Grapefruit Vanilla Cornmeal Shortbread

Shortbread is so simple and it's essentially a blank canvas, like cheesecake, you can flavor it with a variety of ingredients to put your spin on it: coriander, lemon, fried sage, cinnamon. The possibilities of yummy combos are endless! The cornmeal gives the shortbread a more complex texture, which is a welcome variation in this rich delicate buttery confection. I'm always thanking someone for something marvelous they've done for me and I find these are the perfect way to say it- the packaging is super cute too!

Ingredients:

5 1/2 ounces butter
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon grapefruit zest
7 tablespoons stone-ground cornmeal
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon fleur de sel

Method:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

In a mixer (or by a strong hand) cream butter, sugar, vanilla, and zest. Add cornmeal and mix through. Add flour, but don't over mix.

Press the mixture into a 1/4 sheet tray. Level out the dough with your fingers or the back of a spoon or spatula. Pierce the dough in with a fork in horizontal and vertical lines to make small squares. This will make it easier to cut the shortbread after it cools. Bake for about 30 minutes or until golden brown. While still hot, garnish evenly wth fleur de sel. Remove from oven and cut shortbread along the pierce marks into little squares.

Tibvrtini Olive Oil

One of my most tender food memories was tasting bright green extra virgin olive oil from my friend's farm just outside of Rome. I recently had the pleasure of discovering Tibvrtini Olive Oil, which comes from Tivoli (also just outside of Rome) from the olive trees on the Emporer Hadrian's Villa. Hadrian was responsible for the expansion of the Roman empire and is apparently responsible for many other "great" things, but the only information on him was autobiographical. Hmmm. I digress. Anyway, this small production artisan olive oil can be found in specialty food stores across America for the times you can't make it to Tivoli. Although the standard 16 oz. Extra Virgin Olive Oil isn't worth the splurge at $25 a bottle, the Olio Novello Extra Virgin Olive oil is first cold pressed and unfiltered and worth every penny to give you an authentic, spicy, Italian-farm experience. Enjoy with fresh focaccia. The Aceto di Vino Bianco (white wine vinegar) is among some of the best I've tasted and makes for the best accompaniment to dress a simple salad.

Laura Anns Jams

I love to go to the Redwood Bar & Grill that often hosts one of my favorite musicians, Jake LaBotz. I was chattin' up one of the friendly bar tenders, Laura Ann, and I came to find out that she makes artisan jams in flavors like Strawberry Syrah, Blackberry Bay Leaf, and Green Plum Cardamom- yes, please! I just had to have the Blackberry Bay Leaf for my morning slice of whole wheat toast and let me tell you it is sweet, tart and just the perfect consistency of firm fruitiness. I think my next jar of Laura Ann's Jams shall have to be the Green Plum Cardamom. Get some online or meet the artisan jam-maker in the flesh at The Redwood Bar & Grill on Friday and Sundays between 11am-6pm.

4th Annual Breast Cancer Fund Day of Renewal

Last weekend Vicky Rathje of In the Know Resources hosted the 4th annual Breast Cancer Fund Day of Renewal in Santa Rosa Valley, CA at her marvelous abode and lavender farm. The Breast Cancer Fund publishes an annual report relating environmental toxicity to breast cancer.


I made my usual lavender yogurt with toasted muesli and Vicky's Lavender Creme Fraiche to serve with strawberries after lunch.


Terri Johnson of Little Soul Productions led us all in a morning meditation to set the intention of being in a receiving mode for the days indulgences! I was mostly behind the scenes of the event, so I didn't partake in many of the other activities except for Jenny from Yoga Nook's always rejuvenating yoga session in the barn and an intuitive reading from Christine Lang, The Body Whisperer. It's always fun to see what a perfect stranger can read about you!




Having had experience with aromatherapy running Resolution Spa, I led the aromatherapy workshops this year. It's so fun to share with others how simple and practical essential oils can be to incorporate into your daily routine for so many different things and and I really couldn't have asked for a better view!


