Denise Jones posted an article on There's a Newf in My Soup - Feb 9, 2012, 12:42 pm
I'm continually singing praises of Il Fornaio, and here I go again.  This month's Festa Regionale Menu featuring the food and wine of Lazio, was created by Giuseppe Naccarelli, Vice President of Kitchen Operations. We missed the Tuesday Night Tasting last month (Lombardia) due to travel...
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Denise Jones posted an article on There's a Newf in My Soup - Feb 6, 2012, 1:57 pm
We often spend a Saturday morning strolling through the Little Italy Farmers' Market, or a Sunday morning at the Hillcrest Farmers' Market, but I've also ordered the weekly Specialty Produce Farmers' Market Bag when we don't make it to one of the Farmers' Markets.   You must order your bag by ...
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Denise Jones posted an article on There's a Newf in My Soup - Feb 3, 2012, 3:01 am
I wasn't able to muster up enough excitement to make last week's French Fridays with Dorie recipe - Broth Braised Potatoes, but this week's Gorgonzola Apple Quiche did appeal to my taste buds. With the classic pairing of Gorgonzola, apples, and walnuts, and cream and eggs, all baked in a buttery tar...
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Denise Jones posted an article on There's a Newf in My Soup - Jan 31, 2012, 9:00 pm
Earlier this week, Navy culinary specialists competed in the Fifth Annual Navy Region Southwest Culinary Competition, in the impressive, state of the art galley at Naval Amphibious Base, Coronado. The galley reopened in December 2010, after nearly $9 million in renovations, and is one of the larges...
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Denise Jones posted an article on There's a Newf in My Soup - Jan 26, 2012, 12:26 am
Mario Batali's Babbo Ristorante describes Bucatini all'Amatriciana, originating from the town of Amatrice, located 100 miles east of Lazio from Abruzzo, as one of the most celebrated dishes in Italian cuisine. Ever since the Abbruzzese shepherds begin the tradition of eating this spicy pasta after a...
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Denise Jones posted an article on There's a Newf in My Soup - Jan 22, 2012, 4:14 pm
During our stay at The Home Ranch, on a very cold, but relaxing morning, we bundled up, left the warmth of the lodge, and walked down the driveway to the pasture and barn. The youngsters were particularly curious, and willing to lose their space around the hay feeder to come say hello. This yearling...
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Denise Jones posted an article on There's a Newf in My Soup - Jan 20, 2012, 3:01 am
Please excuse my lack of motivation returning to my kitchen and cooking some blogworthy dishes to start off the New Year.  After the holiday season, and our fabulous week at The Home Ranch, where a team of talented chefs entertained our taste buds, I am finally coming down from my Relais & Chateaux...
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Denise Jones posted an article on There's a Newf in My Soup - Jan 18, 2012, 12:30 am
Today is Dooley's 13th birthday. He celebrated with a few close friends, and a Nutter Butter, Peanut Butter, Whipped Cream, and Carob Chip Pie. I met him when he was less than a week old. I drove up every week to play with him, bond, and watch him grow. He was conceived the day I lost my ...
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Denise Jones posted an article on There's a Newf in My Soup - Jan 15, 2012, 2:42 pm
Within moments of arriving at The Home Ranch, Colorado, you’ll begin to realize why guests return year after year. You may even run into Anne, who will likely be into double digit visits. This was my second visit, John's first, and our third Relais & Châteaux ranch vacation together. This is the ...
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Denise Jones posted an article on There's a Newf in My Soup - Dec 28, 2011, 2:57 pm
After scrolling through my humble contribution to the food blogging world during the past year, over 100 posts, I can honestly say, "I've come a long way, baby!" My passion for food, cooking, entertaining, writing, travel, and photography continues to grow, and this past year has been quite a journe...
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Denise Jones posted an article on There's a Newf in My Soup - Dec 26, 2011, 8:20 pm
The Chew, starring Mario Batali, Michael Symon, Carla Hall, Clinton Kelly and Daphne Oz, celebrates and explores life through food -- from cooking and home entertaining to food trends, restaurants, holidays and more. It is broadcast live, weekdays, from New York City. In California, it airs at noon,...
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Denise Jones posted an article on There's a Newf in My Soup - Dec 21, 2011, 5:54 pm
I think I just found my Christmas spirit...enhancing, and served alongside, a crumbly, Italian torte called Fregolotta. Grappa is a uniquely Italian drink, made from pomace, the discarded grape skins, pulp, seeds, and stems left over from winemaking after pressing the grapes. I've had a...
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Denise Jones posted an article on There's a Newf in My Soup - Dec 19, 2011, 4:40 pm
When I look back over my blog posts for 2010, I am reminded that many of our favorite dishes have been Southern - inspired by our trip to New Orleans, cookbooks by John Besh and Donald Link, and the abundance of fresh seafood available in San Diego. In fact, the Blogher Publishing Network just fea...
