Nibbles of Tidbits, a Food Blog

Experimenting with Picnik Premium Photo Editing, available to all for FREE until April, when Picnik packs up for Google town — They’ll no longer be growing grass and cueing bird songs.  We’ll miss Picnik in the Spring, and hereby toast to them with a plan for a real picnic.  Cheers!

When was the last time you had a picnic?  We mustn’t forget the simple enjoyment of a picnic.  It seems Americans don’t take enough pleasure in them.  While traveling through many parts of Europe, you’ll see people having picnics everywhere and often.  It’s a great thing.

We’re inspired to have more picnics and Cost Plus World Market, a favorite destination for unique and imported food items can make it happen on a moment’s notice.  It has everything one could need for a picnic.  We prepared for this one by getting ALL shown from Cost Plus, including the insulated picnic basket that transported the Salami, Cracked Pepper Smoked Salmon, Bruschetta, Roasted Artichoke Hearts, Pepper Jack Cheese, Assorted Crackers, Almonds, Pickles, Olives, Wine and Cookies.

This day it was too windy to show you it was too windy — Meaning, we couldn’t back up for a wide photo, since all hands were necessary to hold down the light stuff during the wind gusts.  It was (kinda) funny, until it blew over our Chardonnay, and it was a bit scary thinking the Smoked Salmon could possibly land on us, but ultimately it was a lot of fun.

We had this picnic in Temecula, near Pechanga Resort & Casino, where we took our Grandma to see her favorite singer, Engelbert Humperdinck.  Prior to the concert, we laughed eating the Orange Chocolate Rolled Wafers — They are sooooo darn good and fodder for immature jokes that transcend generations, Groucho Marx impersonations and more.

It’s All About the Food at the 2013 OC Fair (July 12 – August 11, 2013)

Days of Deep-Fried Food, Celebrity Chefs, Decadent Desserts & Culinary Competitions

Just as dinner bells would call hard-working farmers to the table for meals, the OC Fair is ringing the metaphorical dinner bell for Fairgoers to “Come & Get It” July 12 to August 11, 2013. With plenty of food vendors and culinary activities, the OC Fair has something for every palate. Here’s what the Fair is cooking up this year:

• Chicken Charlie: Chicken Charlie is churning out new food with Krispy Kreme Sloppy Joes, Deep-Fried Bacon-Wrapped Pickles and Waffle Dogs (a hot dog wrapped inside a waffle and all on a stick). Plus, don’t miss deep-fried cookie dough!

• Bacon A-Fair: This year’s new additions at Bacon A-Fair include Truffle Gouda Bacon Fries, Bacon Beer (root beer) and Cheesy Bacon Bombs. Plus, wild boar bacon on a stick will be served exclusively at the OC Fair.

• Biggy’s Meat Market: Channel your inner cave man (or woman) and come to Biggy’s Meat Market for the returning 17-inch The Big Rib plus the new Biggy Sausage, a 2-foot-long smoked sausage on a stick, and the Big Chic, 24 ounces of chicken breast on a stick of course.

• Ten Pound Buns: The mad scientists at Ten Pound Buns have added ground bacon, whipped butter and Nutella on top of their famous sourdough “pizza” for the Bacon Nutella Bun.

• Pink’s Hot Dogs: Long known for their innovative hot dogs named after celebrities, the Ghiradelli hot dog takes it to a new level. It is a beef dog topped with cream cheese, honey mustard, crumbled bacon and dark chocolate.

• More New Food: There are new tastes to be found throughout the OC Fair this year including deep-fried strawberries, a macaroni and cheese hamburger, fried bacon ice cream, deep-fried lobster, cream cheese on a stick, mango & chamoy popsicle (spicy-sweet lemon chile flavoring), heart-shaped funnel cake, Dirty BBQ Tasti Chips and more.

• OC Fair Foodies: New this year the OC Fair is introducing food-themed mascots including Scoop, Carl, Dip and their foodie friends all inspired by iconic Fair and farm foods such as ice cream cones, cotton candy, corn dogs, vegetables, fruit and more. Costumed characters, plushes and signage will be representing the foodie friends throughout the Fair.

• $2 Taste of Fair Food: Every Friday from Noon-4 p.m., Fairgoers can sample the best the Fair has to offer for only $2 each sample. Fun-sized samples include funnel cake, BBQ tri-tip, lemonade, cinnamon rolls, corn dogs, tacos, gelato, cotton candy and more.

