(photo of Pia-Maria at Pia's Trattoria - Courtesy of Tampa Bay Times formerly St. Petersburg Times)
As my 300th post on this blog (crazy!), I am excited to announce another great achievement. I received an e-mail from BlogHer and Gourmet magazine (online) over the weekend that my submission for a romantic restaurant in the Tampa Bay area was chosen for their Valentine's Day feature of the Top 15 Romantic Restaurants feature! I am so honored that they loved my review of one of my favorite places to eat, Pia's Trattoria in Gulfport, Florida! Be sure to check out the feature here on Gourmet, and definitely go to Pia's for a rustic Italian meal you won't forget!
My last post shared the simplicity of making a good salad. Here I share some of my go-to dressings, some of which are from local chefs who make simply the best, and some that my family has used for generations!
Columbia Restaurant - 1905 Salad
1/8 cup white wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp oregano
2 tsp lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
Mix and serve over iceberg lettuce, Swiss cheese, fresh tomato slices, baked ham slices, green olives, and Romano cheese for this Columbia favorite!
Habana Cafe - Spanish Salad
From The Habana Cafe Cookbook
1 cup olive oil
4 Tbsp white wine vinegar
2 tsp lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbsp basil
1 Tbsp oregano
1 Tbsp dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste
Mix and serve over iceberg lettuce, fresh sliced tomatoes, sliced cucumbers, feta cheese, and Parmesan cheese for this Cuban delight!
Mix over a heaping bed of iceberg lettuce, fresh tomatoes, cucumber, green bell pepper, fresh feta cheese slices, beet slices, peeled and steamed shrimp, anchovy filets, Greek Kalamata olives, Greek Salonika peppers, radishes, green onions, and topped with scoops of homemade potato salad.
And now for some family recipes that never fail:
Simple Greek Salad Dressing
1/2 cup olive oil
1 Tbsp white wine vinegar
1 Tbsp lemon juice
3/4 tsp oregano
1/8 tsp salt
pepper to taste
Whisk together in a small bowl and serve with your favorite mix of vegetables and lettuce.
Ron's Cesar Salad Dressing
1/2 cup olive oil
1 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/2 to 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 1/4 tsp dry mustard
1 egg yolk (or egg beaters)
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 can anchovies
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
splash of Tabasco to taste
salt and pepper to taste
Blend ingredients in food processor or blender until creamy smooth. Toss with romaine lettuce, large croutons, and fresh shavings of Parmesan cheese.
Let me know which ones are your favorites! PS - Thanks to Amy for asking for some of these recipes! I have been meaning to write this post for a while!
This past Saturday, we had a family adventure planned... a trip 30 minutes north to a little Greek town called Tarpon Springs, Florida. Tarpon Springs has the highest population of Greeks of any city in the United States, and between their traditional restaurants, annual Epiphany celebration, local shops, and remnants of the old sponging industry, this little town is a must-see.
When we arrived to the docks, we were greeted by this little sponge diver, and a sign that Mike Rowe of Dirty Jobs had already been there. Be sure to check out his experience here harvesting sponges from the waters of the Gulf of Mexico.We walked through an old museum that told about the sponging industry, and how the Greek population came to Tarpon Springs. Then we headed down to the docks!
The St. Nicholas III, a typical sponge boat at the docks that can be rented for day tours and simulations of what it would be like to go "sponging" on the Gulf of Mexico. We were a little more interested in the food, which brought us to the famous Hellas Bakery.
While it looks a little like a nightclub on the outside, this bakery and restaurant actually make some of the best Greek pastries and treats you may ever have in your life.
Since we arrived mid-morning, we grabbed a quick bite of one of my favorite Greek dishes, Tiropita, a feta cheese pie made with layers of buttered phyllo dough. Here is my brother-in-law and sister-in-law with their tiropita and Greek coffee.
Since I am not much of a morning person, I also grabbed a Greek coffee. It was the smallest cup (especially for $2.25), but it was like a triple espresso from Starbucks. It certainly got me through the rest of my day!
As we walked a little off the beaten path, we found a grocery store where my sister-in-law and I bought Orzo to make some traditional Greek dishes at home. We also saw this nightclub, Zorbas, which instantly reminded me of the restaurant, "Dancing Zorbas", in the film My Big Fat Greek Wedding.
The city makes a lot of its money from tourists and their demand for sponges. Sponges are sold at every shop, and in a million different sizes and shapes, and prices! Most were too expensive, and none of us bought any while we were there, but I did take some pictures of some beautiful ones.
