Playground for the Palate at MY Museum Dinner

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Playground for the Palate at MY Museum Dinner

Story and Photos by Camilla M. Mann

September 22, 2014 – Set high above Carmel Valley on Hawk Ridge, this past weekend’s MY Spectacular Dinner—a fundraising event benefiting Monterey County Youth Museum (MY Museum)—was a delight for all the senses. Breathtaking views abounded; the scent of lavender, garden roses, and citrus trees wafted from the gardens onto the terraces; delectable bites and wines seemed never-ending; and laughter punctuated conversations with old and new friends alike.

A trio of local chefs presented dishes that mirrored the museum’s identity. While MY Museum is a playground for the mind, the chefs’ dishes were a playground for the palate – creative, colorful, and delicious.

Executive chef Jason Giles, of Portola Hotel & Spa, opened the evening with an hors d’oeuvres course that combined salty and sweet in almost every morsel. It took tremendous willpower to not grab a piece of his Candied Bacon in Cayenne Dark Chocolate Sauce each time the platters passed. Thin slices of filet were marinated in soy, skewered, and grilled on a piece of sugar cane. Chicken mousseline was piped into edible cones made from sun-dried tomatoes. And creamy Laura Chenel chevre was blended with herbs, spooned into crisped phyllo shells, and drizzled with a white balsamic reduction. Scheid Vineyards provided the pairings for this first course. Their 2011 Estate Chardonnay leads with tropical fruit notes and finishes with hints of vanilla; their 2011 Estate Pinot Noir started with bright berry aromas and lingered with delicate floral and spice. Both wines provided elegant, subtle flavor foils to Giles’ vibrant bites.

Kicking off the seated portion of the evening, Hahn Estate executive chef Dyon Foster served a duet of dishes featuring tomatoes from Swank Farms for the second course. On the plate his Heirloom Tomato Salad sat atop a verdant puree of artichoke heart and asparagus. In the bowl, his Garden Fresh Gazpacho was dotted with a truffled balsamic glaze. Foster discussed the wine he paired with the dishes: Hahn’s 2012 Noir Blanc. “It’s a white wine for red wine drinkers,” he said.

Executive chef Tony Baker, of Montrio Bistro, was up next, preparing the entrée course. He presented Braised Prime Short Rib on a bed of potato-parsnip puree, topped with shaved Brussels sprouts and fresh chervil. This was also paired with wine from Hahn Estate: Smith & Hook 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon. With its regal purple hue and robust flavors, this wine perfectly complemented Baker’s hearty beef offering.

Sugar Mountain Bakery, a sweets boutique based in Salinas, capped off the evening with a trio of sweets, including a lemon cake topped with Swiss meringue buttercream and a candied lemon curl; a fresh berry tart with cream cheese filling; and a raspberry mousse in a chocolate shell.

As the festivities drew to a close, Lauren Cohen, executive director of MY Museum, addressed the crowd and closed with one final appeal—donors who contributed to the museum would receive a bottle of Hawk Ridge wine made from the vineyard we were overlooking at the start of the evening. I happily contributed to MY Museum and clutched my new bottle of wine possessively as we climbed back into the shuttle to take us down the mountain.

Shining the spotlight on talented local chefs and vintners—all for a worthy cause —MY Spectacular Dinner was a spectacular evening for philanthropists, foodies, and wine connoisseurs alike.

Feathers in Flight {Ventana Wildlife Society}

On September 6th, my family and I attended Ventana Wildlife Society's annual fundraising event. As usual, I had my camera in tow and they ended up using some of my photos after the event. Sweet.

Click to read more about the organization and their mission: Ventana Wildlife Society.

These are the photos they used...

 

 

And these are a few of my favorites...

Book Review: Nick and Tesla's Super-Cyborg Gadget Glove

Note: we did receive a complimentary copy of Nick and Tesla's Super-Cyborg Gadget Glove for the purposes of reviewing in. The opinions expressed are 100% accurate and 100% ours.

The new Nick and Tesla book - Super-Cyborg Gadget Glove - is the fourth in the series. And it is a fantastic novel. It is officially released on October 7, 2014.

I have read all of the books....more than once. Usually I read the book to myself first. Then I do some of the experiments. Then I read the book again, outloud, to my little brother. He could read them by himself, but I don't want to share my copy!

I liked all the experiments you can do at home by yourself. In the book, the mystery (story) is linked to science as four kids create a gadget glove to solve a mystery and save a museum. The gadget glove was a glove improved with electronics. Those functions were used to solve the mystery. What are some of the things the glove can do? It can blink a L.E.D., sound an alarm, record voice, and track fluorescent ink. 

