Monthly Archives: September 2015

Bistro Laurent in Paso Robles CA is Worth a Fork!

Bistro Laurent is a little cafe in down town Paso Robles CA that serves up Classic French Cuisine.

You have a choice of ordering a la carte or doing a multi course tasting where the server picks for you after you discuss with him allergies or dislikes. Most of the dishes that were served to us neither of us would have forking picked but I still had an amazing dinner.

The meal started with an amuse bouche. This was sweet breads with apple. Honestly I didn’t eat this so my husband ate two of them. I know it’s phycological and not logical since I do eat meat but I can’t stomach the thought of eating brains. SORRY!

Then the vichyssoise (cold potato leek) soup came.

Bistro Laurent’s version of this soup stared the leek more than the potato.

My next plate I wouldn’t have pick but was amazing.

Tomato Cheese Basil Tart from Bistro Laurent Paso Robles CA

It was this Tart with Tomato Basil and Cheese. It was divine! So light and tender just bursting with delicious flavors. I could happily eat one of these every day.

Next course were these tiny raviolis. They were prepared perfect and were very good but I needed my stomach room for the next three courses so my husband happily ate most of these along with his own plate of raviolis.

My main course was this well prepared filet.

Bistro Laurant Paso Robles CA

The steak was tender with a nice flavorful crust and was prepared to a perfect medium rare. The potatoes were smooth and buttery topped with just the right amount of crisp onions for the just right accent.

Then came the cheese plate that was to die for….

It was simply the best selection of cheeses I ever tasted. I had to ask for a list of the cheeses we received. I never tasted cheeses that were that delicious before.

Tete De Moine

Etorki

Camembert

Comte

Reblochon

Ste Maure

Then came a dessert that really surprised me.

Floating Island from Bistro Laurent Paso Robles CA

We received something called a Floating Island. It was meringue that sat in a thin but rich custard sauce with fruit and the meringue had a super crispy thin sugar crust. Never had anything like that it was forking interesting.

Much of what I received I wouldn’t have ordered but I enjoyed my meal very much and this dinner from Bistro Laurent was certainly Worth a Fork!

Worth a Fork!

The Forking Truth

Where the Fork I’ve Been Eating in Paso Robles California 2015

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Most people go to Paso Robles to drink wine. I did a lot of wine tasting and also got to eat at several places.

My fist dinner was at Chico’s Cafe in downtown.

Chico’s cafe Paso Robles CA

I had the local sand dabs special. The fish seemed fresh and was just a tad over cooked with slightly burnt tasting potatoes. I’ve been here several times before and usually the food is executed very well. This wasn’t bad it just wasn’t as great as usual. Oh well.

The food from Thai Classic was so good I ate here twice during my stay.

Lime Fish from Thai Classic Paso Robles CA

I had the Lime Fish Special. It was spicy, garlicky, limey with fresh tasting meaty mild white fish. It was very good and tasty.

For my second visit I had the Mango Eggplant Curry with Chicken.

Mango Eggplant Curry with Chicken from Thai Classic Paso Robles CA

This dish was executed far better than from many Thai Restaurants in my area. The flavors were a welcome slap in the face. The lemon grass flavor just popped and basil was infused into the dish with the other flavors. The sweet mango and coconut milk toned down the heat. This dish just had everything going on and was so forking delicious.

Went to a newly opened restaurant called Fish Gaucho.

Fish Gaucho Paso Robles CA

Fish Gaucho is a casual Mexican Style Restaurant. They don’t bring you chips and salsa. If you want chips and salsa you have to order it for around $7.00 and they will bring you chips with several salsas. I tried the ahi tuna and watermelon salad.

Fish Gaucho Paso Robles CA

The fish seemed fresh but only had a grey sear on the ends. For my taste this salad had too much acid and was too spicy for me. This salad was almost painful to eat. The peppers were hotter than jalapeños. The salad did taste much better in the few bites were I had watermelon to cool the heat and balance the acid. The salad might have been good if they gave me more than four forking small chunks of watermelon.

