Cindy's Backstreet Kitchen  

Mustards Grill
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Dear Friends,


The gardens at Mustards Grill and at my home are brimming with wonderful vegetables and berries. I just harvested four quarts each of sweet blueberries and blackberries. The zucchini is beyond plentiful and I am eating saut�ed Shishito and Padr�n peppers every other day. Whether you are a home gardener or shop at your local farmer's market, I offer you this recipe for a delicious summer ratatouille.

 

This month, Mustards is featuring Tomatoes, Tomatoes and more Tomatoes for Thursday's Pour Off Pair Off. We have 75 tomato plants in the garden, with names like Hillbilly (West Virginia Heirloom), Isis Candy (bi-color cherry), and Black Krim (Russian Heirloom). Michael will be offering dishes using vine-ripened tomatoes paired with hard-to-find wines by the glass.

 

On Saturday nights this month, Jim from Cindy's Backstreet Kitchen is serving prime rib slow-cooked in the smoker. Come and get your beef and red wine fix. He's also added a fantastic new appetizer: Arepa, a Latin American corn-based flatbread with avocado, cherry tomato salsa and greens. Yum! One of his top sellers is the sustainable Spanish octopus (Seafood Watch approved) grilled with Rancho Gordo cranberry beans, preserved lemon, and arugula - a flavorful taste of the Mediterranean.

 

The Monterey Bay Aquarium is featuring live music in the Mammal Hall during Evenings by the Bay 6-8pm every Saturday and Sunday through August. Enjoy house-made Sangria and strawberry shortcake from the Cindy's Waterfront coffee kiosk while you listen. In the caf�, our new grilled chicken breast sandwich with Gilroy garlic fries has become a very popular item. When you go, don't forget to see the new Tentacles Exhibit. You won't believe your eyes.

 

I recently saw two food movies I highly recommend. The delightful  "Chef" is about a maverick restaurant chef who finds love and redemption in a pop-up food truck. Writer, director and actor Jon Favreau trained with Los Angeles Chef Roy Choi and looked very authentic in his role.

 

"The Lunchbox", on video, is about Mumbai's astonishingly efficient food delivery system - and a lunch that got away. Since I am still recovering, you can see how I am spending some of my time. I have received so many books as gifts as well, perhaps I'll suggest good reads in upcoming newsletters.

 

My sister, Mary, fled the Minnesota rains and headed west for a recent visit. We shopped at Fatted Calf, the charcuterie at Oxbow Market. Taylor, the owner, sells incredible lamb T-bones for grilling at home, and the grilled cheese with bacon marmalade is out of this world.

 

Another day we saw Ash, the proprietor at Bram just off the square in Sonoma, my favorite place for ceramic cookware like Tagines, Rondeaux, and casserole dishes from Egypt. Cooking in terra cotta directly over a flame provides food with amazing flavor and texture. Cook Rancho Gordo beans in a clay pot and you'll never buy canned beans again. So delicious and easy.

 

We also had lunch at El Molino Central in Boyes Hot Springs, about three miles north of Sonoma. Their hand made tortillas and poblano rellenos with sweet corn and cheese make this casual place a must-visit destination.

 

One of my current favorite cookbooks is "Recipes from an Italian Summer", by the editors of Phaidon Press. Most of the recipes are simple, straightforward, and seasonal. Iseult, my six year-old grandniece in Ireland has really taken to "The Silver Spoon for Children: Favorite Italian Recipes", also by Phaidon. She recently made gnocchi with tomato sauce and garlic bread. Hearing about it made me want to hop on a plane to Ireland. My nephew said the recipes really work well and the kids have a great time making dinner. I recommend it to anyone with children or grandchildren.

 

See you soon,

 

 

 
  

 

 

 Cindy Pawlcyn Napa Valley
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