There's a Newf in My Soup!

Pistachio e Mortadella Pizza Wins the Toss

2013-05-16T17:33:00.003-07:00

ENO Wine Bar at the Hotel Del Coronado now offers artisan Neapolitan-style pizzas from its new outdoor wood-fired oven. During the course of three visits, I've enjoyed the Margherita, House-Made Veal Meatball, and Salsiccia (fennel sausage, charred broccolini, garlic oil). On Margherita Wednesdays, the classic Margherita pizza is $10.00 - still pretty pricey for a 10-inch-pie. The pizzas normally

Bon Appetit's May Cook the Cover Challenge - Blackberry Farm's Griddle Cakes

2013-05-04T07:00:00.000-07:00

What is it about luxury ranches and farms serving the most amazing stack of pancakes you've ever tasted? When the rooster crows at the first hint of morning light, you had better roll out from beneath those Egyptian cotton sheets and goose down comforter, slip on a soft flannel shirt and faded pair of jeans, and make your way to the lodge for a steamy cup of java and towering stack of buttery,

French Fridays with Dorie - Lovely and Ruffly Poached Eggs

2013-05-03T00:30:00.000-07:00

The French Fridays part of this post is going to be brief because I was too lazy to go to the store for the brioche, wild mushrooms, shallots, cream and herbs required to prepare this week's recipe: Creamy Mushrooms and Eggs. The recipe calls for poached eggs or Ruffly Poached Eggs. I was intrigued with the technique for the ruffly poached eggs so I decided to give those a test run and create a

Spring Green! Swiss Chard Pancakes and Crepes for French Fridays with Dorie

2013-04-26T00:30:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, Sunset magazine ran a Facebook Weekend Photo Challenge called "Spring Green." After fans posted photos of everything green, from glowing lush hills to baby lettuce crops, Sunset posted favorites to an album the following week. My photo of this beautiful Swiss Chard bouquet made the cut. Swiss Chard from my friend Holli's Garden That particular bouquet of chard found its

Spruce Up Your Salmon - Smoked Salmon Smørrebrød

2013-04-16T16:34:00.000-07:00

After helping a friend with some last minute preparations for a party she was catering, I started thinking about party hors d'oeuvres with smoked salmon. It can be found minced into dips, spreads and mousses; placed on top of blini, toast points, potato pancakes and pizzas; nestled in tea sandwiches; wrapped around asparagus spears; baked into tarts, quiches and savory cheesecakes; and rolled

French Fridays with Dorie: Blood Orange Financiers - Last Stop on the Sweet Train

2013-04-12T00:01:00.000-07:00

I've been riding the Sweet Train these past few weeks and I think it's time to get off... I recall boarding the train when Holli gifted me with a few treats from Miette, San Francisco's 'most charming pastry shop.' Holli graciously allows me to live vicariously through her travels with edible delicacies like aged balsamic vinegar from her Italy trip and these Lavender Shortbread Cookies and

A Relaxing Easter Picnic

2013-04-02T16:23:00.004-07:00

Easter snuck up on me this year and I found myself without a menu or a plan. I really wasn't in the mood to cook dinner and enjoyed the day relaxing at home. Trapper and I went for a long walk and puttered in the garden for the rest of the morning. It was such a beautiful spring day and a late afternoon picnic seemed like the perfect ending to an easy day. One of my favorite ways to spend a

Bon Appetit Cook the Cover: Fried Chicken Sandwich with Jalapeno Slaw and Spicy Mayo

2013-03-30T17:49:00.003-07:00

Bon Appetit's April issue reminded me how much I love a good sandwich, even for dinner! April's Cook the Cover sandwich is simple, tasty, and open to variations. I know because I made it three times, three different ways. Fried Pork Cutlet Sandwichwith Slaw and Spicy Mayo The original features a skinless, boneless chicken breast dredged in flour, dipped in buttermilk, dredged in flour a

