Posts Tagged ‘Safeway’
Monday, July 6th, 2020
Red, white and blue or rainbow colors, black and sparkles? With mixed emotions at this troubling time in our history, 
ChezHelvetica presented the most uplifting table possible with William Tabar‘s Exotic Sand Sculpture shimmering when rotated, Sunshine Kesey‘s colorful art glass and gold foil (from a Philanthropy By Design event) along with beautiful Hydrangeas. A day for grilling – Cheese Burgers (made with ground sirloin from Antonelli’s and Primo Taglio Cheddar), Onions and Mushrooms on OroWheat Buns, and Sweet Corn. 
Thank you to Rachel Ray for the simple instruction to brush the cobs with oil and season with salt. A tangy Marinated Vegetable Salad with fresh Cauliflower, Broccoli, Carrots (from the VA Farmers Market), Zucchini and Grape Tomatoes (from Safeway) added the confetti touch. Gnarly Head Old Vine Zin from Lodi brought happiness to the occasion. Finally, a nod to the flag with mini-cupcakes surrounded by Ben & Jerry’s Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream. Inalienable rights and good health to all!
[https://youtu.be/fFvzc_MVz6s]
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Tags: Antonelli's, Ben & Jerry's, Gnarly Head, Iowa Girl Eats, OroWheat, Philanthropy By Design, Primo Taglio, Safeway, Sunshine Kesey, VA Farmers Market, William Tabar
Posted in Blog Post | Comments Off on An Unprecedented Fourth
Wednesday, March 25th, 2020
Surreal times call for inspiration and imagination. At ChezHelvetica, this meant diving deep into cupboards and sacks of produce and staples to create a heartwarming dinner. Behold mouthwatering French Onion Soup accompanied by Brown Rice/ Romaine Salad. Three remaining cubes of Maggi Bouillon de Pot-Au-Feu (best used dates long since gone) became the Beef Broth in which Onions sautéed in Butter and California Olive Ranch Olive Oil simmered with Holland Cooking Sherry, Dried Thyme, Salt and Pepper. Grated Mozzarella and Parmesan Cheese, broiled atop pieces of Safeway‘s Signature Oat Nut Bread, crowned the soup. A piquant Caper Vinaigrette dressed the fresh Romaine, a socially-distanced gift from the garden of friend ‘Pataphysician Dr. Jardin. Likewise, the array of Citrus on the table from the Florin Gardens. Bowls of Ben and Jerry’s Cookie Dough Ice Cream concluded the meal; fun fact – it is even more delicious in self-isolation!
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Tags: Ben and Jerry's, Holland Sherry, Maggi, Safeway
Posted in Blog Post | Comments Off on Cor’onion’a Soup
Wednesday, April 6th, 2016
Q. How to thank a dear friend for an exquisite painting? A. A work of art for a work of art – fare trade! While ChezHelvetica’s centerpiece Cobb Salad doesn’t match the effort taken to create the beautiful canvas, the overture was heartfelt. Robert Cobb’s classic Brown Derby recipe received a new coat of culinary paint with the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market‘s freshly-picked Romaine Hearts, Curly Endive, Rotisserie Chicken and award-winning Point Reyes Farmstead Blue Cheese. Safeway‘s Farmer John thick-sliced Bacon, Open Nature Cage-Free Eggs, Kalamata Olives, and Trader Joe’s Avocado and Pearl Tomatoes completed the platter – all dressed in Stonehouse Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Balsamic Vinegar, Dijon Mustard and a touch of Organic Cane Sugar. (Sadly, I found the perfect Chives purchased to garnish the Salad untouched in the refrigerator the next day…) Wild Mountain Raw Honey showered Medina Farms Blackberries, Strawberries and Tory Farms Oranges, also sweetening Mighty Leaf Ginger Tea, as confidantes shared exciting secrets in the new chapters of their lives!
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Tags: Farmer John, Ferry Plaza Farmer's Market, Medina Farms, Mighty Leaf Tea, Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese, Safeway, Storehouse, Tory Farms, Trader Joe's, Wild Mountain
Posted in Blog Post | Comments Off on Fare Trade
Saturday, October 24th, 2015
For some Strata defines a level or class, at ChezHelvetica this means a delicious breakfast. Behold Apple French Toast Strata. The evening before serving, preparation for this French toast bake was almost done with the exception of the Sliced Almonds added just before going into the oven. Sautéed Trader Joe’s Organic Honey Crisp Apples and
Safeway’s 15-Grain Whole Wheat Bread soaked in Eggs, Milk and Half & Half, then scented by fragrant Spice Ace Organic Ground Nutmeg, Vietnamese Cinnamon and Sonoma Syrup Co’s Madagascar Bourbon Organic Vanilla Extract. Imagine the aroma when baking in the morning along with freshly brewed coffee. Juicy Strawberries and Blackberries from the VA Farmers Market and Dark Amber Maple Syrup from Quebec’s Beauce-Appalache region sent this down-to-earth meal straight into the Stratosphere . . .
