by Christina Waters | Dec 12, 2007 | Holidays |
Just when you thought it was safe to invite a few close friends over for a holiday gift exchange, some individuals simply go gonzo. Normally polite women, like the attractive, usually restrained Elaine (to protect her clients I am omitting her full name), can — given the prospect of a free present — lose all control. She wasn’t alone the other night at the tastefully-decorated home of Susan “knits in her sleep” Beach. There were others, women who know better but just plain lost it at the prospect of opening presents BEFORE CHRISTMAS!
Desperate Housewives. It started quietly enough. Elaine roamed through the
gleaming expanse of the recently remodelled Beach kitchen, picking at appetizer plates, rolling her eyes, making little moaning sounds. Then more cheese platters arrived. More moaning. Before we knew it, the place was crackling with pent-up female energy ready to explode.
Out of Control and Well-Accessorized. Here’s an example: pasta (from my friend Joan Levine’s Camouflage) shaped, well, like a certain part of human anatomy. Well this was certainly not my grandmother’s gift exchange, I can tell you. And by the time Elaine grabbed (yes, grabbed) for the large present in the center of 
the table, she went, well, ballistic.
The rest isn’t appropriate for a public venue, but you can use your imagination. Holiday gift exchange — think about it.
by Christina Waters | Dec 11, 2007 | Holidays |
To get you into the mood, here’s a shot of one eentsy slice of dioramic enchantment available at the gift shop in The Garden Company.
by Christina Waters | Dec 11, 2007 | Home |
Hot and spicy — perfect for chilly winter afternoons — are the pungently-scented tea creations from Malabar Trading Company. The Santa Cruz-based company specializes in exotic tea blends and kits, such as the handsomely packaged “Traditional Malabar Chai.” Armed with step by step instructions from Malabar’s founding culinary guide, Annaliese Keller (who gave us many delicious dining experiences at her Café Emmanuelle in days gone by), I simmered the blend of black pepper, cardomom, cloves and ginger (probably others too) in milk, and then added teaspoons of Assam black tea. Simmered a bit longer and then enjoyed the sort of sensory experience that the goddess Kali probably savors before taking on the souls of those with questionable karma.
Annaliese tells me that her chais, as well as other teas and tisanes, are available at the Aptos Farmers Market at Cabrillo College on Saturdays. “I also do a brisk internet business,” she says, pointing to the downloadable catalog on the website.
Special for the holidays, Malabar Trading Company has packaged a unique blend of mulling spices and vanilla bean — sounds like a very old-fashioned idea to add to wine or apple cider. Can you say “wassail? The chai sets run around $8 and make 32 servings. Aromatic stocking stuffer from a homegrown culinary artisan.
by Christina Waters | Dec 11, 2007 | Holidays, Home |
Already enjoying a cult following among local winemakers, Au Midi in Aptos has planned a splendid New Year’s Dinner menu. Chef Muriel Loubiere will begin with Champagne and oysters, followed by seared foie gras and peaches. Then comes a first course of organic chicken breast with morels and white wine, followed by salad in hazelnut vinaigrette and crispy goat cheese. The entree of sand dabs wrapped in butter lettuce sets up the palate for a triumphant chocolate Bûche de Noël adorned with chestnuts and pears.
Au Midi’s gala Reveillon dinner, served from 7pm to 11pm on the 31st —available by reservation only — is priced at $90 per person (not including tax and gratuity). Move swiftly to make your plans to dine out the old year a la francaise, at Au Midi, located at 7960 Soquel Drive in Aptos (behind the Aptos Cinema). Call 831/685-2600 for reservations.
by Christina Waters | Dec 11, 2007 | Home |
The Farm & Garden folks have come up with another one of those mouth-watering cookbooks — Fresh from the Farm & Garden: Volume 2 — just in time for holiday gift giving. (You think they planned that?)
Available at Capitola Book Cafe, at Bookshop Santa Cruz, and also through the UCSC Center for Agroecology directly ($20, with some proceeds going toward the work of the Friends of the F&G, contact Joni at 459-3240, or jonitann@ucsc.edu), the tempting recipes, over 200 of them, will have you spending quality time in the kitchen during the coming new year.
Naturally the focus of this great new cookbook is local, seasonal, organic produce and how to turn it all into memorable dining.
You wanted local gift ideas. Here’s another one. Go check it out.
