Category Archives: Enticing Events

Get Ready for San Jose’s Dine Downtown Restaurant Week, Plus A Food Gal Giveaway

Posted on by 4 comments

DineDowntownSJ2017

Get ready to do some serious eating, July 7-16, when Dine Downtown San Jose Restaurant Week gets underway.

Nineteen downtown restaurants will be offering special prix fixe or chef’s menus for the San Jose Downtown Association promotion that’s sponsored by Sysco.

Among them are: 71 Saint Peter Modern European Kitchen, the Farmer’s Union, La Pastaia, Loft Bar & Bistro, Poor House Bistro, and Nomikai Social Food + Drinkery.

For the full list of participating restaurants and a look at what they are offering, click here.

Girls' night out at Loft Bar & Bistro. (Photo courtesy of the San Jose Downtown Association)

Girls’ night out at Loft Bar & Bistro. (Photo courtesy of the San Jose Downtown Association)

CONTEST: One lucky Food Gal reader will win a $50 gift card to San Jose’s Olla Cocina. The gift card is good for use during Dine Downtown week or at any later date within a year.

Read more

Join the Food Gal and Chef Ryan Ellison For A Macy’s Demo

Posted on by One comment

MacysRyanEllison

San Jose native Chef Ryan Ellison has cooked his way across the Bay Area from Oakland’s Oliveto to Santana Row’s LB Steak to Portola Kitchen in Portola Valley, as well as in Hawaii at the Canoe House on the Big Island.

Now the executive chef of the Fairmont San Jose, he’ll show off his moxie in the kitchen when he joins me for a cooking demo, 2 p.m. June 11 at Macy’s Valley Fair in Santa Clara.

Read more

Grilled Chicken Puttanesca For National Olive Day (Sponsored Post)

Posted on by 4 comments
Who says puttanesca has to be relegated to just pasta?

Who says puttanesca has to be relegated to just pasta?

 

Loaded with olives, garlic, capers, tomatoes and anchovies, puttanesca is one of my favorite sauces.

It’s not weigh-you-down rich like carbonera. Nor retiring like delicate fresh tomato-basil. Instead, it’s decidedly in your face — with a forceful punch.

So why relegate it to just tossing with pasta? With summer barbecuing season upon us, why not dress up mundane grilled chicken with something more exciting? Yes, puttanesca!

For those following a paleo, gluten-free or no-carb diet, it’s a way to have your puttanesca — and eat it, too.

There’s no time like now to dig into this dish, too, what with June 1 marking National Olive Day.

Lindsay's Naturals Italian Medley variety of olives.

Lindsay’s Naturals Italian Medley variety of olives.

Did you know that 99 percent of all olives grown in the United States come from California? California’s family-owned Lindsay knows all about olives, producing 36 billion olives annually or enough olives to go around the Earth 22.8 times.

Read more

What The Halibut — And A Food Gal Giveaway

Posted on by 11 comments
Halibut cooked in olive oil -- a lot of it.

Halibut cooked in olive oil — a lot of it.

 

Yes, this recipe uses a lot of olive oil.

Yes, you’ll wonder what to do with all that oil afterward.

Yes, you can strain it, store it in the fridge and re-use it.

But yes, it may taste fishy.

That’s because you’ve poached halibut in it, creating a warm, bountiful bath of olive oil to cook it gently and slowly until the flesh is moist and incredibly silky. Best yet, it’s almost impossible to overcook the fish with this oven method.

If you’ve never tried olive oil-poaching here’s your chance with this dish of “Olive Oil Poached Halibut with Chermoula.”

Bathed in olive oil.

Bathed in olive oil.

The recipe is from the new cookbook, “Home and Away: Simple, Delicious Recipes Inspired by the World’s Cafes, Bistros and Diners” (Arsenal Pulp Press) by Darcy and Randy Shore, of which I received a review copy.

Read more

Hooray for Halos, Plus A Food Gal Giveaway

Posted on by 5 comments
Say "hello'' to fun with Halos!

Fun with Halos!

 

My husband will be the first to admit he suffers from Lazy Fruit Syndrome. No matter if it’s strawberry season or peach season, he stays loyal to his penchant for bananas. Yes, because he likes them. But more so, because they require no washing and are a breeze to peel.

We’ve all been there, right? Maybe that’s why we can’t get enough of Halos, either. These cute tangerines have peels that come off just like that to reveal easily segmented, seedless flesh that bursts with sunshine-y juice. One Halo has only 50 calories and comes with a jolt of Vitamin C.

Read more

« Older Entries Recent Entries »