Greetings friends!
Spring is here and our kitchens are bustling.
At Cindy's Backstreet Kitchen (CBK), this weekend we are celebrating the great foods of Passover and Easter. Chef Jim has an incredible Passover menu slated for Friday and Saturday, April 3rd and 4th, and an irresistible Easter menu for Sunday, April 5th. Check out the menus and be sure to reserve your table in advance.
I am pleased to introduce the newest member of the CBK management team: Shamil Velazquez. A recent graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, Shamil joins Chefs Jim and Freddy in the kitchen.
The garden at Mustards Grill is bursting and we are taking full advantage of the bounty for Friday's Pair Off Pour Off series. Look for fresh dishes like Shaved Artichoke, Lemon & Mint Salad, Italian classic Risi e Bisi (rice & fresh peas), and Lamb Navarin. I can't wait for Isaura's 50/50 parfait with strawberry and rhubarb sorbet, rhubarb ice cream, and cookies.
I am so pleased with the new Mushroom Burger at Mustards. We made it even better. Roasted mushrooms are blended with mashed chickpeas and cranberry beans, and topped with feta cheese and spinach salad. Oh, so yummy.
Got wine? We sure do, and lots of hard-to-find Napa Valley gems. The Napa Valley Vintners just recognized both CBK and Mustards Grill as 2015 restaurant Wine List Award Winners for our focus on local wines. We update our wine lists frequently and make it a point to feature by the glass pours you may not be able to get anywhere else.
Cindy's Waterfront at the Monterey Bay Aquarium has a new menu showcasing spring ingredients. The oceanfront dining room is a great place to get away from the crowds, enjoy a wonderful meal with wine or cocktails, and watch the sea otters and ocean birds. I recently was lucky enough to spend time with Dr. Mike, the aquarium's Director of Veterinary Services and leading authority in sea otter conservation. We had a ball feeding the playful otters shrimp, mussels, and calamari (without the wasabi and soy sauce). If you visit, be sure to sign up for the
Sea Otter Conservation Tour or one of the other special behind-the-scenes tours. Seeing the aquarium from the other side of the tanks is a unique experience.
With Easter, I think of dark chocolate which really makes me happy. Right here in the Napa Valley we have two of my favorite chocolatiers; La Foret in Napa and Woodhouse Chocolate in St. Helena. You can order online or visit their stores and you will be delighted at the chocolate artistry around you. Just standing in their shops makes me drool.
This month's recipe is Zucchini Soup from Elisabeth Lambert Ortiz's The New Complete Book of Mexican Cooking. Incredibly easy, I replace the chicken stock with vegetable stock in keeping with my commitment to "meatless Mondays." It's delicious either way.
Lastly, I am one of five finalists for this year's James Beard Award for Outstanding Restaurateur. The awards are the "Oscars" of the U.S. culinary world and it is a tremendous honor to be nominated. I will attend the ceremony on May 4. It takes place in Chicago, which is where my culinary career began.
With fingers crossed,
