Month: November 2011

Little Brother’s Big 25 and Recipe for Pork Chop “Saltimbocca”

Little Brother’s Big 25 and Recipe for Pork Chop “Saltimbocca”

As time goes by, it seems that things change and we get lost in the adult whirl wind of life. Though I don’t believe I’m truly an adult at heart, the time has come to come to grip with the fact that I’m not a 

What We Ate on Thanksgiving

What We Ate on Thanksgiving

Here we are, giving thanks for this extreme bounty of food and great times. I’m so lucky to have so much love in my heart. This is the menu I prepared for Thanksgiving day. I hope you enjoy the photos and had a magnificent feast 

Happy Thankgiving. Giving Thanks!

Happy Thankgiving. Giving Thanks!

On the eve of Thanksgiving I would just like to share my extreme love and gratitude with you all. This last 30 days of my life has been brilliantly trans-formative in so many ways, and even in the last year of my life, I couldn’t be more thankful for the gifts that I’ve been able to give and receive. I love my life so much, and the people that surround me (that includes all of you) are such an amazing part of this truly remarkable journey. I’ll be cooking for most of today, tomorrow and into the weekend for my brother’s birthday.

Today I just wanted to say thank you for everything: all the support, sweet smiles, comments and information that you all share with me on countless occasions. I hope this Thanksgiving is sweet, savory, stress-free, and filled with love, no matter what you do. As my family grows, we all share our amazing traditions with one another and this year we’ll be passing them down to my dear sweet little niece, Maleeya, for her first Thanksgiving.

(last years feast)

My Thanksgiving last year was elaborate and I don’t think this year will be any different. I love showcasing tradition with a mixture of modern spins and global influence. I truly do whatever my heart desires in the kitchen on holiday events such as these, and it brings me the most joy to be able to do that and share it with the people I love. I hope you do the same.

I’d like to link some fantastic food bloggers of all different types, who’ve given me countless inspirations over my following in their writing. I hope you’ll visit them and enjoy their take on various foods of the season.

Love and gratitude to you all on and off the list, you beautiful and amazing people.

Sabrina from The Tomato Tart
Sarahfae from Addicted to Veggies
Kate from Diethood
Christine from Christines Pantry
Kay from My Home cooked Meals
Sandra from Sandra’s Easy Cooking
Tori From The Shiksa
Stella from Brave Tart
Nancy From Spicie Foodie
Kita from Pass The Sushi
Hester from The Chef Doc
Kiri from Healthy Foodie Travels
Erin from Big Fat Baker
Lindsey from Gingerbread bagels

-Cheers

Unrivaledkitch

Cyrus’s 2nd Birthday… The Candyshop and Red Velvet Cupcakes

Cyrus’s 2nd Birthday… The Candyshop and Red Velvet Cupcakes

Today is one of my favorite little boys very special day. I remember the day my friend Katie called me to tell me she was expecting and thereafter, all the midnight to 2 a.m. phone calls and text messages with horrible stories of pregnancy woes, 

Spinach and Cabbage Minestrone

Spinach and Cabbage Minestrone

What is Minestrone?  It’s said to be a soup comprised of the things you have on hand; maybe vegetables, meat, broth, beans or pasta. In Italian, minestrone, roughly translated, means the big soup. The kind of minestrone I like, is simmered for long periods of 

La Super Rica, Hollister Brewing Company, Jeannine’s in Santa Barbara

La Super Rica, Hollister Brewing Company, Jeannine’s in Santa Barbara

The first part of this adventure is here. Enjoy 🙂

We then waited until hunger struck again, which ended up being around 9:00 p.m. and headed over to downtown Santa Barbara to La Super Rica. This is a very famous restaurant in SB. They are known for being one of Julia Child’s favorite joints, as well as being featured on numerous other things, none of which I knew, but Michelle had been wanting to go, so we went. And I can see why this place is famous. We went pretty close to closing, so there wasn’t a very large line or really much of a crowd. We were greeted by the owner, still taking orders and busy making food even that late into the evening, which I always know is a sign of respect and hard work. We ordered a bunch of different things: pork tamal, vegetable tamal, carne asada taco, chorizo and cheese with fresh tortillas and guacamole. I could just sit there and eat the tortillas and the masa if I had to, because they were so good. These tamales were the perfect mouth melting texture, where you don’t even have to really chew in order to eat, they just dissolve with fresh corn and lard flavor. You can watch the ladies and gentlemen in the kitchen pressing each tortilla fresh and placing it on the flat top to warm them through. There are three different salsas to choose from: a smokey spicy chipotle flavored sauce, salsa verde and a pico de gallo. Everything was really delicious and we left with more than enough food in our stomachs.




After this, we headed out to have a beer and a chat at Hollister Brewing Company. The bartender was very kind. I had the house brewed stout, which had lovely chocolate hints, delicious and rich. Michelle had pumpkin ale, which was very fall forward and smooth. We also had a glass of Pinot Noir on the house, because it was poured by mistake. We chatted about craziness and caught up on the latest of late, then headed back to the apartment to turn in. Noticing an immense difference of life the two of us have gone through, I’m so glad I have an amazing friend whose friendship shows no bounds. Throughout our lives we know we’ll be there for one another, even if it’s not every day or even every month; we’ll still converse as if we just got out of class together.

The next morning we woke up and had a little chat, got ready and headed downtown for a nice breakfast and a little more time to catch up before I headed back home. We made our way down to State Street and walked the bulk of shops that lined the streets with the other interesting people trying to get a little early morning stroll and breakfast. We stopped for brunch at Jeannine’s  a lovely little café and bakery, setup in a European style setting with cordial, stylish faculty promptly greeting guest as they arrive. You stand in line and order food with a menu that is presented to you upon entering. A lovely line of house made pastry and a perfectly setup coffee and tea bar awaits you. The tables are well-adorned and the staff is fantastic, professional and pleasantly helpful.  We ordered two dishes; Michelle had salmon hash with potatoes, and poached eggs, while I had a goat cheese, asparagus and fresh corn omelet with mixed potatoes. I loved my omelet. The eggs were light and fluffy and the filling was refreshing and delicious. The asparagus was cooked perfectly and everything was just very tasty and skillfully prepared. The potatoes were seasoned nicely and the whole plate came together cohesively. Michelle’s food was also amazing—freshly flaked salmon and perfectly poached eggs were a highlight on the plate. I loved this atmosphere and the food was an experience and not just a second thought. You can really tell these people believe in their business and I just love that.





We had such an amazing time together eating and enjoying each others company. I look forward to another fun visit with my amazing friend who’s joined me on so many of my adventures in life. I love you Michelle! Good Luck with school, see you around Thanksgiving I hope 🙂

Cheers

-Unrivaledkitch

 

Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara

So much for all things October, it’s already over?!?! Can you believe it? I really can’t. Well, I hope everyone had a delicious and sinfully sweet holiday over the whole weekend. Mine was spent with my family, including my little niece, and unfortunately, a horrible