Romy Raves

If you asked the foodie in me, what my favorite category of food was, I would enthusiastically say seafood! Seafood is light, bright, briny and reminds me of the ocean, the place that brings me peace and calm. I adore gorgeous, fresh, perfectly prepared seafood and I definitely have a refined enough palate that allows me to discern good and bad seafood. However, even though I take my fish seriously, I had never really given much thought to the idea of sustainable seafood and the difference it can make in the quality and flavor of your fish. However, that all changed when I was recently invited to The Sustainable Seafood Summit hosted by Bluewater Grill in Redondo Beach, California. 

First, we were educated about exactly what sustainable seafood is: “Sustainable Seafood is seafood from either fished or farmed sources that can maintain or increase production in the future without jeopardizing the ecosystems from which it was acquired.” We learned that the sustainable seafood movement has recently gained momentum as more people become aware about both overfishing and environmentally-destructive fishing methods.

As we learned more, it became obvious to me that Bluewater Grill is a truly pioneer in the sustainable seafood movement because they are making a conscious effort to offer the most sustainable and gorgeous seafood currently available. According to the wonderfully passionate co-founder of Bluewater Grill, Jim Ulcickas, “Currently Bluewater Grill’s menu is 85% certified sustainable, by Aquarium of the Pacific or the Monterey Aquarium, but we won’t be satisfied until we reach 100%.” To further support this commitment, David Anderson, a leading sustainability expert, was also invited to speak with us and he was pleased to let us know that ”Bluewater Grill is the only restaurant that offers full sourcing disclosure on its extensive selection of fish and is committed toward solutions for our oceans.”

We continued to learn about the importance of sustainability through the eyes and palate of Bluewater Grill’s executive chef, Brian Hirsty, pictured below with some of the gorgeous fish we sampled at the Summit

Brian shared some very useful tips for buying, selecting and cooking your seafood that I am delighted to share with you:

• Know Where Your Fish Comes From: Make sure you buy your fish from a trustworthy source. “It all comes back to traceability. Where is your fish coming from?”
• Fresh Fish Should Glisten: “Fresh fish should have a translucent sheen and should bounce back when you touch it.” Signs of age are when your fish is black or gray.  
• Fresh Fish Should NOT Smell Fishy! If your fish smells fishy, it is not as fresh as it should be.
• The Secret to Perfectly Cooked Fish is: An internal temperature of 130-135 degrees when measured with a food thermomater. I was truly in awe of how flawlessly cooked each and every piece of fish we ate was, it totally maximized flavor and showcased the freshness of the fish.

After our minds were filled with important information about sustainability, it was time to fill our bellies. Look at this gorgeous side-by-side salmon tasting that I had the pleasure of becoming intimately acquainted with at the Summit:

Our salmon sampler from left to right included: Wild Sockeye, Wild King, Farmed BC Atlantic and Farmed BC king salmon. And yes it tasted as good as it looks! It was so insanely fresh tasting and perfectly cooked, I couldn’t believe it! And it was quite a treat to compare the different varieties next to each other. Honestly, there was something absolutely transcendent about eating this sustainable fish, like someone had put their heart and soul into selecting some of the best fish I have ever tasted. It was truly SUBLIME!

In addition to the salmon tasting, we also sampled a variety of fresh oysters, cajun swordfish, and Chilean Seabass that was equally delicious. We were also treated to some lovely wine pairings to compliment our seafood, and I chose to sip bubbly with all of my tastings because it truly complimented all the fish nicely. We ended our culinary adventure with the debut of Bluewater Grill’s Build-Your-Own Blue Ice Bloody Mary Bar. This fun inspiration gives customers a chance to create their own customized version of the famous all-day cocktail from among 25 unique ingredients and hot sauces from around the world. Yummy! 

