All Inspirations

Belli amici! Cooks and chefs! Foodistas! HEY…ohhh…how ya DOIN’?! Chef Richie says: HAPPY HOLIDAYS! As 2017 comes to a close, and what a year it has been ladies and gentlemen, it’s time to celebrate! Celebrate being alive! Celebrate food, friends, and family! Celebrating all year long is a great idea too; I highly recommend doing so. However, December is unlike the other months. Magic is in the air…and in the kitchen. December’s mouthwatering Honorable Mention recipe, submitted by Chef Aja Breuer…congratulations chef! This might have been one of the three finalists in the competition. It certainly IS delicious and some of the technique is chefly. And, I love this, the recipe calls for our sun dried tomato risotto. But there are a couple of technical points and an additional opinion (mine) or two to discuss.

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Belli amici! Cooks and chefs! Foodistas! HEY…ohhh…how ya DOIN’?! Chef Richie here to say this: EVERYTHING IS OPTIONAL. YOU’RE the chef…master of your domain (kitchen). YOU make the rules.

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Belli amici! Cooks and chefs! Foodistas! HEY…ohhh…how ya DOIN’?! Chef Richie here to share the culinary…Mediterranean…flavor explosion! This month’s mouthwatering Honorable Mention recipe contains four of my favorite words: Hearty. Zesty. Tuscan. Soup.

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The grand prize winner of our annual Bella Sun Luci recipe contest, Lauren Katz, was awarded a $2,500 cash prize for her mouthwatering Shrimp and Zoodle Pappardelle with Bella Cream Sauce. Like all of the contestants, Lauren’s original award-winning dish featured at least one Bella Sun Luci Sun Dried Tomato product as a key ingredient.

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Belli amici! Cooks and chefs! Foodistas! HEY…ohhh…how ya DOIN’?!  Now that the cat’s out of the bag with the announcement of the big three winning recipes in the Bella Sun Luci recipe contest, I’m gonna talk about dishes that didn’t finish on the podium, one per month. Please feel free to talk back at me….ask any questions…I’m here for ya. These dishes are getting honorably mentioned because they too had flashes of brilliance and they might be something you’ll want to cook at home. You’ll also get an idea…or two…about how the winners get chosen so that you can win next year’s contest. To give each honoree a head start on making that happen, a Bella Sun Luci gift box full of our sun dried tomato products, our epic arbequina olive oil and our risotto mix is gonna arrive in the mail.  And this month’s gift box goes to…drrrummmrrroolllll…

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It’s March and Chef Richie Says, with Valentine’s Day still in my mind and birds and bees pollinating flowers at this time of year and spring equinox, which is beautiful to say in Italian: Equinozio Primaverale and, quoting poet Pablo Neruda: “I want to do with you what the springtime does with the cherry trees.”…in Spanish: “Quiero hacer contigo lo que hace la primavera con los cerezos”, which also sounds beautiful. I MUST still be in Valentine’s Day mode with all of this romance in the air and rolling off my tongue.

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It’s February and love is in the air!!! Chef Richie says, I <3 You!! If there had been a recipe contest submission for beef heart this year, I’d be tempted to honorably mention it this month (it’s actually really good if done right…we used to grill it at Augusta’s in Berkeley a lifetime ago, served with sweet balsamic reduction gravy). Alas, nobody has thought to add sun dried tomatoes to actual heart. So instead, I’ll honorably mention some other lovey dovey food.

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If you are planning to invite friends and family over to watch the big game on Sunday, you might be trying to figure out a menu for your guests. We have some ideas that are both easy and delicious so you won’t be in the kitchen the whole afternoon! Football fans of all ages will love this line up of delicious appetizers and main dishes.

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Mooney Farms is proud to announce the winners of our 2016 Annual Bella Sun Luci Recipe Contest! It was a great year full of delicious recipes but we have narrowed them down to just three amazing creations. Drum roll please...

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Hello fellow food enthusiasts! Chef Richie here, at your culinary service. Happy New Year!!! Can you believe it?! It’s 2017?! Let’s start this year out with a BAM! Congratulations to home chef Roxanne Chan who came up with a big bold hearty dish for our recipe contest – Slow Cooked Sicilian Lamb Shanks – very nice work chef! BRAVA! BRAVISSIMA!

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Hello fellow food enthusiasts! Chef Richie here, at your culinary service. What are you thankful for? I love going around the table and having everybody say what they’re grateful for…especially kids…they have the best things to say!

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Hello fellow food enthusiasts! Chef Richie here, at your culinary service. This is the first blog in a monthly series, to discuss several recipe entries (not entrées) from our 2016 recipe contest that merit honorable mention. The first recipe in this series is…drumroll please…Chef Aleksu Hillerstrom’s Mediterranean Quinoa, Feta, Artichoke and Sun-Dried Tomato Salad…perfectly timed for the still hot days of summer. Chef Aleksu has followed some of the inside info I hint about below regarding how I look at recipe contest entries, and although this dish didn’t “make the podium”, it was under consideration and the entire taste panel liked it a lot.

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October 2016 Mooney Farms/Bella Sun Luci Recipe Contest Honorable Mention Blog, Chef Richie Says! Hello fellow food enthusiasts! Chef Richie here, at your culinary service. The second recipe in this series is…drum roll please…Sun Dried Tomato Carbonara, submitted by Leah Canino. Congratulations Chef Leah! Very nice work!

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Chicken, a naturally healthy food when grilled or baked, is a staple in many households. It is a great source of protein, rich in potassium and calcium. It also contains no carbohydrates, according to National Chicken Council.

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Mooney Farms and the Bella Sun Luci brand hit a home run this year with their new line of Bella Sun Luci Cucina Italiano Risottos launched in May. The line consists of three new and unique flavors that have been a great success in trials and at early 2016 trade shows.

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