A Foodie in Our Midst

I recently discovered Brenda Grimse’s Los Gatos Foodie website, a fantastic source for all sorts of recipes. Grimse said the inspiration for the website came from friends and family who often requested her recipes.

“I had been posting what I was making for dinner on Facebook, and friends kept asking me for the recipes,” Grimse explained. “I thought if I put the recipes on a website, I could just write them up once and then direct my friends there, rather than emailing everyone individually.”

And the site is growing in popularity with visitors from 48 countries. She said the key to drawing people to her website is to have enough recipes to choose from, so she is constantly adding more to the site.

The website is extremely well-organized. Recipes are categorized and cross-referenced several ways, including by cuisine (American, Italian, Asian, etc.), by type (veggie, cocktails), a “Farmstand” category for fresh produce recipes, an alphabetical recipe index and a search function.

Grimse said she is interested in food history, and especially loves international cuisines, which is reflected on her website and one of the things I really like about her collection of recipes.

“I love to travel and part of what I like about traveling is trying the food in different parts of the world,” Grimse said. “I like food that has a lot of flavor, and I like to change things up often. I find if I cook dishes from different cuisines, I get a lot of variety. Plus it is fun to learn about other cultures through food. Before starting the website, I read the book International Cuisine by Jeremy MacVeigh. His book covers cuisines of the world as well as the history of the food.”

Grimse eventually wants to cook a meal from each cuisine represented in International Cuisine—which covers just about every type imaginable—and incorporate the results onto her website.

The recipes on Los Gatos Foodie come from a variety of sources, including friends, family, other websites, cooking classes Grimse has taken and cookbooks. She has more than 200 and adds to her collection regularly. She also posts original recipes, such as Pea Shoot Salad over Chicken and Potatoes, and receives recipes from other foodies around the world.

“I connect with people all over the world via Facebook and have received recipes as far away as the U.K. and India,” Grimes said. “Just this morning, I was chatting with a chef/cookbook author in Rome. Fun stuff!”

Fun stuff, indeed. And also a lot of work! Grimes tests each recipe before posting it to her site, along with any notes and a photo that she takes herself. She averages four test dinners per week. Who are the lucky tasters in her test kitchen?

“My husband has tried all of them [the recipes], and my family and friends have tried many. Sometimes I take samples to friends as well,” Grimse said.

Her website motto is “Eat Local Eat Well.” I asked Grimse what this means to her.

“Supporting local businesses and buying local ingredients is important to me,” Grimes said. “I feel that rather than import our food, we should be more aware of what is grown locally and support our farmers. I belong to a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture), shop at farmers markets, and Whole Foods. Besides supporting our local economy, food that is grown closer to home tastes better since it hasn’t been in transport for days. I get my veggies within hours of them being picked.”

Cooking is not part of Grimse’s professional life (her background is in Information Technology); rather it’s something she just likes to do. Grimse said she’s taken over 80 cooking classes, including Bobby Flay’s Grill It! series at , whose classes she recommends, as well as those at the French Culinary Institute in Campbell.

She also has two favorite dining-out spots in Los Gatos.

“ because everything is super delicious, and I love small plates,” Grimse said. “And because it’s the closest thing to an Italian wine bar outside of Rome.”

Los Gatos Foodie is definitely worth checking out, and I predict you’ll always have an answer to that daily question: What should I make for dinner tonight?

Here’s a taste of what’s in store for you when you visit Grimse’s website: a delicious salad perfect for summer.

Buon appetito, amici!

Grilled Tequila Chicken Salad with Mango, Avocado, and Cumin Dressing

Ingredients

Chicken:

8 jalapeno chiles, roasted, peeled, and seeded (optional)

3/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/4 cup tequila

several dashes of hot sauce

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

6 half chicken breasts, boned, skin left on (or boneless, easier to cut up for salad)

kosher sea salt, to taste

freshly ground pepper, to taste

sweet paprika, to taste

Dressing:

1 small shallot, finely chopped

1 teaspoon cumin seed, toasted and ground

6 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

3/4 cup oil (rice bran, canola, or peanut) (or olive oil)

kosher sea salt, to taste

freshly ground pepper, to taste

2 teaspoons sugar, or to taste

Salad:

1 pound mixed lettuces, rinsed and crisped

1 large ripe mango, peeled, seeded, and sliced

1 large ripe avocado, peeled, seeded, and diced

Method

Chicken: Place the roasted jalapenos in a blender or food processor with the orange juice and puree until smooth. Transfer to a nonreactive container, and combine with the lemon juice, tequila, hot sauce, onion, and garlic, and mix well. Marinate the chicken in the orange juice mixture overnight in the refrigerator.

One hour before grilling, remove the chicken from the marinade and season with salt, pepper, and paprika. Grill on a preheated grill 3 to 4 minutes each side. Allow to rest 10 minutes before slicing on the bias.

Dressing: Whisk the shallot, cumin, lime juice, and oils together in a small bowl until completely emulsified. Stir in the seasonings and adjust to taste.

Salad: Place the greens, mangoes, and avocado in a large salad bowl, and toss with 3 tablespoons of the dressing, adding more dressing as needed. Arrange the greens on a platter or individual plates, place the sliced chicken on top, and sprinkle with more dressing if desired.