Monterey/Carmel: The Forge in the Forest

5th & Junipero, Carmel, California 93923. (831) 624-2233
www.forgeintheforest.com

The last time I was at The Forge in the Forest was in the 8th grade. I was sporting big bangs, a piggyback perm and my favorite Esprit sweatshirt and Guess jean jacket. My best friend, Julie, and I were visiting her cousin Carol in Monterey and as a treat she took us to Carmel for lunch. It's been years and I've forgotten what I ate there and how it tasted but the memory of the lush green topiary that surrounds their patio is ingrained in my memory. I loved it, it was like eating in my own private little enchanted forest. So last week when Mr.S. and I were strolling about in Carmel, I suggested we pop in there for lunch. I had heard they were under new ownership, so I wasn't sure what to expect but I was excited to see the place again.

Every aspect of our lunch went swimmingly. Our host was welcoming and immediately led us to an intimate table for two on the brick patio. It was perfect, since it was located in the shade and we wouldn't be subjected to the blazing midday sun. For our meal choices, Mr.S. went with one of his favorite sandwiches- the Reuben. He never seems to get tired of those...or Club sandwiches for that matter. I was feeling a bit indecisive so I opted to get an appetizer and a salad. My appetizer, the duck empanadas with a pistachio nut chutney, was quite good. The empanadas were crisp and flaky on the outside and the duck meat inside was nice and moist. The chutney was ok...I would have liked something with a bit more kick...perhaps like a spicy mango jalapeno chutney? What surprised me though was the beet salad I ordered- it was HUGE! The salad consisted of a rainbow of roasted purple, golden and white beets (which were absolutely delicious) over a bed of mixed greens, crumbled goat cheese and juicy strawberry slices. They didn't skimp on the portion at all and everything tasted bright and fresh. I was impressed with the food. It was solid. Also, our server, Carly, did a great job. She was friendly, attentive and on top of everything.

If you're ever in Carmel, I would highly suggest stopping by for lunch at The Forge in the Forest.  The patio's really quite lovely and there appears to be a nice balance between regulars and tourists there. It's a perfect place to take a break from shopping, sip on a refreshing cocktail and people watch. There's also a big outdoor fireplace and heat lamps, so you can still enjoy eating al fresco comfortably even when the sun's not out. By the way, my fellow dog lovers will be happy to know that The Forge in the Forest is dog friendly (they even have a special dog menu), so you don't have to leave Fido at home. :)

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Why I Don't Blog More...

I think this little photo sums it up pretty well. Don't you wish sometimes blogs had a block feature?

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Monterey/Carmel: Casanova Restaurant

5th Avenue between Mission Street & San Carlos, Carmel, CA 93921. (The city of Carmel does not use house/building numbers).
(831) 625-0501
http://www.casanovarestaurant.com

Last week, Mr.S. and I ducked away for a romantic getaway to Monterey. We booked a couple of nights at the Monterey Plaza Hotel and Spa and relaxed. We slept in, ate great food and acted like two kids playing hooky. The hotel had this great outdoor fire pit where we cozied up to at night and watched the lights across the peninsula and listened to the soothing surf.

While we were in town  we went and checked out the Monterey Bay Aquarium (neither of us had been there in years). Mr.S. petted a stingray but I was too chicken to. I did say hello to this guy though:

A 11 lb. spiny lobster! Of course, I didn't tell him (her?) that I was picturing him grilled with a side of butter. We also spent some time gazing at the jellyfish exhibit (my favorite). I could spend hours in that room. There's something just so serene about the jellyfish with their translucent bodies floating against the blue background.

