Italian Festival Equals Food!

Yesterday was the Columbus Day Italian Festival in San Diego's Italian Village. The celebration has been held on India Street for the past fourteen years, and has grown in size and popularity.

This area of San Diego has seen an amazing transformation during that time, and is now a modern, bustling area with trendy boutiques, and a sophisticated design center right in the heart of the most amazing Italian restaurants, cafes, wine bars and bistros.

The Columbus Day Festival is a great opportunity to taste some of the traditional foods that these first class restaurants have to offer, as many of the most well known such as Mimmo's, Filippi's, Zucchero's, and Mona Lisa - to name a few, set up street stalls and you can sample anything from pizza, pasta and the famous sausage sandwich to gelato and pastries.

As well as the food, which is the main attraction for most people, there is art, ceramics, music and dancing, and this year's festival was sprinkled with a few Democrat and Republican supporters trying to persuade you one way or the other.

If you missed it this year, don't worry it will be back next year. The only requirements when you visit this Festival are that you must be hungry and bring plenty of sunscreen!

Aria Sun

I was at my local bar / restaurant last weekend, The Spot in La Jolla, and was interested to hear the conversation between the bartender and one of the customers. The customer was, of course, lamenting the fall in the stock market, the state of the economy, the bailout and how bad life was in general, and the bartender replied that in these times his business improved dramatically, and I had read in the New York Times that many of the bars around Wall Street were, not surprisingly, busier than usual.

The article I had read indicated that most people were drinking beer, but when I researched the cocktail of choice for the well-heeled, moneyed New Yorkers, I found the ideal bar with the ideal drink in Boston, Massachusetts.

Aria, a sophisticated, sexy lounge club, has become the meeting place for wealthy New Yorkers and New England aristocracy. It is situated in the basement of the Wilbur Theater in the heart of Boston's theater district. I read about this club in the book, Signature Cocktails by Bill Tikos (thecoolhunter), and it was described as decadent, plush and glamorous, but other reviews I have read online have been less flattering. One thing they all agree on is that fashion is foremost and you have to have the "look" to get through the velvet rope.

To create your own Aria signature cocktail, the Aria Sun, you don't have to do anything too fancy (see below), and it would definitely pass the Sex in the City test!

Aria Sun
Ingredients

• 1 fl ounce vodka
• 1/2 fl ounce grenadine
• 2 fl ounces cranberry juice
• 1 lemon
  

Method

1. Pour the vodka, grenadine, and cranberry juice into a shaker.
2. Squeeze in fresh lemon juice to taste.
3. Shake well, and strain into a cocktail glass.
4. Garnish with a twist of lemon.

Free Shipping at Gourmet Fusion

With the holiday season just around the corner the Gourmet Fusion online store is introducing free shipping to any location in the US when you purchase three items.

This can be any three items - they don't have to be from the same range, and we are adding new items daily.

So if you are planning to brighten up your home this season, look at some of our mix and match items like this set of two Salt and Pepper towels, teamed with our brushed stainless steel William Bounds salt grinder.

Or if you've got birthdays coming up, shop now and buy holiday gifts as well.

Gourmet Fusion offers free gift wrapping from now through the end of the holiday season.

Add Fall to Your Kitchen

There are many ways to change the look of your kitchen to go with the season without breaking the bank. The start of Fall heralds Halloween, and then the holiday season is in full swing.

Simple additions can completely change the look of a kitchen, dining room or living room.

As many people now entertain in their kitchen / dining area, Gourmet Fusion's range of Fall Dish Towels, such as the Pumpkin Towels and Fruit Towels shown here, are both functional and decorative.

They come in a set of two, are fully machine washable, and made of 100% Egyptian cotton.



Other eye catching additions are our Acorn Plaid Oven Mitt, Pot Holder and Apron, all by Design Imports India which coordinate beautifully with our Placemats and Napkins.

Pear Season

Although pears are available all year round, they are a fruit that ripens and is collected in the autumn months, and they conjure up all the colors of the season. Now is the time to use them liberally in mouthwatering desserts, serve them sliced with tangy cheese following a meal, or munch on them as a healthy snack.

There are many varieties of pear available (see some varieties below), but whichever type you choose always select smooth fruit that is free from cuts or bruises. Pears ripen off the tree and are ready to eat when the flesh near the stem has some give. If you store them in a fruit bowl at room temperature, they make an elegant, fall decoration, but they can also be stored in the crisper of the refrigerator until ripe. Pears can be poached, baked or roasted in both sweet and savory dishes, and simply sliced in salads.

