Coral Gables 6th Annual Tour of Kitchens

What a great time this weekend at the Coral Gables 6th Annual Tour of Kitchens! Although visiting these beautiful homes was fun, I had a better time seeing all the different kitchens and tasting all the food...

The first we tried was lasagna (which I'm not a fan of) but when I tried Bottega La Dolce Vita's lasagna it was so good I just couldn't have enough. When we asked the chef about it all he told us was that he "did not use Ricotta cheese" but only fresh Italian cheese. He would not say anything else. Bottega La Dolce Vita also makes two homemade hazelnut spreads. One was very similar to Nutella, HEAVENLY, the other was a white hazelnut spread, which they compared to white chocolate that left me speechless. When that spoon of the white hazelnut spread went into my mouth...... OMG I wanted to eat the entire jar! It wasn't as sweet as white chocolate and it had a light nutty flavor that took me to my very happy place. I'm definitely going to buy a few of these jars for our Valentines Day picnic!!

Some of the other memorable dishes were from Christy's and La Giralda Tavern. Christy's served a salmon with mango chutney, green beans and white rice which was simple yet decadent. La Giralda Tavern's calamari rice although slightly undercooked, was delicious and my husbands favorite dish. The Local's steak tartare with egg mouse and Mise En Place's 12 hr braised short rib empanadas were my favorites. The acidity of the steak tartar brought out the egg mouse and the flavors exploded in your mouth! What an experience!!! Same thing with the empanada. It was served with pico de gallo and each flavor just complimented the other.

There was one that fell short: Bricktop's. They had trays of deviled eggs with a piece of caramelized bacon. The deviled egg lacked finesse and presentation. Also, the bacon had a burnt taste to it. I would think that restaurants would want to serve you the best to WOW you and make you want to visit their restaurant. This was anything but.

I've always been a huge fan of Christy's but I'm looking forward to visiting some of these restaurants. On the top of my list is The Local and La Giralda Tavern. If anyone is in the Gables area I recommend you do the same!

Love is Blind Media Tasting

http://www.loveisblindrestaurant.com/

Last night I was invited to the Love is Blind media tasting where we ate dinner in the kitchen. Chef Fabio Morisi flew in from Italy to present new menu inspirations to the restaurant.

 
 
The first thing we were given was a Mojito. This mojito was a little different as they served it with a shot of Midori. Coming from a Cuban family, I tend to be a little more critical when ordering a Mojito so seeing this shot of Midori, made me a bit skeptical.  I will have to say, however, that it was one of the best mojitos I've had in a long time. I think I will be adding a shot of Midori from now on when I make them at home!

 







Now on to the food…

We started with a Prosciutto Focaccia.  When you first see this, it looks like it's going to be this big bready appetizer that is going to fill you up so much you can't eat your dinner. But instead it's airy, light and a bit flaky, sort of like a cracker texture. The prosciutto is on top of the focaccia drizzled with a little pesto. It was delicious, but I did suggest adding a little more pesto to the dish.
 

"O Sole Mio," was next and one of my favorites.  The way the Chef explained it was that they got this dough and stuffed it with a lobster and burrata cream sauce. It was served over mixed greens and strawberries.  The minute I put a bite into my mouth, I felt like Remy in Ratatouille. I ate a piece of strawberry together with the lobster burrata and it was the Fourth of July with all the fireworks going off in my mouth. The flavors just complemented each other so well. Definitely a must try when it gets put on the menu!

We were then brought a basket of fried zucchini, eggplant and popcorn.  At first I was trying to figure out why the popcorn. Then I tried it all together and something about the salty popcorn together with the crispy fried vegetables was alluring.  Throughout the night, I asked Chef Morisi lots of questions and picked his brain a little. One of the tips he gave me was to soak the eggplant in milk and ice for an hour.  Doing this will not let any oil or water penetrate the eggplant when you cook it. This is why the eggplant was so crispy and not drenched in oil when fried.

Next up was a plate of artichokes, tomatoes and shrimp roasted on parchment paper.  Although every one the night before thought the paper should be taken away, this night we all agreed that the paper gave it this rustic look and they should serve this dish on the parchment paper. This dish was very refreshing. The artichokes were tender and everything was seasoned perfectly. I was so inspired with this dish that I'm going to try to make it tonight!

Just when I thought that the food couldn't get any better, they served us a plate of what the Chef called lunetta (little moon raviolis) with a white truffle cream sauce.  As soon as I put a spoonful in my mouth, I had a foodgasm. I just sat there quietly, unable to speak, eyes closed, taking in all the flavors. Ordering anything with truffle can be hit or miss because if the chef uses too much truffle it can be a bit overwhelming and the plate is pretty much uneatable.  This plate was just right. There was enough truffle where you could taste it, but not overpowering at all. I would have had seconds if I could! This is by far my favorite of the night and another MUST try when placed on the menu.

 
For dessert….

Chef Morisi  made the dessert tableside and used liquid nitrogen; it was pretty cool. On the table there was a sheet of white paper. He placed a hard chocolate shell and added various ingredients to it, such as white and milk chocolate balls (size of a peanut M&Ms), cookie crumbs, peanuts, and gummy worms. After a few additions he would add some liquid nitrogen.  After he was done adding the ingredients and liquid nitrogen,  he added a couple lines of chocolate and caramel, mango puree, and nitrogen frozen raspberries to the paper. Then he smashed the shells and everything just scattered on the table. We started to request some ice cream, when we all realized the Chef was making fresh ice cream at the table. Once we added the ice cream to the smashed chocolate and various ingredients, it was just delicious! I was totally blown away. This would make a great family dessert if you bring the kids!

The first tasting I went to last year before they opened their doors was nothing compared to the food I tried last night. I am looking forward to this new menu which will hopefully be out in the next few weeks. I highly recommend you go to Love is Blind and try these new items, you will not be disappointed!!

What a great a experience; from eating in the kitchen, phenomenal food and presentation, outstanding wines to great company. Thank you Liza & Gabriel (Creativas Group), Chef Fabio Morisi, and Love is Blind!

Erynne's Art Party

I didn't do any cooking for this party, but it turned out to be such a hit amongst the parents that I just had to post it in my blog. 

My youngest asked for an art party for her birthday. So for about a month or so I searched the internet looking for ideas and came up with some of my own. 

Activities
We had three tables set up at the party. One of them was set up with easels, canvas, paint brushes and lots of paint. The other was set up with a roll of paper for free coloring or painting. The last table had small jewelry cardboard boxes and wooden cars for the kids to paint or put stickers on. There was another table set up with all the supplies, such as paint, paint brushes, palettes, sponges, extra canvas, etc. I also hung some string from the trees so that we can hang up their paintings to dry.

Decorations and Table Set up
All the plates, cups and napkins were solid colors, all vibrant and for the most part I tried to get primary colors. Instead of cups for the kids, I used plastic mason jars, wrapped kitchen twine to make a bowl and added a stripped paper straw of various colors. On the table I put various plastic tubs with crayons, markers and colorful bouncing balls. They used the crayons and markers to draw on the paper tablecloth on the table. 

Food and Drinks
This time around I ordered food from our local grocery (chicken tenders, croquettes, and cheese tray) and ordered various pizzas. We had water, apple juice and Hawaiian punch.  For the adults we made sangria.

Favor Bags

I added to each bag (which they could paint on) a sketchbook which they can paint or color in, an activity book, crayons, water paint, and a lollipop. I no longer do pinatas, instead I order cupcakes and give each a cupcake to take home.

The Cake

The kids in action
 

 
Some of the finished paintings