Author Archives: Anne

Posted on June 27, 2007 by Anne| 2 Comments

Review: La Casa Que Canta’s Restaurant, Zihuatanejo



Ah…….Zihuatanejo. I can see why Andy wanted to end up there after escaping from Shawshank Prison and encouraged his friend Red to do the same. I’m so glad they did.

First of all, it’s friggin gorgeous. Blue skies, blue water, green palm trees and wonderful people. What’s not to like? After three busy days in Mexico City, it was so nice to escape the hustle and bustle of such a big (and polluted- whoa. I’d never, EVER seen such a thick blanket of dark brown smog in my life than when our plane left Mexico City….eek) city.

My second post will be a roundup of all the things we saw and ate, but I do have to devote one post to the best meal we had in Zihuatanejo. La Casa Que Canta is a world-renowned, world-class resort hotel and has been named one the world’s BEST hotels numerous times by various travel publications. It was made even more famous by Andy Garcia and Meg Ryan’s little vacay in the movie When A Man Loves A Woman. While planning our trip, I toyed with the idea of staying there until I saw that three nights at La Casa cost as much as a brand new Maserati. Well, ok maybe not that much but you get the idea. We ended up staying at the hotel right next door which was honestly just fantastic- we’ll be staying there during any future trips to Zihuatanejo (but more on that in the next post!). Anyway, since we didn’t stay at La Casa, we figured we’d just eat there. When we asked our concierge to make us a reservation, he mentioned that they have a strict dress code- no flip flops, no shorts, no t-shirts and “casual elegance.” Um, what? It’s Zihuatanejo, for cryin’ out loud! You have to wear SOCKS? We asked another hotel employee and he said the same thing, so we gave up. I mean, I had brought a couple of casual beach dresses I could dress up with some jewelry, but J had nothing but shorts and one pair of jeans, which were also apparently off limits. Oh well.

We started the walk down the hill in search of a place to have dinner and was walking past La Casa when J said, “Let’s just go in and see what they say- maybe our hotel guys don’t want us to go to the competition!” So we walked in- he in the supposedly-offending shorts and t-shirt get-up, and I in some linen cargo pants and a white tank top. The minute we got inside of the beautiful restaurant, I knew we had to eat there. It was totally empty and the hostess definitely gave J the once over, but she was friendly and sat us immediately. YAY! Maybe because it was the off-season, maybe because J was right about our hotel guys, who knows. At least we were sitting on the edge of the gorgeous patio overlooking the ocean and their famous pool, holding menus in our hands.

After a quick look, we both decided to get the four-course tasting menu, astonishingly priced at only around $44 per person. Look, I know it’s Mexico and a lot of things are cheap, but considering how much the rooms at La Casa cost, I was still surprised. We ordered a bottle of pino grigio and nibbled on the amuse bouche of mini grilled fish skewers drizzled with teriyaki sauce.

Amuse bouche………

First up: a duo of appetizers. On the left side of the plate was some lovely tuna tartar topped with avocado, and on the left was an interesting take on a Cesar salad. A parmesan cracker “ring” was filled with whole baby romaine heart spears, dressed with Cesar dressing. Both were fresh, light and very delicious and we were thrilled that we actually got two appetizers- this would be a continuing theme throughout the meal so it actually ended up being more like an 8 course menu!

Tuna tartar and Cesar salad

Next came a small blue tangine which contained a single zucchini blossom ravioli swimming in a light cheese sauce- YUM. This was probably our favorite dish of the night. I could have just picked up the bowl and drank the sauce, but I figured that might be rude so I resisted. It was perfect for dipping our bread in though, so we went to town.


Squash blossom ravioli

For our main courses, J chose the filet mignon with peppercorn sauce and marlin baked in a banana leaf. Both were cooked perfectly and the peppercorn sauce had a nice bite to it. I have to admit, it was nice to sink my teeth into some meat after living on seafood for the whole trip. My main course of conchinita pibil on one side and grilled lobster tail on the other didn’t disappoint either- both were tender and succulent.

J’s main course

My main course

Dessert came in a pair as well- rice pudding topped with raisins and cinnamon and a banana cheesecake. The rice pudding was so refreshing- J hadn’t really had rice pudding before that and fell in love with their version. The cheesecake was rich but not too heavy and had a nice, distinctive banana flavor.

