Avanti Cafe Musings: November 2015

Friday, November 20, 2015

Manassero Farms :: Breakfast In The Barn

Manassero Farms

We've loved Manassero Farms for years, growing goodness next to Irvine Valley College off of Jeffery & at several other OC locations. And when Phyllis Ann Marshall of FoodPower invited us to enjoy Breakfast in the Barn w/ "The Farmer's Wife & The French Chef" we jumped in w/ verve.

And Invitation to beauty in the barn

Anne Manassero & Chef Pascal Olhats created a Saturday morning dining event that delivered both flavor and ambiance, with farmer Dan Manassero manning the BBQ. The barn is a charmingly executed puzzle of vintage doors and windows (and even a giant working fan), arranged to take advantage of the morning sun and cool breezes as well as protecting from the heat of the day and renegade winds.

The barn all ready for guests

We learned that the barn came together in its autumnal glory just the day before and that we were among the first group to dine al fresco-ish in the expanded & artfully appointed space.

Chef Pascal & Anne Manaserro enlightening the crowd

As we chose our seats and met our new neighbors in an impromptu barn meet and greet we treated ourselves to sweet pound cakes, hot coffee & Anne's butternut squash butter. We watched as the first course was plated & garnished w/ its fine French finishing touches and Anne & Pascal began to give us a tutorial of the entire menu prepared for us that morning.

Light & rich salmon terrine

And then w/ warm hearted precision meal service began.

A perfectly paired entree of gentle crustless quiche, mushrooms, watercress & farm sausage

Flavors, colors & textures, Oh My! We knew room must be saved for dessert.

Wee sugar pumpkins filled w/ sweet creme brulee, cranberry compote &

crisp cookie & crumbs

All eyes twinkled as we lingered over dessert, looked out onto the farm on that perfect So Cal autumn Saturday morning and counted our blessings. A beautiful breakfast, out of doors, at a farm, are among the sublime pleasures of life.

Chef Pascal Olhats shows Chef Mark Cleveland the bounty in his

heirloom vegetable jardin

But there was more to come, Phyllis, always the conversationalist encouraged Anne to catch us up on the upcoming holiday events at Manaserro Farms and Pascal took us on a tour of Pascal's Jardin, a collaborative garden where much of the produce served at his restaurants is grown.

Sweet, savory, charming and fresh in the gift shop & farm stand

We made sure to tour the farm stand and gift shop too. They have an eye for charming decor.

The vegetable bounty of Manassero Farms

And we took advantage of the 10% discount on our farm purchases that came w/ our ticket to The Breakfast In The Barn. Avanti salutes The Farmer's Wife & The French Chef. There is an amazing community of environmentalists, real food foodies & folks that value a great clean & welcoming outdoors for us to enjoy and preserve.

Fun under the So Cali autumn sun w/ Phyllis, Mark, Nollie, Anne, Pascal &

all the other guests & visitors

Make sure to visit Manassero Farms soon, shop for produce & gifts and make a reservation for an upcoming breakfast or lunch. You can also book the entire tent for your private events & make a date to have Pascal & Anne come to your house and cook up a French affair in your own kitchen. C'est un fete incroyable!

He's not the only one crowing w/ delight at Manassero Farms

Eating Healthy & Delicious is a Win Win Win Situation!

Eat, Live & Party Well

Blog post by Chef Mark Cleveland

Avanti is the longstanding leader in organic, sustainable, local, flavorful cuisine in Orange County, CA.

Meaning 'forward' in Italian, Avanti Natural is a culinary philosophy that integrates the best of traditional European and Asian healthful eating with the latest nutritional information for optimum health.

At Avanti Natural, we believe that you don't have to sacrifice taste to eat healthy. You can Eat Well & Live Well. Follow us on social media to see what Avanti is up to now. We are Whole Foods Experts. Post photos of your versions of Avanti Natural recipes on our Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram pages. Check our blog on the website for how to recipe blogs. We’re excited to see and share your culinary creativity!

