Double Pesto Grilled Cheese Bites | Friday Night Bites

Today begins my five day mini vacation.  I guess you can call it a stay-cation.  Just needed a few extra days tagged onto the long holiday weekend to relax, take care of things around the house and do fun things around town. If you live in the Bay Area like I do, you know that living outside of San Francisco for the next five days will make it challenging to head over the bay bridge, since it is officially closed for preparations to opening the brand new bridge.  Years in the making, it is an exciting time for bay area residents.  Luckily, our plans do not include heading into the city for the long weekend.

As for this week’s Friday Night Bites, I was inspired by the sun dried tomato pesto that I made last weekend for the sandwich I entered into the Mezzetta Make That Sandwich contest.  Hubby couldn’t get enough of the pesto and said it was the secret weapon to a winning sandwich.  My fingers are crossed. In addition to that pesto, I made another wonderful pesto a couple weeks ago, that was equally as delicious.  I thought; why not combine them together to create a suburb little bite.  I love anything mini when it comes to an appetizer – oh heck – I love appetizers.  Oh and I adore a great grilled cheese sandwich, so why not make mini grilled cheese sandwich bites with the sun dried tomato and walnut arugula pesto.

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The Mezzetta Italian-Etta Sandwich

I absolutely adore a wonderful sandwich that is jam packed with flavor.  It can have a few ingredients or a million, as long as it tastes delicious.  I often gravitate towards a grilled or toasted sandwich over the soft bread type sandwiches – although those have a place in my repertoire too.  Probably my favorite staple sandwich is the classic grilled cheese.  Growing up it was the one with those slices of American cheese that came in the wrappers – you know what I talking about. Smile. The cheese melted really well and oozed out as you ate the sandwich.  As a grown up, my palate has refined a bit and my grilled cheese now is with jarlsburg, light rye and a bit of pepper jam inside. Still might sneak a childhood version now and then.

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Gin & Tonic Sorbet | Friday Night Bites

At our last book club get together, we had the most amazing dessert.  We alternate between the 10 ladies in the club as to who will be the hostess (with the mostess). A couple weeks ago, Cindy opened up her lovely home to all of us to discuss our book selection – Transatlantic by Colum McCann.  The overall majority enjoyed the book and we had some lively discussion, which is a good thing. Sometimes the book doesn’t resonate with everyone and that is okay; just means the discussion is shorter.

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Brown Butter & Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies | Secret Recipe Club

The third week of the month means it is Secret Recipe Club time.  It is a time when I get to experience the great reveal and who clandestinely had my blog for a month.  Did they look through every post or simply go to their favorite category to make their decision?  Sometimes I am astonished how far back the viewing goes; sometimes a post from several years ago makes the great reveal.  What post will it be this month? If you want to get in on the action, simply click on the Secret Recipe Club and learn how to join in the fun. 

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Fig Crostini Trifecta | Friday Night Bites

My adoration with figs continues.  A new fig season begins and many recipes to be made with these purple little gems.  One day soon I will be setting aside time to make 60 plus jars of Balsamic Fig Jam to have for gifts and of course for personal enjoyment.  Thinking about it now, I will probably lean on the side of making more than sixty.  It is actually quite simple to make – I just need to secure the time.

When I spied figs at Trader Joe’s a few weeks ago, I knew the window had opened but before I know it, that window will close.  The time is now – carpe diem.  Don’t be shocked if you see several upcoming posts featuring figs.  The most common figs on the market are the Brown Turkey and Mission figs.  You may see both green and purple figs, which both taste similar but visually quite dissimilar. 

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Fig, Beet and Watermelon Salad with Caramelized Shallot Dressing

A trip this weekend to the farmers market proved to be fruitful once again.  If you remember, I made a Farmer’sMarket Salad with Honey Lime Dressing about a week ago.  It was simply divine and this week I have another delightful summer salad to share.  Okay, if you know me or have been follow Authentic Suburban Gourmet for sometime, you know I have a slight obsession with figs.  I never really had them as a kid, except for the good ole fig Newton.  My affinity with these perfect little gems spans from my making my Balsamic Fig Jam to strategically placing on a Proscuitto and Fig Pizza.  The vivid colors of this salad scream fresh and tasty. 

