Angel’s Envy Bourbon from Louisville, KY

Louisville Distilling Company is a relatively new player to the bourbon industry. Started in 2010 by Master Distiller Lincoln Henderson (an inaugural member of the Bourbon Hall of Fame), who had more than 40 years of experience working for world class brands such as Woodford Reserve and Jack Daniels. Lincoln wanted to create the world’s finest bourbon, by returning to the original process of hand-blending whiskey in small batches of 8 to 10 barrels. The name started from the term “Angel’s Share” which is the percentage of evaporated bourbon that is lost during the aging process. As Lincoln Henderson said, “[I] sat the angels down and got them to agree that they could take a larger share if they agreed to leave behind something even better.” Hence, Angel’s Envy was born. Wine Enthusiast Magazine awarded Angel’s Envy 98 out of 100 points which is the highest-ever rating for a bourbon.

Angel’s Envy Bourbon Port Cask Finish (aka Expression 10/10) is described as “a warm spirit, lacking any hint of edginess with ephemeral hints of port wine and rich amber hue.” It is distilled for an unparalleled smoothness, aged for 4 to 6 years in American white oak barrels and finished in hand-selected port casks for an incremental 3 to 6 months. The result is exceptionally smooth, nuanced, and refined bourbon. Tasting notes: vanilla, spice, and oak flavors.

Manhattan made with Angel’s Envy, Sweet Vermouth, and Angostura Bitters. Musty, oak, and vanilla aromatics were experienced. It had a strong alcohol taste with classic masculine flavor and menthol backend – reminded me of my grandpa. Possible food pairings would be chargrilled steak, black forest ham sandwich on squaw bread, or dark chocolate dessert.

Drink one of the finest bourbons around and toast your drink to Master Distiller Lincoln Henderson who passed away too soon last year at the sprite age of 75.

For more information:

Angel’s Envy

Louisville, KY

Fall in love with Spain with a culinary trip to Mundaka in Carmel, CA

The first thing that pops in my mind when I think of Spain is tapas. In the sleepy town of Carmel, on San Carlos Street and just a few minutes walk from HofsasHouse, lies Mundaka. Named after a town in northern Spain, it’s a cozy restaurant with three dining rooms and a few tables to dine al fresco. The European dining experience is apparent with the cozy tables and bustling atmosphere. If you’re new to the tapas experience, don’t be nervous. Your server is there to answer all your questions and explain the dishes to you – just relax, enjoy, and eat at your own pace. Chef Brandon Miller’s creations have been dazzling foodies near and far since March 2009.  

Boquerones are marinated white anchovies with fried garlic. These were a touch too vinegary but the fillets were perfectly pristine in color and texture. I would get them again, but maybe with some sliced baguette. Thumbs up!

To read more and see slideshow, please visit: http://www.examiner.com/review/fall-love-with-spain-with-a-culinary-trip-to-mundaka-carmel-ca

Mahalo,

OC Food Diva

Bavarian charm awaits you at the Hofsas House in Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA

Driving up from Southern California to Northern California is always a treat. As you pass through the Grapevine and leave Los Angeles County behind, California’s Central Valley opens up with aromas of fresh produce wafting in the air from the acres and acres of farmland and trucks with trailers of garlic, onions, and tomatoes – the main ingredients for a great marinara sauce. As you emerge from the Central Valley, the southern end of Northern California becomes apparent with forest areas and cooler temperatures. As you drive closer to the coast, fog and the scent of the sea invite you. Carmel-by-the-Sea is a charming town by the sea. The interior of the town reminds me of Big Bear, CA - very quiet in the morning and night. In the morning, you can hear the beautiful sound of birds chirping, woodpeckers pecking, and the sound of the waves crashing on the beach. 

To read more and see slideshow, please visit: http://www.examiner.com/review/bavarian-charm-awaits-you-at-the-hofsas-house-carmel-by-the-sea-ca

Mahalo,

OC Food Diva

Domäne Wachau: Grüner Veltliner Federspiel Terrassen 2011

Domäne Wachau was founded in 1938, but the baroque wine cellar and cellar palace dates back to the 17th century with evidence of a long tradition of winemaking on the grounds of Domäne Wachau. The winery is a cooperative and owned by 250 local families who cultivate approximately 1087 acres of vineyards in the Wachau Valley in Austria. The winery produces 2.5 million bottles of wine on average per year. The winery is headed by winery director, Roman Horvath MW, and enologist, Heinz Frischengruber.

