cheese cheese and more cheese

A weekend or two ago (this insanely busy month has already completely blended together), we embarked on our 4th annual cheese party.  For those of you unfamiliar, a few years ago Stefan and I had the GENIUS idea to host a dinner party consisting only of cheese.  While Year One was four courses of cheesy goodness (cheese plate, raclette, fondue, cheesecake), we learned that even the most serious of dairy lovers can fatigue.  Since then, we've opted for three courses, alternating between a main course of raclette and fondue.  This year was fondue.

Per usual, the day-of was jam-packed with errand-running.  
But first up was having a good, solid breakfast to power us through the day:

Donuts while pumping gas

When you've got a baby in tow, things such as proper nutrition become secondary to optimal baby schedule time management. :)

Next up (and most importantly!) was a trip to Cheese Plus for our most essential goods.

Fondue anyone?

My favorite part of the evening is always the first course, a.k.a. the Cheese Competition.  We ask each guest to bring their absolute favorite cheese to participate.  We then all sample and vote on the winner of the evening.  People go balls to the walls in bringing the most ridiculously delicious cheese they ever did taste.  In addition to being insanely fun (who doesn't love some good dairy-laden competition?), the result is that everyone gets to have the best cheese plate of. their. entire. life.

Because of that, I did not waste a precious second of mindblowing-cheese-consumption-time to snap any photos, but rather can share with you the stage being set for the evening's event... 

everyone labels with cheese name, animal and origin

cheese bringer is concealed

soon-to-be-filled cheese boards eagerly awaiting competition entries

prize bottle of Veuve for the "Best in Cheese"

Halfway through Course Two, however, I hit a plateau where I was able to take a break from cheese-eating to snap a shot of the crew in action:

People were pleased.
Stefan especially.

As people finished their fondue and we prepped for Course Three (a cheesecake of course!), we had our guests vote on our "Best in Cheese".  The cheese that won, however, was not the Truffle Triple Cream or the Cave-Aged Alpine Varietal, but rather the Queso. :)

After the night was through we were sure we had seen enough cheese until next year, but amazingly by 12pm the next day, we were ready for some leftovers.

xoxo

KK

jackson fillmore

In life pre-baby, dinners out were a pretty regular occurrence.  One of our fav neighborhood spots was the lovely Jackson Fillmore - a no-frills Italian joint two blocks from our old abode.  We'd go there for a romantic dinner out, a casual Sunday evening supper, or even solo to sit at the bar if the other was traveling for work.  The crew there greeted us by name, knew our orders by heart, and always let us sample whatever wines they had open (and sometimes some they didn't).

But now we have this lady in the picture:

And dinners out don't happen quite as often.  That being said, we've tried to venture out whenever we can.

Not too long ago, we decided to head back to our old stomping ground to Jackson Fillmore. 

Unlike before when we gladly took a 9pm reservation or waited at the bar for a half hour while sipping the start of a bottle of wine, we opted for the early bird special: arriving promptly at 5:30pm.  I know, I know: we are so cool.

We were surprised by how many kids were there as well.  The table next to us featured a 1.5 year-old and a 3-year-old that happily banged their forks and knives while they waited for their bruschetta.

Oh how I had missed that on-the-house bruschetta.

We enjoyed our delicious meals (with wine on the house as a congrats on the new addition!) and were all done by 7pm sharp leaving us plenty of time to get some frozen yogurt for dessert.

While we may not be enjoying the splendors of Jackson Fillmore quite as much as we used, the reason is certainly worth the adjustment in plans.

xoxo

KK

sat night

This past Saturday night I left Stefan home with little Samantha to head up to sunny Healdsburg for a surprise 30th birthday party for the lovely Sarah Jenks.  While both Stefan and Samantha were invited to the soiree, we decided to spare Samantha the 2ish hour drive up and not subject the party guests to the distraction of a baby (no matter how adorable :).  Stefan sacrificed himself to stay home with his little lady while I got a night of luxury up in wine country.

For the big 3-0, Sarah's sweet (and sneaky!) husband had arranged for a private outdoor dinner among the grape vines at Kelley & Young Wines.  Not only did the guest list include 15 of her closest friends, her family also all flew in from out of town to surprise her.

We all gathered at the gorgeous Kelley & Young property around 5pm.

