Have a favorite Halloween Recipe?
Please share it with us!
If you have it published on your website, and would like it added to the Gratitude Gourmet Holiday Recipe page, please let us know. Thanks!

Hi Gratitude Gourmet Readers, Please nominate us for the Shorty Awards in 'Food' honoring the best Producers of real-time content. Several of my articles/videos are here for reference. 
Just Nominate Here - it's Fast and will only take a second and select the 'Food' Category.
Thank you very much! :)

Great News! Gratitude Gourmet, a California-Certified Bay Area Green Business, has launched monthly Healthy Vegan Snack Box Deliveries to your home, school or office! In addition to our Gratitude Gourmet Chocolate Line which has become very popular, we now have Healthy Snack Boxes that include vegan, nutritious, and mostly organic items. If you'd like a specific item, let us know. 
Need more convenience? Sign Up for the Monthly Subscription to Gratitude Gourmet Healthy Snack Box Deliveries by selecting the yellow 'Subscribe' button. (Note: your credit card statement will show monthly billing from Green Star Solution LLC)

Colleen Patrick-Goudreau released her latest book called The 30-Day Vegan Challenge. If you've considered trying nutritious and delicious vegan options and need some great coaching ideas, this is the book for you! I've written about Colleen many times over the years (see article/video), and she has been a great inspiration to me since I saw her speak in Washington DC. I was happy to learn she's in the San Francisco Bay Area and took her Holiday vegan cooking lessons and bought her Joy of Vegan Baking and Vegan Table books.
I appreciate gourmet (and satisfying) vegan cuisine, and Colleen inspired me and members of my family including midwest residents who tried her Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Caramelized Onions & Toasted Pistachios Entree, and we were all raving about it for days! 
Her new book includes practical themes including: weekly menu ideas for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, celebrating the holidays, finding harmony in a mixed household, eating out, finding abundant food options while traveling, choosing plant-based milks, B12: a bacteria-based (not meat-based) vitamin, eating healthfully affordably, and stocking a healthful vegan kitchen. Here's a video of Colleen describing her book.
btw - I heard about Tempeh (a slightly fermented soy and grain product high in protein and calcium) via Colleen a few years ago and here's a video of her making Tempeh-Bacon. She states: it's a "delicious tempeh bacon that is full of familiar saltiness, smokiness, and flavor but devoid of saturated fat, dietary cholesterol, and animal suffering. It's a win-win!" 
I'm sure my Gratitude Gourmet readers are/will be inspired by Colleen and her latest book: 30-Day Vegan Challenge.
What are your thoughts about the 30-Day Vegan Challenge, and what are your favorite recipes from Colleen's books?

Per Eric Harring, Executive Chef at Ristorante Villa Portofino, Catalina Island is a place where "you feel you're a million miles away...it feels like another Country."
If you want to getaway from the hustle and bustle and go back in time, check out California's Catalina Island.
People have been living on Santa Catalina Island for at least 7,000 years.
In September 2011, I took the Catalina Express Ferry from Long Beach to Avalon and stayed at the Oceanfront Hotel Portofino which has very friendly and professional staff.  I stayed in a nice upgraded room with a fireplace, balcony, marble bathroom, and partial ocean view. I would recommend you stay at least one night to really start understanding the Catalina Island ambiance and make a toast to the beautiful sunrises and sunsets. 

Chef Eric is originally from Wisconsin and is very proud of his staff and cuisine. He says, "We have a great staff, one of my senior cooks has been here for 20 years, and we go out of our way for our guests"
During Dinner, I ordered the Kundera Family Estate Sustainably Farmed 2007 Sonoma Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, and it was superb with every appetizer and entree.

The Minestrone was recommended by Chef Eric, and it included flavorful sautéed fresh vegetables in a light herb and tomato broth with carrots.
The Vegetable Lasagna was prepared with fresh seasonal vegetables, cauliflower, carrots, and marinara sauce. As soon you're served your entree, freshly ground pepper awaits along with Italian music playing in the background with a view of the Pacific Ocean.

For Dessert, I chose the homemade Tiramisu, and it was paired with cappuccino and a gorgeous sunset. Perfect! All the guests seemed to be happy and relaxed.
The next morning, the Hotel Portofino served a continental breakfast for the guests. While we were sitting outside admiring the beautiful morning ocean view... 

.. a Pigeon eagerly trying to enjoy breakfast with me had a string caught in between its feet and it could only hop. After some patient tries, I carefully caught and lifted the bird, and through some group collaboration by getting a pair of scissors from the hotel's front desk, the string was cut and removed. Success! :) The bird flew to the roof next door and my breakfast patio counterparts clapped!! The bird's rescue was one of the best parts of the trip for me.
I recommend taking a nice walk along the Ocean at least once during your stay to enjoy the soothing sound of the waves.
If you go, please let me know your thoughts and experiences!

My good friend Alison van Diggelen from Fresh Dialogues invited me to a special Check Please Bay Area Taping. I've enjoyed this show for years particularly because regular Bay Area people review their favorite restaurants On Air with host Leslie Sbrocco!
In this taping one guest raved over PizzaAiolo's Wood Fired Pizza in Oakland and apparently the wine list was recommended as well. I'll have to visit soon! Thanks, Alison! :)

Agwa de Bolivia, the world's only coca leaf liqueur, is made from Coca leaves flown from Bolivia to Amsterdam under armed guard and these leaves are used to create a Coca Leaf Liqueur. You can purchase it at BevMo, and here are great cocktail recipes:
Bolivian Sangria
Ingredients:
8 oz of chilled AGWA de Bolivia, 8 oz of fresh lime juice, lemon lime soda, sliced apples, lemons, and blueberries
Preparation:
Fill a pitcher with the ingredients above; add lemon lime soda. Finish by adding sliced apples, lemon wheels, and blueberries.

The Green Angel
Ingredients:
8 Basil leaves, 12.5 ml Pallini Limoncello, 37.5 ml Martini Millers Gin, 25 ml Agwa, 25 ml pure apple juice, vanilla sugar.
Preparation:
In a chilled Boston glass place 7 Basil leaves, fill with crushed ice, drizzle the limoncello and stir. Strain off limoncello, add 3 other liquids and stir to taste. Rim the martini glass with a lime wedge and sprinkle vanilla sugar on outside only. Strain Boston contents into glass and serve.
Need more cocktail recipe ideas? Check out the online menu.