Things I Overheard In Napa

      Last summer for my mother's birthday we went to Napa Valley to celebrate. It wasn't my first time going, but it was the first time that I could drink while visiting. So that's exactly what we did, along with eating some delicious food. At our first wine tasting I realized two things. The first being that it is indeed okay to pour your wine out after you've tasted it. Being the naive 21 year old that I was,  I attempted to drink every single drop of wine that was poured for me. The result was me being hungover at 4pm and craving a burger for dinner instead of the amazing meal that we had planned that night at The French Laundry. The second thing I realized was that people in Napa (or visiting Napa) say some ridiculous and hilarious things. I decided to write those things down. So without further adieu, here are the things that I overheard in Napa. 

1. "I'll meet you in the limo." Because limos are the only way to travel around while you're in Napa.
2. "A day without cheese is like a day without sunshine." I agree with this completely. 
3. "Is this a private tasting?" This was said to us during a very obvious, private tasting. 
4. "I expect to have fun little nibbles." Taken out of context this is hilarious. But the "little nibbles" the man was referring too looked a little something like this...  

4. "But he's French so you can only take him in small doses." Accurate. 
5. "It's naughtiness, personified." Wine is just so naughty.
6. "A beautiful woman shall never be in want of a great bottle of Chardonnay, so enjoy." This is how you get her to call you.
7. "Would you like a local wine or one from France?" Because a wine from France is the only other kind of wine that would be good enough.
8. "Doing well? Surviving?" A pool boy to a group of girls, referring to the fact that it was 80 degrees out. 
9. "Instagram is an art." Said by the group of girls.
10. "Do you know how many chemicals are in that?" Facepalm.

Salmon Quesadillas

      When I think of a quesadilla I think of cheese with maybe a little bit of chicken inside a tortilla and some guacamole on the side. It's a nice meal. Easy to make, yet so boring. I like my food to be unique, so when I first tried Barbara Fenzl's Salmon Quesadillas, there was no going back to your typical cheese crisp. This recipe is one of my all time favorites and it has become a staple dish for my family at dinner time. I made about 16 for a party once and they were gone in about 10 minutes. My friends who attended had never had something like it before, and I will still get random texts from friends asking me when I am going to make them again. If you allow for a little bit of prep time, they are super easy to make and even easier to eat. They are the definition of gourmet comfort food.

Smoked Salmon Quesadillas

(Makes 6 Quesadillas)

Ingredients

      1 Pasilla (Poblano) Pepper

      1 Red Bell Pepper

      1 Shallot

      1 Avocado

      4 oz. of Smoked Salmon

      6 Large Flour Tortillas

      4 oz. of Creamy Goat Cheese

      4 oz. of Cream Cheese

Instructions

      Over an open gas flame roast both peppers until the skin turns black. Put into small paper or plastic bag to steam. With a knife, scrape the skin off. Do NOT wash off with water as you will lose the flavor. Dice the peppers and set aside.

      Mix together the goat cheese and cream cheese. Set aside.

      Dice the shallot. Set aside.

      Either slice or tear the smoked salmon into small pieces.

      Slice the avocado. 

Assembly

      Spread 1/2 of each tortilla with the cheese mixture. Sprinkle the peppers and shallot on top. Layer the avocado and smoked salmon and fold the tortilla in half. Over medium heat, warm the quesadillas until lightly browned on the outside. Remove from heat. Slice and serve. 

      This is one of my favorite things to make. You can eat a bunch of them in one sitting, like I do, or pair with a light salad to make a meal. If you're curious about more recipes from Barbara Fenzl or want one of her cookbooks, click here. 

      Quick note! I didn't have a photo of the quesadillas to attach. I think I ate them too quick...but I will be attaching some soon!

Katy Eats New Orleans

      Last year in February, I turned 21 years old. I, like most 20 year olds, counted down the days until I could have a legal drink. But unlike most 20 year olds, I wasn't looking forward to getting absolutely plastered. So many people made the trip to Vegas to celebrate 21, and although there is absolutely nothing wrong with that, I knew it wasn't my scene. I decided that I wanted to go to New Orleans with my parents and my boyfriend Matt. I had been once when I was a child but couldn't remember anything, so this trip was going to be an adventure. That's exactly what I got.

