My first Kogi Truck Experience!

We attended Sugar Rush: A Cupcake Extravaganza on Saturday, which was a cupcake festival benefiting Orangewood Children's Foundation.  Unfortunately by the time we got there a lot of the cupcake stands were out of the mini cupcakes - next year we will have to get there earlier!  The highlight of our afternoon was the Kogi Truck! I have been wanting to try Kogi for years and it did not disappoint!  

They are most well know for their tacos and their Short Rib.  We had a big debate on what to order but we narrowed it down to three: Short Rib tacos, Shirt Rib Sliders and the Kogi hot dog.  The short ribs were utterly delicious!  I finished it all and wished I had room in my stomach for more!! The sliders were by far my favorite!  I know I will began stalking them right away and trying to search the internet for the secret recipe!  YUMMY!

Wordless Wednesday - Farmers Market treasure

King Arthur Flour Sourdough Starter

I can't believe I forgot to mention my new desire to make bread at home!  I get so disappointed with the quality of bread in the stores that I decided to try to make my own at home.  From reading other blogs it seems to be an straight forward process - I have a Kitchen Aid mixer so the kneading part should be easy, all I need is a little patience and a little instruction!   Growing up close to San Francisco I grew up with the wonderfully tangy sourdough bread from the Boudin store in Fisherman's Wharf.  YUM!
I did a little research on the King Arthur Flour Website I decided to try my hand at Sourdough bread with their Sourdough Starter.

I was so excited to see that it had come in today after a LONG Monday at work!  I started feeding my little starter last night and can't wait to see the results!  With a little help from the hubby (all I had to tell him was that the first sourdough bread was said to start in Egypt and he was all over the web researching!  I guess it helps that the tv is broken!), we should be baking up some bread tonight!!!

Chicken Thighs with 40 cloves of garlic

I was watching Nigella's Kitchen the other day and was intrigued with her take on Chicken with 40 cloves of garlic.  This is a recipe that I have seen several times before on other cooking Shows and in various cookbooks but have always worried that the garlic would be too overpowering.  It must have been meant to be because the next day when the hubby was at Trader Joe's he picked up some chicken thighs, which is what Nigella uses instead of the traditional chicken breast. 

I am very glad that I got over my reluctance to make this dish!  The final flavor is DELISH!  You can taste the garlic but it isn't overpowering.  Another wonderful thing about this dish is that it is VERY easy and affordable.  The next time I have guests over for dinner I will probably make this because it comes together in a flash but tastes like you were in the kitchen working away for hours!

Chicken with 40 cloves of Garlic

Adapted from Nigella Lawson and Life's Ambrosia

Ingredients

2 tablespoons regular olive oil

8 chicken thighs (I used boneless and skinless because that is what the hubby brought home)

1/4 teaspoon of dried rosemary

1/4 teaspoon of dried thyme

40 cloves peeled garlic

2 tablespoons white wine

1/2 cup chicken stock

1/4 cup heavy cream

Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Heat the oil on the stovetop in a wide, shallow ovenproof and flameproof Dutch oven and sear the chicken over a high heat.  Once the chicken is seared remove to a plate.  

Add garlic and sauté for about 2 minutes.  Add in wine and chicken stock to deglaze the pan.  Scrape up any bits on the bottom of the pan.  Add back in chicken and cover with tightly fitting lid and cook in the over for 30 minutes.  Remove lid and cook for 10 additional minutes.   Remove from oven and set chicken on a plate.  Add 1/4 cup heavy cream to the pan, whisk and cook 2 - 4 minutes until thickened.  

Place chicken over brown rice and cover with sauce.

ENJOY!

A New Year.....

Well I can't believe that January is half way done and that I haven't posted on here since November!!!  It has been a crazy couple of months, I made my first Thanksgiving dinner, hosted a Baking GALS get together and sent out over 20 boxes, missed the holiday's with my parents to go to Egypt for a death in my husband's family, and worked my butt off!

It's a new year and with that I have some goals as well as a fresh new look to this blog!  Many of these involve food, of course, so I thought that I would share them:

• Eat more fruit and veggies: we do a really good job of this but it could always improve!  We did get a wonderful juicer and the hubby has become obsessed with the new juice combinations that he can make!  So far I am loving just straight apple, with one carrot only cause the hubby says I have to!
• Cook one new recipe a week: I love trying new recipes and this blog has really helped to make me look outside of my usual meal plans.  
• Archive my families recipes in a cookbook: this is an idea that I came up with while we were in Egypt and I was getting recipes from my husbands aunts.  When my grandmother passed when I was young we all got a copy of her recipes.  I can't wait to start trying them out again and sharing with you and the rest of my family!
• Practice cookie decorating: this is a fun one!  I am constantly inspired by the blogs out there with beautifully decorated cookies and can't wait to get started!

Along with these goals is a renewed desired to share my recipes on this blog.  Stay tuned!