Daybreak at Del Mar, Pumpkin Waffles for Breakfast, and Coffee for Dinner

Daybreak at Del Mar, truly one of the highlights of the Del Mar racing season. Early risers have the opportunity to watch the morning workouts while enjoying breakfast, track side, on the Clubhouse Terrace.

On Saturday morning, John and I left the Island a little past 6, and arrived at the track just as the sun was breaking through the marine layer. Although I love the glamour of the Turf Club, the thrill of the race, and the excitement of cashing in a winning ticket, it's a very unique and special experience to watch these incredibly beautiful and magnificent thoroughbreds in the early morning calm of this picturesque seaside track.

After taking over 700 photos, we returned home and made our own breakfast...Pumpkin Waffles, a recipe from Gourmet, and made famous locally by San Diego's Cafe 222.

Pumpkin Waffles
Gourmet, November 2000

Measure all of the following ingredients into a medium bowl

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Whisk to combine

In a large bowl, whisk 4 eggs until blended. Then, whisk in 1 cup milk, 1 cup buttermilk, 1 cup canned solid-packed pumpkin, and 6 tablespoons butter (melted) until smooth.


Whisk in dry ingredients just until smooth

Brush waffle iron lightly with oil and spoon batter into waffle iron, spreading quickly. I was a bit overzealous with the batter on this one!

And this one was a little shy on batter.

Transfer waffles to rack in a 250 degree F oven to keep warm and crisp. Serve waffles with butter and warm, pure maple syrup, sausage patties, and orange juice. I didn't use them this time, but a sprinkling of toasted pecans is also a nice topping for the waffles.

Our Sunday didn't go as well as our Saturday.

Unfortunately, Diver, our 2-year-old Newfoundland, became suddenly ill on Sunday morning. We spent most of day at an emergency veterinary hospital and, as a result, did not make it to Concert in the Park for our scheduled Challenge Coffee culinary battle.

The veterinarians have been unable to come up with an answer as to why our boy's rear leg and foot became severely swollen and infected. The first impression was a snake bite, but we don't have snakes in Coronado. The latest suspicion is a spider bite, maybe from one of the Recluses found in CA.

Thankfully, he is doing much better with high doses of antibiotics, pain killers, and daily vet re-checks. Poor boy, it's just heartbreaking when he looks up at you with his soft brown eyes and you can feel his pain.

After things settled down a little on Sunday evening, I went ahead and made my Espresso Crusted Filet Mignon and Gorgonzola Crostini. I found this recipe, by Marc Bruzzio, for Espresso Crusted Filet with Gorgonzola Sauce, and planned on adapting it for something more suitable for a picnic in the park. It turned out quite nice and would have been perfect. Sorry gang, I would have loved to share it with you.

Espresso Crusted Filet Mignon and Gorgonzola Crostini

2 8 oz. filet mignons
2 tablespoons minced shallots
1/4 cup instant espresso
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3/4 cup heavy cream
4 oz. crumbled Gorgonzola
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1/4 cup dry white wine
Olive oil
Salt & pepper
1 French baguette, thinly sliced

Season filets on both sides with salt and pepper. Mix together espresso and cayenne pepper. Coat all sides of filet with mixture.

In a sauce pan, saute minced shallots in about 2 tablespoons olive oil, until translucent and fragrant. Add thyme and stir for about 30 seconds. Add wine and stir for 1 minute, and then add the crumbled Gorgonzola, heavy cream, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir constantly until thick and reduced by half. Transfer to bowl and let cool, then refrigerate until ready to use.

To prepare the crostini, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Brush the bread on both sides with the olive oil and season lightly with salt and pepper. Arrange on a baking sheet and bake until crusty and brown, about 10 to 12 minutes. Turn once about halfway through cooking.

For the filets, add 4 tablespoons olive oil to saute pan. Heat the oil, add the filets, and sear about 1 minute on each side. Place the filets on a baking sheet and bake in a 400 degree F oven for 15 minutes. Tent with foil, let rest 5 minutes, and slice.

To serve, spread the chilled Gorgonzola on the crostini and top with a slice of filet.

For dessert, I made David Lebovitz' Tiramisu Ice Cream, from The Perfect Scoop

This would not have traveled very well to the park as it's a very soft ice cream and should be eaten directly out of the freezer. The flavors are wonderful, especially the brandy! I cooked my Espresso Ripple a little too long, and it was slightly crunchy in the ice cream. I also added some leftover caramel when I layered in the ripple.

