Scott Walnofer

Arkansas or Bust! Adios California!

2010-05-26T21:10:00.000-07:00

So this is where I last left you. The Mrs. and I were all boxed up and we were ready to tackle the 28 hour, 1885 mile drive back to Arkansas. Since we didn't have a wedding (our own) to get to this time, we took a little bit of a more leisurely tour through southwestern America.

Day one: First stop, the Alexander's of Fresno. Allison, pictured here at her lovely home, is my second-cousin. I first met her husband, Patrick, and her son, Spencer in Paris, France. Before that meeting in Paris, I had never met or knew what any of these members of my family looked like. Luckily, we are now all best friends. Thanks for the stay over and all the treats while we visited!

Day Two: Second stop, the Grand Canyon! This was a first time for both the Mrs. and myself. (Insert obligatory family photo in front of the park entrance sign here).

WOW! If you've seen the Grand Canyon, then you understand that this is the only word needed to describe the Grand Canyon. If you haven't been to the Grand Canyon, you need to put it on your bucket list because it is...................WOW!!!

Day three: Third stop, Santa Fe, New Mexico. We didn't spend much time in Santa Fe, other than to get a good nights rest before a long haul into Arkansas the next day. The Mrs. and I made it to the Plaza to take in the sights & sounds of Santa Fe.............and to grab a bite to eat at the famous local spot, Cafe Pasquals. Travel, food, & leisure at its finest!

Day four: Final stop! Speaking of making it to Arkansas, TaaaDaaaa! This picture is deceiving because we actually drove our car back from California, and had to rent a Uhaul in Benton to haul all of our wedding/things-that-won't-fit-in-a-500sq.ft.-cottage stuff up to our new house in Springdale.

So far, everything has gone smoother than we could have ever imagined. Thanks for all your prayers of safe travels and thank you God for blessing us all along this journey. We are looking forward to serving you in greater capacity in our new crib up in the NWA!

Tour of California! Oakville Grade!

2010-05-18T09:11:00.000-07:00

I was happy to share in the Tour of California fever up here in Northern California. Luckily, the Winter's Criterium was available for us amateur's to get out our aggression before watching the real cyclists come through town.

I spent the entire day in a couple breakaway's gobbling up prime laps. Good thing I did because I came home with a set of Ksyrium rims and a bag of Marini Almonds. I love almonds! They pair nicely with Snapple and cheesy........I mean cheese.

A day later, the Calistoga/Napa crew headed up to Oakville Grade to watch Stage 2 of the Amgen Tour of California. Happy Birthday Carl! What a terrible day! Not for Carl, but based on the weather. After weeks of arm tanning sunshine, here comes the famous rain of Napa. Mix that with the steepest climb in all of Napa Valley and it was going to make for some entertaining cycling.

First up the Grade was the remnants of a 5 man breakaway that had been off the front since before Lake Berryessa. I was happy to see how they were creeping up the mountain. It gave me a sense of pride at how slow I have gone up Oakville Grade in the past. One of my favorite riders is bringing up the rear of the breakaway, Mike "Meatball" Friedman from Jelly Belly. Give up now, Mike. I can see Radioshack!

Hot on the heels of the breakaway, is Chechu, Lance, Levi, Horner, and Saxo's own Andy Schleck.

Much further back is none other than Stage 1 winner, the Golden Fleece wearer, and undisputed best sprinter in the world, Mark Cavendish. It's okay Mark, you only have Trinity Grade left to go. Oh yeah, then a quick 4 mile decent down pothole mountain roads. Good luck with that! Across the road, Michael Raub is scratching his head in disbelief at all the excitement.

Hi Johan Bruneel........bye Johan Bruneel. You know cycling is getting popular in America when the Director Sportif gets as many shout outs as some of the riders. Note the Lucky number 13 being sported by Team Radioshack today.

Speaking of lucky, check out what I returned home to after my nice day chasing the Tour of California. I guess it is official. the Mrs. and I are moving. But don't worry, we have a few fun stops on the way planned before we make it back to Arkansas. Stay tuned.

Living the Dream! CIA Graduation!

2010-05-15T10:17:00.000-07:00

Tradition holds at the CIA-Greystone, that every graduating class gets their name written on the Teaching Kitchen Chalkboard. This time, it was AOS 6's turn to go up on the board!

Congratulations AOS 6! Bill, Rick, Caitlin, Shannon, Tyson, DJ, Denise, Grace, Michael, Jenny, Ed, Britny, Shaylene, Courtney, Chris...........and yours truly! Let's do this.

First things first, AOS 6 met down in the Wine Spectator Greystone Restaurant for a little Sparkling Toast to the class of May 14, 2010. Thanks to Mikey Fojtasek for providing the Schramsberg Blanc de Blancs.

Into the Ventura Center we went and lined up for the graduation ceremony. Props go out to Britny Sundin for delivering a stellar student speech that had all of us and all of our family and friends rolling in laughter........and holding back a few tears (not me, I don't cry). Thanks also go out to Chef Tom Wong for being our faculty representative and further cementing "Monkey's in a Cage" as our class motto.

Thank you President Tim Ryan. I graciously accept my Culinary Institute of America graduation cordon.

The Mrs. was able to slip into the group photo with her near-chef-jacket-style coat and we all got a last group shot before we set down for the graduation luncheon. Speaking of lunch, we were treated to a delicious 3-course meal prepared by Special Events Executive Chef David Thader.

1st Course: Crab and Avocado Timbale with Red and Yellow Tomato Concasse, Basil Oil, and Micro Greens.

Paired with a Grgich Hills Estate Fume Blanc, 2008, Napa Valley.

Main Course: Dry Aged Beef Strip Loin Steaks with Yukon Gold Potato and Olive Oil Puree, Pickled Cauliflower, Asparagus, and Truffle Butter.

Paired with Rombauer Cabernet Sauvignon, 2006, Napa Valley.

Dessert Course: Strawberry Rhubarb Tart with Yogurt Sorbet.

Paired with Robert Mondavi Moscato D'Oro, 2008, Napa Valley.

That concludes life at the Culinary Institute of America-Gresystone. I hope it made for some fun reading these past 2 years! I know it for sure made for some fun life experiences and some great friendships and some excess calories and some burns and cuts and some..................anyway, it was great and I am so thankful to have been blessed to have been a part of AOS 6. Good luck to all of you as you pursue the next chapter in your lives! Next stop for me, the real world!

Wine Spectator Greystone Restaurant: Student Experience!

2010-05-13T16:32:00.000-07:00

It is amazing to think that we spent the last 12 weeks in the Wine Spectator at Greystone Restaurant. Six weeks were spent learning the skills to become a professional server in the front-of-the-house and the other 6 weeks were spent learning the advanced cooking techniques in the kitchen. Projects came and went and these are the highlights of what AOS 6 put out for the world to see.

1st Course: White Anchovy Brandade Stuffed Artichoke with Heirloom vegetables and Parsley Sauce.

1st Course: Blue Cheese & Prosciutto Terrine with Poached Egg, and Whole Grain Mustard Sauce

1st Course: Quail and Lentil Salad with Tomato Glaze and Black Olive Powder.

Main Course: Grilled Alaskan Halibut with Risotto Arancini, Forest Mushrooms and Crispy Basil.

Main Course: Aged New York Strip with Fingerling Potatoes, Asparagus, Pickled Cauliflower, Brandy-Shallot Sauce, and a Herbed Potato Crust.

California Cheese Course: 1) Marin French Cheese Co. Fried Triple Creme Brie Topped with Honeycomb and Grand Marnier soaked Berries, Grand Marnier Jam, and White Balsamic Vinegar. 2) Redwood Farm Hill Goat Cheddar on House Herb Cracker and Savory Marmalade. 3) Bellweather Farm's Ricotta Cheese Stuffed Piquillo Pepper with Mache and Pine Nuts.

California Cheese Course: 1) Bellweather Carmody with Rhubarb Pickle, Carrot and Mushroom Chip, with Flowering Kale, Chive and Calandula Blossom. 2) Cyprus Grove "Lamb Chopper" with Rhubarb, Apple, and Fennel Compote, Chickpea Cracker, and Tomato Powder. 3) Redwood Farm's Goat's Milk Housemade Ricotta, with Zucchini Pain Perdu, Microgreens, and Fried Squash Blossom.

Thanks go out to the staff at the Wine Spectator Greystone Restaurant for all their help this past 12 weeks. It was a pleasure working and learning alongside you and for all of AOS 6, I say Thank You!

Cuatro de Mayo! Happy 26th Birthday Mrs. Walnofer!

2010-05-08T10:19:00.000-07:00

So the Mrs. thought that her birthday celebration was over but little did she know that I had a birthday dinner planned for Cuatro de Mayo! Last year was Mexican, this year would be California Cuisine!

The Mrs. had taken a severe liking to Parmesan Gnocchi so I whipped up a homemade batch, seared off a couple Duck Breasts, sauteed some King Trumpet Mushrooms and Spinach in duck fat, reduced some Cuvaison Pinot Noir to make a Red Wine Jus, and topped it all off with some Bouchon trained perfectly cut Chives and some Blood Micro Greens. By far the most expensive and the tastiest meal I have prepared in our 72sq.ft kitchen.

Half bottles are the new thing and the Mrs. and I love em! Just the other day, we did a food/model shoot for Kenzo Estate Winery down in Napa and we were gifted a bottle of their 2007 Rindo. Rindo stands for Japanese Bell Flower which blooms during the same time as grape harvest. Perfect, saves me from needing to buy any flowers for the Mrs.! This red wine is a blend of Cab, Merlot, Cab Franc, and Petit Verdot. Pairs perfectly with Duck!

Next up on the surprise list was a homemade birthday cake. White cake with Strawberry Filling and Chocolate Meringue Icing. Key to remember next time you are baking a cake in a 72sq.ft kitchen with the oven on full blast and every burner on..................ice your cake standing in the refrigerator............or else it gets a little melty.

The next day, I had the priviledge of bringing some b-day cake to Growth Group and went with the 4-Layer 8" cake. Learning from the night before's melting meringue, I made a fresh batch of Itailian Meringue for the long journey down to Napa. I got a little bit carried away with the strawberry "garnish", but the Mrs. had made a trip to Costco a week ago and they needed to be used. Product Utiliization at its finest! Anyone want to buy us a cake carrier? About 10 minutes later, this cake started to resemble the leaning tower of Pisa and about 5 minutes after that, well........the birthday girl wasn't too happy with her lap cake. Anywho, after a little roadside repair and a roll of napkins for the Mrs., we celebrated Happy 26th for the 3rd day in a row. It is exhausting to be this sweet...........not me.............the cake that is!

Restaurant Experience: Cyrus, Healdsburg, CA! Happy Birthday Mrs. Walnofer!

2010-05-06T16:51:00.000-07:00

The Mrs. and I had slotted one last fine dining gourmet experience into our To-do-before-we-leave-Napa-Valley-for-the-real-world-List. This special treat to ourselves just so happened to land close enough to the Mrs.'s birthday that I.........I mean we were able to call it her birthday dinner!

We had the opportunity to dine at the French Laundry, the only 3-star Michelin restaurant on the west coast for our 1-year anniversary, so next on our list was the 2-star Michelin restaurant of Executive Chef Douglas Keane in Healdsburg.

As you can tell, the Mrs. was glowing as she celebrated her 26th Birthday!

The biggest question I had was what wine do we bring to a restaurant that specializes in "contemporary luxury" cuisine while highlighting ingredients from Japan and Wine Country. Luckily, our old friend Dirk Schätzel left us a special bottle of Schätzel Oelberg Riesling Spätlese from his parents vineyard in Germany. Flavors from Wine Country, Japan, and Germany. Sounds delicious!

1st Course: Canapes. But not just any canapes, canapes that are designed to capture the 5 human taste sensations: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami.

Two butter's and two salts. A whipped Goat Butter and a Sonoma Valley Cow's Butter with Hawaiin Volcanic Salt and British Maldon Salt. My favorite complimentary accompaniment to any meal! The Bread. Cyrus serves baked-in-house versions of sourdough epi, sourdough and garlic baguette (watch out!), multi-grain loaf, bacon & cheese scones, and the classic brioche.

The Amuse Bouche. Salmon Roulade with Ginger Crust and Sweet Pea Puree.

Seared Hamachi with Battera Konbu (Seaweed), Radish and Candied Kumquats in Chilled Apple Dashi.

Soup Billi-B with Fennel Puree and Tempura Mussel.

Butter Poached Lobster with Marjoram Spring Onions and Pickled Ramps.

Foie Gras Torchon with Rhubarb, Yuzu and Buckwheat.

Ikejime Tai with Galangal Rice Noodles and Banana Blossoms, Coconut Milk Froth.

Morel and Green Garlic "Ravioli" Poached Bantam Egg and Parmesan Broth.

Hoisin Glazed 52-hour Braised (seems excessive!) Short Rib with Tat Soi and Ginger Bone Marrow Flan.

Lamb Loin Roulade with Green Garlic Risotto and Fava Bean Ragout.

Artisanal and Farmhouse Cheeses Presented Table Side. Epoisses (Cow), Sheep's, and Ash rind Goat with the Cheese Accompaniments.

Chocolate and Peanut Butter Tart with Carmelized Banana Ice Cream.

Every girl, no matter what age, needs a balloon for her birthday. Look at the excitement on the Mrs. face when she recieved her Pressurized Ballon Shaved Chocolate on top of Chocolate Chip Cookies with Chocolate Milkshake Spritzer.

Mignardises of Apple and Passionfruit Gelee, Honey Truffle, Salted Caramel Truffle, Currant and Cardamon Cookie, and Graham Cracker.

Even if all that wasn't enough, Cyrus sends you home with a little to-go-box of a housemade brownie for you to enjoy the next day. I think the 2-star Michelin rating was well deserved. This was classic service at its finest and I couldn't think of a better way to celebrate the Mrs.'s 26th b-day. Well, maybe I will make a little something for us to eat on the real Cuatro de Mayo!

Restaurant Experience: Dessert Republic! San Mateo, CA!

2010-05-02T21:18:00.000-07:00

Like I predicted, the post-Hot Pot oranges weren't sweet enough for the Mrs. and I, so Dr. Mrs. Wright took us down to the Dessert Republic for some Chinese sweets.

Obviously these things aren't only popular in France; meet the Chinese Strawberry Crepe with Strawberry Nutella Sauce, Vanilla Ice Cream, and Whipped Cream. I don't care what country it is credited to, Dessert Republic makes a great crepe.

As we were walking into the restaurant, we saw these coming out of the waffle iron, I mean Egg Puff iron in the front window. It is kind of like a waffle/pate au choux/donut hole/wafer of light deliciousness.

