Dining

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Looking for something FUN to do? Check out Jazz & Wine in the Castle on Friday, Jan. 13 at Renee Kelly’s at Caenen Castle with Somerset Ridge Vineyard & Winery.


Doors open at 7 p.m., and live music — with local jazz bands! — begins at 8 p.m. Kick back and relax to the sounds of Stan Kessler and Mistura Fina while enjoying a delicious menu designed for your dining pleasure by Chef Renee and a glass (or many) of local wine from Somerset.

Your $5 cover at the door pays for the musicians, so bring friends! Call 913.631.4100 to make your reservations for dinner or to reserve a sit-down spot.

Renée Kelly’s at Caenen Castle
12401 Johnson Drive, Shawnee KS
913.631.4100

Somerset Ridge Vineyard & Winery
29725 Somerset Road, Somerset, KS
913.294.9646 (tasting room)

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Add a touch of warmth to your table and home with hand-crafted, hand-painted Hadley Pottery designs. Hadley Pottery has been producing iconic stoneware in dozens of patterns and hundreds of items for more than 70 years. Inspired by the designs of renowned artist Mary Alice Hadley, the pottery is an American classic, cherished by everyday users, enthusiasts and serious collectors across the United States and around the world.

What distinguishes Hadley from all other pottery and what has created a long and loyal following is the originality and charm of the decoration, as well as the fact that every piece is handmade and hand-painted in Louisville, Ky. Hadley patterns range from country to nautical, traditional to bold; there is a Hadley scene for any interest or decorative scheme. Pieces include tabletop, home accents and numerous gift items, including a wide selection of personalized pieces.

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Earlier this spring, I quickly became obsessed with an old TLC show, “Take Home Chef”. We don’t have cable, so once I discovered the show in my Netflix streaming, I clicked play, and we fell in love. It had NOTHING to do with the cute host from Australia, Curtis Stone. Absolutely nothing.

His tagline at the end of every THC show is: “The next time you go to the grocery store, you never know who you’re gonna bump into. It might be me, so make sure ya dress up.”

You guys, I’ve dressed up for THREE months now and haven’t seen a peep from him. Not until I was flipping channels and saw him in a commercial in front of MY GROCERY STORE IN KANSAS CITY. Y-E-P. He recently teamed up with our local grocery store, HyVee, for a series of summery commercials. UM, I’m a full-time actress (not at all actually) so why didn’t *I* get the chance to audition for this commercial (totally wasn’t expecting the invitation.)?

I’m starting to accept this and move past the pain. That was until I got our local Hyvee food magazine in the mail with him on the COVER.

WHAT IS THE MESSAGE HERE?

Okay so there isn’t one. I made his stuffed tomatoes. Blah, blah, blah. They were good. So he cooks for everyone else and not me. WHATEVER.

Here you go. (I’m TOTALLY fine.)

Wild Rice and Bacon-Stuffed Tomatoes
What it took for 2:

Ingredients:
* 4 medium tomatoes

* 4 slices bacon

* 2 cups cooked wild rice

* 2 Tbs. sun-dried tomato butter

* 3 cloves garlic, minced

* 1 cup diced green bell pepper

* 3 Tbs. fresh parsley

* 1/2 cup whole-wheat breadcrumbs

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Cut a 1/2-inch slice from the top of each mater. (that’s a TOMATO.) Toss out the tops. Using a melon baller or a teaspoon, scrape out the pulp, leaving a 1/2-inch shell to stuff. Get rid of the seeds, but coarsely chop the pulp and set aside.
3. Cook the bacon until crisp. Remove from heat, let cool and crumble.
4. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Toss in the garlic and bloom for 30 seconds. Add the tomato pulp, diced green pepper and parsley. Saute 2 minutes, until the pepper is crisp-tender. Stir in the rice, bacon and breadcrumbs.
5. Stuff each tomato with the filling. Dollop just a smidge more of the sun-dried tomato butter — trust me on this — on each tomato. Bake uncovered about 15 minutes.

Food time!

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I remember when I first moved to Kansas City, Aaron giddily drug me around to a gajillion restaurants, introducing my face to all kinds of new tastes and textures.

I’d be embarrassed to admit what I’d not eaten before moving here, so let’s just pretend that I told you and you gasped and I was all, “I KNOW.”

One afternoon we dropped in on a swanky plaza restaurant. Moments after being seated at a cozy window booth, and without a second glance, Aaron grinned at the waiter and mouthed, “We’ll have the seared ahi tuna, please.”

