CELEBRATING A MILESTONE BIRTHDAY (PART 1 – THE HUBBY)

With the hubby's fast-approaching big birthday (his 60^th; mine follows in January), the question was posed to him: where do you want to be on that day … October 7^th?  "At a baseball game.”   Sounds like a simple enough request.  But given that October is the beginning of the postseason, making plans for the occasion was not for the travel-challenged!

The daily question was:  What teams are going to be in the playoffs, and what is the schedule?  We knew back in late September that the Boys in Blue (aka The Dodgers) were the National League West champs, so their place was secure.

Dodger Clayton Kershaw celebrates

Ideally, we would be in our seats at Dodger Stadium.  I could get very "deep in the weeds" here about how and where the playoff teams are determined (four from each league or a total of eight possible game locations), but I fear I will lose most readers.  I am amazed I actually understand it myself, but that is largely due to the onslaught of baseball in my home from April through the Fall Classic.

Thankfully the baseball gods cooperated with a Game 4 on October 7 at Dodger Stadium.  Birthday message purchased for the Ribbon Board?  Check. By the way, I learned several things in this process.  The scoreboard messages are also available to be purchased, but only for groups of 30 or more.  And that space sold out three weeks ago, according to Ray Daryabigi, Head of Fan Services for the Dodgers (he was kind enough to return my call).  Hold up a sign and hope to get on camera?  Nope, no signs allowed at the stadium (they will be confiscated at security).  But I did sneak one in and will not share exactly how.  He also told me to go the Fan booth on our level and ask for some goodies, which were duly delivered along with Dodger personnel getting everyone around us to sing Happy Birthday.

Suffice it to say, very happy we didn't have to contemplate going to another city to see a game on the 7th.  The choices:  Tampa Bay, Pittsburgh or Detroit -- which is actually the hubby's birthplace -- but so glad to be in his longtime home.  Probably TMI for the non-baseball-fan readers here so I will move on.

"THOSE THAT CAN'T BUY, RENT ..."

And that would be the philosophy followed for the big surprise of the day.  At 10 a.m., his ride for the next 24 hours was delivered to our doorstep:

Of course, few surprises go off without some heart-stopping event, such as the phone call I got the day before.  "We have some bad news about your rental ... there are mechanical issues and the car cannot be fixed in time." Good lord, no!  "But we can offer you an upgrade for no additional cost." What was my first question? "Is it red?"  "Yes!"  No problem ... let's proceed!

That is a genuine look of surprise.

I have wanted to do this forever, and the opportunity and timing turned out to be perfect for this day. Plus the fact that the hubby's bro was a major contributor to this endeavor made it all the more realistic (thank you, David B!).    

Yep, that works!

Driving around was followed by lunch at Matsuhisa for glorious sushi with bro-in-law and co-conspirator David, plus our kids and two friends of more than 30 years, Scott Redston (also an Oct 7 b'day) and Frank Haffner.    

Why not the best??

And, finally, those wonderful words were spoken:  "It's time for Dodger baseball!"   And what a game it was ... as if it weren't enough from the baseball gods to even have a game at home that day, how about a come-from-behind home run in the bottom of the 8th that ultimately decided the game and the series.  On to the National League Championship next.   Honestly, one couldn't script a better outcome.   And Hannah, the non-baseball-fan member of the family, was only to happy to provide dessert after we got home ...

Lifelong friends Big John (Hatch) & Buzzie (Ed Sugar), Shawn & Michelle Steel, the son, the brother and us (with the contraband sign)!

Thanks for baking, Hannah!

Only thing left to do the following morning was break the news to the son that Gotham Dreamcars was on the way to pick up the car ... 

PRIVATE CHEFS COME TO THE HOUSE

How cool would it be to have private chefs come to your home prepare a menu on-site that was pre-approved by you? Then you got to watch up close as they went through all the insider techniques?   Well, pretty cool in my book.  And that is just what I got to do on a recent evening …

The genesis of this terrific evening was hosting at my home the semi-annual Members’ Only Dinner for my wonderful friends and colleagues in the Organization of Women Executives.  I have been a member of this group since 2005 (and proudly a past president).   Throughout the year we have impressive speakers, special events like an evening at the Los Angeles Opera, our annual Spa Weekend, and this dinner in the spring and the fall.

