tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88057175980255061962024-03-14T03:41:08.498-07:00Vines, Brews, and FoodA blog about our love of wine, the Hubby's homebrews, and my love of cooking. And occasionally, our hobbies too...MrsToothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17702228964642231240noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8805717598025506196.post-58192037290747361402013-01-06T17:06:00.002-08:002013-01-06T17:06:36.626-08:005th Annual Pairing NYE Part 2On to course three. I decide to try a different prep for seafood since I was pairing shrimp and crab into one cake. I found this one on the LA Times' web site. Excellent, and can be prepped in advance.
Crab and Shrimp Cakes (serves 4 as an entree or up to 10 as an appetizer.) Adapted from The Oceanaire Seafood Room's recipe.
About 40 minutes
2 eggs
1 cup Brenda Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06465287295965323953noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8805717598025506196.post-39532493970652086532013-01-03T12:49:00.002-08:002013-01-03T12:49:17.539-08:005th Annual Beer Pairing NYEOnce again we did a beer pairing dinner for New Year's Eve. I can't believe it's been 5 years already since the first one, created in a fit of frustration with what the local restaurants were doing. This year we invited a few more friends to join in the fun, and TheTooth did a great job making sure I had some great brews to pair with food.
First, I decided to have some fun with the Brenda Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06465287295965323953noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8805717598025506196.post-45084725590700746422012-09-26T21:32:00.002-07:002012-09-26T21:32:49.036-07:00Summer ProjectsWhen we moved to this house, we decided the den needed a bar. Three years and one toddler later the design was finalized and the bar was built and finished this summer.
The Tooth based the design on the elements that worked from the hacked together version we had once the kegerator arrived. I think he did a great job. We had a ton of help from my parents (thanks again by the Brenda Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06465287295965323953noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8805717598025506196.post-86660003342205368692012-07-30T17:52:00.003-07:002012-07-30T17:52:42.184-07:00About those leftoversI meant to post this a couple of days after the last post on short ribs, but it honestly just slipped my mind.
We had a ton of leftovers and this is what I ended up making. Based it mostly on a recipe in Food and Wine from Thomas Keller:
Warm up short rib leftovers with a bit of the jus that you've reserved and load them on a roll with some cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato, shaved Brenda Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06465287295965323953noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8805717598025506196.post-34722395153875288122012-05-05T15:16:00.001-07:002012-05-05T15:16:07.179-07:00Another short rib recipeBristol Farms had a deal on short ribs, and I felt like cooking. Not the 50-pan, million-ingredient version either. I had a bottle of New Belgian Brewing's Cocoa Mole on hand, and I thought what the heck...worst thing that can happen is I have to pitch the lot and order a pizza.
The beer is spiced and has cocoa added, so I dialed back on the additions to garlic, salt, and Brenda Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06465287295965323953noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8805717598025506196.post-41081595637294071892012-02-16T12:01:00.000-08:002012-02-16T12:01:08.536-08:00Italian Bao, or what to do when you have enough Bolognese sauce for one and need to feed two.
I wasn't going for fusion, but that's what I ended up with. If you have leftover sauce that is heavy on the meat, this will work rather well.
You'll need:
One packet garlic herb pizza dough, or one batch of homemade if you feel adventurous
Mozzarella cheese, grated
Meat sauce
Ricotta cheese
One egg
Parmesan or Asiago
Amounts will vary depending on how many you want to make.
Pinch off Brenda Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06465287295965323953noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8805717598025506196.post-88224157400071153222012-01-24T18:30:00.000-08:002012-02-16T11:47:55.267-08:00Crab cakes!You know you want some. Not my best effort to be sure, but if you have access to decent canned crab they make a great dinner!
Not the best photo, but it is what it is.
For the cakes:
1 lb lump crabmeat, picked over for shells and such
2 tsp Old Bay or similar
1/4 cup mayo
1/2 cup panko
Tops of 4 green onions
1 egg, beaten
Ground pepper
Mix the seasonings with the crab gently. Fold Brenda Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06465287295965323953noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8805717598025506196.post-19593099522788614432012-01-07T15:30:00.000-08:002012-01-07T15:30:09.076-08:00Product Review: Himalayan Salt Plate
This year for Christmas I received (among other food/cooking stuff) a Himalayan salt plate from SaltWorks. (I'll wait while you go peruse the site. You back? Good.) I've seen the device used on a couple of cooking shows and was fascinated, but never got around to getting one myself.
