We really enjoyed our recent visit with Jerry and Paul! Luigi instantly bonded when receiving a giant lobster toy with 4 squeakers, and treats.

Sunday evening after a Santa Barbara brunch and long drive home from Slow Bowl, we grazed on cheeses, salami, dips and desserts during the end of the Super Bowl.

Monday we began the "Foodie Shopping Marathon" with visits to the Savory Spice Shop, Williams-Sonoma, the new Olive Oil shop (Olive a Sudden), and Brandini Toffee. After I was treated to lunch out, I went off to do my therapy group, and the boys hit Trader Joe's, Bristol Farms and See's Candy! They are GREAT shoppers!

Monday night, we had good wines, salad, lasagna, garlic bread and dessert at home.

Tuesday, the guys were off and running to Sam's Club, Costco and Khols before some good Mexican food for lunch:

Next we stopped at Super Target and the Sheild's Date Garden. EVERYTHING fit in their luggage, and we had a leisurely dinner at Pizza Vino. Calamari, bread with dipping oil started us off:

Paul tried the home made fennel sausage:

The rest of us sampled pizze: Prosciutto-Spinach for Brad, Burrata-Fungi for Jerry, and
Gorgonzola-Apple-Rapini for me:

After dinner, we relaxed and planned future trips and visits! What great house guests!

Taking a stress break:

Wine Tasting at Palmina:

Learning about Tessa Marie wine:

Flatbread pizza night! Then gelato! YUM!

Old and New Friends!

All of our prep took place in our hotel room that had a full kitchen. Here are dessert plates ready to go on the extra bed:

Behind the scenes with the cocoa powder stencil:

Here we are lined up for service:

Dessert included a chocolate-dipped "North Beach Cannoli", a Nutella Mousse Parfait garnished with Hazelnut Crunch, a Triple Layer Cookie Bar with toffee shortbread, caramel, Ghiardelli chocolate, and sprayed edible gold, and a red heart chocolate IN San Francisco!

Dessert was served with Lou and Jane's Buena Vista Irish Coffee:

Nutella Mousse Parfaits: Palma
8 oz. mascarpone cheese (room temp)

1 c. Nutella
1/2 cup Nutella for melting

1 1/2 c. cold heavy whipping cream

1/2 t. espresso powder

1 T. Frangelico Liquore or hazelnut extract

Place 1 cup Nutella and espresso powder in a bowl in microwave, and heat in 10 second intervals, stirring until smooth. Beat with mascarpone cheese until smooth. Melt
remaining 1/2 c. Nutella and set aside.
Whip cream until soft peaks form. Add Frangelico, and beat a few seconds longer until Frangelico is incorporated. Fold Nutella-mascarpone mixture into whipped cream and spoon into small cups or glasses. Alternate layers of mousse and melted Nutella.

Praline Chocolate Crunch: Elizabeth Falkner

1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups blanched hazelnuts, toasted
1 teaspoon hazelnut or vegetable oil
4 ounces dark chocolate (do not exceed 72% cacao), chopped
4 ounces high-quality milk chocolate (such as Lindt or Scharffen Berger), chopped
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 3/4 cup puffed rice cereal or crushed cornflakes

Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Stir sugar and 1/3 cup water in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and cook without stirring, occasionally swirling pan and brushing down sides with a wet pastry brush, until amber in color, 7–8 minutes. Stir in hazelnuts, then pour onto 1 prepared sheet, separating nuts. Let cool.
Transfer candied nuts to a food processor. Add hazelnut oil and purée until smooth to make praline paste.
Combine both chocolates and 3 T. praline paste in a medium metal bowl (reserve remaining praline paste for praline mousse layer). Set bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and stir until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat and stir in salt, then cereal. Spread out in a thin layer (about 1/8") on second pre-pared baking sheet. Chill until set, about 30 minutes

Chocolate-dipped Cannoli with Orange-Ricotta Filling: Tyler Florence
12 mini cannoli shells
12 oz. chocolate

Filling:
1 lb. good-quality ricotta cheese

8 oz powdered sugar

1 tsp fresh orange zest

3 oz. chopped citron (candied orange peel)

2 t. vanilla

Melt chocolate over a double boiler and dip half of each cannoli shell in the chocolate. Allow any excess chocolate to drip off then lay shells out on a waxed paper-lined tray to set while you prepare the filling.