To wrap up our half day excursion, we ate lunch at the famous Mykonos restaurant. Most of us ordered the Gyro, but we also tried the Horiatiki salad, and traditional lemon soup.
We were all so obsessed with the Horiatiki salad (it is basically what we know as a Greek Salad, but without the lettuce and potato salad), that I stopped on my way home at the local produce market to get all the ingredients. We also purchased Andrico's Greek dressing from the restaurant to use on the salad. Here's my recipe:
Traditional Horiatiki
Red ripe tomatoes
Green tomatoes
Cucumber
White/Yellow onion
Green pepper
Pepperoncini (I left this out of mine, since I don't really like them)
Kalamata olives
Fresh Feta Cheese
1 Tbsp Andrico's Greek Dressing
Pita Bread (optional)
Chop up all the veggies and olives into bite sized pieces and combine in a bowl. Drizzle on the Greek dressing, and then toss the veggies in it until all are well covered. In a separate bowl, place a large hunk of feta on the bottom, and add the veggies and olives on top. Serve with pita bread to sop up the remaining dressing at the bottom of the bowl when you finish the salad.
After lunch, we stopped back by the Hellas Bakery to get a few confections to go. I bought some tiropita, baklava, and almond cookies. They only lasted a day in my house!
So that was our little excursion to Tarpon Springs. Stay tuned, as I now have a serious craving for more Greek food, and will share my own recipe for tiropita, as well as a few new things to try. If you are ever in the area, be sure to check out this little gem and all it has to offer!
Every year when my family goes down to Captiva Island for Labor Day, I end up making a red velvet cake to take down there with us. We always have more than enough food and desserts, so I don't feel too bad if it is not perfect, or if it tips over in the car. The homemade ones are the best, but we can always buy one down the road for a pretty penny if it really gets ruined. This year, we came close to having to do just that....
Hostess Tip #7: Don't trust an oven you've never used before. And...
Hostess Tip #8: Don't go lay out by the pool while you are making a red velvet cake in an oven you have never used before.
This year, I decided to bring all the ingredients and make it fresh at the house where we were staying. I prepared the cake as normal, and was excited to use an oven that easily held all three pans on the same rack. I set my cell phone alarm for 10 minutes before the 3 cake rounds were supposed to be done, but as I stepped foot into the house to check on them, I smelled burning cake. Frankly, I am amazed the smoke alarm didn't go off! They had baked unevenly, and overflowed onto the elements on the bottom of the oven, which may or may not have been the reason the breaker tripped and it took us a few hours the next day to determine why the oven and stove weren't working. Needless to say, it took me 20 minutes to clean the hot oven, and a few hours to air out the house. I ended up using the three cakes, by shaving them down to even layers, and icing them, however, it ended up being the UGLIEST cake I have ever made in my life. I didn't even take a picture, it was so bad. However, I'm pretty sure it was one of the best red velvet cakes I have ever made, and it was gone by the second night of our long weekend.
Note to self: Make it ahead of time in your own oven, when you know it cooks perfectly every time.
I am planning a "Sip and See" shower for a good friend of mine with a twist. Most "Sip and See" showers are planned for after the baby arrives, so that Mommy can drink, and everyone can "See" the newborn. However, in this case, the mom-to-be has two other more formal showers, so she wanted something fun, but she is pregnant with twins, so there will be no time after the birth to put together a viewing party. So here's what we are calling it:
Sip and See The Mother To Be
Really original, I know. So this is more of an anti-shower, cocktail party, completely void of any games, opening presents, and measuring mommy's tummy. Seriously. How am I getting away with not opening presents? Well, included in the invites is this poem:
As Kim is soon to be blessed with twins,
She doesn't really need clothes or bibs with stripes.
She’d prefer to stock up on everyday things,
Like diaper cream, shampoo, Pampers, and wipes.
If to give a different gift is your intention,
In modesty we would like to mention
A donation that will be life-saving for the twins one day
Even a little will go a long way!
Kim has decided to register for donations toward preserving her babies umbilical cord blood, in the event that they may need it after their birth, so her registry web site will be at the bottom of the poem for guests. A really practical gift that can have so much impact later. For more information, please check out this website.
Since the event is going to be held at the Columbia Restaurant, so I wanted kind of a Spanish/Moroccan color theme. Here is the invitation I created:
I will be updating with more information about the food, specialty drinks, activities, and centerpieces soon!
Here is the recipe from our visit to Scoma's. It can be found on their website as well. Since I live in Florida, my re-creation of this dish would include fresh Tilapia or Snapper in place of the Cod. Hope you enjoy this as much as I did!
