Tag Archives: Hummus

Virtual Napa Valley Picnic

What is the difference between 2021 and 2013? Back in 2013 we had the whole Kenny crew together for a picnic in Napa Valley. In 2021 we were thrilled to get a group together for a Virtual Napa Valley Picnic via Zoom.

Note: The feature picture  shows both a Zoom session 2021 and the real thing with Kenny crew in the Napa Valley back in 2013

While Zoom is great, we have found that having a lot of people on a call can be difficult. We heard one horror story from a friend that had a holiday Zoom call with 10 family members around the country. His dad took the lead and went around the Zoom asking participants what was going on in their lives. That led to all sorts of tales of woe…job losses, business failures, health issues. Our friend made sure to make his piece positive.

With that caveat in my head, I decided to keep my invite list for our Virtual Napa Valley picnic short and focused on the upbeat. The result was a lot of fun and the call that lasted over 2 hours as we all enjoyed the:

  • Chance to reconnect
  • Good food
  • Great wine

Taking the lead in the food department, I decided to make up a picnic basket for the 3 participants. With the theme of a Napa Valley Picnic, I had a vision of a trip we took to the Napa Valley a few years ago. There is a little gourmet grocery store where we loaded up on a few things for our picnic at the Joseph Phelps Vineyard. The memory inspired the menu of:

The beauty of Tuvi’s Hummus is that it comes with stories:

Tuvi is a friend of mine in Israel.. Tuvi and I have been friends since 1985. He is one of those people that brings amazing insight and wonderful humor to just about everything. His wife Mona is more than special. She is:

I talked to Tuvi a few months ago and asked how Mona was doing and he said: Ahh just google her.

(Tuvi and I discussing peace in the middle east or more likely the punch line of one Tuvi’s better jokes. Remember when people told jokes?)

Back in 1996 it was the year after my father had passed away and my mother spent month in Israel as part of an Elder Hostel. I was in Israel on business. We met up in Jerusalem and Tuvi hosted us for dinner. That night in Jerusalem with Tuvi and Mona, my mother was the center of attention and I came away with an understanding of why dad referred to her as the “Brains of the Operation”. She was just interested and interesting. Me I just sat back and watched. At the end of the evening Tuvi gave mom a recipe book and we have been making the hummus recipe from it for years.

If you enjoyed this blog and similar other stories/wine group/supper club lessons follow me on Facebook and Twitter and subscribe to get future blogs at www.impromptufridaynights.com/blog and check out my book Impromptu Friday Nights a Guide to Supper Clubs. Published by Morgan James Publishing and available through most channels where books are sold.

(Brian and  Lauren Kenny, Jenn and  Ethan Begun, Jess and Mike Schuler at Jospeh Phelps

Check out our itinerary for the 2013 trip:

 

Flavor Combinations That Work

Some flavors work together better than others. And, sometimes you hit the jackpot in bringing together flavors that are a big hit. I made a dish up in Ottawa for my daughter and son in-law that they raved about. Who would have thought that: Spiced Meat, Hummus, Sautéed Zucchini, Fried Eggs And Guacamole With Sweet Chili Sauce, …Would be declared the best dish I have ever made. While it was really good, I can think of several creations that I might pick for a last meal before being led to the electric chair.

The genesis of the dish came from a 6 am flight out of Memphis. I had brought along a few foodie magazines to browse during the flight. I have gotten into the habit of taking pictures of pictures in magazines with my cell phone to capture ideas. My goal was to come up with a dish that was relatively healthy/low carb, flavorful and easy to make. I saw two recipes, one for a Chili Crisp Sauce and another Spiced Lamb with Humus. The Chili sauce I made with red peppers from India that a neighbor had given my daughter. The sauce turned out to be so hot that it was inedible. The flavor was great for a second or two, but then the heat kicked in. The net result can be described in one word: PAIN! I substituted a bottle of Thai Sweet Chili Sauce that worked wonders. The other piece of inspiration came from a recipe for Spiced Lamb with Hummus. My daughter has a problem with eating lamb. It isn’t the flavor. It is either the thought of eating Little Bo-Peep’s friend or the fact that she is still scarred from our telling her that lamb was steak when she was a child. Either way, lamb isn’t an option for her and the ground turkey is a lot healthier. 

I have been told that I have gotten pretty good at flavor combinations. For example, I know that you can put bacon with anything and people will like the dish. I haven’t always been good with flavor combinations. My first victim was my buddy Tom Julian who was my roommate after business school. TJ was famous for saying my cooking was “mishconbrul” which was Utica’s/Italian slang for wacky a combination. My father was famous for asking: “Can’t you cook anything without onion and garlic in it?”. They both were right. Somehow exposure to cuisines around the world and working with fantastic chefs has helped improve my ability to create a palatable dish. But when in doubt, add bacon and your victims will be happy.

The Hero dish is really a combination of 5 recipes and a bottle of sweet chili sauce.

Spiced Meat

Sautéed Zucchini

Hummus

Fried Egg

Guacamole

Thai Sweet Chili Sauce (Buy a bottle)

This dish works really well for a party of four. Served on a large platter where you can all serve yourselves family style. A benefit of this dish is that it isn’t formal and the Flavor Combinations Work Well Together.

If you enjoyed this blog and similar other stories/supper club lessons follow me on Facebook and Twitter and subscribe to get future blogs at www.impromptufridaynights.com/blog and check out my book Impromptu Friday Nights a Guide to Supper Clubs. Published by Morgan James Publishing and available through most channels where books are sold.