Another place that was special that I ate from twice was the Bless Your Heart Bakery.

Bless Your Heart Bakery Paso Robles CA

In this little shop everything is diabetic friendly, gluten free and low glycemic. They don’t have much in the way of sweets on display but you can order nitrate free meat sandwiches on their special healthy fresh baked bread.

I had fresh roasted nitrate free turkey breast on that special rosemary bread. First bite was so different that it was strange to me. As I ate it it just got better and better. The meat was flavorful and natural. The bread didn’t leave a rock in my stomach like the way real bread does and it really was tasty. The rosemary bread went really well with the turkey.

I also went to the new Peruvian Restaurant called Mistura.

I had the escabeche. It was sea bass local root vegetables and three kinds of potatoes. Everything about the plate was fresh and tasty. I’ll probably revisit this place on my next trip to Paso.

Mistura Paso Robles CA

My most special and favorite meal came from Bistro Laurent.

Tomato Cheese Basil Tart from Bistro Laurent Paso Robles CA

Bistro Laurent is French Classic Cuisine paired with local ingredients fueled by an experienced Michelin trained Chef. I had the multi course tasting menu paired with wine. They sort of don’t let you pick your dishes. They ask you what you won’t eat and pick plates for you. Wine pours were very generous and the parade of perfectly seasoned and executed foods marched to us paced in a timely manner. Every dish was memorable such as the best cheese plate I ever had.

Bistro Laurent Paso Robles CA

The perfect steak.

Bistro Laurant Paso Robles CA

A really great dessert.

Floating Island from Bistro Laurent Paso Robles CA

The Forking Truth

The FORKING BEST Cheese Plate I ever Had…..Whey better than the REST

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The FORKING BEST cheese plate I ever had was the cheese plate from Bistro Laurent in Paso Robles California. Forking Cheesus it made me feel like I never tasted great cheese before. It was something that I couldn’t provolone.

It was a very simple cheese plate without the usual adornments such as nuts, fruit and honey but this plate showed me that cheese when ultra good doesn’t need embellishments. Cheese plays the starring role. It’s all about the cheese. The cheeses were so amazing that I asked for a list of what I tried. I camembert it any longer and here is my list.

I’m not 100% certain which cheese is what but when I looked up all the cheeses I am pretty certain that the center cheese that looks like a pretty carnation was the Tete De Moine. It might have been the strongest of the cheeses on the plate and is served scraped from a knife for more air surface for proper tasting. In French tete de moine means monk’s head because it was created by monks in the French speaking area of Canton of Bern.

I think the wedge at the top that looks similar to brie is the Reblochon. It might look like brie but it did taste a forking lot better than any brie I ever forking had. Reblochon is a French Cheese from the Alps traditionally made from cow’s milk.

Other Cheeses on the plate are Etorki- pasteurized sheep’s milk cheese made in French Basque County.

Camembert- creamy surface ripened cow’s milk cheese (unlike any camembert I ever had and more flavorful)

Comte- French Cheese made from unpasteurized cow’s milk from the France-Comte of eastern France (NOTHING like any comte I had before)

Last cheese was spelled Ste Maure by the Chef but in my search the cheese came up either Sainte Maure or Sainte Maure de Touraine. If the cheese was one of the Sainte Maure kinds it was a full fat goats milk cheese made in the province of Touraine. The Sainte Maure de Touraine is made with a straw in the center and the Sainte Maure is made with out the straw. Both are fine cheeses.

That Cheese Plate WAS THE BEST FORKING CHEESE PLATE I EVER HAD!

The Forking Truth

Vegetarian Food Can Be Forking Sexy

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Vegetarian food can be forking sexy and these are some of the Vegetables and Vegetarian Dishes I made. The Forking truth recipes expect for the Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe can be found on this website.