Dessert…….yum

The food, service and amazing views make La Casa Que Canta a must-visit destination, but the value of the meal just cannot be beat! After we finished eating, the staff told us that we could go down to the bar area, sit by the pool and have a drink, which we did. I can see why the hotel is one of the world’s best and had to resist not sneaking into one of the bungalows to take a peek! The staff really made us feel at home, even if we weren’t guests there. I highly recommend it for nice, sit-down meal to balance out all of the fish-taco eating you’ll do if you ever go to Zihuatanejo.

You cannot beat this view!

More Zihuatanejo photos to come!

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Posted in La Casa Que Canta, Mexico, vacation, Zihuatanejo

Posted on June 25, 2007 by Anne| 1 Comment

More Random Mexico City Eats

Here’s the final Mexico City post before I move onto our favorite part of the vacation- Zihuatanejo!!

We ate some fanastic al pastor tacos at a little place near our hotel which were just amazing.

Before that, we had some quesedillas, flautas and sopes with nopales at another small restaurant- we didn’t realize that everything was totally deep fried, but it was good.


After a walk around the city and a tour of the “house of tiles” we had a mediocre lunch at Cafe de Tacuba (the restaurant, not the band!). The palce was beautiful but the food was just so-so.


We were too full after that to try any of the gorgeous pastries a bakery we stopped into but I did manage to snap some photos of the delcious-smelling sweets!


The next day we strolled around Frida Kahlo’s old neighborhood, Coyoacán, and didn’t have time to eat but did enjoy checking out the colorful and eclectic buildings. One thing I noticed were that a lot of the trees were covered with circles of chewed gum……sort of disgusting and beautiful at the same time, no? The street food looked great, but unfortunately we weren’t really hungry.




Overall, we had a wonderful time in Mexico City. The people, flavors, colors and vibe were all warm, rich and unique.


And that wraps up D.F! Up next: Dinner at La Casa Que Canta, fish tacos at La Sirena Gorda, and much more!

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Posted in Uncategorized

Posted on June 21, 2007 by Anne| 3 Comments

Review: Contramar, Condesa neighborhood of Mexico City

During our recent trip to Mexico City, we had the pleasure of dining with our lovely friend Kasia at Contramar, which has been widely touted as one of the best in D.F. Since the restaurant serves only the freshest food, their operating hours are from 1:00- 6:00 PM. We took a taxi to the restaurant and arrived a bit early to find the staff having their daily, pre-opening meeting. After a short wait, we were allowed into the wide open and well-lit space. I was excited!!!

Contramar specializes in seafood, and has a large menu featuring everything from octopus to ahi. Kasia recommended that we start with the ahi tostadas (a favorite of her husband’s who unfortunately was here in Los Angeles and couldn’t join us). We then asked the waiter to recommend the other dishes and in the end we ordered the tostadas, ceviche, the pescado al pastor tacos, grilled marlin and some octopus in a chile sauce (hey- we wanted to try a lot!). An array of accoutrement were set on the table- some pickled onions, sliced chiles and a bread basket- and we were on our way to a Contramar meal!


First up- the ahi tostadas. They were everything Kasia had described- fresh ahi marinated in what seemed to be a light soy dressing and layered on a crispy tortilla topped with avocado and aioli. Similar in flavor to an ahi poki that you’d find at most sushi bars in Los Angeles, it was the perfect way to get our appetites going. The ceviche was also very fresh and light, which thin slices of yellow and red bell pepper perched atop tender, just-cooked (in lime juice) white fish. I noticed that it wasn’t too tart, like a lot of ceviches tend to be.

When the marlin was brought out, I was dismayed to find it topped with my arch nemesis- the BLACK OLIVE! Eek! The fish looked so lovely, however, that I couldn’t resist taking a bite as it was, and resisted the urge to scrape every single offending black sliver. It was actually pretty good and the olives didn’t overpower the flavor of the marlin. I didn’t dig into with the fever that Kasia and J did, but I did enjoy it quite a bit. My eyes were drawn away, however, when the tacos appeared. They looked like the cochinita pibil or al pastor tacos I’d seen here in Los Angeles- a mass of shredded meat reddened by sauce, topped with marinated red onions. However, the “meat” here was made of fish, and in the following days in Mexico I’d discover that this dish existed in many restaurants throughout Mexico City and Zihuatanejo. We all loved it, and J and I vowed that we’d search high and low for this dish upon our return to Los Angeles.