Speaking of food, for dinner we stumbled upon a lovely restaurant in Carmel. It looks like a quaint, little European country house from the outside but the inside actually goes pretty far back and they have two patios, one in the front and one in the middle. The restaurant is called Casanova's and it's quite romantic. We liked it so much, we ended up going there for dinner two nights in a row. The first night, we sat inside by a window at a cozy little two-top. The atmosphere with it's dim lights and rustic interior made us feel like we were in some small, intimate ristorante in Italy, I loved it. Our waiter, Alejo was fabulous - his service was polished and professional from start to finish and he was quite knowledgeable about the menu. After perusing the extensively long wine list (it's over 100 pages long with wines up to 5k and they employ multiple wine stewards), I started with a glass of the Domaine La Remejeanne Côtes du Rhône. It was okay- a bit spicy but pleasing to the palate. As we perused the menu (which was a mix of French and Italian inspired country-fare), our waiter brought over some fresh breadsticks with a tangy tapenade. For an appetizer, Mr.S. and I went with an order of their signature Gnocchi Casanova. These delicate little pillows of spinach in a heavenly Parmesan cream sauce were pure gastronomic bliss. The dumplings just melt in your mouth...and the sauce, oh the sauce! It was so rich and delicious, we set aside our manners and dipped a few breadsticks into it after we polished off the gnocchi. For dinner, Mr.S. ordered seared scallops with black truffle risotto, spring pea and carrot ragu and beef jus. He gave me a bite and it was wonderful. The scallops had a nice crispy sear and the risotto was creamy and perfectly cooked, it also had a bright aftertaste that I really enjoyed. For my entrée, Alejo recommended the Mount Meadows lamb rack with artichokes, caramelized onion, garlic and potato puree and jus and I went with that. I wasn't crazy about the artichokes and would have preferred another vegetable but overall the dish was delectable and well balanced- the lamb was tender and juicy, cooked to perfection and I absolutely loved the savory caramelized onions. Although we were quite full, we decided to splurge with some after dinner drinks and desserts. Mr.S. got an Americano, which they brought out on a charming little antique tray with a mini milk bottle for the creamer, a chocolate and a small biscotti (FYI: he's a huge coffee snob and he loved their brew). I went with one of my favorites-  Macallan 18, neat (which I saw made our server's eye twinkle). For our dessert, we got the tarte aux bananes and the beignet platter. The tarte aux bananes was composed of a vanilla custard, caramelized bananas, homemade vanilla whipped cream, caramel sauce and a crunchy graham cracker crust. It was delightful, no heavy burned banana taste or cloying sweetness. Now I have a real soft spot for beignets so I was hoping that Casanova's version wouldn't disappoint- and it didn't. When I bit into the lightly fried beignets, they were nice and crispy on the outside and soft and airy in the inside. Mmm! It also came with three "dipping sauces" - crème anglaise, chocolate sauce and a citrus marmalade on the side which was a nice touch. Alejo checked back on us regularly, didn't rush us and paced our courses perfectly. Ever leave a restaurant and have a happy afterglow for hours afterwards? That's how we were that night after our dinner at Casanova's. This restaurant delivered that night on ambiance, service and food. 5 stars in every category across the board. It felt like a truly memorable dining experience and the perfect place to take someone special; however...