For the filling:
Line a colander with muslin, add the ricotta and let drain until very dry. Squeeze out any excess moisture in muslin. Place the ricotta into the bowl of a stand mixer and beat on high for 5 to 7 minutes until light and fluffy.
Add sugar, orange zest, chopped candied orange peel and vanilla, then mix on medium until just combined. Place the filling into a piping bag and fill chocolate dipped cannoli with the mixture. Serve as soon as possible.

Ghiardelli-Toffee-Caramel Bars: Palma

For the shortbread:

1 pound (4 sticks) butter

3 cups flour

1 cup sugar

1 cup Rice flour (found in Asian section of any market)

One package Heath Toffee Chips

Cream butter and sugar. Stir together 2 kinds of flour and add half at a time. Add toffee
chips. Form six balls of dough and spread in a jelly roll pan. Flatten evenly with hands.
Prick all over with fork. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Let cool thoroughly on a wire rack.

For the caramel layer:
14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk

2 cups packed brown sugar

16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter

6 tablespoons golden syrup

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

For the chocolate layer:
12 ounces Ghiardelli semisweet chocolate chips

For the caramel layer:
In a medium saucepan, add condensed milk, brown sugar, butter, syrup and salt.  Heat over medium-low heat, stirring, until sugar dissolves.
Bring mixture to a boil and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture darkens and reaches 237 degrees F. on a candy thermometer.
Remove from the heat, and whisk in vanilla. Pour mixture evenly over the cooled shortbread crust.

Immediately sprinkle chocolate over hot caramel layer, and spread. Cool. Cut into bars.
Keep in fridge. Optional: Spray with edible gold

Buena Vista Irish Coffee (recipe copied from Buena Vista brochure, 1950's)

"Irish Coffee...the drink of music and magic...was conceived by Joe Sheridan at Shannon Airport. Stan Delaplane brought it back to San Francisco with him. The Buena Vista serves it, just as it is served in Shannon and using the perfect 7-year old, pot still, Irish whiskey. Try it and taste for yourself." (Buena Vista, 2765 Hyde St., San Francisco)

1. Pre-heat glass with very hot water. Fill and let stand a few seconds, then empty.
2. Fill glass three-fourths full of hot, black coffee before glass has cooled. Drop three cocktail cubes of sugar into coffee.
3. Stir until dissolved completely.
4. Add full jigger of Irish whiskey for correct taste and body.
5. By pouring over a spoon, top with a head of lightly whipped whipping cream.
6. .....your Irish coffee is ready to enjoy-serve to your guests while piping hot.

More of the Northern California Friday night Smackdown food and redipes:

Roz made this wonderful salad with pancetta-wrapped crostini for our next course:

Fig and Grape Salad with Pancetta-Wrapped Crostini: Alice Waters
Ingredients:
3 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar, aged 12 years or more, or ½ cup good-quality commercial balsamic vinegar plus 1 teaspoon brown sugar
6 thick slices country-style bread
Extra-virgin olive oil
12 thin slices pancetta (about ¼ pound)
9 ripe figs (or dried figs if not in season)
1 cup grapes, stemmed
6 small handfuls arugula
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:
If substituting commercial balsamic vinegar, put it in a small saucepan with the brown sugar and reduce by a little more than half, until the vinegar is thick and syrupy.
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Trim the crusts off the bread and cut the slices in half lengthwise, making 12 long, thin crostini. Brush them lightly with olive oil and wrap with slices of pancetta—spirally, like candy canes. Place them on a baking sheet and bake until the pancetta begins to crisp, about 10 minutes.
While the pancetta-wrapped crostini are baking, quarter the figs, cut the grapes in half, and thoroughly was and dry the arugula. When the crostini are almost ready, gently toss the arugula and fruit with a pinch of salt, a few grinds of the peppermill, and about 3 tablespoons olive oil. Arrange the salad on plates and drizzle with the balsamic vinegar. Garnish with the crostini.

