sweet date

janelle was just in LA for the weekend and we shared the most amazing time together, checking out all the sights, going shopping, and just enjoying the fact that we were able to spend time together.
the first night she got in, we went to A.O.C. one of the most reviewed restaurant in LA with a fabulous menu of small plates created by chef Suzanne Goin (yes, now working at Bon Appetit and knowing someone of the culinary field, I find it important to mention the chef just as any one else would an artist or author of another sort) The first dish we shared were roasted dates stuffed with parmessan and wrapped in bacon... it was like a bite of heaven. On our last evening together Janelle really wanted to just experience the Whole Foods market, get some great cheeses and other small dishes. I couldn't help but want to pick up some dates and experiment with the flavors myself. I so happened to have a sweet potato which I thinly sliced and roasted with a sliced golden delicious apple and chopped dates. As I thought, the flavor combination was good, the presentation still needs work. It so happened that for Christmas Janelle and Jaimi gave me this cute little notebook for cooking notes. Janelle, the marketing guru she is, suggested that when I create something like such, I should also write down any experiences that go with it as it would be cute to include a little story with such dishes that could potentially appear on menus or cookbooks. I obvioulsy love the idea and while I'll continue to work on the flavor combo, I think I'm already sold on the name sweet date.