Pumpkin Shaped Fall Cheese Ball Recipe

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(Originally posted October 2009) Here's a fun recipe from friend Jill Fisher! Jill has a B.S. in Food Science and Nutrition and is a licensed Personal Chef. To contact Jill, contact me!

My Favorite Fall Cheese Ball

The tangy cheddar cheese mixed with cream cheese makes a delicious companion to sour apple slices and baguette slices.  You can form it into the shape of a pumpkin and put a broccoli stalk on top and voila – a perfect centerpiece for your Fall gathering as well!

 2 (8 oz) blocks extra-sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded

1 (8 oz) package cream cheese

1 (8 oz) container chive and onion cream cheese

2 tsp paprika

½ tsp red pepper

1 broccoli stalk

Red and green apple wedges

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Restaurants New and Restaurants Adieu in Ventura County, January to July 2012

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The Local Buzz section of CVG is where we enjoy sharing tidbits on new restaurants opening or planning to open in and around the Conejo Valley and greater Ventura County. We also cover restaurants that close their doors.

Overall, we've noticed quite a lot of activity so far this year, so how about a quick summary for your dining pleasure (or displeasure as the case may be):

New Restaurant Announcements

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What!? Nutella is Not That Good For You!? Who Knew!? I Want My Money Back!

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Nutella's manufacturer Ferrero, U.S.A, Inc. has settled a lawsuit that it was marketing Nutella as something healthier than what it actually is.

Plaintiffs Athena Hohenberg and Laura Rude-Barbato alleged "Ferrero has invaded the United States with ... misleading advertising strategies, played out on the labels of Nutella®, in television commercials and print ads, on the web and elsewhere, designed to and effective in persuading American consumers that Nutella® is an appropriate breakfast food, and a healthy alternative to things like jelly and syrup."

"IF YOU PURCHASED NUTELLA IN CALIFORNIA BETWEEN AUGUST 1, 2009 AND JANUARY 23, 2012, OR IN ANY OTHER STATE BETWEEN JANUARY 1, 2008 AND FEBRUARY 3, 2012, YOU MAY BE ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE A PAYMENT FROM A PROPOSED CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT."

To participate, you must submit a claim form by mail or online by July 5, 2012. The California settlement is $550,000 and claimants may receive as much as $4 for each jar, up to 5 jars, of Nutella purchased between 8/1/09 and 1/23/12.

Hmm, that's not a lot of money. I think we bought 3 or 4 jars of Nutella during that time frame. Like we're really going to remember the number of jars of Nutella bought over a 29 month period. Yes, I'll have to go back to my Nutella Purchase Journal to determine the actual count.

But seriously, if 100,000 people

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How Long to be Had Until Your Food Goes Bad Thanks to StillTasty.com

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StillTasty.com is a great resource for figuring out whether you should dine or dump the contents of your fridge and pantry. Very useful site for those who want to play it safe with their food. While I tend to go with "the smell test" when it comes to edibility, I found the site very useful and interesting.

StillTasty really nails it when it comes to usability. Just type in a word or two and you receive instant information. For example, let's take a look at hot dogs. Living in a house with kids, hot dogs are part of the Red Food Group that includes balogna, salami, bacon and Twizzlers. There are always hot dogs somewhere in the deep recesses of the fridge.

Type in "hot dog" and you get three options; cooked leftovers, opened package and unopened package. Click one of those and in very easy to read format using arrows they tell you how long you have to eat them from the fridge and freezer. Here's what StillTasty said:

Unopened package: Eat within 1 week after due date coming from fridge. Freezer life is about 1-2 months.

Opened package: Eat within 7 days after opening in fridge. 1-2 months in freezer.

Cooked leftovers: Eat within 3-4 days in fridge and once again 1-2 months in freezer.

That helps. Though hmm...am I really going to remember how many days/months have passed by...?  I guess I'll just have to make a mental note of it.

I always wonder about hard boiled eggs. StillTasty says they last 1-2 weeks in the shell and 1 week out of the shell.

The owners of the site pull their information from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, FDA and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Do check it out at www.StillTasty.com.

