Wednesday, July 14, 2010

DavePops: Another reason why I love local farmer's markets!




DavePops is a one man stand. A local inspiration. A food lover. A health nut. The creater of the most delicious summer treat I have ever encountered!

During my stroll through the park this afternoon, I decided to take another trip to the Wednesday afternoon farmer's market (that's 2 trips this week!). It was there that I encountered DavePops and his cute little popsicle stand. When I think of popsicles I think about how they are an iconic symbol of childhood. They leave your taste buds with a true feeling of nostaligia. From otter pops and push pops to twin pops and cream-sicles, for me, the memories of eating them, enjoying them, and letting them melt all over your play clothes are just as nostaligic as the Cabbage Patch Kids, New Kids on the Block, and Goonies.

When first approaching his cute little stand, I was immediately captured by the colorful rainbow umbrella above his freezer stand, Dave's long hair and great big mustache, and the huge smiles of people walking away and licking the sides of their newly acquired frozen treat. Dave himself was friendly, jubilant, and had an undeniable love and passion for his pops. All of his pops are handmade and organic. His DavePops were unbelieveably creamy and smooth in texture yet subltly sweet and succulent in taste. I had the lemon lime DavePop which was creamier than an ice cream sundae! I had to inquire about his secret and he responded with one word: Pectin. This is an all natural ingredient found in fruits like bananas. Hence the reason why the addition of frozen bananas make smooothies so smooth and creamy! All DavePops have simple wholesome ingredients that include whole fruit, soy milk or water based juices/pops, pectin, and sugar. A simple recipe for a simple and delicious treat!

He also developed LukePops, named after his nephew who recently developed Diabetes. All LukePops are sugar free and are instead made with splenda. So as you can see, he has made something for everybody!

So I tribute this blog to Dave of DavePops and thank you for treating me to the most delicious summer treat in Sacramento! I look forward to seeing you at future community events and markets and trying all of your flavors! Buon Appetit to a summer of fun, sun, & DavePops!

For more informaton click on this link to the DavePops website: www.davepops.com

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Sacramento Farmer's Market Schedule for all market lovers!


There is nothing I love more than waking up early, grabbing my canvas bags and a cup of coffee, and heading straight for the Farmer's Market! The aroma of fresh baked breads and pastries makes my mouth water. The sound of people haggling vendors for a good price on a pound of white capped mushrooms or bunch of basil gets me so excited I can hardly contain myself. My eyes widen as I am mesmerized by the colorful array of fresh produce spread out on a table ready to be bought, sauteed, and devoured! The entire experience just tickles my fancy. For all of those who share this love affair with the farmer's markets behold: The Sacramento Farmer's Market weekly schedule!

Every Saturday 8am-Noon~Sunrise Station (Folsom and Sunrise Blvds). Open all year.

Every Saturday 8am-Noon~Country Club Plaza (Watt and El Camino). Open all year.

Every Saturday 8am-Noon~Laguna Gateway Center (Laguna and Big Horn Blvds). Open all year.

Every Sunday 8am-Noon~State Parking Lot (8th and W Streets). Open all year.

Every Tuesday 10am-2pm~Roosevelt Park (9th and P Streets). May-Sept.

Every Tuesday 10am-2pm~Fremont Park (16th and P Streets). May-Sept.

Every Wednesday 10am-2pm~Chavez Plaza (10th and J Streets). May-Oct.

Every Wednesday 4pm-7pm~Elk Grove Regional Park (Elk Grove-Florin Rd). May-Aug.

Every Thursday 8am-Noon~Florin Sears Store (Florin and 65th St.). Open all year.

Every Thursday 10am-2pm~Downtown Plaza (4th and K Streets). May-Sept.

