Nibbles of Tidbits, a Food Blog

Z’Tejas Southwestern Grill at South Coast Plaza is launching its annual Chile Fest, an homage to the famous Hatch, New Mexico festival, Sept 3 – Sept 16 and $1 from each entrée off the special menu will benefit the Blind Children’s Learning Center.  Executive Chef Daniel Stevens says the idea behind Chile Fest is to celebrate the versatile role the fruit (its internal, edible seeds qualify it as a fruit rather than a vegetable) plays in the culinary world.  Each menu item on the Chile Fest menu including desserts and cocktails contain a variety of Chile Pepper.

Excerpt from PR materials (above) — Photos are from a media preview we attended.

Nibbles of Tidbits (we) got to sample items from the Chili Fest Menu — Enlarge for better view.

Pictured from top down — The Herb Chili Glazed Mahi Mahi, my favorite of all we tasted and tried, two drinks on the Chili Fest Menu, the Skinny Smokin’ Margarita, my drink pick, and the Skinny Z’Smash.  The other drinks (on right) are two of Z’Tejas most popular… The Chambord Margarita and 6th Street Margarita.  We liked the Hatch Chili Onion Rings too.

The Adobo Steak Relleno and Tamarind Chicken Salad also had a punch of flavor and heat.

The Hatch Chili Coconut Flan is extra creamy and spicy — It’s so rich it needs the heat.

Dishes pictured below are found on Z’Tejas regular menu.

Corn Bread — It’s excellent and one of the best I’ve had.

Raw Ahi Chipotle Citrus Bites — I want them again.

Grilled Salmon and Vegetables — All was well prepared.

I like the addition of Pepitas to the Tableside Guacamole.

Did you know that Z’Tejas Southwestern Grill has the ‘largest outdoor patio’ at South Coast Plaza?  It does and I like it.  We’re always looking to have quality food and drinks on a patio.

Not sure it’ll work out — There may be laws against it too.

Actual TIP:  Cook Wine until there is less of it, 1/2 of it, or it turns into syrup.

“You’ve got to try the Combo Salad at Ho Sum Bistro” I’ve heard (and read) over and over.  It’s like… “You’ve got to see the baby” on Seinfeld — Well, I finally tried it aka saw the baby, and it’s not breathtaking.  In real world terms, it’s okay, better than the TV reference.

The Combo Salad is the Ho Sum Chicken Salad (Roasted and shredded Chicken Breast with Lettuce and Red Ginger Dressing) and the Sesame Seed Chicken Salad (Romaine Lettuce tossed with Sesame Seeds, Almonds, shredded Chicken and a Sesame Oil and Vinegar Dressing) combined.  It’s good, but next time I’d try a few Dim Sum dishes I saw on the menu.

It’s a lot of Salad.  Pictured is the 1/2 Combo Salad to go — Two can share it.

With respect to Sonic’s Cheesy Bacon Pretzel Dog, everything is tasty about it except for the Pretzel Bun, what got me to buy it in the first place — A similar situation to Wendy’s Pretzel Bacon Cheeseburger.  I love a good Pretzel Bun on a Sandwich, only if it’s made right.

A Pretzel Bun shouldn’t be too thick, dry or bland.

Though Sonic’s Pretzel Bun looks pretty, it doesn’t have much flavor and it’s too stiff and thick.  The Hot Dog slides out the other end when taking a bite.  It’s otherwise quite appetizing.

On a different or improved Pretzel Bun, Sonic’s Hot Dog could be a winner — This one fell short.

It’s “A Little Something” called Almonds & Olives at Blackbird Tavern in Temecula (below).

I liked it so much, I recreated a better version of it at home (top photo) — It’s made with a medley of Greek Olives, Marcona Almonds, Orange Slices, Fennel Seeds, Red Pepper Flakes and Olive Oil.  The Olives were baked in a foil pouch with the Orange Slices, Fennel Seeds, Red Pepper Flakes and a little Olive Oil at 425° for about 15 minutes, then all was tossed with Marcona Almonds, the improvement (I think) to Blackbird’s starter.  I’ll make it forever.

And there’s a sweet back-story soon to be told about this trip to Temecula.

CalFresh — Must you heavily recruit?  No, for many reasons I see.  Respect taxpayers too.

What would you do for a Klondike Bar?  Uh, how about just buy one if you want it?!