I wish I could say when we came back the next night that it was the same, but it wasn't. This time we asked to be seated outside and maybe that was a mistake. We were seated at a small table, jammed up next to a tree on the patio/garden. The tables were so close together that I felt I was elbow to elbow and back to back with the other diners. It was quite cramped. Additionally, the music was so loud, I felt like Mr.S. and I were shouting at each other across the table. The topper though was that our waiter, Steve, was terrible...absolutely terrible. Maybe it was coming off of having flawless service from Alejo the night before but I found Steve's service to be bumbling, obtrusive and at times rude. Off the bat, he seemed PO'd that Mr.S. ordered sparkling water and I wanted a raspberry mojito (it was hot on the patio) and kept trying to push us to order wine. When we wouldn't budge, he stumbled off, pouting (yes, pouting!). Service was unbelievably slow from start to finish. When Steve came to take our order, he didn't ask what we liked, he just hurriedly pointed out what he liked in a sharp manner that made me feel like I was being barked at by a drill sergeant. Mr.S. and I decided to order a full order of the Gnocchi Casanova, instead of just an appetizer order, to start with this time since we liked it so much. Our drinks didn't come out until our appetizer was set on the table and then we had to ask for breadsticks and tapenade. (At this point, our waiter was making us feel like we were putting him out and we were obviously not a priority for him.) For dinner, Mr.S. ordered the same scallop dish that he had the night before. I, however, opted to order the Fresh Catch, which was described as fresh halibut, smoked mushrooms, and fiddlehead ferns with ricotta gnocchi. What I got was grouper and no fiddlehead ferns. As he's setting down my plate, Steve informs me out of the blue that they're out of halibut and they've substituted grouper, he says nothing about the MIA fiddlehead ferns. Um, I'm not sure why he couldn't have told me this BEFORE he was placing the dish in front of me? I'm a bit livid and annoyed at this point but I'm stuck, if I make a fuss and send it back, Mr.S. will either have to eat his dinner solo or sit there and wait for mine while his gets cold. I kept the stupid grouper but I was quite disappointed about Steve's bait and switch. (Note: the fish was cooked quite well, I liked how the skin was crispy and it wasn't overcooked. The sautéed greens that replaced the fiddlehead ferns were a bit bitter and boring, they didn't do much for me.) For dessert, we split the crème brulee (which was a nice size serving and not too sweet) and Mr.S. has another Americano. Steve doesn't check back on us so we have to flag him down to get more creamer. He does walk by a few minutes later to plop the check on the table though. Mr.S. places his credit card in the bill holder and sets it at the edge of the table. We finish dessert at a pretty leisurely pace and then wait another 15 minutes, Steve never comes by. Finally, in a fit of exasperation I take the check to the hostess up front , explain how we've been waiting and have her run it so we can leave. There's no afterglow after this particular dinner, in fact I think our waiter is a giant ass and definitely should not be working in fine dining. His service didn't lack because the place was busy or because he had a big section, it lacked because he was an awful waiter and wasn't motivated to provide good service. We tipped but only out of a feeling of obligation, I really felt that it wasn't deserved in the least. I've honestly had better service at Chili's. On the way back to our hotel, we stopped by Carmel Beach and watched the last bit of the sunset. The cool, smooth sand felt incredible between my toes, calmed me down and brought me back to vacation-mode.

So as you can see, I'm torn on recommending Casanova. The rustic charm and fabulous food really won me over, but the experience can be outstanding or extremely disappointing depending on who your server is.

* Patio is dog friendly
* Reservations (for dinner) highly recommended
* Supposedly there's a secret little special table in the back (private room) that was brought from France. Vincent Van Gough used to sit at it when he dined at Auberge Ravoux in Auver-sur-Oise.
* Menu changes seasonally
* Casanova will allow you to tour their wine cellar if you ask

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Spicy Forbidden Rice Salad

 

 

Recently while at a farmers' market, I ended up in a friendly conversation with a fellow shopper about Korean melons and kholrabi. At the end of our chat, she remarked that I was so lucky to have learned how to cook from my mom as a child. I get that a lot. People assume if you enjoy cooking you must have been doing it all your life and learned from your momma or granny. I actually learned from neither and oddly enough, until a few years ago I hardly cooked a lick. Now don't get me wrong, I've loved food ALL my life...but my zest for cooking? That started just short of 5 years ago. (Up until then my claim to fame was a half-assed green salad and a rubbery shrimp scampi.) Cooking's not in my blood. Growing up, my mom had about a half a dozen recipes in her repertoire and my dad would burn hot dogs so badly on the grill I would have to peel the charcoaled outer skin off to get to the edible core. These days my mom rarely cooks, maybe a pot of rice here or there and if the mood strikes she may grill some mackerel. My dad sticks to making the one recipe he does best- homemade spaghetti sauce. Neither of my parents would give Ina Garten a run for her money. In fact, they store pots and pans in their oven and dry goods in their dishwasher, that's how often they cook. They did however encourage me to be open-minded and try all kinds of food when I was growing up- from matzo balls to deep-fried chicken gizzards to natto. Although these days I may have surpassed them in my passion for new delicious foods, as they tend to scratch their heads quizzically when I wax on about foie gras, sweetbreads and quinoa during my visits home. As for the cooking part, over the past few years I've taught myself- mostly by experimenting in the kitchen, pouring over recipes and gleaning handy tips from friends who are amazing cooks. So when people tell me they can't cook...I like to point out that they can cook, they just choose not to. They just need to put the time and the effort into learning how to cook. Start with the simple dishes and work your way up...and most importantly- have fun!

