The Road to Santa Monica

Even desert rats need to escape the 115 degree heat from time to time.  Where do we go?  Many flee to the sunny coast of California during the summer months to enjoy the cool breeze.  We find ourselves on the Central Coast where temperatures can be 40-50 degrees cooler than in Phoenix.  While Hubby went fishing with the older two of our children, I drove down Highway 1 with our youngest to check out Malibu and Santa Monica.  This was an overnight trip centered around what a six year old enjoys doing...namely playing in the surf and visiting an amusement park (so Geoffrey's Malibu would have to be saved for another time)...but I happened to find a few treats for us grown-ups along the way.

We drove through the agriculture town of Oxnard past the Port Hueneme Naval Base and Point Mugu.  I was looking for a spot for lunch that was on the beach and not too crowded.  I read many reviews about Paradise Cove Beach Cafe, and it looked promising from a location and ambiance standpoint.  Located at 28128 Pacific Coast Highway, Paradise Cove has a small parking lot that charges $30 for parking for only 4 hours, or $4 if you spend $25 or more at the restaurant.  This cost detracts many people from going here, which, for us, was a good thing.  We arrived at 12:30 and found a great parking spot near the cafe.  We spent about an hour eating, and that left us three hours to play in the surf.

Paradise Cove Beach Cafe

At noon on a weekday, we had the place to ourselves

The views up the coastline

Fish tacos three ways: cajun, grilled or with shrimp

Wash them down with a Pineapple Tequila Mojito

For large parties they have these adorable banquettes

The Gigantic Iced Seafood Cocktail, plus they serve the LARGEST whole fried catfish I have seen

Stuck in traffic along the PCH, but at least there are great views

A thirty minute drive down the road from Paradise Cove (without traffic) at 1 Pico Blvd, is the iconic Santa Monica hotel, Shutters On The Beach.  I felt this would be the perfect spot to spend the night and explore Pacific Park on the Santa Monica Pier.  A grey shingled structure with white wood trimmings, Shutters faces the Santa Monica beach and is an easy two blocks from the Santa Monica pier.  The hotel and rooms were remodeled in 2008, with the interior designed by Michael S. Smith.  I found the furnishings just lovely and very comfortable...especially the bed.  The front desk personnel were accommodating and hospital to kids...another plus.  Upon check-in, my daughter was given a children's Shutters tee and some bath toys.  I opened a small bottle of Pouilly-Fuisse out of the room fridge, chilled on our balcony while watching the waves before running onto the beach to enjoy the sunset.  What a slice of heaven!

Shutters on the Beach

Our room with bed linens by John Robshaw

Salt water taffy in Coast restaurant at the hotel

Off to Venice Beach for a morning bike ride

The end of the road

My Instagram pic of the "fairest" wheel, as my 6 year old calls it

Paradise Pier

'Nuf said

Have a lovely week and weekend!

Aspen F&W Classic: The Grand Tasting

Located in downtown Aspen, the Food & Wine's Grand Tasting Pavilion gives over 200 exhibitors the opportunity to showcase their products during the 3 days of the Food & Wine Classic.  Here, wine and food enthusiasts make their way through the tents sampling wines and culinary delights from around the world.  Here is a sampling of mis favoritos. 

The Texas Lexus

Cocktails from Patron Tequila...see recipe for Aspen-jito below

View of one of the tasting tents

Alligator Boulettes (meatballs)...truly delicioso

I must procure one of these for the next Classic...it frees up the hands

Mrs. Becker and daughter-in-law, Emily, from Becker wines in Fredericksburg, TX

 

Pisco Sours from Peru

Govino makes this plastic wine glass that resembles the Riedel stemless

But my absolute favorite find from the Classic...the wine sippy cup.  Get one of these 10 oz. beauties from Vino2go at www.amazon.com/Kitchen.

 Aspen-jito

1.5 oz Patron Silver Tequila
1 fresh cut lime
1 oz agave syrup (or simple syrup)
6-8 oz fresh mint leaves
club soda

In a mixing glass, muddle mint leaves, lime and syrup.  Add tequila and ice and shake.  Serve on the rocks and top with club soda.  Garnish with a lime wedge.  Salut!

Aspen F&W Classic: Day 3

For the grand finale, the 2013 Classic Cook-Off featured a competition pitted between Andrew Zimmern and Geoffrey Zakarian, and was hosted by the vivacious Sissy Biggers.  Sissy is a well-known host and life-style expert on the Food Network and PBS, as well as a contributor to the Today show on NBC.  Geoffrey Zakarian's career spans over 20 years in the culinary world, from Chef de Cuisine at Le Cirque to becoming Iron Chef, restauranteur and author.  Also check him out in the July/August 2013 edition of Departures magazine zipping around Vegas with fellow celebrity chefs Bobby Flay, Marcus Samuelsson, and Scott Conant.  Andrew Zimmern, best known as the host of Bizarre Food with Andrew Zimmern on the Food Network, is a James Beard award-winning TV personality, chef, teacher and food writer.

They revved up the audience by passing out splits of Mionetto Prosecco

Each chef was given a basket of secret ingredients and 25 minutes in which to create "Sissy's Summer Solstice Sunday Supper".  In addition, a secret ingredient was chosen specifically for each chef by the Twitterverse.  Plus, the chefs were allowed to use any left-overs from the previous classes that they happened upon in the fridge.  The baskets yielded a rabbit (with giblets), zucchini, and a bag of Beer Cheddar Kettle chips.  Zimmern was given the secret ingredient of black mustard seed, and aided by Allison Janney as sous-chef.  Allison is an Emmy-award winning actress now appearing with Steve Carell in the film The Way, Way Back, and will star in a new TV sitcom this fall, Mom.  Shiso, an herb commonly found in Asian cuisine that is a member of the mint family, was chosen for Zakarian.  He was joined by a band member from The Spazmatics, who had been playing the night before at The Belly-Up bar.
Sissy kept a running commentary during the cooking and both chefs were calm and cool as they took jabs at one another while preparing tasty cocktails for Sissy, and themselves, of course.  From Zakarian, a "Mad Men" inspired cocktail with gin, rum and orange juice; from Zimmern, an elderberry and four citrus margarita.  
Zimmern, claiming he is a better man because of Minnesota, produced an extensive menu which included the following: black truffle and cheddar grilled cheese sandwiches; a mixed grill of braided lamb sausage (resembling large pretzels), rabbit, zucchini and bacon hash (with bits of seared rabbit livers, kidneys, and heart), and rabbit loin coated with black mustard seed; a souffle with truffles, herbs, and three cheeses topped with the Beer Cheddar chips; and a clementine, mint, fennel and radish salad.
Zakarian presented his meal in courses.  Course one: Beer Cheddar potato chip crusted tuna with Chinese five spice; course two: grilled salmon, date, fennel and apricot salad with shiso vinaigrette; course three: rabbit, zucchini, new potato and tarragon hash topped with fried eggs.  Sadly, according to government regulations on food safety, no one was allowed to taste any of it.  But the audience voted and Zimmern and Jennies were the winners.    

 

On a side note, the day before the cook-off, my sister and I bumped into Zimmern on the street, and had a lively conversation about eating jumiles in central Mexico.  About 12 years ago, I had the horrific experience of watching Hubby and a friend from Cuernavaca eat these bugs LIVE in tacos.  As I recall, I think I ended up walking out of the restaurant.  I asked Zimmern if he had tried eating live jumiles, and, naturally, he was very familiar with them.  I found him to be funny, intelligent, and gracious...lovely traits all around.  I suppose he would say that is because of Minnesota.  Have a wonderful post-Fourth of July week!