Rainbow Salad

People say, “Have an apple a day, keeps the doctor away”.  I say, have a rainbow a day would probably do the trick much more efficiently.  Of course, I meant eating foods the colors of a rainbow, not the rainbow itself.  I wonder if it was my doctor (or possibly my Mom) who told me to eat the colors of the rainbow every day.  Or did I hear that from Elmo?  Any way, as you can see, I took that advice to heart. 



When my kids saw this salad, they screamed “rainbow!” at the same time.  So, I guess my “crafting” skills aren't as poor as I thought, if only this rainbow “construction” thing is considered crafting.  Well, I guess, not really, but I wish! 

How did I get the inspiration to create this rainbow salad?  It all started when Kitchen PLAY contacted me to try Aunt Nellie’s Baby Whole Pickled Beets; I couldn’t be more happy about it.  Beets are one of the foods that I disliked as a child but adore and can never get enough now.  Do you see that deep red gorgeous color of the beets?  That means they contain the powerful antioxidant, Betacyanins.  These  antioxidants are good for your heart and may even lower the risk for certain cancers.  I wanted to create a recipe that showcases the importance of the colors in our diet.  So, this Rainbow Salad was born. 



Aunt Nellie’s Baby Whole Pickled Beets are picked and pickled at their perfect ripeness.  They strike a natural balance of sweet and tangy.  The flavors of the beets complement the peppery and spicy baby arugula that I used in this salad.

These baby whole pickled beets are sized just right for one bite, which is perfect as an appetizer for any gathering.  I tossed them into my salad without additional chopping or slicing, which also saved me time in the kitchen.  I used the pickling liquid to create the beautiful Pickled Beet and Herb Vinaigrette for the salad, which was easy to make and really refreshing.  Yup, you know me: nothing goes to waste in this household.  So, make sure you don’t drain your pickling liquid.

Check out each of the ingredients from this Rainbow salad in the picture below. 

Red=Aunt Nellie’s Baby Whole Pickled Beets
Orange=Orange Bell Pepper
Yellow=Hard Boiled Eggs
Green=Green Beans
Blue=Blueberry
Purple=Red Cabbage
White Cloud=Feta Cheese
All ingredients sitting on top of Baby Arugula:



This Rainbow Salad is certainly a show-stopper.  So, be sure to serve up on your next gathering.    It’s so simple and easy to put together that I made this on a week night.  And my Baby Girl already asked me for more the very next day.




To have even more fun with Aunt Nellie's full line of glass-packed vegetables, sign up hereto receive a coupon good toward the purchase price of any Aunt Nellie's product. Then, create your own fun dish using that product for a chance to win $250 from Aunt Nellie's and Kitchen PLAY. See specific rules at Kitchen PLAY. Limited quantities available. Sweepstakes ends 8/31/12.



Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by Kitchen PLAY and Aunt Nellie’s Baby Whole Pickled Beets.  All opinions are my own and always will be. 

Health and General Disclaimers.





Rainbow Salad: (Printable Recipe)
3 eggs
1 cup green beans, trimmed
1(1pound) jar of Aunt Nellie’s Pickled Whole Baby Beet
3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
4 cups baby arugula
1 Orange Bell Pepper, thinly slices
2 cups blueberries
1 cup red cabbage, shredded
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese


In a medium saucepan filled with cool tap water, place the eggs in the pot before heating on the stove.  Make sure the water covers the eggs by at least an inch.  When the water comes to a full boil, cover and remove from heat.  Let the eggs sit for 10 to 15 minutes.  Remove eggs with a slotted spoon and place in a bowl of ice water until completely cool to the touch.  Remove the shells and cut each egg in slices.  Set aside.

Return the same sauce pan of water to a boil; Blanch the green beans for one minute.  Remove the green beans with a slotted spoon and place into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process.  Drained and pat dry, set aside.