**Shhhhh! Sacramento's best hidden secret is the Southeast Asian Farmer's market at Broadway and 17th. It is every Saturday morning just a few blocks from the market at 8th and W. Here you can find the best farmer's market deals but beware, don't expect the vendors to be friendly and patrons are worse; they may grab a bag of onions right out from under you if you're not quick enough you will be SOL...however this market is the cheapest and the best! So good that haggling is a useless skill! Even as you walk away with a 3lb bag of red onions and 2lb bag of Chinese Broccoli, you'll think "How in the world did I just walk away with all this produce for only $2? How do these people make any profit?" I learned that the best way to go about it is to not ask questions. Just accept a cheap deal. And if you are there at the tail end of the morning, the already good deals get even better as the vendors just want to get rid of what they have and call it a day! So, shhhhh! Don't tell anyone about my dirty little secret! Go, get your good deal, enjoy this truly cultural experience, and tell me all about it later. Cash only, of course.**

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Jean Rosenfeld's 65th Birthday Brunch~ July 4th, 2010


Custom designed Delish menus.


My pre-event Farmer's Market spread!


Fresh market produce and fresh baked bread from the Sacramento Baking Company!



Fresh bruschetta on artisan sourdough bread. All ingredients in this dish came straight from the Farmer's Market that morning!


A Delish signature dish!


These Thai shrimp spring rolls smile for their close up!


It's summer time and tis the season for fresh raspberries!


Raspberry Almond Cake makes her debut yet again!


Spinach and Beet salad with all the fixin's!


Veggie and Cheese Summer Frittata Cups! Fresh from the Farmer's Market to the banquet table!


Jean's Jewish background inspired me to add these traditional Latkes to the menu!


Who's hungry?


Guests help themselves to a colorful summer feast!


The full spread!


Rona & Deborah requested the same cake I made at Rachel's Bridal Shower: Raspberry and Almond Scented White Cake.



Delish Boutique Catering presents…

Jean Rosenfeld’s Birthday Brunch Menu

Spinach salad with beets, goat cheese, and a lite lemon & shallot vinaigrette dressing

Tomato basil bruschetta baked on a sourdough baguette

Veggie & Cheese Summer Frittata

Potato Pancakes~ Latkes

Shrimp & Tofu Thai Spring rolls with a spicy garlic peanut sauce

Raspberry and Almond Infused White Cake


Lakeisha & Trevor's Wedding Reception~ June 25, 2010





Trevor & LaKeisha’s
Wedding Reception Menu

Thai Spring Rolls w/ Spicy Peanut Garlic Chili Sauce

Chicken Wing Bar w/ variety of dipping sauces

Smoked Mozarella and Sun Dried Tomato Phyllo Cigars

Pomme Frittes Bar w/ variety of dipping sauces

Crunchy Macaroni and Cheese Bites

Garden Party buttercream frosting and vanilla scented cupcakes




Saturday, April 3, 2010

Rachel's Bridal Shower Menu

Salad

A lite spinach salad w/ oranges and a beet chip in parmesan crisp cups

Appetizers



Thai spring rolls with a spicy garlic peanut sauce
(tofu & shrimp option)
Spinach and asparagus stuffed mushrooms topped with freshly grated parmesan cheese and garlic

Entree


Baked macaroni and cheese with white cheddar cheese and parmeasan (fresh homemade pasta)

Dessert




A raspberry almond scented white cake topped with fresh raspberries and almonds





Friday, March 19, 2010

Breakfast Pasta AKA Hickory Smoked Bacon Pasta Carbonara

The birthday boy gave this dish the official name of "Breakfast Pasta", also known as my "Hickory Smoked Bacon Pasta Carbonara". What could be tastier than pasta, cream, bacon, eggs, and alotta Parmesan cheese all in one dish? Instead of making this classic dish with pancetta, I decided to cater the main ingredient of this dish to the guests who were in attendance. A large group of bulky ex-college wrestlers AKA bacon lovers! The dish was a hit and even after I made two huge heaping servings the insatiated party guests wanted more. It's filling, savory, smokey, meaty, cheesy, rich, creamy, and extremely simple to make! While living in Florence I found this dish to be a classic Italian staple...eaten any time of the day and served up in almost any Italian trattoria. I even had the pleasure of making this dish for our Parisian couchsurfing hosts David and Vladia while my sister and I were traveling through France last summer. They loved it! The greatest thing about this dish is that no matter what country you are in the ingredients are all very basic and simple...and easy to find! I substituted parsley with basil while in Paris. Either will do!


