Wine & Roses

We had a great time teaching the patrons of Wine & Roses how to make a simple yet delicious party menu.  With the help of eager volunteers from the audience,  Rima and I took turns sauteing, stirring, cutting, mixing and blending an array of fresh ingredients and demonstrated how to prepare several recipes from our cookbook  We would like to thank Wine & Roses Inn & Restaurant in Lodi, CA for inviting us to be “Guest Chefs of The Ballroom” and look forward to a return appearance.

Cook, Eat, Laugh… Claudia


Fresh Peaches

I was inspired to create this recipe for a Fresh Peach Cooking Contest conducted by The Fruit Bowl – a local and very famous produce market in Stockton, California.

Follow these 5 simple steps  for Fresh Peach Chutney

1.  Saute 1/4 cup chopped sweet onion in 1/4 cup olive oil over low heat.
(Maui or Vidalia are sweeter than plain yellow or white ones!)
2.  Add 1 pound peaches that have been rinsed and chopped into medium pieces.
3.  Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, a pinch of crushed rosemary and a pinch of sugar.
4.  Cook over low to medium heat stirring occasionally.
5.  After 20 minutes add 1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar and 1 tablespoon Marsala wine.
Cook for 5 more minutes or until the liquid has evaporated.  Garnish with 1 tablespoon pine nuts.
Serve as a topping to cooked meat, fish or chicken or on a cracker with cheese.

For a unique mixture, combine equal parts of Fresh Tomato Sauce (see Claudia’s blog from Aug. 14 2009) with the Fresh Peach Chutney. You will agree it’s sublime!

Let your imagination guide your cooking adventure  –  Cook, Eat, Laugh.  Claudia


Summer Tomatoes

Today I made a fresh tomato sauce with red ripe tomatoes picked fresh from the garden.
This sauce is so easy and versatile.

Follow these 5 simple steps for Fresh Tomato Sauce:

1.  Saute 1/2 cup chopped onion in 1/2 cup olive oil over low heat.
(If you have sweet onions like Maui or Vidalia –  that’s even better!)
2.  Add 2 cloves of garlic and saute for 2 more minutes.
3.  Add 6 tomatoes that have been chopped into medium pieces.
4.  Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
5.  Cook over low to medium heat stirring occasionally.
After 30 minutes the sauce is ready!  After 45 minutes the sauce is even better!!

What’s so great about this sauce, besides its great flavor, is its versatility. At the 30 minute mark it makes a perfect pasta sauce – especially if you finish cooking the pasta in the sauce – like they do in Italy.  (see page 130 of our cookbook Cooking Dinner for the technique) At 45 minutes the sauce is thicker and quickly becomes a tasty spread on your favorite bread, a delicious topping on scrambled eggs or a flavorful addition when stirred into cooked rice.  Let your imagination guide your cooking adventure  –  Cook, Eat, Laugh.  Claudia