Drained the baby beet and reserve 1/4 cup of the pickling liquid.  Place the pickling liquid back to the jar; add olive oil, thyme leaves, salt and pepper.  Close the lid and shake the vinaigrette until well combined. Set aside.

To assemble: on a large platter or serving plate, scatter the baby arugula in an even layer, place pickled whole baby beets in an arch shape on the top of the arugula to form the rainbow shape.  Follow by orange bell pepper, sliced hard boiled eggs, blanched green beans, blueberries, and red cabbage.  Place 1/4 cup of crumbled feta cheese on both ends of the “rainbow” and enjoy.  Serve with pickled beet vinaigrette on the side.

Mélisse -- A Zagat Rated, Michelin 2-Stars Restaurant Review

Hope you still remember this gingerbread house that my kids created for Christmas.  You might wonder what does it have to do with my restaurant review on Mélisse, right?  Well, EVERYTHING!  That's because I submitted this particular picture to the Zagat 12 Days of Foodie Cheer Photo Contest and won a $500 gift card.  What am I going to do with this gift card?  EAT, of course!  LOL....I used it to dine at Mélisse to celebrate my birthday.  




Mélisse is a Zagat Rated and 2 Michelin Stars Restaurant located in Santa Monica, California.  I've been wanted to try this restaurant for a while but was a bit hesitated to go on my birthday.  Why?  Because of an “unfair” negative comment about Mélisse on a very popular restaurant review site.  One particular customer "complained" she had a bad experience there because of the wait time for the 10-course meal and food wasn’t spectacular, etc.  What is a girl who loves gourmet food, such as yours truly, going to do?  Make a visit to find out the truth!  That’s the “uTry.it” spirit! 


When I called for reservation, the hostess asked if we were celebrating any special occasion. I advised her it’s for my birthday celebration, hence, the little “Happy Birthday” card sitting on the table (see picture below).  Other than that, they had no idea I was going to take pictures for each course, write a review of the restaurant and the whole nine yards (This is also true as any previous Hotel or Restaurant reviews that I’ve done).  That way, I know I can get a true, honest, and fair review of the place as a typical consumer and not receiving any special treatment. 

(Another note about the “unfair” comment I mentioned earlier.  What had helped me to determine that particular negative comment was “unfair” is because we were advised, as we were reviewing the menu, that the entire experience would be around 2.5 hours if we order “The 10” (the 10 course tasting menu).  This is without us even inquiring.  Could that previous customer who provided the 'unhappy' review online not getting informed of the duration?  Possible... but based on the services that was provided, it seemed unlikely.)


We ended up ordering “The 10”, and the Server was right on target on the timing as well.  There was a little wait time in between each course, as expected, but we didn’t feel it was a long wait at all.  So, how was the food? Sit tight and you’re going to find out next. 

Before we begin, I just wanted to let you know that there was a sign right at the entrance area that says no flash light is allowed.  I bet many people were taking pictures of the gorgeous food there and caused some disturbance to other customers, hence, the restriction on the flash light.  With the somewhat dimmed light inside the restaurant, I apologize for the lighting on these pictures in advance.  I promise, I’ll make that up to you at the end!  So stay tuned.

First, we started with an amuse bouche (see picture below).  The one on the left was liquefied goat cheese in red grape juice “shell”.  When I bit into it, there was a burst of goat cheese aroma along with the slight sweetness from the grape “shell”.  A nice play on the molecular cuisine.  The 1/2 sphere on the right is Red Grape covered with goat cheese and crushed pistachios.  The combination is wonderful and it was such a refreshing way to start the meal.

Amuse Bouche

While we were waiting for the first course, we were offered different kinds of breads.  My favorite was the one on the left (see picture below), Basil Brioche!  So good!  I’m going to try to replicate it at home in the future!    The one on the right was a Focaccia.  The crust was wonderful and the bread packed with sun dried tomatoes and other herbs, yum.