I elbowed him, “The seared wha-y wha-wha?” In the sweet, trust-me-because-I-know-you-love-food-and-I’m-trying-to-impress-you-because-we’ve-only-been-together-20-minutes face, he replied, “You’ll see.”

Minutes later, our fancy little ahi tuna dish arrived. I glanced at it and said “This is raw.” Aaron shot me a daring look and smirked, “I know. Eat up!”

I took a nibble. Looked at Aaron. Took another nibble. Looked at Aaron again. Smiled. Took another nibble. Nibble turned into a bite. Smiled again. Bite turned into what looked like a ravenous lion on something not necessarily appetizing for a food blog.

You get the picture. I’m a fan.

Seared Ahi Tuna with Asparagus
What it took for 2:

Ingredients:
* 1 pound fresh ahi tuna

* 2 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil, divided, plus more for drizzling

* 2 Tbs. freshly ground pepper

* coarse salt

* 1/2 pound asparagus, ends trimmed

* 2 cups arugula

* 1/2 lemon

Instructions:
1. Liberally salt and pepper both sides of the ahi tuna. Yum. I’m already salivating.
2. Heat 2 Tbs. of the oil over medium-high. Add the asparagus, sprinkle with salt and saute about 4 minutes until crisp-tender. Remove from pan to keep warm.
3. Heat another Tbs. oil in a medium skillet over high heat. Once you see the oil shimmer, add the tuna to the pan and sear for maybe 2 minutes. But no more. Flip and sear 1 more minute. You’re done. Don’t be nervous. Just do it. Remove from pan and let rest a few minutes. Slice thinly.
4. Serve tuna over asparagus with arugula and spritzed lemon.

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A few things about today:

1) My sunhat that blew onto my neighbor’s roof was stuck in his gutter overnight and has since disappeared.

2) I’m this close to murdering my dog every time the mailman arrives.

3) I non-embarrassingly purchased Haley Reinhart’s (from American Idol) single “Benny and the Jets” from iTunes today.

4) You guys — stop laughing and go listen. You won’t believe your ears.

5) Come back to me and tell me how much you loved what you heard and how glad you are that you read this post, which in turn changed your life for the better.

6) I take that back. I’m this close to murdering my dog anytime ANY HUMAN walks down the street.

7) I really like the way Ivanka Trump sounds when she speaks.

8 ) (I watch Oprah now that I’m home.)

9) Monday nights are meant for Mexican food.

10) Thank you and good night.

Smokey Shredded Chicken Tostadas:
Makes 6 tostadas:

* 1 rotissery chicken, skin removed and shredded

* 1 can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce

* 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

* 1 tsp smoked paprika

* 1/2 cup cilantro, plus more for garnish

* juice of 1/2 a lime

* pinch of brown sugar

* 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

* 6 white corn tortillas

* cooking spray

* 1 avocado, sliced or diced

Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 400. Spray the corn tortillas on both sides and bake roughly 10 minutes until they are crispy.

2. In a food processor, toss in the chipotle peppers with adobo sauce, cayenne, paprika, cilantro, lime and brown sugar. Blitz until well combined. Season with a teeny pinch of salt.

3. Heat a medium saucepan over medium and add the sauce. Bring to a light simmer and stir in the shredded chicken. Toss to combine and simmer about 10 minutes.

4. To serve, top each toasted tortilla with the chicken mixture. Garnish with cilantro and avocado. Another spritz of lime? Yes, please.

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Shell Shock!

Heavenly Stuffed Shells Stuffed With Heaven

Mama. Mia. If there is one thing truly meant for you to do in this life and on this planet, it is to take an afternoon and make stuffed jumbo shells. Wonderfully large pasta shells filled to the rim with fluffy ricotta, velvety spinach, and for a healthy surprise, whole-grain bulgur. (I cannot tell you how incredible these are!)

Perfectly seasoned and nestled in a bright tomato sauce, these shells will have you doing little dances in your chair. (Just make sure no one gets it on camera. You’ll look silly.)

Ricotta, Spinach and Bulgur Stuffed Shells:

What it takes for 400 (just kidding, maybe 6)

* 25 jumbo shells
* 1/2 cup whole grain bulgur
* 1 bunch spinach, stems removed
* 1 onion, finely chopped
* 4 garlic cloves, minced
* 1 (15.5 oz) tub of part skim ricotta cheese
* 1 (28 oz) can whole peeled tomatoes
* good pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
* 1 tsp. dried basil
* 1 egg, lightly beaten
* coarse salt and pepper
* 2 Tbs. olive oil
* fresh parm for garnish

Preheat your oven to 350.

