First Shot from San Diego

I know, really I do, that I promised lots of news and shots from my San Diego trip, generously hosted by my friend Tom Price. But we stayed really busy most of the time, and besides I failed to take the cable to download pictures to the laptop.

We were amused to find that there was a comic book convention: 125,000 comic book lovers flooded the town, many in costume. Here you see me and my friend Merrill Lee Toole (who lives in Los Angeles) with a Mexican doughnut.

We were less amused to find that because of the convention, except for our first night we were not going to be able to stay in the lovely downtown Westin Hotel, since it had been booked for months.

It worked out beautifully though, since Tom found a newly renovated Clarion Hotel right around the corner from San Diego's Little Italy. It was also within walking distance of a lot of the things we wanted to see.

More about the restaurants in Little Italy (and elsewhere) in another post.

Really good brunch bake

I am often asked how I come up with all the recipes I use. The truth is, sometimes I’m inspired by a dish I’ve had in a restaurant. Sometimes it’s from a friend who has entertained and served something that had me whipping out my camera. Sometimes it’s something I just read about in a restaurant review or other food writing and tried. And once in a while it’s sort of serendipity, throwing something together that sounds good--and tastes good, too.

This recipe inspiration was none of the above. Looking through the coupon clipper section of the newspaper a few weeks back, I noticed a recipe in tiny print beside a coupon for Martha White products. I clipped it out (along with the coupon, of course) and stuck it on my refrigerator door.

A week or so later, I wanted something for a brunch dish, and there was the recipe staring me in the face. I gave it a try. As I tend to do, I made some changes to suit my taste. I thought it was delicious, and so did my friends.
There’s almost always some time during the summer that serving brunch or a hearty breakfast seems the right way to entertain. This is the perfect recipe for that.

If you use a rotisserie chicken from the supermarket, as I did, it will take only a little over half an hour from start to finish. If you chop your onion and bell pepper the night before and store in the fridge, it will cut a few minutes from the prep time. You can buy the cheese already shredded and mixed in the dairy section of the supermarket. You can make the dressing, shred the lettuce and dice the tomato while the base is baking.

It takes about half the meat from a small roasted chicken for this recipe, so you’ll have some left to make chicken salad, chicken soup, or just to nibble on.

This and a little fruit makes a perfect plate. This may well become one of your staple brunch recipes!

SOUTHWESTERN CHICKEN BRUNCH BAKE

Topping:
2 tablespoons olive oil
¼ cup onion, finely chopped
¼ cup red bell pepper, finely chopped
About 2 cups cooked chicken, shredded
¼ cup cilantro leaves, minced
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon chili powder (I used Mexene)
½ teaspoon ground cumin
1 can Rotel tomatoes (preferably with lime and cilantro)
1 cup shredded Mexican cheese mixture
Crust:
1 egg
½ cup milk
1 7-ounce package Martha White Sweet Yellow Cornbread Mix (see note)
Salsa Dressing:
¾ cup buttermilk ranch dressing
½ cup cilantro leaves
1 teaspoon chipotle Tabasco sauce (or more, to taste)
½ cup purchased salsa verde
Juice and finely grated zest of one lime
To Finish:
3 cups shredded lettuce
1 cup Roma tomato, seeded and diced
1 avocado, sliced

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Make the topping: In a heavy skillet, heat the oil and cook the onion and bell pepper until tender, stirring often. Stir in the chicken, seasonings and tomatoes and simmer about 5 minutes.

Make the dressing: In a blender or food processor, combine all ingredients and pulse several times to blend but not quite puree completely. Scrape into a bowl, cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk the egg and milk together. Add the cornbread mix and stir just until combined. Grease a heavy 10” skillet that can go into the oven. Pour the cornbread mixture into the pan and top with the chicken mixture. Sprinkle with the shredded cheese. Bake 20-25 minutes, until golden brown and the cornbread is done.

Let cool slightly and cut into wedges. Place on serving plates, top with the lettuce, avocado and tomato and drizzle with the salsa dressing. Serves 6.


NOTE: Most local Kroger stores carry the Sweet Yellow Cornbread Mix. If you are unable to find it, use another variety that calls for milk and egg.

Cute little desserts

Some of my friends and I frequent the Carrabba's on Poplar in front of Clark Tower. Mostly we go for happy hour. It's a pleasant place, quiet (except for the occasional opera piece on their muzak system) and the folks who work there are unfailingly charming.

I was in with a friend this weekend to get one of their fire-baked pizzas. They were rolling out these cute little desserts. They offered us samples. (See why we love it?) Our favorite was the one with marsala-scented zabaglione topped with fresh raspberries and blueberries. I also liked the one with butter cake on the bottom, pastry cream and strawberries, but all were very tasty.

