I just attended my first Viking River cruise cooking demonstration. The chef and his assistant chef taught us to make apple strudel from scratch! Based on what I saw, I think I can do this at home.
Naturally, the staff served us Mozart coffee while we waited for the demonstration to begin.
The two big takeaways from our chef:
Use vinegar when combining the dry ingredients to make the dough elastic.
Place a cloth towel underneath the dough to keep it from sticking to the counter or other surface.
The best part was enjoying freshly baked apple strudel which the staff served with a delicious vanilla sauce.
The finished product The Baldur Ship Recipe The chef Teaching a Guest Mozart Coffee The Viking Cruise Recipe
Today, while checking out Frogtown in Los Angeles, we stopped for lunch at Salazar. What a gem this place is.
Originally, this site was home to an automotive repair shop called Salazar. The restaurant opened in 2016. It’s an outdoor Mexican BBQ restaurant with a relaxed atmosphere . Even the salsa is made from scratch – starting with grilled tomatoes. The tacos were outstanding. The al pastor ones come with small pieces of grilled pineapple and a slight taste of heat.
Dessert options are limited but fantastic. The tres leche cake was probably the best version I have ever eaten. It even came with tiny bits of fresh peach. Our friend ordered the flan with blueberries; it looked exquisite.
It was a hot summer afternoon and we had a long drive home. Hence, we skipped ordering cocktails. However, the drink menu was impressive. The place does a great business and the staff is friendly and efficient. Our waiter was an actor from Argentina who shared great stories and made us feel so welcomed. Mexican food is plentiful in California but Salazar’s is special; both the food and atmosphere really stand out.
My only complaint is the parking. Frogtown is an older community with narrow streets and limited parking. We found street parking about half a block away on a busy street near the 5 on-ramp. Exiting was definitely an entertaining experience.
Salazar – An Amazing Restaurant in Frogtown.Homemade Salsa with Roasted Tomatoes Al Pastor & Carne AsadaMachas & Al PastorHuevos RancherosThe Famous Tres Leche CakeFlan With Blueberries The Bar Area
Recently, my husband I tried the warm crab dip at The Prado restaurant in San Diego. Our waiter recommended it and he was spot on with his suggestion. The combination of flavors was fantastic.
Unlike other similar dips which combine sour cream or cream cheese with mayonnaise, this dip has a base of mascarpone cheese. Based on the menu, I knew the key ingredients but had to guess a few items as well. The crab dip I replicated at home is a masterpiece. My husband was in awe.
Ingredients are as follows:
Mascarpone cheese, small tub of crab claw meat, 2 cups fresh spinach, 1 poblano chili pepper, 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, 1/3 cup sherry & 1 teaspoon garlic powder.
The key thing is to melt the mascarpone at a very low temperature on the stove. If you melt the mascarpone at too high of a temperature, you will cause the cheese to separate. This dip is great warm and does not to be scalding hot.
Step 1 – Roast the poblano chili. I cooked mine for 10 minutes ub the air fryer at 400.
Step 2 – Saute the fresh spinach in a pan with a drizzle of olive oil and a light sprinkle of salt and black pepper.
Step 3 – Start melting the mascarpone in a sauce pan. Add in the wilted spinach and roasted poblano chile (dice first). Add in Worcestershire sauce and sherry. Constantly stir the mixture as the Mascarpone softens. Add in the Parmesan and Dijon mustard. Keep stiring and add in the crab meat, too. Keep stirring. The dip will be warm but not scalding hot.
I served the dip in a bowl with a basket of toasted French bread that I cut up into smaller pieces. Prior to toasting the bread in the broiler, on low, I spread both sides of my halved bread with light coating of garlic and herb compound butter.
This dip can also be made in advance and reheated. I had leftover dip which I stored in a glass container and reheated two days later.
The Prado Crab Dip on the Left & Mine on the Right
A few years ago, my husband and I, along with a few other family members, were invited to a Thanksgiving dinner hosted by a French family temporarily living in the United States. It was probably one of the best holiday meals I’ve enjoyed – even the roasted turkey was fantastic (coated in a mixture of beer and Dijon mustard)! The hosts invited another French couple who were professional cheesemakers. Naturally, this couple brought the cheeses for the traditional French cheese course. Our hosts baked beautiful homemade baguettes to go with the cheeses. The cheeses were served after dinner – before dessert. I do not remember what desserts we ate but I still think about those amazing cheeses.
Recently, I rediscovered the joy of specialty cheeses. Going back to that Thanksgiving with our French hosts, they served three cheeses and provided a suggested order in which to try them.
When serving an assortment of cheeses, it is a good idea to include a mixture of cow, sheep and goat ones. In addition, the proper order is to go from mildest to sharpest varieties. Our French hosts served their cheeses with a few grapes and an anise aperitif. Personally, I prefer to pair my cheeses with dried fruit and a ruby port. As of lately, I am really into golden prunes that I buy at a local Middle Eastern market.
Also, I think it is fun to introduce guests to less well-known cheeses. Recently, I was introduced to the French Mimolette made from cow’s milk and aged for 18 months. The exterior is rough and looks like a mini boulder. In fact, the hard exterior is covered in cheese mites. Consequently, the U.S. banned this cheese for a number years over unwarranted safety concerns. It is best to let this cheese sit out for a while to really enjoy its full flavor. It has a nutty and somewhat sweet taste.
Finally, I am a huge blue cheese fan. I enjoy it in salads and cheese plates or as its own appetizer with thinly sliced pears, dates or toasted walnuts. It is a strong cheese so it is best to enjoy it last – after eating milder cheeses. Saint Agur is a French blue cheese produced from cow milk in central France.
The Cheese Course at Our French Thanksgiving Day Dinner
NO time for boredom today 