Food – Page 2 – Will Bake for Shoes

Food

20th Annual Ghirardelli Chocolate Festival

Posted on October 28, 2015by Brandy Saldana

It is National Chocolate Day, and what chocolate could be better than Ghirardelli? Last month I attended the 20th Annual Ghirardelli Chocolate Festival in San Francisco with Armando and even though I shared a few photos of the event on Instagram, I felt it deserved its own blog post. I was really excited about attending the festival this year because I was invited to attend as Media for the event! Armando and I arrived about an hour before the festival started to see how a chocolatier makes a chocolate ghost, to learn about the story behind Ghirardelli and their partnership with Project Open Hand. Proceeds of the ticket sales for the festival go to Project Open Hand, a non-profit that delivers nutritious meals to seniors and those that are ill.

Along with the chocolate demonstration, we were introduced to some new products and were able to take them home with us! The day was off to a great start with the chocolate we received, and before heading down to taste all the chocolate treats, I stopped by Les Mechantes in Ghirardelli Square to pick up a San Fran Cisco hoodie since it was a lot chiller than I anticipated after experiencing a hot week in the Bay Area. The hooded sweater is lined with fleece and figure flattering, so I definitely recommend picking one up for yourself! After that short shopping trip, Armando and I were ready to taste all of the chocolate.

We went through a lot of the stands early on in the day since I had plans on participating and winning the ice cream eating contest. I was selected to participate, but unfortunately I did not win. I made a lot more progress last time, even though I went in with a better strategy. It was fun, but next time I am more likely to watch or spend more time in the Wine Tasting area because I forgot just how much ice cream you have to eat along with the bananas (yuck!) Armando did record the contest, but I have not had a chance to look at it since I have been trying to forget the loss. Maybe I’ll watch next time the festival rolls around to remind myself not to compete!

Armando and I had a blast at this year’s festival, and it was great seeing a lot of different booths. I missed the tent that the wine pavilion had last year, and it felt like there were less vendors in the wine area but it also felt less crowded. We spent the whole day there, so there was plenty to do. For a recap of last year’s festival, you can check out that post here. The raspberry chocolate tarts were my favorites, but so were the mini cupcakes. Of course, picking up the Sea Salt Brownie Ghirardelli Squares were not bad either.
In case this post has you craving chocolate, you can enjoy 20% off your order at Ghirardelli with code CHOCO20. Enjoy!
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Cocktails

Cat Cora Meet & Greet and Pomegranate Martini Cocktail Recipe

Posted on October 11, 2015by Brandy Saldana

As I mentioned in a blog post last week, I attended a Q&A with Chef Cat Cora at Macy’s in Union Square hosted by the Macy’s Culinary Council. I had seen Chef Cat Cora compete in an episode of Iron Chef, and it felt exciting to meet the first female Iron Chef winner and to hear more about her memoir.

Details of her book were discussed, and one vivid description was of her first kiss where she described herself as a human sparkler. What struck me most from the Q&A with Cat Cora was the underlying message of her book “If I can do it, despite all the adversity, you can do it too.” Chef Cat Cora is a positive female role model and is an example of what hard work, dedication and perseverance looks like. Her book sounds fascinating and this was a great way to be introduced to it.

During the event, we were given some bites and recipe cards of the items courtesy of Chef Cat Cora. I had a Greek Cinnamon Stewed Chicken (which was amazing and seasoned really well) and a non-alcoholic Pomegranate Martini. I’ve decided to share the recipe with you since their blood red color may be perfect for a Halloween party and can easily incorporate 1 part of Vodka.