• Celebrity Chefs: The 2013 OC Fair presents two shows in The Hangar featuring charismatic celebrity chefs demonstrating their culinary prowess. Scheduled appearances include the owners and chefs of the award-winning La Casita Mexicana Restaurant Jaime Martin del Campo and Ramiro Arvizu (July 20, 4 p.m.) and award-winning chef and owner of Bottega in Napa Valley and Coqueto in San Francisco Michael Chiarello (August 1, 4 p.m.) Free with Fair admission.

• Culinary Presentations: In addition to celebrity chefs, the 2013 OC Fair is also featuring local professional chefs from some of the county’s top local restaurants and other culinary artisans in the OC Promenade. Presentation days and times vary.

• Food Truck Fare at the OC Fair: On top of traditional and new Fair foods, Fairgoers can purchase gourmet fare from their favorite food trucks from inside the OC Fair gates every Thursday from Noon-10 p.m. Access is free with Fair admission and prices for food and drinks vary per truck.

• Kitchen Challenge: Watch local culinary professionals show off their chops and go head-to-head in a series of live cooking challenges set to various themes every Thursday in the OC Promenade: Meatheads (July 18), Time to Make The Donuts (July 25), Firehouse Chefs (August 1) and Vegan (August 8). Winners will receive bragging rights and an award to commemorate their culinary victory. Viewing is free with Fair admission.

• Contests and Competitions: Most of the traditional Culinary Arts competitions have closed their registrations but the Culinary Arts department is again hosting live contests that offer late registration with the Special Culinary Contests held the last four Saturdays, including the popular OC Cupcake Classic on August 3. Registration for these contests is the Wednesday before each contest. New this year is the Salad Daze contest, which is judging for the best picnic-ready salads. For a complete list, visit ocfair.com/competitions.

• Food As Art: Chef Ray Duey is an acclaimed food sculptor who was a gold medal winner from the Food Network’s Challenge Team and will be creating works of art out of fruits and vegetables daily in the OC Promenade. Award-winning Shaile Socher creates masterful floral arrangements out of sugar and will be demonstrating her intricate and dazzling talent in the OC Promenade daily. Demonstrations are free with Fair admission.

• Centennial Farm: Experience being home on the range in this year-round, three-acre demonstration farm complete with crops, livestock and the Millennium Barn. Check out educational exhibits, agricultural organizations and the fruit and vegetable competitive entries. Visit ocfair.com/competitions for details on the Garden and Floral competitions offered.

The 2013 OC Fair, themed Come & Get It, is July 12 – August 11 and brings 23 days of food, rides, exhibits, animals, music, action sports and fun, as well as the Toyota Summer Concert Series at the Pacific Amphitheatre, The Hangar and Action Sports Arena. The Fair is open Wednesday-Sunday. Concert tickets, action sports reserved seats and single-day general admission are available for purchase online at ticketmaster.com or from the on-site Box Office. The popular Super Pass, which offers the passholder 23 days of admission, is available for purchase online at ocfair.com from the onsite Box Office.

The OC Fair & Event Center is located off the 405 and 55 freeways at 88 Fair Drive in Costa Mesa. For more information, please visit ocfair.com, become a fan at Facebook.com/OCFair, follow them at twitter.com/ocfair or call (714) 708-1500. Also, download the free OC Fair iPhone and Android apps featuring a Food Finder and schedules of events.

Source:  Press Release from The OC Fair & Event Center (above).

Nibbles of Tidbits and company doing my kind of camping.

We also celebrated Bailee’s Birthday (Kids in the Kitchen) — The pictured Cake design is not recommended.  Don’t these things happen (lost a hunk) when it matters most?!  It tasted good, so I made the best of it.  It’s Chocolate Mountain Cake with an Orange Juice/Zest Glaze.

Unusually warm and extra beautiful in January on the South Carlsbad Cliffs.

Food, walks and painting rocks.

It’s mostly a rock beach now, after a storm a couple years ago.

Moments of branding wrapped in family time.

Christmas Crackers from Cost Plus — Wanted to try them.  A pop with jokes & prizes inside.

We had plenty of Dips, Salads, Chips, Coronas, Cactus Coolers and Mimosas at bay.

Talented Kids in the Kitchen — You’ve seen their work.

Simple eats to compliment all — Ground Beef Tacos.  The kind I grew up with.

Don’t you love the smell of a campfire?  I do!

