Kale and Farro Salad

It’s a beautiful weekend in the Bay Area.  Temperatures are supposed to round the 85 degree mark today.  I absolutely love this time of year. Hubby and I awoke to the birds chirping and crows laughing.  I guess they aren’t really laughing per se, but if you listen closely, it sort of sounds like they are. Smile.

Sundays at our house typically begin with a freshly brewed cup of coffee and watching the weekend edition of Good Morning America.  Next is the treadmill for me and a long bike ride for hubby.  Then the day begins. We decided that today would be set aside for chores around the house that are bit overdue.  Hubby is tackling the garage while I am excited to clean off the backyard furniture and put the cushions on. I don’t anticipate additional rain, but you never know.  One or two rain showers won’t hurt a thing.

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Avocado Crostini with Reduced Balsamic and Hickory Smoked Sea Salt | Friday Night Bites

I have said it before and it is worth repeating – sometimes the simplest things in life are the best.  For me, I love putting together recipes with great ingredients that have great flavor profiles yet there are not a billion components.  Quite often folks think that I make these elaborate dishes that take forever, but that is the exception versus the rule. 

One of my favorite simple appetizers is an Avocado Crostini with Reduced Balsamic with a sprinkle of Smoked Hickory Sea Salt. It is crunchy, creamy, salty, and sweet with a touch of smoke.  Quite honestly, it is two to three bites of heaven.  The recipe is fairly loose, so you can make as few or as many as you would like.

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Toffee and Double Chocolate Cookies | Secret Recipe Club

I was thrilled when I read my email about a month ago.  I received my April Secret Recipe assignment.  I recognized this blog immediately and was excited.  This month I was paired with Liz from That Skinny Chick Can Bake.  I have been an admirer and follower of her blog for quite sometime. 

Liz has been blogging since March of 2010 and she has many loyal followers.  Just sifting through her extensive well rounded assortment of recipes, you know why.  Each recipe is approachable, tasty and mouthwatering.  She focuses her blog on her cooking and baking while her hubby and 3 kids stay outside the focus of her camera.  If you have not had the opportunity to browse through her blog, I would highly encourage you to – you certainly won’t be disappointed.  Trust me.  Smile.

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Bacon and Blueberry Jam Pizza | Friday Night Bites

Where does the time go?  I can’t believe that it is Friday Night Bite time again.  Before I share with you this week’s delight, I wanted to give you a quick update regarding the results of the Make-a-Wish Foundation auction for Team Chloe that was held last Saturday.  If you recall, I shared photos of the three cakes that I created and donated to the auction and I am pleased to say that they raised more money than last year.

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Julia Child's Perfect Chocolate Mousse + Joy of Giving

My joy comes from making people smile with my cooking.  Perhaps that is why I have a weakness for throwing a great dinner party or bringing a batch of homemade cookies to the office or giving a jar of my handmade jam as a hostess gift.  Perhaps it is my way of giving and to quote Julia Child – “Cooking is like love; it should be entered into with abandon or not at all”.

I hosted a dinner party last weekend and shared my menu with my Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad post.  The final touch to this wonderful dinner party was chocolate mousse.  What I neglected to mention was it was the perfect mousse.  Perhaps it was perfect since the recipe was adapted from the master of French cooking – Julia Child.  Thus I had to name this mousse – “Julia Child’s Perfect Chocolate Mousse”.  It was essentially quite simple to make.  Believe it or not, it was the first time making mousse.  I added the Bourbon along with the espresso whipped cream topping and the result was simply heaven. Going forward this will be a “go to” dessert to impress my guests and now it can be yours too. 

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Prosciutto and Pesto Crostini | Friday Night Bites

The wait is over.  I teased you about what kind of Crostini I would be sharing for Friday Night Bites.  Now the day has finally arrived.  Yippee Skippee!  I made these first for Easter then for my dinner party on Saturday night and they will also be enjoyed for this week’s Friday Night Bites.

I absolutely adore a great Crostini and these rank high on my list.  Oh, did I mention, they are super easy.  If you have a Trader Joe’s near you, all ingredients can be purchased there.  If you don’t have a Trader Joe’s close or you want to put that handmade touch on it, I have included the recipes for that.  Either way; a terrific impromptu appetizer for unexpected guests or to simply enjoy while enjoying your favorite movie or television show.