The most refreshing dessert of the evening went to the Mrs.'s Super Mango consisting of Mango Freeze, Aloe Jelly, and Mango Fruit topped with Mango Ice Cream. Mango in anything, delicious. Aloe Jelly in anything, interesting?

But nothing was more interesting than your's truly's bowl of Black Sesame Paste with.......................

.............................Sesame Rice Balls. I will admit to disliking only a couple food items on this entire planet, and Black Sesame Paste and Sesame Rice Balls both just went to the top of the list. This was by far one of the greatest flavor and texture discoveries of my culinary career. Sadly for the wrong reasons, but nonetheless, a culinary discovery to remember.

The Sesame Surprise (new given name) would have been a hard way to finish this Chinese dessert extravaganza, but luckily Dr. Mrs. Wright knew of a winner on the menu. Out came her order of the Snow Jungle with Fried Banana Roll, Ice Cream, Whip Cream and Chocolate Sauce. Fried bananas! These might be better than the Fried Twinkie...........and obviously way healthier for you.

Check out Dessert Republic next time you are in Silicon Valley, and be sure to get the White Sesame Paste or Green Bean Paste.............hey it is worth a try! Surely it has got to be better than the Black Sesame Paste.

Restaurant Experience: Little Sheep Mongolian Hot Pot! San Mateo, CA!

2010-04-29T21:04:00.000-07:00

The great thing about being in California is the opportunity to get exposed to all the food culture! While on our visit to Palo Alto, Dr. Wright took us over to San Mateo for some Mongolian Hot Pot. What is this you ask? We will get to that but first we need an appetizer...........

...............of Kimchee. We had made this back in Cuisines of Asia, but I never really liked it. Traditionally, it is made by fermenting cabbage in clay earthen pots with assorted spiced and red chili's. I don't know how they make it at Little Sheep, but they make it good. Slightly sweet and spicy, but not too spicy. Very Nice!

Next out came all of our order. I didn't know what was going on, I just sat there with my ever present stupid-grin on my face ready for the food excitement that was to come. Fresh bowl of cilantro, pea shoots, green leaf lettuce, baby bok choy, and Napa Cabbage.

After that, Tempura Shrimp.

Then shaved thin slices of Beef and Lamb. You can't eat at Little Sheep without getting some lamb.

Then a Hot Pot drops in and it is filled with broth (I think Vegetable but the server said Chicken?). One side is spicy, and one side is mild. The broth has steeped ginger, garlic, scallions (G.G.S for you cooks out there) dry shitakes, and arbol chilis. From this point on, it just becomes a free for all of self-poached meats, mushrooms, herbs, greans, and tempura shirmps.

In case that wasn't enough, I went ahead and ordered the Mongolian Beef Meat Pie. I am still not for sure what was in the filling, but it tasted like fried minced beef and shrimp paste. Not for sure if I would order it again, but experiences are experiences.

No room for dessert, but every good Hot Pot meal should end with a palate cleansing Orange. I am not for sure if this will curb the sweet tooth of us Arkansas-based Americans, so we might have to head out for a local Chinese dessert shop. What will we find next?

Walnofer's & Wright's in Palo Alto!

2010-04-26T17:01:00.000-07:00

The final countdown in California has begun and every weekend becomes more and more precious. So, off to Palo Alto we went to visit Eric and Mandy Wright. The Wright's had made the pilgrimage up to wine country on several occasions so we were due for a visit to Facebook country. That is right, Palo Alto is home to the Facebook World Headquarters. Palo Alto is also home to the campus of Stanford University.

It is kind of a cool place. It's architecture is very Spanish-missionesque.

It is also famous for its beauty and of course Palm Drive which runs right into the front of the campus.

Being around all this acadmia, I started to get some Waffle House cravings for old times sakes. Well, there aren't any Waffle Houses in California (never seen one here), but you can get Crispy Tempura Chicken with Bacon Studded Waffles & Maple Syrup at Chef Charlie Ayers, Calafia in Palo Alto. Delicious.......and way better than Waffle House.

For the first time in Northern California, we found some real beaches! Eric & Mandy shuttled us over the hill and down into Half Moon Bay for some R&R on the beach. It will be hard to forget this Pacific coastline. Anyone staying in Northern California...........put Half Moon Bay on your to-do-list.

No Half Moon Bay visit would be complete without some seafood from Sam's Chowderhouse. Being that it was 85˚F, the chowder didn't sound that appetizing, but the Lobster roll that was voted in the "Top Five Sandwiches in America" by the NBC Today Show did. Considering it was my first lobster roll (what, I'm from Arkansas!), I agreed totally with NBC Today. Although I prefer ABC's Good Morning America, NBC Today sure can pick a great sandwich.

Thanks to the Wright's for hosting a wonderful weekend. They still have another 6 years of enjoying California and we wish them all the best. Props to them both for their southern hospitality!

Ed The Great's MyPlate!

2010-04-20T17:04:00.000-07:00

Few opportunities come about when a student get's the chance to create their own restaurant while still being in culinary school. Luckily, the CIA-Greystone allows for such a thing and they affectionately call it, MyPlate. AOS 6 classmate, Eric "Ed" Heath took on the challenge and invited 14 guests to taste his creations. Two of those guests included myself and the Mrs.

Welcome to the Williams Center on the CIA-Greystone campus. Next to the French Laundry, this is one of the coolest house/restaurant venues in the Valley. There is the menu...........here is the food.

Duck Breast was on the menu, but what do you do with all those leftover legs? Confit 'em then paddle 'em into Duck Rillettes and serve as an appetizer, of course.

1st Course: Beef Tenderloin Tartare, Toasted Sourdough, and Sunnyside up Hen Egg.

2nd Course: Seared Hamachi, Granny Smith Puree, and Potato Latke. Thank you Ed, I will be stealing that apple puree idea and using it at my own disclosure from here on out. It pulled my socks off!

3rd Course: Family-style Potato Gnocchi, Cherry Tomatoes, Basil, and Parmesan. The Gnocchi was the crowd favorite of the night and it was well deserving. The Mrs. is very particular about her gnocchi and has been known to order it off of every menu she see's it on. Good job Ed, your gnocchi get's the Mrs. Walnofer-Seal-of-Approval.

4th Course: Seared Duck Breast, Green Onion Souffle, Natural Jus. Out came the wine pairing of the night, a bottle of 2007 Belle Glos "Taylor Lane Vineyard" Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir. The Pinot was just about as delicious as the food and couldn't have made for a better wine pairing for the meat courses on the menu. Great selection from the Chef!

5th Course: Braised Veal Cheeks, Pappardelle, and Gremolata. I have come to appreciate the craft of making fresh pasta and Ed nailed this. Veal Cheeks, either you love 'em or hate 'em, and I love em!

Dessert Course: Vanilla Panna Cotta with Tart Cherries. A little sweetness at the end of the meal is always enjoyed. Served with Calistoga Yo El Rey Mexican Coffee.

Thanks for the great dinner and the fun night Mr. Heath. Please share this sentiment with your team of Sous Chefs. Mes compliments au chef-to-be!

Yosemite National Park: Yosemite Falls Trail!

2010-04-19T22:00:00.000-07:00

After a good night's rest in the mansion o'Curry, we got up early and headed up to Yosemite Falls.

And up we had to go. Luckily, the trails bless the early risers and we didn't have many slow-pokes slowing us down.

Yosemite Falls trail provides several lookout points along the route. Even this one, early into the trip, was breathtaking.

Speaking of breathtaking, take a wrong step on this trail and you will be back to the valley floor in a couple seconds.

But, beyond every narrow corner is another awe-inspiring view to keep you motivated for the next leg of the journey. Remember Half Dome? I'll for sure never forget it.

Finally, the highest measured waterfall in all of North America...........including Niagara Falls. At 2,425ft, this gusshing waterfall is a marvel to witness in person. Let's take a little closer look.

The only thing more impressive about the height, is the actual sound of the falls, the smell of the falls, and the feel of the mist coming off of the falls. It is amazing to get the opportunity to witness the physical works of God's creation upclose.

Amazing as it was, there was still another mile or so to the top of the falls, and the Mrs. and I had a 5 hour drive to look forward to.

Since it was another hour and a half to get back to the car, we stopped for a litte power-packed-picnic or PB&Blackberry Jam, Gatorade, and Animal Cracker-Raisin-Pretzel-Peanut trail mix. Can't beat a picnic by the falls. See you at the bottom.

Restaurant Experience: The Ahwahnee Restaurant, Yosemite National Park!

2010-04-11T21:57:00.000-07:00

After getting all settled in at our Curry Village tent, we pulled the suitcases out of the bear-proof locker and put on some clothes that were presentable. With a spritz of a little cologne and perfume, we were all set for dinner up at the Ahwahnee Lodge. I was quite excited as the Executive Chef of Ahwahnee, Percy Whatley, had recently competed in the 2010 Bocuse d'Or USA competition up at Hyde Park campus of CIA.

Off to the lodge we go. The Mrs. loves her some fireplaces.

Next stop, the restaurant. Bread was really tasty, cardboard wafer cracker, not so much. AOS 6 just finished Intro to Table Service, so little things like this mean more to me now that I know the importance of service to a guest.

The Mrs. had the Cavatelli Pasta & Fresh Linguica with Trotters, Mushrooms, Broccoli Raabe (incorrect spelling on the menu), Ricotta Salata & Fire-roasted Tomato Sauce. This was a really cool dish and who doesn't like trotters (shaved meat from cooked pigs feet).

Back to that service thing. C'mon! Is this how you should present a $42 Roasted Liberty Duck Breast with Pommes Roesti, Spinach, Braised Red Cabbage & Cherry Port Wine Sauce to a guest?

Don't worry chef, I fixed it myself but I can't do anything about the half burnt and half unrendered skin on my duck breast. We recently watched a video from famous New York restauranteur, Danny Meyer. Mr. Meyer talks about how the level of service to a guest should always surpas the level of expectation of the guest. In his opinion, just meeting the guests expectation is not enough. With that said, I had a great meal at the Ahwahnee, but it just didn't exceed my expectation. Luckily, we came to Yosemite for more than just a restaurant experience. Back to the Curry Village to get some rest before our big morning hike!

Yosemite National Park! Half Dome.

2010-04-11T06:16:00.000-07:00

After a lot of mountainous driving, we finally made our way in the world-famous Yosemite National Park! I don't know if Kristen was excited to get out of the car or just excited to finally make it to Yosemite, but she could hardly contain herself with excitement.

Nice pictorial of the most famous glacier mountain in the west. Half Dome!

Nice picture of the most famous glacier mountain in the west. Half Dome!

The Mrs. and I had decided we would pretend to "rough" it for a couple days and by passed the Ahwahnee Lodge and the Wawona for the Curry Village. I don't know what people are talking about, this place looks like a mansion!

Hardwood floors, guest bedrooms, sort-a central heating and air..........

...............a view of the outdoors. I could spend 1.5 years here!

Off to the Ahwannee Lodge for some dinner, then a bright and early morning hike. Good night Half Dome. See you in the morning.

Wards Ferry Road Race! Sonora, CA. Gold-mining town?

2010-04-04T21:07:00.000-07:00

So off to Sonora for another Saturday of action packed racing here in sunny Northern California. Sunny indeed, but by no means warm as you can see in the pic. Oh how I long for the short sleeves and uncovered knees of the summer. Anywho, off on a 65 mile road race in the Sierra foothills around Sonora. I tend to favor the hills so I think this could be a good day on the bike.

And good day it was! First victory in the new Snapple team kit. Check out that prize money. That's right, four count them four Abe Lincoln's..........and a medium race T-shirt. To the victor goes the spoils. More importantly, check out that race bib number......898. What is the signficance with that? You guessed it, August 9, 2008.....................the Walnofer's anniversary. The rest of the field didn't know what hit them when a guy starts the race with this kind of omen on his back.
.
A race win is always a good launching pad for a great weekend and we still had a lot more in store for this one. Since we are only 1.5 hours from Yosemite, but first, what is this I hear about a gold mining town in Columbia?

Wow, McFly. Back to the Future III! Where is Doc Emmet and Buford "Mad Dog" Tannen? Ok, so they didn't film Back to the Future III here but it sure felt like they did. I am not for sure what there is to do in an old gold mining town.....................................

.......................except for pan for some gold! After $20 bucks in race winnings, I got to figure out some way to pay for this weekend.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa, maybe we will wait to pan for some gold in Yosemite National Park. I love kids, and I love gold, but I don't love kids and gold that much. Off to go see this Half Dome thing people keep telling us about.

Let's go Racing! Zamora Road Race!

2010-03-29T21:20:00.000-07:00

This weekend was the first bike race of the season for me...............................and actually the first time that I have raced my bike since I was tooling around France almost 2 years ago. I am not going to lie, I have missed the racing scene and am more than happy to be getting my feet wet here in the NorCal. Powered by Snapple and ready to g, welcome to Zamora and the olive groves of Bariani Olive Oil Co.

It is so beautiful to look out across the farmlands of California and have the priviledge to race on its roads. This ain't Napa, that is for sure, but even Zamora has some interesting sights and sounds. Speaking of sights...........................are those sheep I spy?

Yep. The irony of this is that .................

..................cyclists are sort of like sheep. We tend to bundle together in large flocks and stay that way with the occasional sheep or two going astray (breakaway). Interesting how life imitates itself on many different levels.

Similar to the straying sheep, here is how the race finished............with two sheep, I mean cyclists getting away and sprinting for the win with the entire peloton barreling down the road to sprint it out for the remaining places. This is about the time I put it into cruise control and stay out of the way to live to race another day.

Like the next day, at the Land's Park Criterium. Not much news to report on the victory front, but the racing legs will come around soon enough.

Rated XXX Chef

2010-03-24T16:04:00.000-07:00

Um.........ah.......eh......, sometimes you just can't find the "Kiss the Chef" apron and you have to improvise. At least the food wasn't gross. Enough said.

Restaurant Experience: Bistro Jeanty!

2010-03-14T22:34:00.000-07:00

Introdution to Table Service has been a fun class, but sometimes you got to get out and see how service works from the customer perspective. Field Trip it is! Off to Bistro Jeanty in Yountville to compare our service abilities with those of Napa Valley service professionals. Oh yeah, and to eat. That is kind of what we culinary school kids like to do after all.

I have had the priviledge to eat in a lot of French bistro's, both in France and here in America, and I would say that Bistro Jeanty ranks pretty high on the list regarding staying true to the roots of the bistro concept. Enough about my opinions, back to the food. From left to right: Salade aux Lardons et Oeuf Mollet (Escarole and Soft Boiled Egg Salad with a Warm Apple Smoked Bacon Dressing), Langue D'Agneau (Warm Lamb Tongue and Potato Salad), Salad de Gesiers (Frisee and Duck Gizzards with Toasted Hazelnuts and Mustard Dressing), and Terrine de Lapin (Homemade Rabbit Pâté with a Celery Root Apple Salad and Mustard Dressing).

