where the image is meant to titillate and inspire the cook
Stuffed Shells just the way everyone likes them…filled with Italian Sausage, Spinach, Ricotta, topped with a homemade Tomato Sauce, Parmesan, and melting Mozzarella…but here, they are heart healthy and vegan! Please don’t stop reading if vegan is not your cup-of-tea, simply make this exact recipe and use the authentic ingredients instead of the substitutes that I am suggesting. Either way, this is one satisfying dish.
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Caprese Verrine with Heirloom Tomato Gelée, Burrata Cheese, Olive Oil, Basil
Camembert with Edible Flower Wine Gelée
Espresso Gelée with Coffee Liqueur Cream
Entertain with Gelée!
Another dinner party at Lori Lynn’s, but this one starts off differently…my friends join me in the kitchen as we film the first ever video for Taste With The Eyes. On the menu is a gorgeous Camembert Cheese decorated with Edible Flower Wine Gelée to be served with grilled bread as an appetizer. Our Sunken City Supper Club signature amuse bouche, the Caprese Verrine, kicks off the dinner as a vibrant 2 oz. bite. And for dessert, we serve a petite 3 oz. Espresso Gelée topped with Coffee Liqueur Cream.
All three gelée incarnations are perfect for entertaining with their enigmatic texture, the shimmering gelatin captures the essence of the flavor and melts in the mouth. They are easy to prepare, easy on the pocketbook, and feature a unique presentation that is certain to delight. They’re most likely not something your guests are preparing every day at home…
I couldn’t wait to start this project. We had a blast making the video! With my dearest friends encouraging me while we filmed the video, sipping Champagne, they gave their best advice: Fix your bangs! Look at the camera! Don’t look at the camera! Talk slower! Talk faster! Smile! CUT! This was a riot! And the dishes, they speak for themselves.
After the final cut Chip asks, “Can I taste it?”
You bet!
Autumn Antiquity Soup…
…is a soup where spelt is the star – along with chestnuts, tomatoes, pancetta, onion, beef broth, parsley and thyme. It is a perfect Autumn soup, a transition soup, with deep earthy flavors and rich colors, yet the broth is not heavy at all, saving those really hearty soups for the colder weather months ahead. The soup is brightened with a dollop of tangy non-fat Greek yogurt and a drizzle of fruity olive oil.
Spelt Berries – Whole Kernels of Grain
Spelt is the grain from antiquity, the non-hybrid primitive relative of our present day wheat dating back more than 9000 years with a nutty flavor and an intriguing chewy texture.
KIWI-TINI @ tommy bahama’s
Town Square Las Vegas
Is it possible to visit Las Vegas and not indulge in food and drink? As foodies, we LOVE Vegas. This past weekend we dined at the BEST of the BEST – Alain Ducasse, Pierre Gagnier, and Joel Robuchon among others. We were obviously leaning French this trip! Is there a city where one can find so many of the world’s top chefs? It’s Vegas, baby!
In addition to dining at the crème de la crème, how about some just plain ol’ fun? On the patio at Tommy Bahama’s…in the open air bar at Mon Ami Gabi with views of the strip…relaxing on the couches at Morels with their unmatched cheese bar…high atop the strip at Mix with views from the 64th floor…and at Red Square where we contemplated purchasing the requisite bottle of vodka, to don fur coats and enjoy the beverage in the vodka vault at minus 5 degrees. Alas, as we had dinner reservations later that night at Joel Robuchon at 9 PM, so we sipped a glass of Veuve instead. Maybe next time?
We didn’t go to the French countryside, but enjoyed a taste of French Country decor & cuisine all the same…I recently took my mother to brunch at the adorable Stella Mare’s restaurant in Santa Barbara, California. The house was originally build in 1872 and moved to its current site on the edge of the Santa Barbara Bird Refuge in 1962.
Stella Mare’s Victorian house is a designated historic landmark.