Good to the last drop

I LOVE wine! I am a self proclaimed wino and a couple of weekends ago I had a weekend in wino and foodie paradise. One my favorite places to get away to for a long Weekend is Santa Barbara California! I went up there to celebrate a milestone birthday with one my dear friends! She had never been wine tasting up there and I couldn't wait to show her why I loved this place so much!

We started the weekend on Friday morning by boarding a wine tour bus! We had schedule a full day of wine tasting in the San Ynez valley. The first winery we went to was Curtis vineyards owned by the Firestone family. I’ve been to Firestone winery on another trip and wasn’t impressed. So I was a little skeptical about going to Curtis. I was pleasantly surprised. I wasn’t really impressed with the white wines, however I really enjoyed a couple of the reds I tried, so much so that I bought a bottle.

I wont bore you with a play by play of every winery we visited that day and all the wines we tasted. What I will say is wine tasting gives people a great opportunity to learn about wine. I’ve met several people who before going to wine tasting say “I don’t like red” or “I don’t like whites”. However once they go wine tasting their wine pallet expands. They discover that like more wine then they thought they did.

Also wine tasting is fun, on this trip we were on the tour with two other girls who we didn’t know but by the end of the day and several wineries later we were great friends. Or at least until the buzz wore off! Another reason why wine tasting is great, is because by tasting more wines you'll learn as I did that there is a perfect wine to fit every mood and occasion.

For example now that spring is here and the days are warmer and longer. I like to drink more white wines and I found one that I am totally obsessed with at the moment. It is a 2007 Malvasia Bianca produced by Mandolina Wineries in none other than Santa Barbara County. This wine is light and fruity with just a hint of sweetness. It is wonderful on a warm afternoon with a nice cheese plate, add some good music and you have my ideal spring afternoon!

The funny thing about this wine is I did not taste it in Santa Barbara in fact I tried it a couple weeks before at a my neighborhood wine store. Of course I would live in a neighborhood with a wine store, I couldn't imagine living in a neighborhood without one!

If you can't get out to wine country I suggest you look for your local wine store and see if they have a tasting room or even a tasting event. Most wine stores do, and it's a great way to try a few different wines from different vineyards in one place. It's fun to go with friends so next time you and your friends want to out for a drink go to a wine bar and do a tasting.

The moral of the story is don't judge a wine by it's label. Whenever you get the opportunity to try a new wine take it. Because you never know, your next favorite bottle may only be a corkscrew away!

Cheers!

Kitchen Spaz

I love to cook, and as I’ve shared in previous post I love the food network and cookbooks. So when I do get in the kitchen I am super excited and can’t wait to start cooking and see the finished product.
You may be wondering okay so what’s the big deal you like to cook and eat. Well I have notice that I can be a bit of spaz. Now, people have called me a spaz before about my driving (thanks Mom). Lately, I started to notice that when I cook I tend to get overly excited and rush things.
Since I watch so much food network, I am under the delusion that every meal no matter how intricate can be done and on the table in thirty minutes. So I find myself rushing around the kitchen like a crazy woman. I am dropping things, forgetting ingredients dropping F bombs left and right. The other night I sent a clove of garlic flying across the kitchen when I was smashing it with my knife.Now my peaceful kitchen time has become stressful.
However, I am determined to get this dish on the table no matter what; and 9 times out of ten it’s a success. I am very happy with the results and peace is restored to the universe. The other day I was in the kitchen and felt my inner spaz starting come out and heard the words of a dear friend in my head. “You should have fun when you cook, if it stops being fun then get another glass of wine!” These words have stuck with me and when I find myself in a tale spin in the kitchen. I stop tell myself Kimberly you are not a world class chef and you are not cooking for the James Beard award. Calm down and enjoy the process!
So, now I am not so concerned with absolute perfection and getting it done in record time. I really enjoy the process of cooking, I turn on my favorite music and maybe have a glass or two of wine and just enjoy the process. Don’t get me wrong I am still nowhere near being a blissed out zen master in the kitchen, I am too type A for that. I think I’ll always be a spaz(I am that girl) in some way or another it’s just how I get when I am excited and love what am doing. So when I am a spaz in the kitchen it just reminds me that I am doing something that I really love and that really excites me!

The Joy of Cookbooks!

