Everyday Organic Cookery with Jamie Milks

Jamie Milks of Everyday Organic Cookery believes that eating healthy, organic food is something you can do every day and offers products and classes to help you do it too.

Check out this video where I had the chance to catch up with Jamie to taste some of her goodies and get more information about her business.

Since the filming of this video, the building has sold and Jamie now teaches classes at the 64^th Street Hy-Vee.  You can also order all of her goodies and request special orders online.

Below is the recipe for the cashew butter.  I made a batch of my own at home and it is super easy and so delicious.

Roasted Rosemary Cashew Butter

8 ounces raw, unsalted cashews

1 tablespoon coconut oil

1 tablespoon honey

1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, minced

pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spread cashews out onto a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes, stirring once or twice to prevent burning. Remove from oven and add to a food processor.   Turn the food processor on and run until a thick ball is formed, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl, as needed. When the thick ball is formed, remove the lid and add the coconut oil and honey. Turn the machine back on.  Continue to run until the butter loosens up and it reaches the desired consistency (very spreadable). It may take up to 10 minutes. Transfer the cashew butter to a bowl and stir in the rosemary. The longer the butter sits, the more the flavor will develop.

If you have a great food find in KC, email me.

In Good Taste,

Sharm

The Boot

Located in Westport, The Boot is sister to the popular and successful French-inspired Westport Café and Bar owned by  Aaron Confessori. 

Confessori’s passion to always own a restaurant came to life after opening Westport Café and Bar two years ago and Westport Street fare, a Mexican inspired Food Truck which opened in 2011. After much success at both, Confessori opened The Boot, an Italians style bistro next door to WCB, in February 2012 and from my experience, I think he has another winner on his hands. 

I was contacted a few weeks ago to come in and check it out and since it has been on my list to get to, I could not say no. I was able to bring along my husband, sister, and her husband and we had a great evening. I love it when I am able to dine with a larger group so we can order a variety of items to share. Below is an account of the dishes we tried. 

Warning, it will make you hungry!

Sheep Milk Ricotta with Thyme, Oregano and Olive Oil

I am a sucker for any kind of bread and olive oil dip, so adding the ricotta cheese to this put it over the top. 

Cheese Plate 

A beautiful variety of assorted cheeses including aged Provolone, Grana Padano, Ricotta and more.

Luigi Pizza

This pizza has tomato, beef pepperoni, aged Provolone and marinated artichokes. I thought the crust was amazing and all of the topping paired well. This pizza is named after Confessori's father who happens to be a vegetarian. He still eats this pizza as his one indulgence and I can see why as it was a favorite dish of the evening. 

Porco Picante Meatballs

 Made with pork shoulder and hot pickled cherry peppers, these meatballs were flavorful and spicy. They packed the perfect amount of heat and came in as a close second to the pizza!

Fusili Carbonara

 This House-made Fusilii pasta tossed with Guanciale (very intensive flavored bacon), Parmesan, black pepper and egg is surprisingly light.  Most carbonaras I have had are covered in heavy cream sauces. This dish was a nice change to that with egg still adding a creamy element and the Guanicale adding the smokey bacon flavor.  After this came to the table, we were back to trying to choose a favorite!

 The pork chop is tender with a sweet glaze.  The fennel gratin is a take on au gratin potatoes and had layers of shaved fennel and grana padano.  We all thought the pork chop was tender and delicious but the fennel gratin had mixed reviews. My sister’s husband and I liked it, but my husband and my sister decided it was not their favorite.

The décor features rustic brick walls and classic red and white window accents. The dining area is quite small so to accommodate as many guests as possible a unique features is the community table that runs up the center and seats up to 18. The setting is intimate with candlelight and has a real Italian feel.

Dessert consisted of a moist Olive Oil Pumpkin Cake, Crisp Apple Fritters with Ricotta and Almond and coffee. The desserts were a nice sweet ending to the meal and I loved the beautiful coffee mugs and the adorable "boot" creamer container. 