The true show stopper came in the form of the octopus. It was a simple-looking plate of octopus chunks covered in a red sauce, but once we took a bite, we were wowed by the complexity of its flavor and the extreme tenderness of the meat. WOW. It had the texture of pillows (not that I eat pillows) and was just spectacular.

We probably should have ended the meal with that dish but we couldn’t resist ordering some raw oysters. They appeared in all their glistening, brined glory but the minute I slid one down the hatch, I was overwhelmed with the fishiness factor. They were also room temperature, which isn’t really how I like my oysters. J, like a trooper, ate four of them, and we both think they were the cause of some unpleasantness later on……a bit for me, a lot for poor J. I think we’ll skip the little suckers next time.


The dessert tray that the waiter brought out had a beautiful mound of fresh lychees, various cheesecakes (including a Nutella one!) and a couple types of flan, but we were too stuffed to indulge. Kasia ordered an espresso and I got a coffee, and we finally ended our seafood fest.


After lunch, we took a walk around her neighborhood, where we couldn’t resist getting some freshly made sorbet from the local stand (did I say we were stuffed? naw….!). Most of the ices were made without dairy and there were so many flavors I couldn’t decide what to get! I finally settled on a scoop of elote (corn) and one of passion fruit while J got strawberry and lime. The corn one was slightly sweet and creamy but the passion fruit blew my socks off- so tart and delicious with the crunchy seeds still in it. YUM. J loved his lime ice as well.

Our Mexico adventures will continue with another post coming soon!!!!!!!!!!

Contramar
Avenida Durango 200Mexico City, TX 06700 Mexico
+52 55 5514 9217 / +52 55 5514 3169

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Posted in Contramar, Mexico City, seafood restaurants

Posted on June 18, 2007 by Anne| 1 Comment

Mexico City: Dinner With Friends

We’re back from a week in Mexico (3 days in Mexico City and 3 in Zihuatanejo) and had a fabulous time! I wish I was still in Zihuatanejo, listening to the sound of crashing waves and living almost entirely on seafood. I took a ton of photos, ate lots of great food and will have the next ten or so posts dedicated to our trip. So, I hope you’re interested in Mexico because otherwise you might get bored of the Mexico Series!!

We started our trip in Mexico City. After the 3 1/2 flight from Los Angeles, we checked into the W Hotel in Polanco. I was looking forward to staying there since I’d heard a lot of good things about it. It was nice, but I have to admit it just wasn’t our style. The constant throbbing of bad techno music, the outwardly sincere yet impersonal service and the I-Think-I’m-Hip crowd which poured into the bar area every night just did not suit us at all. Yes, the rooms were large and the hammock in the shower was interesting, but next time I think I will skip the W. It simply wasn’t worth the price and the staff tried to nickel-and-dime us for every little thing, in addition to claiming that I didn’t pre-pay for our three nights there. I finally printed out a copy of my credit card statement for them to look at, and although they said they would resolve it, I find myself checking our account every couple of days to make sure they don’t try and charge me again. It just isn’t something you’d expect from such a renowned hotel chain.

On to more pleasant topics! On our very first night, we were invited to have dinner at Cesar and Abril’s house- they were friends of friends but I am happy to say they are good friends of ours now as well. After the short trip from our hotel, we were welcomed into their lovely apartment by Seattle resident Erin, who was staying with the couple for two months while studying Spanish at the local university. After a few minutes, we were joined by Abril’s brother Lucas and his girlfriend Jasmine and we dug into the homemade appetizers of green grapes rolled in soft cheese and nuts (delicious!) while sipping on wine and talking. We felt so well taken care of in their home and lucky to have met such warm people who had obviously put a lot of thought into the whole experience. Their adorable dog, Scott, trotted around the room and we gathered at the table, ready to eat!

Erin cooking up a storm…..

Salad to start the meal…..

First up- a fresh, colorful salad of greens, tomatoes, red onions, red bell peppers and beautifully rich avocados. It was yummy and refreshing- and one of the few salads we would eat during the week! Abril also made a spinach, mushroom and cheese pie which she called a “spinach cake.” It reminded me of quiche but with no eggs, and was wonderful as well.