Next up, the warm appetizers! Soupe A L'Oignon (Caramelized Onion Soup with Gruyère Cheese), Petit Sale aux Lentilles (Pork belly with a Lentil and Foie Gras Ragout), Creme de Tomate en Croute (Tomato Soup in Puff Pastry), and Quenelles de Brochet (Pike Dumplings with Lobster Sauce).

One of my favorite menu items of the day was the Roasted Bone Marrow with Veal Jus and Crostini. Although presented in a playful manner, marrow is not for the squemish of stomach! But if it makes you feel better, bone marrow is one of the most nutritionally dense things you could ever eat next to a Centrum. Don't think too hard, just eat it!

One of my least favorite items on the menu was the Escargots with Garlic Pastis Butter. It doesn't matter if it is a Twizzler, I can't stand anything that tastes like licorice, even delicious fatted-farm raised snails from France.

Not many of us had room left for entrees, but if you don't order it, you can't try it. Côtes de Boeuf à la Printanière (Braised Beef Shortrips with Potato Puree and Spring Vegetables), Rognons de Veau au Poivre Vert (Veal Kidneys with a Creamy Green Peppercorn Sauce), and Cassoulet (Baked beans with Duck Confit, Sausage and Apple Smoked Bacon). That's right kidneys. Unless I need one donated, I am never going to ask for kidneys again.

At this point in the meal, we all started to realize that our dress pants didn't have the much needed elastic waistband like our chef pants. But, that never stopped any of us from ordering dessert before. Here is the signature Bistro Jeanty dessert of Tarte Tatin with Creme Fraiche. Put a fork in us, we are done. Oh yeah, the service was really good too. I think that is why we came in the first place. Even so, compliments to the chef first and foremost. Merci beau coup Bistro Jeanty.

2010 Pelligrino Almost-Famous Chef People's Choice Awards!

2010-03-12T10:28:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the 2010 Pelligrino Almost-Famous Chef People's Choice Awards! Whew, I could use a drink of water after saying all that. This culinary competition was held at the CIA-Greystone campus and included over a dozen of the most promising and talented student chefs in the country and abroad. Ironically, no CIA-based student culinarians were apart of the competition which seemed odd considering our school is hosting the event and the CIA has a pretty good reputation of producing highly-skilled young chefs.

Anyway, the events were hosted by cookbook author and culinary personality (what is that actually?) Katie Lee, and former Hell's Kitchen contestant, Chef Ralph Pagano. Not to knock it, but the setup kind of resembled a Kobe Bryant post-game interview with that huge logo board as the backdrop.

Here are all the dishes that were entered into the competition by the various participants. Perhaps it would be better if we got a closer look at these and even had a bite or two before we cast our vote for the winner.

Pan Seared Crusted Loin of Lamb.

Bacon wrapped-Halibut.

Chicken Supreme with Cajun Risotto Fritter.

From Student Competitor Timothy DeVore, Sumac Seared Duck Breast with Braised Duck Leg and Juniper Berry Reduction, served with Parsnip Puree, Swiss Chard, Chinese Celery Pesto and Micro Bulls Blood Greens.

From Student Competitor Amanda Digges, she prepared a Cake of Shredded Breast of Cornish Game Hen and Farro, Resting on a Puree of Golden Beets, Topped with a Farro Crisp and a Slice of Sausage, Laced with a Sage & Cognac Jus Lie. Accompanied by a Salad of Walnuts, Cranberries, and Apples nestled in a Brussel Sprout Petal and accented by Mustard Horseradish Micro Greens.

Seared Pork Belly with Crispy Onion Fries.

From Student Competitor Justine de Valicourt, Red Deer Duo served with Mashed Jersusalem Artichoke and Saute of Vegetables.

From Student Competitor Dan Luckey, Seared Ostrich Loin with Glazed Baby Beets, Grilled Black Trumpet Polenta, and Juniper Berry Sauce. Whew, ostrich in a cooking competiton sounds like a difficult sale to me. Bravo for going out on a limb Chef!

All the way from Italy, Student Competitor Laura Torresin produced Seasonal Vegetables, Lentils on Carasau Bread, with Salted Anchovies, Bottarga, Black Pepper and Basil Sauce, Cruncy Sea Bream with a Hot Vegetable Consomme.

From Student competitor Luis Young, Herb Scented Seared Venison Tenderloin with Parsnip Puree and Apple Demi covered by a Cider Jelly Sheet and Accented with a Cinnamon Tea Foam finished with Micro Greens. Oh man, that was pretty good! Let's go check out who made that!

Of all the dishes, I felt like Luis Young's most captivated my palate. Not only that, the dish had a lot of very technical elements to it that displayed his creativity and technical skill. I think I am going to give him my vote for the People's Choice Award.

Back to the post-game press conference, I mean awards ceremony. And the winner is...................

Luis Young from Johnson & Wales University - North Miami! And yes, that check amount is correct, $10,000! Great job Luis and best of luck in your career. It was a pleasure to be a part of the event and taste all of the competitors food. Good show Pellegrino!

Banquet & Catering: The Action Station!

2010-03-03T19:37:00.000-08:00

We concluded Banquet & Catering and I will admit, it was a little bit bittersweet. This would mark the last day in the Teaching Kitchen for AOS 6. We had learned Fish & Meat Fab, Skills, Cuisines from Around the World, and even how to Bake a little bit in this kitchen. With this being our last day before we are sent down to the Wine Spectator Greystone Restaurant, it might as well be as action packed as possible.

Every good buffet needs an Olive, Meat, and Cheese Corner. Everybody loves the do-it-yourself factor of an action buffet and our guests were no different.

When the guests weren't grazing the buffet, they were welcomed to create their own action-packed Fish Tacos.

If they prefered not to perform the action themselves, we were more than happy to perform the action for them. Here the team makes some Okonomyahki, Osaka style, with Shrimp and Veal Breast for our ever-appreciative audience.

That about does it from the Teaching Kitchen. I am not for sure how to capture life in the WSGR but I will try to do my best. Six weeks in the front-of-the-house and six weeks in the back-of-the-house. That equals a grand total of twelve weeks till graduation in May. By that time, I'll be more focused on buying-a-house.

Banquet & Catering: Best of H'or d'oeuvres Buffet!

2010-02-26T22:22:00.000-08:00

H'or d'oeuvres service is up next from Banquet & Catering. Unlike Butler service, H'or d'oeuvres buffet service is all about putting it up, making it pretty, then telling them to come and get it.

There was plenty on offer from AOS 6. Beignets, Salad Lyonaisse, and much much more..............

Porchetta and White Bean Puree, Fried BBQ Wontons with Pineapple Salsa, and Pork Kebabs.

Shredded Veal Breast Sushi............sorta.

Fried Oysters on Wonton Spoons

Lamb Sliders with Fried Quail Egg

Ceviche Cups

and Beer-Battered Fried Green Beans.

Next up, the all too populer Banquet Action Station.

Banquet & Catering: Best of Butler Service!

2010-02-21T19:03:00.000-08:00

Banquet & Catering has come and gone, but their is plenty to review. This is how it went down: Our class was broken into four teams of four and each team was limited to 2 proteins that had to be stretched over 3-days of service. During these 3 days, the teams had to provide a banquet service with butler service, hors d'oeuvres buffet service, and then a day with both and an action station to boot. Let's check out some of the highlights:

The key to butler service is providing one-bite wonders, aka finger foods. What do you do when you are given an entire pork saddle to play with? Pull off the tenderloin and pound out a tasty pork cutlets the size of silver dollars. Here we have a Mini-Schnitzel Sandwich with Bacon Aioli, House-made Sausage Gravy, Fried Sage, and Buttermilk Biscuit.

What do you do with a 5 pound can of lump crab meat? Make a filling for a Crab-stuffed Ravioli with Lemon-Chive Beurre Blanc, Wilted Spinach, and Micro-Green Salad.

With all that crab meat to serve, out came a Southern Crab Hash on Toasted Brioche with Bacon Aioli, and Fried Quail Egg.

Don't forget that you always have to have some vegetarian options for those non-meat eaters. How cool is Tomato Soup and Fried Mornay Nibblets.

Seafood is probably the most challenging protein to keep fresh on a buffet. Therefore, you have to embrace its freshness and its versatility. Here is a Mussel Shooter with Apple Dashi, Pickled Daikon, and Onion Froth accompanied with a Fried Littleneck Clam with Potato Puree and Cucumber Marmalade.

The Hors d'oeuvres Buffet presentation is next!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2010-02-13T20:18:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day! Since the Mrs. and I were heading back to Arkansas on V-Day, we had to get our celebration in a day ahead. As always, I stepped up to the plate and pulled out all the stops............sorta.

First up, flowers! Luckily we live in a garden oasis here in the Napa Valley and roses are already at full bloom...........in February. It is like a garden of Eden around here. This beauty appears to be a hybrid-cross between a red and a white rose, and can be found directly in front of our patio.

Sorry, this isn't Dom Pérignon or even Schramsberg at that..............but rather a < $10 bottle of Segura Viudas Brut Reserve Spanish Cava. C'mon, this isn't Christmas! I have to keep some kind of budget.

Why spend all of your money on Champagne when you can spend it on chocolate? No Hershey's, Dove, or Ghirardelli will do for my Valentine. But some chocolates from St. Helena's own Woodhouse Chocolates will.

I think the Mrs. is going to like it.

Bam! We got Gianduja, Milk Chocolate Caramel Mouse, Mocha Cream, Passion Fruit, Peanut Croquant, Pecan Caramel, Praline Noisette, Wild Cherry, Brown Butter Ganache, Cinnamon Toast, and Espresso. Wait, is that twelve? Oh yeah, and Fiori di Sicila!

And then their was none (elapased time 4 minutes). Happy Valentine's Day Mrs. Walnofer. I love you.

And thanks for the Valentine's Day Socks. I love socks, really, I do.

Restaurant Experience: Diavola Pizzeria & Salumeria!

2010-02-09T20:18:00.000-08:00

Blame it on the economy, the rainy season, or just plain laziness; but the Mrs. and I haven't got out in a while. Even though that be the case, the time had come to search out for the next restaurant experience in the Napa Valley. But why limit ourselves to the bounty of the Napa Valley when we have not even ventured into any of the neighboring valley's. Over to Alexander Valley it is.................................

...........but stop!!! Speaking of the rainy season! Let it be no more. As we crested the mountain and crossed the Sonoma County line, we spied out this amazing rainbow. Get back in the car Mrs. Walnofer..................

.................................and to Geyserville we went to check out Diavola Pizzeria & Salumeria. First things first, Geyserville ain't much of a town so don't expect to spend the afternoon window shopping and frollicking about. Other than Diavola and the Bosworth and Son General Store, the only other main attraction seems to be the River Rock Casino (sorry no bingo). Enough with that rant, Diavola came well recommended as the "Top Pizza" in wine country according to several reputable CIA classmate sources that shall remain anonymously known as Ed Heathbar & Jenny from Cleveland.

First rule when trying out a new restaurant that has a great reputation, start with an appetizer! Salami and Cheese platter with black pepper crusted Cacciatore, Capicola, Blood Sausage with pickled red onions, and aged Asiago (its not really Asiago, but I couldn't understand the servers American pronunciation of this Italian cheese).

Even though we were full of blood sausage, we went ahead and ordered what we came here for, the pizza! Cicciona with Sausage, Pork Belly, Brisket, Roasted Red Peppers, Onions, and Truffled Pecorino cooked in the house pizza oven. What wine goes well with pizza you ask? We tried a Colosi Nero d'Avola from Sicily and Diavola's house red, Peterson House Dego from California. Both were tasty, but what isn't when you are eating, in my opinion, one of the best pizza's in all of wine country. Yes Mr. Heathbar and Mrs. from Cleveland, I concur.

Since Friday night Pizza night was spent at an actual restaurant, "Pizza & Pinot" shifted to Saturday at the Walnofer's household. By nature, we use a little less cheese, and a little bit more whole wheat; but I still challenge anyone to make a better pie than the Mrs. and I.

Wines & Beverages: Schramsberg Winery Tour!

2010-02-04T15:15:00.000-08:00

No class instruction about Wines & Beverages would be complete without a field trip! Even after 21 consecutive years of education, I still get excited about field trips! Whether it's to the Barling Lock & Dam with a lunch stop at McDonald's, or now-a-days with a trip to the local sparkling wine producer Schramsberg; I still look forward to getting out and seeing what I am learning about.

No barrel aging here at Schramsberg! They produce their wines via the méthode traditionnelle, famously known as the méthode champenoise. Here, the bottles line the walls where they are aged on the lees. This means the wine is undergoing fermentation as the yeast is dying and undergoing autolysis. The breakdown of the yeast gives sparkling wine that bready, baked goods characteristic that it is so famous for. Sounds gross, but it is yummy!

Speaking of gross! Don't look up in a 150 year old natural cave. Don't worry, it's not mold. Actually it is a natural lichen species that creates additional insulation for the cave. If it's good for the wine, it's good for me...........I think.

Once again, here is another example that the wine industry isn't quite as sexy as everyone thinks. These workers actually have to wear face shields to protect themselves from potentially explosive bottles of sparkling wine. The backed-up pressure is the equivalent of 90 psi, or twice the air pressure of your car tire.

For all the bottles that don't blow up in your face (roughly 99.9%), they are then placed on riddling racks or pupitres where they will be slightly turned and tilted........by hand!!! over the next 6-8 weeks to disgorge the remaining sediment.

The by-hand method, performed by a Riddler (not making that up), has been mechanized and now this task can be done using sophisticated, computerized gyropalettes. Interestingly enough, Schramsberg still uses a professional riddler who has been doing the same job for over 30 years! No matter which method is used, the end result is all that is important..................

..............and Schramsberg always seems to produce a great product. Would you like a standard bottle, or perhaps a magnum (2 bottles), or PERHAPS A REHOBOAM (six bottles).

No matter the size you pick, enjoying a tasting of California Champagne with friends is all that is important. Cheers to AOS 6 as we conclude Wines & Beverages. Thank you Schramsberg for capping off a really cool class here at the CIA. Back to the kitchen we go!

Wines & Beverages: Restaurant Food & Wine Pairings!

2010-02-01T15:27:00.000-08:00

After a class dedicated to the fundamental principles of food and wine pairing, it was now time to take this newly developed knowledge and put it into practice in a restaurant setting. Luckily, the Wine Spectator Resturant is located right next door to the CIA-Greystone campus so it wasn't too far of a walk.