With six varieties, they are all $2.25 each and just the right size for following a big Italian meal. If you have a tableful of folks, or if you're a bigger dessert eater than I can ever be, the whole rack of six is $13.00.

Reed's Curried Carrot Soup

If you’ve been a regular reader of this blog for a while, you know that I am truly blessed with great friends who love to cook.

One couple you’ve read about before are Reed Malkin and his wife Diane Benson. In the past few months they have initiated what has become a regular affair: the Sunday afternoon dinner. Folks trail in over the early hours of the afternoon, and enjoy a glass of wine, or a French aperitif. There are always dishes of olives and perhaps a few slices of salami to nibble on, and some of the guests might bring an appetizer to share.

Around 3:00 Reed will wander toward the kitchen and start bringing out the first of what is always several courses of really yummy food. And usually the lovely Miss Benson will wind up the meal with one of her home-made desserts. By 6:00 or so, everyone heads home.

I really like this idea and may steal it for my own. It makes an easy, casual way to entertain. The hosts aren't faced with a pile of dirty dishes late at night (or even worse, early the next morning). The guests can go home and do what they need to do to get ready for work the next day, and everyone can get to bed at a reasonable hour.

A recent gathering featured a wonderful curried carrot soup to start. The main course was a marinated and grilled tuna loin that one of the guests had fished out of the sea just the day before, with an orzo risotto and a great baked dish reminiscent of ratatouille, topped with cheese. Dessert was home-made ice cream and cookies.

You know how I love dishes that can be made ahead, so I had to ask for the soup recipe. It makes a great first course in the heat of summer. With its garnish of shrimp, I think you could make a great luncheon with a big green salad. And look how easy it is!

REED'S CURRIED CARROT SOUP

1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 small yellow onion, chopped
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon curry powder (see notes)
1 1/2 pounds carrots, peeled and chopped
2 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 can (14-16 ounces) coconut milk (see notes)
Juice and zest of one lime
For garnish:
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup shredded coconut, toasted
4 to 6 large shrimp, cooked, peeled and deveined
4 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves

In a heavy pot, over medium heat, sauté the green and yellow onion in the butter until starting to soften. Add the curry powder and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are tender.
Add the carrots and the stock. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook until the carrots are very tender, about 20 minutes.
With a hand blender, or in a food processor, puree the soup until very smooth. Add the coconut milk, lime juice and zest. Cover and chill .
When ready to serve, ladle into bowls and top with the garnish. Serves 4 as a main course, or 6 as a first course.

NOTES: Reed used hot curry powder which gave it a pretty good kick. If you prefer, you may use mild curry powder. The coconut milk is the unsweetened sort, found in the oriental food section, not the sweetened cream of coconut found in the beverage mixer section of the supermarket.

Be Mantia's Sandwich Chef for a Day!

  It's easy! Just submit your idea for the perfect sandwich for Mantia's. Our crew will pick the five most appealing to them, and we will feature them as sandwich specials the week of June 2. If we gets lots and lots of good ideas, we'll extend into the following week.

The sandwich that sells the most will be named after its creator, and honored with a permanent place on our rotating list of sandwich specials. The person who submits it will enjoy dinner for two at Mantia's.

Votes may also be cast on our new Facebook page in a special section. You may also submit your recipe on our Facebook page.

In addition to the fame and fortune that the winner will enjoy, Mantia's will donate $1.00 for each of the special sandwiches sold during that week to the Kidney Foundation of West Tennessee.

Ask one of our associates for an entry form and let's get rolling!

A food trivia game--for serious foodies!

My sister and I always exchange "Day After Christmas" presents, and this year she gave me a food trivia game. With a lot going on to limit my personal free time, I hadn't gotten into it until recently.

Now I can't wait to have my foodie friends over to play it. With 1000 questions in five different categories, from food history and culinary expertise to dining etiquette and famous chefs, it promises a good way to spend an evening.

It may be available locally, but you can also order it online at Sur La Table (which is where the image above came from), for $18.95 plus shipping.

How about a food trivia play-off some Saturday afternoon at Mantia's?

The world's most expensive champagne?

The world's most expensive champagne, popping the records at 4,166 euros (around $6600.00) for a personalised bottle of bubbly, were sold in March, targeting a "super-rich" global elite. There were only 100 cases available and they apparently went fast.

Each case purchaser was brought to Epernay, in the Champagne region of France, for a private meeting with the cellar master, Hervé Deschamps, where they stayed in Perrier-Jouet's chateau for the visit.

