Thai Pesto Crab Cups

I am obsessed with pesto! Anymore pesto is not simply defined as the traditional Italian pesto made from basil, pine nuts, parmesan cheese and olive oil. It is made from sun dried tomatoes, peanuts, cilantro, arugula plus a whole host of other interesting ingredients. The possibilities are endless. The featured Thai pesto is to die for and the flavors are simply divine. I used crab, but grilled chicken would be simply perfect too. I did a combination of the round and square wonton wrappers to add a bit of dimension.

If you have been reading my blog for sometime, you have probably realized that I am just a bit passionate about appetizers. For me, they are the most fun thing to make and of course to eat. The idea of having multiple bites of different flavors is very appealing.

My hubby and I have made a tradition of having wine and appetizers each Friday night. Quite often we entertain friends but have our share of  “alone” Friday nights. Regardless, it is most certain to be filled with appetizers, terrific cheeses and great wine.

For everyone out there who is a Trader Joe fan, they have some of the best frozen appetizers around. From the mushroom tarts to the arancini, they exemplify great quality and a snap to prepare. After a 60+ hour work week, the idea of coming home to sit down with my hubby alone or the nights we have friends over, is a cherish tradition that I look forward to all week.

Do you have any traditions wrapped around food, friends or wine?

Thai Pesto Crab Cups

Thai Pesto

1 C. Packed Basil Leaves
1/3 C. Chopped Cashews
Zest of one lime
1 T. Lime juice
2 t. Fresh ginger, peeled and finely minced
2 Jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped
1 t. Soy sauce
1 t. Fresh lemongrass, finely chopped
3 T. Olive oil
½ t. Salt

Add all of the above ingredients to a food processor and pulse until well combined. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed. Keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Wontons

Fresh lump crab meat
Wonton wrapper, round or square
4 T. Butter, melted

To make the wonton cups, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush the wonton wrappers with a bit of butter on each side. Press them into the depressions of a mini muffin tin and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until lightly brown and crisp. Remove from the tins to cool and then fill with a heaping teaspoon of crab meat and top with a teaspoon of the thai pesto.

Pebble Beach Food & Wine { Part 2: The Wine }

Look – Swirl – Sniff - Taste….these four words are integral to having the perfect wine experience. Using all of your senses to really encapsulate the essence of wine is key to pure enjoyment.

First you want to visually analyze the color of the wine. If it is a rich cabernet sauvignon – does is represent a dark ruby color? Next you want to aerate the wine by swirling it in the glass. It will open up the flavors to more exhilarating experience. Third the inhalation of aromas will rush to your brain and different scents will surface. You may smell cedar where your friend picks up tobacco. Last but certainly not least is the actual taste. Are there tannins or a sense of richness to the wine?

Over time and trying different wines, you will develop your palate for what you like. Perhaps you steer towards California red wines, next time try a Rhone varietals from France. You will be surprised how your knowledge and admiration for a variety of unique wines will widen.

The Pebble Beach Food & Wine was full of wonderful wineries. Over two hundred were represented at the event. Wine definitely out weighed the food. Everything from large, small, boutique and new comers were being poured and tasted by many. Many of my favorites participated including: Far Niente, Heitz, Nickel & Nickel, Staglin Family Vineyards, Stag’s Leap, Twomey Cellars, Barnett Vineyards, Frank Family Vineyards, Grgich Hills, Newton, Round Pond Estate, Sequoia Grove Winery, Spring Mountain Vineyard and Plumpjack Winery.

Sequoia Grove became a favorite last Friday when some friends brought it over to our house. When we stumbled upon the wine at the event, I pleasantly surprised. It was founded in 1980 by Jim Allen. It is an elegant little winery in beautiful Napa Valley’s Rutherford region which produces superb Cabernet Sauvignon. Grapes are harvested from estate vineyards in Rutherford and enhanced with just the right balance of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.

The color is rich, dark and a true teeth staining wine. That is a good thing. Intense aromas of blackberry, dark cherry and currants along with burnt toast, cedar and tobacco can be picked up in just a few sniffs. It is a smooth wine with ripe raspberry tones on the palate. The overall experience is a well balanced wine with a smooth finish. You will want to purchase multiple bottles to enjoy.

Located in the celebrated Rutherford region of Napa Valley, California, Round Pond is a family-owned and operated estate designed around the world-class vineyards, gardens, and orchards. This family estate produces artisan olive oils and limited-production Cabernet Sauvignon. Round Pond offers both reserve and estate wines. These are must taste wines!

I smiled from ear to ear when I saw that Staglin Family Vineyards was pouring at the event. This is one of the premier wineries in Rutherford. With intense fruit and subtle tannins and pure decadence, this is one wine not to be missed. We tasted the 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon and were delighted with the lushness of this magnificent wine. Thom Elkjer, The San Francisco Chronicle, writes: "Staglin Family Vineyard Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon-- The vineyard that yields this plush, juicy Cab was once part of the estate that produced Beaulieu Vineyards' historic George de Latour Cabernet Sauvignon--arguably the greatest Cab of the previous century. The Staglins are giving it the treatment it deserves, and it shows in the wine."

