Last night our dear friends and neighbors, Scott and Amy Kilpatrick, invited us to go to dinner with them at the soft-opening “friends and family” event at SOL Mexican Cocina. SOL is located in the Scottsdale Quarter and makes its public debut tomorrow, Tuesday, March 20 at 4:30 PM.  (Hey Amy, Don’t be mad at me for posting this snapshot, I know you weren’t expecting it, I was just trying to get a photo of the interior before we left 🙂 Even though I think that you and Scott look cute, as usual! xoxo)

Scott and Amy have a strong connection to SOL’s Operating Partner, Rich Howland.  Scott and Rich are the original founders of RA Sushi and have been friends since attending kindergarten, right here in Scottsdale.

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Before we get to today’s recipe… Yes, I’m actually posting a recipe today… I want to wish each and every one of you (lucky enough to be born Irish, or not) a safe, healthy, and very Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

The recipe comes courtesy of Barbara Fenzl and Les Gourmettes Cooking School. Barb made these easy and delicious morsels in her classes this session. They are THE perfect easy-breezy appetizers for carefree entertaining!

The crabmeat mixture can be made a day ahead, covered, and refrigerated. As can the panko coating – if you wait to drizzle on the melted butter until just before assembling the crab cakes.  Additionally, you can bake the crab cakes an hour ahead, then remove them from muffin cups and place them on a baking sheet and leave them at room temperature, and rewarm them in a 350-degree oven for 6 to 8 minutes. Voilà – the easiest crab cakes you’ve ever made!

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As I mentioned yesterday, the Phoenix New Times was going to put up a little article on their food blog, Chow Bella, about my dream food day. It was supposed to go up today, but instead, it was posted early yesterday morning. I love how it turned out and I’d love it even more if you would go to THIS LINK and check it out and also check the little “like” button there or leave a comment.  Just in case you’re not up for all that… here it is below. :-0

Oh, and hopefully you’ll notice that I don’t just talk the talk, I walk the walk! Several of my favorite things are already shared here with you in my previous posts… from the Brussels Sprout Salad to the Bacon BonBons and the De Lujo Margarita. I’m always thinking about you people!

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If you’re anything like me, when you think of margaritas, you think of a warm summer day. Last week I was introduced to a cold-weather margarita that will knock your socks off! Chef Jeff Smedstad was the visiting chef teaching at Barbara Fenzl’s Les Gourmettes Cooking School last Monday night and everyone in the class swooned when he served this luxurious (de lujo) concoction.

Chef Smedstad is the chef/owner of Elote Cafe in Sedona. Dave and I dined at Elote the first night we were up in Sedona, last month. I failed to mention it before because back then, it was all about my sprained ankle. And that’s a shame because it was one of the best meals we’ve had in a very long time.  For a fantastic rundown (with drop-dead gorgeous pictures) on Elote go to my friend, Gwen Walter’s blog and check out her professional and spot-on review.

While you’re reading the review and drooling over the photos, enjoy this somehow “warming” cold margarita. Chef Smedstad calls for Añejo tequila. Añejo or “aged” tequila sits in oak barrels for at least one year and up to two years, eleven months, and thirty days. On the next day (3 years), it would be called Extra Añejo. Although the Añejo or Extra Añejo really make this drink shine (see Chef’s notes at the bottom of the recipe) you may use Blanco (white) tequila or Reposado (rested) tequila, just be sure to use a high-quality tequila and not anything along the lines of the dreaded José Cuervo!

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On Sunday night, Peggy and I attended a wonderful event at a fun new venue called The Accidental Yard, in Old Town Scottsdale. Doesn’t she look so pretty standing in front of the door that is the address of The Accidental Yard? Although I’m not actually certain that the door opens or if it really leads anywhere… since we followed the cute signs and walked around the corner to the entrance.

The property is between the Cavalliere Blacksmith Shop (est. 1910) and the Mission Restaurant and Lounge on Brown Avenue and Second Street. The Accidental Yard will encompass about 10,000 square feet on the L-shaped property that includes the two buildings and a yard that stretches to an area behind the blacksmith shop. The property had been vacant for years. It is being renovated by co-owners and founders, Joe and Kelly Garcia, into an urban garden that will soon have an attached coffeehouse, bakery, and restaurant. Joe and Kelly, are long-time vendors at the Old Town Farmer’s Market and Kelly owns Butter & Me Cupcakery.