I was delighted to provide my backyard as the setting for the fall dinner.  Once I knew this was happening, my first thought was the food!  Last year, I engaged Boneyard Bistro to cater the event with their fabulous BBQ and I must say it was a big hit with the women.  But what to do this year …

Engaging a private chef is something I've always wanted to do.  But how does one go about that?  Referrals?  The Yellow Pages??  Well, I did something I usually don’t do (but I know many others do) – I went on Yelp!   And lo and behold, there were listings for quite a few private chefs.    After doing a few background checks, I started at the top of the list not knowing whether this path would even be in our budget for the event.  One chef had great credentials and, if his PR was accurate, he was kind of a big deal.  I would have hired him solely on how quickly he responded to my email (IMMEDIATELY), but his schedule didn’t work with our date.  I asked him if he were to clone himself, who he would recommend (he said there isn’t another like him!).  He then told me that a friend of his had started a new website called Kitchit, where you can shop for a personal chef based on different criteria … and that is how I found Chef Joey Giorgianni, his partner/co-chef Lori Hill and Haute Food LA.

Transforming this ... 

Into this ...

As luck would have it, we were blessed with a beautiful autumn evening for dining outdoors.  Joey suggested a lot of menu options, but the one that seemed most fitting for the event was a "California Grill" menu.

  

Hard at work with an assist from Cookie

Lots of interesting and fresh ingredients were incorporated; Joey told me things might change a bit as the date approached depending on seasonal choices available.     And here is the menu that was served:

Southern California Grilled Tacos .. with Grilled Cod, Charred Shrimp and/or Rare Cassis Flank Steak  ~~ Handmade Guacamole ~~ Housemade Creme Fraiche (cilantro optional) ~~ Tequila Lime Salsa ~~ Serrano Mango Chutney ~~ Cilantro Lime Rice 

Side Dishes ..  Stuffed Peppers with Quinoa & Spices ~~ Roasted Vegetables ~~ Kale & Orange Salad 









Desserts .. Valhrona Chocolate Mousse Tart  ~~ Lemon Tart garnished with Fresh Blueberries  ~~ Seasonal Bread Pudding with Raspberry Coulis

Lori & Joey 

From the feedback received, the evening was a success!  All it takes is ample room, lots of chairs, tables and cloths of varying sizes (collected and stored over the years), delicious food, cooperation from the weather Gods, and an amazing group of 40 friends.  



And here's my insider tip for pretty, long-lasting and inexpensive centerpieces:
Buy multiple small orchids (from Trader Joe's) and place them inside a square or round glass container.   I take the orchids out of the plastic pot and put them inside the glass container, then fill in completely with the bark. Voila!   To water, simply put a few ice cubes each week right at the base of the plant. They will get plenty of moisture ... when they are finished flowering, repot in the individual plastic containers.  Too Martha Stewart?  Honestly, I have no more time on my hands than anybody else, but to me this is a lot of fun!

BEST WAY TO END THE SUMMER (WARNING: Do not proceed on an empty stomach!)

With the end of summer fast approaching, and the son and daughter about to gain full employment (please God), a family trip was in order.   Where to go?  Well, that would be nirvana/heaven-on-earth/the foodies’ paradise … aka Napa Valley.

Wonderful eggplant parm for the first dinner in Napa ..

We decided to make the drive this time so off we set up Highway 5 (Hwy 1 is obviously more scenic but we wanted to get here sooner).    After a brief stop for lunch at Harris Ranch (instead of all the fast food along the way), we were happily ensconced at Silverado Resort & Spa for 4 days …

Happy-day-after 24th birthday!

