AN INVITATION TO TOUR MY KITCHEN

I have a BIG announcement!

On Saturday, October 18, 2014, from 11:00 am  to 4:00 pm I will be opening my kitchen to 200 ticket holders as part of the 3rd Annual Heart of the Home Kitchen Tour here in Lake Arrowhead, California. Below is a sneak peak of my kitchen.  It is the inspiration for the recipes I develop and share here on my blog, and it is also the heart of my home.  It’s a place I share with my family and friends, but on October 18th I look forward to sharing it with you too!

You will also get to see my Butler’s Pantry.

And, because the event is a couple of weeks before Halloween, I’ll have the house decorated for the holiday.

The Heart of the Home Kitchen Tour is sponsored by the Lake Arrowhead Chapter of “People To People International”, an organization dedicated to “Peace Through Understanding of Other Cultures.” Tickets go on sale September 15th and cost just $35.00. The price of admission will give you access to 4 beautiful home kitchens, plus you’ll get to tour the commercial kitchen of the UCLA Conference Center in Tavern Bay.

Each kitchen will be serving foods that showcase international cuisine. Because of my Spanish heritage, I will be serving my signature dish, Authentic Spanish Paella.  Paella is a dish our family enjoys each Christmas, and you can find my Paella recipe tutorial here.

The kitchens on the tour will exemplify the concept that the kitchen is the “heart of the home.” And the foods served will each showcase a cuisine from a different part of the globe.  Last year, I participated in the event as a kitchen helper in the home of my BFF Brenda and her husband Jim.  So, in anticipation of this year’s event, I’ll give you a little taste of last year’s event. Brenda featured food from the Mediterranean in her beautiful French Normandy style kitchen.

Her kitchen includes a wood-fired pizza oven…

from which she produced delicious pizza for everyone who attended.

The kitchen tour is designed to promote kitchen hospitality and the comradery that the sharing of good food promotes.

In sharing food, we share our culture with others as well.

For People to People International, food is a springboard for teaching others about the world.

Their belief is that through education and understanding, comes peace. I would like to think that that could be possible, especially given the turbulent world we live in these days.

My friend Brenda is also a fantastic bread baker.  At last year’s Kitchen Tour, not only did she serve her wood-fired pizza, she also baked many loaves of her delicious bread to share.

We decorated her kitchen table with an array of international cheeses…

grapes and home-grown figs…

and tapenades and spreads to accompany the delicious bread.

At this year’s kitchen tour, not only will you get to tour 5 great kitchens and sample foods from all around the world, your ticket also includes a glass of wine. From 3:00 to 4:00pm, each kitchen will be pouring wine. In our case, my husband Brad will be serving wine in our bar…

and you will also be able to tour our wine cellar.

I really hope that you will consider joining us this year as we share beautiful kitchens, delicious food and international friendship.  By the way, proceeds from the event fund 3 scholarships for Rim of the World High School students who have demonstrated service to community and wish to enter a field of study in college that will benefit humanity.

To secure your tickets, call event organizer Cheryl Moxley at 909-337-5190. If she doesn’t answer, please leave her a message and she’ll get back to you. Or, if you live in Lake Arrowhead, drop by The Lake House in Cedar Glen, the Chamber of Commerce in the Village, or TIPS Printing in Blue Jay, where tickets will be available for purchase.

But remember, ONLY 200 TICKETS WILL BE SOLD on a first-come, first-served basis.  Don’t miss out!  Buy your tickets today before they sell out!

So there you have it:  AN INVITATION TO TOUR MY KITCHEN

Please come see my kitchen and enjoy an unforgettable culinary experience here in beautiful Lake Arrowhead.  I look forward to meeting you!

And please leave a comment below and let me know you’ll be joining us!