The beautiful spinach “cake”

For the main course, Erin whipped up a delicious pot of shrimp in a tomato and garlic sauce which she ladled over spaghetti. J and I sat and enjoyed the food while they spoke rapidly in both English and Spanish, putting our feeble attempts at Spanish to shame. We discussed music, food, cooking……….in my personal experience, I find that non-Americans are so much more passionate about food and Mexicans are no different. Food is not just something they enjoy- it’s a necessary part of and expression of their culture. I know Americans love their food, but the way other cultures talk about, think about and enjoy their food is on a level much deeper than here in the United States.

Our lovely hosts, Abril and Erin

J chatting with our other lovely host, Cesar

After dissecting a plate of gorgeous pastries that Abril bought from the local bakery, we ended the evening sipping on Don Julio tequila (muy sabroso!) and patting our full bellies. Cesar, Abril and Erin- thanks for being such amazing hosts and having us over for the delicious food and fabulous company. Your hospitality was so wonderful and made us feel so welcomed on our first night in Mexico City.

Stay tuned for more Mexico City and Zihuatanejo posts!

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Posted in Mexico City, vacation

Posted on June 7, 2007 by Anne| 3 Comments

Short post before VACATION!

One more day of work before our trip to Mexico City and Zihuatanejo…I can hardly wait to see the pyramids, Frida Kahlo’s old stomping grounds, lay on the beach and eat some serious seafood. I have a long list of restaurants I want to try in Mexico City but I doubt we’ll have time to visit them all! I am excited about going to Contramar which I heard about from Potatomato- it’s a must eat destination, apparently! On our first night, we will have dinner at the house of an acquaintance which I’m also looking forward to- it’s always great to see how people cook in their own homes when you’re away from your own.

The other night I made up a donburi (bowl) of sorts- brown rice topped with edamame, stewed kabocha, canned Japanese seasoned tuna, steamed spinach and green onions. I could live on the kobocha alone, but the combination of sweet, salty and savory was great. A side of tofu topped with enoki mushrooms and macha powder plus a small salad completed the meal.

I promise lots of Mexico photos, food and stories upon our return!

Have a great week!!

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Posted in Japanese food

Posted on June 5, 2007 by Anne| 8 Comments

Sushi Ike, Hollywood

I love sushi. In fact, I think sushi is my favorite food on the planet. The older I get, the more I grow to love it, crave it, need it on a weekly basis. Luckily it’s healthy and there is a lot of variety so it never gets old. Unluckily, it isn’t cheap so it’s quite an expensive habit to have. Fortunately there are a few reasonably priced yet high-quality sushi places in town so I don’t always have to fork over a kidney to get my nigiri fix.

Amuse bouche

One of those places is Sushi Ike in Hollywood, about a mile or so from my office. I’d always heard about how fresh and reasonable it was but never got around to trying it until a couple of weeks ago. We had one of our cars in the shop so J picked me up from work and we wanted to wait the traffic out so I thought it was the perfect change to try Sushi Ike. By the way, it’s pronounced “Ee-ke,” not “Ike” like in “Mike & Ikes.”

Aji

We pulled into the unassuming strip mall on the corner of Gower and Sunset and were lucky enough to be the 3rd couple there (after another 20 minutes, the place was PACKED!). We sat down at the small sushi counter, were given wet towels and ordered two iced green teas while the sushi chef gave us a small amuse bouche of fried salmon marinated in rice vinegar- YUM. My mom makes a similar dish with iwashi so it reminded me of her.

Hirame

Our sushi chef (not Ike-san, who was working the middle of the counter and all smiles) was nice but very serious, not really chatting with us and focusing on making each nigiri perfect with the smallest amount of rice possible (which is a good thing- too much rice just fills you up). We started with a well-marbled piece of salmon, which was delicious. We then had halibut brushed with yuzu and lemon, scallop with shiso leaf and very fresh aji with ponzu and ginger.

Hotate with shiso

We saw that most people had been ordering the sliced octopus, so we got one as well. The chef took out a pre-boiled tentacle and tossed it on a grill for about 5 minutes. After slicing into nice thin strips, he drizzled it with lemon and salt and presented to us. One bite of this and I knew we were hooked. It was as tender as a baby’s butt. Ok, well I’ve never eaten a baby’s butt but you know what I mean- if you blindfolded any octopus-hater and had them take a bite of this, they’d be converted. It was as soft and tender as dark meat chicken but still had the subtle taste of both sea and grill. I asked Ike-san how on earth they got it to such a texture, and he revealed that they boil the raw octopus in green tea and adzuki beans. Apparently something in the beans is the key to tenderness. Maybe I should give a bag to a particularly tough and chewy coworker who could try a little tenderness as well.