Tiramisu Ice Cream with Espresso Ripple

2 cups Mascarpone cheese
1 cup half-and-half
2/3 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
1/4 cup coffee-flavored liqueur, such as Kahlua
3 tablespoons brandy or dark rum
Espresso Ripple (recipe below)

Puree the Mascarpone, half-and-half, sugar, salt, liqueur, and brandy together in a blender or food processor until smooth and the sugar is dissolved. Chill thoroughly in the refrigerator.

Freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. As you remove it from the machine, alternate layers of Mocha Ripple with the ice cream in the storage container.

For the Espresso Ripple:

1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup strongly brewed espresso
6 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Whisk together the sugar, corn syrup, espresso, and cocoa powder in a medium saucepan. Heat over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture begins to bubble at the edges. Continue to whisk until it just comes to a low boil. Cook for 1minute, whisking frequently. Remove from the heat, stir in the vanilla, and let cool. Chill in the refrigerator before using.

The Espresso Ripple should be thoroughly chilled. Just before you remove the ice cream from the machine, spoon some of the espresso ripple onto the bottom of the storage container. As you remove the ice cream from the machine, layer generous spoonfuls of the sauce between layers of ice cream. Avoid stirring the Ripple, as it will make the ice cream muddy looking.

Get well soon, Diver Dog. We love you.

Coronado Concerts in the Park: Challenge BEER Featuring Bass Pale Ale & Hoisin Braised Buffalo Short Ribs

Finally, the sun emerged in Coronado and we were able to bask in the late afternoon rays while feasting on a gratifying mélange of beer-inspired cuisine. What more could a dad ask for on Father's Day?

Our day commenced with our morning walk, followed by most of the day in the kitchen. Around 4:30, we packed up the wagon for our trek to the park. We had a rather full load this week and the wagon totally collapsed, with the sound of snapping metal, about a half block from the house. John walked back and retrieved Big Ugly, his poor old van from his Navy deep sea diving days, which has now been converted to our NUV (Newfy Utility Vehicle). We quickly transferred the wagon contents into the van and continued to the park unloading zone, where we emptied the van and proceeded to lug 4 tables, 4 chairs, a Dutch oven full of ribs, a chafing dish full of mashed potatoes, an ice chest full of ice cream, our picnic basket, wine, et al., ad nauseam, across the park to our spot under the Jacaranda tree.

Once set up, and settled in with a large glass of wine, I was able to chillax and await the arrival of our fellow chefs.

Everything was so delectable, I don't know where to begin!

Kai outperformed once again with "Pork & Beer." OMG...German sausage, boneless leg of pork, and slab bacon, all cozily nestled in Amber Ale cabbage. Just look at that seductively-scored pork fat...eat your heart out, Emeril! Kai even included homemade Beer Mustard as an accompanying condiment.

Kai's son Max approved wholeheartedly!

Alec & Nina graciously offered Beer-Braised Pork Tacos with Tomatillo Salsa Verde and the most incredible Boilermaker Brownies I've ever tasted. Nina added beer to the brownie batter and whiskey to the chocolate ganache, but the sprinkling of finishing salt really cinched the deal.



I must say, my man has become quite the Ice Cream Maker Extraordinaire! He created a very special Beer Ice Cream by incorporating Bass Pale Ale in the custard. He then reduced his new favorite beer, Speedway Stout, with some sugar, to create Caramel-Stout Syrup. Can you say "liquid sex?"





Jack & Sandra shared fantastic Beer-Simmered Brats with Grilled Onions and Peppers; Pammy whipped up a pitcher of her most-requested Trailer-Trash Margaritas, made with Tequila, Beer, and Limeade; Mom baked Double-Chocolate Stout mini cupcakes with cream cheese frosting and a dusting of cocoa powder; and Bradley, the one-hour chef, managed to have time for a matinee and grace us with his presence and offering of Gooey Beer Cheese smeared on Garlic Bread.

Yours truly, aka Miss Blogsalot (John's new pet name for me since I've plunged into the food blogsphere), managed to sweet-talk the butcher into some meaty buffalo short ribs for my Bass Pale Ale and Hoisin-Braised Short Ribs, served over creamy mashed Yukons.



Ok, they weren't really buffalo short ribs...I just wanted an excuse to share one of our Yellowstone National Park buffalo photos from our incredible Yellowstone and Jackson Hole vacation last year! Soon, I will figure out a way to incorporate one of our moose photos, most likely with a recipe for a bar appetizer we enjoyed in Jackson Hole, lovingly named Moose Mix.