So here is how this was going to work. We would be sitting down to a 3-course meal produced by the chefs at the Wine Spectator Restaurant with 3 wine pairing suggestions. Our task, was to taste the pre-selected wines with each respective course and note our pairing preference. This has the potential of being the most rad day in culinary school history (excuse the California lingo).

First Course: Half Portion P.E.I. Mussels

Greystone Cellars Sauvignon Blanc, grilled crostini, saffron cream.

Gloria Ferrar Brut, NV, Sonoma County
Araujo Sauvignon Blanc, "Eisele Vineyard," 2006, Napa Valley
Robert Sinskey Vin Gris of Pinot Noir, 2008, Los Carneros

Here is how my ranking went for the first course. The bubbly refreshingness of the sparkling wine won best vote with the Sauvignon Blanc not far behind. Interestingly, this Sauvignon Blanc had a touch of malolactic fermentation thus replicating the all too familiar Napa-style Chardonnay. A New Zealand-style Sauvignon Blanc probably would have been the best pairing. Last but not least, the Vin Gris from Robert Sinskey. Don't get me wrong, a great, fun wine..............just not best with this dish.

Main Course: Braised Black Angus Beef Short Ribs

celeriac-horseradish puree, glazed baby carrots, pearl onions, natural jus, gremolata

Seghesio Zinfandel, "Old Vine," 2007, Sonoma County
Grgich Hills Chardonnay, 2006, Napa Valley
Merry Edwards Pinot Noir, 2007, Russian River Valley

Upon scanning this list, you might be surprised to see a white wine in the middle. But, this heavily oaked Chardonnay actually held up quite well and created a nice acidic balance with the fattiness of the short ribs. It's ability to pair well with the accompaniments of the dish makes it a great choice for the "White's Only" wine drinker at your table. The full-bodied Zinfandel won hand's down while the food-friendly Pinot was just too overmatched to pair well with the richness of this plate.

Dessert Course: Molten Chocolate Lava Cake

vanilla bean ice cream

Blandy's 10 Year Rich Malmsey, Madeira
Ojai "Roll Ranch", Viognier Ice Wine, 2006, California
Rombauer Cabernet Sauvignon, 2006, Napa Valley

Everybody loves dessert, but this might be one of the hardest courses to pair with wine. Our past experience educated us on the fact that "the wine should always be sweeter than the dessert!" This is a hard thing to accomplish when you are talking about ice cream and cake. By far the sweetest wine in the lineup was the Ice Wine, but its honey-syrup replicating flavor was somewhat contrasting with the sugar and cocoa flavors of the food. Once again, the "Cabernet and Chocolate Theory" was debunked as the Cab turned into a tannic bomb as the sweetness of the dessert ripped apart its fruity body and left it reaching out for help wherever it could (sorry for the wine geek personification). The Cab's rightful place is with the previous braised short ribs course, where it likely would have taken top-pairing of the day. The top ranked chocolate cake pairing went to the Madeira, but not with high acclaim. This wine shared too much of its chard oakky and raisiny-tobacco flavors when it interacted with the dessert. But, it did accentuate the chocolate within the chocolate cake, and in my book, that is a winner every time. Maybe we can find another bottle of that Chateau Siglas Rabaud 1973, Sauternes and see how it pairs with the cake.......................

Wines & Beverages: Food and Wine Pairing!

2010-01-30T11:02:00.000-08:00

Learning about wine has been extremely developmental in understanding tasting physiology, the interaction of flavor components, and the elements of balance. Obviously, this is never more apparent than when the world's of food and wine verge to create the study of food and wine pairing! Some say it is easy, whites with fish and reds with meat. Others over complicate it taking it to the extremes of determining which chemical components harmonize to accentute the individual elements of food and wine. Whichever way you choose to pick out your glass of wine, maybe this will shed some light on the versatility of food and wine pairing.

"The White Bean Soup" exercise. This exercise proves that almost any wine can go with just about any food, based on a few key accompanying ingredients. Remember, balance is the key! With bean soup, the simple assumption is that only simple whites and maybe a Pinot Noir can be paired with this. But, say you add some mushrooms, salt, parmesan, rosemary garlic oil, and a spoonfull of soffritto to the bean soup and now you have a delicious Cabernet Sauvignon pairable soup. If you only drink Chardonnay, add a little bit of creme fraiche, tarragon oil, and a pinch of salt and you have a big, oaky Chardonnay pairable soup.

That is what is great about food and wine pairing. You can't really change the wine, but you can always manipulate the food to better harmonize with the wine.

Here are the wines that we played around with for the "White Bean Soup" exercise:

St. Supery Sauvignon Blanc, 2008, Napa Valley. ~$19
Merry Edwards Chardonnay 2006, Russian River Valley. ~$75
Dehlinger Pinot Noir, "Goldridge" 2006, Russian River Valley. ~$43
Beringer Cabernet Sauvignon 2006, Knights Valley. ~$19

Food and Wine Pairing is also classically defined. Classic Pairings have stood the test of time and are generally recognized as "can't miss!" Take for example a slightly sweet Weingut Weingart Schlos Furstenberg Riesling Spatlese, 2004, Mittelrhein, Germany with a spicy Coconut Thai Curry.

Goat Cheese is classically paired with Sancerre or Sauvignon Blanc. We tested the pairing with a Stoneleigh Sauvignon Blanc 2008, Marlborough, New Zealand ~$21 with fresh and aged goat cheese. Homerun! Next up was the classic pairing of roasted meat with Cabernet. We tested a Provenance Cabernet Sauvignon 2006, Rutherford, Napa Valley ~$33 with chocolate and coffee powder and also a sweet spice rub. Lesson learned from the classic pairing, keep it simple! Medium-rare meat with a heavy dose of salt and a Napa Cab go together like (insert your chosen metaphor here: bread & butter, peas and carrots, peanut butter and jelly, Cheech & Chong, etc.)

Some of the most classic pairings come to us from the "Old World." Namely, Sauternes and Foie Gras! How bout this tasting for a bunch of snotty-nosed chefs-in-training! A Chateau Siglas Rabaud 1973, Sauternes, France ~$$$ from the Narsai donation to the CIA. I've died and gone to Bordeaux! Another classic is Port and Stilton. Graham's Late Bottled Vintage 2003 Porto ~$22 with premier English Stilton. Right on the money! Next up Chocolate and Madeira. We tried a Blandy's 10 year Rich Malmsey Madeira with dark chocolate. Not the greatest pairing in my opinion but a much better one than when we brought the Cabernet Sauvignon back out to test the "Chocolate and Cab" pairing that is so popular now a days. I'll just enjoy my Cab with my steak and then enjoy my chocolate at the end of the meal. Next up, we will test these food pairings in the restaurant setting! Cheers!

Wines & Beverages: Alsace, Germany, & Hungary!

2010-01-24T08:24:00.000-08:00

This week is flying by and we are tasting a lot of wines and getting familiar with some unfamiliar wine growing regions. Our focus today would be the white wine producing Alsace, France, Germany, and Hungary. Yes, Hungary......they make more than just paprika.

What kind of wines come out of the Germanic-French town of Alsace? None other than top quality Riesling, Pinot Gris, and the ever hard to pronounce Gewürztraminer (ga-VERTZ-trah-mee-ner). Sorry Napa Valley, but I find myself desiring these cool, refreshing, acidic, floral, and fruity whites more and more often than these monsterous, stubborn, tannic Cabernet Sauvignon's I have been tasting around the Valley.

When thinking about German wines, the first one that always comes to mind is Riesling. But, Germany has a pretty wide range of wines in its portfolio including Gewürztraminer and some unique cool weather reds. Just south of Germany, Austria is credited with being the top producers of Gruner Veitliner (GROO-ner VEHLT-ly-ner). All of these wines are well worth a try the next time you are serving your favorite fish dish, asian food, or anything with a little spicy kick.

Remember, Hungary also makes wine and most notably highly sweet dessert wines. If you are looking for a dessert wine that can be a dessert itself, look to this 2005 Royal Takaji at 5 puttonyes. What does 5 puttonyes mean? It is a sweetness distinction but other than that, I think it just means tasty! Sorry, note the wine geek terminology that you are used to, but tasty works just fine for me. Cheers!

Wines & Beverages: TCA and Sensory Evaluation!

2010-01-18T10:23:00.000-08:00

We learned how to make some wine in our first day in Wines & Beverages, and now it is time to taste some wines that other people have made. That sounds like a lotta fun but............

......we would be starting off our tasting with defective wines. I am sure everyone has had that awkward experience of opening a highly prized bottle of something deep in the cellar only to be greeted by an aroma of nail polish, or band-aids, or burlap sacks, or wet cardboard instead of cherries, figs, and vanilla. Maybe this has occurred when you bought something really nice off of the wine list at your favorite restaurant only to be embarrassed as your guests tell you the wine you picked smells like you just washed your pet Schnauzer in their glass. Here are some helpful tips to identify that problem wine and send it back for a new bottle:

Acetalaldehyde: Smells like severely oxidized apples or Sherry. Natural attribute in Sherry.
Acetic Acid: Nail polish remover, dry erase marker. Volatile acidity.
Mercaptans: Rotten egg, sulfur. Hydrogen sulfide.
Brettanomyces: Band-aid, medicinal. 4-ethylphenol or 4-EP.
Brettanomyces: Burlap, barnyard compost. 4-ethylguaiacol or 4-EG.
TCA: Moldy, mildew, wet cardboard. 2,4,6 tricholoroanisole.
Sulfites: Sulfur smell.

That is enough with defects. Now let's focus on how this professional tasting thing really works.

Blind tasting is the most proven way to develop a non-biased sensory response. Little information is shared about the type of wine, the producer, or the region the wine comes from. Their will be plenty of time for that, but for now, we are just learning how to taste.

From the bottle and into the glasses. We always work from left to right and it is an understood standard to start with dry whites and work you way down the row to the big reds or dessert wines. We sketch rough notes on our wine tasting sheets that include appearance, color, odor, acid, sugar, tannins, body, flavor, finish, and of course FOOD PAIRING suggestions. You can have a bunch of chefs-in-training tasting wines without thinking about that!

At the end of the day the bags are removed and the wines are revealed. Were we able to tell that #2 was a Sauvignon Blanc, or that #5 was a Pinot? Maybe yes, maybe no, but we have 3 weeks to develop that ability. Here was the tasting lineup for today:

Lazy Creek Riesling 2006, Anderson Valley, Mendocino County. ~$24
Shannon Ridge Sauvignon Blanc 2008, Lake County. ~$18
Dutton Estate Chardonnay, "Dutton Palms Vineyard" 2005, Russian River Valley. ~$42
Bokisch Rosado, "Terra Alta Vineyard" 2007, Clements Hills, Lodi. ~$11
Acacia Pinot Noir 2007, Napa Valley, Carneros. ~$21
La Sirena Syrah 2004, Santa Ynez Valley, Santa Barbera. ~$45
Joseph Phelps, Cabernet Sauvignon 2006, Napa Valley. ~$54
Runquist "Z" Zinfandel, "Massoni Ranch" 2006, Amador County. ~$21.

Wines & Beverages: Grape Growing and How Wine is Made!

2010-01-09T12:26:00.000-08:00

Welcome to 2010 here at the CIA and welcome to the last semester for AOS 6 here at CIA-Greystone. After a long Christmas/New Year's break, it was time to get back to learning how to wine & dine. Well, for the next 3 weeks we will be putting that dine part aside for an intensive education on the wine part. Leading our class will be Mr. John Buechsenstein, better known to many in the wine world as one of the founders of Sauvignon Repulic (http://www.sauvignonrepublic.com/about.html). But to us, he is simply John B.

John B. knows a lot about food, but he knows a lot more about wine. Especially making wine! No better teacher than a world-renowned artisan winemaker to show us how to make some home-made jug wine.

So no, we won't be hand picking and crushing some of Napa Valley's finest grapes; rather we will be using a little grape fruit concentrate out of the can instead. Remember, this is home-made jug wine people. Don't turn your nose up at us.

There she is. The yeast concentrate has been diluted to make 26˚Brix (sugar concentration), the yeast has been proofed and added, a little bit of this and a little bit of that went in (nutrients, sulfites), and now we just let her ferment. More to come.........

Day one included all the basics including what glasses go with what wines. A lot of tradition goes into the style of glasses and even a little bit of scientific theory backs it up. After all, it is pretty important that the correct flavor molecules needed to reach the olfactory epithelium located in the nasal cavity actually make it to as many receptors as possible......................but when it really comes down to it, some glasses are just cool to drink wine from. End of nerd story.

The flute is ready to hold some Roederer Estate Brut, MV, Anderson Valley. ~$23

Glass two would like some Cline Viognier 2007, California. ~$10

Not quite a Burgundy, but made from Pinot so into the Burgundian glass this Robert Sinskey Vin Gris of Pinot Noir, 2008, Los Carneros goes. ~$22

Bordeaux glasses love Cabernet's and Alexander Valley provided this Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon, 2005. ~$69

I hope this has wet your whistle because we have got a lot more to go from every wine-making corner of the world in the next few days.

Note: Professional wine tasters spit, some more elegantly than others, but they always spit, dribble, or excrete before swallowing. Even tastings of $70 Cab! It is a sad end for many of these wines, but we must persist in our educational endeavours during these tough times. Cheers!

Restaurant Experience: Neela's Indian Restaurant!

2010-01-05T11:44:00.000-08:00

New Year's Eve, the Mrs. and I headed out to downtown Napa for a culinary celebration for the exiting of the exciting 2009. After a recent introduction to Chef Neela Paniz at the 2009 World's of Flavor at the CIA-Greystone, I have anxiously awaited the opportunity to try some of her northern and southern province-themed dishes at Neela's Indian Restaurant in Napa.

Amuse to start the meal.

No New Year's Eve dinner is complete without some bubbles to celebrate. Luckily for us, a recent visit from Vernon and Janet Walnofer from Southern California left us gifted with a bottle of Wiens Family Cellars California Amour de L'Orange Sparkling Wine. This 100% Chardonnay wine, made in the méthode champenoise, is uniquely enhanced with a slight natural orange flavoring to give it a unique flavor composition which we found perfectly matched the bright, spicy, and exotic flavors of Chef Neela's Indian dishes. Maybe the Weins Family could create Amour de L'Tamarind for this specific pairing in the future!

You can't try eveything on a menu the first time you visit a restaurant, but Chef Neela has a created sampler dishes that showcase specific categories of her menu. This is great for introducing unfamiliar Indian cuisine to novice dinners as well as offering multiple selections for ambitious first time restaurant patrons. Here is the Non-vegetarian sampler of (left to right) Unday Ki Chutney, Kathi Rolls, Rassols, and Shrimp Samosas along with a spicy pumpkin chutney and Tamarind dipping sauce.