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Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad with Honey Garlic Vinaigrette

I love dinner parties.  I love planning, preparing and throwing a great dinner party.  It brings me much joy.  Saturday night brought me joy.  Hubby and I had another couple over for dinner.  Originally I thought we would go formal and spend the evening in the dining room.  Plans changed and decided to have a cozy dinner in the kitchen at our new Pottery Barn kitchen dining set.  The fire place was burning in the adjacent family room with music piped in through the speakers – just perfect.  It was chilly outside, candle light glistening through the antique votives and a slight wind pounding against the two windows in the kitchen nook.

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Bacon Wrapped Pineapple Bites with Soy Ginger Dipping Sauce | Friday Night Bites

I am a huge fan of simple yet delicious appetizers.  Why fuss with twenty different ingredients and hours in the kitchen – there is no reason.  Sometimes the simple things in life are often the best things in life. 

We spent the Easter Holiday at my parent’s house with the entire family.  It was a wonderful day filled with great company, much laughter and food that was simple with an abundance of flavor.  My Mom tends to go the comfort food route, which always puts a smile on everyone’s face.  With four nephews ranging from 3 to 13 years, their level of interest varied from video games to being all about the foil wrapped chocolate eggs that decorated the dining room table.

My sister and I always assist with the festivities by bringing various dishes along with helping prepare the food.  I created an extremely tasty Crostini that was a hit with the family and will be making again for a dinner party I am hosting on Saturday.  It will be featured for next week’s Friday Night Bites.  A little hint:  Crispy Fried Prosciutto.  Smile.

Speaking of Friday Night Bites, this week I wanted to share with you a simply divine appetizer that packs an immense punch of flavor.  Typically you think of bacon wrapped dates or water chestnuts, but when bacon wrapped pineapple popped into my head, this was a must make.  The addition of an Asian inspired dipping sauce just completed this uncomplicated appetizer.  Enjoy!

Bacon Wrapped Pineapple Bites with Soy Ginger Dipping Sauce

Makes 24

Pineapple, 24 one inch chunks

Bacon – 24 three inch slices

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

You can use fresh or canned pineapple chunks.  I prefer fresh.  Pat dry with a paper towel and wrap with the bacon and secure with a toothpick.  Use a large baking sheet pan with sides to place the bites one.  Bake for 20 to 30 minutes until the bacon is crispy.  Turn the bites halfway during cooking process. Serve warm with the soy ginger dipping sauce.

Soy Ginger Dipping Sauce

½ Cup Soy Sauce

¼ Cup Rice wine vinegar

2 Tablespoons Fresh Ginger, finely minced

2 Garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon sesame oil

2 teaspoon sesame seeds

Add all the ingredients to a jar and top with a lid.  Shake well to combine and let rest for at least one hour to have the flavors combine.

Russian Tea Cakes

If there is a top ten list of my favorite cookies in the world, the Russian Tea Cakes would be in that list.  Okay, you have probably heard these called – Mexican Wedding Cookies or Snowball Cookies. All of these have the same premise – butter, flour, nuts and powdered sugar as the primary ingredients.  I just know they melt in your mouth and it is hard to limit yourself to one or two.

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Fried Chickpeas with Sautéed Garlic and Truffle Salt | Friday Night Bites

It has been a long week at work.  Busy, busy and even more busy as the week is winding down.  It is all good stuff, just not enough time in the day to accomplish all that needs to be done.  Surprisingly enough, I do believe that everything will be done – just need to have a laser focus as Friday approaches.

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Cheddar Cheese Biscuits + Farmstead Restaurant in Napa Valley

In the heart of Napa Valley resides Long Meadow Ranch (LMR).  This 650-acre home ranch produces both wine and food in the Napa Valley from three different locations including the home for wine making at the 90 acre Rutherford Estate in the center of the Rutherford AVA. Among this vast estate, the destination spot is the Long Meadow Ranch Winery and the spectacular restaurant, Farmstead and the tasting room in the historic Logan-Ives House and the Farmers Market at Long Meadow Ranch. It is an impressive destination and not to be missed if you are in St. Helena and/or Napa Valley.