I really enjoyed that Nikola Tesla was in the story and the mystery. This book explained a lot, from the past books, including Nick and Tesla’s name. 

With the great humor, mystery, and experiments, Nick and Tesla’s Super-Cyborg Gadget Glove is one of my favorite books, but I am not sure it's my favorite of the four. I really liked the first and the third books. But this one is still worth reading and reading again!

At the Pop-Up Breakfast - Scotts Valley Farmers Market

Most of the time, my story-telling is with a pen and a lens. On rare occasion, I get a chance to "relax" and just do one or the other. Maybe it's an interview where the interviewee is providing the photos or a photo essay where I don't have to bother taking notes to write a piece later.

This weekend, I was invited up to the Pop-Up Breakfast at the Scotts Valley Famers' Market. And I just had to shoot some photos. I wanted to share a few of my favorites.

In the Market
This was one of the most photogenic farmers' markets I've encountered. Absolutely stunning.

In the Kitchen
What a truly delightful breakfast, prepared by Chef Heidi Schletch, of Feel Good Foods and Plumline Farm, and her team dazzled us with dishes cooked with produce and goods from the market purveyors. It was amazing.

In the Dining Room
I love that diners bring their own plates and utensils. The eclectic napkins, mugs, and glasses are festive and fun.

On the Plates
Beautiful food just tastes better, doesn't it?!? This definitely fits the bill.

Just for Fun
Not for the assignment - for sure - just for me! It was a great date with my Love...love mixing work and kid-free fun.

Queen of Quince Takes Her Show on the Road {Edible Monterey Bay}

August 5, 2014 – this piece went live on the Edible Monterey Bay website. Read it there.

Queen of Quince Takes Her Show on the Road

story by Camilla M. Mann, photos courtesy Barbara Ghazarian

Have you ever seen a quince? If not, you’re not alone. It’s classified as a rare fruit after all.

Quince is a paradox. Its shape is voluptuous; its aroma, reminiscent of guava, pineapple, pear, and vanilla; is heavenly. While it appears soft with its layer of fine fuzz, raw, it’s rock-hard and formidable. If you make the mistake of putting a piece on your tongue, you won’t soon forget its mouth-puckering astringency. It may be the only fruit that can’t be eaten raw.

But once you cook quince, its flesh softens and turns pink. Some people assert that quince tastes like roses smell. I think it’s even more exotic than that.

This week, Pacific Grove author and quincephile Barbara Ghazarian will deliver the keynote address at the 2014 Festival of Fruit, an annual conference held in historic Edgefield, Oregon. The conference is co-hosted by the California Rare Fruit Growers (CRFG), the Home Orchard Society (HOS) and the National Association of Fruit Explorers (NAFEX). And this year—2014—they have declared the Year is the Quince.

As she prepared to leave for Oregon, Ghazarian—the self-proclaimed Queen of Quince—made time to chat with me about her beloved quince. Ghazarian explained her fascination with the fruit, “Quince came from Armenia.” Passionate about sharing her Armenian ancestry with others, her first cookbook, published in 2004, Simply Armenian: Naturally Healthy Ethnic Cooking Made Easy, shared over 150 Armenian recipes with home-cooks. “But besides quince coming from Armenia, I just love the taste. I love the color change,” she said.

I had met Ghazarian a few years ago when she did a cooking presentation at the Holman Ranch Tasting Room in Carmel Valley. It was then that she fanned the flames of my budding crush on this ancient, rare fruit. I’ll admit the color change is intriguing.

Ghazarian’s background in molecular biology from Wellesley College showed as she explained how the fruit’s phenolic compounds—anthroxanthins and anthrocyanins—transform when heated. “Through poaching,” she described, “quince transforms into succulent, salmon-colored wedges that retain their shape.”

It is precisely those wedges that Ghazarian credits with making quince accessible to this generation of cooks and diners. “Through poaching quince, I’ve made it into an ingredient,” she adding, mentioning a savory sidedish of stuffed cauliflower and quince. My mouth began to water

Quince was revered in times past. In ancient Greece, brides were often given quince as a token of fruitfulness. During Medieval times, the French prepared a kind of marmalade called cotignac. In fact, the word ‘marmalade’ derives from the Portuguese word for quince—marmelo. It’s no coincidence that the primary use for quince has been to help marmalades, jams, and jellies to set. The fruit contains a large amount of pectin.

“The nail in poor quince’s coffin,” Ghazarian said, “was Knox.” Boxed gelatin quickly hijacked the role that pectin-rich quince had played in preserving fruits.