A great salad can be a masterpiece, perhaps even your own Mona Lisa of sorts.  The possibilities are endless.  Often when I head to the farmers market I will browse the vendors to observe the seasonal offerings.  The simple clue is when 2 or 3 vendors are carrying the same items, and then you wrap back around and choose the vendor with the freshest produce.  Summer time is particularly bountiful with heirloom tomatoes, berries of all sorts, stone fruit galore, colorful peppers and sweet corn.

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Harry's Bar Famous "Grilled Ham & Cheese Sandwich" | Friday Night Bites

Who doesn’t want to be transported to Venice Italy for an evening?  I can’t imagine someone turning down such a special invitation – certainly not me.  If you have ever traveled to Venice, then you probably have stepped into the famous Harry’s Bar.  This is the home of the world famous Bellini cocktail which derived its name from the unique pink color, which reminded the owner of the color of the toga of a saint in the painting by 15^th century Venetian artist Giovanni Bellini.  It is simply pureed white peaches and Prosecco.

Harry’s Bar is steeped in history with its roots beginning in 1931 by the bartender Guiseppe Cipriani.  History dictates that Harry Pickering, a wealthy young man from Boston frequented the Hotel Europe where Cipriani was bartending.  Harry exclaimed one day that his family cut off his funds due to his excessive drinking, Cipriani loaned him 10,000 lire (about $5,000 dollars).  Approximately two years later, Harry returned and gave Cipriani 50,000 lire in return.  Cipriani was very thankful and appreciative.  Harry said – “Here’s the money.  And to show you my appreciation, here’s 40,000 more, enough to open a bar.  We will call it Harry’s Bar.”

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Farmer’s Market Salad with Honey Lime Vinaigrette

Strolling through my local farmer’s market early on a Saturday morning is incredibly relaxing.  I try to enter without preconceived ideas of what to purchase or planned recipes.  I have every intention of letting my mind be open to what bounty is available while exploring each vendor’s booth.  I must admit, I have a few favorites.  With the seasons consistently changing, the selection is embryonic and thus my repertoire evolves.

With my global friendly bag in hand, my mission begins.  A few baskets of small orange sweet tomatoes and ripe red tomatoes make their way into my basket from one of my favorite vendors, which happen to have prime real estate at the entrance of the market.  I guess that could be looked at two ways – people pick up right away or choose to stroll the rest of the market and then have a full bag.  I am the first scenario.

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Manchego and Sausage Bites with Apricot Jalapeno Dipping Sauce | Friday Night Bites

Although I have never actually stepped foot in the country of Spain, I am utterly obsessed with Tapas. Spain is definitely on my bucket list. Tapas are small appetizers or snacks in the Spanish cuisine.  They are served cold and hot.  The most common ingredients, types and flavors include olives, peppers, and seafood including anchovies, ham, meatballs, garlic, salted cod, chorizo, garlic, empanadas, roasted pork, mushrooms, manchego cheese and frittata. Quite honestly, the combinations are simply endless.

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Lemon Sponge Cake with Triple Sec Strawberries

Do you ever have those days where you just want to nest?  I mean nest and clean.  Yesterday was that day for me. My office was just in shambles.  For anyone who knows me personally, you know that I am a complete neat freak.  My definition of shambles may be a bit off from others, but for me, it was driving me crazy.  After several hours of purging and reorganizing, my office is back up to my standards.  I just feel calmer when my surroundings are in order and aesthetically pleasing to the eye.

Next weekend, if the nesting mood is still prevalent, then I will tackle the closet.  I know I have numerous items that I can donate.  There is a particular charity I have in mind to donate some work related items.  The organization is called Wardrobe for Opportunity and they support community members in their effort to find and sustain employment.  They partner with volunteers in the community to give back through being a professional image coach, boutique volunteer, mentor and other various programs.  I have been searching for an organization to give some of my time to and I believe I have found it.