My heirloom tomato pizza….Yum!

Purple asparagus is sweeter than regular asparagus but it turns green when you cook it.

Easy Salt Crusted Potatoes

Who doesn’t like a salt crusted potato with butter?

Heirloom microwaved carrot chips

Easy Microwaved Potato Chips

Wrinkled Peppers

Moroccan Inspired Carrots

Stuffed Pickled Beets and Blue Cheese Wrappers

Brown Sugar Cinnamon Chestnuts with Crisp Sage

Crisp Carrot Strips

Potatoes

More potatoes

Vegetable Polenta Lasagna with red pepper sauce

Breakfast

No Mayo East Coast Style Cole Slaw

Mixed Citrus and Saffron Basboosa with Lemon Summac Mascarpone

Kale Sprout

Cannoli

Making the Bouchons

Mac-n-Chz

Red Spinach and other vegetables

Romanesco Cauliflower with Romesco Sauce

Rainbow Carrots two ways with Apple, Basil and Black Rice

Spaghetti Squash with Harissa Vinaigrette

Purple baked Potato fries

Pickled Beet Flatbread

Heirloom Tomato Pizza

Vegetable stuffed Rice Paper

White Sonora Berries Salad in Dijon Sage Vinaigrette

Tomato, Hibiscus, Onion and Roasted Lime Salad

Blinged up Polenta

Green Chili and Fat Free Cheese Blintz

Picked Beet Patties Falafel Style with Pink Horse Radish Cream

The FORKING BEST Chocolate Chip Cookies that you might see for sale someday on line or at a farmers market.

Timbale

Red Lentil and Carrot Kofte

Duchess Style Parsnips

Ricotta Gnocchi

Roasted Cauliflower

Asparagus Guacamole

Roasted then Fried Rutabaga topped with oven fried Lotus Chip

Vegetarian can be Sexy and that’s The Forking Truth

The Reign of PUMPKIN SPICE HORROR has invaded DOG Cuisine

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If your like me you thought that only humans were subjected to pumpkin spiced flavored foods. Pumpkin spiced foods are mushrooming in every aisle of the supermarket these days. They came out with pumpkin spiced peanut butter, pumpkin spiced yogurts, pumpkin spiced chewing gum, pumpkin spiced peeps, pumpkin spiced lattes, teas and a million other items. The only thing I haven’t seen forking pumpkin spiced so far is forking toilet paper.

I didn’t expect to find so many pumpkin spiced teats for dogs.

Spooky Pumpkin Treats with peanut butter and cinnamon.

I actually purchased this one for my dogs because the main ingredient was pumpkin.

I think this one was just pumpkin flavored.

Purina makes a forking pumpkin and oatmeal squirt on to jazz up dry dog food.

The reign of PUMPKIN SPICE Horror has invaded Dog Cuisine.

The Forking Truth

Forking Easy Salt Crusted Baked Potatoes Recipe

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I used to boil potatoes for a salt crusting until I came across this recipe from Cook Book Author Stephanie Manley of CopyKatRecipes.com. These potatoes are those forking delicious fluffy perfect kind of potatoes with that yummy salty crisp crust that you eat at steak houses. This is a very easy recipe that any forking moron can do.

All you do is start with clean potatoes

and coat the surfaces with a mild oil. (I used canola)

Sprinkle the oiled potatoes with kosher salt

Roast in your heated 350 degree oven for about an hour on a lightly oiled pan.

Just add butter and whatever topping you like! You get that perfect crisp salty tasty skin and a very fluffy inside ready for what ever toppings you forking enjoy!

It’s Forking Great and that’s The Forking Truth

Easy Eye Round Roast Beef Recipe 3 pounds only 15 minutes of cooking

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I note this is a recipe for home cooks and only comes out right with a 3-4 lb. piece of eye round. The result is a Medium Rare tender juicy beef with very little work or effort. This recipe has been going around forever. I read about years ago in a magazine, seen it on TV a bunch of times and a whole bunch of people do it on the web and on You Tube.