You don't need a grille, a smoker, or a braising method for your meats in most Indian dishes, just a tandori oven! Here is the Tandoori Sampler of Seekh Kabab, Chicken Tikka, and Shrimp with a Mint Chutney.

Saath Mein translates to "along with." So along with our sampler platters we also got the Dal of the Day....

......some Naan.....

.....some Paratha.....

.....and some Chapati.

From the Mrs. and I, Cheers to a great year gone by and cheers to all the life-changing decision making of 2010!

Happy New Year's 2010!

2010-01-01T14:22:00.000-08:00

Wishing everyone a Happy New Year's for 2010. Keeping the tradition with Black-Eyed Pea and Braised Rainbow Chard "Happy New Year's" Soup.

"Together Again in 2010." The motto that might have more meaning than any of us realize!

Baking and Pastry Skills Development: Seasonal Desserts and Chocolates!

2009-12-29T10:38:00.000-08:00

Baking and Pastry has come and gone. Hopefully everyone has enjoyed the highlights from 3 weeks of bread baking, cake making, icing piping, and dessert plating. We learned how to make Swiss, Italian, and French meringues, assorted styles of cakes, puff pastry from scratch, a few dozen cookies, and even some ice creams that can be baked in the oven. WHAT? About that.............

Here is a Baked Alaska. For those of you unfimiliar with what that is, it is a block of ice cream layered with cake and then covered with Italian Meringue. The meringue and the cake act as an insulator so that the entire thing can go into the oven and not melt. The meringue actually browns and sets up so that the entire thing is sliceable. For dramatic effect, add your liqueur of choice to a halved egg shell, turn off the lights, and then light it on fire for presentation bonus points at your next holiday gathering.

Speaking of holiday gathering, every good bible study or growth group has a pot luck or two to celebrate the Christmas season! The Mrs. and I's was no exception and out came the Baked Arkansan! Similar to it's Baked Alaska brethren, but instead of ice cream and cake, the Italian Meringue sat on an upside-down Arkansas Black Apple Pie. Apple slices and caramel garnish included after the meringue and pie came out of the 500˚ oven.

Back into the kitchen, our last day was spent tempering chocolate and making chocolates. Here is the beginning of chocolate honey truffles. Now I understand why the chocolatier can charge $2 for these things. They take about 2 days to make after your emulsify the chocolate and cream mixture to make the ganache and let it sit overnight, then spend the morning reshaping the portioned truffle bases, and then enrobing the perfect spheres of ganache with tempered melted chocolate........................whew! But they are worth it in the end!

The finished product of chocolate truffles.........and Mendiants garnished with pistachio, candied orange peel, and dried cranberries and Rochers. Rochers are candied almonds slivers that are mixed with tempered chocolates to make mini-bird's nest's of deliciousness!

If you don't like the richness of truffles, you are out of luck because these chocolate candies are just as rich. Sorry, no Hershey's chocolate is allowed in the pastry kitchen. Why eat cocoa powder and vegetable oil when you can have cocoa butter and cocoa solids instead.....................oh yeah, that $2 per piece thing again. Dang those food scientists and their delivery of affordable food to the masses!

That does it for semester 5 at the CIA-Greystone. My final semester 6 starts shortly after the New Year's with Wines & Beverages. That should be a fun change of pace! Cheers to a Happy New Year's!

Baking & Pastry Skills Development: More Plated Desserts!

2009-12-25T12:48:00.000-08:00

Baking and Pastry Skills Development is nearing an end with only a couple days left to go. Back we got to try our hand at a little plated dessert service! Hope the dining room enjoys these creations.

Sticky Toffee Pudding with Toffee Caramel Sauce

Gingerbread Ice Cream Sandwich

Chocolate Soufflé with Currant Cream Sickle.

Rum Baba or Baba au Rum. Whatever one it is, it contains a lot of rum!

Grand Marnier and Orange Soufflé with Grand Marnier Chocolate Sauce

Savarin Sponge with Savarin Syrup

Baking & Pastry Skills Development: Cakes!

2009-12-19T21:40:00.000-08:00

I wasn't kidding when I said there would be some more desserts coming your way! We've done pies, cookies, custards, creams, and even plated desserts, but nothing is as classic as Cake! We've got a lot of mouthwatering editions to review..........

Hazelnut Chocolate Cake with Creme Parisienne

Black Forest Cake

Mascarpone Chocolate Swirl Cheesecake

Raspberry Yogurt Mousse Cake with Raspberry Mirror Glaze. I can almost see myself in that thing!

Plum Pudding. Taste's better than it looks.

Even though all of those desserts were great, you can't talk about cakes during the holiday season and not bring up the Bouche de Noel! A classic yule log cake designed to look like...............a log. Get it in vanilla...........

or in chocolate. I hope this inspires some holiday creativity. No matter what, have a Merry Christmas from the Mrs. and I.............and all of the talented chefs-in-training in A.O.S 6 that have kept you entertained through all four of the seasons, including the holiday season!

Baking & Pastry Skills Development: Desserts!

2009-12-15T21:36:00.000-08:00

After baking all those breads and just touching the surface of the versatility of Pâte à Choux and Puff Pastry, we were off to Desserts! Hold on, cause we are learning how to make lots of them!

Crème Brûlée.

Crème Caramel.

Chocolate Mousse with Tulip Cookie

Pot du Creme au Cafe with Monkey Tulip Cookie.

Mini-Lemon Tart with Cranberry Fruit Coulis

Bread and Butter Pudding with Caramel Sauce.

Cafe au Lait Panna Cotta with Caramel Sauce

Tart Tatin

Chocolate Grand Marnier Cake

Linzer Tart

Almond Franjipane Tart with Fruit

We are just getting started so keep that sweet tooth underwraps.....................plenty more to come!

Baking & Pastry Skills Development: Pate a Choux and Puff Pastry!

2009-12-12T11:47:00.001-08:00

Next up in B&P is the multi-use Pâte à Choux and Puff Pastry doughs. Simple ingredients and specific techniques create versatile doughs that have multiple uses. Speaking of the uses for Pâte à Choux..........

....... here are the classic Gougeres. Pâte à Choux dough infused with cheese. These are a great savory start to any meal.

But, like many of us, I enjoy the sweeter applications of Pâte à Choux. The all time favorite is the Classic Cream Puff.

Perhaps the theme of this post should be "Versatility." Take the previous cream puff from before, make a few specific cuts here and there, and out comes a Swan Puff! Or, pipe the Pâte à Choux into a log form to make the world famous Eclair. Fill with pastry cream..................

........and maybe even a ribbon of chocolate fondant!

Puff Pastry probably has even more versatility than the Pâte à Choux. Try some Cheese Stick Curls...........

............or the legendary Palmiers. You may have noticed the sweets are becoming more and more prevalent on the course agenda. Next up, Desserts!

Baking & Pastry Skills Development: Great American Pie Bake-Off!

2009-12-08T21:07:00.000-08:00

What do culinarians do when they learn how to perfect the baking of a pie crust? Of course, they challenge each other to a Pie Cooking Contest!

Out came Mama's recipe for cherry pie, Grandad's Thanksgiving Pecan Pie, and even Grandma's secret Apple Pie with secret Streusel. What's with all the secrets in the culinary world? Don't forget where we are.................the CIA remember.

Even though we had already learned how to make "the perfect pie crust," we still needed some instruction on how to make the All-American Lattice Top for our fruit pies.

But, some chose other toppings for their pies rather than the famous lattice. Like this Apple Pie with Peanut Butter Streusel.

Others chose nothing to top their pies other than the delicious ingredients they were filled with. Can't you smell those roasted pecans on top of this pie.

Like all contests, their must be a winner! Maybe it was the lattice top, or the perfectly flaky crust, or the tart but not too tart Montmorency cherry goodness inside, nonetheless the winner was well deserving and the pie was well....................devoured right after this picture.

Baking & Pastry Skills Development: Brioche!

2009-12-06T21:22:00.000-08:00

Everyone loves Brioche! It's great for French Toast, Sandwiches, or simply with a little jam............with a medallion of Foie Gras underneath. What? I still got a little bit of hot side humor in me after spending all these days baking bread.

The Brioche spoils and all their splendor. Take your pick..........

........Brioche à tête (meaning: with a head). Sometime's one marvels at the beauty of an egg wash.

.......or maybe a Fresh Fruit and Blue Cheese Tart..............

.............or just a good old fashioned Loaf of Brioche for your Croque Madame or PB&J.

And just so you don't think that us Chefs-in-Training have mastered this baking thing, check out this Brioche à Tête that almost came out decapitated. I will once again state my scottwalnofer.blogspot.com disclaimer: This blog is edited for delicious content only.

Baking & Pastry Skills Development: Breads of the World!

2009-12-05T15:45:00.000-08:00

Anyone who is familiar with food knows that it isn't just the food that is specific to a region of the world. In fact, the identity of most of the culinary regions of the world begins with their breads!

All the way from Germany (debatable), the Pretzel.

If you like Salty and Sweet, you gotta have a Berliner with your Pretzel while walking the streets of Berlin.

Sourdough is by far one of the oldest and most iconic breads in all the world. Here, we will give its origin to San Francisco since some of the world's most famous sourdough comes from just down the road.

Almost everyone can identify Focaccia as a wonderful Italian bread. Stud it with roasted tomatoes, rosemary, and some fine olive oil for a delightful treat.

Lavash is Armenian in origin and is great along side a hummus dip of your choice. Try some Garlic and Paprika Oil Infused Hummus with Shredded Carrots and Sweet Paprika Dust.

The entire Middle East stakes claim to Naan. Fluffy, light and great for just about any topping or seasoning.

Heading all the way back to Germany, the Stollen fruit bread emerges as a classic Christmas time treat. Iconically made to resemble a baby Jesus wrapped in swaddaling clothing, this bread is about as Christmas as you can get.

While we are on the topic of Christmas, who hasn't seen a Panetone at their local grocery store. Enjoy with an Italian breakfast next time you are in Rome for Christmas.

Baking & Pastry Skills Development: Lean and Enriched Doughs!

2009-12-03T19:29:00.000-08:00

Cookies and Pound Cake are fun, but it's time to rise above that level of baking (insert Yeast joke here!). Sorry, but I couldn't think of anything funny about baking. This stuff is serious business! There is no fix all with a pinch of this or an addition of that, it's pretty much one-way or the highway.

Artisanal baking requires a lot more technique and skill than I ever imagined. Here, master bread baker Chef Aaron Brown is giving instruction on how to create a 4-strand star braid of challah.

By the way, Challah is pronounced Holla. Like Hola-back-now, or Holla-at-ya-boy, or I-ain't-no-Hollaback Girl as poetically put by Mrs. Gwen Stefani.

Enough pop culture, let's get back to the bread. From left to right: Soft Rolls (Epi, Cloverleaf, Parker House, Knot Rolls), Multigrain Bread, Classic French Baguette, Sunflower Seed Bread, and Ciabatta.

Ciabatta happens to be a very unique bread that derives its wonderful taste from a Poolish, or a pre-fermented wet starter consisting of one part flour and one part water with the addition of yeast. Let that baby ferment for about 15 hours and then throw it in to your new dough the next day. This is a quick way to add tremendous flavor without having a 150 year old starter. This is artisanal breadmaking after all.

All of the creations where on full display, and no one's eyes light up more than mine when I see this stuff. I am pretty sure that baguette ended up in my jersey pocket for the afternoon bike ride. Next on the prodcution schedule, Brioche!

Baking & Pastry Skills Development: Creaming Method!

2009-12-01T19:40:00.000-08:00

The hotside has its benefits but I have always had a soft spot in my heart for the bakery. Maybe it is my insatiable appetite for all things bread or my cavity-riddled sweet tooth that sparks my desire to learn to bake. Those degrees in Food Science come more and more into play as specificity is the key to success in the bakery.

Is their a better person to learn baking and pastry skills from than Chef Stephen Durfee? The 1998 James Beard Award recipient for “Pastry Chef of the Year” and also named one of the “10 Best Pastry Chefs in America” in 1999 by Pastry Art & Design and Chocolatier magazines. I think we all will be listening attentively!

What is the creaming method by the way? It is the process by which sugar and fat (butter) are combined to incorporate air. The crystalline structure of the sugar introduces thousands of small air cells into the fat where they are held throughout the mixing and baking process. As the batter is heated, these air cells expand to leaven the item. In short, whip the heck out of your butter and sugar before adding the eggs and flour. This is the basic technique for Pound Cake and Cookies.

Abundant variations exist with the creaming method. Don't like regular Pound Cake, cream up some Sour Cream Pound Cake.

If cake isn't your favorite, how about some cookies? Cherry-Chocolate Chip cookies, Macadamia Nut, or these classic Spritz Cookies. All developed by the leavening process of the creaming method. Need more leavening? Let's grab some yeast and try some Lean and Enriched Doughs next!

Some-What Homemade #7: Thanksgiving Leftovers!

2009-11-29T20:27:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving is over and now the focus turns to cleaning out the fridge. Year after year, I remember chewing through two-day old turkey sandwiches in a quest to finish the remains of the once succulent bird. I vowed that this year would be different................although a classic turkey sandwich variation would have to be in the works for traditions sake.

First up, Perogies filled with Turkey and Stuffing. Think of perogies as mini pies that can be stuffed with anything. In this case, leftover diced turkey mixed with leftover stuffing. The dough is actually made from leftover Nana-roll dough. Just punch it down, stretch it out, then cut circles. Stuff, fold, crimp with a fork, and bake. Serve with a little leftover cranberry and some braised cabbage to give it a little Old World feel.

Back by popular demand, the Turkey Sliders with Cranberry-Mayo. Another double use of leftovers, day old Nana-rolls and finely shredded turkey breast. Fold a little cranberry sauce into some mayonnaise and then lather it thick and served with a slice of tomato. Apparently, the Mrs. has been eating these since she was a whittle one and never new how trendy they actually where.

Getting tired of the flavor of turkey. By day three, just pull that thigh meat and douss it with a little of your favorite barbeque sauce to make Pulled-Turkey BBQ Sandwiches. Top with some cheese of your choice and serve that last little bit of sweet potatoes casserole. If you got em, pull out the Bush's Baked Beans to keep the BBQ theme alive.

Lastly, get rid of all those wilting holiday herbs and that last bit of turkey by tossing together a little plate of pasta. If you still have some leftover cheese from your pre-holiday cooking or some cheese leftover from yesterday's BBQ sandwiches......................just toss it all in! This is the back-of-the-fridge meal that will clean house. Anything you got left, throw it in and look forward to the holiday special that emerges. If you tend to finish all your turkey on day one, please disregard all previously mentioned information.