Have you tried Wendy’s new Pretzel Bacon Cheeseburger?  Since I like a good Pretzel Bun (especially the Ham on Pretzel Sandwich at the Corner Bakery Cafe, but I digress), this Burger caught my attention — It’s available at Wendy’s for a limited time, thus we gave it a try.

It was nice to see the Pretzel Bacon Cheeseburger look (almost) as good as its photo, unlike many newly advertised fast food items — Generally, actual items are not as neat, large or pretty as their advertised photo.  At the restaurant, food is made and served fast for the customer, but slow and meticulous for the photo shoot that ulitmately helps sell it.  I get it.

No bait and switch here — It’s a good Burger.  I like the Applewood Smoked Bacon and Baby Greens on it.  The Pretzel Bun isn’t bad, but comparably should have more flavor and perhaps be a little thinner.  Two of us think the Pretzel Bun is a bit dense and filling compared to others we’ve had.  We may have it again, but don’t need to.  Visit Wendy’s to learn more about it.

The OC Fair has left the county with a few FOOD stats to report — After the last pickle was wrapped in Bacon, Corn Dog deep-fried, piglet petted, carnival plush won and concertgoer rocked, 1,374,579 Fair-goers had heeded the OC Fair’s invitation to “Come & Get It” in 2013.

For the 2013 season, which ran from July 12-August 11, the OC Fair saw its second highest attendance. Plus the Pacific Amphitheatre saw its top-grossing summer concert series which included 11 sold-out concerts. Here are more fun facts about the 2013 OC Fair:

Food at the 2013 OC Fair:

• Chicken Charlie used 7,500 gallons of vegetable oil to fry up 24,000 Bacon-Wrapped Pickles, 100,000 Deep-Fried Oreos, and other wild concoctions like 25,000 balls of his top-selling Deep-Fried Cookie Dough.
• Biggy’s Meat Market sold nearly 2,000 Big Chics on a Stick and 4,500 The Big Ribs, and used 13,500 pounds of potatoes for orders of giant Curley Frys.
• Bacon A-Fair used 20,000 pounds of bacon around turkey legs, inside chocolate, wrapped around cheesy bombs or sprinkled around chocolate peanut butter bananas.
• Tasti Chips used 23.75 tons of potatoes and 690 gallons of cheese sauce.
• Juicy’s sold more than 75,000 smoked turkey legs and used 300 gallons of ketchup and 250 gallons of mustard.

Source: Partial Press Release from the OC Fair & Event Center and Photo Credit.

Do you have an event coming up?  I recommend The Promenade Event Centre & Gardens by The Turnip Rose.  I worked within walking distance from it and enjoyed its gardens and many introspective lunches at Cafe Rose Express.  And now, a couple years later I have an event.  Photos here are from a tasting event held there for current and potential customers.

Pick a date, package (if applicable) and food favorites, and all shall be great.

Mini Sliders & French Fries, Seared Ahi, the best Chicken Skewers ever, and more are options as Hors d’oeuvres — Taste all and choose a favorite for your event.

Crab Cakes too — Contact The Turnip Rose directly for actual choices and official dish names.

The service has always been exceptional at all Turnip Rose venues and events.

Your choice of an Entree is also in order — A small sampling of a large sampling is below.

Several Chicken, Fish and Steak selections are available.

I need (at least) one more tasting to be sure.

Dessert Bars, Cappuccino Bars, Candy Bars and Beer & Wine Bars by request, oh my.

Rock Candy Swizzle Sticks for the Coffee Drinks — I want them too.

It’s a comfortable and classy indoor/outdoor Event Centre with great food to consider.

If getting married and/or having a reception, a Wedding Cake by Creative Cakes is included.

Cheers to all — Thanks for coming.  Okay, let’s party now!

See you in January and in between with possible reports leading up, then happily ever after.

It’s Shelly & The Idaho Potato Commission — A shortened, simplified version of Julie & Julia, if you will.  In far-reaching comparison, I prepared all recipes in the Idaho Potato Commission’s Recipe Photo Contest detailed in the Press Release below, and similarly learned a lot from it.  I now await the results.  The Idaho Potato and Fresh Asparagus Soup photo above was not entered in the contest, but its recipe is (1) of (10) to be made by month’s end.

Calling all enthusiastic home cooks and shutterbugs! The Idaho Potato Commission (IPC) is now hosting a bigger and better-than-ever recipe photo contest, featuring 10 recipes, 10 opportunities to win, and a total of $5,000 in cash prizes.

