Taste With The Eyes

Thanksgiving Leftovers Cupcakes

🧁 🦃 Thanksgiving Leftovers Cupcakes 🦃 🧁

The Stuffing Everyone Loves
Stuffed with Turkey
Topped With Mashed Potatoes
Served with Dried Cranberries and Turkey Gravy

We 🧡 Thanksgiving Leftovers! They offer a convenient and enjoyable way to continue savoring the flavors of the holiday way beyond the initial feast. Moreover, they allow for culinary ingenuity and resourcefulness in the kitchen without the stress of timing every dish to be served hot and promptly!

In essence, leftovers hold a special significance – blending tradition, the chance to minimize food waste, and nostalgia for mom’s leftover turkey sandwiches from days gone by.

Here, whimsical cupcakes are crafted using leftover stuffing, turkey, gravy, and mashed potatoes. Besides the adorable presentation, they are super tasty and combine all the tastes of Thanksgiving into one savory little package.

The Stuffing Everyone Loves

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Nashville Hot Chicken Tacos

Nashville Hot Chicken Tacos
and
Grits & Greens

The story goes that Thornton Prince III, a Nashville resident, had a reputation for being a womanizer. One day, after a late night out, he came home to his girlfriend who wanted to teach him a lesson. In an attempt to make his breakfast unappetizing, she heavily seasoned the chicken with cayenne pepper. However, instead of being put off by the spice, Prince enjoyed the fiery flavor and decided to share it with his friends.

In the late 1930s, Prince’s Hot Chicken Shack was officially established, and the popularity of Nashville hot chicken began to grow. Over the years, the dish became a local favorite and gained recognition way beyond Nashville.

We are huge fans of the city of Nashville, and Nashville Hot Chicken. A little while back we did a tasting of Nashville Hot Chicken in Vegas.

The chicken is often served on a piece of white bread or in between a bun. Here, I take the hot chicken concept and serve it in charred flour tortillas. By all accounts, it’s just another way to enjoy fabulous Nashville hot chicken.

Grits and Greeens

Nashville Hot Chicken Tacos
and Grits & Greens Recipes

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Pan-Seared Cod, Braised Fennel, Garlic Cream

This charming rustic cod dish is not meant to be fancy. Caramelized wedges of fennel and onion are simply bathed in a warm garlic cream. Wild Alaska Pacific Cod fillets, with their slightly sweet mild clean taste and lean flaky texture, are pan-seared to develop a light golden-brown crust on the outside while keeping the interior moist and tender.

The rustic approach embodies simplicity. It centers on the use of affordable ingredients and easy preparation techniques that elevate and showcase their basic humble quality.

The golden fillets rest upon the creamy braised vegetables. Scattered with rough-chopped herbs and lemon zest, this is a delightful, delicious dish that’s quick and unfussy yet astonishingly complex in flavor.

Rustic Cod Recipe

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Michael Chiarello’s Marinated Salmon with Fennel Salad

Michael Chiarello's Marinated Salmon

In Memory Of Chef Michael Chiarello
January 26, 1962 – October 6, 2023

Marinated Salmon with Fennel Salad

His love for the Napa Valley is a central theme in his career and philosophy. Michael Chiarrello’s style of cooking married the rich traditions of his Italian culinary heritage with the casual style and fresh flavors of the wine country.

The Chef was renowned for letting good ingredients speak for themselves, cooking in sync with the seasons, and celebrating whatever the market brought. Upon hearing the news of his passing, I wanted to honor his memory by preparing one of his recipes.

Chef Michael Chiarello sadly lost his life due to an acute allergic reaction that ultimately resulted in anaphylactic shock. He was 61 years old when he passed away earlier this month in Napa, California.

🧡 🧡 🧡

About this recipe the Chef wrote, “I discovered this dish on Italy’s Amalfi Coast, an area famous for lemons and wild fennel. The salmon is a sort of ceviche, cooked in lemon juice with olive oil…”

Michael Chiarello's Marinated Salmon

Marinated Salmon with Fennel Salad

This is my adaptation of the Chef’s recipe from my signed copy of his cookbook, “Casual Cooking, Wine Country Recipes for Family and Friends.” His restaurant Tra Vigne in St. Helena, Napa Valley was one of my early favorites.

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Palos Verdes Pastoral at Terranea Resort 2023

Palos Verdes Pastoral at Terranea Resort

Palos Verdes Pastoral 2023

🌿 🦋 🦉 🌼 “Go Wild for the Peninsula” 🌼 🦉 🦋 🌿

Nestled amidst the pristine beauty of the Palos Verdes Peninsula in Southern California, Terranea Resort, a world-class coastal haven, was the stage once again for the annual garden-to-table gala that marries a heavenly dining experience with environmental consciousness.

Palos Verdes Pastoral at Terranea Resort

The Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy (PVPLC) is a non-profit organization passionately dedicated to safeguarding the Peninsula’s open spaces and natural landscapes. Since 1988, the Conservancy has preserved more than 1700 acres of natural land.

Terranea Resort, sprawled across 100 acres of picturesque terrain, continues to be the ideal venue for this splendid affair. Offering breathtaking vistas of the ocean, it was the perfect setting for an event that combined gourmet delights, wonderful wines, entertainment, and philanthropy.

Palos Verdes Pastoral 2023

Palos Verdes Pastoral at Terranea Resort

The fundraiser featured fine cuisine, a signature cocktail, and wine that enchanted the palate and elevated the spirit. As the sun set over the Pacific, attendees of this magnificent soirée found their hearts and minds aligned with a purpose: to ensure that the Palos Verdes Peninsula remained a pastoral masterpiece for generations to come.