The Boot menu offers a variety of unique items and is not your run of the mill Italian restaurant.  The bar offers classic cocktails as well as a nice selection of beer and wine. It is defiantly worth visiting and all of us at the table agreed that we would go back.   

I have yet to try the Westport Street Fare Food Truck but have been invited to, so I hope to make it there soon.  I will let you know “what you’re missing” there as soon as I do!

If you have a great food find in KC you think I am missing, email me.  

The Boot

415 Westport Road

816-931-4868

In Good Taste,

Sharm

 

Chaz on the Plaza debuts new spring menu items at Chef’s Tasting Dinner

Below is information from the official press release regarding the new menu at Chaz on the Plaza.

The Chaz on the Plaza culinary team led by Executive Chef Charles d’Ablaing presented a seven-course Chef’s Tasting Menu dinner April 17 at a limited seating event promoted on a first reserve basis through consumer engagement channels. 

The dinner featured selected new menu items from Chaz’s spring dinner menu: 

First course offerings of She-Crab Soup, a creamy bisque with female crab harvested off the Georgia coast flavored with a smoky tomato whip and sherry minionette; and Rabbit and Goat Cheese Ravioli with honey-thyme glazed carrot foam, pancetta and asparagus. 

New main courses are: Deconstructed Beef Tamales, a generous portion of tender braised beef short rib atop a pablano polenta with blistered tomatoes and salsa verde; Rock Shrimp Campanelle, a pasta dish with arugula pesto, caramelized cherry tomatoes, summer squash, goat cheese and balsamic reduction; and Seared Quail with cherry compote, quinoa, morel duxelles and truffled frissee. 

The new menu also features Chaz signature items tweaked for the new local harvest season, including two served at the tasting dinner: Chaz Salad with cinnamon toast, sweet tea poached blackberries, Gorgonzola and strawberry vinaigrette; and Diver Caught Scallops with corn and parsnips, cilantro-lime butter and toasted carrot sprigs. 

Dishes drawing special praise from first-tasters were the She-Crab Soup, Deconstructed Beef Tamales and Chocolate Orange Torte with Grand Mariner ganache, dehydrated orange slice, candy hazelnuts, honey ginger ice cream and fresh raspberries. 

Information, menus and reservations are available online or by calling 816.802.2152.

About Chaz on the Plaza: Chaz on the Plaza is the signature restaurant of the historic Raphael Hotel located at 325 Ward Parkway in Kansas City, MO. It is a destination restaurant that embodies its city’s unique culture, history and spirit. Chaz receives favorable reviews for its service and modern, regional American cuisine by media critics, guest comments and TripAdvisor reviewers who rank the restaurant among the city’s top five dining establishments. Signature items include a hand-cut, wet-aged prime beef tenderloin with brie stuffed potato croquette and grilled asparagus, locally sourced lamb chops and fried green tomatoes. Chaz Lounge presents live music Tuesdays – Sundays and features half-price appetizers at Happy Hour from 4 – 6 p.m. Mondays through Fridays.

New Spring Plates Menu and Artist Series Wine Event at the Capital Grille

The Capital Grille has added three new additions to their lunch plates to welcome in spring.  These dishes are a perfect reflection of the season’s flavors and include Asparagus Soup, Shrimp and  Piquillo Peppers with Crisp Bomba Rice and Grilled Spring Vegetables.  As always, guests of The Capital Grille can customize their lunch, choosing from nine “plates” offerings – soup or salad, sandwich and a side – all for $18.

I was graciously invited by Capital Grille to try the new “plates” lunch menu and this invite could not have come at a better time.  My dear friend Melissa was in town visiting from Maine.  I only get to see her once or twice a year and this was a lovely way to spend our time catching up.

