Dinner at Ad Hoc

Hope you enjoyed my adventures in Napa part 1, now on to our dinner at Ad Hoc!  This is the first time that I’ve stayed in Napa for dinner, my friends and I normally just do a day trip and head back into the city around dinner time.  But this time we were thinking ahead and we managed to score a reservation at Ad Hoc!  We had already been there earlier in the day to have the fried chicken at Addendum so we were all eager to go back again for dinner. 

So after a nice day of wine tasting, we headed back to Ad Hoc. 

The menu at Ad Hoc changes daily, based upon what is in season and what the chef decides would make the best menu!  When you call to make your reservations they ask if anyone in your party has allergies, since the menu is pre fixe and it is served family style. 

The menu comes to the table in a filing folder with a list of what you will be dining on as well as a good selection of wines chose by Thomas Keller himself.  Here is the menu we dined on, the item in red was an additional add on of Steamed Clams that we decided to get as well.   

I chose to get a soft Italian Red wine, which our waiter enthusiastically endorsed especially with what was on the menu for that night.  We started with some bread from Bouchon (well I don’t know that for sure, but I’m assuming since he owns that bakery and it’s a block away that the bread came from there).   You know you are heaven when the bread and butter make you swoon.  The butter- sooooo good!   

Then on to the salad course!  Yummy arugula, fennel, endives, fennel, fried capers, pistachios and a creamy tarragon dressing.  So refreshing and the fried capers in the salad were such a nice accent!   

We of course opted in to get the clams, one of my most favorite dishes! 

Then our main came, prosciutto wrapped chicken and shrimp that was served with grilled zucchini and a creamy polenta with roasted tomatoes.  Such a simple dish but executed to perfection.  The chicken was so moist and flavorful and I could not get enough of the polenta!

So yummy!  One of the nice things about Ad Hoc is that they really take their time and let you enjoy each course as well as the company that you are in.  Then they brought us out our cheese course was a nice mild white cheese that they served with honey, pulots and pumpkin seeds.  Such a wonderful combination, I loved that cheese!   

We finished the meal off with some tea and some really really well brewed coffee.  One of the best things about this meal is that Ad Hoc knows that when it comes to certain dishes, it’s best not to share…  Even though the rest of the meal is served family style, desserts are served individual!  Yay!

A griddled piece of cornbread (amazing) that was served with a caramel sauce and blackberry compote and topped off with a vanilla scoop of ice cream and candied cashews!  So good, I need to figure out how to do the griddled cornbread! 

This meal was great!  I can’t wait to go back to Napa and try another great place.  On my list to try is Bottega, Morimoto and another one that my friend mentioned.  I’m thinking of creating a specific restaurant section for my blog, what do you guys think?   

Nor Cal Love and Addendum

This past weekend I went up to the Bay area to visit my friends and we spent the day in Napa!  I finally had the chance to try Thomas Keller’s famous Fried Chicken as well as have a yummy dinner at Ad Hoc!  We left the city and headed to Napa, the car ride was filled with gossip, sing a longs as well as laughs.  Our first stop was Addendum where we had the fried chicken plate and the Pork BBQ.  I thought I had good fried chicken, but this fried chicken was amazing.  The ribs were also the perfect blend of sweet and spicy and the meat just fell off the bones.   

The area that Addendum is in is so cute!  In the back of Ad Hoc they have a cute little picnic area where they grow a lot of the herbs, fruit and veggies that they use at Ad Hoc. 

After the lunch it was down to BUSINESS!  We hit the wineries, one of my favorite wineries we visited was Peju.  I love the way that Peju does their wine tastings, they break you off into groups and the person who runs the tasting is always super knowledgeable and personable.  I am a Cabernet girl and Peju has some great Cabs, but this trip up I bought 3 types of blends.  One of their wines, the 50/50 might soon become one of my favorites.  We even got to do a tasting of one of their $200 bottles!        

After Peju we hit BV to pick up one of my favorite wines, the Tapestry!  And what would a trip to Napa be without checking out all the grapes??

We also had time to check out Frog’s Leap where we fit in a wine tasting and a quick game of corn hole.  I love the way this vineyard is laid out and how they did their tastings.  It was such a relaxed setting and they even had a cheese pairing that you could get as well. 

We had just enough time to grab some sparkly cocktails before our dinner at Ad Hoc at Chandon.  One of each that they offered of course… A sparkly Ginger Mojito, a Cosmo, a Hibiscus Royale and a traditional Champagne Cocktail. 