      Fun Fact: I had convinced myself for years that I was allergic to shellfish. I had based this off of one bad incident with some crab cakes, but I had never been allergy tested. I knew that if I was going to go to New Orleans I HAD to figure this out, otherwise I might die on the spot. Turns out I am not allergic to anything. Ever. I can eat whatever I want. Score. My goal was to eat as many different things as possible. The result was glorious. Here are some of the places we ate.

      La Petite Grocery - We went here for lunch and the food was great but the cocktails were even better. La Petite Grocery is also up for the Best Chef: South award for this year's James Beard Awards in Chicago.

      Cafe Du Monde - Cafe Du Monde is probably one of the most popular and well known places in New Orleans. They have been around for forever (1862 to be exact) and they are famous for their Beignets. I, unfortunately, did not get to eat here because the line to get a table was down the street. But! My dad went a couple months later and sent me a photo of the heavenly treats that they serve.

      Crescent City Brewhouse - I did a search for restaurants in the area and this one stood out because of the fried alligator which, if you haven't had, is amazing. Plus all of the brewing is done in house which surprised us. Matt and I loved their beer! And the food was hearty and delicious. This place is great if you're looking for a casual bite.

      August - My family went here for dinner on our last night and it was probably my favorite. The food was perfect and unique, the drinks were amazing, and while the atmosphere was fancier than most places we went, they still managed to make you feel comfortable and at home. August definitely had the best service of the restaurants we went to. Matt is (sadly) lactose intolerant and the kitchen staff was very kind to make him a completely new meal to cater to his dietary restrictions. I have never seen a restaurant do this and we were all so grateful for the hospitality and kindness the staff expressed toward us. 

    Commander's Palace - This restaurant was fabulous. My family went here for brunch and we ate so much amazing food that naps were taken afterward ASAP. Commander's Palace has so much character and it is one of those places that makes you feel special by just being inside. They don't half ass things here. That became evident when Matt ordered pancakes and what was placed in front of him turned out to be a masterpiece in the form of pancakes. This restaurant has the best brunch. Ever. You will never have brunch as good as this. 

     
      Carousel Bar - This place was packed. If I were to go again I'd make sure to go during odd hours on a weekday. But the drinks were some of the best and the rotating bar is pretty awesome. We didn't stick around long enough to eat, but from what I saw passing our table, it looked delicious. 

      Peche - This was Matt's favorite, and he apparently has really good taste because, a few months later, Peche won two James Beard Awards for Best Chef: South and Best New Restaurant. This place was really cool. It was alive and catered to many different groups of people. And the food! My parents ordered the restaurant's specialty which is a whole fish and Matt and I both had the gumbo. This restaurant had the nicest atmosphere of the places we went. 

     
      Apple Barrel Bar - This bar was a blast. Its tiny but that is apart of the appeal. We went on our last night to have a couple drinks after our dinner at August. There was a live band and everyone was having a good time. Because of the size, the fact that it was my birthday got around and the band, plus everyone else in the bar, sang me happy birthday. Honestly, that was one of the coolest things to ever happen to me. This was definitely the best bar we went to.

      I absolutely fell in love with New Orleans. The history and culture is so unique and engrained into every aspect of the city, including the food. I hope to go back soon and have even more culinary adventures, but for now, these are the places that I would recommend to anyone who lives in or is going to be visiting New Orleans. More cities and restaurants to come!

When Did Eating Food Become So Difficult?

        As I've gotten older, there are many things that have gotten hard. Life in general is a good example of that. In all seriousness though, there are things that we all assume will get more challenging as we grow up; School, relationships, money...but eating? I feel like there is so much unneeded pressure surrounding food.  Don't eat this because it has too much fat. Don't eat that because they used food coloring. Make sure you eat this on your date so it doesn't give you smelly breath or, god forbid, bad gas. Eat this because it's good for you, but guess what, it tastes like shit, and no there isn't much you can do to make it taste better. Add sugar? Don't you dare. I simply don't get it. 

