by Sharm | Jul 20, 2010 | Articles
If you have not had the chance to make it to Jasper’s for one of his experiences, you are really missing out. This guy is so talented and knows his food. The flavors he puts together are amazing and he is committed to supporting as many local producers as he can.
This Prosciutto Experience probably had some of the best food I have ever tasted. To be honest I have not had much Prosciutto. Growing up, I don’t think I had even heard of it. It wasn’t until I was older and traveled some that I found out about it.
The only thing to compare it too would be ham or bacon. But there is such a delicacy to the Prosciutto, that it just doesn’t seem to do it justice.
Immediately upon entering we were handed a Peachcello Cocktail, peaches and vodka…..need I say more?
Then for starters there were Castelvetrano Olives, wonderful breads and crackers from the very talented Susanne Frisse of Meadowlark Acres and Ricotta with Orange Olive Oil from the Tasteful Olive.
(More about them another time). There was also a Chilled Local Melon and Prosciutto Soup, these delightful Prosciutto and Melon Pops and a wonderful Frittata. Jasper thought the soup turned out too thick but I thought it was perfect and that it had a wonderful texture. The Melon Pops, were these perfect cubes of sweet melon wrapped in a pink blanket of thinly slice Proscuitto. They were served on a lollipop stick with just a drizzle of balsamic. They were adorable and delicious. And the Fritta, do you see the picture? Yes, that is crispy crumbled Prosciutto on top!
The next course was a Green Egg and Prosciutto dish. It came with some asparagus that was cooked to perfection. The egg was perfect as well; the white had a nice crisp to it and the yolk, delightfully runny.
After that was a wonderful Hand Cut Taglierini Pasta with Proscuittto di Parma, Peas and Romano. By this time I was getting full and knew a couple more courses were coming. So a few bites later it was time to box it up and wait for the next divine dish to arrive.
I of course was not disappointed, upon my plate where these Grilled Medallions of Chicken stuffed with Fontina Cheese and of course Prosciutto. They were perfectly crisp on the outside and with the melted cheese on the inside made all the flavors blended beautifully. It was tender and juicy. Alongside the chicken were Susanne Frisse’s wonderful locally grown Tri Color Potato and Proscuitto stacks. Wow! They were so beautiful and tasted even better. They had a hint of fennel and were just a little bit spicy. I am hoping I can talk her out of that recipe.
Lastly, dessert consisted of a Sweet Polenta Tart with Local Peaches and Vanilla Bean Gelato with Crispy Proscuitto and Orange Caramel. Jasper garnished the dish with local blueberries that were picked that morning and given to him by yours truly! The Gelato and Crispy Proscuitto combination was out of this world. It had that great salty sweet thing going on the tart put it all over the top!
It was truly an Experience. Jasper used a couple of different kinds of prosciutto, gave us the scoop and some history behind it and as you can see, prepared it in some truly unique and delicious ways.
I hope you are able to attend one of Jasper’s “Experiences” The next one up is an Heirloom Tomato Experience get the details below.
“An Heirloom Tomato Experience”
August 9, 2010
Cost is $45.00 per person, does not include wine pairing, tax or gratuity.
For more information or to register call: 816-941-6600, email: jasperjr@aol.com or visit Jasper’s website.
In Good Taste,
Sharm
Prosciutto
by Sharm | Jul 15, 2010 | Articles
I was at Nara as back in March when they hosted the Urban Picnic. They have an event space above the restaurant that is a perfect venue for hosting events and parties.
A couple days later I noticed my coat was missing. I decided Nara was the last place I had it. So I called and sure enough it was there.
I just happened to have my Foodie KC deck and it had a card in there for $10.00 off Nara. I thought perfect; I can retrieve my coat and have dinner too. Well the evening got away from us and we did not end up getting to Nara until after 10:00 p.m.
That actually did not turn out to be a bad thing. The place was hopping and the atmosphere was great. I loved the urban décor and vibe from the music. Nara hosts a wonderful late night happy hour with great drink specials and ½ price appetizers. What a deal!
My husband really likes Sushi, so we ordered a variety of sushi items from the menu. I ate the California Roll but other than that I am not a big sushi or seafood fan. They do make a mean California Roll and I am happy to go to a place where both of us can get something we like. If you are a sushi lover Nara has an exceptional sushi menu and it is all fresh and made to order.
