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LATEST LOCAL FOOD NEWS
Tickets now live for PB Food & Wine
 The online ticketing site for Pebble Beach Food & Wine has just gone live for the general public along with a line up of ridiculously luxurious events taking place from April 11-14. "It's epic," says organizer David Bernahl. "We're so lucky that people love good wine and good food and good chefs and like to party in such a beautiful place." Now in its 12th year, PBF&W 2019 includes a Decadence Dinner with chef Alain Passard of the three-Michelin starred restaurant L'Arpège in Paris, well known for his appearance on Chef's Table. And it also includes an event called "Aviary Live from Pebble Beach," with the people behind what's considered the world's best bar. Read more highlight here...
Sante Arcangeli to Open Aptos TR
 With hopes of helping create a new high-end tasting destination and a gateway to the Corralitos Wine Trail, Sante Arcangeli Family Wines is planning a new tasting room in the soon-to-open Aptos Village Development. "We'll have a small space connected with a barn door to our friends at the Sockshop and Shoe Company next door," says owner John Benedetti, who hopes to open by June. The new tasting room will be just up the block from David Kinch's planned restaurant, Mentone. Read more...
Wild Thyme set to open this weekend
 The long-awaited new Salinas location for Wild Thyme is set to open this weekend. "It's going to be everything we used to do in Marina and more," says owner Terry Teplitzky, who closed his Marina deli last June to concentrate on building out the new location at 1366 S. Main St. next to Zeph's One Stop. Teplitzky's homemade corned beef and pastrami will still play a starring role on the menu, but the new spot will be open from 6:30am to 8:30pm so breakfast items have been added, including bagels and lox flown in from the East Coast. Read more...
101 Wine Press opens in Prunedale
 A hybrid wine bar and barbecue restaurant called 101 Wine Press opened quietly on Valentine's Day in Prunedale, and the community has been turning out to support the new business run by winemaker Kevin Olson and his sons Nick and Parker. The menu is loaded with BBQ tri-tip, chicken and sausages, available in various combinations. And there are plenty of salads and sandwiches, as well as a cheese plate and sausage sampler, to pair with Olson Vineyards Pinots or a cold beer. Read our preview by Kathryn McKenzie here...
O'Neill restaurant opens Wednesday
 Following a soft opening over the weekend, the new Jack O'Neill Restaurant opens to the public tomorrow at the Dream Inn in Santa Cruz, where its Aquarius restaurant used to be and where the local hero used to operate a surf shack. With spectacular views of Cowell Beach and the wharf, the casual, family-friendly restaurant pays homage to the surf icon. Find out what's on the menu in our preview here...
Coastal sustainability on Soif menu
 To raise awareness about conservation of our delicate coastal ecosystem, Soif Restaurant and Wine Bar in Santa Cruz is launching a four-part dinner series in partnership with the UC Santa Cruz Coastal Science and Policy Program. The first dinner—on March 26—focuses on fisheries and features a discussion with biologist John Field and fishermen Ian Cole and Charlie Lambert of Ocean2Table. “I am thrilled to bring together some of the top researchers and thought leaders from the UCSC team and highlight the purveyors who are truly making a difference here in Santa Cruz,” says owner Patrice Boyle. More info on the Soif website...
UPCOMING FOOD EVENTS
Clam Chowder Cook Off
Sat-Sun, Feb 23-24 | Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk | 10am-4pm, tasting begins at 1pm, $10 per tasting kit.
 For the 38th year, teams of professional and amateur chefs battle it out in a friendly weekend competition at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. Pick your favorites as amateur teams compete on Saturday and pro teams from local restaurant kitchens go at it on Sunday. Prizes are awarded for best Manhattan-style chowder and best creamy Boston style. All proceeds benefits the Santa Cruz Parks and Rec Department. cityofsantacruz.com
Andrea Nguyen cookbook talk
Tues, Feb 26 | Bookshop Santa Cruz, 1520 Pacific Ave. Santa Cruz | 7pm. Free.
 Award-winning cookbook author and Santa Cruz resident Andrea Nguyen presents her new book Vietnamese Food Any Day at this hometown event. Samples will be available created from recipes in the book, which offers tips and tricks for cooking authentic Vietnamese favorites like bahn mi and pho using ingredients commonly found in any U.S. supermarket. bookshopsantacruz.com
Monthly Dinners at Waypoint
Sat, Feb 23 | The Waypoint at Quail Lodge, 8205 Valley Greens Dr. Carmel | 6pm. $55.
 Chef Brian Kearns launches a new dinner series on Saturday night at the Waypoint at Quail Lodge. On the last Saturday of every month the chef will prepare a special three-course prix fixe menu and you can bring your own wine, as corkage is waived for these dinners. Reservations are required and the next dinner, on March 30, will feature guest chef Elmo Han from The Peninsula Chicago's Shanghai Terrace. quaillodge.com
Valle de Guadalupe at Stationaery
Fri, Feb 22 | The Stationaery, San Carlos Square, Carmel | 7pm. $120.
