A great little collection of 'small plates', simple to sophisticated celebrating some of the harvests that grow plentifully right here in the Ojai Valley. Small and usually shared dishes based on foods I have tasted, Tapas in Spain, Mezze, in both Turkey and Greece, Italian Antipasti, as well as Moroccan and Middle Eastern dishes, with the emphasis on savory spice.The thought behind this book is to present some ideas of foods that can be served as small plates for any time of day, just one plate or a collection of a few. Recipes include Small Plates- Baked Sweet Potato Falafel with Lemon Tahini, Onion-Fennel Fritters with Cucumber Tzatziki, Tuscan Frittata, Gorgonzola Stuffed Figs. Condiments, Sauces & Spreads - Balsamic-Black Pepper Jam, Pomegranate Glaze, Orange Fennel Mostarda, Fig & Olive Tapenade. Crackers and Breads - Sea Salt & Olive oil Crackers, Focaccia with Caramelized Fennel and Onion."I believe that preparing food is about great ingredients, and it's about everything that goes into making a great meal. For me it's about sourcing well grown, local organic vegetables, the time I set aside to prepare a great dish, the music playing in the background, the tools I use in the kitchen, the vintage server and the beautiful plates I have collected over the years. It's about community and closeness and sitting at the table and enjoying the meal together with thanks" with Gratitude, Chef Robin
About the Author: Robin Goldstein is a California chef who works her culinary magic combining unique flavor and spices with local seasonal products, to create an unforgettable culinary experience for the palate and on the plate, in private homes and public venues. Known as "Private Chef Robin" to celebrity and private clients alike, Robin has made a career of providing an intimate, home-cooked experience that is anything but traditional home-cooked food. Robin uses classic techniques she honed at the Culinary Institute of America in New York. Through travel and work abroad for many years, she has developed what might be called a Mediterranean cooking style, with an emphasis on Middle Eastern flavors. She also works closely with private clients teaching them how to select ingredients, cook intelligently and live better with healthful options, without sacrificing flavor. Teaching locally at the Lavender Inn in Ojai, CA, Robin develops and fully infuses lavender into recipes that have been featured during the Ojai Lavender Festival for several years. This success has led to recent development of a new product line "A Taste of Ojai Culinary Sea Salts" that infuses lavender, wild fennel and pink peppercorns into three distinct and flavorful seasoning blends. Robin was born and raised in the Washington DC area where she ate her way through the city's most prominent restaurants at a very young age. Her early exposure to fine dining at her grandparents' restaurant and later, her father's restaurant, along with her food-loving family sparked her lifelong passion and love of cooking. Robin lives in an oak shaded neighborhood in the Ojai Valley, surrounded by nature and the scenic beauty of the local mountains that Ojai is famed for. This first book in a series "A Taste of Ojai - A Collection of Small Plates, shares some of her secrets of creating healthy and delicious fresh fare for her private events, with a dash of Ojai thrown in.