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Except for the very discouraging fact that our AZ Diamondbacks dropped the first two games of the National League Division Series and our AZ Cardinals lost their third (3rd!!!!) game in a row – we had a great weekend. The third game in a row!!! Ouch!

On Saturday night, Dave and I dined at our friends, Mario and Ginger Vincitorio’s, a restaurant in Tempe… called VinciTorio’s Restaurant.  The evening was extra special because we went with my dear friend, Tram Mai, and her adorable husband Steve.

Not only is Tram the host of EVB Live on NBC channel 12, but she and Steve own Press Coffee Roasters, with locations at CityNorth and the Scottsdale Quarter… and another opening at Sky Harbor airport in spring 2012!

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The fun little picture above is meant to represent the number 100, as in 100 consecutive days of blog posts – a new record on my part.  When I made the decision back on September 10th (day 80 in a row), I had no idea just how difficult it would be to not miss a day for 3+ months. You never know what life is going to throw your way when you make a plan – a public statement – like that.  But in many ways, this blog is my therapy, it keeps me honest, and well, I just love doing it.

October is always my busiest month of the year, so I’m happy that it worked out that September 30th is day 100. Just for the sake a trivia and my amusement, the previous streak of consecutive posts was 72 back in June, July, August, of 2010.

I was wracking my brain thinking of what might be fun to make for post #100. I searched the web for food-related “100” and found nothing.

Then I went to Foodnetwork.com and found our own Chef Beau MacMillan, executive chef at Elements at Sanctuary with this video.  The video is from the show “The Best Thing I Ever Ate, Street Food”  and Beau is talking about H-100 tater tots from the Grill ‘Em All food truck in Los Angeles, CA.  Food truck chef Ryan Harkins named the tots after a hard-core rock band, H-100 from Ohio.

It was about a year and a half ago that Beau was right here in my kitchen cooking with Larry Fitzgerald and me. He is a great guy and if he loves these tater tots, I knew they must be something special. I’ve tried to re-create them here.  Next time I’m in LA, I’m going to find that truck and compare … ’cause man, these are awesome!

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I was searching for something sweet and quick to put together today for not only this post but to bring along to a lunch date I have this afternoon. I’m meeting up with my kids’ 1st grade teacher and her daughter and two granddaughters. We’ve stayed in touch all these years later, thanks in part to Facebook and this blog. Mrs. Tunheim (Ginger, to me) was both Marissa and Connor’s favorite teacher. In fact, Connor had her three times; 1st grade, 3rd grade, and during high school he went back and was a teacher’s aide in her class for a semester… yup we all love Mrs. T! Her beautiful daughter, Kim, assisted me one summer of cooking classes back when she was a single college girl.  Kim is now married with two adorable little girls of her own, so I’m bringing along these sweets to share with them.

I also want to take this opportunity to extend exuberant, hearty, and heartfelt congratulations to my friend and colleague, Gwen Walters, and her wonderful Pen & Fork, for winning Best Food Blog 2011 award given by Phoenix New Times!  Yay Gwen!!!  You can always check out Pen & Fork by just clicking on the link over there on the right side of this very page… it is AWESOME!

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It has been 11 days since the above hashtag* in my post title first appeared on Twitter. It was Friday, August 12, 2011, and the food blogging community came out in full force to support one of their own. I was in Florida at the time, but I witnessed a beautiful and quickly growing phenom. When I returned home, my time was all about preparations for and then posting about, this blog’s 2nd Anniversary Party.  But that hashtag and all it means has not been far from my heart or my thoughts these past days.

I am always on time and hate being late, but for the first time, it has been great to be late. Had I made the Pie For Mikey a week ago, I would not have had a chance to see the outpouring of love from all of the amazing food bloggers out there. It reinforces why I so enjoy blogging on an almost daily basis. So today, 11 days later, I want to share it with you.

First, you must leave this site to watch and listen to this beautiful video… right now, please!  Honestly, don’t press “read more” until you’ve seen the video.

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Chef Tim Lipman in the Leftovers kitchen

While in Jupiter, Florida last week, Chris and Kathy took me to their favorite “sister” restaurants, Food Shack and Leftovers.  The food was some of the most creative, seasonal, colorful, and flavorful I’ve ever had- especially at Leftovers.

We had the privilege of sitting at the bar that looks directly into the kitchen and catching up with the Leftovers chef, Tim Lipman. What a cool guy! I would love for him to come to Les Gourmettes next spring and share his unique creativity and philosophy.  And of course, he’d need to bring all that wonderful fish at his disposal, along too. Barb, we need to talk!

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