To read more, please visit: http://www.examiner.com/review/dom-ne-wachau-gr-ner-veltliner-federspiel-terrassen-2011

Mahalo,

OC Food Diva

“Fungus Faceoff” at the 2nd Annual Big Sur Foragers Festival in Big Sur, CA

On Saturday, January 18, 2014, our day began with a leisurely drive from the Hofsas House in Carmel-by-the-Sea. It was a gorgeous day with comfortable temperature and the sun shining brightly. The drive was along PCH with beautiful views of the Pacific Ocean with rolling rocky cliffs and sea arches carved by years of crashing waves. Another interesting sight was seeing cattle along the hillsides. The only other place I have seen this mix is the Big Island of Hawaii. The cattle had a great vantage point while they munched away or relaxed in the sun.

The small town of Big Sur is encompassed by carved rock and deep green forests of redwood trees. The Ventana Inn is perched above the forest with vistas overlooking the ocean and hosted the “Fungus Faceoff” on the patio of The Restaurant at Ventana. The setup was done perfectly with a nice flow through the line and food & wine interspersed throughout. There was an array of mushrooms on display, probably picked during the “Foraging Hike in the Forest” earlier that day. The friendly competition featured chanterelles and other fabulous fungi dishes prepared by Big Sur Roadhouse, Hyatt Carmel Highlands, Esalen, Big Sur Bakery, Fernwood Resort, Bernardus Lodge, Carmel Valley Ranch, The Restaurant at Ventana, and Ripplewood Resort. Let’s take a look at what they made:

Ripplewood Resort presented Russian Boar and Truffled Wild Mushroom Rillettes served with red onion quince marmalade, horseradish crème fraîche, and apple on rye toast. Beautifully presented, it had just the right balance of flavors and textures – rich pork rillette, sweetness from the onion marmalade, stunning yet creamy crème fraîche, crisp yet tart apple, and nutty flavor from the rye bread. It was a great bite but the mushroom flavor was lost. While this was my second favorite dish of the event, it went on to win the “Most Complex Flavors Dish” award.

To read more and see slideshow, please visit: http://www.examiner.com/article/fungus-faceoff-at-the-2nd-annual-big-sur-foragers-festival-big-sur-ca

Mahalo,

OC Food Diva

Say “I love you” with The Buttermilk Truck’s Breakfast in Bed Gift Set

The Buttermilk Truck has progressed in the last five years from a brand new food truck to a breakfast food phenomenon. People still follow this food truck on Twitter and Facebook to find the next stop for their fix of delicious red velvet pancakes. Last year, The Buttermilk Truck starting packaging their famous red velvet pancake mix so followers can make these delicious pancakes at home anytime of the day.

The Breakfast in Bed Gift Set contains their Famous Red Velvet Pancake Mix, Buttermilk Inc. Mug, and Isabella's Cookie Company’s Famous Breakfast Cookie, The Muffy. Follow directions on can for 1/2 recipe of Red Velvet Pancakes, put into Buttermilk Inc mug provided, add 10-12 chocolate chips and microwave for 1 minute 25 seconds, top with our cream cheese butter recipe and enjoy warm, fluffy decadent pancakes in a mug. All you need is some fresh brewed coffee for the perfect breakfast or dessert!

To read more and see slideshow, please visit: http://www.examiner.com/review/say-i-love-you-with-the-buttermilk-truck-s-breakfast-bed-gift-set