 At the charming Carmel breakfast and lunch café, Stationaery, chef Amalia Scatena is preparing the second of her monthly dinner events on Friday. This one is a 7-course tribute to the Valle de Guadalupe, the hot new wine region just south of the Mexican border. A Mexican-style menu with dishes such as shrimp aguachile and hamachi al pastor will be expertly paired with rare wines from the region. thestationaery.com
Wine Country Rodeo
Sat, Feb 23 | King City Fairgrounds, 625 Division St. | 5-midnight. $35.
 Pull those corks and saddle up for the first ever Wine Country Rodeo taking place Saturday night in King City. Bronco busters from the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association are taking part and wines will be poured by members of the Monterey County Vintners and Growers Association. The unusual evening will be topped off by live music and dancing, and organizers are hoping the combo of wine and rodeo proves so popular it becomes an annual event. facebook/events
more food and wine events...
Wednesday, February 20
Thursday, February 21
Friday, February 22
Saturday, February 23
RECIPE OF THE WEEK
Cast Iron Arugula Pesto Pizza Insalata
"Just married is a delicious stage of life," writes Caroline Chambers in the introduction to her book of the same name. The Carmel resident and recipe developer published the cookbook for newlyweds last fall, for couples just beginning to cook and for more experienced home cooks who are looking for fresh and elegant meal suggestions.
 Just Married: A Cookbook for Newlyweds covers breakfast, brunch, salads and bowls, dinners in a hurry, along with party drinks and feasts with friends. It can be purchased at The Stationaery, Pilgrim's Way, and River House Books in Carmel, as well as through online booksellers.
This pizza recipe comes from the "Date Night In" section of the book.
| FOR THE ARUGULA PESTO |
2 cups [40 g] packed arugula
1 cup [30 g] grated Parmesan cheese
⅓ cup [45 g] roasted unsalted pine nuts
1 garlic clove, roughly chopped
Juice of 1 lemon
¼ tsp kosher salt
⅛ tsp freshly ground black pepper
⅔ cup [160 ml] extra-virgin olive oil
| FOR THE PIZZA INSALATA |
One 1-lb [455-g] store-bought pizza dough ball, halved
½ cup [40 g] shredded low-moisture part-skim mozzarella cheese
8 oz [230 g] Burrata cheese, torn into small pieces
1 cup [20 g] arugula
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
½ tsp kosher salt
4 oz [115 g] prosciutto, torn into strips
| INSTRUCTIONS |
Preheat the oven to 500°F [260°C] and position a rack in the upper third of the oven.
To make the arugula pesto: In a food processor or blender, combine the arugula, Parmesan cheese, pine nuts, garlic, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. With the processor running, slowly add the oil. Process until smooth.
To make the pizza insalata: Place a 10-in [25-cm] cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Dust a work surface with flour and roll half the dough into a 10-in [25-cm] circle. Sprinkle flour in the skillet and place the dough in it.
While the bottom of the pizza cooks, add the toppings: Spread 1/4 cup [60 g] of the pesto over the crust, leaving a 1/2-in [12-mm] border. Sprinkle 1/4 cup [70 g] of the mozzarella cheese and half the Burrata cheese over the pizza.
Once the bottom of the pizza is set and lightly browned, transfer the skillet to the oven and cook for about 10 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, toss the arugula with the lemon juice, Parmesan cheese, and salt. Remove the skillet from the oven and transfer the pizza to a cutting board. Add half the prosciutto to the pizza. Cut the pizza into slices and pile half the salad on top. Repeat, making a second pizza with the remaining ingredients. Makes two 10-inch pizzas.
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SPOTLIGHT ON OUR SPONSOR...
ReadyCycle: Earth-Friendly Packaging Makes a Difference
 Sambrailo Packaging made history back in 1987 when it introduced the very first plastic clamshell package for produce—a package that was stackable, protected, and gave customers a clear view of what was inside.
Now the Watsonville-based company is making history again, this time by developing an industry-changing corrugated cardboard container that is simple to recycle and easier on the environment.
The new package category, called ReadyCycle, can now be seen containing cherry tomatoes, figs, strawberries, and other produce items at Monterey Bay-area grocery stores and farmers’ markets, as well as at other retailers and grocers across the United States. It was a change that the management at Sambrailo felt strongly about from the top down. President and CEO Mark Sambrailo, the third generation of the family to run the company, says the issue of plastics in the environment is something that concerns him personally.
“I’m an outdoorsman and it’s very important to me,” says Sambrailo. “Living near the Monterey Bay, we want clean beaches.” And with important marine facilities such as the Monterey Bay Aquarium here, Sambrailo says he understands how vital the health of the bay is to everyone who lives in this area. Read more... |
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