      Think about this for a second. If we weren't trying to impress other people with "perfect" bodies or we weren't limited by food allergies or weren't trying to maintain a certain size for a job, would we eat the same types of things? Would we eat at the same frequency? As a person in this day in age, it's hard to escape beauty standards, especially as a young woman. Ultimately it only matters that you feel good about yourself, but I'd be lying if I said that I didn't stress about maintaining my figure. But how do I do that when I love to eat so much? How do I help my friends go through the same type of thing? I've actually had a friend refuse to eat avocados because there was "too much fat in it." Excuse me, but no. Just no. If you're eating at In n' Out every night you're going to get fat, but a freaking avocado isn't going to kill you. In my opinion, if you don't have to be on a diet, then why the hell are you on a diet? Eat real food often, exercise often, treat yourself occasionally. Everything in moderation people.

 

      We all seem to overthink eating. The dieting stuff is obvious, but I feel like there are almost unspoken eating standards. If I had a freaking dollar for the number of times where I've been eating something with garlic and somebody uttered " I hope you're not planning on kissing someone tonight," I wouldn't be rich, but I could probably buy a really nice steak. So. Should I just not eat garlic? I mean I really like garlic. If I kiss my boyfriend after this and he gets upset should I apologize for eating garlic? Would he even be mad? I think he likes garlic. He better freaking like garlic because I'm going to keep eating garlic. Seriously, who cares. Also, the whole "make sure you order a salad on the first date" rule is BS because I ordered a bacon cheeseburger on my first date with my boyfriend and, guess what, he still loves me. 

     When I think of proper eating etiquette I think of someone who eats slowly, pats their face with their napkin, sips their drink, doesn't talk while they eat, etc. I have been in many situations where that type of behavior has been expected, but I have almost always ended up with food on my face or on my clothes. Sometimes I notice shock, but its rare. I mostly notice relief, because now that someone else has screwed up, they don't have to worry about themselves as much. If having food all over my face lets people relax and genuinely enjoy their food, then I've done something right. Why do we worry so much about what other people think? Some of it has merit, but I guarantee that there is at least one other person who wants to grab the last cookie at the snack table. Eat the cookie, or I will.  

    

Growing Up Around Food

      It is no secret that I have grown up around food. My mother made sure of that. But, probably more significant is the fact that I have grown up around chefs. This, I'm sure, has had an impact on how I think about and handle food. For instance, cooking has become this intimate act. An act that I will only preform in the presence of those whom I adore. I like to believe it is the same for chefs, and if the chef is phenomenal, you can taste that adoration in the food presented to you. Growing up around food has not only given me the knowledge to become a better cook, but it has given me an appreciation of the craft itself.

I have this vivid memory of standing on a chair in front of the stove in Barb Fenzels kitchen. I had stayed over for the weekend because my parents were out of town and, as my godmother, she agreed to look after me. She was teaching me how to make scrambled eggs. I was five. She didn't do anything for me, but walked me through it instead. She taught me how to grease a pan, crack an egg, wield a spatula, and how to tell when the eggs were cooked properly. Then she taught me how to be creative with it, by adding cheese, vegetables, and spices. To this day, I make scrambled eggs the way she taught me.

      When I was 6 years old I was at the Universal Backlot in Los Angeles for an event called Meals on Wheels. Who was there? Wolfgang Puck, Vincent and his family, my mother, and me. We were making creme brule and my job was to sprinkle the sugar on top and then pass it to Vincent, so he could torch the top and give it the classic shell surface. Vincent made sure I was perfect. Anything less would be insufficient. However, you bet your ass that once we were done with the event, I finished off the rest of the sugar with one of Vincent's sons. I developed the habit of eating ingredients pretty early on in life... This photo is pre-sugar:

  As I got older I was able to appreciate these type of experiences more and more. I will forever remember the night that Jaques Pepin was over at my house cooking pizzas. He and the other chefs were challenging each other to make the best pizza of the night. I have no clue who "won" but that was some of the best pizza I have ever eaten and one of the coolest nights of my life. The food industry is intense and intimidating, especially to those outside of it. But the chefs I grew up around taught me that if you can't have some fun with it, what's the point?