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Thursday, November 12, 2015

Avanti Spice Blends :: Golden Spice & Hawaij ::

Avanti Golden Spice Blend & Hawaij :: Spice blends for health, flavor & speed in the kitchen

There is so much chemistry in cooking, and there’s chemistry in the combining of flavors too. So when combining spices we should ponder the chemistries of both Health & Flavor. Here are some recipes for Avanti signature spice blends that will make cooking in your kitchen fast, flavorful & full of phyto-nutrients. Whip up some spice blends based upon your tastes and nutritional target interests and reach for one jar instead of several when it’s time to cook up a meal.

Let’s start w/ two versions of Avanti Golden Spice, based on health food principles from India. Ayurveda has known about the power of turmeric for centuries. The holistic communities around the world have known foods’ abilities to heal and keep us young for quite some time. Modern medicine just discovered it yesterday. It’s positive to see science and tradition coming together. These blends are all made up of ground spices. Choose the best quality and freshest sources of ground spices you can find.

Golden Spice, Simple Blend

Amount	Measure	Ingredient	Prep Method
1 ½	Cups	Turmeric
1	Cup	Fenugreek powder
¼	Cup	Asafoetida	Optional
¼	Cup	Paprika

Directions:

Combine all. Makes 3 cups total. Store in a glass container, in a dark cabinet.

Anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, liver cleanse are just a few of the many healthful properties of turmeric. Fenugreek nurtures the cardiovascular system and kidneys, reduces symptoms of menstrual discomfort and menopause, and may help to stave off diabetes. Asafoetida treats headaches, respiratory disorders & strengthens the stomach. It has a bitter taste, so perhaps start w/ less than the recipe calls for, until you acquire a taste for it. You’ll learn to like it’s potent fragrance & strong flavor. Paprika is loaded w/ vitamins A, E & B6, iron & capsaicin. It’s a natural anti-bacterial.

Here’s a more complex blend. This gives you added spices for more healthful properties & flavor.

Golden Spice, Ginger Blend

Amount	Measure	Ingredient	Prep Method
¾	Cup	Turmeric
½	Cup	Fenugreek powder
½	Cup	Coriander powder
¼	Cup	Asafetida
1/8	Cup	Paprika	Not smoked
1/8	Cup	Ginger powder

Directions:

Combine all. Store in a glass container, in a dark cabinet.

Coriander has been studied for its beneficial effects on the nervous system, blood sugar & insulin. Ginger is a potent anti inflammatory. Inflammation leads to a host of illnesses and DIS-ease. In addition ginger has impacts on arthritis, brain health, infection and more.

All of these spices are considered anti-cancer compounds.

I use some of the sea salt lime brine from the process of making Moroccan Preserved Limes w/ a hearty dash of Avanti Golden Spice in a glass of sparkling water to start the day w/ a hearty, energizing full body cleanse. Add a wee fresh chili too to great the dawn!

Now let’s move to the Middle East for a tantalizing curry like spice blend, as fun to taste as it is to say, Hawaij

Hawaij Avanti

Amount	Measure	Ingredient	Prep Method
2 ½	Cups	Ginger	Ground
2/3	Cup	Cinnamon	Ground
½	Cup	Cardamom	Ground
2/3	Cup	Cloves	Ground
½	Cup	Paprika	Ground
2	Tablespoons	Lemon peel powder	POWDER
3	Tablespoons	Orange peel powder	POWDER
¼	Cup	Turmeric	Ground
¼	Cup	Fenugreek	Ground

Directions:

Combine all in a glass container. Store in a dark cabinet.

Cinnamon is known to regulate blood sugar, boost brain function & improve colon health. Cardamom helps control cholesterol, boosts mood & supports gastrointestinal health. Cloves are a potent anti bacterial, support the liver & bones. Citrus peel powders are available in quality spice shops and online. They add flavor & digestive health benefits. We’ve used both orange peel & lemon peel powder in this fragrant version of Hawaij.

Whip up a batch of these great blends and use them daily. A little spice in w/ anything makes for a tasty meal in minutes. Make some fun labels & bag or jar up these fragrant wonder spices for gifts and stocking stuffers. You’ll give the gift of flavor & health to everyone you know and for pennies a packet.