I built a natural rack with vegetables to help the beef cook more evenly and I thought the vegetables might infuse the drippings.

Then I applied vegetable oil, kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper, granulated garlic, smoked paprika and a tiny micro pinch of cloves to the surface of the beef.

Off to a preheated 500 degree oven this 3 pound eye round went uncovered for 15 minutes. If you have a 4 pound roast you might need 20 minutes. Remember this recipe only works with 3-4 pound roasts.

After 15 minutes I shut the oven off and left the roast in the oven two hours.

After two hours I left it sit out a half hour to rest.

I used the juices with some slow roasted beef confit onions I had in my freezer.

My onions are so good that they’d taste good on a shoe. For the best results with this kind of roast you should look for prime grade beef or choice.

I think I’ll serve it with easy salt crusted potatoes. (I post that recipe soon)

Easy Salt Crusted Potatoes

It’s Good and that’s The Forking Truth

The Forking Truth is that Humans are too Stupid to know how to Eat Wrapped Cheese Slices

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The Kraft Heinz Company has extended the recall of Individually wrapped forking cheese product because humans are too forking stupid to know how to eat it without choking. NO I’m not talking about the Cheese Product Slice it’s all about the forking plastic wrap on the cheese. Humans confuse it with the similar cheese product and forking eat it and some humans choke.

After all the forking product that was already recalled again the KHC recalled another 335,000 cases because they received two forking complaints about choking hazards from remaining wrap on the cheese. (according to Zacks Equity Research)

Probably from someone like this.

There is just no forking hope for the human race if we are too FORKING stupid to peal plastic off cheese product even if they do taste forking similar. Sadly the forking truth is that humans are too stupid to know how to eat wrapped cheese product.

The Forking Truth

Most Memorable Meals from the Summer 2015 around Metro Phoenix AZ

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Bink's Scottsdale Moroccan Fried Chicken

Bink’s Scottsdale Scottsdale AZ Moroccan Fried Chicken

This was great summer filled with mostly excellent food such as the Moroccan Fried Chicken from Bink’s Scottsdale in Scottsdale AZ. The Chicken was so juicy and flavorful, it was crisp and just delicious. It was one of the best fried chicken I ever had.

Bhel Puri from Saffron Authentic Indian Bistro Phoenix AZ

Who would ever guess that rice puffs could ever be anything more than cardboard like? These were delicious. The sauce on them was herby sweet, sour and spicy. This plate had many textures. This was a big surprise. Rice puffs can actually be delicious.

Waldorf Salad with house smoked salmon from Vogue Bistro Surprise AZ

Really perfect buttery gently smoked delicious salmon salad. The salmon really was outstanding . What made this salad really pop was that magical creamy shallot dressing salad that was so delicious you could eat it on Bobby’s Potatoes (Bobby’s was memorable) and those potatoes could turn forking delicious.

All the food from Mashawi Lebanese Grill in Phoenix AZ was delicious-

The $21.99 Feast for two minus the two fresh salads

But the chicken kaftas were something I’d like prepare at home sometime. They left a flavor in my memory that was very memorable.

Sometimes memorable can be funny.

Little Cleo’s Seafood Legend Phoenix AZ

All the food from Little Cleo’s was delicious but I’ll never forget this forking tiny dinner I received that was only big enough to feed a forking hamster.

My most memorable special meal came from Kai in Chandler AZ. It was like a visit to the Art Museum combined with a visit to Church. It can’t be explained.

“From The Garden” Kai Chandler AZ

Sometimes memorable can be terrible.

Bobby’s Cafe of Sun City – Sun City

Bobby’s Sun City Cafe put out the most terrible thing I remember being served this summer.

Bobby’s Cafe of Sun City – Sun City AZ

The vegetables were soggy and flavorless.