The two below were Olive bread on the left, and regular brioche on the right.  These two were wonderful as well.  I have to warn you, you can easily get filled up by the bread as they were so tasty and the supply was pretty much “endless”.  We were offered more bread as soon as we finished the ones on our plates.  I realized I better say “no” (it’s so hard though) because there were 10 courses coming out soon! The Maître d' and servers were all very friendly.  Some came to compliment on the pictures that I’ve taken (by looking at the display screen on my camera).







Each course was presented by the server and explained to us briefly on the ingredients and how it was prepared.  The second amuse bouche was Oyster with Passion Fruit Jelly.  I love the sweetness and tartness from the Passion Fruit Jelly as it’s so refreshing.  The oyster was super fresh and I could taste the natural sweetness from it.  

Amuse Bouche

The next course is Egg Caviar.  This was one of my favorite courses of the evening.  The soft boiled egg was rich and creamy.  Balanced perfectly with the slightly tart Lemon Crème Fraiche along with the briny and salty caviar.  The buttery biscuit was perfect for dipping!  hm….so rich and so good that I even forgot to take a picture inside the egg (sorry!) as I was too busy enjoying and savoring each bite.  I would go back to Mélisse any time just to eat this!

Egg Caviar—Soft Poached Egg, Lemon Crème Fraiche, American Caviar

Up next was Wild Florida Yellow Tail Snapper.  The snapper was serve raw, very fresh and lovely. Unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy the Fried Silver Fish as much because it got a little too soggy in the Fennel Broth for my liking.  The flavoring is wonderful though, especially the charred Grapefruit.

Wild Florida Yellow Tail Snapper—Fried Silver Fish, Fennel, Pink Grapefruit, Roasted Fennel Broth

This Chestnut Veloute was amazing. My hubby doesn’t even eat chestnut, but he kept "woo-ing” and “ah—ing” as he was enjoying this soup.  The flavor was intense and the texture was smooth and silky.  I especially love the crunchy Chestnut, Mushroom Hash, and the crispy Truffle Cromesquis on top for some contrasts on the textures.  I can definitely drink a BIG bowl of this soup as a meal on it’s own!

Chestnut Veloute—Chestnut and Mushroom Hash, Truffle Cromesquis

Next was Seared Foie Gras.  It’s rich, creamy, succulent, and outrageously good!  Another of my favorite from this menu.  I especially love the crust from the searing.  My husband and I both think that it was a very generous portion of Foie Gras to serve on a 10 course meal.

Seared Foie Gras—Santa Barbara Pistachio, Zapote Blanco, Ginger Lime Reduction

Up next was the Scallop.  The Basil Infused Carrot Emulsion was poured into our plate right at the table.  The Roasted Carrot puree is heavenly!  The sweetness from the puree and scallop were both amazing and complement each other very well. 

Maryland Day Boat Scallop—Roasted Carrots, Cauliflower Mushrooms, Basil Infused Carrot Emulsion

This Black Bass was my hubby’s favorite.  The scales on top of the Black Bass were crispy and crunchy.  The "doneness" of the fish was perfect and the light seasoning let the natural sweetness of the fish shines through.   

Black Bass “En Ecailles”—Kabocha Squash Gnocchi, Braised Radicchio, Eringi Mushroom, Rich Broth

For the next course, there was an option to select Prime Rib Eye Confit in Herbs or Slow Roasted Sonoma Lamb.  Therefore, my husband and I ordered one of each so we can try both of the dishes. The flavor of the Prime Rib Eye was wonderful.  I especially love the Truffle and Potato Galette on the side.  However, the texture of the Prime Rib wasn’t as tender as I would expected it to be.  On the other hand, the Braised Beef Short Rib exhibited 'melt in my mouth' kind of texture.  Very succulent!