Our main course included Lou's pulled pork sandwiches, Wendy's amazing Truffled Goat cheese stuffed Fingerling Potatoes, Rose's Bourbon Beans, and Roz's kale chips.
I garnished the plates with a parsnip rose.

Pulled Pork Sandwiches: Michael Mina
Ingredients
1/4 cup dark brown sugar, lightly packed
2 tbsp kosher or coarse salt
2 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp ground black pepper
1/2 tbsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp dry mustard (found in spice section)
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 boneless pork butt, about 3 pounds
1 1/2 cups apple juice
1/2 cup water
1 package plain soft white rolls or other bread

Tip: You can buy bone-in or boneless pork butts. Both have their benefits: Cooking bone-in will contribute some flavor (and increase the cooking time slightly). But if you have your butcher take out the bone, you can rub the spice mix into the incisions where the bone was removed — a great way to get the flavor deep inside the meat.

Instructions
Mix brown sugar and dry spices together in a small bowl. Rub all over pork, cover, and let sit in the refrigerator for as long as you have time for (as little as 1 hour or up to overnight). Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Lay pork on a rack insert fitted inside a roasting pan. (The rack should be high enough so the entire spiced butt is sitting above the cooking liquid.) Pour in apple juice and water, cover pan tightly with foil, and slow roast for 5 hours. Remove foil and cook for another 30 minutes, until pork is brown outside and meat is very tender, basically falling apart.
Remove from oven, transfer to large platter, and allow meat to rest for about 10 minutes. While still warm, shred pork into small pieces using 2 forks or 10 fingers. Transfer to bowl for serving, or cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days. To reheat, just transfer to shallow baking dish, bring to room temperature, and place in preheated 350 degree oven for 15 minutes.
Tip: If the pan drippings aren't burned, discard fat and mix drippings back into the pulled pork, which will make it even more moist and flavorful.

Goat Cheese-Truffled Stuffed Fingerlings: Hubert Keller
Ingredients: (Yields: 20-24 pieces)
10-12 fingerling potatoes (2 ½" to 3" long, thicker ones preferred)
5 ounces goat cheese, room temperature
2 teaspoon white truffle oil (or hazelnut or walnut oil)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons sherry vinegar
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Optional for garnish:pink peppercorns
chives, cut into 1" section
Quart size Ziploc bag (for piping)

Directions:
Wash the potatoes well. Slice the tips off the end of each potato, so they sit perfectly flat, then cut the potatoes into 1" sections. You should get approximately 2 pieces from each potato. Using a small melon baller, scoop out the center of each potato section, creating a cavity for the goat cheese filling. Be careful not to go more than 3/4 of the way down the potato.
Boil 1 quart of water with 2 tablespoons salt in medium saucepot.
When boiling, drop the potato sections and cook until tender, approximately 8 to 10 minutes. While the potatoes are cooking, prepare a large bowl with water and ice cubes. When the potatoes are tender, use a colander to scoop them out of the boiling water and drop them immediately into the ice bath to stop the cooking.

To make the dressing, in small bowl whisk together Dijon mustard and vinegar. Slowly whisk in olive oil until well blended. Set aside.

Pull the potatoes from the ice bath and line up the potatoes on a tray. Season lightly with salt and pepper, then lightly drizzle with dressing.

In small food processor, combine goat cheese, white truffle oil, ½ tsp salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Pulse until smooth.

Using a spatula, scoop the goat cheese mixture into the Ziploc bag. Squeeze mixture towards one corner of the bag, then cut off a ½" section from the corner of the bag to create a piping bag. Squeeze the mixture into the potato sections, so that it completely fills each potato and comes just slightly over the top.
For garnish, top each potato with 1 pink peppercorn and 2 chive pieces. Serve at room temperature.

