9 Layer Magic Bar Cookie

There is something to be said about tradition and history, particularly when it comes to favorite childhood memories. How many of you remember the Seven Layer Magic Cookie Bar? I would have to imagine that many of you have favorable memories of this nostalgic bar cookie which is still extremely popular today.

Last weekend I visited my 94 year old Aunt Mary who lives about an hour and half away. You are probably thinking “wow she is 94 years old”. Though she is the age she is, you would almost never know it. She is one sharp lady and quite spunky. At one point, she let me know that she just got her drivers license renewed for another five years. Normally, that would make me nervous, but she is an independent woman and quite capable.

She wanted to take me out to lunch. Although it was my intention to take her, she insisted and I wasn’t going to deprive her of her desire and independence. Aunt Mary use to have vivid red hair that was purely natural until just recently when she decided to go grey. I love her spirit, sense of humor and zest for life. We pulled up to the restaurant and no handicap spots were available – quite unbelievable that all three were occupied.

She was amenable to letting me drop her at the front door where there was a bench next to the front door and I would park near by. By the time that I parked and briskly walked back to grab her hand, a very nice man was already escorting her to the front door. I thanked him. My Aunt Mary and I promptly got seated. Once we had our drinks, she said to me – “Hey I still got it”. She of course was referring to the man who escorted her to the door. Love her spirit!

Each time Aunt Mary would cook something for us when we were kids she would exclaim that “it is supreme”. In honor of my independent 94 year old Aunt Mary, I have made my version of the seven layer magic cookie bar – only with nine layers. Thank you Aunt Mary for a wonderful day - love you!

Supreme Nine Layer Magic Cookie Bars

2 C. graham cracker crumbs
¾ C. butter or margarine, melted
1 (14 ounce) can Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 C. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 1/3 C. flaked coconut
1 C. chopped pecans
1 ½ C. Mini Marshmallows
¼ C. Chopped Heath bar
Caramel (see recipe below)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (325 degrees F for glass baking pan). In small bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs and butter; mix well. Press crumb mixture firmly on bottom of 13x9-inch baking pan.

Pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over crumb mixture. Layer evenly in this order: coconut, pecans, then chocolate chips; press down firmly with fork.

Bake 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool. Sprinkle marshmallows over the top and under the broiler, leave until golden brown – just a minute or so. Remove and sprinkle with heath bits and drizzle with caramel.

Chill if desired. Cut into bars or diamonds. Store covered at room temperature.

Caramel Sauce

1 ½ C. sugar
¼ C. water
½ t. lemon juice
1 C. heavy cream

Stir sugar, water and lemon juice in a large saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Increase the heat; boil without stirring until the mixture turns deep amber brown. This should take about 9 minutes. Take off the stove and hold over the sink before pouring the cream mixture into the sugar mixture. It will boil and bubble. Once calmed down, add to back to the burner and reduce slightly over medium low heat for about 8 minutes. Chill until thickened. Put into another container and slightly heat when ready to use.

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!