Yesterday we convened for our regular restaurant club get together and this month it was my turn to select our destination.  Farmstead had been on my list for a while. I was thrilled the day had finally arrived to experience this distinguished restaurant. 

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Port Infused Fig Blue Cheese Crostini | Friday Night Bites

I am obsessed with Crostinis! They are like a blank canvass begging to be painted on.  A great crostini can be your own "Mona Lisa".  Okay, I might be a bit dramatic, but you are picking up what I am putting down.  Smile.

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Brown Sugar Cookies | Secret Recipe Club

I love brown sugar.  When used to make cookies, it elevates the flavor to the next level. This month for the Secret Recipe Club, I was assigned to Carrie’s SweetLife.  Carrie’s philosophy for her blog is to create and share simple comforting food that puts a smile on anyone’s face that has the pleasure of eating it.  I can relate to her thought process.

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Italian Butterhorn Cookies

Several weeks ago I took a short road trip up to Napa.  Luckily for me, it is only about an hours drive from my house.  I ventured to attend Lindsay from Love and Olive Oil’s new book tour.  I initially met Lindsay virtually from an online program titled “adopt a blogger”.  The premise was to match a veteran and newbie blogger together.  The veteran would mentor the newbie, to impart their knowledge and experiences.  Lindsay had given great advice and was always available, should I have a question or need.

I was elated to finally meet Lindsay in person along with her hubby Taylor.  She is as lovely as she appears on her blog and could not be nicer.  I am thrilled for all of her success and wish her all the best with her future endeavors.  She has a fan for life with me and I can’t wait to make some of her delicious recipes from her new book – “Breakfast for Dinner”.  Okay cleaver concept, huh?

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Spaghetti Fritters with Arugula and Walnut Pesto | Friday Night Bites

I adore Oprah.  She is someone who is insightful, inspirational, a thought leader, motivator and role model.  Her positive influence has reached all ends of the earth.  With the ending of her daily talk show and the emergence of her OWN network, her positive impact continues to inspire people.  I love learning and growing.  Oprah’s Master Class series along with Life Lessons are among my favorite shows on her network. 

Over the weekend, I sat down to watch the Master Class episode with Cindy Crawford and it was such an authentic view into her life experiences, thoughts and lessons she has learned.  I identified with many of her insights especially about marriage and to root your love in friendship.  My hubby is truly my best friend. 

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Chocolate Buttermilk Donuts with Salted Caramel Sauce

Chocolate and caramel are a marriage made in heaven.  When this month’s theme for the Chocolate Party was official, it brought a large smile to my face.  The idea of blending chocolate and caramel into some type of confectionery delight was simply magical.  The variations spun through my head like a high speed car chase – the possibilities were endless.

I finally came to a resolve.  Since my hubby is obsessed with donut holes, I knew my decision was final.  I found a recipe for Chocolate Caramel donuts from Martha Stewart.  The only problem was two-fold:  I did not have those store bought soft caramel squares plus I am quite frankly not a fan of them.  I still wanted to surprise my hubby with some homemade donut holes.  Then it came to me, why not make some of my delicious Salted Caramel Sauce to dip or drizzle the chocolate donuts with.

The result was a pure sensation of the marriage between chocolate and caramel.  What a perfect dessert to enjoy while watching your favorite movie or at your next dinner party.  If you would like to learn more about joining in the Chocolate Party fun and seeing what fun combination is up for next month, simply click here to learn more.

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Gruyere and Cayenne Crackers | Friday Night Bites

My addiction with homemade crackers continues. As a kid, and still today, I love the traditional “cheez-its” cracker. That perfect square shape with ruffled edges and the tiny dot imprint in the center has a certain appeal.  Perhaps, it is since they are incredibly easy to eat and snack on. Since the cheddar variety is the most traditional flavor, I thought I would mix it up and put my own spin on this iconic cracker. After much internal debate, I came up with Gruyere cheese and cayenne - a little spice along with the rich nutty cheese flavor; simply perfect for our Friday night bites.

It doesn't feel much like winter here in the bay area. We did experience a fairly vigorous rainstorm on Tuesday night which awakened me during the middle of the night. The weather man is predicting that we will have sunshine and warm weather over the weekend. I wish winter would happen here in the bay area since we definitely need the rain. I was certainly hoping the rain would continue through the weekend especially for our traditional Friday night bite celebration.  A cozy fire along with the sound of rain hitting the windows sets the tone for a perfect winter Friday night.

