Pizza Perfection! Goat Cheese and Spinach with Balsamic Vinegar Reduction Sauce! Pepperoni with Fresh Oregano! The Perfect Margarhita Pizza!
Posted by Shelly Perry (07/21/2010 @ 7:21 pm)

We have making pizza down to science here.
And I must admit that this is due to the secret weapon in my kitchen; My Daughter!

She has the perfect touch when it comes to preparing the dough; which we buy at a local pizzeria, and she has the perfect touch when it comes to layering the ingredients!

She gets the dough just right. Thin but not too thin and she has a light touch with the cheese, which is key to proper cooking.

Her specialties include but are not limited to the Margarhita and pepperoni pizzas.

We were so confident with our skills that we threw these pizzas on the grill! First time ever and they were perfect!

Fresh oregano made the pepperoni especially delicious for th meat eaters but the overwhelming favorite was the Margarhita with basil fresh from the garden and fresh mozzarella.




I tried my hand at something a bit more fancy; spinach and red onion with mushroom and goat cheese topped off with a balsamic vinegar reduction.

The reduction came out perfectly, it was my first attempt! I simply poured about 1 cup of balsamic vinegar into a small frying pan and on meduim heat let it cook until it started to thicken.

My mistake was to pour it over the pizza before baking. I should have drizzled it over the pizza when it was finished cooking to keep the thick texture that I so proudly created!

Lightly blanche the spinach before layering on your pizza. It can dry and burn if you don’t.

Tr your hand with your favorite ingredients. Be patient. Cook with loved ones and Enjoy!
Posted in: Indulgences, Ingredients, Recipes
Tags: balsamic vinegar, balsamic vinegar reduction, basil, fresh mozzeralla, fresh oregano, goat cheese, goat cheese pizza, grilled pizza, Margarhita pizza, mozzarella, mushrooms, olive oil, oregano, pepperoni, pizza, pizza dough, pizza on the grill, red onion, spinach, tomato
Pan Seared Scallops with Lemon, Thyme and Goat Cheese Gnocchi at Pier W!
Posted by Shelly Perry (06/26/2010 @ 6:19 pm)

Pier W never lets me down.
From the fantastic Happy Hour to the incredible views this place is a winner every time.

Not only is the happy hour a great value; 1/2 price bar food and select drinks, but the quality is first class.

These calamari must be some of the best I’ve ever tasted. Light and crispy calamari are fried to perfection with delicate fragrant dipping sauces; a spicy mayonnaise and a tamarind sauce.

This is a far cry from the usual bar food you’d find elsewhere and you get the incredible atmosphere as a bonus!

The view!

The wine!

The scallops!

Pan seared scallops with goat cheese, thyme and lemon gnocchi with an asparagus coulis was amazing!

Sous Chef Jack Ahern was on board this night and his precision in the execution of this dish was out of this world.

The tempura fish and green beans looked yummy…

…but I couldn’t get over the flavor pairings of my scallops.
I usually feel that mushrooms with any seafood is a risk; the earthiness of the mushrooms can overpower and compete with delicate sea flavors but it was not the case tonight.
Lemon and thyme kept the gnocchi light and the mushrooms and asparagus lent smoky and bitter notes, respectively that were enhanced by the subtle creaminess of the goat cheese.
Asparagus coulis was a light sauce of everything beautiful about asparagus!

Posted in: Chefs and Restaurants, Inspirations
Tags: asparagus, chef Jack Ahern, Cleveland Chef, Cleveland happy hour, cleveland restaurants, gnocchi, goat cheese, goat cheese gnocchi, happy hour, lemon, pan seared scallops, pier w, Pier W Cleveland, scallops, Sous Chef Jack Ahern, thyme
Fruity Cocktails, Amazing Pizza, 200 Fabulous Gay Men and Me!
Posted by Shelly Perry (06/22/2010 @ 7:42 pm)

A dream come true!
Me in a sea of men surrounded by the most glorious pizzas, ever and tropical fruity cocktails served up by a cute bartender with attitude!
Luxe was host to the G2H2 Happy Hour event in Cleveland , Oh.
The food was amazing! I know it’s a social thing but given the “circumstances” I had plenty of time to focus on the food and drinks!

This portobello mushroom, spinach, goat cheese and balsamic reduction pizza was my favorite.
Chef Marlin Kaplan knows that a light touch of fresh potent ingredients is the way to go!

I couldn’t get enough of this pizza and made myself a fixture at the buffet!

This is definitley something that I want to try at home.

Chris was adorable and he knows the food.

This tomato basil was fantastic; fresh and delish!

The setting was elegant but casual.

Sweetheart! Jen kept the fresh hot pies coming my way

Tomato and herb.

Chicken, rosemary and goat cheese was a big hit.

What would the evening be without a spunky bartender serving up the one-liners with the best mojitos in town?!
Lee was a delight!
Posted in: Chefs and Restaurants, Indulgences, Inspirations, Parties
Tags: balsamic reduction, Chef Marlin Kaplan, chicken rosemary, Cleveland happy hour, cleveland restaurants, G2H2, Gay happy hour, goat cheese, happy hour, Luxe Cleveland, mushroom spinach pizza, pizza, portobello mushrooms