Whether it is a last-minute gathering by the pool, a quick lunch, or just a case of the munchies, there are many occasions when you need to whip up something tasty and quick. Enter these irresistible Blue Cheese Popovers! With maximum decadence, minimal prep time, and a handful of ingredients, these popovers are a crowd-pleaser. Enjoy Blue Cheese Popovers on their own or pair them with cold cuts, fruits, veggies, or other snacks. California produces exquisite blue cheeses, so we will recommend a few locally-produced varieties along the journey, and even beyond our State. Blue Cheese Popovers Recipe (Excellent to Share) PREP TIME: Under 10 minutesCOOK TIME: 20 minutesSPECIAL EQUIPMENT:…
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Impress Your Guests with This Yummy Braised Oxtail & Mashed Potatoes Recipe
Over the past few years, Braised Oxtail has been featured more frequently in our San Francisco Bay Area restaurants, gastropubs, and on TV cooking shows. So, of course our curiosity got the best of us, and we had to see what all the fuss was about! This recipe is perfect for any home chef looking to impress their guests with a succulent and flavorful dish. Oxtail isn’t anything new to the culinary scene — there are many Oxtail dishes, with variations originating from all over the globe. But what is it? Well, just as the name implies, it’s the tail of an Ox, though now it primarily comes from beef…
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Braised Turkey Necks with Buckwheat Recipe
We became intrigued by the idea of Braised Turkey Necks after spotting a package of necks at our local butcher shop. Completely forgetting the original purpose of our visit, we grabbed it and quickly ran home with them, eager to give our exciting new find a try. We discovered Braised Turkey Necks are much more flavorful and meatier than we expected. And with a simple buckwheat side dish to go with it, it made for an easy, fun (and filling) meal. Little did we know, this unusual new recipe would become a delightful addition to our rotating dinner menu. So let’s get started with the braised turkey neck recipe, and…
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Quick and Easy Pan-Fried Sand Dabs
One of the many benefits of living in California is the State’s 840 miles of Pacific coastline. So, needless to say, finding fresh seafood, including Sand Dabs and Crab, is a pretty common thing. Whether you go out and catch it yourself or pick it up from the market, freshly caught fish is relatively easy to come by. Our neighbor, who occasionally takes chartered fishing trips out of our local Monterey Bay, often shares some of his catch with us. Fresh-caught Ling Cod, Rock Fish, and Halibut are always thoughtful and appreciated gifts. Recently, he surprised us with a big bag of Sand Dabs and two Crabs. We made a…
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Best Ever Crab Bisque Recipe
Sometimes we get spoiled with the abundance of fish and seafood in California. And there is nothing better than to cook a catch of the day, like Crab, fresh off the boat! Crab Bisque, anyone? Thanks to our neighbor, who enjoys taking fishing trips in the Monterey Bay, just under an hour away from the San Francisco Bay Area, we got two beautiful Dungeness Crabs after his recent expedition. These were especially fun to prepare since we had never cooked Crabs at home. Fun Facts In California, Dungeness Crab season runs from November through early June (although the official commercial fishing periods vary from year to year due to whales…
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100 Things We Want to Do in 2022!
Here we are again, stepping out of the old year and optimistically leaping into the next. One way to organize yourself for 2022 is to create your “100 Things We Want to Do This Year” list. We have been doing this traditionally for some time now. Every New Year’s Eve, we take down the list from the past year and check off all the completed items. Then on New Years Day, we create a brand new one. Many times we’ll take items from the previous list and transfer them over to the new one. This isn’t “cheating”, just consider these things you want to continue doing. We have quite a…
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100 Things We Want to Do in 2021
As many of you know, a few years ago we created our first list of “100 Things We Want to Do This Year”. It’s become a family tradition to sit down together on New Year’s Eve and cross off all the items we accomplished in the past year. Then, on New Year’s Day, we compose a new list of goals and activities for the next twelve months. Usually, this is a lot of fun, except for reviewing the 2020 list. 😊 But guess what? We are SO looking forward to creating a new one for 2021, and, hope you do too! This year we are gifting you FOUR templates. There…
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Quick and Easy Baby Bok Choy Recipe
This quick and easy baby bok choy recipe makes a great side dish with virtually any main protein, especially when the main dish requires a longer time and more effort to cook. Ready in 10 minutes, this sauteed baby bok choy is easy to prep and impossible to mess up (trust us — we tried 😊). By the way, bok choy is a cruciferous vegetable (like cabbage, cauliflower, or broccoli), tracing its origins to China. Low in calories, it packs a TON of good stuff in a small package: vitamin A, C, K, B6, E, calcium, folate, and beta-carotene. Bok choy is at the top of multiple lists of ‘healthiest…
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Barnyard Cutlets
A few years ago, we traveled to Kyiv, Ukraine, and thoroughly enjoyed exploring the City history, culture, and of course, the food scene! One of the dishes we tried there was called курячі котлети (or kuryachi kotlety). When translated, it means ‘chicken cutlets’ — tender, juicy, flavor-packed mini meatloaves! But for now, let’s just call them cutlets. In the San Francisco Bay Area, California, there are a few stores that carry ingredients and food (including home-made) from Eastern Europe and former Soviet Union Republics, including Ukrainian and Russian. One of the stores we frequent offers borscht, caviar, and these round chicken cutlets, just like the ones we had in Ukraine.…
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Spanish Tapas: Chorizo Al Vino
One of the perks of living in the San Francisco Bay Area is the exposure to so many different cultures and cuisine. In our particular area, we have some phenomenal Spanish restaurants that serve great authentic tapas. (Shoutout to our all-time favorite spot, La Catalana in San Jose – you’re awesome!) Even before traveling to Spain, Chorizo Al Vino (also known as Chorizo Al Tinto) was always our first choice when it came to tapas. On our trip to Barcelona, we literally ate this dish on a daily basis, and from every place that had it on their menu. Though each restaurant had its own take on the recipe, they…