The last winery I am going to highlight is also located in Rutherford – I guess it is my favorite region. Nickel & Nickel was founded in 1997 by the partners of Far Niente. They produce single vineyard wines and are highly coveted in the valley. Nickel & Nickel currently produces cabernet, chardonnay, merlot, syrah and zinfandel from six sub appellations including Oakville, St. Helena, Howell Mountain, Rutherford, Stags Leap and Yountville.

Overall, the Pebble Beach Food & Wine event was an extraordinary experience. It was great times hanging out for the day with my foodie friends Jean and Liren. An added bonus was meeting Sara and Gina in person. I was disappointed I missed seeing Trish and meeting Azmina in person. I would like to thank Liren for inviting me and Foodbuzz for the opportunity to attend this terrific event.

Pebble Beach Food & Wine { Part 1: The Food }

Over the weekend I had a perfect foodie day. I attended the Fourth Annual Pebble Beach Food and Wine extravaganza. The weather was perfect. The line up of chefs, wineries and venue was perfect. The friends I enjoyed the day with were perfect.

When I received the invitation from Liren at Kitchen Confidante to attend the Pebble Beach Food and Wine event, I was delighted. Soon after, I received an email  from Jean at Lemon and Anchovies letting me know that she was attending too. I was overwhelmed with the out pour of friendship and thoughtfulness. It was soon official – we would all be attending the event. Hopefully we would catch up with other Bay Area Bloggers.

Liren was kind enough to drive to the event. It was a great opportunity to chat about everything from family, careers to of course everything food. We arrived early to the Grand Tasting and were among the first guests in line. Jean joined us shortly and even brought some tasty snacks for us to enjoy while waiting for that magical noon hour.

With our cameras in toe around our necks, we finally entered the colossal tent. They actually sectioned it into “tent A” and “tent B”. We had three hours to eat, chat, taste and have fun. Within the food blogger sphere, you make many friends but don’t often actually get to meet them in person. I was lucky enough to meet Liren and Jean last year at a food blogger dinner. During the event we had the pleasure of meeting Sara from CaffeIna and Gina from SPCookieQueen. I was looking forward to meeting Azmina, who Jean invited from Laywer Love Lunch , so hopefully we will meet soon at another foodie event.

A true highlight for the day was meeting Tyler Florence. A relatively new Bay Area resident, he has made his mark with Wayfare Tavern in San Francisco. He was truly one of the kindest and most hospitable celebrity chefs at the event. If you have not dined there, I would highly recommend it. The fried chicken is the signature dish and is finger licking good.

With cameras and wine glasses ready, we forged forward to taste the divine dish from Josh Drage from The Ranch at Rock Creek in Montana. He served a Grilled Bison with Mache salad, radish, red potatoes, egg and divine vinaigrette. His center of attention is with utilizing local producers of organic and sustainable meats and produce. His food is defining Montana cuisine.

The culinary teams from US Food Service were full of personality and vibrancy. They made a wickedly delicious dish of Bronzed Eastern Sea Scallop with Mango Dungeness Crab Cerviche and Blue Corn Crisp. Believe it or not, I had steered away from Scallops for all of my adult life until now. They converted me to a Scallop lover!

Emily Luchetti from Farallon made an absolutely incredible dessert – Brownie Brown Sugar Parfait. There was a chewy brownie, creamy custard, crunchy bits and layers of brown sugar goodness. Perfection created with just one spoonful. We all wished there were more dessert booths – hopefully for the fifth annual event.

Joseph Humphrey from Murray’s Circle at Cavallo Point Lodge in San Francisco’s Fort Baker scenic setting which stares at the iconic Golden Gate Bridge was full of personality. He served a Duck Hush Puppy with Prosciutto and it was simply a bite of fried heaven.

Not being familiar with The Plumed Horse located in Saratoga, I was elated when I tried the Foie Gras Ravioli with Truffled Pea Puree. Chef Peter Armellino is very deserving of receiving the Michelin Star in 2009, 2010 and 2011. As Michael Bauer from SF Chronicle says – “Plumed Horse is the standard for destination restaurants”.

Chef Jerry Regester from The C Restaurant + Bar has spectacular views of the Monterey Bay. "We are committed to a seasonally-inspired cuisine - focusing on fresh, local and sustainable ingredients - that supports our local purveyors". said Chef Regester. He created a supreme dish – Pork Shank Terrine with Umbria Lentils and Dungness Crab.

One of biggest thrills of the day was tasting the Popcorn Bisque from Chef Clint Wilson from The Lodge at Pebble Beach. First of all, Clint and his team were full of energy and had a zest for life. We could sense the moment we approached the booth, that they were proud of the bisque and enjoyed the positive surprise from each guest who tasted this heavenly soup. It was a creamy corn soup with butter and popcorn. Incredibily rich but we all gladly accepted a second shot glass from Chef Clint.

