A Taste of Carolina

Wente Vineyards has been on the forefront of California’s rich winemaking tradition for more than a century. Almost 20 years ago, fourth-generation owner Carolyn Wente envisioned a restaurant on the vineyard’s scenic grounds that would immerse its guests in the simple pleasures of honest food and good wine. She brings her own style to her leadership role at the Winery and oversees their diverse lifestyle operations.

(more…)

Share This

In February, I attended a winter board meeting for Les Dames d’Escoffier in Washington D.C. The evening we arrived, a lovely dinner was hosted in Georgetown at the home of a local Dame, who prepared a fabulous Persian meal.  

The hostess was Najmieh Batmanglij. It was an extraordinary meal and Najmieh was no ordinary cook.  She is a noted culinary historian, chef and teacher, whose cookbooks have established her as a leading authority of Iranian cuisine. Her cookbooks include New Food of Life: Ancient Persian and Modern Iranian Cooking and Ceremonies; Persian Cooking for a Healthy Kitchen; Silk Road Cooking: A Vegetarian Journey (hailed by the New York Times) and From Persia to Napa: Wine at the Persian Table.  

(more…)

Share This

A new initiative in the Certified SC-Grown Campaign was started this month by the South Carolina Department of Agriculture.  South Carolina  residents who try to eat only S.C.-grown foods will earn the name, ‘Palmettovore.’  The word is derived from “lacavore,” - first used in the San Francisco area to describe a person who prefers to eat foods grown within a certain radius of his home. ‘Palmettovore’ is a spinoff that refers to someone who “tries to eat” only South Carolina-grown foods. Palmettovores won’t have to try very hard to eat Strawberry Pavlova and Dot Dot’s Peach Cobbler made with fresh South Carolina strawberries and peaches, now in season. The recipes can be found  below.   (more…)

Share This

The menu at MINT JULEP offers mouthwatering weekly dining specials. This week’s specials run Thursday - Saturday. The desserts are brand new and sounds very tempting.

Great food, good prices, fun!  

Appetizer

Lamb Lollipops

Center cut lamb chops served with grilled lamb sausage over mixed greens topped with a blackberry Chambord glaze.

Entrées

Lowcountry Salmon

Cornmeal encrusted salmon filet topped with a tomato, basil and balsamic relish.  Served with three cheese risotto and grilled summer squash and zucchini.

Maryland Style Crab Cakes

Two jumbo lump crab cakes over a Dijon cream.  Served with three cheese risotto and grilled summer squash and zucchini.

Drink Special

The Secretariat (1973)

Manhattan made with Woodford Reserve, sweet vermouth and garnished with a cherry

Desserts  

White Chocolate and Banana Cheesecake served with Frangelica cream 

Gran Marnier Chocolate Mousse served with blackberry chocolate shavings and a pirouette

Homemade Peach Cobbler served with vanilla bean ice creamFresh Strawberries dipped in Chocolate Ganache served with Frangelica cream and a white chocolate glaze

Read about Mint Julep’s opening in my March 26th post.

Share This

On May 2, Kentucky Derby Day, I attended the 2009 National Chicken Cooking Contest in San Antonio, Texas.  I watched as dozens of colorful balloons fell down around bubbly Brigitte Nguyen of Lexington, Kentucky, as it was announced she had won the Grand Prize for her Chinese Chicken Burgers with Rainbow Sesame Slaw. National Chicken Council Chairman Mike Roberts (president of the Food Products Business for Perdue Farms, Inc.) was on hand to present her with a check for $50,000. For Brigitte, betting on chicken instead of the horses paid off in a very big way! 

(more…)

Share This

          Happy Mother’s Day! If you are a mom,                 here is a beautiful bouquet for you to enjoy. I am sharing this photo because it is very meaningful to me. My son married a beautiful lady recently and the flowers are samples from the bouquets we had created for their rehearsal dinner on Shelter Island in San Diego. The bouquets consisted of orchids, lilies and other tropical flowers arranged in glass then placed on monstera leaves and accented with silky-smooth, small black rocks. The tables were gorgeous; the food amazing-after all, it was California! Special memories indeed! Look for recipes in my next post on Wednesday. Have a great day!

Share This

Cinco de Mayo (May 5th) was yesterday but I didn’t manage a post because I just returned from a wonderful trip to San Antonio. The holiday is especially popular in the state of Puebla and in areas along the U.S.-Mexican border. It celebrates the victory of the Mexican militia over the French army at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. It isn’t a good time to visit Mexico in light of the recent flu outbreak, but you can celebrate at home by preparing the Mexican recipes below. It’s fun to create a festive table setting like the one in the photo above. Carnitas and Mole de Olla are authentic Mexican recipes shared by Adriana Torres Chong, a talented young photographer and chef from Mexico City, who lives in Hawaii.  After a period of e-mail correspondence, I met Adriana in Oahu in October 09, during the annual conference for Les Dames d’Escoffier.  We became friends while working on the organization’s publication.

(more…)

Share This

The Sandhill Farmers Market opened for the third season last Tuesday, April 21, and will be open today and every Tuesday through November 24. It is located at the entrance to Clemson’s Sandhill Research and Education Center, at 900 Clemson Rd. (across from Village at Sandhill), in Northeast Richland County. The market opens weekly at 3:30 pm. 

(more…)

Share This

“A delicate, white mist embraces lavender plants

Whose leaves dance in light Kona winds

From the Lavender Farm”

           Lavender & Hawaiian Winter 

Image a breathtakingly beautiful place by the sea with lush, fragrant fields of lavender in full bloom. Can you imagine a more idyllic setting for a leisurely stroll or a picnic or a wedding? You will find such a place in the Upcountry of Maui, at Ali’i Kula Lavender Farm, located on the slopes of the Haleakala (House of the Sun) crater. The area has a microclimate with tropical sunshine, cool elevation at roughly 4000 feet and rich volcanic soil, ideal for growing lavender. The native Mediterranean plant is drought tolerant, needing little fertilization.

(more…)

Share This

It’s early spring yet cool enough outside to enjoy this special menu featuring Stuffed Pork Roast with Lambic Juice and Pale Ale Hoppin’ John.

(more…)

Share This