Prime Beef Rib Eye Confit in Herbs, Grilled Over Apple Wood—Braised Beef Short Rib, Truffle and Potato Galette, Mustard Greens, Red Wine Herb Jus

The Slow Roasted Sonoma Lamb was amazing.  The flavor was rich and complex.  I bet it’s been cooked for a long time to achieve that tenderness and developed that deep flavor.

Slow Roasted Sonoma Lamb—Romanesco Cauliflower, Nicoise Olive, Japanese Yam, Lamb Jus

Here comes the Fourme d’Ambert (one of France’s oldest Cheeses, it’s a type of cow’s milk blue cheese that’s usually pasteurized).  From left to right.  This little curl on the far left was made with apple, sweet and tart.  Then, came this amazing blue cheese in it’s natural form. This cheese itself was to die for.  The little cube in the middle was apple Jelly.  Same type of apple but in a different form.  The fourth item from the left was the Fourme d’Ambert mousse.  The texture was silky and creamy.  So good that I decided to hunt down this cheese from my local market!! The green thing on the right was rather mild in taste after the flavorful blue cheese.  The texture was like avocado but I had no idea what that was.  The crust on the bottom was crispy, buttery and flaky.  I love the combination of creamy cheese and flaky crust!   

Fourme d’Ambert—Quince, Sorrel, Marcona Almonds

To accompany the up coming assorted desserts, I ordered a cup of cappuccino and my husband ordered a coffee.  The cappuccino was good, but surprisingly the pot of French pressed coffee was wonderful!  Especially when we both love strong coffee.  It’s rich and bold without any bitterness.  It’s smooth and silky as well!  Although it was almost 9pm, we couldn’t help but to finished up the whole pot (around 3 of these cups total)!







Here’s comes the Chocolate Trio.  We should have started off with the peanut butter mousse cake on the left because that’s the mildest in chocolate flavor among the 3 desserts here.  Don’t let the deep brown chocolate layer fool you.  Then, the chocolate caramel mousse in the glass.  It was smooth and silky and melt in my mouth kind of goodness.  The most intense in chocolate flavor was the chocolate sorbet.  Since we thought we should finish the sorbet before it got all melted, we did it in the “wrong” order!  hahaha…nevertheless, these chocolate trio were amazing.

Chocolate, Peanut Butter and Caramel—Valrhona Abiano Sorbet, Mochaccino

Last thing on the menu was Apple, Green Tea and Crème Fraiche.  This is a unique and refreshing course, acting as a palate cleanser to finish off the meal.  We enjoyed it so much and we love the refreshing and crisp apple aroma lingering on our palates.

Apple, Green Tea and Crème Fraiche

The next item wasn’t on the menu.  I guess it was compliment by the chef?  I didn’t ask because I didn’t paid close attention to the menu when I order.  So, we didn’t even know this was “extra” until we started counting meals later in the evening.   It was a simple Strawberry and raspberries with cream and raw sugar… simple and fun.  I know my kiddo would love to have their berries served this way at home too! 







Last but not least, assorted dessert minis.  The one on the left were pineapple macarons.  My husband doesn’t even eat pineapple, but he enjoyed it so much.  After tasting it, he said it felt like he’s in Hawaii!  (I wished that too!) And I totally agree with his comment!  The pineapple flavor was very intense yet refreshing.  The ones in the middle were canelé.  I’ve been wanted to make these but haven’t had the right tools yet.  Hm…these were wonderful pastry with a soft and tender custard center and a dark, thick caramelized crust.  Last but not least, mini chocolate chip cookies.  What a wonderful way to end a meal!







So, when it’s all time to check the damage (paid up), I took out my Zagat gift card for the bill.  That was when the Maître d', Matt, asked me how I got such a large amount of credit on a Zagat gift card.  So, I explained how I got it and he asked if I also write a food blog.  After chatting a bit about my blog, Matt asked if I would like to visit the kitchen.  Of course I said YES right the way!  I almost jumped out of my chair too! hahahaha…. I bet not many people got the opportunity to do that and I really appreciate Matt’s thoughtfulness.  It’s really the best Birthday gift for a foodie food blogger!  So, come inside to the Mélisse’s kitchen with me, would you?