  Next post, our fabulous dinner at Ad Hoc!  Thanks to Robert for letting me post all of his amazing pics.  Yes, if you thought my photography skills dramatically improved in one weekend you are mistaken.  Only 5 of the photos are mine…  However I do start Photography classes next week, so hopefully I will be able to take some awesome photos like Robert very very soon!  

Tofu with Ricotta Cheese

Life is about the unexpected combinations that make you smile.  This happens in food, music and probably even romantic relationships.  What would life be like without combos like:  Bacon + Chocolate, Mozzarella + Kim Chee Fried Rice (amaaaaaaaa-zing), Michael McDonald + Grizzly Bear (While You Wait for Others), The Black Keys and Mos Def (Ain’t Nothing Like You), the list goes on…  I have had my eye on this recipe for a while, I was a little scared to try it because of the unexpected combo, but now its one of my favorites!  You can make it in less than 10 minutes, its super healthy and it’s delish.  The flavor and ingredient combo might scare you at first, but please try it, you won’t be sorry! 

When I made this I didn’t have shiso leaves, but I did have mint and basil.  In a lot of Japanese recipes I always see them claiming that you can substitute shiso for a mix of mint and basil.  I am here to tell you it is so true!!! 

Tofu with Ricotta Cheese
adapted from Harumi’s Japanese Home Cooking

1 block soft silken tofu
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. mirin
1/2 tsp. grated ginger
1/2 cup fat free ricotta cheese
5 shiso leaves, or a mix of mint and basil
sesame seeds or furikake

1.  Remove the chilled tofu it’s package and drain.  Place on a serving dish.

2.  In a small microwave safe dish mix soy sauce, sugar and mirin.  Place in the microwave for 2-3 minutes.  Let it cool and add in the grated ginger. 

3.  Place the ricotta cheese on top of the tofu, sprinkle with shredded shiso leaves and furikake/sesame seeds.  Pour sauce over the tofu and serve. 

This dish is so good!  It’s nice and refreshing for the last few warm days of summer that we have.  Its great with a side of soba or over some fresh greens!  This could be your next favorite unexpected combination!

Birdseye Steamfresh!

As part of FoodBuzz’s Tastemaker program, I get to sample a bunch of products!  Imagine my happiness that when I came home one day and found a box sitting outside my door with some of Birds Eye’s new products!  Inside were some of their new Steamfresh items that are lightly sauced.  In the goodie box they sent me I got some Creamed Spinach, Roasted Red Potatoes and Green Beans and two types of Risotto. 

The first item that I tried was of course the creamed spinach.  I was little worried about the nutritional stats would be, but I was pleasantly surprised since the stats were a lot lower than I had thought.  Who knew you could have creamed spinach that was light right?  I popped it in the microwave for a couple of minutes and I had a side dish to my meatballs in minutes! 

The creamed spinach was yummy, though I did add some salt and pepper for additional flavor.  I will actually probably buy this product again since I felt like I was being naughty but the stats were so good! 

The other item I couldn’t wait to try was one of the Risottos.  I had grand ideas of what I would do with the Risotto… Make some risotto cakes, sear some scallops, but time ran out and the risotto rescued me and helped me to create the best 10 minute dinner!  I tried the Mushroom and Green Bean Risotto with some lemon grass chicken egg rolls that I popped into the toasted oven. 

Best 10 minute meal ever!  I wasn’t really sure what I was going to get with the Risotto, I sorta expected a rich creamy mess.  But I was pleasantly surprised that the Risotto didn’t feel to heavy with cream and I could actually really taste the mushroom flavor in this dish! 

The verdict?  While the risotto was good, I’m not sure if I would buy it again.  Mostly since I am trying to eat healthier and I loved the creamed spinach!  The best thing about this is that you do not create any dirty dishes, you just microwave it in the bag!  I can’t wait to try the Red Potato and Green Beans and the other Risotto I have waiting for me. 

Disclosure:  As part of the Tastemaker program I received free product from Birds Eye.  However the opinions expressed are my own and I am not receiving compensation from Birds Eye. 

Spicy Korean Rice Cakes with Noodles (Rabokki)

I seem to be in a Korean type of mood lately, with my Kim Chee Cucumbers, Kim Chee Soba and now a famous Korean street food dish, Rabokki!  I first tried this dish when my friend made this at a sleep over. Note:  Sleepovers post college unless they are in hotel rooms, seem to be a BAD idea.  Even though they sound fun when you are planning it, I think with age we all like comforts.    Our sleep over niter has never been attempted again! 

This dish is total comfort food and major carb heaven!  It combines Korean rice cakes (mochi like discs) with ramen, and marinated beef in a spicy sauce. 