Not only did Chef Clint make an out of this world bisque, he delighted us with a Braised Buffalo Shortrib on top of a potato gratin. The combination was another stunner from Chef Clint.

Masaharu Morimoto and his team created a one bite wonder – Angry Octopus, Meyer Lemon Cream with Pickled Kumquats. He recently opened Morimoto Napa and seamlessly integrates western and japanese ingredients to create culinary masterpeices. His team assembled the appetizers with such precision by using tweezers to garnish each one.

Who doesn’t love bacon? I personally do not know anyone. Ray Garcia from Fig Restaurant in Santa Monica certainly knew how to draw a crowd by serving “Bacon wrapped Bacon”. Thinly sliced smoked bacon is wrapped around slab smoked bacon and cooked slowly for about eight hours on low heat. The result is a crispy outside and a melt in your mouth inside.

Moody’s Bistro and Lounge is located in Truckee on your way to Lake Tahoe and Executive Chef Mark Estee puts his spin on bistro classics with a culinary flair. He served an Artisan Head Cheese with Salad and Croutons. The pig adornments on the table caught your attention and gravitated us to his table. Chef Mark became emersed in the creation of his dish and shared his passion with us.

La Folie in San Francisco featured Chef Roland Passot and served a Foie Gras Soup with Bacon.

Restaurant 1833 in Monterey hired Levi Mezick as their executive chef.  He created a very light fish starter that appeared to be poached in olive oil and finished with fennel, pea puree and lemon verbena olive oil.  Pure decadence!

Michael Simon created a lamb mini meatball with yogurt and fennel and a bit of mint on top.  It was a delightful bite.

This must have been the quickest three hours of my life. I enjoyed great food, great wine and spent time with great foodie friends. You are probably wondering about all of the terrific wines – I have decided to dedicate a part two to just the wines at Pebble Beach Food & Wine. Stay tuned for part two in the next few days!

Royal Radish Crostini with Peppercress

Didn’t get an invitation to the royal wedding between Prince William and Kate Middleton? No worries, throw your own royal wedding party instead. Don’t feel bad, I did not get an invitation either.  No need to fret – have your own appetizer feast tomorrow night while you are watching the festivities in the comfort of your own "royal palace" {smile}.

The 650 invited guests who will celebrate Kate and William’s big day will enjoy a "modest spread of Champagne, wedding cake and two-bite appetizers, or canapés," reports the New York Times for the lunchtime reception hosted by Queen Elizabeth. Buckingham Palace has physical limitations, so the “cocktail style” venue is ideal. I am sure the guests will be quite pleased with such appetizers as mini Yorkshire puddings with roast beef and horseradish cream to bubble-and-squeak confit with lamb shoulder.

With a lazer focus on the upcoming royal nuptuals over the last several weeks, it is hard to not hear the words – “Royal Wedding” ripple throught the air. Americans have long had a fascination with royalty. The royal wedding represents the ultimate fairy tale. I remember like it was yesterday, staying late to watch the royal wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana. What a remarkable event. As Americans, we do not share the tradition of a royal family, instead we have first families that come and go in either four or eight year increments. A royal family represents a sense calm, continuity and traditionalism.

My brush with Royalty: The closest that I have ever come to the “Royal Family” was about thirteen years ago. I was attending a human resources association lunch at the top of the lakeside building in Oakland. Since the luncheon was on the top floor, I had several floors to travel in the elevator. Once I hit the designated floor, the doors opened and there was an abundance of special security all around.

This was completely out of the norm. My curiousity was high. I wondered what was all the fuss about and what was going on. As I turned to head down the hall to my lunch meeting, approximately ten feet away stood royalty. It was Prince Andrew. He was a very tall and handsome man. I noticed a quick smile from the prince and I became a bit weak in the knees, while heading into my meeting.  My brush with royalty was brief yet wonderfully memorable.

Our Tivo is programmed to record the royal wedding. We will enjoy several appetizers during the royal wedding even if it is the next day when we actually view it - with hopes of staying awake. In honor of Kate and William's special day, I created this Radish Crostini with Peppercress. A toast to William and Kate - may you have a long and happy life filled with many wonderful and brilliant memories.

Royal Radish Crostini with Peppercress

One Baguette or Ciabatta
Garlic and Herb Goat Cheese
Radishes, sliced thin
Peppercress
Fleur de Sel
Olive oil

Slice bread into 1/3 inch thick slices, brush each side with olive oil and lay on a cookie sheet. Toast under the broiler until light golden brown on each side. Let cool.

Spread with garlic and herb goat cheese. Lay radish slices on top and garnish with peppercress. Sprinkle a bit of fleur de sel on top of each Crostini.

Note: I found the peppercress at Whole Foods.