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Tomato Jam + Cheese Plate | Friday Night Bites

It’s almost Friday Night – my favorite day of the week.  It is time to say goodbye to the work week and kick off the weekend along with enjoying our weekly tradition of Friday Night Bites.  One of our favorite appetizers is the effortless cheese plate.

About every other week on the way home from visiting one of my four offices, I will zoom into the Whole Foods parking lot.  I guess I should call it “whole paycheck”, since I don’t often get out for less than one hundred dollars and that is just the hand basket.  I tend to hit the produce section then jet across the store to the cheese section.  After the cheeses, it is onto the prepared food section, the olive bar, the specialty crackers and a few other aisles that catch my attention.  About 15 minutes later, the cashier reveals the total and it is 9 times out of 10 over one hundred dollars.

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Nutella Filled Sugar Cookies | Secret Recipe Club

I feel like I say this each month – how time flies.  It is time again for The Secret Recipe Club and for group C to do the great reveal. If you want to join in the secret fun, you love cooking and you have a food blog, then check out how to get in on this fun group of bloggers, who by the way make some pretty darn tasty treats.

This month I received Amy’s blog – The Savvy Kitchen.  Her cooking niche is low-carb, low calorie and gluten-free.  Amy comes from a relatively large Italian family who loves to cook, especially her mother.  She has a small army who are her official taste testers and I am pretty sure these folks are very happy from the vast array of tasty recipes on her blog. I would encourage you to check out her blog and I bet you will find at least a half a dozen recipes that you want to make right away.

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Corn Fritters with Spicy Tomato Salsa | Friday Night Bites

Summer is a special time in the San Francisco Bay Area.  You are probably thinking why?  Well let me tell you why.  A small town about 35 to 45 minutes away from me produces some of the best corn.  The small town is Brentwood, California.  Not the Brentwood in Southern California where the infamous OJ is from.  It is the delightful town of Brentwood in Northern California.  You can go to restaurants around the Bay Area and notice that dishes highlighting this spectacular corn are on the menu.

After visiting my local farmers market over the weekend, I had to pick up some corn from Brentwood.  It was $2.00 for three ears of this sweet, tasty corn.  Quite frankly, I can eat it raw sliced right off the cob, it is that good.  Corn Fritters have long been on my “recipes to make” bucket list.  I began researching the internet for different ways to make a corn fritter.  Some will fry in oil, which is tasty but not good for the waistline.  Others will pan fry with a touch of oil, so I decided to pursue that route for this recipe.

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Bouchon Bakery Bacon Cheddar Scones

Each time I visit Yountville I must wait in the long line at Bouchon Bakery.  At first, you may think that it will be eternity until you get inside to preview all of the delightful goodies that await you, but it does goes rather quick, especially if you have a friend with you to pass the time.  If you are by yourself, then listening and watching all of the people will surly pass the time for you.  People come from around the country and the globe to have one of those light green boxes filled with the spectacular treats that Thomas Keller is so well known for.

Last time I went to Yountville, I purchased the Bacon Cheddar Scones and devoured it in the car on the way home.  I could not believe how absolutely delicious this scone was.  As I was driving home, I kept trying to determine what made these so tasty.  Was it the butter, bacon and white cheddar cheese?  I think those were definitely part of the tasty equation.  There was something else that was added that I could not quite put my finger on.

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Apricot and Gorgonzola Endive Bites | Friday Night Bites

A couple weeks ago hubby brought home a dozen assorted colored eggs and a jar of honey.  My eyes instantly lit up.  I was quite curious why my husband who does not cook or frequents a grocery store would have such items with him.  The mystery was solved quite quickly when he revealed that a woman he works with sent this home for us to enjoy.  She and her husband live on a large parcel of land that houses chickens and bees.  Okay – how cool is that to make your own honey and have farm fresh eggs on a daily basis?  I say – very cool!