Bourbon Beans: Michael Mina

Ingredients
16 oz. navy beans
3 cups water
2 Tbl. molasses
2 Tbl. tomato paste
1 tsp. dry mustard
1/2 cup chili sauce
1/2 cup bourbon
1/2 cup strong coffee
1 cup fresh pineapple, chopped to a pulp
1 yellow onion, minced
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 lb. bacon, chopped
Salt to taste
Black pepper to taste
Pinch chile flakes

Instructions
Soak beans in enough water to cover by double their volume overnight. In the morning, discard the water and rinse beans.
In an eight-quart pot, cook bacon over medium heat. Once the bacon has started to brown slightly, add the onions and sweat until translucent. Add tomato paste, stir and cook for one minute. Add the remaining ingredients and beans (except for the salt, which will keep the beans from softening if added early) and cook over low heat for 4-6 hours, or until beans are soft. Once beans have softened, season to taste with salt and cook another hour. You may have to add water to maintain the consistency. If beans are still too wet after the allotted cooking time, then raise heat to medium and simmer until desired consistency has been reached.

Roasted Kale Chips: Tyler Florence
One bunch kale
Extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.  Wash and dry kale very well.  Cut kale into bite-size chip-size pieces, discarding the thick stems, and arrange evenly on a baking sheet.
With a pastry brush, gently paint the top of each kale leaf with a little oil, then sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Bake until crispy, about 15-20 minutes.

We began our Nor Cal menu with a Welcome Cocktail called a "S.F. Passion":

1 oz Passion Fruit Syrup
5 oz. Sonoma Brut Sparkling Wine
2 drops vanilla

With the drinks, we served Michael Chiarello's popcorn with browned butter, rosemary and lemon. (no photo)

Our Amuse Bouch was a goat cheese fritatta with bacon, fennel and gruyere.

5 eggs, beaten
7 oz. goat cheese
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 bulbs fennel, finely chopped, sauteed in 1 T. butter for 4 min.
6 slices bacon, cooked crisp, chopped
2 cups shredded gruyere cheese
 
Combine eggs and goat cheese; blend until almost smooth. Add flour, baking powder and butter; stir in fennel, bacon and gruyere. Pour into a lightly greased 8x8 baking pan; bake at 350 for 30 to 40 minutes. Let cool slightly; cut into squares. Serve at room temperature.

Here is the WINNING Appetizer Plate:a Blue Bradley Ogden's Twice Baked Maytag Blue Cheese Souffle, Michael Chiarello's Roasted Pear Soup and Blue Cheese Crostini on Raisin-Walnut bread, garnished with pea sprouts, candied pistachios, and dried cherries.

Twice Baked Maytag Blue Cheese Souffles: Bradley Ogden

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 cup cold milk
6 ounces Maytag blue cheese, crumpled, room temperature
3 egg yolks
3 egg whites
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 tablespoon butter, for molds
Parchment paper
3/4 cup heavy cream
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 280 – 300 (F) degrees. If using a convection oven, preheat to 250 (F) degrees.
2. Butter six, 4 ounce souffle molds. (or twelve 2 oz. souffle molds)
3. In a 1-quart stainless steel sauce pan, add the 2 tablespoons of butter and place over a moderate heat to melt the butter. Stir in the flour with a wooden spoon and cook for 6 minutes, stirring often. Incorporate the cold milk, whisking very slowly to make a thick cream sauce. Once the milk is added, continue to cook for 8 minutes over a slow heat.
4. Pour the cream sauce into an electric mixing bowl.
5. Using the whisk attachment, add the crumbled blue cheese. Turn the machine on low to blend the sauce and cheese. Let the mixture cool slightly, turn to a high speed and add one egg yolk at a time. Season the mixture to taste with salt and pepper. Remove the mixture to another bowl and let cool completely.
6. Whip the egg whites to soft peaks and fold into the cheese. Fill molds to the top with the mixture. Bake in a water bath at 280 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until set. Remove from the oven; let cool almost completely. Remove from mold and place onto buttered parchment paper, with top side up. Refrigerate until needed.
For Service: Preheat oven to 400 (F) degrees. Pour 3/4 cup of heavy cream into a non corrosive 10 inch saute pan. Add the souffles, top side up, and place over a high heat. Bring liquid to one boil then place in the oven and bake for 8 minutes or until the souffles have absorbed most of the cream. Remove from the oven. With a metal spatula gently remove the souffles from the saute pan and serve.

