Grocery Outlet – Elegant Tuna Dinner w/ Glass of Wine for Under $4

#GroceryOutlet Elegant Yellowfin Tuna Dinner WITH a Glass of Wine for Under $4.00 per Person!

Pan Seared Yellowfin Tuna
Brown Rice, Chia, Orzo Blend
Clams and Bacon in a White Wine, Garlic, Butter Broth
Scallions and Parsley

Served with a Glass of Sauvignon Blanc
FOR LESS THAN $4 PER PERSON

Motivated mainly by convenience and quality, rarely do I go out of my way to find a food bargain. Yet I was utterly intrigued by Grocery Outlet’s business model. Their marketing team invited me to attend the recent grand opening of the newest store in Long Beach, California.

There I met operator Jonathan Lawton and his very enthusiastic team of professional people who are seriously in love with their retail concept. They take pride in the products that they have chosen to stock and genuinely care about their new customers with plans to exceed customer expectations on a regular basis.

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Chocolate Pots de Creme with Passion Fruit

Chocolate Pots de Creme with Passion Fruit, Chantilly Cream, Maldon Sea Salt Flakes

Chocolate Pots de Creme with Passion Fruit
Creme Chantilly and Maldon Sea Salt Flakes

Share a bite of luxurious French chocolate custard paired with intoxicatingly fragrant, simultaneously  sweet and tart passion fruit or sexy creme chantilly or flaky sea salt. Treat your valentine to an interactive trio of flavors alongside Chocolate Pots de Creme to tantalize his tastebuds. Revel in the silky chocolate texture, the tropical musky passion fruit aromas, the dreamy whipped cream, and the satisfyingly pleasurable combination of sweet & salty. It’s entirely captivating!

Passion Fruit = Love

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Cevapcici Flatbread Pizza with Ajvar and Sweet Onion aka #SuperBowl Flatbread

Cevapcici Flatbread Pizza with Ajvar and Sweet Onion aka #SuperBowl Flatbread

Favorite Dish on the Super Bowl Buffet, Guaranteed

Cevapcici (Lamb and Beef Sausage) Flatbread Pizza
with
Ajvar (Spicy Roasted Red Pepper and Eggplant Dip/Spread)
Mozzarella, Sweet Onion, Sour Cream

San Pedro, our charming town located on the seaside corner of America’s second largest city, is home to thousands of Croatians, including my butcher. One of his specialties is the stubby cigar-shaped Balkan sausage known as cevapcici. He makes his with lamb and beef and spices although some people also add pork to the mix.

They are skinless and formed by a unique kitchen gadget, into what I would call a particularly unfortunate shape as they are not too pretty for the camera if you know what I mean. But what they lack in visual appeal, they make up for in flavor.

Cevapcici are almost always accompanied by onion and often by sour cream, peppers, flatbread, and ajvar – a super-tasty Balkan spread/dip/relish made primarily with roasted red pepper then smaller amounts of roasted eggplant, chili, salt, sunflower oil, and sometimes garlic. For the Super Bowl, I’m transforming the beloved Balkan sausage and it’s condiments into a pizza. It will be the favorite dish on the buffet, guaranteed.

Pronounce all the c’s like a ch, Che-VAP’-Chi-Chi. And pronounce ajvar as AY-var.

How to Make Cevapcici Flatbread Pizza

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Brouwerij West Beer Dinner with Chef Kyle Powers

Beer Dinner @ Brouwerij West with Chef Kyle Powers

Brouwerij West Beer Dinner with Chef Kyle Powers

San Pedrans and Angelenos from near and far have been anxiously awaiting the grand opening of one of Los Angeles’ most important breweries (according to EATER!). Belgian-inspired craft beer production has recently commenced in Warehouse No. 9, a repurposed massive WWII-era building at the Port of Los Angeles. For the last few years, Brewmaster Brian Mercer had been producing his signature beers in other peoples’ facilities, now finally the impressive first-time home for Brouwerij West is set to open on February 27th.

Just prior to opening to the public, the Brouwerij West space has been a hip-trendy-cool venue for some very special private parties (including our fabulous holiday party here). Recently, a lively group of beer aficionados gathered for “Dinner in the Tanks,” a beer tasting/food pairing/birthday party catered by Chef Kyle Powers of Fork in the Road Catering.

It’s no secret that the pairing of food with beer has a synergistic effect. Add the cutting-edge ambience of a long, jauntily dressed wooden picnic table nestled between huge stainless steel tanks under glimmering string lighting, and the dining experience becomes magical. Chef Powers masterfully highlights the interplay between his food and the various beers by either contrasting or mirroring the flavors, bitterness, acidity, richness and sweetness.

Angelenos are in for a real treat. Complex, harmoniously balanced beers, produced and served up in an alluring 1940s warehouse…Brouwerij West has definitely been worth the wait!

Dinner in the Tanks

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Mac and Cheese, Ham, Carrot, Celery, Onion {gluten-free}

mac n cheese, ham, carrot, celery, onion {gluten-free}

Mac and Cheese, Ham, Carrot, Celery, Onion {gluten-free}

The inspiration for this out-of-the-ordinary mac and cheese comes from an unlikely source – split pea soup! To make mac and cheese more of a meal than a side dish, I added the same ingredients and spices I use in my soup – cubed ham plus plenty of carrot, celery, and onion. Garlic, thyme, parsley, and red pepper flakes add extra flavor. The smooth white sauce was made with Parmesan and cheddar, flavored with nutmeg and dry mustard. Paired with a green salad and a glass of ripe and juicy Grenache, it makes a most satisfying winter’s night dinner.

Cooking for someone with gluten intolerance – I made this dish with gluten-free organic red rice elbows from my friends at Explore Cuisine and use Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free flour. You can use traditional macaroni and regular wheat flour if gluten is not an issue.

Gluten-Free Mac and Cheese with Ham Recipe

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