We are always impressed with the quality of work that comes out of our recipe photo contests, and wanted to give folks even more chances to enjoy Idaho® potatoes and show off their culinary and photography skills, said Frank Muir, President and CEO, IPC. “Now that we’re offering more ways to win and a bigger prize incentive, we hope to see even more extraordinary spud snapshots from our Idaho® potato fanatics.”

This summer, the contest is all about summer spuds – pairing the best of what the season has to offer with delicious Idaho® potatoes. To participate, prepare one of the recipes below using Idaho® potatoes, snap a photograph of it, and upload it to idahopotato.com using the entry form provided. A winning photo will be selected for each of the 10 recipes, and each winner will be awarded a $500 prize! Contestants may submit entries for as many of the featured recipes as desired, and have the opportunity to win multiple times.

• Quick Potato Salad for One
• Idaho® Potato Gazpacho
• Roasted Potatoes and Vegetables with Pasta
• Idaho® Potato Tomato Pie
• Idaho® Potato Salad with Peppers and Onions
• Roasted Idaho® Yukon Gold Potato and Artichoke Salad
• Idaho® Potato and Fresh Asparagus Soup
• Idaho® Potato, Jarlsberg and Roasted Vegetable Terrine
• Crispy Grilled Idaho® Potatoes
• Idaho® Potato and Vegetable Casserole Supreme

The deadline to enter photo submissions for the July/August contest period is 11:59 pm PT on August 29, 2013. Read the official rules and more details on how to enter the contest here: http://recipes.idahopotato.com/enter-our-recipe-photo-contest/

About the Idaho Potato Commission Established in 1937, the Idaho Potato Commission (IPC) is a state agency that is responsible for promoting and protecting the famous “Grown in Idaho®” seal, a federally registered trademark that assures consumers they are purchasing genuine, top-quality Idaho® potatoes. Idaho’s growing season of warm days and cool nights, ample mountain-fed irrigation and rich volcanic soil, give Idaho® potatoes their unique texture, taste and dependable performance. These ideal growing conditions are what differentiate Idaho® potatoes from potatoes grown in other states. For more information, visit: www.idahopotato.com.

Food wasn’t the focus of the trip, just an afterthought while visiting a friend in Oregon.

I now love Long Beach Airport — It’s nice and small with several good food options.  I had Hummus and Pita Bread while waiting to board the plane, and a glass of Chardonnay while watching the Food Network during the Jet Blue flight.  A delightful start indeed.

On land in Albany, Oregon.

Went to a few places, but nothing knocked my socks off, thus provide a general recap of most.

Loafers Station is a popular restaurant in Albany — It’s where this lunch is from.

We had a good cross-section of food… Tacos, a Sandwich and Pizza — Their MENU is here.

Blackberries seemed to grow freely everywhere.

I sized up the Culinary Arts Competition at the Linn County Fair.

It’s much smaller than the OC Fair’s Culinary Arts Competition, but equally fun.

Also saw Collective Soul, one of my favorite bands playing at the Oregon Fair.

It was beautiful everywhere in between and around Portland, Albany and OSU.

My dear friend, Theresa happened to make the best food I had there (above and below).

Simple and good — Shredded Chicken with Mr. Yoshida’s served on Hawaiian Bread Rolls.

We took a Pedicab from downtown Corvallis to and from OSU.

So picturesque everywhere.

Lunch at Flat Tail Brewing (below).

The Onion Dip with house made Potato Chips was good, but this one is the best.

Our Salads were better than good on the other hand, especially The Mash Tun.

See MENU for more information.

Moving on to the soon to be filled space below — It’s where Chopped winner, Cody Utzman plans to open Frankie’s Restaurant.  I didn’t see his episode and now want to look for it.

I like our reflection in the window as we check it out up close — It’s like we’re inside already.

Oregon is gorgeous!  I barely made the flight back to Long Beach and had to run through the Portland Airport without a minute to spare — It was thankfully Chardonnay time again, whew.

Where should we eat next time?

Why do some ask Owls that question?  Hoo cares and STFU already says all owls — I read that.

I’m still confused — Is that a decimal point or comma above?  The world may never know.

Go and get the Come & Get It at the Orange County Fair during its final week.

Sandwich, Handwich (and Panini’s too) — It’s time for this many of them in August.