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Pomegranate Martini Recipe (Non-Alcoholic)by Cat Cora October-10-2015Ingredients5 oz. Pomegranate Juice5 oz. Pineapple Juice1 Tsp. Fresh Lime Juice2 Lime Slices for Granish1/2 Cup IceInstructionsIn a martini shaker, combine all ingredients. Shake well and strain into chilled martini glass rimmed with sugar. Garnish each glass with lime wedge.DetailsPrep time: 10 mins Cook time: Total time: 10 mins Yield: 2 servings

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Everywhere Agency; however, all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Cocktails

SKYY Barcraft Watermelon Fresca Cocktail Recipe

Posted on September 27, 2015by Brandy Saldana

Do you ever struggle coming up with your own cocktail recipe? Well, I am here to show you just how easy it is to make your own drink thanks to SKYY Barcraft. I experienced SKYY Barcraft at a party a couple of months ago, and ever since then I loved their taste and how easy it is to mix it with your favorite carbonated drink. The best part is that its simplicity allows you to focus on garnishing and putting a creative spin on your drink.

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SKYY Barcraft Watermelon Fresca Cocktail Recipeby Brandy Saldana September-27-2015Ingredients1 1/2 Oz. SKYY Barcraft Watermelon Fresca2 Oz. Part Izze Sparkling Blackberry Frozen Berries (Strawberry, Blackberry, Blueberry)InstructionsAdd one part SKYY Barcraft to two parts Izze Sparkling juice over frozen berries.DetailsPrep time: 10 mins Cook time: Total time: 10 mins Yield: 2 Servings
To make your own drink using SKYY Barcraft, all you have to do is add one part SKYY Barcraft to two parts club soda over ice. For the Watermelon Fresca bottle, I opted to use Frozen Berries as my ice and 2 parts of Izze Sparkling Blackberry as my “club soda”. The mixture of Watermelon and Blackberry reminds me of an Agua Fresca and is sweet and refreshing. I utilized the frozen berries as ice and garnish, but they make a great garnish on a cocktail umbrella or toothpick if you opted to you use ice instead.
I plan on sharing another recipe using the White Sangria in an upcoming post. I recently have been really into glassware and thrifted the goblets I used in this post. Aren’t they amazing? Glassware is an important part of the presentation and having cute straws doesn’t hurt.
Let me know what you think of this cocktail recipe and if you have tried SKYY Barcraft Watermelon Fresca!

Cocktails

Blade and Bow Bourbon Whiskey Cocktail Recipes

Posted on August 13, 2015by Brandy Saldana

Before our dinner at the Dirty Habit, there was a fun cocktail hour with 4 specialty drinks featuring the Blade & Bow Bourbon Whiskey. I am happy to be able to share the recipes for the two drinks I tried that night a Manhattan and a Presbyterian. These recipes were made by Sarah at the Dirty Habit. Let me know what you think and, of course, enjoy!

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Blade & Bow Manhattanby Dirty Habit December-8-2015Ingredients1 1/2 Oz. Blade & Bow Bourbon Whiskey.25 Oz. Cherry Heering.25 Oz. Sweet Vermouth2 Dashes of Angostura BittersInstructionsStir. Strain. Garnish with a cherry.DetailsPrep time: 4 mins Cook time: Total time: 4 mins Yield: 1 Serving

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Blade & Bow Presbyterianby Dirty Habit December-8-2015Ingredients1 1/2 Oz. Blade & Bow Bourbon Whiskey.25 Oz. Lemon JuiceTop with Ginger AleInstructionsBuild in a Collins glass over ice. Top with ginger ale. Garnish with a lemon wedge.
DetailsPrep time: 4 mins Cook time: Total time: 4 mins Yield: 1 Serving

Food

Blade and Bow Southern Dinner

Posted on August 11, 2015by Brandy Saldana

In my June Instagram recap, I briefly mentioned I was invited for a whiskey tasting by Blade and Blow at the Dirty Habit restaurant in SF. The whiskey was paired with an amazing Southern inspired dinner and I was lucky to be able to enjoy it with my foodie bud Chanda.

But before we get into the details of the dinner, let me tell you a little bit about Blade and Bow Whiskey. Blade and Bow’s name comes from the two parts of a skeleton key – the blade shaft and the ornate bow. The logo is a tribute to the five keys that once hung on the door of the Stitzel-Weller Distillery, but they also represent the five steps of crafting bourbon—grains, yeast, fermentation, distillation and aging. The keys now adorn each bottle of Blade and Bow and 5 are also available to collect.