Since the 2009 printing of her second cookbook Simply Quince, quince has been enjoying a revival. It’s a cookbook dedicated to revealing quince’s versatility. Her recipes include an array of savory-sweet stews, exotic mains, unique condiments, trendsetting salads, and spectacular pastries. But, more than sharing recipes, Ghazarian sees her work as demystifying quince, inspiring people, returning quince to the table in whatever form. “I’m a benevolent queen,” she joked.

She mentioned a few people and companies doing interesting things with quince. San Carlos Quince, out of Eugene, Oregon, makes organic quince paste and quince butter. Vermont Quince has quince-ginger-lime chutney and quince-infused vinegars. And, locally, Randall Grahm, of Bonny Doon Vineyard in Santa Cruz, produces a French-style hard cider called ¿Querry? —made with two kinds of pears, four kinds of apples, and two kinds of quince.

Here on the central coast, quince season begins next month and continues until mid-November. Growers in the Central Valley have a longer season and will have quince through February. I can’t wait to start seeing those yellow, bulbous fruits appear in the markets. I’m already scheming about what I’m going to make.

Glorious Details at the Googie {Edible Monterey Bay}

July 29, 2014 – this piece went live on the Edible Monterey Bay website. Read it there.

Glorious Details at the Googie

story by Camilla M. Mann, photos courtesy Googie Grill

Break out the poodle skirts! Fifties-style Googie Grill, the Monterey Bay area’s newest retro restaurant, is set to open next week near the busy intersection of Del Monte Ave. and Canyon del Rey in Seaside. Those nostalgic for comfort food, drive-ins and diners, as well as architecture buffs, will enjoy the homespun breakfasts and lunches; dinner service will follow in a couple of weeks.

Have you heard the saying – the devil is in the details? The phrase popped into my head when I visited Googie Grill. It means that even the tiniest components are crucial to the grand design. At every turn, there are carefully curated details to note at this soon-to-open eatery, elements that complement the architecture of the original building, commemorate their family, honor their community, and celebrate local food producers.

Veteran restaurateur Jack Hakim—who has previously owned Scandia and The Avenue in Carmel and has worked in several of the peninsula’s finest dining establishments, such as The Sardine Factory, Pacific’s Edge and The Lodge at Pebble Beach—has spent the past year transforming his vintage 1950s building into a unique restaurant. Hakim credits Wendell Montes for helping navigate the City’s Board of Architectural Review and says that the project couldn’t have come to fruition without the assistance of Duke Kelso Construction, Glenn Warner Architecture, and many others.

“This,” he reveals, gesturing broadly around the newly renovated space, “all of this is for them…for the girls, my daughters, Jennifer and Lisa.”

His daughters—Jennifer Kadosh and Lisa Allen—designed the interior and created the menu. Kadosh selected colors, upholstery, and other particulars to ensure that the renovations matched her father’s vision of paying homage to the structure of the building.

“The building inspired Dad,” Kadosh recounts. “The structure, the columns, the glass all got me researching Googie architecture.” Googie architecture features modern materials and geometric shapes. “We wanted to create a restaurant around the style,” Kadosh continued.

But the characteristic angled walls of Googie design are not visible from the outside. Hakim confirmed, “To see the Googie, you have to step inside the Googie.”

 Allen crafted the menu items, pairing dishes with names that are meaningful to their family. For instance, there’s the Querida Corned Beef Hash named for their mom. And all of the granddaughters have dishes bearing their names: Bella’s Breakfast Sandwich; Olivia’s Old-Fashioned Oatmeal; Queen Ava’s Benedict; Savannah’s Biscuits and Gravy; and Hailey’s Comet, a hearty combination platter of two pancakes, two eggs, and two meats.

Hakim characterizes the Googie food offerings as American comfort food with a twist to make it modern. “Comfort food is making a comeback,” he asserts. “When economic times are tough, people like to eat comfort food.” Googie’s versions will be high-quality made with fresh ingredients, including Glaum eggs from Aptos and ACME beans from Seaside’s local coffee powerhouse.

You’ll find traditional breakfast foods along with hot sandwiches and exotic sandwiches. Kadosh mentions Frikadeller, traditional Danish meatballs, that they’ve included on the menu to honor a lifelong friend of Hakim. “The menu reflects our tastes and style—and my dad’s experiences,” Kadosh said.

Googie Grill’s menu items will fall in the $8-$18 range. Beer and wine will be poured during lunch and dinner service.