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Denise Jones posted an article on There's a Newf in My Soup - Dec 12, 2011, 10:32 am
Over 350 guests attended the Epilepsy Foundation of San Diego County’s Gingerbread City Gala on December 1 at The Grand Del Mar. Honorary Chairman Jeff Moorad, Vice Chairman and CEO of the San Diego Padres, was presented with the “Key to Gingerbread City." The theme, Hit a Home Run for Epilepsy...
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Denise Jones posted an article on There's a Newf in My Soup - Dec 11, 2011, 2:31 pm
Last year, Santa was tickled to find Pistachio Orange Cocktail Cookies and a martini when he came down our chimney. This year, he's really going to love these Chocolate Cayenne Cocktail Cookies with a glass of fruity, Italian Lambrusco. These one-bite wafers practically melt in your mouth, as the ch...
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Denise Jones posted an article on There's a Newf in My Soup - Dec 9, 2011, 11:43 am
I've missed the last few French Fridays with Dorie recipes, but was able to squeeze in an adaptation of this week's Chard-Stuffed Pork Roast.  It turned out beautifully, and very holiday-ish with the pretty colors in the stuffing. A pork tenderloin is better suited for the two of us. I h...
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Denise Jones posted an article on There's a Newf in My Soup - Dec 7, 2011, 4:54 pm
Sweetie-Pie, Pie of Pies, Newfie-Pie, Noodle-Pie, Pieder-dog and Pie-Dog are just a few of the terms of endearment Dooley has acquired in his almost-13 years. What a Cutie Pie! Cutie Pie, Flipside, Piejar, Piepop, and Petit-5 are Danie Cone's terms of endearment fo...
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Denise Jones posted an article on There's a Newf in My Soup - Oct 28, 2011, 11:14 am
I should have continued with our Halloween Party preparations, but we needed something for dinner and I was so intrigued by this week's French Fridays with Dorie recipe: Pumpkin Stuffed with Everything Good. At about 4:00 yesterday afternoon, I decided to zip off to the store for m...
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Denise Jones posted an article on There's a Newf in My Soup - Oct 26, 2011, 11:32 am
I baked these cookies for my mom, to nibble on while she recovers from hip replacement surgery. After a three-day hospital stay, she was transferred to a skilled nursing residence. Unfortunately, she wasn't too happy during the first few days of her stay, and we're hoping things improve and she reco...
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Denise Jones posted an article on There's a Newf in My Soup - Oct 25, 2011, 8:47 pm
Thanks to Nina's orchestration, our little culinary group gathered in the park on Sunday for a $5 Slow Food Challenge.  An organization called Slow Food USA issued an encore $5 Challenge to demonstrate that slow food can also be affordable. Slow Food is defined as good for its eaters, its producer...
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Denise Jones posted an article on There's a Newf in My Soup - Oct 21, 2011, 11:07 am
I've been cooking quite a bit this week, keeping us fed while John completes his over-the-top creations and renovations in the Pirate Workshop, front yard, courtyard, dining room, and living room. Yes, my man is totally immersed in his favorite holiday of the year, and our 4th Annual Halloween party...
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Denise Jones posted an article on There's a Newf in My Soup - Oct 20, 2011, 11:09 am
You should know I'm not one of many bloggers who receive frequent packages of gourmet products, small kitchen appliances, and cookbooks on my doorstep, in exchange for writing blog posts and linking to the companies providing those gifts. However, when something distinctive crosses my path, I am del...
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Denise Jones posted an article on There's a Newf in My Soup - Oct 18, 2011, 10:55 am
My inspiration for this salad came from adorable Seckel pears we received from Moceri Produce, one of the exhibitors at The Gourmet Experience. With only two little pears, I decided a salad would be the most appealing way to use them. And, because they were curvy and flawless, they deserved their ow...
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Denise Jones posted an article on There's a Newf in My Soup - Oct 14, 2011, 3:01 am
Let me start by saying that buckwheat blinis are a walk in the park compared to soba noodles, both of which require buckwheat flour. Back in February, I blogged my completed Daring Cooks' Soba Noodle Challenge:  Buckwheat Flour is Not My Friend. Thankfully, I was able to use up a little more of tha...
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Denise Jones posted an article on There's a Newf in My Soup - Oct 12, 2011, 12:02 pm
We attended The Gourmet Experience this past Sunday, held for a second year at the Del Mar Fairgrounds, and we were pleased to find much more going on this time. Last year's event highlight was watching Chef Brian Malarkey (Searsucker and Burlap) prepare his Screaming Shrimp N Dirty Grits.  Chef Br...