We had the rare opportunity to taste 22 year old, and 102% proof, whiskey during the dinner and it was delightful! The trick to enjoying whiskey is tasting really good ones, but also breathing out through your mouth since the strong smell of alcohol can affect your sense of smell. I really enjoyed this taste and it was pretty smooth.

My favorite dish was from dinner was the Pork Shoulder with the peach preserve and my favorite side dish was the Creamed Corn. Of course I was busy enjoying them to take photos of them, but luckily Chanda did in her post. The red pepper jam that came with the biscuits was really something else! There were a lot of amazing flavors, and the wedge salad was tasty and looked amazing on the platter it was served.

Of course, my favorite part meal is dessert, and the Dirty Habit did not disappoint. we were treated to Lemon Meringue Tarts and Fruit Beignets accompanied by Whiskey Flavored Ice Cream. I loved the beignets! We paired it with more whiskey, and the ice cream was a really nice compliment to the whiskey.

Blade and Bow Whiskey is enjoyable on its own, makes a great addition to an ice cream, and of course makes a great cocktail. Stay tuned for my next post as I’ll be sharing some cocktail recipes I picked up using Blade and Bow Whiskey!

Food
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- Restaurant

Truvee Wine Tasting and Sangria Recipe

Posted on June 14, 2015by Brandy Saldana

Right before I headed out to Hawaii, I was invited by the McBride’s Sister’s Truvée wine company for a food & wine tasting at Sen’s Restaurant in San Francisco. Sen’s is one of my favorite restaurants in SF, particularly because of its happy hours and gorgeous view of the Bay Bridge. So of course, I RSVP’d and made my way over for a delicious lunch to learn more about this wine.

I had never heard of Truvée Wines before, but I found that its story is pretty unforgettable. Two sisters, Robin and Andrea McBride, grew up without knowing about each other until after their father’s death. Both were born in LA, but Robin, the eldest, grew up in Monterey and Andrea was raised in her mother’s native country of New Zealand. Both developed an early appreciation for wine because of where they grew up and became business partners soon after being reunited again. Truvée means “to find” in French, and I admired the relationship these sisters had, especially as partners in a business venture, and was excited to see what their wines tasted like.

We sampled the Chardonnay first and paired it with two starters: a Mediterranean Spread and a Spiced Chicken Meatball. This wine was very refreshing, and tasted unlike other Chardonnays I’ve tried. It featured hints of citrus, pear, honeysuckle, green apple and pineapple and had a clean, crisp finish. We also paired this Chardonnay with our salad, which featured paige mandarins, avocado, grapefruit, and a lemon vinaigrette.

For my entree, I ordered the Paella and that was paired with the Truvée Red Blend. The Red Blend featured notes of blueberry, blackberry, caramel, cocoa and red cherry, creating a smooth and decadent flavor. This was my first time trying Paella, but it was something I had always been interested in trying. I loved it and it was an excellent pairing for this wine.

And of course, this lunch would not be complete without dessert! It was a very tough decision, but I picked the Almond Basque Cake, a sponge cake with blackberry compote, almond croquant and chantilly. The alternative was a Meyer Lemon Tart, strawberries on a toasted oat streusel with a strawberry sorbet, which looked equally delicious!
Between the two wines, it was hard to choose a favorite. I was glad I had the opportunity to sample the two wines and was surprised with how affordable at 15.99 a bottle considering their luxurious taste. When I initially arrived to the restaurant, I was greeted with a Sangria made with the Truvée Chardonnay and I am happy to share the recipe of it that will be perfect for your summer get-togethers!

Truvée San Francisco Sangria (Serves 12)
Mix:

1 750 ml bottle of Truvée Chardonnay6 oz. bottle Ketel One Citroen6 oz. elderflower liqueur6 oz. Stellina di Notte Prosecco

Garnish:RaspberriesPeaches