Chef Night with Tango

We just finished our Chef Demo with Tango Restaurant and Lounge and it was awesome! Tango is known for their exquisite tapas and they definitely lived up to their reputation tonight. We started with a refreshing ‘ensalada valencia’ – wild arugula, blood oranges, watermelon, goat cheese, jicama and fried yam strings topped with a citrus vinaigerette. Next we had ‘queso azul’ – blue cheese souffles with a blackberry compote. They were rich and creamy and delish! Their famous ‘cheap dates’ followed (medjoohl dates wrapped in bacon) and they were amazing as usual. The main course was next, ‘mixta paella’. It had seafood and sausauge and was flavorful, filling. and fantastic! We ended the night on a sweet note with their ‘el diablo’, a flourless chocolate cube of goodness with cayenne, cocoa nibs and spiced almonds. It really was a great event Aspira style!

What’s going on…

Can I just say that I am sooo over this snow!  Sure, it’s pretty and all but by day 3 I am ready for it to go away and it looks like it’s doing just that.  Thank goodness, now we can get back to normal.  And normal at Aspira means events.  Next Thursday we are having Tango demonstrate how to make delicious tapas and then Saturday we are taking a trip to the Paramount Theater to see a comedy show.  The following Saturday, Feb. 4th, Aspira’s very own Erika Sanchez (and company) will be performing live jazz in the party lounge.  It’s going to be awesome!  She’s extremely talented and what’s better than live music on a Saturday night?  And don’t forget about our Super Bowl party the next day – there will be good food and drinks and company and Go Seahawks!  Wait, are they in it this year?  Whatever, a party’s a party!  Woo hoo!

It’s going to be a great year!

The holidays may be over but that doesn’t mean the fun stops here at Aspira! We have a number of exciting events to look forward to this month, starting with Aspira happy hour this Wednesday the 18th. It is going to be from 5-7pm in the Party Lounge and of course there will be tasty snacks and plenty of adult beverages! The next activity will be the return of the popular ‘Chef Night’ on January 26th. We are very fortunate to welcome Tango Tapas and I can’t wait to see (and devour) what they create for us! Then on the 28th we’re taking an Aspira excursion to the Paramount Theater to see comedienne Anjelah Johnson. We’re starting off 2012 right!

White Carpet Holiday Gala 2011

Last week we had our Aspira White Carpet Holiday Gala and it was fantastic!  Over 150 Aspira residents (and friends of) joined in on a night of great food, music and holiday fun.  The 11th floor E-Level was transformed into a winter wonderland complete with a snow machine!  Guests dined on Vietnamese food from our friends at La Lot  and it was delicious!  Fresh rolls, shrimp on coconut cakes, bahn mi (those awesome sandwiches) and cream puffs were just a few of the items on the impressive menu.  The music was a mix up of  holiday favorites as well as a lot of Motown classics.  There was dancing and picture taking and it really was a great night.  Success!

Make a kid smile!

Pumpkin Carving Fun!!!

Take care of yourself during cold season!

It’s that time of year again. The time of year when it seems like everyone around you has a cold. Coughing, sneezing, sniffling, wheezing is everywhere. You don’t want to get sick. So what do you do?

1. Keep warm. Winter is cold and you have to layer your clothing. Also, it’s very important to keep your nose warm so it doesn’t dry out.

2. Wash your hands frequently and don’t shake hands with people that are sick. Better yet, wear gloves 24/7.

3. Exercise. Working out helps to strengthen your immune system (among everything else).

4. Eat right and stay hydrated. Cut the junk food. Fruit and veggies contain immune enhancing nutrients to help fight off colds.

5. Try to relax and de-stress.

6. Get enough sleep. That’s when your body rebuilds and gains it’s strenth. If you’re sleep deprived it’s that much harder.

Good luck and be well!

Exciting!!!

We are so excited to welcome Sola Salon Studios and LaLot Restaurant and Bar to Aspira! Sola Salon is going to occupy the space along Terry Avenue and is basically a re-invention of a traditional salon. It is a place where stylists have more independence, control and personal space to provide their services. Each stylist has a private, individual work space where they can pretty much do whatever they like. And with the quality and expertise of the stylists, that’s a good thing!
LaLot Restaurant and Bar is going to be located on the corner of Terry Ave and Stewart St and it’s going to be awesome! It is going to serve both traditional and modern Vietnamese food and have a full bar. It will be serving lunch and dinner and is expected to open around the first of the year. Can’t wait!

Can’t get enough of Il Fornaio!

I had the tremendous pleasure of tasting the new regional menu for Il Fornaio yesterday and it was amazing! They are featuring cuisine from the Emilia-Romagna region this month and are offering a 3 course tasting menu for only $29.99! I was able to try 6 of the new items (yes!) and by the end, I was satiated and satisfied. We started with the velluttata romagnola and the insalata con ruchetta e funghi. The first was a deliciously creamy mushroom soup with carmelized onions and potatoes, the second an arugula and endive salad with a lovely lemon-olive oil dressing. Next we tried the tortelli di ricotta e spinaci and the risotto con la zucca. The tortelli with ricotta and spinach was very tasty and a bit on the rich side for me, but I persevered and ate every bite. The risotto was a wonderful mix of carnaroli rice, shrimp, butternut squash and zucchini and then finished with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar reduction. It was perfection. Our next menu items were the petto di pollo alla modenese and the branzino con funghetti. The chicken was rolled with prosciutto and fontina cheese and topped with a flavorful sage sauce. The branzino was cooked perfectly with a sangiovese reduction and accompanied with mashed potatoes and grilled shiitake mushrooms. By this time of the tasting I was getting pretty full, but I dutifully cleaned my plate (do you detect a theme yet?). As usual, I had a great time at Il Fornaio. And yes, I will be going back. Very soon.

Aspira’s 2011 Chef Series has begun…

Last night we had our first of the highly anticipated Chef Series and it was a hit! Chef Franz from Il Fornaio showed us how to make three dishes – tunnu cunzato, gnocchi alla sorrentina, and profitorales.
The first item, tunnu cunzato, is very similiar to tuna and english cucumber tartare. It is suprisingly easy to prepare, healthy and delicious! Chef’s presentation was also very beautiful – this is definitely a dish that would impress your friends.
Next we moved on to the main course, gnocchi alla sorrentina. Gnocchi is a potato dumpling and often difficult to prepare. Let me rephrase. It’s difficult to prepare well, so after eating you don’t feel like you had a pile of bricks for dinner. Fortunately, this was not the case. It was light(ish) and I didn’t want to stop eating after three bites. The sorrentina sauce was very nice as well, with just the right amount of fresh mozzarella. Yum!
The profitorales came next. These tasty treats having many names, eclair and cream puff being the most common. It’s a light, airy pastry filled with cream and topped with dark chocolate. Apparently you can also fill them with gelato but that wouldn’t have been as ideal for a large cooking demo. Regardless, they, and the entire night, were amazing.