Tagliatelle Chicken with a truffel cheese cream sauce and smoked paprika

Still trying to perfect this dish. Getting close but not quite there. If you have not read my previous attempts at this dish, it stems from a dish that I ate several times at a nice restaurant in Florence, Italy about 5 years ago know. It was so good, that it has stuck with me to this day and soon I will perfect this one.

The Perfect Scrambled Eggs with Tomato and Green Onion and Chardonnay Trumpet Mushrroms

What else is there to say. For breakfast, this just does it for me; simple easy to make and tastes so good.

Opah Fish with a Summer Vegetables in a White Wine Cream Sauce

I have been waiting to attempt a meal like this for a while. I started experimenting with some fish dishes during my time in Sweden, and ever since I have come back I have been wanting to continue but just never had the opportunity. The fish that I used for this meal is called an Opah Fish; from the little research that I did on the fish it typically swims in the category with other Hawaiian fishes. Also known as the "Hawaiian Moon Fish". The fish monger that I got it from said it is similar to a Tuna but rather then having that dark redish pink color it is white, yet still very meaty and not so delicate. I pan fried the fish and paired it with a very nice lighter sauce cream sauce that consisted of a dry style Chardonnay and various vegetables. The plate was very nice and paired well as a whole, though as a dish it was missing at least one more component in my opinion. I would have liked to have potatoes with the meal, possibly lady fingers or Yukon golds. However, very nice and definitely a good test for me as my experience with Fish as not as good as with other meats.

The Vegetables were Trumpet Mushrooms, Red Onions, Carrots and Red Peppers.

The Culinary Dropout, Scottsdale AR

Ok, I passed by the place in the car and thought I had to go there! It was definitely a cool place with a great atmosphere and set up. I ate at the bar which was fully stocked and then some. They were your typical bar but as soon as you started looking around you could tell that the bar manager definitely had a passion and good knowledge for what he was doing. The bar featured a wide variety whiskeys and Tequilas as well as Mezcals. The beer selection was also not of the ordinary and was surprisingly good. I had the Abita "Purple Haze" from New Orleans, this beer was a perfect combination of a light amber ale with sweet notes to it there were very well balanced and not even close to being over powering. Very drinkable with little hesitation. They served all their beers in Pints and 20 oz. glasses. The other beer I tried was from SanTan Brewing called "Epicenter", a locally brewed beer from Chandler, AR. It was also good, a lot darker and had a bit of a bite.

The bartender's name is Rachelle, and is also very nice. The entire staff were friendly and very helpful, stress free. The feeling of the restaurant was very casual.

As for the food that I had a menu that fit the name to the "T". I started off with a Gorgonzola Chicken salad that had smoked almonds, apple, and a sour cherry vinaigrette. A perfect salad, the flavors and consistency of all the components came together for a nice elegant salad that still had the feeling of being suitable for a down to earth person. The smoked almonds, sour cherries and gorgonzola all were so good. There was also on the menu a separate list of cheeses that could be ordered and with no surprise were very good. I ordered a Spanish aged goats milk cheese called Garrotxa. This cheese was obviously, amazing. On the softer side, texture wise had a small similarity to Parmesan cheese with a pleasant lingering essence on the back of your palette. Paired well with cherry preserves, when put together the sweet notes of the cherries were showcased but did not take over the entire flavor of the combo. Beer friendly: Paired well with the Purple Haze.

As for the main course I had the Salmon that was served a top Fennel, Apples and Farro. Very nice flavor combinations, allowed for the fish flavor to be showcased with a nice sweet flavor from the Farro.

Before I left I had to try at least one of the Mezcals: Ilegal Repo Mezcal, which was apparently just released.

The nose: Very strong, smoky

The flavors: Medium smokiness, manageable heat, almost like a woody smokiness, and a soft flavor down the palette.

Overall I thought it was a good experience and would definitely recommend to other people who are coming through the area.

Tip from a California Local

Ok, I must say that after experiencing what some people go through there whole life, like people in other countries that have never experienced a peach like this because they simply dont grow everywhere or just are not that ripe, that I cry a little inside for you. Anyway, This has to be one of the best peaches I have ever had. And guess what, I got it from a little stand on the side of the road off of I-5, interstate freeway near Tracy. The peach had everything goin for it. Color, texture, body, flavor, smell; this Peach definitely came from some pretty perfect conditions. So for those of you traveling to California around summer time, preferably August to September try taking a drive down I-5 and stopping at one of these local friendly stands that have some of the best peaches.

New Feature

Hello everyone, because of my new job things have changed a little for me and I am a lot busier. I still plan on cooking and posting my dishes however I will also be traveling a lot and because of that cannot cook in a hotel. Therefore I have decided to take this opportunity to indulge in the local restaurant scene of the places that I travel to. So my blog will be a combination of my dishes, when I can cook and a break down of the restaurant and food that I order there.