When in Rome

 

Rome is one of the most beautiful cities I have ever visited.  Each time we come, I am grateful that we are able to travel and to enjoy this beautiful, chaotic, delicious and noisy place.  We are here with our son and his girlfriend and they are touring the "must-sees" like the Colosseum and the Vatican, while Dr. C. and I are nursing jet lag.  We leave tomorrow for Spello, and can't wait to reunite with friends, and friends who are family there.  

Eating our way through Rome is my favorite pastime, going to old favorites and taking a chance on new restaurants we've not been to.  Breakfast is coffee and cornetto at the local bar.  We have been the only non-Italians in this place the entire week.  

                      We call this the breakfast of champions!  It will get you started for the day. 

After walking for a few hours it's time for lunch.  On Wednesday after a long walk through the Borghese gardens, we decided to come back to the apartment which is located in the Prati area near the Vatican museums, regroup and find a place for lunch.  

Ryan and Madelyn had found a place on google near the Vatican museums and we set out.  We were welcomed with open arms by the owner Giulio and his sister Maria.  By the end of the day, we'd met everyone and came back the next day for lunch again.  This time it was a four hour lunch, with non-stop talk, wine, prosecco and digestivi.  Giulio, Maria, our waiter Mario and the entire crew became family in 4 hours.  

Lasagne made in house

Pasta Amatriciana

Saltimbocca

Before all this came to the table, there were huge chunks of Parmigiano, Calabrian salami, Prosciutto, and a small portion of pasta all' arabiatta.  Add to this a liter of white wine, and a few gallons of water, and we were happy campers, but the food kept on coming!  And the conversation with Giulio and his sister Maria.  Maria makes an amazing tiramisu, the photo doesn't do it justice, but I hope to replicate it in San Diego when I get home at the end of October (and that's another story for another time!)

Maria makes the custard with amaretto and uses amaretti cookies instead of ladyfingers, then sprinkles in toasted hazelnuts and chopped chocolate---this is heaven on a plate.  

After this came the digestives, Limoncello, Amaro and Strega (saffron liquor)  I passed on the saffron and Amaro, but a nice chilled glass of Limoncello is always welcome.  

Giulio pouring the prosecco

Espresso, and then more conversation, and prosecco, and more wine, and they rolled us out of there 4 hours later.  Since we were so close to St. Peter's we took a stroll over there, it's best to go later in the afternoon, when the tour bus crowds are gone.  

Grazie Giulio, Maria, and Mario for making our day in Rome so much fun.  Delicious food and great conversation made Ristorante dei Musei an amazing experience.  

If you are in the area of the Vatican museums or St. Peter's we highly recommend this place, it's awesome.  

                  At the end of the day, it's the people of Italy who are its treasure.  Grazie Mille!

Big Island Adventure

 A few weeks ago, my brother said that he and his family had an extra bedroom at their condo on the Big Island, and invited Dr. C. and I to join him.  Dr. C. was working that week, so I got to have one-on-one with my bro, his wife, and daughter.  What a gift!  Come along for the ride, food and scenery.

To go to Hawaii, you will need a vaccination card or a negative Pre-Travel Covid test.  You are then given a wristband indicating you are safe to fly.  Best to get it at your point of embarkation, lines in the islands to get a wrist band were 4 hours long.  

This was a comfort dog, he had his own first class seat---looked more like a small pony

This doesn't happen to me very often, but I was upgraded to a lay-flat seat.  Thanks United!

Flying out of Honolulu to Kona

Once I landed in Kona, brother Bob whisked me away to the Four Seasons Hualalai resort and my spot for the next 5 days.  Let me just say, this is a magical place, once you enter the gates, there really isn't a need to leave, but the Big Island holds lots of beautiful surprises.  One of those surprises is the food...given that this is a tourist destination, I sometimes think that the restaurants are just waiting to serve you expensive, mediocre food, because, frankly, you are stuck there.  Not so, here, the restaurants all have that spirit of aloha and one dinner was at my family's favorite Italian restaurant, Pueo's Osteria.

in Waikoloa Village.