INGREDIENTS 1⁄4 cup olive oil 1 tablespoon garlic 1 large white or yellow onion, chopped 1/2 cup dry white wine 1 teaspoon fresh oregano, chopped 1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped 2 cups fish stock or clam juice 6 cups of your favorite tomato sauce 1 lb rock cod cut into 1" cubes 1.5 lbs Manila clams 12oz prawns (deveined and peeled) 1 lb cooked crab meat 8oz bay shrimp 12oz scallops Salt and pepper
PROCEDURE
Heat olive oil over medium heat and cook garlic for one minute.
Add the onions and let them sweat for two or three minutes.
Turn heat to high and add the wine to deglaze. Cook for 2-3 minutes (or until reduced in half) then reduce heat to medium.
Add fresh oregano and basil.
Add the tomato sauce and bring to a boil.
Slowly add fish, shellfish, and shrimp meat.
Bring the cioppino back to a boil and simmer for 5-7 minutes or until all the seafood is cooked.
Add cooked crab meat.
Thin the cioppino to your liking with fish stock or clam juice.
Adjust the seasoning with salt & pepper.
Serve in a large bowl with fresh sourdough bread and enjoy!
SERVING SUGGESTIONS This dish is a natural with most kinds of pasta such as linguine, angel hair, fettuccini or penne.
We took a little vacation this summer.... an important one, in fact: Our Honeymoon. I know what you're thinking.... we have been married for a year and a half. But the truth of it is, we couldn't go anywhere after our wedding, due to some work training and other friends' weddings. So we decided to take it this summer. We still told people it was a delayed honeymoon, since we got married in January... of LAST year (we left out that minor detail). So off to California we go!
Napa Valley and a little town called Yountville were our first stops. The grapes and vines were in full bloom, and the countryside was so lush.
We went to several vineyards: Silver Oak, Grgich Hills, Merryvale, and Cakebread. All were so beautiful and it was so cool to learn about how they cultivate and age their grapes, and end up with such delicious wines. We tried lots of different types of wines, even though the standard Cabernet Sauvignon is our go-to wine. We may have even come home with some bottles, to open only for special occasions.
Napa Valley is not just about wine though. The food there is equally amazing. We went to RistoranteTraVigne, a recommendation from some friends, and I have to say that their fresh mozzarella changed my life! They make it on site, and it had just been pulled out of pasteurization that day. Then they place it in a small bowl with a little fresh olive oil, and warm it up just enough. They bring it to your table and slice it for you, and then you spread it over their freshly baked and toasted sourdough bread. It is HEAVEN! Here's me with what was left of it:
We also went to Mustard's Grill for dinner.... I had their famous Mongolian Pork Chop, which was delicious. However, my husband got the New York Strip, which was even more amazing!! Lets just say, we didn't leave hungry! Our next stop on our trip was on our way to Monterrey/Carmel. Fifteen years ago, when I was last in California, my family stopped in a little town called Gilroy, the "Garlic Capital of the World", and tried some amazing garlic delicacies. So on our trip this year, we happened to be in time for their Annual Gilroy Garlic Festival. I insisted that we go. While it was ten times as large as any festival we have here in Florida in all its craziness, it was definitely a great experience. I made my husband try Garlic Ice Cream (I have had it before and liked it a lot!), since he is a hugs ice cream lover. Here he is, trying the Praline Pecan Garlic Ice Cream:
It was pretty delicious, but we wish we had ordered it like seasoned festival-goers scooped into half of a cantaloupe. A new idea for summer!!!
After Monterrey/Carmel, we drove up Big Sur and Highway 1 up the coast of California to our last destination: San Francisco. There, we saw the redwoods at Muir Woods, took a tour of Alcatraz, and hung out with the sea lions at Fisherman's Wharf.
There were also so many great restaurants, but here were our favorites:
Bobo's: The Steak, The Crab. This restaurant certainly lives up to its name. We met some of our California friends at their favorite steak joint on Lombard Street. They have a bone-in filetmignon that is out of this world, and with an iron skillet roasted mussels, crab, and shrimp combo to start with, they made the restaurant live up to its name. Their sides are served family style, with amazing pancettabrussel sprouts and a twice baked potato the size of my arm. While it is not the most well-known or popular restaurant in San Francisco, it is definitely one not to miss!
Our last stop before heading home was Scoma's seafood restaurant on the Wharf. While it doesn't have the best view, it does have some of the freshest seafood right off the dock! Order the LazyMan'sCioppino for a real treat (recipe to follow).
Between the wine, restaurants, and amazing sights, our honeymoon was certainly worth the wait!