It’s busy inside the kitchen, yet, very clean and organized.







The picture below are different dishes lining up to get finished off before heading out to the customers.







Another side of the kitchen.  I was standing at a corner very closed to the kitchen entrance as I didn’t want to get in the way.  It’s very fast pace and seems crowded in there.







Remember I mentioned at the beginning of the post about the lighting and that I’m going to make it up to you?  Here comes more pictures of different courses I took inside the kitchen right before they were carried out to the customers!  See the difference in the color of the picture with better lighting?  Each dish was a piece of art!







What a gorgeous salad!







There were courses that had fresh Perigord Black Truffle on top, with supplement (we didn’t select those options) and the server would do the shavings right at the table!  See the size of this black truffle? Amazing!







See the “traffic” inside the kitchen? 







Another beautiful creation from the chef.  I’m glad that I had a full stomach when I walked into the kitchen!  Otherwise, I’ll be drooling over the plates!  Maybe I still did.  Shhh…..







Each dish got clean off before heading out to the customer.  I love how they pay attention to the details.







All cleaned up and ready to go.









This is Chef Ken Takayama, Chef De Cuisine of Mélisse.  See how focus he was working on the dish?  Each dish had to go through Chef Takayama (to get his magic touches) before heading out to the customer.    







This was the beautiful Black Bass with the crispy and crunchy scales.  I say it looks more like a painting in an art gallery, don’t you agree?







A picture of me and Chef Takayama.  It was such an honor to be able to meet and take a picture with the Chef!  I had an amazing experience at Mélisse.  I definitely will be back for other celebrations.






Price: $150 per person for "The 10" Tasting Menu

Wine Pairing option: $95 per person.  We didn't try the wine paring as we had a long drive home afterwards.  


If you have a special celebration and enjoy fine dining, I highly recommend Mélisse.  It might seems pricey but with the quality of food and services, I would say is worth the money. 

Check out their Valentine's Day Menu here if you're interested to take your significant other there to celebrate.


*Disclaimer
I was NOT compensated by Mélisse in any way to write this review.  All opinions are 100% mine and always will be. 

Strawberry Sweetheart Macarons Filled with Dark Chocolate Ganache—For Valentine’s Day!

Do you still celebrate Valentine’s Day?  I hope you do because I have a special treat for you this year.  These Strawberry Sweetheart Macarons filled with Dark Chocolate Ganache will definitely put a smile on your face, and your Valentine’s.   




My hubby and I still celebrate Valentine’s Day.  But instead of having to fight with the crowds with restaurant reservations, troubles with the L.A.’s traffics and look for a babysitter, we both enjoy celebrating right at home (yeah, that’s a sign of getting OLD!  hahahaha….).  Don’t get me wrong, I still enjoy having a date night with my hubby every once in a while on special occasions, but just not on Valentine’s day when almost everyone is dining out!   




The day when I made these Strawberry Macarons, my Baby Girl was so excited and kept requesting to have more of these “heart shaped cookies”, which is how she referred to them.  When my Son got home from school, he did the same.  After he had a couple, he requested that I pack some up for him so that he can enjoy them at school the next day during snack time!  He is so spoiled!  (At least, I bet that’s what the teacher would think when she sees these Macarons in a 4 year old’s lunch bag! hahaha…) I put aside a few Macarons for my hubby’s cousin, who is visiting from Hong Kong; I packed two Macarons for my boy’s lunch bag.  And don’t know how it happened, the whole batch was gone the very next day!  There were 30+ macarons in a batch!  Oh well, I guess I’ll have to make another batch to enjoy on Valentine’s Day then.  