The magical fire…

Grilled tako

We ordered a “una-kyu” which is Japanese slang for a unagi cucumber roll. Once again, the chef tossed the unagi on the same grill- no toaster oven here- and it made for a slightly charred and utterly delicious eel which matched so well with the cool, crunchy cucumber. We finished off with the anago, which was also made on the grill and unlike any anago I’d had before. It was slightly crisp yet melting on the inside and brushed with the slightest coating of sweet sauce.

Una-kyu

I’m glad we discovered such a fresh and simple sushi place close to work. You won’t get any fancy rolls at this place- just good, fresh fish and the best grilled octopus I’ve ever had.

Anago

Sushi Ike
6051 Hollywood Blvd
Hollywood, CA
323-856-9972

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Posted in Japanese restaurants, Los Angeles restaurants, Sushi restaurants

Posted on June 1, 2007 by Anne| 2 Comments

Farewell Potluck….

A couple of weeks ago, my coworkers and I had to say goodbye to one of our dear friends as she left us all for the man of her dreams. Of course we all wondered what on earth this guy had that WE don’t have in spades (being the wonderful group of people we are, ya know;). Well, our questions were answered when we finally met the famous guy who swept our dear KB off her feet and saw that he was everything she had talked about and more.

As sad as everyone was, we knew we had to throw KB a proper farewell before she left us for the mountains of Boulder. We planned a potluck at the house and enjoyed various dishes that people brought. A great time was had by all as we sat in the backyard, laughed about the good times and ate everything in sight. There was enough cheese to put us all in a dairy coma, a fantastic fig and marcona almond “cake” to go with the cheeses (tip: Whole Foods sells this but if you live in Los Angeles, buy it at Nicole’s in South Pas- it’s half the price!!), a gnocchi salad, mushroom tart, fruit plate (marking my first time cutting a whole pineapple!), chips, dips and plenty more. Not only was KP (The Boyfriend) a really nice guy but quite the chef as well! His Blue Cheese Coleslaw was delicious, the potato salad w/ capers and olives was a hit and the pasta salad w/ tomatoes and basil was devoured. A man that rock climbs AND knows how to cook? No wonder KB couldn’t wait another minute to be with her guy!

KP’s yummy dishes…..

Gnocchi “salad” once again…..

I suppose part of what makes KB such a sweetie is that she loves sugar, so we had to have something sweet to cap off the night. I made the Red Velvet Cake from Bon Apetite that I’d made many times before- it’s always a winner and I love the fruit with the cream cheese frosting. It’s a great show-stopper, and very easy to make. Just make sure you buy gel food coloring and use the entire container of it to get the cake a nice, deep shade of red. Anyway, we polished that off too as we tried to make the evening last as long as possible before saying our goodbyes.

Cream cheese frosting mixed with fruit……

Finished cake…..

Lovely nighttime photo of cut cake….

Best of luck in Boulder KB and KP! We miss you already;).

The happy couple!!!

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Posted in desserts, potlucks

Posted on May 29, 2007 by Anne| 7 Comments

Farmer’s Market: Apricot Galette

This is a great time of year to hit a Farmer’s Market as we creep into summer and all of the fruits of the season start showing their glorious colors. This past Sunday we decided to go to the Montrose market for the first time, and were pleasantly surprised at all of the produce and food offerings it presented. Racks of bbq rotisserie chicken sat alongside piles of bing cherries (SO SWEET!) and thick masses of kale while kids took turns taking rides on the miniature ponies.

Almost immediately, I spotted the large mound of fresh apricots on one table and started grabbing. Although I’m not nuts about eating the fruit on its own, I love making desserts with them. Apricot jam is another favorite. Anyway, since they have such a short season, I had to get some before the window closed for another year.

Sugar mixture on tart……..

When I got home, I checked around and found this simple recipe which was perfect since I had a sheet of puff pastry in the freezer and bags of almonds in the pantry. I veered from the recipe slightly and used both pistachios and almonds in the sugar/nut mixture, and used regular granulated sugar instead of confectioner’s since I didn’t have any. I loved that the recipe made the fruit the star and didn’t have a lot of filler.

Ready for the oven…….