Roasted Pear Soup: Michael Chiarello
6 pears
3 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon minced fresh sage leaves
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
Gray salt
Blue Cheese Bruschetta, recipe follows

Directions
Preheat broiler.
Peel, halve and core the pears. In a large bowl, toss pears with lemon juice to prevent oxidization. Melt butter in an ovenproof skillet over medium-low heat, let cook until butter begins to brown. Add sage to butter, allow to caramelize. Add brown sugar and a pinch of salt. Add pears to mixture, and roll them around to coat thoroughly.
Broil pears in skillet, stirring occasionally, until pears are light brown, about 15 minutes.
Puree pears and brown butter mixture in a blender until smooth. Pour into room temperature soup plates and serve with Blue Cheese Bruschetta. If preparing ahead of time, refrigerate and reheat slightly before serving.
Blue Cheese Bruschetta:
1 loaf walnut bread or raisin bread
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese, crumbled

Preheat broiler.
Slice loaf into finger-wide slices. Cover each slice with butter, then top with blue cheese. Place bread on cookie sheet and broil, with the door open, until the cheese begins to melt, about 30 seconds.
Yield: 5 to 8 servings

We visited three wineries Saturday, and are coming home with lots of great bottles!
This is the most wine I have ever purchased at one time in my life! Whoo Hoo Slow Bowl!

Arneis and other Italian varietals from Palmina, and we joined their wine club!

Lunch with the gang at Zaca Mesa:

and a case of Vermentino from Tessa Marie! Only one acre of Vermentino is grown in California!

We really raised the bar for this year's Slow Bowl Friday night Smackdown!
I had an amazing team to work with: Roz and Mike, Wendy and Rob, Lou, Rose and Jane!

Our Menu:

Welcome Aperitif:
“S.F. Passion” - Sparkling Cocktail and Brown Butter-Rosemary-Lemon Popcorn

Amuse Bouche
Goat Cheese Fritatta with Bacon, Fennel and Gruyere

Appetizer
Twice-Baked Maytag Blue Cheese Souffles with Roasted Pear Soup
and a Raisin-Walnut Bruschetta

Salad
Fig and Grape Salad with Pancetta-Wrapped Crostini

Entree
Mini Mina’s - Pulled Pork Sandwiches
Bourbon Beans
Goat Cheese-Truffled Stuffed Fingerlings
Kale Chips

Dessert Trio
North Beach Cannoli
Nutella Mousse Parfait with Praline Chocolate Crunch
Ghiardelli-Toffee-Caramel Bar

Buena Vista Irish Coffee

WE WON APPETIZERS! (We think we won all three courses!)

I am too tired to blog any more tonight, but photos and recipes will be coming soon. After a week of prep and 6 hours today of prepping, cooking, garnishing, and plating, it is time to rest!

On Thursday evening, thirteen of us met in North Hollywood at Firenze Osteria, after flying in to LAX or driving on our way to the Slow Trav Slow Bowl weekend in Los Alamos. Dinner was great and the company was even greater. The wine consumption began in full form. People sampled burrata salads, gnocchi with rabbit ragu, trofie with anatra sauce, lobster mac & cheese, ravioli stuffed with ricotta, spinach and polenta, linguini with seafood, gnocchi with pesto, and a veal chop.

Here we are, ready for a fun weekend:

It's that time of the year. Valentine's Day is just around the corner. Another excuse to bake! Jerry and Paul are visiting after Slow Bowl, so I made them some cookies. They miss the holiday cookie production, so I made the red velvet shortbread cookies into hearts this time!