OK, one more. An opened can of peanut butter lasts about 3 months in the pantry. Uh oh, better start sniffing those jars...

Caesar Grilled Artichokes

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Originally published Sept 2010: Here's the latest recipe from chef Jill Fisher! Jill, a licensed Personal Chef, teaches cooking classes at Conejo Valley Adult School and Williams Sonoma in Thousand Oaks and has written articles for local food magazines such as 805 Living. In December 2009, Jill and her friend released their cookbook "i found my sanity in...My Best Friend's Kitchen."

CLICK HERE for Jill's other recipes published in Conejo Valley Guide!

My family just returned from a summer trip to northern California.  We stayed in a beach house near Aptos and to get there, you drive through acres and acres of artichoke fields.  It is a beautiful site!  Did you know if you leave an artichoke alone, they will bloom into a lovely purple flower (as shown)?  It has a light, sweet fragrance and will last several weeks when picked.  This recipe for a grilled artichoke is fun to try – it has a classic artichoke flavor with the Caesar but gets a nice edgy flavor as well from the grilling.  This can be served as an appetizer or a side dish – Enjoy! -Jill

Caesar Grilled Artichokes

Large artichokes

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Start Fall Out Right With This Fire Roasted Salt & Pepper Corn Recipe

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Here's the latest recipe from chef Jill Fisher! Jill, a licensed Personal Chef, teaches cooking classes at Conejo Valley Adult School and Williams Sonoma in Thousand Oaks and has written articles for local food magazines such as 805 Living. In December 2009, Jill and her friend released their cookbook "i found my sanity in...My Best Friend's Kitchen."

CLICK HERE for Jill's other recipes published in Conejo Valley Guide!

“Happy Fall ya’all! “  That is what they are saying in the South right about now.  However, as I look outside my window and see the thermometer creep towards 80 degrees at 8:00 in the morning, it reminds me that Southern California really doesn’t get to experience Fall.  We don’t get much of the “crisp” in the air – it is more like the roar of the Santa Ana winds.  We don’t pull out our sweater collection – rather we switch to Fall colored tank tops.  Not a whole lot of hayrides going on in the 100 degree heat but the beach has never been so lovely.  And we definitely are not ready to start in on the Fall comfort food cycle.

But on the bright side, we as Southern Californians are blessed with a different kind of Fall – it is an extension of summer.  Our calendar is just a bit tilted – summer didn’t exactly arrive when it was supposed to so Fall collides into Winter. But because of that, we still get to enjoy the backyard bliss of grilling and the accessibility of fantastic produce from our local Farmer’s Markets. 

To try and subtly show myself and my family it is indeed Fall regardless of the current weather situation, I start to put out Fall-like decorations slowly to temper the process - a bowl of

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Summer Treat: Grilled Peaches with Honey Lime Sauce

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Here's the latest recipe from chef Jill Fisher! Jill, a licensed Personal Chef, teaches cooking classes at Conejo Valley Adult School and Williams Sonoma in Thousand Oaks and has written articles for local food magazines such as 805 Living. In December 2009, Jill and her friend released their cookbook "i found my sanity in...My Best Friend's Kitchen."

CLICK HERE for Jill's other recipes published in Conejo Valley Guide!

Nothing says summer like fresh peaches.  This recipe is very simple yet extremely flavorful, especially with good quality fruit and ice cream.  And grilling your dessert as well as your main course is a perfect finish for an alfresco dinner. -Jill

     Grilled Peaches with Honey Lime Sauce

4 fresh, ripe, white or yellow peaches

1 Tbsp cinnamon

2 Tbsp sugar

1 cup honey

2 Tbsp fresh lime juice

Grated zest of one lime

Cut peaches in half and remove pits.  Sprinkle cut side lightly with cinnamon and sugar.  Grill over medium heat, cut side up, for about 5 minutes.  Then, turn over and continue grilling for an additional 5 to 10 minutes or until soft.  Remove from grill and slice.

In the meantime, heat honey until warm and stir in lime juice and zest.  Serve peaches over vanilla ice cream, drizzled with honey sauce. Serves 4.