The drive up the mountain

Cheesy Garlic Bread

House Made Radiatore with Vodka sauce

Three of us had the Veal Parmigiano with housemade Fettucine

Chocolate torte with caramel

Lemon Panna Cotta with fresh berries

This restaurant has a lovely wine list, and I love a good Vermentino

If you do go to the Big Island, this is a great choice for dinner, great service and food.  But, the Big Island isn't all great food, the scenery, and the aloha spirit is alive and well here after 18 months of the pandemic.  

Beach Tree Terrace, Four Seasons

Quiet pool

Beautiful skies every day

Almost like a botanical garden here

Malasadas -- Hawaiian donuts --- they are the 💣

Sunset nighttime manta ray snorkel with Ocean Encounters

Curious Monk Seal

It was a great 5 days, and I am so grateful I had the opportunity to travel once again.  Mahalo to my family and to the beautiful people on the Big Island.  

A Bit of Aloha to Celebrate

 

We have a saying here at our house, "Costco got me", and that was true yesterday as I was strolling the aisles.  A friend calls Costco The Promised Land!  After inhaling the perfume from the pineapples that were stacked high, reminiscent of our time in Hawaii a few weeks ago, I picked up a pineapple and some macadamia nuts, along with $200+ of other things I can't remember, and headed home.  With my pineapple, some suspect cream cheese that was on the cusp of expiring, and the macadamia nuts, I decided to try and replicate the Pineapple Glazed Cheesecake that we had in Waimea at The Red Water Cafe.  To be honest, we devoured this dessert before taking a photo at the restaurant, so I really can't remember if it was a baked cheesecake or not, but the bruleed top was what made this memorable.  So, this is my take on that memorable dessert, and I'm making it to celebrate California opening up soon, and we are all finally vaccinated.  

Pineapple Bruleed Cheesecake

For the Crust

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1 3/4 cup macadamia nuts

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

6 tablespoons melted unsalted butter

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, line a 9-inch cheesecake or springform pan with aluminum foil, and coat the foil with non-stick cooking spray.  

Put the crumbs, macadamia nuts, and brown sugar into a food processor.  Process until the nuts are chopped.  Add the butter, and stir to combine.

Press the crumbs into the pan and up the sides.  Bake for 15 minutes.  

For the Filling

Four 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened

1 cup sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla paste or extract

4 large eggs

1/4 cup sour cream

2 to 3 tablespoons dark rum

2 cups fresh pineapple, finely chopped

raw sugar

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment cream together the cream cheese and sugar, until smooth.  

Add the vanilla and the eggs and beat until smooth.  

Add the sour cream and beat until incorporated.   

Pour the mixture onto the crust, smoothing the top.  

Arrange the pineapple on the top and bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes until set.  

Turn off the oven and leave the door ajar until the cheesecake cools.   

When the cheesecake is cooled, sprinkle the pineapple with the sugar, and using a brulee torch, caramelize the pineapple.  If you don't have a brulee torch a broiler will work.  Cool completely and refrigerate.  Remove from the refrigerate at least 1 1/2 hours before serving.  

A few notes:  

1. Only make this with the best pineapple, right now gold pineapples are available in your markets.  The only test of ripeness is by aroma---so smell that pineapple---pineapples are picked ripe, so if you want for that pineapple to ripen on your counter, it will begin to ferment.  Also, the photo shows sliced pineapple, since I'd sliced up the pineapple before I knew that I would be making this dessert.  At the restaurant there was a lot of chopped pineapple on the top and that woudl be my preferred method of topping this cheesecake.  
2. I prefer Mauna Loa macadamia nuts, these were the only ones available at Costco.  
3. Cheesecakes are best at room temperature, instead of ice cold.  
4. My 21 year old Dacor convection ovens are on their last legs, the bottom oven has quit, the top is still "working"---note the quotes, so I have ordered new Cafe double wall ovens which should be arriving in the end of July....this whole supply chain thing is cutting into my cooking!  I'm just grateful to have one oven working.  

Chopping the nuts with the crumbs ensures that you won't get nut butter

Going into the oven

A little overbaked, but I'll blame that on the oven

Brulee torch covers a multitude of sins, and as Julia Child said, every woman needs a blow torch

Ciao for now.  