Start by preparing the bulgur. Boil 2 cups water and pour it over the bulgur in a bowl. Cover and let sit for close to an hour while the bulgur absorbs the water. Drain excess water if there is any.

Pulse the tomatoes and their juices in a food processor until smooth.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add the onions and sauté for 3 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté 3 more minutes. Add the tomatoes, season with salt, pepper, nutmeg and basil, and lightly simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from the heat to cool slightly.

Boil the shells until al dente. Drain and let cool a second.

Steam the spinach in a smidge of water. Once wilted, remove the spinach and squeeze any excess water out. Give it a rough chop and add to the bulgur. Add the ricotta cheese to the bulgur and spinach, along with the beaten egg. Season well with salt and pepper.

Ladle a good cup of the tomato sauce along the bottom of a 9-x-13 baking dish. Lay the shells side by side in the dish and stuff each one with the ricotta mixture. Spoon the rest of the tomato sauce over the top. Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes.

Sprinkle with grated parm or pecorino before serving. I’ll say it again: Mama. Mia.

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The holiday season is upon us, so let’s go shopping! Many of us are looking forward to upcoming dinner parties, holiday gatherings and family get-togethers, so what better way to prepare for delicious meals than cashing in on all the savings at the Hen House Holiday Celebration, November 5-7 at the Overland Park Convention Center?!

During these three days, shoppers will receive a free Hen House reusable bag, which will come in handy when you come across hundreds of dollars in coupon savings, samples, giveaways, recipes, chef demonstrations, informative presentations on hot food topics and more. Purchase tickets at any Hen House location for $5 or pay $6 at the door. This event benefits Toys for Tots and Harvesters Food Bank.

To entice you even further — but leave the rest to anticipation — you’ll see Richard Simmons on Friday; the Purina Incredible Dog Team on Saturday; Chef Holli Ugalde, 2010 winner of Hell’s Kitchen, Friday-Sunday; and local chef Jasper Mirabile Jr. on stage on Friday and Sunday.

Check hours and more in-depth information at www.henhouse.com.

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Let’s Eat…Again!

We’re now taking reservations for KCH&G’s upcoming Cooking School on Thursday, Oct. 28 from 6-9 p.m. at Regarding Kitchens in Lenexa. The featured chef is General Manager/Executive Chef Laurie Haney with Rumors Steakhouse –  I’m sure she has something delicious up her sleeve!

Tickets are $40, and the first 30 people to sign up get to spend an evening enjoying a yummy four-course meal paired with flavorful wines by Off the Vine Design & Cellar. Don’t wait! Call or e-mail Managing Editor Brooke Pearl, bpearl@kc-hg.com or 913.648.5757 ext. 12, today! See for yourself how much fun we’ve had at past events here.

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You’d go to Cannes, France, to see the latest films and the hottest stars there to promote them. You’d go to Dining by Design Kansas City to see some of the most creative table settings in the country and the designers who thought them up. This signature fund-raising event, sponsored by DIFFA, Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS, was founded in KC and has become the poster child for DIFFA chapters across the country. This year marks its 20th anniversary.

What’s the big deal about table settings? Well, these tops have more than place settings. Past designers have displayed fish or mannequins as centerpieces, grass place mats, busts, light effects and other unbelievable ideas most home entertainers couldn’t even dream of. Need examples? Below are tables designed by HNTB, Matney Floral and Halls/David Jimenez in previous years.

  

If you aren’t familiar with the event, participants must create a table for 10 and are given full freedom to elaborate their artistic whims. The efforts of around 40 table designers culminate in a Gala, taking place May 1 at Crown Center Exhibit Hall at The Hyatt Regency. Tickets cost $175 each and are available at www.diffakc.org. Cocktails flow at 6:30 p.m., dinner is served at 8 p.m.

If you’d just like to see the tables without attending the gala, there are two public previews: Friday, April 30, from 5 to 9 p.m. including food and wine and a silent auction (tickets: $25), and Saturday, May 1, from 9 a.m. to noon (tickets: $10).

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It’s easy to see the Danish and Shaker roots in The Meridian collection, the latest addition to the Thos. Moser family. Designer David Moser calls it "creative revisitation," but he also put a spin on it. Meridian is the first collection ever to be introduced in ash, showcasing the grain and texture of the wood. If ash doesn’t do it for you, the collection also comes in cherry. And, as with all Thos. Moser collections, the Meridian was handcrafted at their shop in Maine using only sustainable methods and materials. 

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