For the soup or salad choice, we both got the asparagus soup and it is delicious. Although it looks creamy, it is really very light made with roasted asparagus, caramelized onions and chicken stock.  It is thickened with sushi grade rice and only has a touch of cream added at the end.  I am going to attempt to recreate this soup at home.

One selection under the main choices is a Lobster Roll. Being from Maine, Melissa was intrigued to try it and compare the difference.  She can pretty much walk down the street from her house, pluck a fresh lobster out of the water, take it home, and cook it up.  She was also eying the Mini Tenderloin Sandwiches.  I have always wanted to try the lobster roll, but am hooked on the Tenderloin Sandwiches so it worked out perfect for us to get one of each and the kitchen split for us.

Both the lobster roll and tenderloin buns are a brioche type bread and made in house.  They are soft and just a little bit sweet.  This was my first lobster roll and I have to say it was tasty.  Melissa agreed as well and was impressed the lobster was as good as what she can get at home. She noted that in Maine the filling is usually just lobster, a little mayo and some lemon.  The lobster filling at the Capital Grille includes lobster, celery, onion, sour cream, mayo and a hint of lime. The tenderloin sandwiches are melt in your mouth delicious. 

 

For the sides, it was the new grilled spring vegetables and truffle fries. The melody of squash, zucchini, peppers and mushrooms are grilled with a touch of herb olive oil and the truffles fries are crisp and sinful.

Dessert is not included in the “plates” price but I could not pass up the opportunity to share a Crème Brule with one of my dearest friends. 

In addition to the “New Spring Plates”, the Capital Grille is also featuring the Artist Series Wine Event. This annual event gives guests at The Capital Grille a one-of-a-kind opportunity to experience an exclusive, limited allocation wine adorned with a unique piece of original artwork as its label, while supporting Share Our Strength and their mission to end childhood hunger in America. For every bottle sold the Capital Grille will donate $25.00 to the Share Our Strength foundation.

This year’s Artist Series wine is an exquisite Cabernet Sauvignon hand-selected by The Capital Grille’s own Master Sommelier, George Miliotes. The Cabernet was hand-crafted at Napa Valley’s Freemark Abbey Winery by Ted Edwards, in collaboration with George Miliotes, one of only 186 Master Sommeliers in the world. Fewer than 1,000 cases of this unique wine, blended solely for The Capital Grille, will be produced.  The wine’s grapes were harvested from carefully selected vineyards in Napa Valley, where differing elevations and a unique terrain result in the perfect conditions for creamy, roundly textured flavors.

The Capital Grille invited artists and wine lovers to submit original art for the bottle’s label, during a competition held last fall. The winning painting, Complexity, by Missouri-based artist Julie Agee, was chosen for the way the vibrant colors and abstract lines perfectly complement the robust flavors and subtle undertones of the wine. The artwork will appear on every individually numbered bottle of The Capital Grille Artist Series Cabernet Sauvignon.

If you enjoy having a bottle with dinner, this would be wonderful selection for you to enjoy while helping the Share our Strength foundation at the same time.  I could not think of a more delightful way to help.

Once again, the Capital Grille graciously invited me in. This time it was to try the wine and have dinner.  I was thrilled for this opportunity and had a wonderful dinner with my husband.  The Capital Grille Artist Series Cabernet Sauvignon is delicious and was the perfect accompaniment to our meal.

Appetizer - Prosciutto wrapped house made mozzarella.
 

Salad - Field greens with roasted beets, grapes, almonds and goat cheese and balsamic.

Main - Lamb Chops with cherry chutney and Ten ounce Filet

Side - Au gratin Potatoes

As always, the service is impeccable, the food is top notch and the wine delicious. If you have never been, The Capital Grille needs to be added to your list. I would like to thank the Capital Grille for their generous hospitality in allowing me to try all of their offerings and for supporting the Share Our Strength foundation.

The Capital Grille
4740 Jefferson Street
Kansas City,  MO  64112
816-531-8345

In Good Taste,
Sharm