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Cherry and Coconut Scones

On Saturday hubby sent me a text that a Boeing 777 crashed at SFO.  At first, I could not believe it.  Knowing that he was flying himself that day, I asked him like I do every weekend when he flies – text me when you land.  Hubby has been flying as a private pilot for over 25 years and I trust him more than some of the commercial pilots.  Unfortunately on Saturday two young girls lost their lives and numerous others sustained a vast variety of injuries.  We will not know for a while what the actual reason was for the crash but based on what I know from flying with my hubby for a long time and the thoughts he shared with me - we have our theory as to the reason for the crash.  My thoughts and prayers go out to the victims and their families and that they soon have some sort of peace and comfort to cope with this tragedy.

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Grilled Cauliflower with Arugula Chimichurri | Friday Night Bites

Happy 4^th of July Everyone!  Today is the day our wonderful country celebrates Independence Day where we declared independence from Great Britain back in 1776.  Typically it is associated with fireworks, parades, barbecues, picnics, parties, baseball games and family gatherings.  We live in a great nation and I am thankful everyday for all that we have.  However you decide to celebrate, I wish that you enjoy every minute.

Hubby and I ventured to the farmer’s market last weekend.  There is a bounty of wonderful fruits and vegetables during this time of year.  It was hard to contain myself from wanting to buy way too much. The multiple colored cauliflower is such an eye catching veggie and can be prepared in so many ways.  I had a vision when I purchased a head of purple, yellow and green cauliflower.

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Cheese Platter with Fig & Raisin Mostarda | Friday Night Bites

I simply love a great cheese platter.  It can simply have one cheese, a savory jam and some toasted bread or it can be elaborate with multiple cheeses, fruits and nuts. 

I mentioned in my last post that I was quite inspired in many ways by my recent trip to Chicago.  We actually enjoyed two very tasty cheese plates on our restaurant adventures.  The first one was at RPM Italian and it was served on a simple white marble small platter with toasted bread, aged pecorino cheese and a savory tomato jam.  It was actually our dessert and it was a perfect.

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Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad with Avocado Vinaigrette + Weekly Inspirations

We just spent a marvelous week in the windy city.  I believe I am now at 28 states with 22 more to go to complete my bucket list of visiting all 50.  Chicago is an amazing city filled with great restaurants, a drop dead gorgeous skyline, friendly people, history and culture.  It was an inspirational vacation on many levels and will share some of the highlights for my weekly inspirations.

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Shaved Brussels Sprouts Bites | Friday Night Bites

I look forward to Friday Nights.  It is the end of the week and time to wind down with appetizers and wine with my hubby, sometimes with the addition of great friends.  Lately we have been enjoying sitting outside in our backyard with the fountain running in the background and feeling like we are in an oasis.  It is the perfect way to kick off the weekend.

I am a bit obsessed with Brussels sprouts.  Whether they are roasted, shaved or pan fried, they have to be my absolute favorite vegetable.  I must admit there is only one veggie that I simply can’t eat.  It is the one that I found most people on this planet love.  When I share with folks that it is not on my list of veggies to eat, they are a bit shocked.  I think it is because, I love food and thus people think you love everything.

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Butterscotch Drop Cookies | Secret Recipe Club

It is Secret Recipe Club time again!  A time where we are assigned a blog and get to peruse it all month long to determine which recipe we will select, make and write about.  The catch is that the other person doesn't know who has them OR what recipe they will select.  It always amazes me how far folks will go back into the archives to find that perfect recipe.  If you want to join in the fun or learn more, simply click here.

This month I was assigned to Eliot’s Eats.  When Debra started her blog, she actually wanted to remain anonymous but I believe over time, she has opened up.  The name of her blog is derived from T.S. Eliot is her favorite poet and soon she and her hubby named the stray cat that adopted them, Eliot.  They claim to not be cat people but it is evident that soon changed. Debra works as an administrator at a public school and I can certainly imagine that cooking and blogging helps her wash away the days stress.  She loves to travel, cook and eat - some of my favorite things to do as well.