Lunch was catered by Chef Debby Poe: Lavender Chicken Mango Salad, Arugula Corn Salad with Avocado Dressing, Lavender Red Onion Focaccia with Lavender Butter Rosettes. Debbie Puente, the undisputed queen of creme brulee styled us out with Lavender Creme Brulee for dessert.

Dr. Sharon Norling, OBGyn, Acupuncturist, and Integrative/Holistic Medicine Dr, gave the keynote speech this year. She's always such a joy to listen to because not only is she totally informed, but she presents the information on nutrition and lifestyle choices in relation to breast cancer in such an accessible fashion with her dry sense of humor that has everyone in stitches.



We ended the day sipping on Sence Rose Nectar and Champagne listening to the tender tunes of singer songwriter, Melissa Lewis.



All photos, except for first and last, by Mary Myers Photography.

Taste of Pace Underground Supper Club June 20th

photo courtesy of Mario Anzuoni

Fabulous Friends!

Join me for the Taste of Pace Underground Supperclub in Hollywood on Saturday, June 20th at 6:30pm featuring seasonal produce sourced only from SoCal's best farms. Enjoy live tunes by one of my favorite musicians while we chow down on my fixin's! I'll send out details for the exact address a few days before the soiree. This event is BYOW (Bring Your Own Wine).

MENU

Chilled Cucumber Mint Soup with Coriander Crema

Lamb Lollipops with Cherry Red Wine Reduction
Polenta Diamonds
Salty Dandelion Greens with White Balsamic Thompsons

Spring Squash Cake with Brown Butter Ice Cream
and Fried Veriagated Sage

A suggested donation of $38 is requested to reserve your spot at Eventbrite.

Bin 228 in Hartford, CT

photo courtesy of Mario Anzuoni

Theater Works just announced their 23rd season full of Broadway's best comedies, dramas, and musicals. After seeing mom's moving performance in The Year of Magical Thinking, we strolled across the street to Bin 228 to chat all about the performance over prosecco (for me, of course) and a very dry, very dirty martini for mom. If you can't score a seat at the wee bar, a cozy table is the perfect setting for the friendly staff to serve you a selection of bruschetta, charcuterie, and world-class wines (or cocktails). I recommend the fig proscuitto bruschetta and the antipasto platter for a satisfying late night snack. Modest prices are a bonus for this Hartford hot spot.

Bin 228
228 Pearl Street
Hartford, CT 06103
(860) 224-WINE

Vegan Coconut Cream Pie

I made this pie for everyone on the Brugh Joy retreat and they absolutely loved it! Then, I had my girlfriend Miss Lynn Collins over for a birthday dinner and knew she'd love it too! Having just returned from Hartford, CT where a friend is helping her son to launch the palm sugar product under the name Sweet Tree Farms (a branch of Big Tree Farms, the artisan salt purveyors from Bali) she sent me home with some to experiment with and I used in this recipe, which gives the pie less of a trailer park sugar junky taste and more of a layered complex flavor with an amber hue. I've been using it in my coffee, to bake cookies, and even in my cornbread- it gives a slight molasses flavor that I am loving!

recipe adapted from Ann Gentry's RFD Cookbook

Ingredients:

Filling
1 1/2 lbs. extra-firm silken tofu
1 cup palm sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk (shake can vigorously before opening)
3 tablespoons potato starch or arrowroot
1/3 cup canola oil
1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

Crust:

1 1/3 cups oat flour
3/4 cup barley flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup water
6 tablespoons canola oil
3 tablespoons maple syrup

Method:
Preheat the oven to 350. For the crust, whisk oat flour, barley flour, and salt in a large bowl. In a separate smaller bowl, whisk water, oil, and maple syrup and then add liquid mixture to dry mixture and combine until a moist dough is formed. Flatten into a small disc press into a 9" pie pan. Bake for about 20 minutes.