This was such an enlightening experience that I highly recommend trying out this type of experience yourself by attending one of Bluewater Grill’s Monthly Seafood Tastings and Wine Pairing Events which are offered the second Monday of every month in Redondo Beach and the second Tuesday in Newport, Tustin and Phoenix. 

Disclosure: Bluewater Grill provided car service, sustainability education, seafood tastings, and wine pairings, but little did I know that my perception of seafood and where it is sourced from would forever be changed. 

Last month, I was lucky enough to be selected as one of dozen food and lifestyle bloggers to attend the first ever Dole Salad Summit in Monterey, California. What an amazing, enlightening, profound experience it was! We were invited to the headquarters of Dole Fresh Vegetables to spend a few days getting an up close look into the world of Dole salads and fresh-cut vegetables. We were given insider access to the growing fields and produce growers, the salad processing plant, the product development experts, the marketing team and even some intimate face time with the down to earth President of Dole Fresh Vegetables, Ray De Riggi. Plus we were also going to be wined and dined and have the opportunity to explore the beautiful sights of the Monterey Peninsula. I was excited to have such a unique opportunity, but little did I know that this trip would dramatically alter my perspective on lettuce, bagged salads and how vegetables are grown, harvested and processed. 

We were flown up to gorgeous Monterey and hosted at The Clement Monterey, a luxurious Intercontinental Hotel property right on the water. This was the view from my room, so I knew I was off to an amazing start

And I just had to sneak in a beachfront walk too, just look at these spectacular picturesque views, like paintings in nature

After settling into my room, I joined a handful of other amazing influential bloggers along with the Dole team for a cocktail reception on the waterfront. These bloggers included a mix of some of the most talented and intriguing bloggers in the food and lifestyle space. Here is a glimpse of these phenomenal women who are hugely passionate about food and definitely worth following 

From the left: Me, Cheryl of Tidy Mom, Kristen of Dine & Dish, Maggy of Three Many Cooks, Debra of Smith Bites and Shanna of My Favorite Everything

After sipping our cocktails and getting to know one another, we walked over to the Sardine Factory (a classic Monterey restaurant) for the first of many memorable meals and experiences. I ended up sitting across from Gil Oetzel, the Director of New Product Development for Dole Fresh Vegetables. It was incredible to hear him speak with such enthusiasm and passion about lettuce, creating new products and Dole’s commitment to growing fabulous vegetables. Three memorable things that I learned from Gil that evening were: that Salinas/Monterey is known as the ’Salad Bowl’ of the US and that the majority of all of our fresh lettuce is grown there; second, Dole’s salad bags have been developed with different porosity’s because different types of lettuce breathe differently; and last, the Dole Salad processing plant has such amazing state-fo-the-art washing equipment to clean their lettuce and that we (consumers) are far more likely to introduce bacteria onto our lettuce by washing it at home.  

And after being served this insanely picturesque, vibrant and ridiculously fresh tasty salad with Candied Garlic Dressing (totally addictive!) at the Sardine Factory (I don’t think you can tell by the picture but this salad was wrapped in a thin slice of cucumber to hold it all together), it was becoming rather obvious to me that they take their lettuce rather seriously in this part of the country.

The next morning began this colorful and tasty trio called the Dole Power Vegetable Breakfast which included a Berry Stuffed French Toast Panini, Field Greens & Mushroom Breakfast Frittata, Dole Broccoli Slaw & Garlic Quiche and Mimi’s Green Energizing Drink. It was tasty and a great way for foodies to start the day.

Next, it was off to the headquarters of Dole Fresh Vegetables to meet with Ray and his key executives and learn all about their latest products and healthy lifestyle initiatives. Dole has recently embarked on a company wide commitment to increase the nutritional health of Americans  by utilizing social media platforms like Facebook and partnering with food enthusiasts to help spread about the benefits of eating healthier. I loved the passion that came from Ray and his team, I enjoyed our roundtable sharing about the latest food and nutrition trends bloggers are seeing and it was great to learn about how Dole creates their products in order to make healthy eating simple and inspiring to consumers. It was also fun to sample some of Dole’s newest salad kits like Spinach Cherry Almond Bleu and Endless Summer.