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Grilled Apricot Crostini | Friday Night Bites

I am hopelessly in love with summer fruit.  Raspberries, blueberries, plums, nectarines, peaches and apricots all just signify that summer is here.  They are fresh, flavorful, ripe and bursting with brilliant fruit flavor.  What tends to go hand in hand with summer is grilling.

If you have not grilled bread, I highly suggest it.  It adds such a depth of flavor to the bread and what you decide to place on top of it.  Many times I will grill bread and top with thinly sliced avocados and drizzle with a bit of reduced balsamic vinegar and a touch of fleur de sel.  The combination is out of this world.  Trust me.  By the way, with a great glass of sauvignon blanc or even a smoky cabernet, you will be in appetizer heaven.

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Rhubarb Ice Cream + Weekly Inspirations

Rhubarb always catapults me back to my childhood in an instant.  My Mom would prepare it in a simple fashion by cutting into cubes along with adding a bit of sugar and then proceed to cook it until soft.  She would let it cool and we would eat it.  I absolutely love it prepared this way.  With the season in full swing, I thought why not make some Rhubarb Ice Cream to celebrate the season and near arrival of summer.  I wanted to add that something extra to the recipe, so I added pomegranate liquor.  Quite honestly, it was the perfect addition.

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Bacon, Smoked Mozzarella and Blueberry Jam Crostini | Friday Night Bites

If you have been following me for a while, you know I have a small, okay, large obsession with crostinis. They are the perfect vessel for placing a combination of tasty ingredients on top of and then devouring. As for the combinations, those are simply an endless list. It can be a simple as some triple cream brie with a dollop of fig jam on top or something more complex with say ten different ingredients. Whatever the amalgamation you choose, it is destined to be remarkable.

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Classic Sangria + Wine Fridge Review + Wine Storage Tips

Recently I have been enthused by Spanish food and wine.  The idea of Tapas and Pintxos along with sipping some fragrant Sangria is quite inspiring. Perhaps I feel as though I am being transported to Spain or better yet, I think I need to add to my bucket list.  In the meantime, I can create the food and sip on handmade Sangria.  I have a classic Sangria recipe to share with all of you today along with some wine storage tips but first I wanted to share a product review that Staples asked if I would do.

About a month ago the wonderful folks at Staples reached out to me to inquire if I would be interested in reviewing one of their unique products.  As I continued to read the email, I realized that due to my love of wine, the inquiry was for a small wine refrigerator.  Now my eyes lit up like the new lights on the Bay Bridge.  It was an instant YES!

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Grilled Romaine Salad with Smoky Barbecue Vinaigrette + Weekly Inspirations

The last few days have definitely had summer reveal itself here in the Bay Area.  Personally I love it!  Each day this weekend we enjoyed our backyard with wine, food and friends.  Summer means salads too.  Recently I made what I deem the “Perfect Summer Salad”.  It is a Grilled Romaine Salad with Smoky Barbecue Vinaigrette.  Found the dressing recipe in the June issue of Food and Wine Magazine and created the rest of this divine salad.

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Ultimate Guacamole | Friday Night Bites

I love a great dip.  Whether it is a perfect caramelized onion dip, spinach dip with crunchy water chestnuts or flavored hummus – it is one of the most simple appetizers to prepare.  Although I don’t indulge too often, a great handmade guacamole is a treat around our house.  It is a beginning of summer type dip that typically in California and other parts of the country comes out to celebrate Cinco de Mayo.  I missed the boat this year on celebrating this holiday, so I whipped up my Ultimate Guacamole for our Friday Night Bite weekly tradition.

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Individual Pineapple Upside-Down Cakes with Salted Caramel Drizzle + Weekly Inspirations

Fresh on the heels of attending the Dole Taste of SpainSalad Summit, I was inspired to recreate a classic dessert that we enjoyed at the summit – Pineapple Upside-Down Cake.  I served it my dinner party I hosted last weekend and decided to make individual servings and kick it up with my handmade Salted Caramel Sauce for that added WOW factor.  Easy, delicious and a crowd pleaser!