I love cookbooks! I love everything about them the pictures, the list of ingredients. But most of all I love the possibilities that cookbooks give me when I open one up. I read cookbooks like some people read novels! I love the thought that with the right ingredients I too can make this wonderful dish come to life in my very own kitchen!
Cookbooks allow me to find a voice for my food personality! I pick recipes that fit my mood that day, not only do I find recipes that fit my mood, the authors I pick also reflect what cooking style I most relate to on any given day.
For example, Nigella Lawson is my go to girl for comfort food! She is a woman who is passionate about food and she only makes dishes that not only taste good but make you feel good! I swear her chocolate cake is the cure for any broken heart or bad day. I also love her risotto which is like a big hug in a bowl, it’s steamy and rich and make the world feel like a much better place to live in.
If I am entertaining friends or want to make an impression I pull out one of my Barefoot Contessa Books. Her recipes are all about the details from homemade chicken stock, to high end cuts of meat and fish. She also makes a mean cocktail; her recipe for cosmopolitans will knock your socks of literally, it is perfect for girl’s night in with some great appetizers and laughing until your side hurts!
When I have those days when I feel like I have over done the rich foods and butter. Hey I am not Paula Dean I can’t live on a steady diet of butter and mayonnaise (at least not while I still live in Southern California)! I turn to my Cooking Light cook book! It has all my favorite foods from soups to pizza. All the recipes are lighter versions than the original but they don’t skimp on taste. I firmly believe healthy food has to taste good; it’s only healthy if you eat it. This is an excellent cookbook if your watching your calories or just want to lighten things up every once in a while.
I have lots more cookbooks then the ones I have mentioned here and I love them all! I love them all so much that I have set a goal to cook at least one thing out of every cookbook I own this year! So I can continue to explore all my food personalities! Next time your in your kitchen or bookstore open a cookbook you’ll be amazed at what you can learn about yourself!

Cupcake Interrupted!

I would love to say that every time I bake or cook it comes out perfect and delicious every time. However I would be lying if I did. Sometimes despite my very best efforts I cook something thats less then amazing shocking I know. 

For example the cupcake you see above is just one example of how food doesn't always come out as planned.  The cupcake above is a Chocolate Cupcake with Peanut Butter Frosting. I got the recipe from one of my food idols Ina Garten (the Barefoot Contessa). I first saw this recipe on her food network show and then when I got her cook book I just knew I had to make them. Every other recipe I've tried of hers has come out great. But there is a first time for everything. 

Where did I go wrong?! Though the frosting turned out great, the cupcake its self was a little off. The cake tasted bitter, reminded me of that unsweetened bakers chocolate. Now I followed the recipe too the letter. But I think where I went wrong was my choice in coco powder. I always try to use the best ingredients in my desserts (with in my budget) so I got this really high end coco powder and not the brand I usually buy, and the result bitter cupcake! 

I was disappointed, because I really wanted to love these cupcakes! I spent all week day dreaming about they way they would taste. My reality check bounced big time on this one.

It stands as a reminder that to be a good cook, like anything else you have to practice to get better. So this isn't the last this recipe has seen of me! I'll try it again, and I am sure the next time will be the success I dreamt of! 

So the moral of this story is, if at first you don't succeed try, try again!

That Girl

Among my friends we use the term "that girl" for example: I don't want to be "that girl" who is late all the time or I don't want to be "that girl" who is the crazy drunk.  I think my friends and I spend a lot of time focused on the girl we don't want to be. Like, that girl who doesn't cook, that girl with the messy apartment or that girl who always says the wrong thing at the wrong time.

But the fact is we are all "that girl" in one way or another for good or for bad. So this is where I would like to introduce myself, I am Kimberly and I am "that girl" who loves food! I love all things food I am "that girl" who wakes up on Saturday mornings to watch food network for recipe ideas. I am "that girl" who looks up the menu of a restaurant online before I go so I know what to order. Most of this blog will be devoted to my adventures in food! 

However I am also "that girl" who cherishes her friendships and what goes better with food than good friends. I am a self proclaimed wino! I am "that girl" who thinks the cure for a bad week is a big cocktail. So I'll hope you'll check in and read about me being the girl who loves food, friends and wine!  

Because at the end of the day all a girl really needs in the words of LeAnn Rhymes is A good friend and a glass of Wine!