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Sriracha Popcorn | Friday Night Bites

Real butter, fake butter or no butter?  Microwave or stove?  White or yellow?  Plain or flavored salt?  How do you like your popcorn?  I prefer white popcorn that is popped in a large pot over the stove and lightly salted with a drizzle or two of real melted butter.  I pop it the old fashioned way over the stove, the way my Mom taught me and shake it in a paper bag to ensure the salt and butter distributes over all of the popcorn.

With the resurgence of popcorn onto the culinary scene; it has been claimed as the snack of 2013.  It is light, crispy and versatile.  Among the savory flavored popcorns - I have seen it dusted with various herbs, parmesan cheese, truffle, garlic, bacon, chili, lime, dill or curry.  The classic sweet variety is caramel and kettle corn.  Popcorn has gone gourmet!

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Winter Minestrone Soup

Winter is still here.  For many parts of the country, it is more extreme than others.  Here in the Bay Area, it has been relatively mild, except for very chilly evenings.  You know what that means – time for soup.

There is something satisfying, gratifying and comforting about making soup.  The combination of flavors, the simmering and the beautiful fragrance that is exudes throughout the house is simply wonderful.  Recently I purchased the Ina Garten cookbook – “Foolproof, Recipes You CanTrust”.  And oh how I trust Ina.  She has honestly never steered me wrong.  I have collected all her books and adore each one.  Her recipes are straightforward, simply and extremely tasty. My bucket list includes meeting Ina one day in person. Smile.

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Whiskey Apricot Meatballs | Friday Night Bites

Hubby loves meatballs.  They can be with or without sauce.  He just plain loves those little nuggets of joy.  He prefers my homemade ones but the mini party meatballs from Trader Joe’s work just fine too.  Of course, those need to be sauced up.  With the simplicity of the frozen variety, a great sauce is just what the doctor ordered. 

Since 2013 kicked off, work for both of us has been crazy busy and stressful.  Our Friday nights are sacred to us and highly cherished.  Recently we had some friends join us for our weekly tradition.  I wanted to go simple yet pack a “punch of flavor” and create my own sauce recipe.

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Lemon Scented Olive Oil Cookies | Secret Recipe Club

Spring seems to be in the air in the Bay Area.  The weather topped almost 70 degrees on Saturday.  Despite lemons being available year round in the Bay Area, I tend to associate them with spring, since they are bright yellow, fresh, and vibrant. 

Today is the reveal for group C of the Secret RecipeClub.  If you are not familiar with it, let me enlighten you for a moment.  The Secret Recipe Club is a group talented food bloggers who love to share recipes.  Once a month we are paired with another food blogger to select a recipe from their blog to make and we all post on the same day.  The really fun part is to see who received your blog and what they chose.

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Meyer Lemon Brown Butter Bars

Meyer lemons are in season.  Oh how I love the sweetness and unique flavor of these beauties.  We have a meyer lemon tree in our backyard and this year it began to produce these little gems again.  I have to say, I thought the tree was done producing and to my surprise, it still had some life in it.  Yeah.

When a fellow food blogger and friend, Laura from Tutti Dolci created these Meyer Lemon-Brown Butter Bars, I had to make them.  I actually doubled the crust portion of the recipe, since that is one of my favorite parts and with the brown butter, the more the better.  Right?

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Friday Night Bites | Sriracha and Honey Cashews

Sometimes life throws you curveballs. Not sure why, but they happen.  I recently learned that a long time friend that I have known from kindergarten just lost her father a little over a week ago.  The part that makes it even more difficult is that ten weeks ago she lost her mother.  If that wasn’t enough, her beloved little pug passed away two days after her father.  I have to sit back and reflect as to why all this is happening to such a sweet person.  I wish I could take all of the pain away for her.  The best I can do is support her through this challenging time with positive thoughts, many prayers and be there as a friend.

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Conversation Heart Cookies

Love is in the air.  With Valentines Day around the corner, you can’t help think about love - whether you are in love or seeking the love of you life.  You may love this holiday or despise it.  Hopefully it is the first.

