 It is very rare that I start out reviewing a dessert at a restaurant but this Talto Leche Bibinoka blew our socks off. This is a coconut rice cake, candied peanuts and carmel. The flavors and texture were addicting. After a delicious lunch, we ended with this magnificent masterpiece at Irenias. Read More!
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 The Skirt Steak with Chimichurri Sauce... truly it is the best in town One of my favorite Laguna restaurants, Maro Wood Grill, is nominated for Best Steak and Best Dessert in the OC! Go vote for these delicious dishes and support our favorite Laguna chefs! www.goldenfoodieawards.com/vote.  The Dark Horse made with dark chocolate brownie with chocolate, carmel, and raspberry sauce with whipped cream, cream anglaise, and garnished with honeycomb What a treat to have my friends Johnna and Shelby celebrate my birthday at this legendary spa. We hopped in the car after our workouts and headed out on the 91 freeway. It is a quick 40 minute drive from the OC. It is a very reasonable spa and relaxing to spend the whole day with friends, while enjoying the benefits of the natural hot springs and lounge chairs. I actually read two magazines. It is tough to get the OC Wino to relax but it worked.
Lounging by the pool, we had a nice bottle of wine, relaxed, and struck up funny conversations with the other patrons and even pulled a prank or two. Then we headed towards Club Mud. We slathered the mud all over our bodies and laid in the sun to let it dry. Afterwards, we rubbed the dry mud off and our skin felt like a baby's bottom. Speaking of babies, you must be 16 years old with parental supervision to visit the Spa. Sorry McCall. This is the Retox food intake we enjoyed. Everyone was eating these huge plates of Nachos. Realizing the spa was known for them, we decided on a single serving to test them out. Cheese sauce is not my thing but Jalapeños are and they were quite good. Didn't try this artful cupcake but the picture turned out good.  A little wine stop was necessary on the way home. Did you know if you buy a six pack of wine at Pavilions you get 10% off? The only redeeming quality for that God forsaken market. Glen Ivy Hot Springs, located in Corona, California
 Cobbler ingredients Filling 3 lbs. of fresh peaches, with skin on, cut into 6 wedges 1/2 granulated sugar 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour 1/4 tsp salt 1 Tbsp. kirsch or a fruity brandy (optional) Topping and Assembly 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 3/4 tsp. baking powder 1/4 tsp. salt 1/2 cup (1stick) unsalted butter, Room temperature 3 1/2 oz. almond paste or to taste 1/2 cup granulated sugar 3 large eggs, room temperature 1/2 cup sliced almonds sprinkle with powdered sugar Vanilla ice cream and puree (for serving) Filling Toss peaches, sugar, flour, salt and kirsch in a large bowl. Transfer to a 13x9 Baking dish set aside. Topping and putting it together Preheat oven to 350*. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Using a mixer so we don't overwork ourselves, beat butter, almond paste, and sugar in a large bowl until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time until smooth. Mix in the dry ingredients. Drop dollops of batter over fruit (batter will even out while baking. Sprinkle with almonds. Good idea to bake the cobbler on a baking sheet incase there is drippage. Bake 50 to 60 minutes or until the top is brown and the fruit juice is bubbling. Dust with powdered sugar and let it cool. Serve with ice cream and puree.  Raspberry and blackberry puree Purees are very easy to make as long as you have a food mill. Simply, take your berries and bring them through the small or medium disc of the food mill. Voila, you have a delicious fruit puree.
Every year I look forward to going to the OC Fair. For the rides? Are you kidding me? No thank you. I'm strictly all about the fare at the fair. After getting jacked by buying a used ticket off of someone leaving the fair, we were ready to hit the wine bar! As usual, it was super crowded and hot. Luckily, my brother had saved us a great table in the shade, so we were ready to start sampling! A few blurry hours later, the kids arrived with their selection of the best fair foods. Every year I leave it up to them to pick their favorite greasy treats. Here we go... The rides scare the crap out of me, but I don't mind checking out the fantastic lights. Trust me, I know who puts those rides together...
Next event at the fair: Demolition Derby tonight with my Trucker girlfriends!! Stay tuned, more fair food to follow! What a wonderful treat to be invited over to this beautiful spot on the river. Lynn's deck is one you can hang on FOREVER. 
