dessert

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Dry Creek Kitchen

January 21, 2011 in Food, Restaurants, Tasting Room Series, wine by traveleatlove | 11 comments

Ahhh summer vacation memories. In going through old posts, trying to find a post about a particular wine, I realized that I never posted about our dinner at Dry Creek Kitchen in Healdsburg, CA. Or maybe I did, but I can’t find it anywhere. . .

So to warm myself up and to pump myself up for the March 6 Napa Marathon and following vacation in Napa and Sonoma, I thought I would share a few photos from a delicious summer dinner.

Dry Creek Kitchen is just one of the many restaurants owned by Chef Charlie Palmer. Sitting proudly on Healdsburg Plaza, it is light, airy, and open with extensive outdoor seating and a beautiful outdoor courtyard. These photos are from our July trip to Healdsburg, but in this same spot on our March trip, I met Kevin from Top Chef Winking smile while he was setting up for Palmer’s Pigs and Pinot event.

Prior to our arrival at Dry Creek Kitchen, we were informed by our wonderful innkeeper at Bella Villa Messina that Dry Creek Kitchen allowed you to BYOB, and if the bottle was a Sonoma wine, there is no corkage fee! We decided on a bottle of J Cuvee bubbly, one that quickly became a favorite sparkling wine of mine (check out this post on Bubbles for your Budget!).

Upon arrival, we received some beautiful bread sticks and an amuse bouche, a shot of flavorful soup in a cute little espresso cup.

For my starter, I ordered roasted corn soup topped with a black truffle flan. Can you even imagine? The flavors of summer in California captured so beautifully in a bowl with black truffle flan. . .

For more summer beauty, my main dish was an artichoke ravioli with shrimp, drizzled with a light cream sauce. Like everything at Dry Creek kitchen, this plate was like art, presented beautifully on a long, narrow white plate.

The best part about the food at Dry Creek Kitchen was that the portions were perfectly sized and satisfying but not so stuffing that we could not have dessert. I don’t recall the exact name, but this was sort of an adult s’mores with rich chocolate cake topped with sea salt on a toasted marshmallow cream bed. Again, the perfect portion, especially for sharing.

And if all of that wasn’t enough deliciousness, with the bill we were presented a little tray of sweets. I only took a bite of one of the little jelly squares as I was completely full by this point.

Dry Creek Kitchen is not my favorite restaurant in Healdsburg (I save that designation for Scopa and Willi’s, I think because they are cozier and more intimate.), but it is definitely a beautiful dining experience. I would absolutely return for the fantastic service and food that is beautiful on the plate and on the palate.

Is winter getting you down? What is a favorite summer or vacation dining memory you can share to warm us all up?

Tags: black truffle flan, bubbly, California, corn soup, dessert, Dining out, dinner, favorite restaurants, Healdsburg, J Cuvee, restaurant, Sonoma, sparkling wine, Travel, wine

Coconut Rum Rice Pudding

January 20, 2011 in Food, recipe by traveleatlove | 20 comments

When it comes to rice pudding, I feel as though people either love it or hate it. I happen to love a well-made rice pudding, one that isn’t too sweet or too overwhelmingly creamy. Since I have been experimenting with different dessert creations as of late, I decided this week to make a little rice pudding utilizing coconut milk and Basmati rice, two ingredients that I had in the house. It started with two basic building blocks and then took on a life of its own.

Into the pot went a cup of Basmati rice, 13.5 ounces of coconut milk, a teaspoon of sugar, a dash of fresh cinnamon, a dash of fresh nutmeg, and a bit of water. I brought it all up to a boil, then turned it down and let the rice simmer, tasting it as I went along until the rice was done to my liking. I enjoy it slightly al dente, but if you prefer creamier rice, you can always add a bit more liquid and cook longer.

When the rice was just about done, I poured in a shot of rum, stirred thoroughly, let the rice simmer for another minute, and then turned off the heat. Right before I turned off the heat, I added in a handful of golden raisins. I am almost out of these, and I need to stock up!

The rum cooks off leaving just a hint of flavor that goes marvelously with the coconut milk. Since there is very little sugar in the recipe, the pudding isn’t very sweet, but what it lacks in sugary sweetness, it makes up for in delightful tropical tastes.

I had a small bowl of this rice pudding with my kale smoothie and some almonds for a pre-workout breakfast, but it is also delicious as a dessert, warmed and topped with dark chocolate shavings.

Not bad for a “clean out the pantry” sort of recipe!

Are you a rice pudding fan? What is the most creative recipe you have come up with by cleaning out your fridge or pantry?

*I am still seeking guest posts for a guest post-palooza while I am away in Ireland. Interested in submitting a post about food, wine, travel, cocktails? I need to receive all posts by this coming Tuesday, January 24. Email me if you would like to participate!*

Tags: Basmati rice, chocolate, coconut milk, coconut rice pudding, dessert, dessert recipe, easy dessert, Food, raisins, recipe, rice, rice pudding, rice pudding recipe, rum

Banoffee Pie

January 18, 2011 in Food, recipe by traveleatlove | 27 comments

Have you ever had banoffee pie? A common dessert in Ireland and the UK, it is a terribly simple pie that combines sweet, buttery toffee caramel with bananas, homemade whipped cream, and pie crust. I made it upon request for my friend Raija’s birthday this past Sunday.

The ingredients are simple, about two ripe bananas, a can of sweetened condensed milk, a cup of heavy cream, and either a pre-bought pie crust or a homemade pie crust made from rich digestive cookies or graham crackers.

Unfortunately on Sunday, our neighborhood store didn’t have either digestives or graham crackers, so my husband picked up a chocolate graham cracker pie crust, turning my creation into a chocolate banoffee pie.

While making banoffee pie is simple, it does require a good amount of time. You begin by immersing the condensed milk, can and all, in boiling water, letting it boil and making sure the pot is full, for about two and a half hours.

I have done this multiple times, and the can has never exploded, don’t worry. But once the boiling is done, you will want to let the can cool for at least an hour before attempting to open it. Pressure builds up inside, and once, when I pierced the can, I got sprayed with piping hot, sugary toffee. No bueno.

This is what the condensed milk will look like after boiling. If you prefer it a little darker, just boil for a bit longer. This was perfect for me!

Once the toffee is made, simply spoon it into the pie crust and chill for at least three hours. I did not do this on Sunday, and when I put the cream on, the toffee was still a little warm, causing the whipped cream to melt around the edges.

Also, wait until the last possible minute to slice and add your bananas to avoid browning. If you are bringing this to a dinner party, as I did, I would make the toffee and pour it into the crust in the morning and wait until the evening to add the bananas and whipped cream.

I quickly whipped up the heavy cream and then spooned it on to the top of the pie. I didn’t add any sugar to the whipped cream because the toffee base is sweet enough for me. There is nothing quite like homemade whipped cream!

My pie was not set up in the fridge for long enough, so it was a little less firm than I would have liked. But it was delicious, and the birthday girl said she liked it Smile .

Tags: bananas, banoffee pie, dessert, easy dessert, no-bake desserts, recipe, recipes, simple recipes, toffee, whipped cream

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