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Denise Jones posted an article on There's a Newf in My Soup - Oct 7, 2011, 11:55 am
I took the liberty of substituting two chicken breasts for the Cornish hens in this week's French Fridays with Dorie recipe, and I also grabbed a jar of black olive tapenade off the shelf, rather than making homemade. John has an aversion to Cornish hens, dating back to the dry, flavorless ones ser...
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Denise Jones posted an article on There's a Newf in My Soup - Oct 5, 2011, 10:49 am
This past Sunday, we spent a leisurely afternoon doing a few of the things we love most - drinking wine, eating incredible food, admiring art, mingling with a fantastic group of people, and taking photographs. Exclusive Collections Galleries' owners, James and Ruth-Ann Thorn, graciously invite...
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Denise Jones posted an article on There's a Newf in My Soup - Sep 30, 2011, 3:01 am
I'm playing French Fridays with Dorie catch up, combining this week's Deconstructed BLT and Eggs, and a recipe I missed back in early August, Simple Slow Roasted Tomatoes. Our solo tomato plant yielded about 20 ripe Romas this week, so I took the opportunity to slowly roast them with a dr...
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Denise Jones posted an article on There's a Newf in My Soup - Sep 26, 2011, 10:08 pm
Roma tomatoes, rosemary, red chilies, and Swiss chard...a few of the fresh ingredients needed for this Tuscan chickpea soup, all happen to grow in pots in our courtyard. With a few more vegetables, and a pound of dried chickpeas, soaked the night before, I was able to have a pot of soup simmering on...
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Denise Jones posted an article on There's a Newf in My Soup - Sep 24, 2011, 2:44 pm
When John's son came to visit us this summer, he asked me to make him one of his favorite dinners, Fettuccine Alfredo. Alex follows the blog, and gave me the option of putting a twist on the dish. It didn't take long to find Guy Fieri's Cajun Chicken Alfredo, with blackened chicken, garlic, sun-dr...
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Denise Jones posted an article on There's a Newf in My Soup - Sep 20, 2011, 8:52 pm
For the third year in a row, we've topped off our Coronado Concerts in the Park Culinary-themed picnics with a Southern Jubilee Seafood Boil. Our annual tradition started back in 2009, when Carmen enlightened us about Jubilee, a natural phenomenon that occurs from time to time, during the warm summ...
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Denise Jones posted an article on There's a Newf in My Soup - Sep 16, 2011, 3:01 am
For such a simple recipe with only three ingredients (chicken, Speculoos cookies, and crème fraiche), that was supposed to knock my socks off, I would have been happier eating the box of cookies for dinner.  However, in respect for Dorie, I blame my disappointment on several factors: I ...
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Denise Jones posted an article on There's a Newf in My Soup - Sep 13, 2011, 3:38 pm
For our Coronado Concert in the Park Finale of the summer season, our theme was Chopped, but a slightly less challenging version than the Food Network cooking television series hosted by Ted Allen. If you're familiar with Chopped, you know that four chefs compete in each episode, in three...
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Denise Jones posted an article on There's a Newf in My Soup - Sep 7, 2011, 5:03 pm
The Rat Pack was able to rally again after a memorable Saturday night at Baby Bellagio. We carried over the Italian theme for Concert in the Park with Roman cuisine. Many of us were still sporting our fedoras, and some added facial hair in honor of the birthday boy's latest look. &#...
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Denise Jones posted an article on There's a Newf in My Soup - Sep 6, 2011, 4:16 pm
We overindulged on good times this past weekend, with Alec’s Rat Pack birthday party on Saturday and Concert in the Park (Roman cuisine) on Sunday. Baby Bellagio was the place to be seen Saturday evening in a little black dress, classic fedora and dapper suit, Marilyn Monroe-style wig and white ha...
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Denise Jones posted an article on There's a Newf in My Soup - Aug 31, 2011, 10:22 pm
Hello Again. Neil Diamond tribute artist, David Sherry, returned to Coronado Concerts in the Park for another Hot August Night with his Diamond is Forever! The Neil Diamond Experience.  Spreckles Park was jam-packed for an evening of Beautiful Noise. Our culinary theme, Impostors, challe...
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Denise Jones posted an article on There's a Newf in My Soup - Aug 27, 2011, 2:54 pm
Cooking from Dorie Greenspan's Around My French Table: More Than 300 Recipes from My Home to Yours, with French Fridays with Dorie, has become Around My Coronado Patio - French Fridays with John and Denise. Many of the recipes this month have made their debut for our Friday patio soirées. It's ni...
