A Three Course Menu & Cocktail Selections

by: Casey Pukl

Lemons are one of the most versatile ingredients you can have in the kitchen. These little sour fruits can be used in savory and sweet dishes, and has also historically been used for medicinal purposes as well. In 1747, James Lind used lemons to add vitamin C to sailors’ diets to try and ward off scurvy. Lemon leaves have also historically been used in teas.

Chef Todd Allison says, “I use lemon juice to finish a lot of sauces and soups. The acid helps to intensify the flavors of the dish.” When juicing fresh lemons, Chef Allison recommends letting the lemons come down to room temperature if you’ve kept them refrigerated. This allows the juice to be extracted more easily.

First Course: Olives with Lemon, Fennel, and Black Pepper

These little salty bites are sure to kick off any meal with a bang. Toss olives with a little bit of extra virgin olive oil, shaved fennel, a little bit of fresh squeezed lemon juice, a pinch of salt, and some fresh ground black pepper. Roast them in the oven or heat them on your stove over low to medium heat until they are warmed. Serve them warmed, and watch your guests gobble them up!

Second Course: Short Ribs with Chimi Churri Sauce Read the rest of this entry »

Not Just For Pies & Jam!

by: Casey Pukl

It was all hands on deck here when I issued a farm fresh pick of the week challenge: rhubarb. There was only one rule— no pies. Everything else was fair game. I’m so excited to share the amazingly tasty dishes and cocktails that our staff has come up with! Hopefully this will inspire you to do some experimenting with this tart and versatile root.

Chef Todd Allison had delicious ideas for a three-course meal using rhubarb from beginning to end. Not only is this meal refreshing, but it also highlights all of the different flavors of rhubarb. But before we get into the recipes, there’s one major note when using rhubarb: do NOT use the leaves. Only work with the stems, as the leaves are not meant to be consumed! Read the rest of this entry »

Not Too Sweet, Not Too Tart, Just Right

by: Casey Pukl

I’m starting to think that there’s a little too much of the color orange in my life lately. Ever since we bought new bright orange vintage armchairs for our living room, I’ve been eating oranges, carrots, cheddar cheese, buying orange pants (admittedly a bad decision), and even sporting orange nail polish on my toes (a one day only affair). This week, I’m ending my “orange obsession” with our Farm Fresh Pick of the Week. Tangerines, for all intents and purposes, are slightly sweeter baby oranges that are easier to separate into slices, but don’t underestimate how incredible they can be across a wide variety of dishes. They’re also packed with vitamin C, beta-carotene, potassium, magnesium, and B1,2,and 3! For those of you who are still sticking to your New Year’s Resolution (which at this point is an estimated 41% of you), these rich little fruits can yield big results for your waistline and overall health.

Chef Todd Allison and General Manager, Warren Phelps, have teamed up this week to give you a few ideas to take your tangerines from the grove to your plate. Chef Allison has a few lighter options to combat all of those hearty holiday meals, while Warren has recommended some great wines to go with them.

Fire Up Your Breakfast

It’s the most important meal of the day, so spice it up! One of my personal favorite options for breakfast is oatmeal with peaches, tangerines, cinnamon, and coconut flakes. Cook your steel cut oats with your peach slices until the water is absorbed. Mix in your tangerine segments at the end, then top your bowl with cinnamon, a tiny bit of brown sugar, and shredded coconut flakes. Yum!

Color Up Your Salad Read the rest of this entry »

Soups, Sides, and Souffles, Oh My!

by: Casey Pukl

If you’ve been keeping up with the news this week, no doubt you’ve heard about the woman in Sweden who lost her wedding ring 16 years ago only to find it growing in her garden wrapped around a carrot this week! You can read the story here! To say the least, we were all pretty inspired by the story, and in honor of it, Chef Todd Allison and beverage manager, Marc Canzoneri have put together a full meal and cocktail featuring this delicious root vegetable!

For a starter, Chef Todd recommends one of his personal favorite dishes— Carrot Ginger Soup with Scallions. To make the soup, he recommends starting by sautéing some sliced onions in a little bit of butter until they are soft. Then add chicken broth, peeled and chopped carrots, and a bit of grated ginger (1-2 tablespoons). Cover and boil the mixture until the carrots are soft.

