The Porto Vista Hotel, where I am the Executive Chef has finally opened our new lobby just in time for the Little Italy Art Walk. This annual event brings many thousands of people to our little corner of San Diego for 2 days of art, eating and for some…drinking. This event was a perfect time to make some food from our banquet and special event menu’s to pass along to all of the people who stopped by the hotel to see what we have been up to.

We choose to do 4 samples from our bar and passed hour d’ oeuvre menu’s. One of these is this Caprese Satay. This is a easy appetizer to make for any size group of guests that may stop by your house. Organic sweet 100 tomatoes, fresh Bocconcini mozzarella and Horapha or spicy Thai basil. Sprinkle with a bit of ground sea salt and your ready to impress your family and friends with your culinary prowess and creativity. This is what you’ll need for this exciting and tasty dish.

Bamboo skewers

Bocconcini mozzarella

Thai or regular basil

Sweet 100 or another small cherry tomatoes

Now just follow the photo to assemble these tasty and easy appetizers and your ready to go!

chefRob

No Comments »

For the last couple of years I have been telling everyone that will listen about the benefits of eating these little red berries that are called Wolf berries (western Snow berries) or by their marking name, Goji berries. About the size of a very dry raisin, Goji berries are one food that you cannot go without. If you currently eat these great, if not read on…

Goji berries are native to the higher elevations in China and Mongolia and have a taste that is rather like a mild dried cherry with a bit of citrus in it. I have some friends that refer to the taste as “tree bark”, so I guess the exotic flavors I taste are due to having a refined palette (or that I have eaten a bit of tree bark in my life and like it, which is not the case). Eating the berries raw will certainly get you familiar with their unique flavor, adding them to dishes offers you all of the nutritional benefits without the taste (if you find you don’t like it).

I have Goji berries, Goji berry juice and Goji berry tea avaliable at the aGreatChef.com store if you would like this great food delivered to your home or office.

Continue Reading »

No Comments »