Mahalo,

OC Food Diva

Cookbook Review: Come Early, Stay Late by Brian Malarkey

My friend, Chef Joe Youkhan, was on a show on ABC last year, called The Taste. Although, he didn’t make it through the first cut, I was enthralled with the concept of professional chefs and home cooks competing for the same prize with a mere spoonful of “Taste”. The judges on the show were Chef Anthony Bourdain, Nigella Lawson, Chef  Ludo Lefebvre and Chef Brian Malarkey. Chef Brian had a vibrance to him – fun, energetic, and a love of food. I had the pleasure of meeting Chef Brian at the 2013 LA Food & Wine Festival and actually got to taste his creation of Lamb Tartar. Even in person, he was very personable and you could see his love of food, wearing like a badge of honor on his chef coat. His creations make you “eat with your eyes”. It’s not about the fanciful dots of sauce on the plate or the perfect placement of each grain of rice. It all comes down to the taste. Not that his food isn’t pretty to look at, it’s that so much emphasis was placed on presentation over the years, people forgot what really great food tastes like. As the Season 3 Top Chef Finalist, Chef Brian rose to celebrity chef status and with his restaurant group, Enlightening Hospitality, he has developed a fan following in San Diego and Los Angeles. Come Early, Stay Late pays homage to his restaurants by giving each a chapter in the book to showcase some of their favorite recipes.  

In the Searsucker (for his restaurant located in the Gaslamp Quarter in Downtown San Diego) chapter, Searsucker’s Cali Belgique Short Rib Sandwich + Horseradish Sauce sounded mighty tasty. Short rib is one of my favorite dishes in restaurants and decided to make it this at home for the very first time. I treated it like a roast to get the moist, tender texture you come to expect. All in all, this is a great recipe with some minor tweaks for the home kitchen will make it perfect. The short rib needed to cook for 5 ½ hours to get the right tender texture. I purchase my short rib from Costco so I’m not sure if it was the meat wasn’t the right quality to begin with or if it just needed more time. I’m glad I did this the night before so it was ready for the sandwiches the next day. I would also season the short ribs with some salt as the beef and chicken stock did not have enough salt in them to bring out more of the beef flavor. I would also add double the amount of horseradish to the sauce to kick it up a notch. The sour cream really does take over the flavor a bit and needed more horseradish to balance with the complex flavors of the short rib. The fried onions turned out perfectly and are very easy to make. The pesto is out-of-this-world! It had just enough garlic for the punch so as not to be overbearing. It had a vibrant green color and refreshing flavor. You’ll have leftovers so toss it up with some angel hair pasta. I bought my French baguettes from Lee’s Sandwiches, freshly baked that morning. They had the perfect crisp outside and tender inside that helps soak up some braising liquid. There will be a lot of braising liquid left over. It will make a great soup or stew base or you can use it when making a pot of rice or quinoa - lots of beefy goodness in there, not to be wasted. A dash of Tabasco or Sriracha would be great too. Thumbs up, way up!

 

To read more and see slideshow, please visit: http://www.examiner.com/review/cookbook-review-come-early-stay-late-by-brian-malarkey

Mahalo,

OC Food Diva

Romesco Mexiterranean Bistro is an epicurean food journey of the senses in Bonita, CA

Bonita, CA reminds me of a cowboy town, like Norco, CA, with small local shopping center/strip malls, rustic wooden signage, and residential neighborhoods off the main drag from the freeway. In a non-descript shopping center in this small town is a diamond in the rough. Romesco Mexiterranean Bistro opened in 2005 and has been wowing Bonita residents and beyond with their Mexiterranean cuisine. The Peña & Plascencia families started their restaurants in Mexico in 1969 and also acquired Caesar’s in Tijuana where the first Caesar Salad was created in 1927. With their vast range of cuisine from Mexican, French, Italian, and Spanish, Romesco MexiterraneanBistro became a fusion of the cultures and cuisines of these regions. The interior of the restaurant reminds me of either an upscale steakhouse or Italian family eatery with dark wood furnishings and bright white table cloths. The servers’ uniforms were firmly pressed with bright white aprons. The service was professional, classy, and very friendly.  

Taquitos Porados de Cachete is deep-fried beef cheek tacos with tender greens, cojita cheese, marinated tomato & onions, mild salsa aguada, radish, and fresh Mexican cream. This has a surprising mix of flavors from Mexico and Italy. The beef cheek tacos were full of beefy flavor and very tender. The salsa tasted more like Italian marinara with the fresh tomato and oregano flavors. Put it all together and it was a like a symphony of flavors to my palate. The cojita cheese was like a cross between fresh mozzarella and ricotta, creamy with soft texture. The pickled red onions added a slight vinegar flavor just like the pickled vegetables you would get at a taco truck. Thumbs up, way up!

To read more and see slideshow, please visit: http://www.examiner.com/review/romesco-mexiterranean-bistro-is-an-epicurean-food-journey-of-the-senses

Mahalo,

OC Food Diva