We also got these delectable chicken skewers, an order of crab rangoon and edamame. The chicken skewers were tender and had a wonderful Asian sauce and the edamame perfectly steamed a lightly salted. I love cracking open the edamame pods and popping those little green gems that are hiding inside right into my mouth. Steve really likes crab rangoon, they are not my favorite, but I tried a bite and the shell was crispy and the filling perfectly creamy. 
Our waitress Colleen was an absolute doll and we had a wonderful time. It seemed we got so caught up in conversation about how good everything was I forgot to use our Foodie KC card. Nara’s late night happy hour is a great deal and our bill was only $29. That included our food, beer and wine all without the discount. I guess I will just have to go back again to use my card, and I am thinking it may be pretty soon because for some reason, I am really craving a California Roll right now.
If you haven’t been to Nara put it on your list. You will love the hip urban feel of the atmosphere and the food even better.
Also don’t forget they have rental space available if you are need of somewhere for your next event.
Nara
1617 Main
Kansas City, MO 64108
816-221-6272
In Good Taste,
Sharm
by Sharm | Jul 7, 2010 | Articles
What a sweet way to send the very best.
Best Regards is a bakery that specializes in gourmet gift baskets and has been around for about 18 years. What makes them special to me and this blog is that they are from the KC metro area, Olathe, KS to be exact. Another reason is that their products are amazingly delicious.
Robert and Cherrie Duensing, owners of Best Regards, stumbled into the cookie business by accident. After 9/11 hit they found that many of the manufacturers they used were changing recipes to cut costs. They felt that this caused some quality decrease, and did not want to send out those products in their gift baskets.
They realized that to meet the high standards they had for memorable taste and quality they were going to have to make their own. They obsessively worked on new cookies, one recipe at a time, searching for the best ingredients they could find without regard to costs. Over the last eight years they have perfected well over 20 different cookies.
As luck would have it my hubby was in Olathe the other day, so I told him to go by and get some items from Best Regards for me to sample, and if they were good I would write about them. Obviously things were pretty darn tasty because here I am blogging away.
If you have read some of the other posts on here you know I love key lime. When I heard their seasonal items right now are key lime products I knew I had to try them all. The key lime pound cake, key lime cookies, and key lime pie. The pound cake was my favorite, it had a sweet key lime glaze and the cake was moist. The cookie was reminiscent of a powdered sugar donut. It was wonderfully thick with the perfect balance of tart and sweet all dipped into lime powdered sugar. The pie was a perfect single-serving treat with a crunchy graham cracker crust and creamy lime filling. 
A few other samples included a chocolate chip cookie that never made it home, but I was told it was good. I am guessing the driver decided he needed a tip. There was also a cranberry orange cookie which Robert says, if he had the opportunity to present a cookie to Oprah that the cranberry orange would be it.
Best Regards offers many types of gift baskets, cookie of the month club, corporate gifts and treats of all kinds including brownies, chocolates, cupcakes and more.
Best Regards offers wholesale, retail and nationwide delivery. They also have free samples of every cookie and seasonal treat available at their retail showroom and offer specials and discounts occasionally on their Facebook page.
I have to tell you that I am sold on Best Regards products. The ingredient labels read just like something that is homemade should: butter, flour, sugar, eggs etc… There was nothing I could not pronounce or did not know what it was. No preservatives, additives or junk! With quality ingredients going in, a quality product comes out.
Next time you need a gift to send or just want some goodies, make sure and visit Best Regards. For more information on their location or to place an order online visit the Best Regards website.
Best Regards is offering a special just for What You’re Missing KC! blog followers and Facebook fans. $5.00 off of a $15 purchase good until Friday, July 16. This will be good for walk in orders (tell them you found them on What You’re Missing KC!) and internet orders. Promotion Code: “Missing”
Best Regards
6759 W. 119th St.
OP, KS 66209
913-782-1505
www.MakeThemSmile.com
In Good Taste,
Sharm
(More about them another time). There was also a Chilled Local Melon and Prosciutto Soup, these delightful Prosciutto and Melon Pops and a wonderful Frittata. Jasper thought the soup turned out too thick but I thought it was perfect and that it had a wonderful texture. The Melon Pops, were these perfect cubes of sweet melon wrapped in a pink blanket of thinly slice Proscuitto. They were served on a lollipop stick with just a drizzle of balsamic. They were adorable and delicious. And the Fritta, do you see the picture? Yes, that is crispy crumbled Prosciutto on top!
The next course was a Green Egg and Prosciutto dish. It came with some asparagus that was cooked to perfection. The egg was perfect as well; the white had a nice crisp to it and the yolk, delightfully runny.
