxicesq. recipe that she shared with us over dinner. But variety is the spice of life, right? Or as they say in France - "Vive la difference!"

Boeuf Bourguignon

• 1 oz salt pork, diced
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1 1/2 Tbsp flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• sprinkle of ground pepper
• 1 lb stewing beef (bonus if you get bones too)
• 1/4 tsp marjoram
• 1/2 tsp thyme
• 1/2 cup Burgundy wine (THIS IS THE KEY INGREDIENT)
• 1/2 cup beef broth (This Is Pretty Important Too)
• 6 small white onions peeled and trimmed
• 1/4 lb mushrooms

1. Melt the salt pork over medium heat in a dutch oven. When crisp and golden, remove and drain on paper towels.

2. Add the onions to the melted fat and cook till they are light golden brown. Remove from heat.

3. Mix the flour, salt, and pepper on roll the meat in the mixture. Brown the meat.

4. Add the marjoram, thyme, wine and beef broth.

5. Return the pork and onions to the pot, cover, and simmer 1 1/2 hours.

6. Add the onions and cook 20 minutes.

7. Add the mushrooms and cook 10 minutes.

Phoenix: The Phood

Before we headed to Phoenix I beseeched my Phoenix foodies for some awesome restaurant recs. And they were more than happy to oblige me. So a special thanks to Kelsey and Karen because MAN did we eat well when we were there.

Our first meal was at Morning Glory at “The Farm.” It was very different than what I was expecting. I think my Californian is beginning to show. I should qualify that statement, different doesn’t mean bad. I just was expecting a sit down crowded café like most of the breakfast places we go to. This was like a picnic. A delightful picnic underneath leafy trees beside a huge garden. Technically I guess that garden is the farm but it was such a peaceful experience. The tables have cloth checkered tablecloths and most of the vegetation on the menu comes right from beside where you’re sitting. It’s a concept I love. Truly farm to table. The farm itself is expansive and idyllic and we spent quite a bit of time just wandering around. Thatboy said that if we lived in Phoenix, we’d be having breakfast here every weekend.

Saturday night, we hit up Pizzeria Bianco. Kelsey had said that it was supposed to be one of the best pizza places in the country. Apparently she wasn’t the only one who had heard that. The doors open at 5, and the line forms at 3:30.

The gentleman in line behind us was a self-proclaimed pizza aficionado. He traveled the world searching for the perfect pizza. For their anniversary that year, he and his wife had traveled from Oregon to Phoenix, JUST to eat at this restaurant. Friday night they had waited in line 3 hours to have dinner there, and it was so good, they were back again Saturday. That’s a lot of buildup for a pizza!

And these pizzas were good. Maybe not the best pizza I’ve ever had in my life (although pizza isn’t one of those foods I tend to qualify in such an aspect) but certainly delicious. And Thatmom and Thatboy declared that the antipasta plate we started out with was the best antipasta they had ever eaten bar none.

The crust was woodfired, thin, and actually had flavor, unlike most crusts which serve just to transport the toppings to your mouth. Although most of the pizzas we tried were sauceless, they were not stingy with the cheese, which is always a good sign.

Sunday after the race we ate a late lunch/brunch/does-anyone-want-to-eat-today-meal. Toxicesq suggested Barrio Café which was also on the list recommended by Kelsey. You can’t get better than two recommendations! (I know, 3 recs would have been better, but two is twice as good as one. And one is the loneliest number you can ever do.)

I had read the description of Barrio Café which held that it was not your typical Mexican restaurant because it was Southern, and therefore(?) not spicy. Truthfully, the preparation was fairly typical Mexican fare with the exception of pomegranate seeds in the “guacamole” (in quotes because I’m fairly certain that cutting up an avocado into chunks isn’t really guacamole. I believe it’s still referred to as “avocado.” But what do I know, I’ve never been to Southern Mexico.)

Fairly typical Mexican fare does not mean that Barrio Café was no good. On the contrary, what they do, they do well. And Thatmom and I thoroughly enjoyed our huevos rancheros (I think Thatmom may have drank her sauce directly from the ramekin).

And I didn’t hear a word of protest from Thatboy and Toxicesq as they partook in their tacos cochinita pibil.

After looking at all the recommendations for restaurants, my top pick was NOCA. Especially their “Simple Sunday Supper.” Sunday nights they feature a themed prix fixe menu. This Sunday it was a dinner with Denis Soriano. I’m not sure who Denis Soriano is. From the name I would assume he was Spanish or Pilipino, and yet the food was decidedly French. Cheddar gougeres as our amuse bouche were quickly followed by croque monsieurs and frisse salad.

Our intermezzo was a demitasse filled with warm creamy (dreamy) parsnip soup, which could go into the category of best thing I’ve eaten.

For dinner we all had the beef bourguignon served over duck fat fingerling potatoes.

While we waited for our dessert of profiteroles and hazelnut gelato, pink vanilla cotton candy was brought to the table.

And after we were all done, we were sent home with a chocolately chocolate cookie. It was truly a delectable dinner. Although several of the items were rich, the portion size was perfect so none of us felt that we had a lead bomb in our stomachs as we crawled into bed.

I couldn't hope to replicate the food we had in Phoenix, although I am definitely going to attempt my own parsnip soup this weekend to enter in Valli's "best thing I ever ate (recently)." Instead, I found another lobster recipe to share with you. It's a leftover in many senses of the word. Leftover lobster, leftover recipe, but for those of us who don't like fish sticks, this makes a fantastic alternative. And if you've got a little bitty picky eater, or a big picky husband, it's a great way to warm their pallet to fancy expensive food. So they'll be more willing to buy you lobster and jewelery. Because I'm pretty sure the two go hand in hand.

Lobster Croquettes
1 Tbsp butter
1 1/2 Tbsp flour
1/2 cup milk, heated
1 cup chopped cooked lobster meat
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp dry mustard
pinch of cayenne pepper
3/4 Tbsp lemon juice
3/4 cup bread crumbs
1. Melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until the paste cooks and bubbles, but don't let it brown.
2. Add the hot milk, continuing to stir as the sauce thickens. Bring to a boil.
3. Add salt and pepper and cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes and remove from heat.
4. Add the lobster, salt, mustard, cayenne pepper, lemon juice. Refrigerate an hour.
5. Make small cone-like shapes out of the mixture and roll in breadcrumbs.
6. Heat 1 inch oil in pan. Fry croquettes until they are golden.