Another La Balena Adventure

When my dad said that he wanted to go out for an Easter lunch, I didn't even skip a beat in suggesting, "La Balena!" Why? The food, the owners, the chef, their philosophy, their quality, the atmosphere, and - oh, did I already mention?!? - the food.

To me, holiday meals are about family. I want to linger. I want to chat. I want to spend time with the people that I love. So, we usually don't go out to eat on holidays. But I have to say, lunching at La Balena today was perfect...and a culinary adventure to boot.

Emmanuele brought out a plate of Tripa Toscana for us to try share. Tripa? Tripe?! I know lots of people eat it. I am not one of them. Usually.

But, it was worth it. I actually had seconds...and so did Riley. So tender it melted in my mouth. And the flavors were complex. I'm not sure what was in there, but it was delicious. Just like Brian admits to now eat beets - but only at my house. I will say that I eat tripe - but only at La Balena.

The other dish that Emmanuele brought out for us to try: rabbit loin. On a bed of greens and fava beans.

Dylan took a bite and asked what it was. "Rabbit," answered Emmanuele. Dylan didn't say a word until after Emmanuele left. Rabbit?!? As in the Easter Bunny?!? "No," I assured him, "it wasn't the Easter Bunny. Okay. And he kept eating.

Photo by La Balena Carmel

We also feasted on Alaskan halibut that Chef Brad picked up in Santa Cruz. I saw this photo on facebook this morning and knew that someone at our table would order it. In fact two someones ordered it - Jake and Riley.

We had wild boar and potato frittata; meatballs, zuppa rustica with lots of greens; two kinds of pecorino and gorgonzola dolce; cantaloupe, peach, and pear mostarda; blood orange and limoncello sorbetti, pizzelle; affogato; and more.

What a perfect Easter lunch. Complimenti to everyone at La Balena...e Buona Pasqua!

Comments

Quick Pickled Red Onions and Radishes

If you've been reading my blog for even a short amount of time, you probably know how much I love to pickle things. I was just telling a friend you can pickle - with vinegar - or you can ferment - with salt - for similar delicious effect. The latter has digestive benefits and I love to do that, but when I need that pop of sour flavor quickly, I whip up quick pickles that are ready in as little as a day or two. I've Pickled Blueberries , Pickled Asparagus , Pickled Cranberries , Pickled Pumpkin , and even Pickled Chard Stems ! This I did last night for an upcoming recipe challenge that requires I include radishes. Ummmm...of course I'm pickling them! Ingredients makes 1 quart jar radishes, trimmed and sliced organic red onions, peeled and thinly sliced (I used a mandolin slicer) 3/4 C vinegar (I used white distilled vinegar) 3/4 C water 3 T organic granulated sugar 1 T salt (I used some grey sea salt) 6 to 8 grinds of black pepper Proce

Aloo Tiki {Pakistan}

To start off our Pakistani culinary adventure, I started us off with aloo tiki - potato cutlets. I'm always game for tasty street food. I found a couple of different recipes and incorporated those together for this version. Ingredients 6-8 small red potatoes, scrubbed 1 T cumin seeds 1 T fresh chopped parsley 1/2 t ground coriander 1 t minced garlic Procedure Boil the potatoes until they are tender. Drain and let cool. Mash the potatoes. Traditionally they are mashed without their skins. I left the skins on. In a small pan, toast the cumin seeds on high heat until the begin to give off an aroma and begin to darken. Remove from heat and transfer to a plate to keep them from cooking any more. Blend all of the spices into the mashed potatoes, then shape into small patties. If you wet your hands, the potato mixture won't stick to them. Heat a splash of oil in a large, flat-bottom pan. Dip each patty into beaten egg and carefully place in the oil. P

Hot Chocolate Agasajo-Style {Spice It Up!}

photo by D For my Spice It Up! kiddos this week, I was looking for an exotic drink to serve while we learned about saffron. I found a recipe from food historian Maricel Presilla that mimicked traditional Spanish hot chocolate from the 17th century where it was served at lavish receptions called agasajos . When I teach, I don't always get to shoot photos. Thankfully, D grabbed my camera and snapped a few. Ingredients serves 14-16 1 gallon organic whole milk 3 T dried rosebuds - or 2 t rosewater 2 t saffron threads, lightly crushed 3 T ground cinnamon 3 whole tepin chiles, crushed 2 vanilla beans, split lengthwise 1 C organic granulated sugar 1 lb. bittersweet chocolate Procedure In a large soup pot that can hold a gallon plus, combine milk, dried rosebuds (or rosewater, if you are using that), saffron threads, ground cinnamon, chiles, vanilla beans, and sugar and warm over medium heat till it steams. Whisk to dissolve sugar, then lower heat an

Culinary Adventures with Camilla

Search This Blog