SEPTEMBER RECIPE 

Cindy's Backstreet Kitchen  

Mustards Grill
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Dear Friends,


 
First, and most importantly, thank you for your concerns and positive thoughts from the Napa earthquake.  Thank goodness our staff and their families are all safe. Unfortunately, one of our team members lost his home to a fire. Others had to temporarily evacuate their homes, and many suffered damages to their possessions.  The restaurants were very lucky; aside from a few broken wine glasses, there were no major damages. Napa is a strong community, everyone is pitching in to help our neighbors, and the Napa Valley will be back to 100% soon enough.

 

Looking forward, I was recently asked to contribute to an article on creative parenting. The writer wanted to know if I had children and what types of food I prepared for them. Well, I have three step kids and have fed thousands of children in my restaurants. I know kids don't survive on buttered noodles alone. Onion rings have always been a big hit. Years ago, I found a way to get my non-fish eating step kids to eat calamari.  It took a little trickery and it worked for quite a while.  I would ask the restaurant's kitchen to hold the tentacles off the calamari appetizer.  It was enough to convince them they were "Italian" onion rings. One night the kitchen accidentally included the tentacles and that was the end of Italian onion rings...

 

This summer my stepson, Cole has been living with us.  He has been helping with my recovery and also working at Rombauer Vineyards in their tasting room.  He is a chef's dream!  He can eat until all the food in the house is gone and not gain weight.  Last week I realized he might become a cholesterol time bomb after devouring 1� pounds of bacon and a dozen eggs in 5 days for breakfast. Since then, I have made him  Rancho Gordo beans and roasted pepper wraps, homemade granola and an Asian rice bowl, which was the inspiration for this month's recipe. It's one of our favorites at my house.

 

At Mustards, please help us welcome Michael Pihl, our new Chef de Cuisine, formerly of Bungalow 44 in Mill Valley, Michael Mina, and Cyrus.  Michael joins Executive Chef Michael Foster and Sous Chef Dan Egan and they make up a wonderfully creative, formidable team.

 

I want to thank Laura Jernigan for the amazing job she has done as our head gardener at Mustards and to wish her the best as she downsizes to a smaller project. Our new head gardener is Nick Zetts who comes to us from Virginia and also has worked with the Peace Corps in Ecuador growing incredible gardens. Please say hello to Nick as you stroll the garden that is now in full harvest mode.

 

Speaking of which, the Mustards garden has a bumper crop of eggplants, tomatoes, padr�n peppers, herbs, and much more. For Thursday's Pair Off Pour Off we are featuring Mustards Gardens "Crop-a-Palooza".   Each day we are serving the harvested vegetables with local seafood and meats, paired with hard to find wines by the glass. Check out the menu and come on in.

 

CBK (Cindy's Backstreet Kitchen) has been selling out of the Smoked Prime Rib, the regular Saturday night special. My other stepson, Peter visiting from Vancouver loved it so much he told everyone about it, twice.

 

During September as part of our Whole Beast Cooking Series, CBK will feature the Month of Pig. Executive Chef Jim Leiken will be showcasing various cuts of pork and will create dishes offering wonderful fall pears, figs, hard squashes, peppers, melons and lots of tomatoes. Beginning this month, we are waiving corkage fees for locals (a maximum of 2 bottles per reservation please).  So, break out those special bottles from your cellar, choose from our extensive list, or both.

 

At the Aquarium, humpback whales are beginning to be sighted in the Monterey Bay. It's a great time to visit, and enjoy the bay view over lunch at Cindy's Waterfont.

 

See you soon!

 

 
  

 

 

 Cindy Pawlcyn Napa Valley
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