Rabokki
as taught to me by my Korean friends

2 cups sliced rice cake
1 package instant noodles
1/2 onion, sliced
1 1/2 cups water (approximate)
1/2 lb. thinly sliced beef
1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1 cup mushrooms, sliced

Sauce
2-3 Tbsp. Kochijang
1 tsp. Red chili flake
1 tsp. garlic, minced
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. sesame seed oil
2 Tbsp. soy sauce

green onions
sesame seeds

Note: You can get thinly sliced cuts of beef at any Asian market.  I’ve seen this dish done with sea food, pork, fish cake and tofu as well. 

1.  Soak rice cakes in cool water for 15 minutes.  Heat pan on medium high heat and add olive oil to pan.  Add in onions, beef and mushrooms and cook until onions start to slightly soften.  *Don’t worry if your beef is not all the way through at this point, we do this mostly to cook the onions.*

2. Combine the sauce ingredients in a bowl and mix well.  Drain the rice cakes and add to pan, along with sauce and water.  Mix ingredients until everything is well coated. 

3.  At this point I like to cook the instant noodles (ramen) in the microwave.  You can add the noodles to the pan at this point and allow it to cook in the sauce as well. *I just prefer to do it in the micro*  Add the noodles to the pan once the rice cakes are tender and you can poke through them with a fork.

4.  Mix well and allow the sauce to thicken up and reduce for a couple of minutes.  Garnish with green onion and sesame seeds and serve!

Kim Chee Soba

In the hot days of summer, sometimes all you want is a nice cold and refreshing meal.  You may also remember that I mentioned that I was back on my healthy eating AND I am in my third week of boot camp!!  So what better to make than some Kim Chee Soba.

Soba is a Japanese noodle that is made out of buckwheat flour.  It is packed with vitamin B, has a higher protein content that most noodles and it is also said to help lower blood pressure and cholesterol as well as increase your metabolism.  WIN!!   Since I had just made some Kim Chee Cucumbers, I decided to make a Kim Chee Soba as a nice refreshing dinner.  

Kim Chee Soba

2 bundles of soba, cooked according to package
3 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. sesame seed oil
1 Tbsp. Kim Chee “juice” (from your Kim chee container)
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 cup Kim Chee Cucumber or Cabbage
1/2 cup dried shitake mushrooms
2 eggs, pan fried
green onion, sliced
sesame seeds

1.  Cook your soba noodles according to the direction on the package.  Throw dried shitake mushrooms into the hot water while noodles are cooking.  Once noodles are done, drain noodles and mushrooms.  Rinse noodles with cold water, and pull out mushrooms and squeeze excess water out of the mushrooms. 

2.  In a small bowl mix soy sauce, sesame seed oil, Kim Chee Juice and sugar.  Mix the sauce over the cold noodles and the mushrooms. 

3.  Plate noodles and garnish each place with Cucumber Kim Chee, fried egg, green onions and sesame seeds.

Super easy, refreshing and healthy dish perfect for the summer!  This would be great with any type of kim chee that you can find.  And if you are lucky enough to have a Korean Market near your house, imagine how good it would be to add in a variety of their marinated veggies that they always have.  YUM!  

Cucumber Kim Chee

My Aunty Jane makes this recipe, which she shared with my mom and now I am sharing with you!  In Hawaii this is the kind of recipe that neighbors share, friends pass along little jars to each other and if you are a “nice girl” you bring if over for your friends mom as well.  (They love that!)  I love Kim Chee Cucumbers since it’s a nice bit of crunch with that spicy kim chee flavoring.  This is so easy to make, this will become a staple in your refrigerators.     

 

Cucumber Kim Chee
From Aunty Jane

4-5 medium Japanese Cucumbers, (Persian works too)
1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp. Hawaiian Salt (Rock Salt)
3-4 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. Kim Chee Base
1 tsp. paprika

Note:  You can find Kim Chee Base at most asian markets or on Amazon. 

1.  Cut cucumbers into cubes or thick slices.  In a bowl combine cucumbers, sugar, salt and vinegar.  Mix well and let stand for 1-2 hours.  *I only used 3 Tbsp. of sugar, it depends on your personal taste.*

2.  Taste one of the cucumber pieces, if needed do a quick rinse of the cucumbers.  *Only do this if it is too sweet to too salty.* 

3.  Add in Kim Chee Base and paprika to the cucumbers.  Mix well and bottle and refrigerate. 

I love to eat this with a hot bowl of rice, with soba noodles or lately I snack on them a little before dinner.  This will keep for about 3 weeks once refrigerated in an air tight container.