Creating the Perfect Cheeseboard

Indulge your senses with the perfect Charcuterie Board. Who can resist the allure of a beautifully curated cheeseboard? Whether you call it a charcuterie board or simply a feast for the senses, this French-inspired creation has captured the hearts and palates of food enthusiasts worldwide. Traditionally centered around cured meats, the modern charcuterie board has evolved into a symphony of flavors, featuring an array of cheeses, fruits, nuts, and other gourmet delights.

Dinner at Tiffany's

There is something magical about a perfect dinner party.  Ultimately the magic happens when a great group of people gather at your house for great food, wine, and conversation.  Throwing a dinner party is my happy spot and brings me immense joy.  It provides me the opportunity to share my passion for food, wine and entertaining with others and the happiness it brings to my friends is a wonderful feeling.

Tasting Guide | B Cellars

Hubby and I recently visited another wine country gem called B Cellars in Oakville.  It is nestled within some of the world's most celebrated wineries including Silver Oak, Rudd and Colgin Cellars.  as mentioned on their website, their vision is "Our vision embraces responsible use and protection of our natural environment through conservation and sustainable business practices.  Central to B Cellars purpose is maintaining equilibrium between guest engagement through highly curated, highly personalized wine and food pairing experiences and the primary use of the winery as an agricultural facility. 

Tasting Guide | Sequioa Grove Winery

A short drive from our house is the world-renowned wine growing region of Napa Valley that has over 400 award winning wineries that are yet to be discovered.  Wineries are trending towards creating a wine experience and encouraging and/or requiring reservations.  I believe the best things in life are the experiences we share, savor and discover to create lifelong memories.  To take advantage of this world visited wine region, hubby and I have set a goal to visit a new winery per month.  We are starting with the wineries that offer a curated food and wine experience. 

Roasted Butternut Squash Crostini

Winter is in full swing in the SF Bay Area with chilly temperatures, yet our encouraging rain fall in December has dried up.  I am praying to the rain makers to let it pour soon.  Butternut squash is one of those veggies that can be both sweet and savory.  With my love of crostini, I thought I would make a fall/winter inspired crostini.

Warm Spicy Honey & Bacon Figs

These Warm Spicy Honey & Bacon Figs are a quick tasty appetizer that takes minutes to make and will WOW your guests.  Enjoy with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc for a perfect pairing.

Best Ever Beer Bread

I know, it has been WAY too long since I have been posting.  I have been super busy and loving Instagram as my social media platform. With this super surreal time, it is hard to believe that we are dealing with a pandemic.  I hope all of you are well and safe.  Since the stay at home mandate was announced, I have been home cooking up a storm.  One of my favorite things that I have made recently is Beer Bread.

Tasting Guide | Odette Estate

Welcome to Tasting Guide!  A new blog series highlighting some of my favorite wineries.  I can travel to most wineries within 75 minutes or less; so why not point a spotlight on these beauties of wine country.

BBQ Bacon Wrapped Shrimp | Friday Night Bites

Hello ASG friends!  I have been a bit M.I.A. lately.  A lot has gone on in the last month and half.

Deviled Eggs with Bacon Potato Chip Dust | Friday Night Bites

There is something extraordinary about a perfect deviled egg.  This week's Friday Night Bites certainly hit utopia in the deviled egg world for me.  Literally for months, I have been working towards perfecting the hard boiled egg.  After many, I mean many tries at getting the peel to not rip away the egg white layer or have small dents, I believe I have finally hit that plateau.  

Grilled Corn and Avocado Crostini | Friday Night Bites

One of the best things about summer approaching is the white sweet corn from Brentwood!  It is simply the sweetest and tastiest corn in the Bay Area.  You know how I love a good crostini - well this week, I have a super tasty one that has the sweet white corn and avocado with a Mexican twist throughout.

Goat Cheese and Radish Crostini | Friday Night Bites

I got the light just right.  Yeah!  I am practicing a new set up to take my food photo shots - in my living room.  I have two large windows that I raise the blinds and reposition the furniture to set up my board and props.  Last weekend we had rain off and on, which then darkened the sky.  A dark sky is not good for photoshoots. Luckily for me, the rain passed and the light returned.

Bloody Mary Deviled Eggs | Friday Night Bites

There is something completely satisfying about a deviled egg.  Not quite sure what it is.  It is an old school treat that has come back into vogue.  I was chatting with a friend the other day and she said that one of her friends hosted a cocktail party with a deviled egg bar .... how cool is that?

Roasted Beet & Yuzu Ponzu Crostini | Friday Night Bites

Happy Friday Peeps!  Life has been busy lately and trying to catch up on my blogging.  Recently my friend Jean from Lemon & Anchovies was kind enough to host a photography meet up at her lovely home.  I have long admired her photography skills and she generously offered to teach me some tricks of the trade.  I learned about shooting manual mode and all about adobe lightroom.  I must say that I was invigorated after spending the day together.

Roasted Golden Beet Salad with Grilled Lemons

An inspirational trip to the farmers market resulted in this sublime roasted golden beet salad.  Do you all get inspired when browsing through the market?  Depending on the time of the year, different yields of types of vegetables and fruits.  The winter has more rustic hearty vegetables that simply warm your heart and belly.  I have always loved beets where I know others that simply can't stomach them.  I believe it is how you prepare them and the recipe you use that creates a tasty dish.

Grilled Honey Glazed Tangerine & Prosciutto Crostini | Friday Night Bites

Friday Night Bites - woo hoo!  A perfect bite with all of the tasty elements wrapped into a 2 to 3 bite wonder.  It has smoky, salty, sweet, creamy, crunchy, savory and herbaceous goodness.  The other beauty to this appetizer is that it is easy to make.  Trust me.

Charred Za'atar Cauliflower & Romanesco Salad

Happy 2019!  I know it has been a while since I have posted.  Been a bit more active on Instagram and plan to make an authentic effort to blog more in 2019.  Blogging still brings me joy and that is what it is all about.  Speaking of joy - this salad brings me tremendous happiness.  The combination of earthy, smoky, sweet and crunch is a perfect bite of joy.

Fig Cocktail + Gruyere Baked Olives | Friday Night Bites

A well engineered cocktail transports you to a different level. When you pair it with a nibble that is simple yet sophisticated, you have hit nirvana.  As many of you know, I am simply obsessed with figs.  This year I discover tiger figs at Trader Joe's and made 40 pint jars of my infamous Balsamic Fig Jam.  I have discovered a passion and appreciation of a great cocktail.  I decided to create a signature fig cocktail to celebrate the beginning of fall, since figs are the quintessential sign fall is around the corner.

Bite Sized BLT's | Friday Night Bites

I know it has been a while since I have posted.  Life has been busy during the summer.  I made these little delights for Friday Night Bites and was quite please with how they turned out.  It was a perfect bite of crunch, savory, salty, smokey, spicy and a slight twist on a classic.

"Markle Sparkle" Cocktail | Friday Night Bites

The day millions of royal fans across the globe have been waiting for finally arrived.  The Royal Wedding of course and it certainly did not disappoint.  Tradition, elegance and love were definitely in the air last Saturday.  Like many, I was glued to the television to watch the spectacular historical moments.  From the array of distinctive fascinators to the abundance of flowers embellishing all corners of the St. George's Chapel to that phenomenal yellow dress worn by Amal Clooney - I knew I was in for hours of witnessing a traditional yet modern mark on history.  Some would say a pre-emptive positive turn to the future and what we can expect.