Granddaughter Island Trip

Our granddaughter Selena had a break before the start of her junior year at San Francisco State University so she came to Ventura for some rest, relaxation and cooking.

Preparing one of her favorite appetizers, Prosciutto Wrapped Melon, for Grandpa:Browning sausage for pizzas:Three pizzas for three people?? I hate to admit it, but we almost finished them!Another night Selena made her signature soup (her version of Minestrone) and ciabatta for Curtis and Bonnie:A few days later Vanessa arrived and we headed out to Pelican Anchorage at Santa Cruz Island.

The morning after we arrived there was a special marine weather broadcast saying there was a chance of thunderstorms and water spouts. The weather prediction did not materialize and we had one of the most beautiful weekends we've had in a long time:

The girls took advantage of the great weather - swimming:

Kayaking:

Dinghying:

Monster Tubing:

and they screamed like little girls:

When Selena and I went to pick up Vanessa at Burbank Airport we had a little time to kill and stopped at an Italian deli. Turned out to be a great place (Monte Carlo Italian Deli) and we picked up some great imported goodies for one of our island lunches. Roasted artichoke hearts, giardineria, marinated mushrooms, roasted onions, roasted peppers and stuffed olives:

Toasting Vanessa's 21st birthday with a 2001 Biale Petite Syrah:

Thanks for coming to visit - next year Catalina!

N.I.C.K. Rendezvous

Our marina and sister marina in Channel Islands Harbor host a picnic at Prisoner's Harbor on Santa Cruz Island every year. Here are some of the participants at the N.I.C.K. (Nautically Inclined Cruisers Kick-off) Rendezvous last month: Our grandsons Sonny & Matthew were visiting from Sacramento so we took them, along with my dad, out to the islands for a long weekend.

Sonny ran out of gas in the dinghy and was left to his own devices to return to Poseidon (too bad he didn't know he only needed to change a hose to the other fuel tank!):Our neighbor Bug (he let his dad, Jeff, join him) came over to swim and jump off the top of the boat with boys:Sonny:Bug:

Dad gave the boys poker lessons:

And yes, if they made stupid bets he would take their money:

Sonny & Matthew also kept themselves amused playing chess, although they did make up their rules. I heard a lot of "I'll trade you one of my horses for one of your castles":Sonny fighting what he was hoping was a halibut. Darn another ray:

After two rolly nights at Prisoner's Harbor we moved to the other side of the island. We found calm seas at Yellowbanks Anchorage and the boys were able to do a lot of kayaking:

Oops!

Back at the marina Sonny & Matthew did a little fishing from the dock:

I was practicing an ahi appetizer for the cooking show. When Sonny saw the raw fish he asked for a bite and discovered he loves sashimi! The two of us polished off all the ahi I had bought, so the next day we headed back to the seafood store for more. And did we ever luck out - fresh Santa Barbara shrimp!!


They went straight on the bbq with some olive oil and garlic. What a delicious dinner:

We had a great visit and are looking forward to having you back again next summer:

Lasagna for Aunt Katie

My Aunt Katie (my mom's sister) is visiting from Montana. Here she is with Ma:

Aunt Katie, Ma, Laura & Dad came to the boat for a lasagna lunch:

Ready for our dinghy cruise:

I'm probably going to be in big trouble for this, but doesn't my aunt look like Gilligan getting ready to go on a three hour tour?I don't get to see my aunt very often so it was so great to be able to spend the day with her.

Come back soon Aunt Katie and next time bring my long-lost cousins with you!

Cooking With Poseidon Film Shoot

It actually happened - we filmed a pilot for a TV cooking show (CWP) aboard Poseidon! I have to tell you, it was one of the most fun and exciting weekends of my life.

When we realized the filming was going to be a reality, we decided we better start practicing. Our very good friend Joe Dunham agreed to assist me on the show. Here we are practicing our mussels and muscles:There is also a marketing/branding company involved in the project. They wanted to showcase a couple of their client's products on CWP. One was Bison Brewery (yes the same Bison that Taki used to work for) they sent us 6 cases of beer. We thought this was the beer shipment being delivered down the dock by Fedex:Turned out to be what John thought were very cool ice chests for the beer. Instead they were waterproof camera equipment boxes. Thank goodness we found out before John filled the boxes with ice!Film crew arrived Friday morning at 6:00 am:Left the harbor under grey skies, but thankfully, flat seas and calm winds (some of the crew were afraid they might get seasick):

When we arrived at Yellowbanks Anchorage on Santa Cruz Island, Bonnie & Curtis hosted a BBQ on their boat for the entire gang-32 of us- and here we come:After lunch it was time to start filming some of the advance prep work.

Me being wired for sound:And camera tests:

Friday afternoon I was filmed preparing a mussel stock to use for the risotto and a raspberry frozen souffle.

Peter and crew were happy with the filming so it was time to party. Our boat neighbors brought Mexican appetizers and Sarah & Dina served margaritas: Matt entertained us with his beautiful voice, guitar and humour:More party shots:

Saturday morning and it's time to get back to work.

Guest Chefs David, Larry & Bonnie:Jeff and Sarah preparing for critic's table:

The menus with wine pairings were:

David (Guest Chef) - Appetizer-Shrimp Scampi with Frisee paired with Wente Chardonnay; Entree - Seared Scallops with Brussel Sprout Chiffonade and Chive-Lime Creme Fraiche with Asian Slaw and Piped Yams paired with Babcock Sauvignon Blanc; Dessert - Blueberry Cheesecake paired with Pine Ridge Chennin Viognier.

Linda - Appetizer - Ahi Mango Parfait paired with Taz Pinot Grigio; Entree - Seared Sea Scallops with Mussel Risotto pa; ired with Beckman Grenache Rose; Dessert - Frozen Blackberry Souffle with Limoncello Cream paired with the Pine Ridge Cheenin Viognier.

We were all too busy to get pictures of our dishes (hope to have some to you soon from the marketing team) but Jeri did get this picture of my dessert:Thank you so much to everyone for their hard work and support. A special thanks to Curtis & Bonnie and Staff & Jane for opening their homes to host the film and marketing crew.

And to Peter for his confidence in us:

Here's part of the crew:

Nick (wine guy), David (cameraman), Leander (editor), Adam (cameraman), John, me & Peter.

Well, it was a great weekend, we'll see where it goes from here - I'll keep you posted.