Mrs. Carla Monti

Mrs. Carla Monti

Monday, September 18, 2017

Chicken Corn Chowder!

I found an awesome recipe for chicken & corn chowder on Pinterest, using the crockpot, and I made it my mission to make it for Sunday night supper, where I invited two good friends over. This recipe was a bit more labor intensive than others, as I cooked the chicken breasts first in the crockpot with white wine for 5 hours on low, before shredded and setting it aside. Then I prepared the rest of the chowder, chicken broth, seasonings, canned corn, heavy cream, diced potatoes for 3 hours on high, before adding back in the chicken and some shredded cheddar cheese.

To accompany the chowder, I put a bowl of bacon and cheddar cheese on the table. I don't normally eat bacon, but the cripsy bacon tasted delicious with the rich chowder broth.

My friends brought over plenty of good wine and a beautiful fruit tart, which perfectly complemented the chowder.

This was definitely a winner, and I would make it again! I also brought out my fall decorations since we are now in mid September, and I feel like chowder is an autumn type dish anyway!









Cooper's Hawk 2.0!

I visited Cooper's Hawk in Coconut Creek a few weeks ago with a girlfriend, and we had the best time. The wines were tasty, the food delicious, and the atmosphere was very fun. I went back last weekend to celebrate a dear friend's birthday, and we had a blast! I love this place.






Hurricane Irma!

Having been through the terrible hurricanes of the 2004 - 2005 season (Katrina, Wilma, Frances - just to name a few!), my family and I felt comfortable enough with Irma to stay home and ride it out. Armed with plenty of supplies (bottled water, wine, diapers, canned food) and a generator, portable AC unit, and lots of gas to power it all up - we were ready for Irma. To top it off, we had impact windows and doors installed in our new house last year - so no need for shutters or plywood.

Having said all that, hurricanes are certainly no joke and this one was quite serious. Losing power is never fun, and surviving in South Florida with no AC is even worse. We ended up going to a local hotel for a bit, just to get out of the heat. Our generator powered some things, like both fridges, so the food didn't go bad, and our microwave, so we had to get creative in the kitchen! One memorable dinner, I cooked salmon, zucchini, and quinoa, all separately, in the microwave, and it was actually delicious! The next morning I made scrambled eggs in the microwave too.

A hurricane tradition in our new house, which began last year with Hurricane Matthew, is to prepare an elaborate cheese plate / happy hour, which we very much enjoyed this time around.

My husband made a delicious grilled shrimp and pasta dinner using our grill. Yum! We love fresh seafood.







Pulled Pork!

I love using my crock-pot, and I never use it enough! One of my favorite recipes for a lazy Sunday night dinner is pulled pork sandwiches. I make the spice rub at home with various spices, and then let the pork do its thing for 8 hours. Once cooked through, I add a bottle of spicy BBQ sauce, toast up some sesame buns, and serve alongside roasted sweet potato wedges. Yum!

*Pro Tip - put a marshmallow inside the jar/container where you keep your brown sugar ... it will keep the sugar from hardening and sticking in big clumps!







Summer 2020:







Bento 2

I am always looking for new, fresh ideas for a workday lunch. I came across this protein-rich wraps in Target, and thought they would be a fun and healthy way to break up my bento box-style lunch box.

The secret ingredient that makes this so tasty is definitely that chipotle mayo!

Accompaniments are sliced cucumbers and salted almonds.









Sip and Swirl!

A local restaurant/catering business in Delray hosts a monthly food and wine pairing, but sadly, they have decided to shift into solely the catering business, so the wine tasting this past August was the last one!

Nonetheless, it was thoroughly enjoyed!

Wine Menu

-Brut Sparkling Wine, Steorra, Russian River Valley, Sonoma, CA 
-Dry Rosé, Elouan, Oregon
-White Blend, Carne Humana, Napa Valley, CA
-Pinot Noir, Boën, Russian River Valley, Sonoma, CA
-Cabernet Sauvignon, Quilt, Napa Valley, CA 

Small Plates Tasting Menu

Steorra Brut Sparkling Wine:
East Coast Oyster
Grapefruit Granite, Thai Basil
Elouan Dry Rosé:
Potato Gnocchi
Tomato, Forged Mushrooms, Fine Herbs
Carne Humana White blend:
Grouper Ceviche
Jalapeño, Jicama, Citrus, Wonton
Quilt Cabernet Sauvignon:
Braised Short rib
Carrot & Ginger Puree, Crispy Shallot
Boën Pino Noir:
SALT7 Cannoli
Ricotta Ice Cream , Black Cherry, Dark Chocolate