Thanksgiving for Two!

2009-11-24T13:21:00.000-08:00

Keeping with tradition, the Mrs. and I put together our 2nd Annual California Walnofer's Thanksgiving feast for two. Classic and traditional will always be the theme around the Walnofer Thanksgiving table and this year was no different. Luckily, I have picked up some "chef's tricks" over the past year that brought the meal up a level.

The art of brining the Turkey is the number one key to success for carving up a juicy, tender bird. But, make sure you have room in your fridge and a non-leaky vessel. Just barely!

Be sure to start this procedure two days in advance with a thawed bird. One day in brine, and what about the other day?

Allow for one day in the refrigerator to dry the skin out so it will be able to become golden and crispy. The moving air under refrigeration is key to pulling the moisture out of the skin of the bird. Even though it is brined, still season the skin heavily and rub the bird with canola oil infused with chopped rosemary or festive herb of your choice.

Bake on lowest rack in oven at 500˚. Watch those hotspots if you have a circa-1960's gas oven! There isn't any meat in the neck cavity so don't worry if it gets a little darkened. Check out that golden, crispy skin. Be sure to truss the bird up tight so everything cooks evenly.

Voilla! The entire spread..................for two. Complete with all the sides, Jus de Giblet with Apple, Ocean Spray's finest Cranberry Sauce, and the Mrs. Family Secret Signature "W" Pumpkin Pie. Speaking of sides...............

.............Cinnamon and Cardamon Roasted Sweet Potatoe Puree with Hickory Smoked Bacon.

.............Pugliese Bread Stuffing with Apples, Fried Sage, and Roasted Chestnuts. Wanna know a little product development secret to replicate that fabulous color of StoveTop from Betty Crocker..................add a pinch of Turmeric to capture the color.

Nana's recipe Dinner Rolls. Great for sopping up jus de giblet and apple gravy.

Carved and ready for consumption..................................today, tomorrow, and probably till the real Thanksgiving.

No Thanksgiving meal in Napa Valley is complete without the proper wine pairing. Last year we tried the 2006 Cuvaison Bald Mountain Vineyard Napa Valley Zinfandel and we were converted to Zin with T-Day for life. This year we pulled a 2004 Chateau Montelena "Montelena Estate" Napa Valley Zinfandel out of our cellar. Superb wine with all the elements to accentuate a Thanksgiving feast. Much thanks to Bo Barret and George Blanckensee for blessing us with this gift to enjoy at our Family Table. It helped make this the tastiest Thanksgiving of all. Now, what to do with all the leftovers......................there is only two of us eating all this! I've got some ideas.

Cuisines of Europe and the Mediterranean: Scandinavia!

2009-11-23T09:40:00.000-08:00

The last stop on this culinary tour through the Old World ended in Scandinavia. Very bidding for a country that has been shaping the food culture of Europe since the late eigth century. The cuisine today can not be labeled as barbaric Viking food, but some influences are still prevalent.

Swedish Meatballs. Smothered, covered, and tasty. But not all of the cuisine of the North is meatballs.

Glazed Roast Leg of Lamb with Root Vegetables is a common protein used around all parts of Scandinavia. The honey mustard marinade acts as a tenderizer and a flavor enhancer.

On the last day, two groups performed the same menus, therefore I felt it was justified to hold an unofficial Frikadeller throwdown. Would you like your Danish meat patties with either Fruit Berry Ketchup or Madeira Sauce? I pick ketchup everytime!

Pork Loin Stuffed with Apples and Prunes. Add some karo syrup blanched potato chips fried in duck fat and some slices of apple confit for a Danish delight that is tastier than a Danish pastry. That concludes Cusines of Europe and the Mediterranean. Now we take a little break for Thanksgiving and then into Baking and Pastry Skills. There is never a break from the kitchen...............I need to get my turkey in brine!

Cuisines of Europe and the Mediterranean: Austria, Hungry, Poland, Russia!

2009-11-22T17:08:00.000-08:00

Let's celebrate the cuisines that have been feeding Walnofer, Wallnofer, and/or Walnoffer families for the past 6 centuries in the Tirol region of southern Austria and northern Italy. And, in America for that matter.

Everyone has seen the famous Weinerschnitzel that put Austria on the culinary map, but rolled beef stuffed with dijon mustard and dill pickles is way more exciting. Roulades of Beef. Get 'em while they are hot!

Is it from Germany? Maybe from Austria? But actually, Beef Stroganov is native orignially to Russia. I won't lie, I grew up eating the stuff cleverly crafted by Betty Crocker. It tastes a lot better when you substitute beef tenderloin for ground beef and when you reduce your onions and mushrooms in German Riesling instead of just adding boiling water.

Hungarian Stuffed Cabbage. You guessed it, it is from Hungary. I never thought stuffed cabbage would make me hungary, but this one does. There is a lost art in the use of cabbage in our American cuisine. Except for that '80s diet fad that I remember my parents doing on a number of occasions http://www.cabbage-soup-diet.com/.

Speaking of soup, get out the root veg and let's make some Borshch Moskovsky soup from Russia. Raw beets gives this soup its delightful, some-what unappealing color. If you look closely in the ethnic foods aisle at your local Safeway, you can actually find the regular and reduced sodium version of this Russian delicacy on the bottom shelf.

Perogies are from Poland, but almost every culture has their version of these stuffed mini-pies. Stewed Cabbage, mashed potatoes, and cheese fill these bite size treats. Boil em, fry em, or bake em! Delicious any way.

Polish Baked Stuffed Carp. Carp is the fish of choice during the holiday season in Poland. Lore is that Poles carry their carp home alive from the market in buckets filled with water. Then once in the home, the carp is stored in the family bathtub until it is time for the meal. Wow! Freshness-guaranteed.

What do you do when your fish isn't fresh? Well, wrap it in pastry. This Salmon in Pastry concept hails from Russia but shares a striking resemblance to the cuisine of the Alaskan Eskimos. That Bering Land Bridge theory might just be true! What's left in Europe..............Scandanavia.

Cuisines of Europe and the Mediterranean: Greece, Turkey, England, Scotland, Ireland, Belgium!

2009-11-21T16:59:00.000-08:00

Weve got lot of Europe to cover in the next few days before we switch our focus to Thanksgiving. Better smoosh Greece, Turkey, England, Scotland, Ireland, Belgium all in one.

Baba Ghanoush with Pita Bread. Classic Greek eggplant and tahini dip. Great with pita. Substitute for Velvetta Cheese dip and serve at your next Super Bowl Party.

Spanakopita. Little Greek stuffed carrots, broccoli, feta, nutmeg, raisins, and curry powder triangle pockets. I have found a new love in phyllo dough.

Chef Almir introduced the class to a unique wine made throughout the Mediterranean region. Passito de Pantelleria. This is a raisin wine made from grapes that have been dried to concentrate their juice. Somehwhat similar to ice wine without having to endure living in the cold weather.

Speaking of cold. Up to Belgium we go where cyclocross is king and the pavé paves the roads. This country breeds hardened citizens and they need hearty foods to make it through those winters. You can make them happy with Chicory au Gratin and of course, some of those famous Belgian beers. But leave room for those fine Belgian chocolates and of course, those waffles in the morning.

Speaking of beers, Ireland is pretty proud of theirs as well. Forget champagne and oysters, the Irish would rather have Baked Oysters with Bacon, Cabbage, and Guinness Sabayon.

Scotch Eggs from Scotland. Maybe the most interesting thing I have ever seen in culinary school. Do them right and the yolks will actually remain runny. Encased Sunny-side up eggs. Delightful!

Classified as Belgian, but could quite easily be a hometown favorite of just about any town in Europe. Mussels in White Wine and Shallots. Where to next, the motherland!

Cuisines of Europe and the Mediterranean: France, Spain, Italy!

2009-11-18T21:42:00.000-08:00

I was a little bit shocked to discover that Cuisines of Europe and the Mediterranean only had two days in the schedule for all of France, Spain, and Italy. I had spent 5 months traveling all over France, and even dipped my toe into Spain and Italy and I for sure didn't see it all then. Even though, two days is all we get and here are some of the classics.

Burgundy produced the classic Coq au Vin. Braised rooster in red wine (Pinot of course), lardons, garlic and mushrooms. Since their is not a lot of demand for rooster in the American kitchen, the capon is the best substitute. Similar to a steer in the cattle world, the capon is...................well, I think Bob Barker said it best on the Price is Right, "Help control the pet population. Have your pets spayed or neutered."

Moving into Spain, the classic Pork Chops Stuffed with Prunes and Pine Nuts with a Port Wine reduction sauce. Could be French, the course guide says it Spainish, I say it is delicious!

And of course nothing says Spain like Paella! Paella de Marsico y Carne made with chicken, pork, peas, shrimp, mussels, rice, and clams. Sort of like a rice version of all those shellfish I shucked at Bouchon all summer. This way of opening them was a lot easier and produced a lot less puncture wounds. Up next, Greece and Turkey.

Cuisines of Europe and the Mediterranean: Morocco & Tunisia!

2009-11-16T21:00:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the Cuisines of Europe and the Mediterranean. This journey will takes us all over the great continent of Europe and all its neighbors including Northern Africa, the Mediterranean Islands, and the former Eastern Block. As you can tell by all these exciting faces, everyone is happy to be back in the kitchen instead of the classroom this past 6 weeks. I've never been to Morocco or Tunisia so let's go see what's cooking.

Chicken Smothered in Green Olives. A personal favorite of mine even though I don't really like olives. The trick to removing the bitterness from the olives is blanching them and stewing them with a lot of dominant spices such as cinnamon, ginger, sweet paprika, and those strands of saffron goodness.

Next favorite was is the Chakchouka au Merquez. Merquez is a spicy, sweet beef sausage flavored with a hint of anise and mint. Topped with a little Harissa and garnished with Baked Eggs. Just wait till Denny's gets a hold of this, you will be seeing it everywhere.

Moroccan Baked Fish. Dang my landlocked upbringing! I always pass up the fish but it sure looks perrty (insert Arkansas accent here).

Last favorite of the Moroccan/Tunisian experience is the Moroccan Couscous with Lamb, Mint, Apricots, and Cashews garnished with Pickled Radish. This culinary region is beautiful for their flavors combinations and I am looking forward to exploring this cuisine more in my own home kitchen. Off to Spain, France, and Italy.....................all in two days!

Eureka: I have found it!

2009-11-10T20:20:00.000-08:00

The motto of California is..............you guessed it Eureka: I have found it! Even though Governor Schwarzenegger has been telling me this all along, I am learning to appreciate what ever IT is more and more.

This is the view back into San Francisco from Land's End park. Golden Gate and all is gradeur! Proud to say that the Mrs. and I.................and the Mrs.-in-Law have all walked across that entire span.

I sometimes wonder what it must have been like to look out to a vast ocean and decide to set sail to find a land that one didn't even know existed. But let's not kid ourselves, I just thought this photo looked really cool.

Speaking of cool photos, this one is cool too.

You don't have to be in the city or staring out into the vast ocean to appreciate the beauty of Northern California. Check out this view from the top of Mt. St. Helena. That is right in our backyard.

Speaking of our backyard, check out the fall skyline when the Mrs. was on her evening run...........apparently she was taking a breather to get this shot.

Some-What Homemade with the Walnofer's #6

2009-11-08T13:43:00.000-08:00

So, contrary to this blog's image, we aren't going out to eat everynight. In fact, I crave the simple meals most of the time. Call it California comfort food if you must.

After a long day of eating rich, culinary food, sometimes a nice salad is in order. Baked Figs stuffed with Cheddar Cheese and Honey, Sliced Ham and Pecorino over Mixed Greens. Also known as the refrigerator cleanout!

Recently I had to develop a restaurant concept for a class and I came up with a wine and burger bar concept titled VinoBurger. The inspiration led to this Cheeseburger with Mozzarella, Frisee, and Basil Mayo.

No wine and burger concept is complete without the wine. Out from the cellar came this 2004 Beringer Single Vineyard Napa Valley Syrah that the Mrs. and I picked up at an industry event about a year ago. Syrah and grilled burgers are a match made in Napa!

Restaurant Experience: Belle Epicurean: Seattle, WA!

2009-11-05T15:51:00.000-08:00

During our last afternoon in Seattle, the Mrs. and I were walking aimlessly back to the Excutive Hotel Pacific when we came across Belle Epicurean. Anxiously needing a light lunch before we headed off to the airport for our return flight to Napa Valley, we snuck in for a sandwich and of course....................another coffee.

Belle Epicurean is chef/owned by Carolyn Ferguson and is located at 1206 4th Ave. I knew this was going to be good when the counter girl said hello with a very thick Parisian accent.

Belle Epicurean is another Seattle restaurant that focuses on natural, fresh, and organic ingredients. Here is the Warm Pepper Turkey & Cheese on Rosemary Potato Brioche.

After striking up a conversation about the cultural differences between the people of Paris and Toulouse, I had to break the awkward silence by placing another order. Belle's Croque Monsieur with Black Forest Ham, Gruyere Cheese and Mornay Sauce on Brioche. Top it with an egg and this might have been the best French-style sandwich I have ever had. Please let me know when the Belle's Croque Madame hits the menu.

It was a long bus ride from downtown Seattle out to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport so a little caffeine was in order. Latte and Cappuccino please. Merci!

I am always a sucker for a little bit of sweet with my afternoon coffee. Many cultures celebrate this as High Tea..........which I have now adopted into my daily lifestyle. Belle's Epicurean is known for their pastries and notably their brioche buns such as this Classic Pecan Brioche Bun. This struck my interest as my past employer, Chef Thomas Keller, is about to launch a brioche-snack kiosk concept in the Time Warner Building in New York. Belle Epicurean has set a pretty high benchmark in my opinion. Thank you Seattle for the fun........................and the food!

Restaurant Experience: Lowell's: Seattle, WA!

2009-10-31T11:00:00.000-07:00

On our last morning in Seattle, we headed back to Pike's Market for the famous views at Lowell's and the diner-style breakfast.

Classic Eggs Benedict with a twist. When in Seattle, and when at Lowell's, you have to forgo the pork and substitute for the Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict.

At Lowell's, you can get smoked salmon in pretty much anything. Try the Smoked Salmon 3-Egg Omelet. Word of advice at Lowell's, don't expect frills or even a parsley sprig garnish. Lowell's is classic breakfast hash at it's finest and more of a seafarer's breakfast for a hungry tourist crowd.

In retrospect, I wish we would have grabbed a pastry and a coffee and saved our appetites for this Taco truck that we found on 3rd street. The cuisine of this "taco truck" is pretty self-explanatory, BBQ! I think this concept would do pretty well on gameday back in Arkansas.