Hubby and I joke that it is a Hallmark Holiday.  We certainly don’t go overboard by going out to a super expensive dinner.  Hubby always says to me, I have my own personal executive chef at home, so why dine out.  I am always flattered.  I do like to balance eating at home and dining out.  However, for Valentines Day, a delicious dinner at home by the fire is at the top of my list.  We exchange small gifts, a mushy card and simply enjoy each others company for the evening.

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Friday Night Bites | Parmesan and Caramelized Shallot Crackers

Most of you have probably seen or least heard of the movie – “Meet the Parents”.  Last weekend, hubby and I had a “meet the parents” night at our house. Not quite like the actual movie.  Let me explain.  A good friend of ours is single.  He doesn’t have a hard time meeting girls, just meeting the right girl for him.  Over the years, he has brought over various girlfriends to meet us.  Many we have actually become friends with despite their relationship did not move forward.

After several months of dating along with things moving into the next stage is when he will typically bring them over to our house to “meet the parents”.  I am actually flattered that he respects my hubby and me so much, that he wants us to give him the “stamp of approval”. Last weekend, we had the pleasure of meeting his current girlfriend.  We had been hearing about her for a while and now it was the official “unveiling”.

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Butternut Squash Lasagna with Shiitake Mushrooms

A couple weeks ago I hosted an intimate dinner party at my house for friends.  At first I thought let’s go formal and sit in the dining room, then I changed my mind.  Several weeks ago, our “mini kitchen make over” was complete and why not enjoy the fruits of our labor.  The makeover began with the death of our refrigerator.  The counter depth fridge was replaced with my absolute dream refrigerator – the sub-zero.

To accomplish the installation, we needed to remove a cabinet, build a frame and add a small faux cabinet above.  The end result was a beautiful new refrigerator and with the removal of the cabinet, the kitchen began to appear larger and brighter.  When we purchased our house new eleven years ago, we opted for a Viking cook top with a built in BBQ.  Not until years later, did we realize the hood above was significantly underpowered.  Each time we would barbeque the house would fill with smoke and it became ultimately un-useable.  After doing some investigation, the builder has installed an under-powered motor with the hood.

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Friday Night Bites | Fried Mozzarella Balls

If you had to choose from two plates: one with a couple fresh “out of the oven” chocolate chip cookies OR a small basket of hot French fries - what would be your choice?  For me, the choice is simple – the fries!  My palate gravitates towards the savory and fried makes it even better.  I know, it is certainly not good for me, but in moderation, it is one heck of a treat. Smile.

Today was one of those days. I typically eat a healthy breakfast of Greek yogurt with blueberries or a banana and lunch is usually a salad.  Today, I crossed the healthy boundary and went through the McDonald’s drive thru. Yes – I said it – the drive thru. I left my office to drive about 20 minutes down the road to a client’s location for our weekly meeting.  The craving hit me like a ton of bricks – French fries.  I must confess the local McDonalds by one of my offices make the fries simply perfect – hot, light in color and not too salty.

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Chocolate Banana Bread

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.  When life gives you ripe bananas, make banana bread.  When you want to kick up banana bread, add chocolate.  Chocolate Banana Bread is both savory and slightly sweet, yet hardy and satisfying – a perfect bite of baked goodness.

I purchase bananas with the intention to eat one each day along with my Greek yogurt which I take to the office each day.  However, there are some weeks where blueberries rule the roost and the lonely banana sits in the basket on the counter wondering why he didn’t go to work with me that morning.  Then the weekend rolls around and 3 or 4 bananas are at the stage of perfection for making banana bread.

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Friday Night Bites | Cauliflower Buffalo Wings

Hubby and I aren't really sports fans.  We don’t typically sit home on Sundays to watch a football game.  We are probably in the minority when it comes to being sports fans; however last weekend with the San Francisco 49’s in contention for heading to the super bowl; our sports fanatic side came out for a day. Smile. Of course we wanted to see if the Bay Area team would be represented in one of the biggest sports day of the year.  Sorry to all Falcon fans for your loss; however super happy that our local team is heading to New Orleans to give it all they’ve got. Go niners!