We started the night with a delicious tequila cocktail garnished with a serrano chile. Of course the OCWino kept chowing on the chile. The cocktail was made with tequila, cucumber, sparkling water, with a touch of mint, parsley, and a squeeze of lime. Look at this beautiful presentation! It makes anybody want to mix one! 
The Finished Product
Dinner was fantastic. With peaches so incredibly sweet this season, Lynn decided to grill them on the BBQ along with lamb chops. They were served with heirloom tomatoes, mint, and creamy burrata cheese. The lamb was garnished with a homemade chimichurri sauce. She threw the whole thing on the table and we munched away. 
The dessert was homemade vanilla ice cream from a local dairy, muddled blackberries, and the rest of the barbecued peaches. Look out Martha Stewart(And OCWino)! You got some competition out there. Thank you Lynn for a lovely evening at your beautiful riverside abode! 
The OCWino went on a girls trip, so McCall and myself decided to take a little jaunt to Irvine for a delicious treat! The Sandwich Club in Irvine sells bahn mi and other asian dishes, however these girls were more interested in dessert. The specialty we drove up Laguna Canyon for is called Shaved Snow, which is shaved ice that tastes like ice cream. Topping possibilities are endless, but you can never go wrong with a little chocolate and condensed milk. 
The best part of this dessert is the consistency. It almost looks like soft dog hair, but it is icy, creamy, and melts in your mouth! Sandwich Club is located at 2700 Alton Pkwy, Set 125 in Irvine
4th of July, 5th of July, and 6th of July.... Yes it is true. For three days straight, I made these delicious crowd pleasing creamy margarita popsicles. They are tart yet sweet due to the condensed milk. It literally took me 2 minutes to complete the recipe (minus the effort squeezing the limes). In 8 hours flat, you have a delicious adult popsicle. If you use a plastic cup or dixie cup, they un-mold really easily. With a lime at the base, they have a great presentation. A regular popsicle mold would be a tad bit overwhelming. You can find the popsicle sticks at most craft stores. It is much more fun to make multiple flavors. We also made pina colada, grapefruit basil and vodka, and... the grand finale... boozy red white and blueberry cheesecake pops. Although you might desire to add more booze to your popsicles, you can only have 20% alcohol in your recipe. Otherwise they won't be able to freeze.    Ingredients 1¼ cup fresh lime juice (about 8 limes), plus 4 limes for stabilizing the popsicle sticks 1 (14oz) can of sweetened condensed milk 1 cup water ¼ cup tequila 2 tablespoons tangerine juice (orange juice works as well) Kosher salt or margarita salt You will also need: 12 (3oz) Dixie cups (I couldn't find dixie cups so used plastic ones) Small popsicle sticks or craft spoons A pitcher or large cocktail shaker
 "Drinking" on the Job  Thirsty post-Brooks Street Parade Gang! (Little Brady is sad that this is one popsicle not meant for kids) Last Saturday, I invited the Kramers and the Smiths for dinner. There was going to be five of us and I needed to prepare in advance since I had an adventure planned all day Saturday afternoon. Friday was my day to get things done. I needed to get flowers, set the table, and prepare my menu. I had decided earlier in the week that I would be too pressed for time to cook for this crowd. Joni Peterka, a well known in home chef in Orange County, prepared the most delicious chicken and mushroom goat cheese roasted asparagus lasagna and a delicious salad of greens, cranberries, pistachios, and sliced oranges with a kalamata olive vinaigrette.  "My" specialty lasagna Nana Kramer started our meal off with delicious bruschetta. We drank Golden Eye Pinot, Rombauer Chardonnay, and started the evening off with delicious tequilas and scotch.  It went off without a hitch and somehow they believed I made it all. They asked me for the recipe and now I have no clue how to respond. We finished the meal with a delicious lemon cake from Susie Cakes.  The table setting was simple but elegant, incorporating my grandmother's stemware and my mother's sterling silver. Compliments to Joni and myself for pulling off a great dinner party!  If you want Joni to help you cater your next party, you can reach her at (949) 646-5069.
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  |
OC WINO
Isn't it frustrating when you go to a nice restaurant, order a glass of wine, and get three sips for $26. For me, enjoying a great lifestyle is key. The OC Wino will guide you to the best pours, restaurants, recipes, entertaining tips, travel, and great finds around the world. Come explore with me.
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