2 1/2 cups flour
2/3 c. sugar
4 T. unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 t. salt
1 cup butter (2 sticks), cut into small pieces
2-3 T. red food coloring

6 oz. white chocolate melting pieces or white chocolate chips
holiday sprinkles

Preheat oven to 325. In a food processor, combine flour, sugar, cocoa and salt. Pulse until combined. Add cut butter (I used unsalted) and red food coloring. Process until mixture looks like crumbs, then comes together as a ball. Carefully remove dough. Knead it slightly until smooth. On a lightly floured surface roll out dough to 1/4 inch thickness, and cut out hearts. Place cutouts on an ungreased cookie sheet. Press scraps together and repeat until all dough is used. Bake 20-22 minutes until centers are set. Let cool.

Heat white chocolate in microwave 30 seconds at a time, stirring until melted and smooth. Dip cookies into white chocolate, then add sprinkles. Makes 30 hearts.

This week on the FLAVORS blog, the ingredient is BANANAS. I have been doing a TON of cooking and baking for the upcoming Slow Bowl weekend (LOTS more on that soon), so I needed something simple for my banana recipe. I love Nutella, and Feb 5. in "World Nutella Day", so this is what I came up with:

Triple Nutella Cake with Bananas

Nutella Cake:

1 box yellow cake mix
3/4 c. Nutella
2 t. hazelnut extract (or Frangelico liquore)

Bake the cake in two round cake pans according to package directions. Cool.

Nutella Buttercream Frosting:

4 T. unsalted butter, softened
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 c. powdered sugar
1/3 c. Nutella

Beat butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add Nutella and beat until blended. Add powdered sugar and beat until fluffy.

Assembly:

Cut the cakes into individual round “cakelettes”, using a 3” round biscuit cutter, or a knife around an inverted glass. (I got 8 cakelettes, and froze them in pairs in ziplock bags for whenever I need a quick dessert for guests.)

Cut each cakelette in half horizontally. Spread bottom half with Nutella Buttercream.
Place top of cakelette on top of frosting. Slice bananas, and arrange on top. Melt a little Nutella for 40 seconds in the microwave, and pour over bananas like sauce.
I had one bite of Brad's. AMAZING

Tom Colicchio, that is! He'll be in Palm Desert on Thursday, February 23!

From the McCallum Theater website:

"One of the culinary world's most celebrated figures, James Beard Award winning chef and head judge of television's Emmy winning "Top Chef," Tom Colicchio makes his first appearance at the McCallum. It's an evening of talk about food, cooking, restaurants, questions and answers, and whatever else is on Tom's mind."

I'm ready with questions about the BEST pork belly I ever tasted at Craftsteak in Las Vegas, and where his favorite restaurants are in Italy?

Anyone else have a question for Tom?

I needed some raisin-walnut bread, and couldn't find what I wanted at any local store or bakery, so I made some! I used a recipe from the Zesty Cook blog, and it turned out great.

1 package (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast
3/4 cup raisins
2 cups lukewarm water (105° to 115°)
2 Tbs. honey
2 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 – 2 cups flour
2 tsp. salt
1 cup walnut halves, coarsely chopped

In a large mixing bowl, stir together honey and 1/2 cup of the lukewarm water. Add yeast and stir to dissolve. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Stir in remaining 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water.

Add whole wheat flour, 1 1/2 cups of white flour and salt. Stir until well combined. Add enough of remaining white flour until dough leaves sides of bowl. (I did this in my mixer.)

Sprinkle flour on a flat dry surface. Turn dough onto the surface and knead 5 to 10 minutes, adding more flour if necessary, until dough is smooth and elastic. Don’t make the dough too dry.

Lightly oil a large mixing bowl. Place dough in bowl and turn to coat. Cover with damp cloth and set aside in warm place to rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 1/2 hours.

Place a piece of parchment paper on a large baking sheet.
Punch dough down and turn on to floured surface. Knead raisins and walnuts into dough.

