i am a BIG fan of garlic. i won’t deny it. when i cook with garlic and i still have that smell under my finger nails, i love it. there are very few things that i don’t add more than the recommended amount of garlic. i think you are getting the picture. i’m into garlic.

but one of the best ways to eat garlic, is roasted. roasting garlic cuts out that spicy taste you get from raw garlic and just gives you a smooth, deep, garlic flavor. there are tons of great uses for roasted garlic, but here is one of my favorites!

roasted garlic butter

serves: 2 cups butter

total time: 1 hour 30 minutes

ingredients: 1 head of garlic. 2 cups of room temperature butter. 1 tsp olive oil. .5 tsp kosher salt. aluminum foil. whisk.

start by preheating your oven to 400 degrees f. while your oven heats, chop the top off of your head of garlic and place the garlic in the middle of a square of aluminum foil. drizzle the garlic with olive oil and sprinkle with a couple pinches of salt.

wrap the garlic up in the foil till it looks like you might toss it out.

then roast it in the oven for 50-60 minutes until completely soft in the middle. pull your garlic out and allow it to cool to room temperature. now that your garlic is roasted it should be a very mushy consistency.

when you squeeze the uncut bottom of the head of garlic, the individual cloves should just squeeze right out the cut open tops.

once in the butter, season with the remaining salt and whisk well until all the garlic is combined into the butter. about 30 seconds.

serve spread on some of your favorite fresh bread or store on hand for roasting chickens, potatoes, or to use for your morning eggs.

xo, a

roasted garlic butter

serves: 2 cups butter

total time: 1 hour 30 minutes

ingredients: 1 head of garlic. 2 cups of room temperature butter. 1 tsp olive oil. .5 tsp kosher salt. aluminum foil. whisk.

start by preheating your oven to 400 degrees f. while your oven heats, chop the top off of your head of garlic and place the garlic in the middle of a square of aluminum foil. drizzle the garlic with olive oil and sprinkle with a couple pinches of salt. wrap the garlic up in the foil till it looks like you might toss it out. then roast it in the oven for 50-60 minutes until completely soft in the middle. pull your garlic out and allow it to cool to room temperature. now that your garlic is roasted it should be a very mushy consistency. when you squeeze the uncut bottom of the head of garlic, the individual cloves should just squeeze right out the cut open tops. once in the butter, season with the remaining salt and whisk well until all the garlic is combined into the butter. about 30 seconds. serve spread on some of your favorite fresh bread or store on hand for roasting chickens, potatoes, or to use for your morning eggs.

it is feeling pretty springing over here at la casita costa mesa (yes we named our home, don't you?). it's currently seventy-five and sunny in orange county and change is in the air. wes and i have spent the week digging deep into some spring cleaning. hunkering down and getting prepared for...

wesley's new job!!! that's right. my mr. is under new employment. for the last few years, he has been managing a popular lunch spot at a very busy outdoor shopping center. but now that our own business calendar is filling up, he needs something with more flexibility and more importantly, more moola. and he found the perfect place. not only is it a high end, global restaurant chain, his new employer is opening a brand new restaurant about a mile from our house. he will be a part of the opening team at the new nobu newport beach.

to say we are excited for the amazing learning opportunity would be an understatement. and i have to say, i couldn't be prouder of my man. to celebrate him, i'm whipping up one of his favorite cocktails that now bares his name. 

rosemary westini
serves: 1 cocktail
prep time: 1 minute
active time: 1 minute
total time: 2 minutes.
ingredients: 2.5 oz your favorite vodka. .5 oz club soda. 1 splash - .5 oz olive juice (depending on how dirty you like it). 1 rosemary sprig & 1 olive for garnish. a few ice cubes. martini glass for serving. start by tearing away most of the rosemary leaves from your sprig so that there is just a bit left at the tip and it is basically a long twig. use the rosemary to skewer your olive and set it aside. 

fill your martini glass with your ice. pour in the vodka. 

then the olive juice. 

finally, pour in the club soda.

use your rosemary olive skewer to stir your martini gently. garnish with the olive rosemary skewer and serve. 

xo, a

rosemary westini
serves: 1 cocktail
prep time: 1 minute
active time: 1 minute
total time: 2 minutes.
ingredients: 2.5 oz your favorite vodka. .5 oz club soda. 1 splash - .5 oz olive juice (depending on how dirty you like it). 1 rosemary sprig & 1 olive for garnish. a few ice cubes. martini glass for serving.
start by tearing away most of the rosemary leaves from your sprig so that there is just a bit left at the tip and it is basically a long twig. use the rosemary to skewer your olive and set it aside. fill your martini glass with your ice. pour in the vodka. then the olive juice. finally top it off with the club soda. use your rosemary olive skewer to stir your martini gently. garnish with the olive rosemary skewer and serve.