We enjoy going to a super bowl party though.  With any super bowl party, the next best thing to watching the game is of course the food.  Now I can always get into the food at a super bowl party along with the socializing factor.  Smile.  Recently while browsing Pinterest, I came across this recipe for Cauliflower Buffalo Wings – it simply fascinated me.  I am not much of a chicken wings person, but the idea of a healthier version without the traditional wing component, was something worth trying.

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Cognac Crostini with English Peas, Parmesan and Mint | Secret Recipe Club

Happy 2013 and welcome to a new year of Secret Recipe Club!  If by chance you are not familiar with the secret recipe club, let me quickly share the concept with you.  It is a group of approximately 200 food bloggers who love to cook.  I guess that goes almost without sharing. Smile. Wink. Once a month you are paired up with another food blogger in the group and it is a secret who has you until the reveal day.  On reveal day, you can see who had you and what recipe they decided to select and make for the reveal day.  Reveal day is so much fun!  If you want to join in the fun, simply log on to the Secret Recipe Club and learn how.

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Brown Sugar Shortbread

What a gorgeous morning in the Bay Area!  We have been experiencing a cold snap here for the last few weeks.  I know it is much colder in other parts of the country, but for the typically mild Bay Area, it has been extremely chilly.  Nice to see that starting yesterday, we seem to be easing out of the super cold weather.

Tonight I am having a small dinner party and getting everything together for our evening together with friends.  If you know me or have been following my blog for sometime, you know how much I enjoy entertaining.  The planning and preparation portion brings me much joy.  And of course, the actual event and spending time with friends is the best part.  I truly enjoy making people happy through my cooking and giving them something special by paying attention to all of the details of entertaining.

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Virtual Wine & Appetizer Party for 4 Year Blogoversary + Avocado Toast with Chili Flakes and Lemon

How does time go by so fast?  Someone please explain.  Smile.  Today is my 4 year Blogoversary. I remember the day that I hit the button to click my first post live to the internet – a bit scary but moreover super exciting.  Little did I know; how that first click would change and enhance my life in such a positive way. Big smile.

I said to one of my co-workers that I had a goal to become more technically savvy and learn something new.  That was a few months before the birth of Authentic Suburban Gourmet.  Several, several months later she said to me – you did it!  You accomplished your goal and she was right.  Along with that I pushed myself to continue to learn about photography, finding my voice and mastering the whole social media trend.  I have to say that my photography has improved significantly since day one.  (I quiver a bit looking at the old photos, but it keeps me humble and pushes me to continually strive to the next level)  I understand the social media influence and benefits to helping my blog and connecting with new readers and friends.  Always learning about new things, and that is the fun part.

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Old-Fashioned Apple Crisp with Salted Caramel Drizzle + Annual Team Appreciation Lunch

On Friday I hosted my annual team appreciation lunch.  I believe this is the 10^th annual celebration that I have hosted at my house.  Each year I invite my direct reports to enjoy an afternoon of appetizers, lunch and dessert along with spending time away from the office to simply enjoy each others company.  We have a small gift exchange and I leave my Christmas decorations up for everyone to enjoy.

It is a small way of showing my direct reports how much I appreciate all that they do on a daily basis to have our region hit our budgeted numbers.  We had many reasons to celebrate since 2012 gave us many victories and some challenges.  Our challenges only help us to strive for excellence.

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Friday Night Bites | Crab Cakes with Srirachi Aioli

Have you made your New Year resolutions yet?  You know … those goals you set for yourself at the beginning of each year.  Wink. I have begun my list and it is getting a bit long and needs to be condensed to make it manageable.  With the year ticking over to 2013, it means that my blog is almost 4 years old.  Really?  Where did the time go? I honestly can’t believe it has been that long.  My first post was on January 17, 2009.  One of my goals is to do something fun for my blog anniversary. Ideas welcome.  Smile.

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Foodie-flections 2012 + Food Trend Predictions 2013

2012 was a good year.  As in years past, I have dedicated a post at the beginning of the year to highlight several blog posts that were popular and that resonated well with my readers. To see my foodie-flections for 2010 and 2011, simply click the year. With the popularity of Pinterest, food blogging has stepped up to an entirely different level, not too mention all of the other social media outlets.  This year I have decided to break it down month by month and share the top 10 posts as calculated by page views along with my personal favorites each month.  Enjoy!

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