Shape (round, long, square,) into 1 large loaf and place on prepared baking sheet. I made two baguette shaped loaves for crostini.

Cover with damp cloth and let rise until almost doubled, about 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425°F. Using a spray bottle spray loaf with water. Bake 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375°F and bake 30 minutes or until nicely browned. Cool on rack before slicing.

***Adjust baking time if making 2 loaves. My two baguettes took a total of 22 minutes.

My new favorite restaurant in Palm Desert is Piero's PizzaVino!

We went on Friday night, with Cathy and Dennis, for our second visit. It was just as good as the first time!

After calamari appetizers, we enjoyed their pizza! They have a pizza oven where the pizza's are cooked for 90 seconds at 850 degrees! Whatever they are doing, they are making great pizza crust, with wonderful toppings.

I had a Cacio e Pepe pizza!

Brad tried the Carbonara pizza with real guanciale and a fried egg on top!

There is a nice wine list, great looking desserts, and fabulous coffee. It is a winner!

You have to be old enough to remember Abbott and Costello and too old
to REALLY understand computers, to fully appreciate this.
For those of us who sometimes get flustered by our computers, please read on...

If Bud Abbott and Lou Costello were alive today, their infamous sketch, 'Who's on First?' might have turned out
something like this:

COSTELLO CALLS TO BUY A COMPUTER FROM ABBOTT

ABBOTT: Super Duper computer store. Can I help you?

COSTELLO: Thanks I'm setting up an office in my den and I'm thinking about buying a computer.

ABBOTT: Mac?

COSTELLO: No, the name's Lou.

ABBOTT: Your computer?

COSTELLO: I don't own a computer. I want to buy one.

ABBOTT: Mac?

COSTELLO: I told you, my name's Lou.

ABBOTT: What about Windows?

COSTELLO: Why? Will it get stuffy in here?

ABBOTT: Do you want a computer with Windows?

COSTELLO: I don't know. What will I see when I look at the windows?

ABBOTT: Wallpaper.

COSTELLO: Never mind the windows. I need a computer and software.

ABBOTT: Software for Windows?

COSTELLO: No. On the computer! I need something I can use to write proposals, track expenses and run my business.
What do you have?

ABBOTT: Office.

COSTELLO: Yeah, for my office. Can you recommend anything?

ABBOTT: I just did.

COSTELLO: You just did what?

ABBOTT: Recommend something.

COSTELLO: You recommended something?

ABBOTT: Yes.

COSTELLO: For my office?

ABBOTT: Yes.

COSTELLO: OK, what did you recommend for my office?

ABBOTT: Office.

COSTELLO: Yes, for my office!

ABBOTT: I recommend Office with Windows.

COSTELLO: I already have an office with windows! OK, let's just say I'm sitting at my computer and I want to
type a proposal. What do I need?

ABBOTT: Word.

COSTELLO: What word?

ABBOTT: Word in Office.

COSTELLO: The only word in office is office.

ABBOTT: The Word in Office for Windows.

COSTELLO: Which word in office for windows?

ABBOTT: The Word you get when you click the blue 'W'.

COSTELLO: I'm going to click your blue 'W' if you don't start with some straight answers. What about
financial bookkeeping? Do you have anything I can track my money with?

ABBOTT: Money.

COSTELLO: That's right. What do you have?

ABBOTT: Money.

COSTELLO: I need money to track my money?

ABBOTT: It comes bundled with your computer.

COSTELLO: What's bundled with my computer?

ABBOTT: Money.

COSTELLO: Money comes with my computer?

ABBOTT: Yes. At no extra charge.

COSTELLO: I get a bundle of money with my computer? How much?

ABBOTT: One copy.

COSTELLO: Isn't it illegal to copy money?

ABBOTT: Microsoft gave us a license to copy Money.

COSTELLO: They can give you a license to copy money?

ABBOTT: Why not? THEY OWN IT!

(A few days later)

ABBOTT: Super Duper computer store. Can I help you?
COSTELLO: How do I turn my computer off?
ABBOTT: Click on 'START'…….