One of the things that keeps cooking interesting for me is stumbling upon new and unique ingredients. For example, one of my recent finds at my local grocery store was a mysterious-sounding rice by Lotus Foods called "Forbidden Rice."* The name was just so cool and the color so intriguing, I couldn't resist picking up a small bag to play around with. As it turned out Forbidden Rice is a heirloom short-grain rice with a bit of a nutty taste, chewy texture and an intense inky purple hue (once it's cooked). This Thai black rice is pretty versatile and you could use it in many of the same dishes that you would use wild rice in. Additionally, it's quite the healthy addition to any diet as it's high in antioxidant-rich anthocyanins, iron and is a good source of fiber.  For my first attempt at using it, I wanted to keep it uncomplicated so I opted to make a rice salad. Prowling around the Internet, I found an easy recipe by Charlie Ayers utilizing Forbidden Rice. (Charlie Ayers is the former executive chef for Google.) I liked that it had a spicy dressing, so I used that for my salad and just changed up the ingredients to what I had on hand or preferred. The result was a tasty, eye-catching salad with a bit of a kick.  Now you could also jazz this salad up by adding some chopped sweet potatoes, mandarin slices or even some shelled edamame. Or you could top it with a protein such as a ginger-sesame salmon fillet or some sliced citrus-soy marinated flank steak to make it a full meal.

 

[* Supposedly in ancient China, black rice was reserved only for the emperor/royal family and was not available to the public; hence, the name "Forbidden Rice."]

Spicy Forbidden Rice Salad

Ingredients

1 cup Forbidden Rice

1/4 cup scallions, green & white parts thinly sliced

1/2 cup Sweet Twister pepper, diced

1/2 cup English cucumber, diced

1 cup roasted/unsalted cashews, chopped

2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

2 teaspoons sesame oil

juice of 1 lime

1/2 teaspoon sambal oelek

1/2 teaspoon honey

salt and ground pepper, to taste

1-2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds


Instructions

1. Put the rice, 2 cups of water and a generous pinch of salt  in a small pot or saucepan and bring to a quick boil. Cover, reduce the heat to low and allow to simmer for about 30 minutes (until liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender).

2. In a small bowl, mix together soy sauce, sesame oil, lime juice, sambal oelek, honey, salt and pepper. Set aside and allow flavors to meld.

3. When the rice is ready, remove from heat. If there is any excess water, drain. Allow to cool.

4. Once cool, place the rice in a large bowl and add green onions, Twister pepper, cucumber and cashews. Mix together thoroughly.

5. Give the dressing a quick whisk then pour over the rice salad. Mix it up really well. Taste. Add more salt, pepper, lime juice, honey or sambal oelek if needed. (If you want it spicier, up the sambal oelek.) Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.

 

6. Serve at room temp or chill in fridge.

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Muffin Tin Croque Madame

(with Gruyère and wheat bread)

108 degrees! Ugh! I dunno about you all but I was sweating like a pig all weekend. We had a Catholic school graduation to attend Friday night and it was balls hot in the church. They said the AC was on, but I have my doubts. On the bright side, maybe I sweated off a pound or two. Saturday night, I ended up at the Endurocross racing at The Sleeptrain Arena (is that what the name is this week?) with Mr.S. and the kidlets. I know, I know...you all can't picture me at an event like this but I ended up having a good time. Endurocross is a super fast, intense, high endurance sport. It's similar to motocross racing but instead of just speeding around, they race over large rocks, logs, tires and even through a water pit. I especially liked watching Wally Palmer race (unfortunately, he didn't win).