Hmm...$6600 a bottle comes out to $1100 a glass. Maybe it's just my cheapskate mentality, but it sounds like more of a vanity than a pleasure!

Asparagus: A true harbinger of spring!

I knew spring had arrived last week when I found asparagus for forty-nine cents a pound in a local supermarket. Although asparagus is available year-round, it is at its best and most affordable this time of year.

My favorite way of cooking asparagus is roasted. Break off the woody ends and save them for soup if you like. Spread the spears in one layer on a baking sheet, drizzle with a good fruity olive oil and a sprinkling of kosher or sea salt, and roast at 400o for 7 to 10 minutes, depending on their thickness. Serve warm or at room temperature as a vegetable side dish, or atop a bed of salad greens with your favorite vinaigrette.
Another thing I like to do is make a flan, sort of a quiche without crust. I recently did this for a casual supper with friends, but it would also make a lovely first course with a tangle of arugula on the side, or as a brunch main course with some sort of fruit salad.
I made individual ones in tart pans, but it is easily made in one baking dish and cut into squares to serve, if you like. You can vary the cheese to your taste. I used a soft goat cheese, but if you prefer, shredded gruyère or fontina would work beautifully.

SPRING ASPARAGUS FLAN

1 lb asparagus
1 large lemon
3 tbsp butter, plus extra for buttering the baking dishes
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tbsp fresh tarragon, chopped, or 1 tsp dried
6 eggs
1 cup half-and-half or whole milk
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp white pepper
2 cups shredded fontina or gruyère, or 6 oz soft goat cheese, crumbled
Additional tarragon springs, or minced parsley, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350o. Break off the woody lower stems of the asparagus. Place the spears in a glass or ceramic baking dish with a splash of water. Cover with plastic wrap, leaving one corner open to vent. Microwave for 4 minutes, or until just crisp tender. Let cool.

Remove the zest from the lemon in thin strips and set aside. Squeeze the juice from the lemon and reserve.

In a skillet, over medium heat, melt the butter. Cook the onion in the butter until very tender, but not at all browned. Add the tarragon, stir a couple of times and remove from the heat.
Divide the onion among six buttered baking dishes.

Cut the asparagus into 2” lengths. Reserving the tips, divide among the baking dishes atop the onions. Sprinkle with your cheese of choice.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, cream or milk, reserved lemon juice, salt and pepper until well combined. Pour over the asparagus. Arrange the reserved tips on top. Place on a baking sheet and cook for about 20 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned and the filling is set. Garnish with the lemon zest and tarragon or parsley and serve while still warm. Serves 6.

Another Louisville restaurant

Once again my sister and I went to a new restaurant in Lousiville...well new to us at least.

The restaurant, Avalon, has been around for about 5 years, and has an excellent reputation. It is in the Highlands area of Louisville, which is the home of many original independent restaurants, cafés
and coffee shops. We were out grocery shopping for our mama's 88th birthday dinner, and stopped for lunch. It was a beautiful day, and the patio was sunny and inviting.

First, the food: I must say that the lunch menu didn't seem particularly exciting or inventive to me. We each ordered a cup of the crab & corn chowder with bacon. If there was bacon in it, the taste wasn't discernible, and the crab appeared to be the very inexpensive snow crab meat. At $6.90 for about 4 ounces, I expect a jumbo lump or two.

We split the "Shaved Peppermill Turkey Breast, Hoagie Roll, Granny Smith Apples, Bacon, Swiss Cheese, Garlic Mayonnaise." Although there was nothing wrong with it, it was indeed, pretty run of the mill. The fries were good, though, crisp shoestring fries, and plenty of them.

The service was equally spotty. Although our server was a charming young lady, she was not able to open our bottle of wine without assistance from another server. We got our food but had no napkins or flatware, and it took several tries to get her attention to bring them. We asked the young man who appeared to be the manager to take a quick picture of us on the patio. He said he was busy but would be back. He never returned.

Now I must be fair: We looked at the dinner menu and it looked infinitely more inviting than the lunch menu did. We will almost certainly go back for dinner when we have the time. I'll report back!

Please note: The patio picture came from the Avalon website, since the gentleman didn't take one of us to show you. I took the food picture. I think I had the camera settings set wrong for the bright sun that day.

Win a Prize for Pasta!

Italy Magazine, published in England is sponsoring a spring pasta recipe contest. For more information, or to post your favorite recipe, the full information is on their website.

The website is also a gold mine of information about traveling and eating in Italy. If you're planning a trip there anytime soon, you'll love this site.