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Tags: Safeway, Sonoma Syrup Co., Spice Ace, Trader Joe's, VA Farmers Market
Posted in Blog Post | Comments Off on Strata
Friday, August 29th, 2014
Miguel de Cervantes beloved literary tale “Man from La Mancha” revealed new significance, and romance, on this summer evening at ChezHelvetica. With Spain as the exciting accent of this anniversary celebration, we toasted with Gloria Ferrer Blanc de Noirs along with Green and Manzanillo Olives, Almonds and Salmon Ahumado con Queso Fresco Montaditos (Smoked Salmon with Cream Cheese) and Honey Truffle bites. Tyler Florence’s warm Roasted Tomato Soup opened the meal with rich, savory flavors – Early Girl and Cherry Tomatoes, Garlic, Onion and Basil. The soup was accompanied by delicious Manchego, so named for Spain’s famed cheese made from the milk of sheep grazing the country’s La Mancha region. Pearl white corn kernels had fallen weightlessly into a bundt pan when making the featured entrée, a Salad of Grilled Chicken and Corn, Avocado and Baby Spinach, dressed with a Garlic and 
Rosemary-infused Vinaigrette (from Real Simple), paired with velvety Etude Pinot Noir. Like windmills spinning bliss, Neiman Marcus Delicate Lemon Squares, made with Meyer Lemons and crowned with Yellow Raspberries, created the perfect conclusion for “Life Happily Ever After, not an Impossible Dream!” (Muchas Gracias to the Fillmore and VA Farmers Markets, Trader Joe’s and Safeway as the food and beverage sources for this meal.)
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Tags: Don Quixote, Etude, Fillmore Farmers Market, Gloria Ferrer, Manchego, Miguel de Cervantes, Real Simple, Safeway, Trader Joe's, Tyler Florence, VA Farmers Market, Wikipedia
Posted in Blog Post | Comments Off on From the Land of Don Quixote
Tuesday, June 25th, 2013
Fog-filtered super moonlight illuminated the beautiful round citrus center stage at ChezHelvetica on this Saturday evening. Limes originated in India or Malaysia, and then were grown on large scale in southern Iraq and Persia. The path of this variety proceeded to Sicily, Andalusia and the West Indies including the Florida Keys. West Indian, Mexican or bartender Limes garnered the Key Lime name in their association with the Florida Keys. A Saveur recipe for Grilled Prawns (posted on Facebook by my friend Phyllis) called for Finger Limes but aromatic Key Limes were a delicious understudy. Basil accented Lemon and Lime Juices drizzled the Gulf Prawns (from Safeway), delightfully spilling over the Roasted Yukon Gold Potatoes and Organic Broccoli (from Nunez Farm). Rich Kunde Chardonnay from Sonoma Valley accompanied our entree and also dessert of Tory Farms incredible Peaches and Roasted Inzana Ranch Walnuts. Spilling over – definitely the key words for this evening!
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Tags: Inzana Ranch, Kunde Wines, Nunez Farm, Safeway, Saveur, VAMC Farmers Market
Posted in Blog Post | Comments Off on In The Limelight
Tuesday, November 16th, 2010
On an almost tropical evening,”the tail wagged the fish” at ChezHelvetica. Indeed, the deciding factor for our choice of entree was an alluring bottle of Donovan Parke Chardonnay. Mining the Epicurious archive, I unearthed the perfect Grilled Tuna Niçoise recipe – customized to the house pantry. Ingredients included emerald green haricot vert and fingerling potatoes from the Ferry Plaza Farmer’s Market, Campari tomatoes, arugula, hard boiled eggs, capers and Kalamata olives. Wild, coho salmon from Alaska (purchased at Safeway) replaced the tuna. The salad’s delectable herb dressing – roused by garlic and anchovies – doubled as a dip for the rustic artisan baguette. Gelato – the quintessential warm weather dessert – topped with pomegranate seeds and balsamic vinegar – concluded our special night.
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Tags: Donovan Parke, Ferry Plaza Farmer's Market, Safeway
Posted in Blog Post | Comments Off on Fish Tail
ChezHelvetica celebrated a triptych of special occasions in a re-opening world! Bouquets to Art at the deYoung Museum, Pride Month, and a Milestone Anniversary commemorated by anything Ruby and Nasturtiums. Fortunately, Nasturtiums flourish in my back garden and Ruby candles at Safeway. 
With the table set in a rainbow of colors, Bowtie Pasta in Spicy Asparagus Cream (a great recipe from CUESA) starred as the evening’s masterwork, accompanied by Boudin’s wonderful Sourdough Baguette and Kalamata Olives. Aidell’s Italian Style Sausage and lots of freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese added savory sensations to the meal. A gift from the pre-opening of Bouquets to Art, Sosie Wine (a blend of white wines in the Bordeaux style) paired beautifully with the dinner. Another gift, See’s Candies in a floral tin, sweetened the soirée – one delicious piece after another. Love IS Love and Making Magic IS Still Magical!
Happy Birthday Mom! ChezHelvetica and Family celebrated a woman
of unequalled creativity and style with all of the color and vibrancy befitting this remarkable Mother, Grandmother and Aunt. Mimosas of La Marca Prosecco and TJ Orange Juice kicked off the gathering with toasts, hugs and kisses. Fluffy 