Next, it was off to one of the most transcendent lunches I have ever had at La Bicyclette in Carmel-by-the-Sea. Behold, the vibrantly gorgeous La Bicyclette Spring Salad with the Dole Spring Mix blend with baby beets, mandarin oranges from San Jose and goat cheese from Palo Colorado National Forest, each delectable flavor did a dance in my mouth

The salad was followed by Risotto Giovanni, a Nantes Carrot Risotto with Truffle Marinated Artichoke. The vibrant orange color, the truffled chokes and real carrot flavor made this dish a Hall-of-Fame-Makes-Me-Weepy-It’s-That-Good kind of a dish

Here is a picture right in front of La Bicyclette with the majority of all of the amazing bloggers on this trip

Top Left: Brooke of Cheeky Kitchen, Kathy of The Lunchbox Bunch,  Me, Shanna, Kristen, Debra and Jaden of Steamy Kitchen. Bottom Left: Dana of Fit Celeb, Cheryl and Maggy.

After this divine lunch, we went out to the Dole Growing Fields to meet the growers and farm workers. It was amazing to see how passionate and proud these growers were, how genuinely happy the farm workers were, how much pride they all took in their work and how Dole takes it’s farming practices very seriously and uses minimal pesticides to grow their produce. I think these pictures truly capture how it felt to be out in the fields

Our last stop of the day was at the Dole Processing Plant, where we got to see the amazing equipment and systems that Dole has developed for processing vegetables to ensure it arrives at the stores fresh, fast and contaminant free, very impressive (no pics allowed!) We ended our visit in the product development lab with Gil and participated in a fun little Lettuce 101 course to see how many lettuce types we could identify correctly out of about 30 varieties, not an easy task!

But at the end of the day, I am happy to say that I was a proud graduate of Dole Salad University Lettuce 101

However, most importantly of all, I was delighted to learn that Dole is a company with heart, passion and a commitment to making clean, fresh and healthy salads for us to enjoy. I will never look at a bag of lettuce the same way again because now I know all that goes into making it fresh, tasty & healthy!

To stay up-to-date on the latest and greatest from Dole Fresh Vegetables you can follow them on Twitter @DoleSaladGuide and on Facebook Dole Salad Guide

Disclosure: Dole Fresh Vegetables invited me to Monterey to visit their headquarters, fields and processing plant. They provided all of my transportation, two nights of accommodations and meals. All of my opinions and thoughts are my own.

A couple of weeks ago I was invited to a super fun swanky night out called Ladies Night In LA with Chef Marcela Valladolid (the adorable chef and hostess of the Food Network’s Mexican Made Easy). This classy top notch event was hosted by Sauza Tequila along with several other fabulous LA Bloggers @MintCool @SugarJones @laflowers @deblavdas and was designed to gather a great group of LA Bloggers to eat, drink, be merry and learn about how fabulous and versatile Sauza Tequila is.

The night began with a private car pick-up (so there would be no drinking and driving) and then arrival at Elizabeth’s home (@MintCool) for a live web cast and Q&A with Chef Marcela. We watched her make an assortment of delicious Margaritas and dishes utilizing Sauza Tequila with finesse and skill. Marcela is super sweet, genuine and a very skilled chef and she proceeded to make four different and delicious Margaritas throughout the night as well as five other dishes that showcased the tequila.

Being a foodie with a diverse palate, what surprised me the most during the evening was how delicious, versatile and smooth Sauza Tequila is and how much tequila adds complexity and depth of flavor to a variety of dishes. This experience truly shifted my old school perspective about tequila being harsh and strong, to it being food friendly and enjoyable to eat and drink. I found it refreshing to learn that tequila can be used to make festive and creative drinks and dishes for the holiday season. Marcela was so masterful, the food was so tasty and inspired, and the Sauza Tequila was so smooth that I think I have found some surprising new additions to my holiday recipe line-up.