Boy, am I glad this arrived among my goodies. Heated in the oven, it made forBrenda Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06465287295965323953noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8805717598025506196.post-84884716299022554172012-01-07T15:18:00.000-08:002012-01-07T15:18:01.380-08:00Coming back to the pageIt's been over a year. Yikes! In that time BabyTooth has become a full-fledged toddler, complete with toothy grins, massive hugs, and temper tantrums.
I've meant to keep up with this, but the whirlwind that was the last year plus swept me away. Today, I begin anew. I'm going to aim for once a week updates. Maybe a new recipe, maybe a shout out for something I've Brenda Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06465287295965323953noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8805717598025506196.post-76708765933641941422010-03-23T12:21:00.000-07:002010-03-23T12:54:27.957-07:00Beer for BabyTooth...Hi all.Mrs. Tooth has been trying to get me to post for a while now, so I guess I'll give it a go. As you can see from the previous post, we're expecting a new addition to the family. BabyTooth should be arriving in July and we're trying to get as much done in advance as we can. To that end, I figured I'd think WAY in advance and make her a beer for when she's old enough to drink.The TheToothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04175793154591740277noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8805717598025506196.post-39844448265879785332010-03-05T18:01:00.000-08:002010-03-05T18:13:18.704-08:00Why I've been away from this for ages!Hi all, sorry I've been the worst food blogger ever. I do have a fair number of partially completed posts, but nothing finished. This is due to my forced teetotaling the last few months, not feeling well enough to cook anything interesting, and spending way too much time on some message boards. So what caused all this change? Here she is:She will hopefully arrive in late July. We're both MrsToothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17702228964642231240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8805717598025506196.post-2400178324002505132009-10-01T18:39:00.000-07:002009-10-28T18:50:58.488-07:00Barolo is a lovely thingI've been away for ages I know, but work has kept me swamped. Hopefully things have calmed down a bit so I can spend more time in the kitchen and more time sharing recipes!Some time ago, TheTooth was given a rather lovely bottle of Barolo: a 1990 Castiglione Falletto from the castle vineyards. We never managed to find out much about the wine, but were able to visit the castle village last MrsToothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17702228964642231240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8805717598025506196.post-43050474851838277362009-09-16T11:19:00.001-07:002009-09-17T06:57:26.049-07:00Kitchinspirations September challenge -- Help!The challenge this month is apple pie. I am an abject failure at pie crust. I have tried more times than I care to count. Since we are in the middle of the first month of school, I do not have the time to make multiple attempts at yet another pie crust. Fortunately I can take the idea and get creative with it. So, are there any suggestions out there? Biscuit pies? Something based on filo or puff MrsToothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17702228964642231240noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8805717598025506196.post-84213317763803885042009-09-15T15:32:00.001-07:002009-09-15T15:34:23.528-07:00The Foodie BlogRollYou might notice a new element on the sidebar. We've been accepted into the Foodie BlogRoll! Click on over to it and check out some great food blogs. Find some new favorites and be inspired by the recipes!MrsToothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17702228964642231240noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8805717598025506196.post-53055269450212350352009-09-05T17:36:00.000-07:002009-09-05T17:49:48.920-07:00Super-Easy Lamb MeatballsI really enjoy Nigella Lawson's work. Yes, she takes shortcuts, and yes, I wish she would embrace fresh citrus instead of the horrid plastic squeeze things, but her cooking has it's roots in great flavor and streamlined technique. On one of her shows, she highlighted a recipe she called "Merguez with Halloumi and Flame Roasted Peppers". After making it and fiddling with it a bit, I've come up MrsToothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17702228964642231240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8805717598025506196.post-45644215444177616502009-09-01T18:52:00.000-07:002009-09-01T21:24:41.757-07:00Confit and GueuzeI was in Crate and Barrel the other week, got to talking to one of the employees about the joy of Dutch ovens, and my mind turned to velvety duck. We're big fans of duck confit. Once upon a time, it seemed perfectly logical to fork out a bunch of cash for a couple of duck legs with whatever side dish came along with it. Here's the reality: those restaurants aren't charging for skill or MrsToothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17702228964642231240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8805717598025506196.post-85173582606990763162009-08-25T16:56:00.000-07:002009-08-27T19:00:15.735-07:00Stuff I Like: Penzey's and Honey PacificaFinding quality ingredients can sometimes be difficult, especially when those ingredients can be termed specialty ingredients. Some things are easy: I do my best to buy my meat from a butcher if at all possible. You might remember