Hotels in the general Napa area have gotten really pricey, so I’m considering these digs as pretty much a "bargain" when taking into account the spaciousness (we’re in a 3-BR condo), full kitchen (for breakfast and snacks), multiple pools plus being right on the golf course for gorgeous scenery.   As this is really high season – end of summer and Labor Day weekend – I made dinner reservations in advance and left our days open.

Our first full day began with randomly heading up the Silverado Trail for a stop at Robert Sinskey Winery.  Wine tasting before lunch? 

Lone melon in the garden!

No problem.  And if Sinskey is good enough for The Barefoot Contessa to have made it part of her show, then it’s good enough for us.  Actually we were out of their wonderful wines at home so a small purchase was in order, as it was at our next stop -- Groth Winery.     

Hmmmm, serious consideration of wine list.

Chef Richard Reddington -- pretty brilliant!

Across the valley and south to Yountville for lunch at Redd Wood.
Now open more than a year, this is the second restaurant in Napa by renowned chef Richard Reddington (we’ll be dining at his eponymous Redd our last night here).  Reddington, who was executive chef at Auberge du Soleil prior to going out on his own, clearly learned from many of the legendary restaurateurs under whom he trained over the years.  His food is just downright delicious with a touch of fun … Redd Wood is located next to one of the newer boutique hotels in Yountville -- North Block Hotel --so guess where you’d be having breakfast if you stayed there! And by chance we were able to say hello as he came out -- not because we were there but to greet the grande dame of the area, Margrit Mondavi (as in wife of the late Robert and please don't ask me how I recognized her ..).  It was great to pay our respects to him and prepare him for our visit on Friday ... 

Life-size "Pinterest" board/art installation at Redd Wood

I would be remiss not mentioning the corn soup at lunch -- a small amount offered with compliments that was cold, light, and can only be described as a corn milkshake.  It was wonderful ... and the pizza was to-die-for!  

Burrata and tomato salad with micro greens

Corn soup aka "milkshake"!

Fig/leek/goat cheese pizza

Beet and ricotta raviolis

That evening was was spent at Mustards Grill, a location described in a previous blog post.  What was noteworthy besides their fun signage and the always-delicious food was the staff ... they are serious about the food and preparation, but enjoy themselves at the same time.  That made for a wonderful evening (not to mention the nectarine/fig/blackberry cobbler with buttermilk ice cream ...)  

Two happy campers!

My halibut with roasted tomatoes

Aforementioned cobbler plus another decadent chocolate/hazelnut concoction ..

Harvest time!

Serious wine tasting/buying was on the agenda the next day, including Shafer, Clos du Val, Stag's Leap and a totally off-the-map winery named 
David Fulton.  In between we had our Thomas Keller fix with lunch at Bouchon (GREAT) and then up to Dean and DeLuca.  As with previous visits, the hubby works with their personnel to put together a case of wines that are generally available only here in Napa.  Many of the wineries' production is so small that everything is consumed locally (Fulton produces under 400 cases per year as an example).  That case will be a welcome delivery back home. 

Me and my girl ..

Diced nectarine/arugula/granola salad

Could not miss these .. 

Bouchon Bakery's take on a classic (managed to pass up)

Westie sighting in Sonoma (we have two at home)

After a very casual night, we headed to Sonoma for a walkaround the town square before going to Santa Rosa and lunch at Guy Fieri's Johnny Garlics (he wasn't there ...).  We did a big sweep north and then west and ended up back in Calistoga after getting the full flavor of the area.  First stop was Duckhorn, followed by Cuvaison and Joseph Phelps.

View from Joseph Phelps' terrace

Post-wine-tasting scene at Phelps -- that's a lot of glasses to wash!

27 years and counting ... 

The last evening coincided with our anniversary and it was a pleasure to dine at Redd in Yountville with cousins.  By that time, honestly I was ready to surrender and savor the thought of a return visit .. We flew home (the son drove on to Vegas) after another fun visit with family in Danville, and completed the trip with a celebrity encounter at the Burbank airport...

Amy Adams with Hannah