My hands down favorite recipe of the night was the Warm Winter Margarita, a delicious warm mulled spicy cider beverage with a little kick. Perfect for cold winter nights by the fire–You are going to love it!

Warm Winter Margarita

Serves 4

Ingredients:

28 oz apple juice

1 cinnamon stick

2 cups dried fruit of your choice

2 tbs granulated sugar

6 oz Sauza ® Silver Tequila

Combine apple juice and cinnamon in a heavy pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove cinnamon stick carefully. Add sugar, dried fruit, and tequila. Mix well. Serve warm. Dee-lish!

My second favorite dish of the night was the best brussel sprouts I have ever tasted in my life, and that is saying alot cause I absolutley adore brussel sprouts. These were perfectly cooked, full of creamy spicy flavor and just heavenly! As you can see they were such a hit, I captured this pic after they were almost gone!

Brussels Sprouts in Morilla Cream

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 pounds brussels sprouts. halved

1 cup chicken broth

1/2 cup roasted sunflower seeds

3 scallions (white and pale green parts only)

1 morilla chile, stemmed, seeded, and very thinly sliced

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Salt and pepper To Taste

Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large heavy saucepan over medium high heat. Add the brussels sprouts and stir for 1 minute to coat them with butter. Add the broth, cover, and simmer for 7 minutes, or until the brussels sprouts are tender. Uncover and continue to simmer for 4 minutes, or until all of the broth evaporates. Transfer brussels sprouts to medium bowl.

Melt remaining 1 tablespoon of butter in same pan. Add the sunflower seeds, scallions, and chile and saute for 2 minutes, or until the nuts are toasted and chile is tender. Stir in the cream and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, return the brussels sprouts to pan, and toss to coat them with the cream. Season the brussels sprouts to taste with salt and pepper.

Enjoy & Happy Holidays!

Disclosure: Sauza Tequila sponsored this fun evening, they provided private car service, delicious food, tasty drinks and then they gifted us with Sauza Tequila and Marcella’s Cookbook Fresh Mexico: 100 Simple Recipes for True Mexican Flavor. While I had a great time and really expanded my culinary repertoire, I made no promises about writing about this experience or raving about the product.

I am the first to admit that I am a totally a champagne girl, it has always been my drink of choice whenever I go out. I have always felt that my preferred drink says alot about who I am: bubbly, effervescent, noticeable, and celebratory. These attributes of champagne really resonate with me and are probably why I enjoy it so much. Well, being a girl with champagne tastes (and a lifestyle blogger), I was recently invited to a press preview luncheon to sample a new champagne cocktail called Dirty Blonde Champagne Cocktails (they had me at the name, don’t ya just love it?) Dirty Blonde Champagne Cocktails are a premium “champagne” cocktail that offer an upscale alternative for drinkers who enjoy wine and want something beyond today’s flavored beers, wine coolers, and value-priced pre-mixed drinks. These fun flirty cocktails are a delightful and tasty blend of bubbly white wine, fruit infusions, and spirits (12% alcohol by volume).

They come in yummilious, female appealing flavors like Raspberry Flirtini, Citrus Mimosa, Sparkling Mojito and Peach Passion Bellini. In Los Angeles, they are launching the Flirtini and Bellini flavors and I had a chance to sample both of these refreshing beverages. I liked the combination of the red raspberry, cassis and vanilla flavors of the Flirtini and I loved the delicious juicy combination of ripe peach and tropical passion fruit in the Bellini–DEELISH!! And the cute little bottles that come in a four pack (affordably priced) and Springy pastel colors of these beverages only add to the feminine appeal. 