Sunday cooled down considerably, thank god! Mr. S. took me to Green Acres Nursery to buy some veggie plants for the raised garden bed he made for me. How awesome is he? What was really impressive was that he made the whole thing from scratch. I absolutely love it. We planted peppers, cherry tomatoes, Japanese eggplant, cucumbers, basil and squash. Kidlet #1 wanted a watermelon plant so we planted that too. Now if they'd just grow overnight, I'd be a happy camper. (I'm soooo impatient!) Grow! Grow! Grow!

Lately I've been watching Rachel Khoo's show, "Little Paris Kitchen" online. I had checked out her new cookbook from the library recently and found that I liked the simplicity of her French recipes and how she gives each one a neat twist. (Plus she's a hapa like me and cooks in a teeny-tiny kitchen, gotta love that!) This morning I made one of her recipes for breakfast for Mr.S. and the kidlets, the Muffin Tin Croque Madame. The snack-sized savory treat got an enthusiastic thumbs up all around from my favorite little taste testers. I made some small modifications to the recipe to suit my taste but followed the recipe as is for the most part. You can see the original recipe here:  Croque Madame Muffins. By the way, the leftover Mornay sauce is absolutely delicious on a side of grits or as a dipping sauce for biscuits.

(with Cheddar and white bread)

"Muffin Tin" Croque Madame

Ingredients

For the Mornay (cheese) sauce:

• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup plus 1 tbsp milk, lukewarm (whole or 2%. Skip using nonfat, soy, almond, etc. for this recipe)
• 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 cup grated Gruyère cheese (or cheddar)
• 3 tbps grated Parmesan cheese
• salt and pepper

• 6 large slices of bread, no crusts
• 3 tbsp butter, melted
• 2 1/2 oz ham, cut into cubes or thin strips or 3-4 strips of bacon chopped into small pieces
• 6 small eggs

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. In a small saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon of butter over medium heat. Add your flour, and beat together until smooth.

3. Gradually add your milk, whisking the entire time. Add your Dijon mustard and nutmeg. Let it all simmer together for about 10 minutes. Give it a whisk every few minutes so it doesn't burn.

4. Add about 90% of your Gruyere and all of your Parmesan. Continue whisking the ingredients. Add salt and pepper to taste.

5. Remove the crust from the bread slices and flatten each slice. You can brush both sides of the bread with melted butter, but I found just doing one side was fine.

6. Spray your 6-cup muffin tin with cooking spray. Press each slice of bread in the muffin hole. You can used the bottom of a drinking glass but I found it just as easy to smoosh it down with my fingers.

9. Place a few pieces of ham or bacon in the bread "cup". Followed by one egg on top (you may have to pour out a little of the egg white before adding the egg, so that it fits). Top with 2 tablespoons of the Mornay sauce. Sprinkle with your leftover Gruyère. Season with some black pepper, if you wish.

10. Place the muffin tin in the oven. And cook for 20 minutes (a few minutes less, if you like your eggs on the runnier side).

11. Remove tin from oven. Use a fork or knife to pop the croque madame out. Serve while hot.

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Hawaiian Mac Salad

 

I hadn't planned on doing a post for the Hawaiian Mac Salad that I made on Sunday, but after I posted about the Kalua pig, I got about a dozen emails requesting the recipe for the macaroni salad I made to go with it.

Note, for those who haven't had it before-  Hawaiian Mac Salad is not your normal macaroni salad from the deli counter. It's tangier and sweeter, the mayo is thinned out by milk and its only extra ingredients are grated carrot, sliced scallions and small bits of celery. Also, you have to use real mayo to make this, not the lowfat stuff or Miracle Whip (gack!).

The recipe I use is from Cook's Country Magazine, from a printing that I clipped from a Bay Area paper a few years ago. It most closely replicates the Hawaiian macaroni salads I ate while on vacation in Hawaii.

Give it a go...Hawaiian Mac Salad is the perfect accompaniment for a plate lunch of Kalua pig, Huli Huli chicken or your favorite BBQ dish.

Hawaiian Mac Salad (from Cook's Country Magazine)

 

Ingredients

2 cups whole milk, divided
2 cups mayonnaise, divided (I like to use Best Foods Real Mayonnaise)
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
2 teaspoons black pepper
1 pound macaroni elbows
1/2 cup cider vinegar
4 scallions, sliced thin
1 large carrot, peeled and grated
1 celery rib, chopped fine

Instructions

1. To make dressing, whisk together 1 1/2 cups milk, 1 cup mayonnaise, brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 2 teaspoons black pepper (or pepper to taste). Set aside.