Bobby’s Cafe of Sun City – Sun City AZ

The potatoes were green and looked like they were inflicted with an infection. I let them know about the forking potatoes but it didn’t do a wee bit of good. They didn’t give a sh*t. They gave me a sh*t.

Bobby’s Cafe of Sun City – Sun City

The fish wasn’t good and I might have been sick from it. I’ll never forget how my forking butt hurt the next day after Bobby’s.

Those were the most forking memorable meals of the summer of 2015 in the metro Phoenix Area that I had.

The Forking Truth

I Usually Leave Forking Disappointed from Most Chain Restaurants

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I don’t recall tasting anything forking great from a national chain restaurant in the past ten years. I’ve usually just thought the food was maybe better than a frozen dinner or almost good or just ok. After just returning from traveling from the airport around dinner time I was forking exhausted and thought just picking up some of the new all natural burgers from a certain chain wouldn’t be such a bad idea. (of course this was before I knew fecal matter has been found in all ground beef……..YUK!) This place promised fresh baked buns and all natural grass fed beef. I try to avoid national chains but this was a very weak forking moment and I was feeling very weak and tired so I gave in to my weakness and said, “what the fork” “why not?”

The burger was ok and much more forking edible compared to the dried out you know who king burger and certainly was very edible compared to my least favorite that I consider inedible burger (what I call the McDrek Burger). The McDrek just forking seems like devil’s excrement to me. That’s because I always got a headache after eating a McDrek’s burger as a child and haven’t relished the thought of having one since. The meat in a McDrek’s burger just always looked forking unappetizing to me. It looked like canned dog food mixed with brown baby food and made into a forking patty. I thought it was the forking devil’s poop laid by a clown that laughed at you.

But as ok as that all natural burger was it only seemed as good as a 1980’s forking king burger, the old forking recipe when you might have forking gotten it YOUR WAY and the meat might have been real beef that was flame broiled. Both the all natural burger and the 1980’s forking king burger are and were thin patties of beef in really large buns with a good amount of very similar toppings, lettuce, tomato, onions, sauces. I know the buns differed but that one bite taste did take me back to the 80s. But still this wasn’t a forking great burger it was just ok as a fast food burger and better than todays dried out king burger and FORKING LIGHT YEARS BETTER than the clown’s burger.

I choose not to go to forking national chain restaurants because during my life I’ve been to many of them at some point. At best they were almost good.

That budget steakhouse with all the forking peanuts on the floor seemed kind of fun. You never know who the fork sneezed on them forking peanuts before you. Or who the fork came out of the bathroom and did what and had some peanuts before you…..(think about that one)…. But the food never did taste forking good because of how processed it was and I thought while leaving I was going to cut my foot on a forking peanut shell.

I don’t recall tasting anything forking great from a chain restaurant and I usually leave disappointed or forking grossed out.

I do note I haven’t been to all national chains and haven’t tasted everything at every chain. Also your taste may differ so my opinion is subjective.

I usually leave disappointed from Most Chain Restaurants.

The Forking Truth

TheForkingTruth

Forking Thoughts on Food and Restaurants

Monthly Archives: September 2015

Bistro Laurent in Paso Robles CA is Worth a Fork!

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Where the Fork I’ve Been Eating in Paso Robles California 2015

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The FORKING BEST Cheese Plate I ever Had…..Whey better than the REST

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Vegetarian Food Can Be Forking Sexy

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The Reign of PUMPKIN SPICE HORROR has invaded DOG Cuisine

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Forking Easy Salt Crusted Baked Potatoes Recipe

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Easy Eye Round Roast Beef Recipe 3 pounds only 15 minutes of cooking

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The Forking Truth is that Humans are too Stupid to know how to Eat Wrapped Cheese Slices

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Most Memorable Meals from the Summer 2015 around Metro Phoenix AZ

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I Usually Leave Forking Disappointed from Most Chain Restaurants

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