If you don’t feel comfortable in making your own Macarons, please refer to this post here with Tips on How to Make Perfect French Macarons.  Before I made my very first batch, I was very nervous and waited for a looong time before I got the courage to try my hands on them.  After a few trials, I’ve learned a few tips and tricks (as shared in the “How-To” post) and I’m more comfortable with them now.  I hope you’ll give them a try because they are so worth it. 




I've tasted quite a few Macarons from different places, mostly priced from $1.75 to $2.00 each.  Some tasted great, while some were not up to par.  For example, I've tried a Lychee Macaron that tasted more like a bar of soap!  Yike!  I would bet that there wasn't any real Lychee in that thing at all!  The “issue” was the use of artificial flavoring.  If you use quality ingredients and real fruit, you can really taste the difference.  I’m okay with using artificial flavoring.  But only for minor enhancements, and not as the primary source of flavor.  Since Macarons don’t like moisture, it’s much better to use freeze dried fruits in the batter for the Macarons shells.  With the broad availability on freeze dried fruit, making fruity Macaron shells with real fruit is a breeze.  My local Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, and Target all carry the freeze dried fruits.  Otherwise, you can always get them online here these days.   
 



I simply filled these Strawberry Sweetheart Macarons with some Dark Chocolate Ganache.  Simple and elegant.  The tartness from the strawberries really balanced well with the sweetness of these cookies (the tartness is something that the artificial flavoring cannot provide).  Strawberry and chocolate is such a classic combination, you can’t go wrong with that.  I used some Valrhona 70% Dark Chocolate to make the Ganache.  It’s rich, smooth and complex.  hm….each bite is heavenly!



I want to wish you all a beautiful, romantic and sweet Valentine’s Day!   So, what are your plans on Valentine’s day?  I would love to hear from you.




Strawberry Sweetheart Macarons with Dark Chocolate Ganache
(Printable Recipe)
Makes: 30 to 35 filled macarons



For the macaron shells:
90 grams egg whites (about 3) preferably aged 3-5 days in the fridge
pinch of kosher salt
30 grams granulated sugar
185 grams powdered sugar
110 grams almonds
10 grams freeze dried strawberries
A pinch of powdered red food coloring (optional)

Prepare the macarons:
In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites and salt on high, gradually add the sugar until stiff peak forms. Place the almonds, powdered sugar, strawberries and food coloring (if using) in a food processor and pulse until the nuts are finely ground. Add them to the meringue.

Fold the mixtures carefully until you obtain a batter that falls back on itself after counting to 10. The entire process should not take more than 50 strokes. Test a small amount on a plate; if the tops flatten on its own, the batter is ready. If there is a small beak, give the batter a couple more turns.

Fill a pastry bag fitted with a large plain tip with the batter and pipe batter in heart shapes (1 inch to 1.5 inches in diameter) onto parchment paper or silicone mats lined baking sheets. Preheat the oven to 280F. Let the macarons sit out at room temperature for 30 minutes to an hour to harden their shells a bit and bake for 20 to 22 minutes, depending on their size. Rotate baking pans once half way through baking.

For the Dark Chocolate Ganache:
4 oz dark chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon instant coffee granules
Place chocolate and instant coffee in a heat proofed bowl.  In a small sauce pan, heat the heavy cream until simmer.  Pour hot cream into the bowl of chocolate mixture and stir until smooth and shinny.  Let cool slightly before use.

To Assemble:
With a small teaspoon, fill 1 macaron shell with a teaspoon of cooled chocolate ganache and top with another shell.  Fill the rest of the macaron shells.  Place filled macarons in room temperature until chocolate ganache harden.


This recipe is shared with:

Pink Saturday
Sweets for Saturday
Everyday Sister Sharing Sunday
Melt in Your Mouth Monday
Theme Baker Sunday
Mingle Monday
I'm Loving' It
These Chicks Cooked
Foodie Friday
Friday Food
Kitchen Fun and Craft Friday
Friday Favorite