French Fridays with Dorie - The Final Rose...Cake

2013-03-22T06:49:00.000-07:00

When I first read the line up for this month's French Fridays with Dorie recipes and saw this week's Ispahan Loaf Cake, the "cake" part didn't quite register. I just saw Ispahan Loaf and envisioned some kind of meatloaf. Dorie enlightened me with an introduction to Pierre Hermé's Ispahan Collection of sweets (Ispahan is the name of a fragrant rose and the once-capital of Persia) and the resulting

Finishing Touches

2013-03-18T12:58:00.001-07:00

Macaroni & Cheese and Chocolate Chip Cookies sounded like a pretty good plan when I had an unexpected afternoon off work last week. Maybe I was in need of some comforting, but these two recipes from Bon Appetit's January issue caught my attention because they were simple and incorporated finishing touches that elevated simple to gourmet. For the cookies, a sprinkling of flaky sea salt over the

Bon Appetit Cook the Cover: Chicken Khao Soi

2013-03-11T13:53:00.000-07:00

Each month, Bon Appetit welcomes readers to Cook the Cover - prepare the dish featured on the magazine's current cover and submit a photo and review. The editors share the photos in a Cook the Cover Facebook album and feature their favorites on The Feed. This may be my new monthly challenge for myself. In the past, I've enjoyed participating in The Daring Kitchen's monthly Daring Bakers and

Easing Back with Blueberry-Pumpkin Seed Energy Bars

2013-03-03T20:13:00.001-08:00

There's a Newf in My Soup! is happy to announce Denise and Trapper have moved into a new cottage in Coronado. It was touch and go there for quite a few months trying to find the perfect cottage and yard, but things always seem to work out. We had to downsize quite a bit and it has been challenging finding a place for the things we chose to keep. Charming, cozy, and little bit of rustic make our

The Mountains are Calling and I Must Go...The Ahwahnee's Signature Pale Ale & Cheddar Cheese Soup

2013-01-17T22:09:00.003-08:00

"I must return to the mountains—to Yosemite. I am told that the winter storms there will not be easily borne, but I am bewitched, enchanted, and tomorrow I must start for the great temple to listen to the winter songs and sermons preached and sung only there." John Muir — Letter to Mrs. Ezra Carr (November 15, 1869) Blend the breathtaking beauty and tranquility of Yosemite's winter

French Fridays with Dorie: Herb-Speckled Spätzle and Pork Schnitzel

2013-01-07T08:26:00.003-08:00

I hope you had a wonderful holiday season and you're ready for 2013. I know I am! I'm starting off the year with an exciting 3-day jaunt to Yosemite for Chefs' Holidays at The Ahwahnee Hotel. I arrived yesterday and was welcomed into the park by a beautiful rainbow followed by a light dusting of fresh snow. I wandered around outside the hotel during sunset before the Meet the Chefs reception

There's a Newf in My Soup's Reflections on 2012 - Memories and New Beginnings

2012-12-27T18:34:00.002-08:00

For last year's words belong to last year's language And next year's words await another voice. And to make an end is to make a beginning. ~T.S. Eliot THE NEWFS IN MY SOUP Dooley celebrated his 13th birthday in January, but we had to say goodbye in June. Trapper came into our lives in March and celebrated his first birthday this

French Fridays with Dorie: How to Make Dinner with Cheez-it-ish Crackers

2012-12-21T00:00:00.000-08:00

Along about Wednesday afternoon, I took a look at this week's French Fridays with Dorie recipe - Cheez-it-ish Crackers. Simple enough to make with only three ingredients and some spices, and I happened to have a 4-ounce wedge of Manchego cheese sitting by its lonesome in the refrigerator, but what was I going to do with a few dozen crackers mid-week? Contemplating this further and deciding to

Trapper's Table: Pumpkin Peanut Butter Dog Biscuits

2012-12-17T08:26:00.000-08:00

It's my birthday today - I'm ONE year old! It seems like only yesterday when I left my Newf mom and brother Paddington in Michigan and flew to San Diego. I'm so happy brother Nicholas came with me in that big scary airplane. When we arrived in San Diego, my new mom came up to see me and Nicholas. She didn't know which of us she would be able to take home, but I tugged at her heart strings