Restaurant Experience: Crush: Seattle, WA!

2009-10-24T14:40:00.000-07:00

The great thing about being surrounded by the incredible chefs at the CIA is that they know great chefs in the cities they used to work in. Luckily CIA-Greystone has former Seattle-area and now Napa Valley-transplant Chef Scott Samuel (ww.chefscottsamuel.com). So, who do you ask for experiential dining recommendations when going to Seatlle for the first time..............none other than Chef Scott!

First on his recommendation list was the restaurant of husband and wife team, Chef Jason and Nicole Wilson. Chef Wilson's accolades include being named 2009 Rising Star Chef from starchefs.com and Crush is at the forefront of the Northwest farm to table movement and builds its menu around seasonality and freshness. I hope you were right on this one Chef Scott! Here goes............notice the Mrs. is waiting politely for the door to be opened for her. My pleasure.

The initial awe factor of the restaurant was based around the Shelly Buurman designed decor and the Verner Panton furniture. Actually, I don't know what any of that means, but the Mrs. had a ball on "Modern Furniture Row" on Western Avenue all day so I thought I would include some HGTV lingo that I had learned. Enough about that, welcome to Crush. Waiting to greet us was none other than Nicole Wilson herself, maitre d' for the evening. You know the evening will go well when the owner shows you to your seat.

Out first, compliments of Chef Wilson was an Amuse of Honey-Maple Vinaigrette with Salmon Roe and Creme Fraiche. These food descriptions will be close guesstimates as I didn't land a menu for later review. Oh well, I guess I will just have to use a little culinary intuition.

All loyal scottwalnofer.blogspot.com readers should be familiar with these. Classic French fine dining at its best, the Cave Aged Gruyere Cheese Gougeres. Out also came a couple glasses of Washington's own, Chateau St. Michelle Reisling. A favorite New World Reisling of mine!

I feel that their is no nicer gesture than for a chef to send his guests complimentary courses. It doesn't matter if it is a Coffee and Donuts at The French Laundry to end a gourmand experience, or something as little as an extra Chicken Nugget in your McDonald's to-go-order. Chef's know how to take care of people who show genuine interest in their craft. From the kitchen, Tuna Sashimi and Tuna Tartare. Thank you Chef.

First Course Appetizers, Seared Pork Belly with Rum-soaked Golden Raisins and Farmer's Cheese Polenta.

and Duck Breast and Pinata Apple Salad with Candied Hazelnuts, Blue Cheese, Frisee, and Endive.

Less is a good way to impress and this dish, compliments of Chef Wilson, was full of flavor. Butter Poached Lobster and Potato Gnocchi with Coral Butter, Tahitian Vanilla, and Orange.

Everyone always asks how we can taste any of the deliciousness pictured on this blog after so many courses. Here lies an example of the classic palate cleanser. Tangerine Sorbet with Mint Gastrique and Fresh Fruit. You don't have to have a Master's degree in Sensory Science to understand the phenomenon of sensory adaptation, but if you do, you greatly appreciate the thoughfulness of the chef in preparing you for the invigorating experience of the main course to come.

Main Courses: Washington Sturgeon, Braised Kale, and Butternut Squash Puree. Hints of fall throughout this dish! A little bit too light for my uber-oaky Napa Chardonnay, but even oak reminds me of the fall!

and Flat Iron Steak with Pomme Puree and Garden Carrots. One of your Napa Cabernet Sauvignion's, please.

Cheese course: Perhaps Edam.......with Walnut Croutons, Baked Figs, and Spiced Apple Compote.

Dessert: Chocolate Frangipane Tart. The Walnofer's can't go home with out their sweets.

Mignardise's of House-made Marshmallow's and a Chocolate-dipped Madeleine. I forget that I can't leave chocolate lying around the Mrs.

Overall, Crush is one of the best restaurants I've had the pleasure to dine at while out here on the west coast. If you are ever in Seatlle, tell your cabbie to take you to 2319 E. Madison Street. Crush will not dissapoint.

Best Coffee in Seattle! Elliot Bay Cafe!

2009-10-22T21:52:00.000-07:00

One might think that it is an easy task to find a great cup of coffee in Seattle, but really it is more difficult than you think. I am not anti-corporate by any means, and in fact, I will more than likely spend my entire food career in the corporate industry. Nonetheless, I don't really want to drink my coffee out of a 10% postconsumer recycled paper cup. So, I implemented the famous Walnofer philosophy of "Just Ask" and out came a local recommendation for a great cup of joe.

The Elliot Bay Cafe located under the Elliot Bay Book Company at 101 South Main Street. Quaint underground cafe feel at its best. Location, Check! Ambiance, Check!

Latte, Check! I am not an artist, but one cannot deny the Van Goghesque aspect of latte art. Think I made that term up, google it and see for yourself. I am taking YouTube training courses as we speak.

I don't even think that Starbucks has a paper cup that can match this volume. Luckily the Mrs. and I had a late dinner reservation so I needed all the caffeine I could get. Since dinner was still 4 hours away, maybe I should get a snack with my coffee.

The house specialty! The Toffee and Chocolate Chip cookie. No Starbucks or Tollhouse for these tourists! Next stop, dinner at Chef Scott Samuel recommended Crush.

Restaurant Experience: Piroshky Bakery! Seattle, WA!

2009-10-19T21:09:00.000-07:00

So we came upon an interesting bakery adjacent to Pike's Market, the Piroshky Bakery. What is this? Obviously not American and it doesn't even sound European.................., so it must be Russian. Of course! Even though we didn't know what it was, a lot of other people did so we got in the back of the line and waited our turn for................well, we weren't really sure. Anthony Bourdain filmed his show here, really?

What is a piroshky you might ask (I did!)? It is actually a handheld meal in the form of a stuffed pie. That sounds good, give me the beef and cheese one of those!

Okay all you Nebraskan readers out there? What does this remind you of? You guessed it, a Runza! You can get onions, cabbage, or cheese stuffed in these piroshky things. Just like at Runza®! It is amazing the discoveries you can make in the food world.

The adventurous eaters that we are, we also ordered a Bavarian Sausage........they were out of the Smoked Salmon Pate piroshky. Piroshky Bakery, please send a Smoked Salmon Pate piroshky attention Scott and Mrs. Walnofer to California at your convenience. I really want to try it! The pig in a blanket was ok.

Everybody loves cheesesticks with their stuffed pastry-encased meat pies. How about a caraway cheese stick? The verdict is out on this one, but maybe it was because I had already downed two piroshky's.

Even the Grandma's were making the dough in the back. You can't get more authentic Russian cuisine than that right there. I hope this helps decipher some of the food that the Grace Church of Napa Slovik Mission team recently experienced over in Uchali, Bashkortistan Russia.......and Paulette, maybe you can make these for Conner's birthday next year. The Mrs. and I can't wait till Thanksgiving when we will be back in Nebraska, home of the Runza!

Seattle and the Pike's Market!

2009-10-16T21:06:00.000-07:00

A main attraction in Seattle is of course, the famous Pike's Market. After my stint roaming the Boulevard de Strasbourg in Toulouse, France, I am pretty much a market snob. Don't they throw fish or something here.................

Oh no, the fish smell is about to make the Mrs. sick. We better hit up a coffee shop for some breakfast before I lose my appetite.

Oh look, a French Bakery. That'll do. Le Panier "A Very French Bakery." Perfect.
Nobody does a Latte better than the French..................or at least as good as a hippy looking 35 year old barista who works in an American-French bakery.
Many have failed, but Le Panier makes a killer Pain au chocolat. I think we are ready for a stroll through the market. Aisles and aisles of fresh produce, seafood, and every color flower you could ever imagine. The cool thing about Pike's Market is that everything has to be local to the area, including all the trinkets the vendor/artists sell.

Ummmm, Lowell's Restaurant....................perhaps we will check that out another day for some breakfast.

This was by far the coolest thing at the market. Maybe it is my passion for mass production or my exposure to assembly lines pumping out everything from bottled water to Domino's chicken wings, but their is no denying that this thing could revolutionize the entire donut making industry. What, some store called Krispy Kreme already did that! You have got to be kidding me! I guess I will just have to launch my invention that heats up food using micro waves instead.

An interesting attraction around the market is the famous copper pigs. One is even a piggy bank that collects thousands of dollars in spare change to fund the market. I was confused with this one and thought that if I put a quarter in it, it would rock back and forth like the machines outside the grocery stores I remembered as a child. Hence, nothing! What a waste of money.

Restaurant Experience: Tulio Ristorante: Seattle, WA!

2009-10-15T14:19:00.000-07:00

I usually don't start many of my "Restaurant Experience" posts with items that are not food related, but I thought I would make an exception for something as interesting as this. What is this this you might ask? Have a look and take a guess...............

That's right! The world's largest outdoor used gum wall! I am not going to lie, I have stuck my gum on just about everything. Under every desk from Kindergarten through Graduate school, on the stick shift in my car, on the handlebar stem of my bicycle, and even under a church pew or two, but never on a wall with 3000 other persons gum. Gross!

After seeing all that sugar-free gum, the Mrs. and I's sweet tooth started firing up and we went on the hunt for some desserts. Who do you ask for dessert recommendations when in Seattle? None other than a Seattle's Best Coffee Shop barista. Off to Tulio Ristorante, not for more pizza or a late night pasta course, but rather for.........................

............Cannoli's with chocolate chip ricotta cream and blueberry sauce, and.............

...............Gelato del Giorno. Cappuccino gelato at that! Only in Seattle! Remember, the birthplace of Starbucks after all!

Restaurant Experience: Serious Pie, Seattle, WA!

2009-10-13T17:07:00.000-07:00

As a self-proclaimed pizza fanatic, I am never one to shy away from the local hot spot. Serious Pie came with rave reviews and not even a long wait time would keep the Mrs. and I from enjoying some of the west coasts finest.

After sipping on coffee all day, we thought it was best to partake in a little nutrition with our meal. Send out the salads!Not just any salad though. Housemade Duck Prosciutto with Pickled Plums and Beacon Hill Argula. Serious Pie is serious about local, organic freshness and also serious about in-house charcuterie! Located near the entrance are two converted wine refrigerators set at 41 degrees Fahrenheit and filled with curing prosciutto, pancetta, sausages, salumi, and house speck.

Speaking of speck, Roasted Pumpkin with House Speck, Coriander, and Sweet Chili Oil. I am not going to lie, this might be the best use of pumpkin since the invention of the jack-o-lantern.

Even though we were already impressed, we were here for the pie's. At Serious Pie, the kitchen and the pizza oven is in full view surrounded by picnic table style communal seating. Not that we are anti-social, but the Mrs. and I were happy to have the only 2-person window table in the restaurant all for ourselves. As good as the pizza was, I don't think I could have risked anyone trying to sneak over for a piece of our Cherry Bomb Peppers and Sweet Fennel Sausage Pizza. Good call Mrs., good call.

Desiring to see more of the city, and walk off our pizza, the Mrs. and I made our way all the way to the home of the Seattle Seahawks. Qwest Field hosted the Seahawks vs. Jaguars a few hours earlier, but who would skip a pizza date at Serious Pie for BBQ beef nachos and foot-long corndogs.

Seattle, Not Sleepless At All!

2009-10-11T09:07:00.000-07:00

The Mrs. and I are off to a fun 3-day weekend up to Seattle. The benefits of living on the West Coast is that there are a lot of metropolitan cities within a short plane ride away. Let's celebrate my 27th birthday weekend!The International Fountain. This wasn't really on the to do list, but the benefits of aimlessly walking through a city is that you never know what you might find. Speaking of finding, where is the needle thing.....................
There it is! I'm not going to lie, I love being a tourist. Many of the locals may scoff at me and my kind, but I wouldn't be here if there wasn't something unique to see. Speaking of see...........

Check out the view from the top! Hello Seattle!

Let's get down there and check this city out. I know that I need a drink.................c'mon that means a coffee when you are in Seattle!

Wasn't coffee invented in Seattle? Maybe not, but the original Starbucks is. I think I will grab a coffee from one of the 1300 other Starbucks in the downtown Seattle area.

Happy Birthday, 27 is the new 23!

2009-10-08T19:23:00.000-07:00

A while ago I was celebrating the Quarter-Century Club, but if my memory serves me correct, this October 7th means that I am now 27 years old. Not much to do on a Wednesday to celebrate but here goes..........................
Birthday breakfast! Homemade Mrs. Cinnamon Rolls with precision cut Banana.

Unlike most of the members of my family, I am able to refrain from opening my birthday cards as they pour in from all over the country. It's time to celebrate this birthday right and rip these babies open.

After the carnage and a few hidden presents that appeared from under the bed, this is the spoils. A fat new Skagen flat-profile watch, Razorback slippers and matching flannel pants (thanks sis!), dress shirts because apparently I have been looking frumpy (???), and Cooking with the Bible "Recipes for Biblical Meals." So, if anyone is interested in replicating the Passover Meal or maybe the dinner when the Prodigal Son Returns, just let me know.

Every unused wedding cake "W" needs a home after retirement and the Mrs. put this one back to work for my homemade German Chocolate and Vanilla Cream Cheese Icing. And yes, it was topped with Fat Free Frozen Yogurt. Indulge without the bulge!

The party didn't stop just because it was Growth Group Wednesday night. Luckily we strategically placed ourselves on snack duty this week so we were saved from making a last minute Safeway trip. Little did everyone know that I would also be supplying the party hats for this occasion.

As I eye the land of 30, I chose to look at the joyous future that lies ahead for these last 3 years of 20-somethingism. Speaking of look, I gotta look for some black hair coloring cause I have got way too many gray hairs popping up for a 27 year old!!!

Restaurant Experience: Gillwoods Cafe!

2009-10-01T20:27:00.000-07:00

Where do you go for a decent breakfast here in the Napa Valley? Sure there are plenty of Bed&Breakfasts that serve up some award winning 8:00a.m. cuisine, but where does the common man go for some good ole griddle cakes. Those are pancakes to the non-Arkansans reading this.

Nothing says Napa like signature wine glasses.......I mean coffee cups.

The Mrs. loves her Buttermilk Blueberry variety.

I, on the other hand, am always looking for something a little more hearty to add to my pancakes and Gillwoods has the perfect addition, GRANOLA! Just another Saturday morning discovery in the Valley for the Walnofer's. Gillwoods, serving breakfast all day!

Restaurant Experience: Jole!

2009-09-23T13:18:00.001-07:00

Finally! After 13 months of living in Calistoga, we finally made it down to Jole for a birthday dinner for a CIA classmate of mine. We have always heard great things about it, so let's see if it is as good as its reputation.Merci beau coup from the kitchen. Luckily, a couple classmates work here and they did not disappoint. From the front of the house came a round of Avinyó Brut Cava, Penedès, Spain NV and from the back came some Veal Sweetbreads with Lobster Mashed Potatoes. Thanks Ed and Jenny. I wish I would have taken some pics of the Chilies de Padron and the Chicken Livers with Black mission figs and Pt Reyes blue cheese that came out for our entire table to enjoy.