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Denise Jones posted an article on There's a Newf in My Soup - Aug 24, 2011, 10:48 am
Cellophane, vermicelli, bow tie, fettuccine, lasagnette, lasagna, egg, Shirataki, and Chow Mein...we transformed oodles of noodles into savory and sweet dishes for Sunday's Concert in the Park Challenge Noodles. Carmen arrived with a huge salad bowl, and various containers filled with the...
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Denise Jones posted an article on There's a Newf in My Soup - Aug 22, 2011, 5:11 pm
John and I drove up the coast to Del Mar on Saturday morning, for the Gourmet Food Truck Festival and a day at the horse races. It was a mistake trying to do both. We were dressed for the Turf Club and close to 50 food trucks were lined up in a parking lot filled with thousands of people dressed m...
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Denise Jones posted an article on There's a Newf in My Soup - Aug 19, 2011, 3:01 am
You know you're addicted to food blogging when you dream about food, and compose blog posts in your sleep. Normal women dream about wild sex and nude sunbathing on exotic beaches in faraway lands. Evidently, I'm no longer normal. The other morning, I stumbled out of an early morning dream about eggp...
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Denise Jones posted an article on There's a Newf in My Soup - Aug 15, 2011, 12:33 pm
It was a year ago today, when we received that 1:00 a.m., gut-wrenching call from the vet telling us that Diver, our 3-year-old Newfoundland, had just gone into cardiac arrest. Not knowing how he suddenly became sick, and not being able to be by his side, still breaks my heart. Our...
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Denise Jones posted an article on There's a Newf in My Soup - Aug 13, 2011, 12:21 pm
My version of this week's French Fridays with Dorie recipe, Salmon and Potatoes in a Jar, is more appropriately called Salmon in a French Press and Potatoes in Tupperware. It works equally well in terrines, bowls, or zip-lock bags, but the ease in preparation and serving out of quart-sized jars is ...
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Denise Jones posted an article on There's a Newf in My Soup - Aug 11, 2011, 12:20 am
My inspiration for our latest Concert in the Park culinary challenge came from a recent Tasting Table e-mail, Pop Up, a grown-up childhood standby, featuring a recipe for Buzz Bakery's Peach Pop Tarts. Pop-Tarts were one of my childhood favorites, along with Mom's spaghetti, canned Spaghettios,...
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Denise Jones posted an article on There's a Newf in My Soup - Aug 10, 2011, 6:04 pm
I just finished a rather lengthy post, here, about this past Sunday's Concert in the Park, when I challenged everyone in our foodie group to prepare one of their childhood favorites. Due to the length of that post and all of our photos, I wanted to prepare separate posts with the recipes for my Pop...
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Denise Jones posted an article on There's a Newf in My Soup - Aug 4, 2011, 11:45 am
John chose Shake, Rattle & Roll as the culinary theme for this past Sunday's Concert in the Park, with Rockola, one of the top bands of the summer season. Our tables and blankets were at the park by 11:00 a.m. for the 6:00 concert, but we didn't realize it would be almost impossible to maneuver our ...
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Denise Jones posted an article on There's a Newf in My Soup - Aug 2, 2011, 11:22 am
Since moving to our new digs, we've been enjoying several Friday evenings on our patio. We've extended an open invitation to our friends to stop by for a cocktail or glass of wine, a nibble, and to catch up on the latest. If they see the flickering lantern up on the wall, hear chatter, and get a whi...
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Denise Jones posted an article on There's a Newf in My Soup - Jul 26, 2011, 10:26 pm
Our theme for Sunday's Concert in the Park was Latin American Cuisine, spanning South and Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean. The menu for the evening included Jim's Pozole Verde (Jim took over the kitchen and let Carmen have some needed down time for her writing after a busy month); Alec's S...
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Denise Jones posted an article on There's a Newf in My Soup - Jul 22, 2011, 7:53 am
My original plan for this week's French Fridays with Dorie recipe, Coconut-Lemongrass Braised Pork, was to adapt it for the grill. That didn't work out, but the final dish did end up slightly different from Dories's recipe. It still had the same basic ingredients, but I used the spices as a dry rub ...
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Denise Jones posted an article on There's a Newf in My Soup - Jul 19, 2011, 3:37 pm
We're on our fourth Coronado Concert in the Park season, and there's no shortage of ideas for culinary themes. This past Sunday's On a Raft theme seemed to flow naturally after On a Stick, and complemented the tropical rock and roll performed by Stars on the Water. One of my cookbooks, Bi...
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Denise Jones posted an article on There's a Newf in My Soup - Jul 17, 2011, 11:37 am
I missed this French Fridays with Dorie recipe a few weeks ago, but I wasn't going to let it get by me, especially when it's so simple, healthy, adaptable, and flavorful. En Papillote, French for in parchment, is a method of cooking food in a folded and sealed pouch or parcel, and then baked. The p...
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