Wild Mushroom Quesadilla (from Furnace Creek Inn, Death Valley National Park, CA, p. 71)
How can you not enjoy guacamole and a quesadilla? This was a great basic guacamole recipe and the quesadilla was also super simple- just mushrooms and Gouda, but was oh so yummy!
Gazpacho Float (from House of Tricks in Tempe, AZ, p. 89)
Ok- back to a soup I was not so crazy about. It was a chilled tomato soup with a scoop of honey-mustard ice cream. I personally do not like cold soups, or mustard, so this one had nothing good going for it in my book. Out of the 5 of us, only 1 person actually liked it. The soup was really, really strong in spicy/ savory flavor, but the ice cream did help it out and tame it with mildness and some sweetness. One bite was all I could do though.
Chicken with Citrus, Prickly Pear and Chipotle (from Sous Chef in Tucson, AZ, p. 130)
Southwestern Succotash (from Enchantment Resort in Sedona, AZ, p/ 207)
The chicken was really delicious- chicken thighs (which I normally do not cook with) were marinated, then brushed in a mustard/ prickly pear/ spices paste and baked, then served with a prickly pear syrup sauce. As with the pork dish that had a prickly pear sauce earlier this year, it is a little odd to have something so sweet on a savory dish. The flavors were good though and the chicken was really moist.
The Succotash was refreshing- I reread the ingredients several times- it was basically just vegetables (corn, onion peppers, tomatoes and black beans) without spices or extra ingredients. The flavor was really pure and fresh- a perfect end of summer dish.
Velvet Moussellini (from Velvet Elvis Pizza Company in Patagonia, AZ, p. 228)
This recipe had me raiding the liquor cabinet. It was a Kahlua and brandy ice cream with a cognac chocolate sauce, topped with brandied cherries. None of our dinner guests drink, so I cut the alcohol in at least half, but their flavors were still really pronounced. It was a rich, decadent dessert, and a chilled, refreshing way to end the meal.
Beautiful dish....hope you are well. I love the fall season and all that it accompanies. Would love to see you. Blessings.
ReplyDeleteDeb
That Gaspacho Float is something new. It’s quite interesting when a whole different style of plating is innovated. It makes the food even more inviting to taste. The manner we present food is of paramount importance and so makes the old adage true: “You eat with your eyes.”
ReplyDeleteNeva Modzelewski