Salmon Crepes. Who doesn't love crepes? Add a Spanish Garnacha and a Napa Pinot to the mix and you have a winning combination.

Who doesn't love tongue? Well, not everyone at the table, but I sure did. Lambs Tongue with Fresh Chick Peas, Toasted Almonds & Feta.

Sonoma Duck Breast with Herb Spaetzle and Huckleberry Sauce. This was my favorite dish of the night, but I am sucker for duck.

It seems like everyone has their own take on pork belly now-a-days and Jole does a pretty good job with their California-Asian fusion take on it. Crispy Pork Belly with Avocado, Red Onion, and Soy Mustard Vinaigrette.

We can mark Jole off the list and pretty much all of Calistoga for that matter. It looks like the Mrs. and I are going to have to start moving down Valley for the rest of our dining experiences. Spoiled, I know!

Louie Vermeil Classic at Calistoga Speedway!

2009-09-21T17:37:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the 2009 Louie Vermeil Classic at Calistoga Speedway. With a full slate of Labor Day weekend races, the Mrs. and I headed into town to watch the festivities. If you look closely, you will see that the legendary football coach Dick Vermeil is about to take a celebratory lap in his family's old-timer sprint car. The Vermeil family has deep roots in the Calistoga area and Dick has even started a very successful winery with a tasting room in downtown Calistoga.

Speaking of wine country, what an amazing backdrop to do a little racing.

It even looks better under the lights.

For some reason, the Mrs. has an insatiable appetite for "ballpark" food (see Garlic fries below!). Of course we had to sample the Nachos and the Hot Dog, each drenched with your favorite foodservice canned chili.

Similar to my stomach, this guy wrecked out right before the last lap action. Speaking of action, check out the fun of the restart for yourself.

Let's Go Giants!

2009-09-15T17:13:00.000-07:00

What do you do after a year living in the Bay Area? You think you have seen everything San Francisco has to offer: Giradelli and Union Square, the Ferry Building, Fisherman's Wharf, Pier 39, Golden Gate Bridge. Okay, so we haven't went to Alcatraz yet, but we have seen all of our family's pictures so it feels like we have already been there. What's left? One of the major benefits (primarily to males) of living in a metropolitan city is that most of them have professional sports teams and of course San Francisco has the Giants!

After a quick trip to Stubhub.com, the Mrs. and I were down to Vallejo to catch the Ferry into San Francisco for a little Labor Day baseball. The Giants are in the hunt for the National League wildcard so what better time to go see a game than during the pennant push.

Welcome to AT&T Park and welcome to Section 125, Row 22, Seat 5 and 6. That's right, only 22 rows up from the 3rd baseline. But buyer beware, foul ball territory! Dang it, I didn't even bring my glove.
Luckily they had one I could borrow in the outfield.

Back to the action. Today's afternoon game was the Giants vs. Padres. NorCal vs. SoCal. Not quite the rivalry as when the Dodgers come to town, but entertaining enough for a couple Cardinals fans from Arkansas. Yes Mrs. Walnofer, the Cardinals are a baseball team. They are professional, not college. They are in St. Louis. Let's just get back to watching the game, okay.

After scorching under the San Fran sun, we strolled around the ever cool AT&T Park. The stadium is quite small and there actually isn't a bad seat in the house. It's the 7th inning stretch, let's go get something to eat.
Gilroy Garlic Fries! These come with very high recommendations from several long time Giants fans. When in doubt, eat what the locals eat. I might be regretting this. Garlic fries galore! Who wouldn't love minced garlic and parsley loaded fried shoestrings. Don't be surprised if these show up on the Walnofer Thanksgiving Buffet as a contribution from the California Walnofer's.
Trust me, you will love them as much as we did. The trick to being able to eat them all is the addition of everybody's favorite condiment.............ketchup. Not only for the sweet acidity that it brings, but more for the fire dragon breath masking characteristics of the tomato.
Giants 9, Padres 4. It got a little hairy in the 9th when the Padre's put up 3 runs, but I was too busy trying to digest those garlic fries to even notice. Anyway, a big win for the Giants and a fun Labor Day for the Walnofer's.
Back to the Ferry to catch the sunset on the way home to Vallejo and then back to Calistoga. Next up, a 49ers game. No Mrs. Walnofer, that isn't hockey, it's football. You know, Jerry Rice, Joe Montana, Steve Young.................nevermind.

Back to School! Again!

2009-09-14T20:47:00.000-07:00

Back to school! We all see the Wal-Mart commercials and the elementary school marquees welcoming students back to school this time of year. I also, have rejoined this movement. After 5 months at Bouchon, it is time to return to the safe walls of The Culinary Institute of America-Greystone to finish up my culinary studies.Jannie and I have come a long way together. I got this backpack in the 8th grade. Not for its stylish features or it's durable zippers, but rather for its Lifetime Guarantee. Although I have had to send it back to Jansport three times for facelifts, it is still in my "Back to School" arsenal. Jannie has seen many a carseat in its day. She didn't always have the plush leather heated seat that she get's to ride to school in now-a-days. This backpack has seen a 1992 Pontiac Sunbird(thanks for the ride sis), 1985 Ford Ranger, a 1990 Chevy Silverado, a 1997 Ford F-150, a 1999 Nissan Maxima, a 2000 VW Jetta, and now a 2004 Acura MDX (thanks Mrs.). We've come a long way together.

Why do I need a backpack for culinary school you might ask? Here is the first day back at the CIA! It's gonna be a tough haul Jannie.

Arkansas Alumni: San Francisco Chapter!

2009-09-13T20:19:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the 18th annual Arkansas Alumni San Francisco chapter get-together up on the famous Monte Rosso vineyard of the Louis M. Martini winery. This famous mountain region of Sonoma produces some of the most premiere wines in all of Northern California.

Last year, the Mrs. and I were saying "I do" the same day as this event, but luckily this year they pushed the get-together back a month so that we could take part. How thoughtful of them! Out came the grill, on went the steaks, and into the wine glasses went all the Louis M. Martini Cabernet Sauvignon Monte Rosso you could drink. Shhhhhh! Some of our friends and I found a table serving unreleased 2005 M-squared. http://www.msquaredwines.com/index.html

Enough about the wine, no organized alumni barbecue is complete without a raffle for assorted Arkansas Razorback memorabilia.

And the winner is...............................not us! But luckily, our alumni friend was willing to share her Old Main bookshelf display thingy with us so that we wouldn't feel empty handed. Now we will always have a little piece of the UofA with us while we are out here in California. Speaking of that, where is my diploma?

What else is on the schedule? How 'bout a vineyard tour!

Check out the beautiful views off the summit of Monte Rosso.
When is the last time you heard a winemaker tell his family's life story while standing in 80 year old zinfandel vines planted by his grandfather?
The Mrs. and Mandy Wright enjoyed the festivities and we all wished that Dr. Wright could have joined us for the fun. Maybe next year doc.

No Razorback gathering is complete without, yep you called it, calling those hogs! Whooooooooooooooooooooo Pigggggggggggggggggggggggggg Soieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! Razorbacks! (Insert awkwardness the farther you get away from Fayetteville.)

Adventures in Lake Tahoe!

2009-09-04T14:29:00.000-07:00

We recently accepted an invitation by our friends, the Jameson's, for a weekend in Tahoe. We did the winter in Tahoe experience, so we better check out the summer experience too.What cool digs (California lingo)! The cabin is located on the Serene Lake and word is that the winter snows reach as high as the upstairs deck.
About that lake, it is serene! The Mrs. and I took out the canoe for a little paddle time. Luckily the Mrs. had spent some time as canoe counselor back in the day at Camp Ozark so there would be no stories of "dumping" the canoe. That doesn't mean that I still won't rock the boat for a little laugh or two.
From Serene Lake over to Tahoe City and a view of the north shore of Lake Tahoe. If you look to the highest peak to the right, you will see the slopes of Heavenly that we skied last winter.
We jetted down south for a view of Emerald Bay. Unlike previous visitors (you know who you are), we took the mile hike down to the famous Vikingsholm..............and the mile hike back up.
The next day, we took a hike around Donner Lake. The lake is steeped in history as the Donner Party made this region famous after being forced to cannibalism during the 1847 winter storms of Lake Tahoe.
Speaking of lunch, check out our picnic spot during our hike. PB&J's and wheat thins sure beats human legs and skin.
Still can't get over how blue that mountain stream fed water is. The Mrs. and I needed a weekend adventure and Tahoe didn't disappoint.

Thanks again to the Jameson's. By the way, can you count how many people are in this photo? Six total! And no, my backpack doesn't have a baby in it.

Baguette Wars! Bouchon Bakery vs. Safeway!

2009-09-03T15:25:00.000-07:00

My last day at Bouchon has come and gone and it has finally set in...............I will no longer be able to get delicious Bouchon Bakery bread anymore. Therefore, I am relagated to purchasing bread from my neighborhood Safeway like the rest of California.

For starters, let's compare the two. On your right, Bouchons famous baguette with its perfect braid, crispy crust, and chewy interior. On your left, Safeway's powder-crusted baguette with the sheen of shoe polish. The Safeway baguette has so much air whipped into it that the gluten has actually formed into a solid mass. Essentially they have created WonderBread in a cylindrical form. Then there is the Bouchon baguette, splendidly recreated to replicate the handcrafted crunchy, chewy baguettes via France. Oh yeah, the Bouchon baguette is only $0.25 more expensive. There is very little chance that the Mrs. will ever get the bread book out again as she has been more spoiled than me by Bouchon Bakery. Mr. Keller, will you please build a Bouchon Bakery in Calistoga......................please for the love of bread!

Catering for Jesus!

2009-08-27T20:56:00.000-07:00

Recently, the Mrs. and I got a phone call from a friend inquiring about the possibility of catering desserts for an upcoming private concert held in the Napa Valley. The concert was a fundraiser for the upcoming Rock of Ages Christian Music festival held here in Calistoga (http://www.rockofagesfestival.com/). A worthy cause. Sure, let's do it. But wait, desserts? How many people? Ummmmmmm, okay.

The first rule in preparing for an event is a timeline. Since we only had 4 days advanced notice, we had to get ourselves organized fast. Wednesday: Shopping trip. Then it was into overdrive from then on. Oh yeah, what was our menu you ask? A Trio of Profiteroles stuffed with Chocolate Mousse, Peanut Butter and Cream Cheese Mousse, and Chantilly. Or, an assortment of creampuffs. Also, we came up with the idea for a sugar cookie based fruit tart to diversify our selections for our guests. ALL 75 OF THEM!!! We might have bit off more than we can chew.

Pate u Choux can be tricky at first. Not all meet the strict standards of Bakery Deux Walnofer's.

But many did. Is that the Mrs. dresser? Don't forget, 500 sq feet.
Even more were on their way. Three hundred to be exact. That's 30 per sheet tray, two sheet trays, one oven=All Day! That is enough culinary math, what is going to go inside all of these?

Perhaps, some Chantilly........................

.........................or maybe some Chocolate Mousse.

Now over to the ottoman/fresh fruit tart station.
Sugar cookies topped with Cream Cheese Frosting, Sliced Fresh Garden Pears, Strawberries, Blueberries garnished with a Mint Plouche and drizzled with a Blackberry Coulis. Nothing screams summer like a fresh fruit tartlet.

When in doubt, put it on a stick and people will eat it. Plus, you won't have to provide plates and it is more fun.

How are we going to get all this to the private vineyard down the street from our home? Who needs a catering van when we have a fold down middle seat. Perfect. The plates are just for show because we actually walked around and hand delivered the desserts to our guests as they partook in the silent auction portion of the benefit. Maybe we should have auctioned off a free dinner cooked by Sous Chef the Mrs. and Chef I? Maybe next year if everyone likes our desserts.The Trio plus an added Eclair glazed with Port Wine Chocolate Sauce (that melted pretty bad in the heat). I was lucky enough to serve Phil Joel this plate.
Trying to be artistic in the 2.4 seconds before we got rushed by all the sweetooths in the crowd. Ray Centanni donated the pears from his garden so I made sure he got this plate. He couldn't believe how tasty those pears turned out. That's all you Ray. I just put them on a cookie. The blackberries for the coulis actually came from some wild blackberry bushes that grow near our home. Foraging is a good way to save on food costs.

Our work was done and it was time to enjoy the beauty of the concert. Phil Joel is the former lead singer in the band, the Newsboys. He recently left the band and started his solo career, which allowed him to spend more time devoted to God and to his wife and two young children. Phil's message and his music is very touching and pictures can't describe God's presence during this moment.

Ray, Phil, and I enjoyed each other's contribution to an awesome event that brings the presence of Jesus Christ to the Napa Valley. I never knew how fulfilled I could be from serving Christ in such a manner as making a few desserts. A part from a church pot luck, this was my first time using my developing talents for furthering Christ's kingdom and I thank him so much for allowing me to be used in this manner. I can't wait till the Rock of Ages Festival in early October and I look forward for the opportunity to lend a hand to feed a few more hungry and thirsty people. Till then..........God bless.

Restaurant Experience: Bouchon Bakery!

2009-08-23T16:53:00.000-07:00

So although I work at Bouchon Bistro, I have never actually purchased anything from the bakery next door. Sure I have accepted my fair share of day old bread, eaten every one of their pastries and cookies during 'family' meal breakfast, and even borrowed a cup of sugar for a pork brine or two, but never actually had the customer experience. Why then would I need to go to Bouchon Bakery then? Because on Saturday and Sunday mornings, they serve their fresh from the Bistro fryer famous doughnuts!

A donut is a doughnut right? I used to think so.........................

............................until I had these doughnuts! Only available in two flavors, chocolate and raspberry. Who needs all those choices?

I of course ordered the Doughnut au Chocolat. Topped with malted chocolate beebees and filled with delicious chocolate cream, this fried ball of brioche almost put me into a mid-morning coma.
Half for me and half for the Mrs. Well, maybe she can just eat her own.

Since the Mrs. enjoyes a fruity blend with her sugar, she went with the Raspberry filled doughnut. Plain brioche dusted with sugar..............................

.................................and a delicious raspberry filling. Half for you and half for.................no thanks Mrs., I'll stick with my chocolate. Best doughnuts ever? Hard to answer as they are really quite different than your classic fried doughnut down at Dale's Donut Shop in Benton, AR or your local Krispy Kreme on the corner. Wait, where are all the Krispy Kreme's in Napa???