Hickory Smoked Bacon Pasta Carbonara

8oz Hickory Smoked Bacon (chopped)
2 cups heavy cream
salt & pepper
2 eggs
2 cups freshly grated Parmesano Reggiano
chopped parsley
2 cloves garlic (chopped)
1 lb. fettuccine

1. Cut the bacon into 1cm strips and fry over a medium heat. Add garlic and stir fry with bacon for a minute.
2. Place the fettuccine into a pot of salted, boiling water and cook until al dente
3. In the mean time, once the bacon is cooked add the cream and salt and pepper to the pan and simmer to reduce until thick and creamy.
4. Whisk together the egg and Parmesan
5. Once the pasta is cooked, drain and add it to the pan and stir it through the cream sauce.
6. Finally, add the egg and Parmesan to the pan and stir again.
7. Serve immediately garnished with parsley.

*Note: when adding the egg and Parmesan mix incorporate slowly while stirring pasta to avoid from scrambling the eggs in the heat of the pasta. this keeps the pasta smooth and creamy!

made with love,

Jas

The story of my twice baked carrot cake!









If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. Sounds cheesy but it's soo true! After successfully executing Frank's M&M and Kit Kat colorful and delicious birthday cake, I was so confident going into making a delicious carrot cake for my best friend Jeremiah's 33rd surprise birthday! And this is what happens when you get a little too confident and foolishly "clever". Baking, I must say is a new enterprise to me. In so many ways it is such a science and a bitch to figure out, however, it many ways with my sweet tooth I really do love getting elbow deep in flour, using my sweet red kitchen aid to make sweet doughs that are accompanied by sweet aromas which fill my small little apartment, and most of all: adding and subtracting and substituting parts of the recipe to my liking!

This two layered carrot cake was going to be the king of all carrot cakes and I was even going to attempt to make some mini carrots and a frog out of fondant. Boy was this a major endeavor in only having 5 hours to complete it! I used a well trusted food blog "Real Life Foodie Adventures" who posted a recipe that has been passed down through the generations and been perfected over many years. I thought I might as well try it and liked that there were substitutions in this recipe that make the cake unique and healthier. These include the addition of diced pineapple and applesauce! These keep the cake uber moist and delicate.

So I decided to get smart with the recipe and with limited time, decided to pour the entirety of the batter into one large spring form cake pan. I decided that I could bake it, cut it neatly in half, and icing the two layers after they have been cooled. BIG MISTAKE. In an effort to save time, I turned what was supposed to be an alotted 3 hour window of time to turn my cake baking fiasco into 6 hours and alotta frustration. I baked the cake at the recommended time and temperature however, no matter how long I baked it the middle always came out doughy (with my toothpick test). The longer I put it in the oven, the outside became darker and harder while the middle remained doughy. I should have gone with my original instinct to pour the cake batter into two separate cake pans to allow for evenly distributed heat and a fully cooked cake. Argggghhh...

Now that time was no longer on my side I had to think fast. I decided to scoop out the raw dough from the middle of my partially baked cake and make mini carrot cakes. Hence, the way this "twice baked carrot cake" got it's name. I took my melon baller and scooped away into my mini bite sized cupcake pan and continued to bake until my toothpick came out clean. I used the cream cheese frosting from the recipe but added a little vanilla bean to give it some extra flavor pizazz and hoorah. I used my ever-so-loved frosting piping bag to pipe a nice swirl of frosting on each cupcake. I decided to top each mini cake with a candied pecan that I bought in the peanut aisle. You wouldn't believe that candied pecans costs about half as much as buying raw pecans! I got the "pecan flavor" of whole candied pecans and I was worried about how these might take away from the flavors of the cake itself but they were a great and most delicious addition!

So some quick thinking turned a mess of a mistake into 33 little bite sized and delicious twice baked carrot cake! Exactly 33. One for each year of the birthday boy. A candle in each. One hard huff and puff of all the candles. And there you go! By the next morning these little cakes were all everyone could talk/text/facebook about! Ahhhhh....

I guess no one really has to know how the little delicious cakes came to be but it just goes to show how one can turn a major mistake into a mouthwatering miracle!

made with love,

Jas

How would you like a slice of sweet random pie?