Ray Kreik will manage operations along with Kadosh and Hakim’s former Scandia chef, Tedulo Pinto, will man the kitchen.

Local artist Dan Herron has created a colorful multiple-paneled mural that borders the top edge of the dining room. The paintings depict iconic central California spots from Big Sur’s Bixby Bridge to San Francisco’s Golden Gate. There’s even Herron’s Googie with a classic 50s ride parked in front. So, when you step into the dining room, be sure to look up.

Hakim, Kadosh, and Allen aim to have the Googie attract locals, tourists, students, and workers alike. “Anyone interested in fresh, delicious comfort food can find something they’ll love here.”

Googie Grill – 1520 Del Monte Blvd. Seaside – www.googiegrill.com

The Dinner Belle is Ringing {Edible Monterey Bay}

June 17, 2014 – this piece went live on the Edible Monterey Bay website. Read it there.

The Dinner Belle is Ringing

Story and Photos by Camilla M. Mann

Carmel Belle, a longtime breakfast and lunch favorite for locals, officially opened for dinner this week. Now, from 4 pm to 7 pm, Sundays through Thursdays, The Dinner Belle is filling a casual dining niche with good, unpretentious organic food. “Customers have always asked us to do dinner,” owner Jay Dolata explains. In recent years Carmel Belle opened its doors for a pop-up dinner series organized by Post Ranch Inn’s Yulanda Santos. She transformed the space into an impromptu ramen house for one dinner and sold karaage, Japanese fried chicken, for another. The two-seating dinners were always a hit and always sold-out. So, they knew that the dinner concept would be popular. “It’s something we’ve always wanted to do but never had the time for until recently,” says Jay.

Yulanda was also the person who introduced Jay to chef Kyle Odell who is running the kitchen for The Dinner Belle. Though Kyle has a pedigree in fine dining—his previous posts were at Parallel 37 in San Francisco’s Ritz Carlton and Michelin-rated Commis in Oakland—he aims to show that “joy can be found in honest, simple food.”

Jay underscores that sentiment. “You can count on getting approachable, casual food without the formality of tableside service. You can come in your flip-flops and sweats or come dressed up in heels.”

That philosophy has earned them a loyal following with the breakfast and lunch crowds. After visiting for their inaugural dinner, this weekend, I am confident that their fan-base will embrace the evening offerings as well.

When talking to Kyle about possible selections, he shares that the menu will be fresh, tasty, limited, and thoughtful. He mentioned meatloaf. “Imagine food that’s made with lots of love and happiness,” he urged. “Think mom’s meatloaf. But it’ll be the best meatloaf that you’ve ever had.”

Jay agreed, “I like to keep it simple, letting the flavors of the food shine. It’s not about complicated recipes or special techniques.”

Diners will have the choice of two entrees, two soups, two or three side dishes, and one or two sweets on a rotating two-week cycle.

On Sunday, my family and I went to The Dinner Belle for their inaugural dinner and an unfussy Fathers’ Day celebration. Jay and his wife and business partner, Chloe, manned the counters while Kyle was busy in the kitchen.

We feasted on the best oven-baked chicken I’ve ever had. The buttermilk-marinated Mary’s organic chicken (4 drumsticks per platter at $13) was tender and juicy; the outside crust was crisped and intriguingly spiced. Piquillos (2 peppers in the bowl for $10)—diminutive, sweet peppers—were roasted and stuffed with red quinoa, cucumbers, tomatoes, and herbs.

The broccoli de cicco ($7 a platter)—a sweet heirloom variety of broccoli—was chargrilled, slightly piquant and earthy, served with vinaigrette and toasted hazelnuts. The caprese salad ($10 a plate) featured heirloom tomatoes, garden fresh basil and olive oil from McEvoy Ranch in Marin County. And the field green salad showcased two of summer’s stone fruit darlings—pluots and white peaches from the farmers’ market.

We dug spoons into bowls of thick black bean soup ($7 a bowl, $4.50 a cup) topped with dollops of sour cream.

And for dessert, we shared fresh-baked cookies, cheesecake flan ($5 per slice)—a charming marriage of cheesecake’s creaminess and flan’s sweetness—and washed it all down with potent coffee drinks made with Mr. Espresso beans.

The Dinner Belle idea: order at the counter, eat there, or grab and go. Diners, both locals and visitors, can eat without the pressure or price of a sit-down restaurant.

I definitely see The Dinner Belle in my future—when I want to pick up something fresh and tasty on my way home from work, but don’t want to eat pizza or burgers.

Carmel Belle – San Carlos St. Carmel – www.carmelbelle.com