these guys (and gals): They stood behind a counter of meat which they have trimmed, ready to help you find the perfect cut or even cut something special for you. MrsToothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17702228964642231240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8805717598025506196.post-53503917235541153032009-08-23T17:37:00.000-07:002009-08-23T18:28:44.923-07:00Lamb Chops!I completely forgot to take a picture so you'll just have to use your imagination.I've recently decided I will never again purchase lamb rib chops. Why pay to have someone cut a rack of lamb into nice little lamb popsicles? I can't for the life of me remember which magazine recently had an article on cutting your own, but it stuck in the back of my mind for a while. I happened to find a good MrsToothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17702228964642231240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8805717598025506196.post-57844358332736612962009-08-19T17:06:00.000-07:002009-08-19T17:24:29.129-07:00Wine review: Mastery Napa Valley Red Wine 2005This is a very small production blend from Napa Valley made up of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot. Kevin Vogt, the main face of this wine, is a Master Sommelier, and it shows in his wine blending. (He's also a really great all-around guy, but I digress.) We had the opportunity to have this wine the other night along with a pork Wellington I made. I had heard whispers that this MrsToothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17702228964642231240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8805717598025506196.post-67074575570073760552009-08-17T17:27:00.000-07:002009-08-17T19:54:09.268-07:00Kitchinspirations August Challenge: A la JuliaA couple of weeks ago, OakMonster from Hmm...Food...Good talked me into joining Kitchinspirations, a monthly cooking challenge blog. I figured it would be a good way to expand my cooking horizons even further from time to time. This month, the challenge is as follows:And so this month ~ I challenge you to get to know Julia Child. Let her influence your cooking. Let her teach you something. CookMrsToothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17702228964642231240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8805717598025506196.post-6481727738868816142009-08-12T16:47:00.000-07:002009-08-12T17:37:06.848-07:00Kriek De RankeFor those of you unfamiliar with the world of beer beyond the Miller/Coors/Bud swill, get out there and look around. Try some real beer, then come back. For the rest of you, TheTooth found a great lambic that both of us would put at the top of our lists. From a very small brewery in Belgium, Brewery de Ranke, Kriek de Ranke is a wonderful cherry lambic. Their story is pretty long, but if you MrsToothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17702228964642231240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8805717598025506196.post-73757122428999950672009-08-03T12:24:00.000-07:002009-08-03T17:25:12.085-07:00Estate Sale FindsMy Dad is the king of great estate sale finds in this area. While most people are looking for the "big hits" of antiques or are trying to get collectible dustables super-cheap, he finds the real treasures. Sometimes, it's a Christmas item. If you know my parents, you know they Do Christmas. More often than not, it's something cool for the kitchen. Dad and Mom found the vast majority of my MrsToothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17702228964642231240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8805717598025506196.post-5205279339347978792009-08-03T08:30:00.000-07:002009-08-03T11:26:00.486-07:00Vino & Cucina in Long BeachJust a brief one tonight. Vino & Cucina has become (over the last couple of years) one of our favorites! This is a lovely little trattorria here in Long Beach. The food and service remind both of us of our time in Italy last summer: relaxed service, portions for a human, an obvious sense of caring overall about the ingredients and the people. This is not a place to go when you are in a hurryMrsToothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17702228964642231240noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8805717598025506196.post-79575982205175031542009-07-31T08:09:00.000-07:002009-07-31T11:23:04.903-07:00Some Very Generous People out there in the Card Collecting WorldIf you checked out my first post, you might have noticed that this will occasionally take a detour from cooking to the world of card collecting. Being a history buff, I got sucked into the Allen & Ginter craze in 2006 and am working on my review (and want lists and trade lists) of this year's product.Since I started reading the card blogs I've been really impressed at the generosity these MrsToothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17702228964642231240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8805717598025506196.post-2384827838913539172009-07-29T12:00:00.000-07:002009-07-29T15:11:27.711-07:00The Kitchen Remodel, or why I'm blogging about stuff that goes in the oven.Back in May, TheTooth and I finally moved to our new house. Unfortunately the house came without kitchen appliances. Fortunately, this presented us with our best opportunity to do things over. This is an image of the before version. Yeah, it's a mess, and I had already run out of space:As you can see, outside of the fridge we brought from the old garage, and our microwave (both on the right) MrsToothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17702228964642231240noreply@blogger.com0