'Tis the Season for Gingerbread City

2012-12-11T21:01:00.000-08:00

This year's Gingerbread City 2012, Myths & Legends, presented by the Epilepsy Foundation of San Diego County, honored co-chairs Papa Doug Manchester and John Lynch for their support in raising awareness for traumatic brain injury and post traumatic epilepsy, and the San Diego Union-Tribune for its outstanding job of publicizing the trials and tribulations of our returning veterans and their

French Fridays with Dorie: Creamy Cauliflower Soup Sans Cream

2012-12-07T00:00:00.000-08:00

This time of year, my Calphalon dutch oven stays out on top of the stove so it is always ready for stews, sauces and soups -- like this week's Creamy Cauliflower Soup. After a 20-minute saute of onions, garlic, celery and thyme, the florets from a head of cauliflower and six cups of chicken broth join in for an additional 20 minutes of simmering. The soup is finished with a quick puree in the

French Fridays with Dorie: The Daube Dilemma

2012-11-30T06:06:00.001-08:00

I titled this post The Daube Dilemma because I couldn't muster up much excitement about having "a great beef stew" in my "cooking back pocket." My interest was piqued when I read the recipe called for an entire bottle of red wine, splash of Cognac, bacon, and whole head of garlic. Sounded a bit like Boeuf Bourguignon... which I do enjoy. But what's the difference between daube and bourguignon?

Take the Chill Off - Tyler's Ginger Spice Cake and Warm Cranberries

2012-11-12T20:35:00.000-08:00

As soon as I turned the page and saw that thick wedge of ginger spice cake lightly dusted with powdered sugar, snuggled up with a heaping spoonful of warm cranberries and soft pillow of whipped cream, my mind drifted off to a cozy mountain cabin warmed by the spicy aroma of ginger, cinnamon, cloves and allspice wafting from the kitchen... Although this cake has Thanksgiving and Christmas

Friends, Pizza, Panini, Halloween and Graham Cracker Pound Cake with Hot Chocolate-Poached Pears and Blood Orange Sorbet

2012-11-06T08:36:00.000-08:00

Thanks to a wonderful group of friends who have supported me through an especially emotional month, my life has been brightened by Oktoberfest, nights out with the girls, a homemade pizza party, the Hotel Del Coronado's Hallo-Wine and Spirits Party, steamy bowls of Chicken and Smoked Sausage Gumbo, dinner at Terra Nova, Newfy play dates, and new friends Holli and Monique. The rest of the year is

French Fridays with Dorie and Bobby: Chicken Tagine with Sweet Potatoes and Prunes

2012-10-26T01:15:00.000-07:00

For this week's Chicken Tagine with Sweet Potatoes and Prunes, I borrowed a few ingredients and methods of preparation from Bobby Flay's Chicken and Chickpea Tagine with Dried Apricots. Bobby's recipe takes the lead by incorporating ras al-hanut, a mixture of many different spices used in Moroccan cooking - and I just so happened to have some in my spice cabinet. It may not be easy to find at

Easing into Fall with Spicy Fig Cake

2012-10-14T09:54:00.000-07:00

We received our first dousing of rain a few days ago, cooler air is making its way across the ocean and in through the open windows, and I'm getting back into the mood to start cooking again. Trapper is romping more on his morning jaunt to Starbucks and continues to amuse his local and Facebook fans. He managed to Newfanize close to 75 likes in a few hours with his recent "green duck kinda day"

Celebrity Chef Tyler Florence Turns Winemaker

2012-10-12T13:33:00.000-07:00

Celebrity Chef Tyler Florence Turns Winemaker Wining and Dining with Tyler at Herringbone, La Jolla Story and photos by Denise E. Jones Wine & Dine San Diego, October 11, 2012 Celebrity chef, Food Network star, cookbook author and restaurateur Tyler Florence has spent the last fifteen years sharing his vision of fine, approachable food with the world. When asked if he was a frustrated winemaker