Category: Ocwino

Foodie Find: Susie Cakes

6/2/2014

Even though I live thirty minutes from the fabulous Susie Cakes on 17th Street in Newport Beach, I will always make the trek for my cakes and cupcakes.

Their cakes decorated with fondant are wonderful. Check out the cake they made for my daughter McCall's 14th Masquarade Party as well as the beautiful cake they made for my girlfriend's birthday. My go-to contact at the bakery is Alexa, who is always helpful and collaborates with me to create a cake perfectly fitting my chosen theme.

Their mini-cupcakes are my favorite to serve for dessert after any occasion. My two favorite flavors are the confetti cake and coconut cake. But they are all delicious, including their extremely popular red velvet cupcakes.
FMI: https://www.susiecakes.com

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Recipe: Cheese Tortellini with Burnt Brown Butter and Truffles

6/2/2014

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For me, brown butter is the queen of sauces. When my kids were little and wouldn't eat anything, I would just put brown butter on their food and they would eat it up. It's delicious on steamed vegetables, grilled chicken, and fish. Burnt butter is a sauce that can be put on pretty much anything. Even ice cream (which is so damn good).

Let's take a boring tortellini recipe and doctor it up with this amazing yet simple sauce to change the flavor up a little bit. To make the sauce you take butter, put it in a pan, and melt it down till it starts to turn color. It becomes a rich, nutty, brown, tantalizing, and tasty sauce.

This particular recipe I would like to share with you came from Toscana Saporita Cooking School outside of Lucca, Italy. I was lucky enough to go to the school during truffle season. I even got to go truffle hunting with a pack of dogs (and some canines too).

Dog poo or truffle?

Cheese Tortellini with Burnt Brown Butter and Truffles
16 oz. Tortellini Stuffed with Cheese, Pancetta and Cheese, or Spinach and Cheese
Half a Stick of Butter
2 Tablespoons Shaved Truffles
Parmesan to taste
Rosemary or Sage to taste

First, bring four cups of water in a pot to a rolling boil. Add your tortellini and cook to al dente.
Drain and transfer the tortellinis to a serving plate.
Take your half a stick of butter and boil it until the milk solids are gone and the butter turns to a rich dark brown.
At that point, add your rosemary or sage to the sauce. Cook no more than 30 seconds to one minute.
Pour the rich sauce over the tortellini, add your shaved parmesan and truffles on top of the plate.
And voila! You have a delicious entrée or side dish.

Note: Truffle season is around late Summer for black truffles and Fall for white truffles. However you can often find them available throughout the year in specialty stores.

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Check out Matt Williams's pours at The Deck in Laguna Beach

6/1/2014

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Recently with my travel buddies, we took a walk on the beach and ended up at The Deck on Sleepy Hollow Lane for a refreshing pour. Matt, one of the hottest bartenders at this Laguna oceanfront restaurant, suggested the Silver Surfer.

We of course asked for a slight (guilt-reducing) modification, and he produced a round of tequila cocktails infused with cucumber, chile, and mint with just a splash of soda water.

The drinks were just as fresh as the bartender and we downed them fast!

Once he found out I was the OCWino, he produced an array of delicious samples of his other favorite sugary cocktails the restaurant frequently serves. The Deck provides both a beautiful view and a generous pour.
FMI: http://deckonlaguna.com

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OC Wino is live online!

6/1/2014

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It's about the Pour and so much more….
OC Wino is here to share valuable information about Eating, Drinking, and Entertaining.
Our goal is to provide helpful tips to enhance your lifestyle and discover the hidden gems of the world.
Sit down, have a glass of vino, and enjoy!

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Foodie Find: Susie Cakes

Recipe: Cheese Tortellini with Burnt Brown Butter and Truffles

Check out Matt Williams's pours at The Deck in Laguna Beach

OC Wino is live online!

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Foodie Find: Susie Cakes

Recipe: Cheese Tortellini with Burnt Brown Butter and Truffles

Check out Matt Williams's pours at The Deck in Laguna Beach

OC Wino is live online!

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