For the filling, blend tofu, palm sugar, coconut milk, oil, potato starch, vanilla extract, salt, and 1/2 cup of shredded coconut mixture in a food processor until creamy. Pour coconut mixture into the baked pie crust. Bake for 25 minutes, then sprinkle remaining shredded coconut evenly onto pie and continue to bake for 15 more minutes. Cool pie and chill for about 4 hours before serving.

Caillote Canyon Retreat in Ojai

In planning to work on another retreat, I scoped out the Caillote Canyon Retreat in Ojai. It's the ideal place not only for a retreat, but for a big party, intimate gatherings, or a even a mini-festival.


The 5 acre property sleeps 16 and the decor is southwestern with mountain elements and the architecture is warm yet sturdy. There is a wet sauna (my favorite part), a natural plunge pool with a bubbling brook along a path, and platforms flanking dotted with cozy chaise lounges.


A small stage (can also be used for yoga or wedding ceremonies) is set toward the back of the property with small benches to for an amphitheatre and a huge fire pit.


Hungry, hungry, hungry we were for lunch, so the lovely property manager, Raymond, suggested we go to The Farmer and the Cook just off of El Roblar where they have a bountiful salad bar and all kinds of Mexican-inspired entrees. This is definitely a true local hangout and we made sure to befriend all of them over a tall glass of kombucha, a veggie burger, and a salad bar special.

Out in Miami!

On a recent trip to Miami for Winter Music Conference, Erinn V and I stayed at the newly remodeled Fountain Bleu set right on the oceanfront. The hotel itself is luxurious, but feels much more like a Las Vegas resort. It's just far too big, but I learned that gaming laws are soon to pass in Florida and that the Fountain Bleu is set up to become a casino.


We decided that on our next trip we'd like to stay at The Setai or Gansevoort. On our hotel tour we popped into the Delano, Nikki Beach, lunched at The Raleigh, and Shoreline.


The best thing about staying at the Fountain Bleu was that all the major djs were spinning there, so we didn't have to travel far for all the fun. Bacardi sponsored an fresh fruit cocktail bar with personalized service from New York and Miami's top mixologists brewing up concoctions with ginger, cayenne pepper, grapefruit, and fresh lime.


Espresso Martinis were the theme drink for the weekend and let me tell you, they are not messing around at the Fountain Bleu bar!


Karu and Y is probably the hottest club in Miami right now- complete with an outdoor Southeast Asian theme of waterfalls, rivers, and earily lit buddha statues blasting the best beach house jams.

Munching In Miami

Erinn V was a guest speaker at the Home Design and Remodeling Show in Miami last month and so I went along for the ride and to discover a bit more about this spicy city! I checked out the show on the first day and found Mighty Fine Cakes to be just that- mighty fine! It's so hard to find tasteful and interesting special occasion cakes, but Mighty Fine Cakes makes the mark.




Much to my dismay Mighty Fine Cakes were only on display, so I filled my belly with Maggie's Empanadas- flaky pastry dough and savory spinach and cheese filling was my choice, but the Guava Cheese and Dulce De Leche with Coconut are other popular favorites.




On our South Beach hotel tour, the Gansevoort not only won me over with it's ultra modern colorful-in-all-the-right-tones-and-accents decor, but also by the fact that there is a Cafe Bustelo attached to the hotel downstairs. There's nothing like a Cuban coffee and cupcakes in the afternoon to rally for a big night out!

We stayed at the newly renovated Fountain Bleu with plenty of restaurants to choose from for dinner and Gotham Steakhouse was the perfect spot for a supermodel-style pre-party meal.



From the salty rolls to the Chilled English Pea Soup with Truffle Mousse, Gotham Steakhouse was a treat top to bottom. And let's not forget the Espresso Martinis! That was the theme drink for the weekend to keep us on a tight work/play schedule.


After dancing the night away to Sander at The Setai, we headed to brunch at Talula's where I loaded up from the cake buffet. There were of course plenty of other more "appropriate" breakfast items that were quite good as well- Omelette Bar, Sausages, Salads, Pancakes, and French Toast. The outdoor patio is ideal for brunch except when it pours down raining- yeah, that's not as fun.