Every detail of the set-up was perfect, from the gorgeous setting to the lovely tablescape to the beautiful blooms.

While we waited for the guest of honor to arrive, we sipped on Sauvignon Blanc and munched on a spread of savory snacks, all prepared by the fabulous Claudine Dagit of Stilettos & Spice.

When Sarah finally arrived, she could NOT have been more surprised.  She immediately sprinted over to give everyone a big hug.

While I was enjoying this succulent menu:

Stefan was enjoying this one:

And while I was slowly dining on heirloom tomatoes,

fresh melon with Serrano ham,

tender flank steak with crispy potatoes, and - best of all - flourless chocolate cake with freshly whipped cream,

Stefan was slaving away at home - doing the dishes and cleaning the kitchen, all while watching little Samantha. 

Totally and completely fair. :)

As much fun as I had getting spoiled up in Healdsburg, I couldn't wait to get back to my two favorite people.

(And my very clean kitchen.)

xoxo

KK 

persimmons, husk cherries + cornmeal toast

On Saturday, we made a trip to the Ferry Building Farmer's Market.  We used to frequent this hot spot regularly, but with the move and work schedules and Samantha, it had been ages since we'd pay it a visit.  While I'd like to say my motivation in going there was completely altruistic (wanting to show our guests a San Francisco staple), it was actually quite selfish: with persimmon season starting any day now, I was hoping I might be able to nab some of these prized jewels.

Fortunately, I was in luck.

While the market didn't have the plethora of varieties I was hoping for, there was one stand that was rocking some coveted first-of-the-season Hachiyas.  I obviously couldn't leave without some.  

In addition to the persimmons and some super sweet summer peaches, we got another farmer's market favorite of mine: Juju Bes.

While Nonno and I have similar tastes in most things (strawberry jam by the spoonful, mushrooms with just about anything, and arriving early to all things), he was NOT a fan of these little treats.

We I did lots of sampling of all things.  Our very polite Swiss guests opted to mostly just look rather take advantage of the free food.  

I, on the other hand, nabbed every giveaway I could get my hands on, which equated to about 2.5 times a normal person's lunch.

Free samples?

Yes please!

We also stumbled upon a fruit I had never seen before:

husk or ground cherries

Thinking this would be the first and last time I saw these weird-looking snacks, I obviously opted to sample.  They did not disappoint.

Later that night we took Edith and Urs out to Michelin-starred restaurant Sons & Daughters as a 60th birthday present to Stefan's dad.  We did the restaurant's seven-course dinner with wine pairings, and lo and behold, not one but two courses featured these exact same mystery fruits!  We had a heirloom tomato soup with basil creme and ground cherries to start and then candied versions of the special fruit as an extra finale post final course.

In addition to our 7 courses, we got three amazing bread courses: a mini caraway rye loaf, handmade pretzel rolls, and - my personal favorite - cornmeal toast:

We had such a wonderful time wining and dining and chatting, before we knew it, it was midnight!  Always the sign of a fabulous evening.

Tune back in tomorrow for how we worked off our very decadent Saturday night!

xoxo

KK

some special swiss guests

We were lucky enough to have Stefan's dad and stepmom in town this past weekend.  Since anytime we spend a day with them in Switzerland, we get a perfectly-planned-out itinerary of top-notch activities (case in point), we tried to give them an equally-jam-packed set of days while they were here.

We started the weekend off with a Thursday evening dinner of steaks, salad and wine at our place.  Nonno (grandfather in Italian) was all about holding little Samantha every second he could.

So much so that he refused to take a break to quench his thirst.  Luckily, his sweet wife Edith stepped in to help him.

Edith also took over while Nonno headed out to grill with Stefan - Samantha was in heaven!

On Friday, we did a trip up to Healdsburg.  After a stroll around the adorable town square, we started with coffee at the SHED - a market, cafe and community gathering spot focused on local farming and seasonally prepared foods.

While we sipped on our fancy cappucinos al fresco...

...Nonno gave Samantha a tour of the shop.

She had her eye on some expensive, locally hand-crafted frying pans, but we had to put our foot down.

We then headed to Bella Wine Caves for a picnic lunch and some wine tasting.  (Obviously.)