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Dole "Taste of Spain Salad Summit" Hightlights

Back in March I received a VIP invitation to participate in the Dole Taste of Spain Salad Summit.  There wasn’t much to think about  – three days in Carmel, tours of the lettuce fields and processing plant, cooking class, tapas, meeting other food bloggers, Eating Well Magazine, dinners, winery lunch and all being sponsored by Dole Salads – my answer was a resounding YES!

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Fava Bean and Roasted Tomato Crostini | Friday Night Bites

I am doing the happy dance right now.  No really – I am simply SO happy.  It is fava bean season.  It comes but once a year and puts a smile from ear to ear on my face.  If you have not had the innate pleasure of a fava bean, please run don’t walk to your nearest farmer’s market or expansive grocery store and pick up a few handfuls.

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Camembert, Caramelized Onions and Fig Jam Crostini | Secret Recipe Club

Time is flying by.  I can’t believe it is time for another Secret Recipe Club reveal.  If you have not heard about the Secret Recipe Club, then let me share a quick snapshot of what all of the fun is about.  Essentially it is a group of approximately two hundred food bloggers who are paired with another food blogger monthly and it is a secret who has who.  During the month, you get to stalk – okay – peruse the blogger who you were assigned to determine what recipe you will choose to make.  If you want to learn more, simply click here.

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Farmer's Market Salad with Sweet Paprika Dressing + Weekly Inspirations

Last week was chalk full of inspiration.  I was invited as a VIP Food Blogger to the Dole “Taste of Spain Salad Summit” in beautiful Carmel.  It was three days of talking about food, blogging, salads and learning about how the lettuce makes it to your table.  I gained new knowledge, met great people and will share the entire experience in a few days.  In the meantime, I was inspired to make a Farmer’s Market Salad with Sweet Paprika Dressing that I will share with all of you.

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Pimento Cheese and Bacon Jam Toast Points | Friday Night Bites

I am captivated by the South.  Not sure if it is the southern charm or history that draws me.  It is perhaps a bit of both plus my curiosity to explore the area.  Included in my bucket list, is to visit all fifty states.  I am hovering around the 28 mark and it should tick up to 29 when hubby and I visit Chicago soon.  Speaking of Chicago, if you have any great restaurant recommendations, let me know.

With my ever growing inquisitiveness about the wonders that lie in the south, I was inspired to create this week’s Friday Night Bites.  In the Bay Area, Pimento Cheese is not prevalent yet not extinct.  However, I understand it is commonplace in the south.  This just fueled my need to create a batch of the cheesy wonder.  I thought to myself, how could I elevate it to the next level?  Why not add bacon jam, of course.  Now throw this combination on a toast point and you have a southern inspired Friday Night Bite.

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Strawberries with Bourbon Brown Sugar Dip + Weekly Inspirations

I want to extend a very Happy Mother’s Day to all of the wonderful mothers.  Although I do not have any children, I am a doggie Mommy to our adorable Lhasa Apso, Max.  In addition, I am an Auntie to four wonderful nephews ranging in age from 3 to 13 years old.  We will be celebrating Mother’s Day by going out to brunch as a family and celebrating this special day.

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Hickory Smoked Barbecue Popcorn | Friday Night Bites

One of my favorite go to snacks is popcorn.  The microwave version is good BUT the hand popped version done over the stove in a heavy pan is simply heaven.  It completely reminds me of growing up and when my Mom would pop in their fifty plus year old cast iron pot.  This pot is beyond seasoned; it is a legend in our family.

I am a tad obsessed with William Sonoma’s Hickory Smoked Sea Salt.  Recently I used it on my Avocado Crostini’s with Reduced Balsamic.  It is a fine salt with a perfect balance of smoke and hickory flavor.  With my craving for popcorn, my mind went spinning into creative mode and I came up with this flavored popcorn. 

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