The galette was a cinch to put together- blitz some nuts and sugar in the Cuisinart and sprinkle on the puff pastry, place sliced fruit on top of sugar mixture, brush some egg wash around the rim, sprinkle the top with additional sugar and bake. Seriously- you could use any stone fruit in this and it’d be fantastic. In fact, I have over a hundred plums on my tree that will be making an appearance in another version of this when they’re ripe. I brushed the cooled tart with some melted apricot jam to give it a nice shine, and it was done. I think a scoop of some good, vanilla gelato would make it even better!

If you haven’t made it out to a Farmer’s Market lately, check out all of the mouth-watering choices that are available this time of year. To find a market near you, just check out this site.

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Posted in apricots, desserts, Farmer's market

Posted on May 24, 2007 by Anne| 7 Comments

Sweeps Week Soba Dinner

So May Sweeps on the television is almost over, and what a week its been. Not only do I love television, but I have to watch a lot of it for my job (whether I like the show or not) but who can complain. As my boss always says “What other job requires you to watch television?!?!” He’s right- it’s not like I have to risk life and limb catching crab in the Bering Sea or nothin’ (Deadliest Catch is possibly the best show on television and explains why crab costs so dang much!).

In addition to the American Idol finale (eh, it would have been more interesting had Blake won…it was a so-so season but that performance with Doug E. Fresh was awesome), Heroes ended with a bang (literally) and Dancing With The Stars closed out with Apolo Anton Ono (shout out to the Hapas everywhere!) crowned the winner. But really- who cares about any of this when LOST just blew it all out of the water with last night’s season finale?!?!?! I had to remind myself to breathe during the entire two hours. One of the editors I worked with put it best when he said “The last five minutes of LOST last night was as significant as when Darth Vader tells Luke, “I’m Your Father” in terms of major twists in pop culture history.” Now before you Star Wars maniacs start writing me hate email, remember that I’m simply quoting my co-worker. Not really being a Start Wars maniac myself, I can’t really compare but I can tell you- it was awesome!

Anyway, back to LOST later. Here’s a soba dinner we had recently.

Zaru soba- cold, buckwheat noodles dipped in a bonito broth mixture, wasabi and green onions. A summer-time favorite!

Sugar snap pea and tomato salad with sweet sesame dressing:

Soramame (fava beans) boiled, peeled and tossed with some yuzu pepper. They sell bags of frozen fava beans at Mitsuwa, and although they aren’t as good as fresh, you don’t have to take them out of the pods so it’s great for a quick snack or sidedish.

Speaking of LOST- we were lucky enough to have Michael (who’s been gone FOREVER!) aka Harold Perrineau visit us on set the other day. He brought along Daniel Dae Kim (Jin) so we were extra thrilled!!!

Me and “Michael” with me cut out.

Me with “Jin,” who I congratulated (remember, he and Sun are having a baby!)

We also did a food segment, and Bob Blumer, aka The Surreal Gourmet, was kind enough to come and show us how to whip up the most charming dishes for any party. As a food blogger, I was thrilled to have him and the food was delicious.

Me and the Surreal Gourmet

So I guess this isn’t much of a food post..more like a blubbering fan post. Sometimes variety is the spice of life, no?

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Posted in Japanese food, LOST, Soba, television

Posted on May 21, 2007 by Anne| 7 Comments
Forgotten dishes

I had meant to blog about the rest of the dishes I made for a family dinner the day after I posted about the main course, but I just plain forgot. I don’t have much time for a proper post today, so I’ll share what we ate in addition to the lasagna that evening.

As Ina Garten often recommends, I went to the Italian deli and bought my appetizers instead of trying to make five things by myself. I picked up some prosciutto di Parma, sopressata, bocconcini , sun dried tomatoes, bread sticks and a tub of seasoned, roasted bell peppers and simply arranged them to create an antipasto platter. I did spear the bocconcini with the sun dried tomatoes and a basil leaf but short of that, I didn’t do much and it was fantastic.

To serve alongside the lasagna, I just roasted some asparagus with lemon zest, olive oil and sea salt. The beef carpaccio was made by freezing some filets, rubbing the outside of the steaks with salt & pepper, then searing them all over before sticking them back in the freezer. After about an hour, I just took them out and sliced them on my mandoline- it was so easy. Fanned around a pile of arugula crowned with parmesan and drizzled with some basil olive oil and capers, it was done.

For dessert I made Mario Batali’s Meyer Lemon Semiffredo with a bluberry sauce the night before. It was light, lemony and delicious.

More cooking adventures later this week!

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Posted in dinner party, Italian cuisine