Dinner Club Recap: Southern Home Cookin'

It’s been forever since I blogged but I can’t forget about our last dinner club. It was the husband’s turn to do the cooking and he knocked it out of the park. He decided on straight up Southern cooking — fried fish, buttermilk chicken (baked, although you couldn’t tell by looking at it!), baked apples with fennel and the best mashed potatoes ever made. I can’t comment too much on the chicken since I don’t eat meat, but man, I was even tempted to take a bite. It was crispy on the outside and juicy looking on the inside. The fish was amazing, perfectly cooked so not as to taste a bit of oil, and light and flaky. The bake apples with fennel was right up there as well, the sweetness of the apple with the bite of fennel flavor was outstanding. He might have used two tubs of butter for the mashed pots, but it was worth it. Dessert was simple after such a heavy meal - grilled pineapple circles with nuts and nutella drizzle. Amazing!

DINNER: Ambience

Ambience's Web site

Ambience Restaurant is a surprising and delightful find – right in the middle of an unassuming strip mall in Carmichael, which we managed to find in the pouring rain thanks to our bossy Garmin navigator. Apropos of the name, the interior is casually elegant, with several rooms, some with booths, adding to the sense of place and privacy. The menu is prix fixe at $45, and has five courses. As we were soon to learn, this may be one of the best deals in the Sacramento area. Several of the courses allowed for multiple options, so do not be concerned that you will be boxed into what the chef thought you should eat that evening. Bernadette had the baby beet salad as a first course, and raved about it. My lobster crème brule came in two parts and was topped with a dollop of caviar. Say. No. More. My main course, the wild boar, was excellent; although I had to get over the guilt of eating beef that was flown in from New Zealand … I’ll offset the carbon with a few trips to work on my bike. Bernadette’s sea bass was similarly excellent, but she regretted smothering it in the herbed butter dollop that topped it. Since I was driving, it was probably OK that Ambience does not offer a wine pairing menu to accompany each course; Bernadette was initially disappointed … until she tasted the Cold Creek chardonnay which put her in a very good mood. Overall, we were just as satisfied walking out of Ambience as we have been walking out of The Kitchen, Ella, Biba, and any of the other “event” restaurants in Sacramento. The service was knowledgeable and attentive, but not obnoxiously so, which added to our very positive experience. So, if your reconnoitering skills are good, do try this little gem in the middle of suburbia. It is worth the trip.

Dessert: Yogurtagogo Happy Hour!

As you may (or may not) know, I am addicted to frozen yogurt. In fact it has gotten so out of control that I ate it almost every day in the last week and on one day I had it twice in one day. Embarrassing I know. My ultimate fave is taro flavored yogurt. That is why it is always a treat when Yogurtagogo in midtown has taro as a featured flavor. I make sure to get my fix every day until the delicious lavender taro goodness runs out. I was pleasantly surprised this week to find small cups at Yogurtagogo. It is a peeve of mine that many yogurt places insist on one giant sized cup to try to trick you into filling it up with way too much yogurt. When I inquired about the new size I was even happier to find that it is not a new cup size, it is their "happy hour" cup. From 5-6 they put out the small cups and you can fill the cup as high as you can get it for only $2!!! You can guess where I'm going to be every day between 5 and 6 until taro runs out. :) Yogurtagogo is located at 1801 L Street on the corner of 19th and L. Try the taro topped with shredded coconut and plain mochi. Yum!

DINNER CLUB: Mac and Cheese for a stormy day 1/20/10

Every year around winter I make my homemade white macaroni and cheese. What better winter time comfort food than mac and cheese? I tried to keep the rest of the menu simple and healthy since our main course was going to be rich, gooey and indulgent. For an appetizer I made guilt free spinach dip served with pita chips and endive spears. I started dinner off with a wedge salad made with homemade buttermilk goat cheese dressing. Our main course was white macaroni and cheese with a side of orange zest broccoli. Dessert was poached pears topped with plain Greek yogurt and drizzled with honey. I always rely on my friend the Trader Joe's wine guy to make recommendations for wine pairings. I especially needed help since I am not a white wine drinker. One wine that he suggested that I really liked was a Les Caves Joseph Bordeaux Blanc. It was a sweet white wine that was not overpoweringly sweet. It was very different and I really liked it. I really love the spinach dip and it is so incredibly good for you. To make the spinach dip heat 1 Tbsp of olive oil and add 2 cloves of chopped garlic. Add a 10 oz. bag of spinach and a pinch of salt and let the spinach slowly wilt. In a food processer add a can of rinsed cannellini white beans, 1 Tbsp lemon juice, 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar, a pinch of salt and pepper, 1 Tbsp of EVOO and the wilted spinach. Puree until smooth. Serve either warm or cold.

DINNER CLUB REVIEW: New Year's Eve lasagna

I went out on an experimental limb with my roasted vegetable lasagna. The reviews on Epicurious.com encouraged deviation from the original recipe, so I came up with a lasagna layered with roasted portabello, eggplant, red peppers and zucchini. I sparingly used the bechamel sauce which the recipe called for and substituted some pesto and red sauce to make up for it. I also threw in some traditional ricotta and mozzarella cheeses in addition to the fontina that the recipe advocated. During the prep, I was worried about concocting a big mess of too many flavors, but it turned out to be a hit. For starters, I made a cranberry-apple-yogurt salad that I served spooned into individual endive leaves -- that recipe is also on Epicurious and is already a part of my repeat repertoire (I even liked it better than the lasagna). What a crazy night that was for me since John (who was supposed to come home at 3pm to help prep) got caught at work and didn't make it home until a few minutes before midnight! He missed our annual re-giftathon, but we ended up with the best loot so it all worked out.