Once the carrots are soft, you can carefully blend the mixture. Be very careful when doing this. Blending hot liquids can be tricky, so be sure to vent the lid! Once blended, return the soup to the pan, add a little bit of crème and season to taste with a little salt, pepper, garlic, and whatever else you’d like. Add scallions on top before serving! Read the rest of this entry »

Colorful Ideas for Your Out of Towners

by: Casey Pukl

As of five o’clock tonight, the holidays will be in full swing! Being the procrastinator that I am, I of course saved my grocery shopping until the very last minute. Having a house full of people this weekend, the only thing left to plan is breakfast. I know many of you will find yourselves in the same position. I’ve got an amazing Christmas Eve dinner planned complete with appetizers and desserts, cocktails, cookies galore, but what happens when eight people wake up in my house following the festivities?

Chef Todd to the rescue! For this week’s article, it’s all about breakfast, and things are going to be a little bit different this week. Instead of just one farm fresh ingredient, we’ll actually be using several. Beverage manager Marc Canzoneri and Executive Chef Todd Allison have teamed up this week to give you two easy brunch menus that are sure to please everyone! Read the rest of this entry »

The Perfect Holiday Meal Ingredient

by: Casey Pukl

The holidays are officially upon us. It’s getting down to crunch time. Just next weekend, none of us will be able to escape the sea of red and green decorations, Santa hats, twinkling lights, mountains of wrapping paper, the comforting sounds of Nat King Cole, or the stresses of hosting the big celebration.

Holiday entertaining can feel overwhelming— you’re trying to decorate the house, plan the menu, grocery shop, find wine pairings, prepare the food, the list just goes on. Fortunately for all of us, Chef Todd has come along to simplify the day with a tasty and festive menu that requires minimal prep, food shopping, and stress! We’re talking about beets this week!

Golden or crimson, these root veggies are the perfect addition to any holiday meal. Not only are the colors gorgeous, but they are easily used in both sweet and savory recipes.

Chef Todd suggests starting off your meal with a Golden Beet Carpaccio. Start off with some thinly sliced golden beets on the bottom of the plate. You can also use some red ones if you’d like. Then place some baby greens, or arugula, or even spinach on top of the beets. Top with walnuts, a little goat cheese, and some vinaigrette. Chef Todd usually uses a goat cheese vinaigrette, but you can also use a different one of your choosing. It doesn’t get any easier than that!

Pair this dish with a sparkling wine. Warren’s Pick: Roederer Estate, Brut Rose, Anderson Valley, NV

For your main course, Chef Todd suggests a Roasted Pork Loin on a bed of cubed red and golden beets, halved brussel sprouts, cubed red potatos, onions, and herbs. Season with a little salt and pepper, and add a few thinly sliced beets on top of the loin. Cook the loin to an internal temperature of about 150 degrees F, and then remove it from the oven and let it rest. The meat will continue to cook once it is removed from the oven, and will be ready between 155-160 degrees F.

Pair this dish with a creamy textured Chardonnay. Warren’s Pick: Nickel & Nickel, Nappa Valley, 2009

For dessert, what could be more festive than a Red Velvet Cake? Chef Todd recommends following a recipe that uses beets instead of red food coloring for a unique and rich flavor. One recipe he recommends is this one: 1920′s Original Waldorf-Astoria Red Velvet Cake. Not only is the color astonishingly rich, but the earthy flavor of the beets complements the cocoa perfectly.

Pair this cake with a Syrah (trust us on this one). Warren’s Pick: Earthquake, Lodi, 2006.

Stay tuned for nest week’s post, where Chef Todd and beverage manager, Marc Canzoneri help you navigate brunch for your overnight guests.

Creative Uses from Appetizers to Cocktails

by: Casey Pukl

There are so many great fall flavors, that I’m starting to think I have too many favorites. When I head into the kitchen to discuss the Farm Fresh Pick of the Week with Chef Todd, it can be tough for us to narrow down which ingredient to feature. This week, the stars aligned and our beverage manager, Marc Canzoneri, presented us with a phenomenal cocktail made with fresh apples. If only one would magically appear on my desk, it would truly be the greatest Friday of my life. It would’ve been a crime not to share it with you, so Chef Todd decided to help plan an entire meal from start to finish featuring apples!

Apples can give new life to any recipe- throw a few slices on a salad, bake them with a little cinnamon and sugar for dessert, coat them in caramel, or make a savory stuffing with apples, bread, walnuts, thyme, pears, and more. These crispy, sweet tarts pack a big punch that’s sure to please.