Again, Nonno and Samantha were inseparable - exploring the grounds together while the rest of the crew wined and dined. 

Nonno finally took a break to enjoy his prosciutto sandwich while Samantha chilled on our picnic blanket.  She was feeling pretty liberated to be in short sleeves after always being bundled up in our chilly San Francisco climate!

Next up was Rafanelli - one of our favorite off-the-beaten-path spots that we hadn't been to in ages.  

This family-owned, Zin-and-Cab powerhouse is by appointment only, 

limits how many bottles you can buy (or else they'd be out in a day), and

has a wineclub waiting list of 1000s.  

Thankfully, we have put in our time on the waitlist and are in the wineclub allowing us to score a coveted 2pm tasting with their very busy in-harvest staff.

As we sipped on their divine wines, they gave our special Swiss guests and us a private tour of the place.

Again, Nonno opted to hold Samantha rather than a glass of the region's fine nectar.  

Rafanelli is one of the few places in wine country that still does things the old-fashioned way: 

Rather than use machines, they do all their grape-squashing by hand!

Another incredible thing about Rafanelli is that while they have some of the best wines in the Valley and could raise their prices tenfold, they opt to keep them almost completely flat year to year.

While their bottles are not quite as inexpensive as they were back in 1984...

...you can get some of the best wines imaginable for under $50, which - if you know Sonoma - is an incredibly good deal.  

While we didn't take any bottles with us this time around (we still have a few cases at home in need of some special occasions), we had a fabulous time sampling their vintages and exploring their gorgeous grounds.  Samantha especially!

More details from the weekend to come!

xoxo

KK

birthday boy

Monday was Stefan's birthday and as you already know, all he wanted to do to celebrate was hang out at home with Samantha.  But to make things just a tad bit more exciting, Samantha and I came to pick him up from his office for a late afternoon glass of wine.

Stefan works right on the water next to the famed Ferry Building - home to many-a-fabulous little shops, including Cowgirl Creamery: one of SF's many great cheesemongers.  We obviously had to make a pit-stop there pre-cocktail-hour to sample some of their finest and pick up a few new varieties.

After our cheese snack, we found a spot along the water for some wine.

We then headed home for dinner, presents, and cake!

While I gave Stefan his choice of any dish imaginable, he opted for a menu of simple and fresh end-of-summer favorites:

Heirloom Tomato Bruschetta

Roasted Asparagus Soup

Pan-Seared Alaskan Halibut with an Heirloom Tomato Relish

The Bruschetta is so delicious and so, so easy:

1. chop really, really good tomatoes (worth splurging for the $6/lb organic heirlooms!)

2. toss with your best olive oil, freshly chopped garlic and salt & pepper to taste

3. set aside and let flavors meld (perfect to make a few hours beforehand)
4. when you're ready to serve, toast up a crunchy sliced baguette and top with generous portions of the tomato mixture

The Asparagus Soup is equally easy and simple:

1. roast asparagus with olive oil and salt & pepper in oven at 350-400ish

2. toss it in a Vitamix with chicken broth and your choice of cream (half & half, 2%, or almond milk - any works!)

3. blend and add in additional broth, cream, and salt & pepper to taste

It was so quick that I didn't even have time to snap a shot!

The Halibut also was done in no time at all:

1. rub fish with olive oil and salt & pepper and let sit at room temp for 30ish minutes

2. pan-sear each side on medium high heat for 4ish minutes depending on thickness

3. remove fish from pan and set aside covered to keep warm

4. toss extra tomato mixture from Bruschetta into hot pan and fry until warm

5. plate fish and top with tomatoes

Then it was time for dessert:

1. buy really decadent, rich dessert (i.e., cream-filled Neapolitan) from your local bakery or gourmet grocer

2. throw away the box so no one is the wiser

3. serve on pretty platter with candles 

All in all, a fabulous (and very easy, which I am ALL about these days) dinner!

Stefan's dad and stepmom come to visit today and we're cooking them dinner tonight.  We're planning to do an equally-easy meal inspired by Stefan's b-day dinner: 

a cheese plate and fresh Bruschetta to start, 

juicy steaks on the grill, 

roasted asparagus,

and a big salad with super sweet white nectarines.

What's your go-to favorite fancy yet no-fuss dinner?

xoxo

KK