These inspired girls-night-out cocktails are the brain child of Kristen Raskopf, founder of Dirty Blonde Champagne Cocktails (who coincidentally has blonde hair.)  She came up with the idea for Dirty Blonde after looking for an alternative to existing margaritas and cosmopolitans, and she wanted something upscale and effervescent. Kristen says, “I wanted a brand that would be very distinctive, something fun & flirty, but also a name that I was connected to personally.” So, is she a ‘Dirty Blonde’? “Absolutely, being a Dirty Blonde is an attitude. I created Dirty Blonde Cocktails to capture this fun, flirty personality.” This Champagne Girl is all over that!

Dirty Blonde Champagne Cocktails are currently available in select states at BevMo, Henry’s and Ralph’s and you can find them at BevMo online HERE. Cheers Girlfriend!

Many of you know that I am both a beauty maven and a foodie, so its no wonder I was super excited to attend a Blending Bash at KleanSpa in MindfulNest in Burbank (a super cute store that showcases artisanal designers). I was invited to attend this fab soiree by Jennifer AKA the Scentual Mixtress (LOVE that!) Jennifer is a goddess with beautiful energy and a NOSE (meaning that she really knows the art of smelling and combining fragrances in just the right way.) She is also the creator of KleanSpa, a beautiful line of handcrafted beauty products that are definitely worth checking out.

Jennifer recently began hosting these super fun monthly Blending Bashes at MindfulNest (usually on Sunday Evenings) where you have the  opportunity to formulate your own signature fragrance. During this inspired event, you are able to create, blend and walk away with a roll-on perfume and an extreme moisture shea lotion in a fragrance of your own creation. And to enhance the appeal of this event, KleanSpa usually partners with local restaurants and caterers so that you have the opportunity to sample yummy eats and drinks during the gathering. All this fun and creativity for a mere thirty five bucks! And as an added bonus, you can shop the unique assortment of artisanal items at MindfulNest too.  

During the bash, you  have the unique opportunity to work one on one with this Masterful Mixtress and custom blend your own signature fragrance. The process goes something like this: First you tell the Mixtress what types of fragrances you like and then you start sniffing to see what you like and what you don’t. If you get desensitized she has coffee grinds nearby too. Once you have a few fragrances you like, the Mixtress starts pairing the notes that go well together and eliminating those that don’t and then she starts combining your fragrance–making sure you have the right elements of a good base, middle/heart, and top notes. You sniff along the way to see if it smells good to you or if you want more of one scent or another until you get it just right. Jennifer expertly guides you through this process, so you feel confident and supported in creating something sophisticated and delicious.

Then you put on your apron and mix your custom scent into a luscious creamy shea lotion and give it a name. This whole experience totally appeals to both my beauty and foodie side! I created my Sultry Sassy Spring Blend with notes of  Fern, Fig, White Tea, Pomergranate, New Cucumber, Grass, and Ginger Milk—Green, fresh, slightly fruity, and the ginger adds a little spicy sultriness to the blend and I LOVE it! 

This was such a fun, scentual, creative experience and I highly rec giving it a sniff and a whirl  if you live in the LA area. And if you don’t live near by you don’t have to miss out on these fab products either, because from now through May 2010 Romy Raves Readers get 20% off all products at www.KleanSpa.com by entering the code ROMYRAVES20

And as a special treat, I am also doing a Blending Bash GIVEAWAY for you and friend ($70 Value!) , so you both can having the pleasure of creating with the Mixtress. All that you need to do for your chance to win this fabulous scentual experience is become an email subscriber of Romy Raves   AND  a Fan of the Romy Raves Facebook Page  AND post a comment on this blog post telling me what your favorite Spring/Summer fragrance is and why you love it. That’s all you need to do. I LOVE comments and want to encourage my readers to regularly post comments and share your thoughts. This contest will end at midnight PST on Monday, May 3rd, 2010. The winner will be selected using Random.org. You must live in the Los Angeles, CA area in order to take advantage of this regional prize and only one entry per person.  Good Luck!