Bass Pale Ale & Hoisin Braised Short Ribs
(Inspired by Fine Cooking's Barbecued-Braised Short Ribs with Sweet Vinegar Glaze and Dave Lieberman's Braised Hoisin Beer Short Ribs with Creamy Mashed Yukons)

Ingredients:

4 lbs. beef short ribs, about 10 ribs
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons vegetable oil for ribs, plus 3 tablespoons to saute the garlic, ginger and vegetable spice mix
10 garlic cloves, smashed
1-inch piece of ginger, peeled and sliced into 1/4 inch slices
3 tablespoons It's Delish Vegetable Mix
18 ounces Bass Pale Ale
3 tablespoons Chinese Black Vinegar, or rice wine vinegar
1 cup hoisin sauce
5 tablespoons Chili-Garlic Sauce

Directions

Season the ribs generously with salt and pepper and drizzle with 3 tablespoons of the oil. Tie each rib with an 8" piece of cooking twine. Sear the ribs on a hot gas grill, approximately 2-3 minutes per side.

Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat and saute the garlic, ginger, and vegetable spice mix, for about 4 minutes. Add the beer and vinegar and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and add the ribs, meaty side down. Cover and simmer for 2 hours.

Pre-heat the oven to 300 degrees F.

Remove the ribs to a clean plate and strain the sauce. Remove the fat from the sauce using a fat separator and return the sauce to the Dutch oven. Add the hoisin and chili-garlic sauces and let the sauce reduce over medium-high heat for about 15 minutes. Put the ribs back in, meaty side down, and move the pot to the oven, uncovered, for 30 minutes.

Serve the succulent, fall-off-the-bone, meaty ribs with mashed potatoes and a sprinkling of minced chives or green onion.

Filet Mignon Stroganoff over Spinach Fettuccine

This is just a quick, weeknight post. Pretty much a typical Wednesday. Roused from deep sleep by the 6:03 "Goof" alarm, walked the boys to Starbucks, grudgingly happily went to work, practiced a little law, shared some leftover Spuma di Mortadella con Salsa di Ciliegie with one of the partners (who sarcastically referred to it as "cat food" as he gobbled it up), surfed the net for dinner ideas, stopped by Boney's on the way home, and whipped up this Stroganoff while sipping on a glass of Pinot...

The highlight of my day was Foodgawker's acceptance of two of my food photos. I'm trying to learn how to attract traffic to my blog. Posting photos on Foodgawker and Tastespotting, which link to corresponding blog post, is recommended. However, Tastespotting has gently rejected the four photos I've tried to submit, with one of its boilerplate responses, "unflattering composition." Whatever...I'm still learning the ropes here.

Back to tonight's dinner...The main ingredients include filet mignon, a combination of baby portabella and shitake mushrooms, onion, shallot, garlic, course ground mustard, sour cream, whipping cream, parsley, and spinach fettuccine.


The filet is seared on both sides for approximately one minute and then set aside

The onions, shallots and garlic are sauteed in butter before the mushrooms are added and sauteed until golden, about 2o minutes. The liquid ingredients are then added and simmered until the sauce thickens, and the filet is returned to the pan until warmed through.


The stroganoff is served over hot fettuccine, sprinkled with parsley, and enjoyed with another glass of Pinot! This is a sumptuous and extremely simple dinner. Your man will be very content.


Filet Mignon Stroganoff
Slightly modified from Beef Stroganoff for Noodles, Courtesy of Michele Urvater

Ingredients

1 pound filet mignon (sliced into 1/4 inch wide strips)
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
1 large shallot, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 pound mushrooms, domestic or wild, caps only thinly sliced
1/2 cup beef broth
Splash of red wine
1 tablespoons course ground mustard
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons flour
2 tablespoons minced parsley
Salt and freshly grounded black pepper
12 ounces medium egg noodles, cooked

Directions

Heat large non-stick skillet over high heat and sear filet on all both sides, for about a minute. Work in small batches so meat does not give off liquid. Remove to a plate.

In a clean wide skillet, heat butter. Sweat onions and shallots, add mushrooms, and saute over until deep golden, about 20 minutes. Add garlic during the last few minutes.

While this is cooking, blend broth, mustard, heavy cream, Worcestershire sauce, and sour cream together.

Lower heat, add splash of wine, add flour, and cook stirring for a minute. Whisk in liquids, and any meat juices, and simmer, without boiling until sauce thickens, about 5 minutes.

Return meat to sauce and heat, without boiling until meat is warmed through. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Spoon over fettuccine and sprinkle with parsley.