For this meal, Chef Todd recommends starting with an Endive and Apple salad. Throw in some golden raisins, bleu cheese, and candied walnuts, and voila! (Chef Todd actually loved this one so much that he decided to include it on our special New Year’s Eve menu!)

For a main course, Chef Todd recommends braising apple slices in a little white wine with some sautéed onions.

Season with some salt, pepper, a little cinnamon, and nutmeg. Serve the braised apples on top of a grilled pork chop, and prepare to be impressed. This recipe is not only incredibly easy, but balanced and comforting. It almost felt like a guilty pleasure.

Now, I’ve got to warn you. The finale I’m about to tell you about is both ridiculously addictive and really simple. Once you try it, it’ll be tough to forget. 

Chef Todd is currently featuring an apple crisp on our dessert menu that is every bit as sophisticated and classic as his food has always been. It’s the perfect ending to a meal. Todd adds cranberries to the crisp, and the topping is made of toasted oats and pecans. I can’t forget to add that there’s also a scoop of caramel swirl ice cream on top that is what puts this dessert over the edge.

Are you drooling yet? Because there’s more. I’ve got two words for you:

42^nd Street

Buffalo Trace Bourbon, muddled apples, fresh lemon juice, simple syrup, cinnamon. Throw some ice in there, give it a shake, strain, and serve up. This drink is like a goldmine full of fall garnished with a cinnamon and sugar rim. It’s perfectly balanced; not too sweet, not too tart, just right.

If you’d prefer to have it hand crafted by a pro, be sure to come on down and have Eric (see right) make one for you. Look at how much fun he has muddling those apples! If you want to make it yourself, just be sure you have as much, if not more, fun than Eric.

As always, you can come in to taste the dishes featured from our menu, and be sure to send us your photos of your farm fresh experiments! Our Facebook page is always open, and we’d love to see what you come up with!

Chef Todd’s Thai Inspired Take

by: Casey Pukl

Key limes aren’t just for pie anymore— at least not in Chef Todd Allison’s kitchen. These little gems of tartness are currently in season at the local farmer’s market here in San Diego, and Todd has two great suggestions for how to use them that are bound to knock your dinner guests’ socks off. Best of all, he’s got you covered for both dinner and dessert.

Key Limes

Key Lime Marinated Prawn Kabobs

Kabobs are not only delicious, but they look impressive, colorful, and are great for any number of occassions. They can be used as an appetizer or an entree, and since they’re skewered, they work particularly well for large parties where there is no formal seating. To make Chef Todd’s kabobs, you’ll need to start by making your marinade. The beauty of the marinade is that it’s quick, easy, and packs a ton of flavor. You’ll need to juice your key limes first, then add salt, pepper, garlic, cilantro, mint, basil, ginger, fish sauce, and a little sesame oil. Marinate your prawns (peeled and deveined) in the mixture for about two hours.

While the prawns are marinating, you can cut up the additional ingredients for your kabobs. Chef Todd recommends using hearts of palm, green onions, red peppers, and snow peas as the additional veggies on your skewers. Read the rest of this entry »

Different Ways to Eat Your Jack-O-Lantern

by: Casey Pukl

I love pumpkins. Those plump, adorable, little orange masterpieces just waiting to be carved into art and then consumed on my table make it actually feel like fall. It truly is one of the most versatile pieces of produce in the world. This week alone, I’ve eaten 5 different forms of pumpkin. I started the week with some toast slathered with pumpkin butter, then a pumpkin spice latte, pumpkin corn bread (that was hands down the favorite), pumpkin ravioli (Thanks, Bencotto!), and last but not least, some pumpkin seeds. Yet even with all of these delicious pumpkin options, I still see rotting jack-o-lanterns wasting away for the whole week following Halloween. Fortunately for you, Chef Todd Allison has a few creative and tasty ways for you to use your pumpkin! Read the rest of this entry »

Simple Yet Sophisticated Dessert Options

by: Casey Pukl

Executive Chef Todd Allison has been known to whip up an impressive dessert or two in the Anthology kitchen. (I hope you’ve been lucky enough to try his chocolate soufflé!) Known for using farm fresh ingredients, Todd is definitely the man to talk to before heading to your weekend farmer’s market. I asked him what I should get to make an impressive yet simple dessert for my weekend dinner party that wouldn’t keep me in the kitchen instead of chatting up my guests.

Todd had one very simple, very confident, and very delicious answer, “Figs.” Read the rest of this entry »