This became my official "sweet random pie" because so far it has been my most successful pie I've ever made out of all the random things I could find in my kitchen cabinets! We've all been there! Too lazy to find a new recipe, drive to the store, etc etc. Some of the most amazing food I've ever had has resulted from an impromptu meal made from random things in my refrigerator! Like my chicken, mozzarella, and heirloom tomato pesto nann bread panini? To die for!

Here is the recipe for my "sweet random pie" could also be known as "Jasmine's chocolate caramel pecan pie". It's super simple, easy, fast, and Delish! What more could a chef ask for?

Sweet Random Pie

Pie Filling:
8oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 Cup brown sugar
1 Cup Unsalted Butter
1 Cup whole pecans

Pie Crust:

3/4 Cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 Cup granulated sugar
2 Cups cake flour


To make the crust, in a large bowl, use a wooden spoon (or Kitchen Aid Mixer) to combine the butter, egg, and granulated sugar. Add the flour and mix until a homogeneous lump of dough forms. Roll into a ball, cover in plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to 8 hours.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Butter a 9 1/2 inch tart pan. Unwrap refrigerated dough and place on a floured work surface. Lightly flour rolling pin, roll dough out into a round. Line crust into greased tart pan. (This tart in particular is my favorite because it's taste and texture reminds me of a shortbread cookie--my favorite!). Bake pie in oven for about 30 minutes until pale dry.

Sprinkle chocolate chips right on top of pie crust. Spread around evenly. Place in oven for 2 minutes or until chocolate has completely melted. Spread melted chocolate with a spatula into an even layer.

In a small pot melt butter and brown sugar and mix together on medium heat. Mix until thoroughly combined and let boil for 3 minutes. Pour caramel mixture from pot into pie tart pan over chocolate and spread. Allow yourself to make beautiful swirls with the caramel and chocolate mixture. Top with pecan nuts (whole or chopped).

Allow to cool until warm to touch and serve warm with a large dollop of vanilla bean gelato (or whatever choice of ice cream you want!). For garnish top with mint leaf.

Enjoy to the fullest! If you think that the pie filling is too sweet you may always opt for using milk chocolate chips. I brought the pie over to a friend's place and needless to say the pie tart pan was the only thing I came home with! Well received by all who tried this "sweet random" creation and maybe if you're lucky and really really nice to me I will replicate it for you!

As always...

Made with love,

Jas

Thursday, March 4, 2010

soft chewy ginger molasses cookies baked to perfection!









I wanted to explore the horizons beyond the traditional chocolate chip or oatmeal raisin cookie. For rainy season I believe the mind, body, soul, and taste buds craves something sweet, spicy, cinnamony, and a baked good that is the perfect accompaniment to a nice warm cup of joe or hot chocolate.

Behold the soft, chewy, decadent ginger molasses cookie. By luck I found this recipe on Tastespotting, my go-to site for all wonderful recipes networked by other food blog enthusiasts and also what I like to refer to as "food porn". If you are one to feast with your eyes (which we all do to some degree) this would be the site to check out. There's also a search box where you can type in any recipe ingredient to filter out all recipes that include that ingredient! This is perfect for left over ingredients in your fridge or when trying to find what to make for the produce you found on sale but have no clue as to what you might make with it. The only thing better than checking out this site is actually eating the food itself! Maybe one day I might make a fortune for inventing taste-a-blog...forget smell-a-vision! Taste-a-blog is the future!

Linda Balsev, the author of the food blog "Taste Food" posted this recipe and by chance, I found it among 20 other ginger molasses cookie recipes. I discovered these cookies to be wonderfully textured and had the most delicious blend and balance of spices. Thick, chewy & crumbly at the same time, each cookie turned out perfect in size, texture, and flavor! In order to get each cookie consistent in size, I recommend using a 2 oz. stainless steel spring loaded ice cream scooper before balling the portioned dough in your hand and rolling them in a powdery bath of sugar.

I am still exploring the baking world, one cookie, cake, and pie at a time! The saying goes that baking is more of a science than an art, but I must beg to differ! Although ingredients may be more difficult to work with and substitute for, it is just as much an art as any other art form! Please, bake, taste, enjoy, and spread the word about these wonderful wintery treats!

as always...

made with sweet sweet love...