Breaking Out; Guava Glazed Ribs

 A week ago, Dr. C, our son, and his girlfriend went to the Big Island of Hawaii for a short break.  We had some electronic certificates with United, and ironically the Big Island was the best deal.  The photo is some amazing deliciousness that we had at the Red Water Cafe while dining with friends.  These are guava wood-smoked ribs with a guava glaze.  They were amazing.  So today being Sunday I decided it was time to bring back a bit of Aloha here at the house.  

Ribs are something that I will order out, but they are also simple to cook at home if you have an Insta-Pot or Pressure cooker, you can pre-cook/steam the ribs, and then set them on the grill to glaze and get some smoky flavor.  For the glaze I gathered together about 7 different recipes, trying to figure out which would be the best option, and then went on the road less traveled---my own.  I think I'm close to the original, but don't have any guava wood to smoke these babies, and so they are a bit different, but we all decided they were worthy!  

Guava Glaze

Makes about 2 cups

14 ounces Guava paste (see note)

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon finely grated ginger

3/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup water

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce

Put the guava paste into a microwavable bowl, cover loosely and cook on high for 2 to 3 minutes until the paste is melted.  

In a saucepan, heat the oil, and swirl the garlic and ginger for 30 seconds until fragrant.  

Add the melted guava paste, soy sauce, water, Worcestershire, and chili garlic sauce.  Bring to a boil and simmer gently, stirring for 2 to 3 minutes.  Taste for seasoning, adjust with soy sauce, Worcestershire or chii garlic sauce.  The sauce will keep in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.  

Cook's Note:  The brand of guava paste that I bought (on Amazon) was 14 ounces. 

For the Ribs

2 racks baby back ribs

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/4 cup Penzeys 4S Smoky Salt

1 teaspoon celery seed

Arrange the ribs on a large piece of aluminum foil.  In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar, smoky salt, and celery seed.  Wrap the ribs in the foil and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.  

In the pressure cooker or Insta-pot, pour in 1 cup of rootbeer (or water) 

Arrange the ribs in the pressure cooker/Insta-pot and cook on high for 20 minutes, with a natural release.  

If you don't have a pressure cooker/Insta-pot, preheat the oven to 300 degrees, line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or silicone and pour in 2 cups of rootbeer.  Place the dry-rubbed ribs onto the baking sheet, bone side down, cover tightly with aluminum foil and roast for 2 to 2 1/2 hours.  

Cool the ribs, and refrigerate or cool for 1 hour before grilling.  

Preheat the grill for 10 minutes.  Brush the ribs with the glaze, over indirect heat (turn off the middle burners, or push coals to the sides of the grill) place bone side down onto the grill and cook covered for 10 to 15 minutes, until the glaze is bubbling on the top of the ribs.   Serve with warmed glaze on the side.  

Cook's Note:  Rootbeer gives the ribs a smoky, sweet flavor, you can sub in beer, or water, it's really about personal taste.  

In the beginning there was garlic and ginger and guava paste

This is my favorite new tool, a ginger grater

Swirl the garlic and ginger, don't let it brown, you only want it to release some of its oils

So, I realized that in order to get the guava paste to melt, I would need a low temperature on the stovetop, otherwise it would burn.  Best to microwave the paste first, and then add to the pan.  

Not much to look at, but it's really tasty!

Dry rubbed the night before

My favorite pressure cooker of all time the Cadillac WMF

Arrange in the pot

20 minutes on high, tender and delicious

Paint the ribs with some of the sauce, save more sauce for serving

And, I think we have lift off

So, the unanimous opinion was that these are delicious.  I'm not sure they are anywhere near the ones we had at the Red Water Cafe but they are so good, I will be putting these into the rotation.  Some notes, I had a lot of sauce leftover, so I think I'll freeze it for future use.  It will probably be delicious on chicken as well.  The sauce is really thick, I'm thinking next time I'll whisk in a little (or a lot) of dark rum and see how that fares.  All in all, this was a fun experiment.  

Speaking of experiments I took a zoom class on Saturday with my colleague and friend Rick Rodgers.  He taught the world-famous English muffins from the Model Bakery and it was a joy to watch him in action.  He will be offering a variety of classes and I highly recommend them, click here for details.