A few of the most common pears:

Bartlett
The Bartlett is the most commonly grown pear in the US. This pear comes in green flesh and red flesh variety. The fully ripe Bartlett may be yellow, but the Red Bartlett pear develops its red skin prior to being fully ripe. As with the Anjou pear, it can be either red or yellow, or a mixture of both. It is very versatile, and is good in salads, or baked in desserts.

Williams
This green-skinned versatile pear is great for poaching, baking or in salads. Ideal for crumbles, cakes and tarts.

Sensation
Often known as Red Sensation, as when they ripen they become a deep crimson color. This medium sized pear has a buttery texture that is ideal for desserts and fruit salads.

Red Anjou
This red, medium-sized pear has a white, fine-textured flesh. This is a great pear to use in salads, and goes especially well with walnuts.

Corella
These small green and red pears have a mild flavor and are good to eat alone, and hold their shape well when roasted.

Bosc
This is a medium to large brown pear, and is sweet and juicy. It is one of the best all-round pears for cooking and holds up well when poached, pan-fried or baked. It has a cream colored flesh, and slightly grainy texture.

Comice
This large roundish pear has a green-yellow skin, with red blush. It has a fine textured, juicy flesh making it perfect in desserts and great on its own.

Pears can be poached, baked or roasted, or added to salads or tarts. Below is a super simple recipe for Baked Pear Custards that turns an everyday meal into something special. This recipe was featured in the Donna Hay magazine.


Baked Pear Custards (serves 4)
Ingredients

• 2 cups pouring cream
• 2 eggs
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/3 cup caster (extra fine) sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 pear, thinly sliced
• freshly grated nutmeg for sprinkling

Method

1. Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees.
   
2. Place the cream in a saucepan over medium heat until it just comes to the boil.
3. Place the eggs, egg yolk, sugar and vanilla in a bowl and whisk until well combined.
4. Gradually add the hot cream mixture, whisking well to combine.
5. Pour into 4 x 1 1/2 cup-capacity ovenproof dishes and top with pear slices.
6. Place on a baking tray and cook for 20-25 minutes, or until just set.
7. Sprinkle with nutmeg to serve.
   

Gourmet Fusion's Fall Affair at Leaping Lotus

Believe it or not, the seasons have changed, and it's time once more for a late night shopping extravaganza at the Leaping Lotus on Cedros, Solana Beach.

The Fall event is taking place on Thursday, September 18th between 5:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. So why not spend the evening with Leaping Lotus and the Gourmet Fusion store, and celebrate the New Season?

This special shopping event will include live music by "The Hager Rivera Project" a soulful, jazz duo, raffle drawings all evening, the ever popular fashion show with the latest looks for Fall, together with refreshments, and special sales throughout the store.

Gourmet Fusion has many sale items, including teapots, travel tumblers, salt and pepper mills, and Cattitude.

There will also be samplings of some of our new chocolate chip cookies, tea infused cookies and chocolate covered coffee beans (Zozo Beans) from Torn Ranch.

If you have not visited Leaping Lotus before, now is a great time to do so. Many other merchants on Cedros are also taking part in this late night shopping event.

Leaping Lotus is located in the heart of the Cedros Design District, in Solana Beach, California. 21,000 square feet, with over 100 merchants and literally millions of unique items and gifts to choose from. Come see us at 240 South Cedros Ave - Solana Beach,CA 92075 858.720.8283.

Zozo Beans & Mashuga Nuts at Gourmet Fusion

The fall season is almost here, and the summer items are starting to disappear from the Gourmet Fusion Store to make way for our fall collection. This week we introduced some exciting new chocolate and nut items from Torn Ranch into the Solana Beach store.

First are our Zozo Beans. These are rich Colombian coffee beans that have been dark roasted, then coated with premium dark, milk or white chocolate. Great to eat by themselves, or while sipping your cappuccino or espresso.

Then try a bag of Torn Ranch's famous Mashuga Nuts, named after the Yiddish word mashuga, meaning "crazy". These all natural sweet and savory pecans come in a fun, whimsical bag that really is crazy!

The history of these nuts is also unusual. Torn Ranch originated as a retail store located in Marin County that was renowned for its Jumbo Cashews. As a warm welcome, the owner would place a jumbo cashew in each of its customer's hands. So, if you are in our store in the Leaping Lotus, why not pick up a bag and share them with a friend or two and keep the tradition alive.

Torn Ranch's delicious gourmet foods are all natural Kosher dairy.