~Jas

a simple fruit tart ala mode

As a thank you to "the boys" for helping us out in prepping and cooking our last event we decided to make them an ultimate "Delish" meal! We ended our delicious endeavor with a wonderful simple fruit tart ala mode. Our tart crust was extremely simple and resembled a buttery flaky shortbread cookie. A little flour, butter, sugar, and eggs, and wallah! We had a decadent pie crust. Our recipe is just too great to publicize. Afterall every great chef has their share of secret recipes that we shall take to the grave, right?! I brushed the perimeter of the crust with simple egg white so they would turn a beautiful golden brown in the oven. Bananas and rasberries (you can use whatever fruit happens to be on sale at the store or farmer's market) were our pick of fruit as one may use almost any fruit to top this tart. We sliced bananas very thin and and layered them right on top of the crust. Most fruit tarts have a sort of custard layer between the crust and fruit however the banana added a great consistency and tied the different layers together very well, thus no need for a custard. I've never been a real big fan of custards anyway. Then we topped the banana with rasberries and sprinkled powdered sugar on top for added bite of sweetness and a beautiful snow powdery finish! We sliced the cake as it was still warm out of the oven and accompanied each plate with a nice sized dallop of french vanilla ice cream! I wish we could say the ice cream was homemade but that's another endeavor for another day! The only thing I think we could have done differently was to bake the crust with a weight (bag of unbaked beans or something) to keep the surface of the crust flat before plating the fruit. I made the exact same fruit tart a few days later (I was on a fruit tart frenzy for a week) but used blueberries instead of rasberries. The only downside I noticed were that the blueberries tended to roll around everywhere. On the plate, off the plate, off the table, and onto the floor when serving! This immediately reminded me of an old childhood song "On Top of Spaghetti". This is when I think a layer of custard would be useful to act as the glue to keep the smooth rolly polly blueberries in place! Perhaps a banana infused custard? I also think these tarts would be a wonderful delight as small little bite sized tarts. Sweet, simple, and delicate for a lady's afternoon tea or perhaps even a baby shower. Hmmm...

made with love,

jas

Wow...what a difference a month makes!



Hello everyone! It has been one crazy month as so much has happened! To start, I was recently laid off from my job but before you start to have pity, I must say it is a true blessing in disguise! The timing could not have been any better as I now have time and energy to devote all my time to Delish, a company I believe in full-heartedly.

I am currently collaborating with all my contacts in regards to Delish and going full force into establishing our name in the community and expanding! I'm making it a full-time effort and so far it seems that these efforts have been paying off! Our website is in the last stages of being complete and our good friends and family have been great referrals for hosting future events! Kim and I have been working our our business plan to identify our goals, vision, target market, costs, expenditures, profit margin, etc. All that business stuff is an absolute necessity as we cannot afford NOT to have all the research and business plan in place! We are also an official sponsor of the Sacramento Midtown Triathlon Club and have been catering monthly board meetings and other social events.

This month we are planning to film a commercial for our website, collaborate with a local comedy club to cater a benefit comedy show for a friend and donate sample tastings to local radio stations and community television stations for a few seconds of air time. Kim and I are also making efforts to continue learning new skills/techniques/recipes/flavors by enrolling in cooking classes at William Sonoma and Sac Foods Coop. As longs as we are business we will never stop learning, practicing, and perfecting new and old favorite recipes. I think my friends and family have finally gotten used to me snapping pictures of food prior to eating and tolerated my incessant inquiries about how the food tastes and how I could make it better.

Upcoming Catering Events Include:

March 6 Frank's 27th Birthday Bash
March 14 Post Shamrock'n Half Marathon Cocktail Party
March 20 Baby Birthday Party
March 27 Bridal Shower

In the works: Wedding, all girl's dessert party, grand opening of a local restaurant.

Kim and I will continue to blog weekly about all of our Delish kitchen experiences and hope that you will all stay tuned and keep us in mind the next time you or someone you know has an event that needs catering! Our philosophy will always be to provide healthy, organic, elegant, beautiful, locally grown, personalized, high-quality, homemade food and service that is delicious and made with love...

~Jas

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