 

2. Bring 4 quarts water to a boil in large pot. Add 1 tablespoon salt and pasta and cook until very soft, about 15 minutes. Drain pasta and return to pot. (You want the pasta to be fat and soft, not al dente)

3. Add vinegar and toss until absorbed. Transfer to a bowl. Cool pasta, then stir in dressing until well-coated. Cool completely. (Don't worry, the macaroni will absorb the dressing)

4. To assemble salad, add scallions, carrot, celery, remaining milk and remaining mayonnaise to pasta mixture and stir to combine. Season to taste. Refrigerate covered for at least 1 hour and up to 2 days. Serves 8 people.

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Oven-baked Kalua Pig

Man, when did it become so incredibly HOT outside? I'm definitely not one of those people who loves the sweltering heat. What's there to like? Burning my hand on my steering wheel? Sweating like a pig? Ugh. If my little cottage didn't have CH&A, I don't know what I'd do. Seriously. I don't care if that makes me seem like an entitled brat. Whenever that thermometer starts climbing past 75 degrees, my air goes on- STAT. I would never survive in the South, where they have the double whammy of heat and humidity. I'm a total wuss. So this weekend when it reached over 100 degrees,  I tried to minimize my time spent in the kitchen. On Friday night, I convinced Mr. S. that we should go out to eat...I called it a date night but in all honestly, I just didn't want to cook. We tried the new Turkish restaurant on J Street, Istanbul Bistro. Not bad. The lamb beyti kabob was heavenly. The chicken shish plate...meh, probably wouldn't order that again. It was a bit bland and the portion was skimpy for the cost ($15).

Saturday night, I headed to the wilds of Rocklin for a wonderful get together of a few food bloggers in the area, including- Bake It With Booze, Guava Rose and Tate's Kitchen. There was such a delicious array of foods and cocktails. Man, can those ladies cook! I even got to try some tasty homemade orangecello that made my made my eyes bug out on the first sip. Those Bake with Booze girls aren't messing around with their booze. That orangecello may have put some hair on my chest, it was hardcore! I loved it though. :) Sunday was spent helping Kidlet #2 with his report (I now know more than I ever wanted to about FDR), reading  my book for book club (Home by Toni Morrison, which I'm enjoying immensely) and cooking. Yep, I said cooking. I cranked up the AC and ventured into the kitchen...and I even used the oven! I guess I just can't stay out of there. I thought a little luau food would be fun for the kidlets so I braved the heat and made Kalua pig, Hawaiian mac salad and coconut rice. The kidlets and Mr.S. loved it.  It was such an easy dish to make and pork butt is so cheap, I think we'll be making it more often. We even had enough for leftovers for the next day. Kalua pork is so versatile- you can throw the leftovers in tacos and quesadillas, stuff them into sandwiches and even toss some onto a pizza. It also freezes well. The only thing that would have made that meal better, would have been a GIANT mai tai. Um...for me (not the kidlets).

Kalua Pork

Ingredients

5 lb. pork butt, bone in
1.5 tablespoons Liquid Smoke
2 tablespoons of Hawaiian Alaea sea salt


Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

2. Score the pork butt on all sides.

3. Rub liquid smoke and salt onto the pork butt. Use your hands to pat it into the meat.

4. Place the pork butt on a large piece of heavy aluminum foil, fat side up. Wrap the foil tightly around the meat in a tent-like fashion. Place in a roasting pan or baking dish.

5. Cook for about 4-5 hours (about 45 minutes per pound of meat).

6. When it's done, remove the pork butt from the oven and let it sit, untouched, for another 10-15 minutes.

7. Open the foil. Remove the meat from the foil and shred the meat with two forks. It'll be really tender and will fall apart easily. You can also use some of the remaining roasting liquid to moisten the pork (optional). Serve.

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