Must have S’more ingredients on hand for these occasions.

Watching the surf with tunes and lazy dogs.

The sunsets were striking, like always, it seems — I’ve never seen a bad one.

Picnic tables are resourceful.

Playing games, flying kites, painting, taking pictures and eating — Ahhhh, free time.

Uniquely shaped rocks inspire — What’s its story?

Well wishes to your family in 2012 — Explore and eat together.

Enjoy all when and while you can.  Traveling mercies.

I’d been looking for the right Lobster Roll to try and it finally came along with great satisfaction — My first ever, since they’re more popular on the East Coast.  That’s my excuse and/or they are expensive when offered and haven’t had the quality ingredients sought.

The Lobster Roll is a popular special at Santa Monica Seafood — Generous chunks of Lobster are tossed with a refreshing Lemon Aioli and Chives, then served on a soft Roll.  It’s perfect.

Dine inside, on the patio, at the Oyster Bar or take something to-go from the Fish Market.

Shucking Oysters (below) — Tell them what kind you want or what you like in an Oyster.

We tried the Kusshi (left) and Misty Pointe (right) — Both were superb, especially the MP.

They have an amazing, well displayed and serviced selection at Santa Monica Seafood.

Live Lobster, an option I’m skipping for a while.  See why here — Too much going on.

Sashimi Grade Fish is also available.  Someday I’ll make Sushi.

Several kinds of Crab, Shrimp, Lobster and Fish are sold daily.

Prices vary and may not be the same as shown here today.

Indian Candy, a sweet, salty and smoky Salmon, in the case above is a favorite.

Cheese, Wine, Herbs, cooking tools and all necessities for a nice meal or picnic are here.

Since their re-design that happened about a year ago, it’s nice to dine in with a Glass of Wine.

Our server, Ashley was awesome, sweet and cool, and reminded us of Jody Foster.

Happy Hour looks good, if you can make it in before the 5PM cut-off.  It’s an early one.

And here’s that Lobster Roll I kissed — Smooch.  Time to get a room.  It was sooooo good. 😉

Santa Monica Seafood is better than ever and family owned since 1939.

It’s a dining option I’ll think of more often — There’s a lot to see, cook and eat.

It starts off cute, simple and sweet with a melting Snowman Sugar Cookie, or is it sad?

Purity, honesty, clarity, simplicity and love are white, so are Pumpkins, Parsnips and Pigs.

When asked my favorite color, I used to say WHITE, to often hear “white’s not a color.”

Is white a color?

Pearly White French Macarons are so luxurious and seem a joy to lick.

A Clam in Broth is calming and innocent, what it should be, but could be incredibly bland.

Eggs, a versatile ingredient that’s trippy when over-analyzed, like the Meat aisle.

Talent, intuition, cleanliness, transparency and wisdom are cherished gifts in ones short time.

So much is bigger than you and me, let’s just eat, laugh, love and be grateful for all.

I’m unimportant compared to many things, but better off than Bacon — It’s too well liked.

Cheese made from a cow, goat and sheep are shared with bountiful Root Vegetables from soil.

A Picnic in a Vineyard is on a to-do list — Realized someday with a camera Lord willing.

In color a surprise would be clear or white — Yes?!  Though not analogous to above unknowns.

And a white to-go bag for two today — Sometimes it’s just better that way.  Ciao.

The Nutrition Source INFO may be helpful — Be humble, it’s not all about YOU (or me).

Note: Continuing our Food Coloring Series with WHITE — Click color links to see previously posted orange, green, yellow, blue and purple foods.  Next up will be red, black, and then…

East is a good place to start from So Cal, or in my fridge to assemble a picnic for the next hill.  Hhmmm, contemplating as shown and doing nothing (yet) — Photo Credit on hump day.

Tranquility Tuesday leaves room for a few words and perhaps a picnic on a Newport Bluff.

We weren’t the only Trunk Bar in stacked parking at The Greek Theatre last night, not that it’s right.  Though we only had one shot of Patron and a Corona, we like doing unlawful activities in style — This time it included a Cost Plus World Market Picnic Basket, Tequila, Limes and Salt, while waiting for the Go-Go’s to play.  Please drink responsibly.  We do. 🙂

08/23/11 Update:  Pictured above are the Go-Go’s and winners of the Cost Plus World Market Go-Go’s Getaway Sweepstakes.  The official winner was Amanda Wright who invited (10) of her best friends to join her.  She had this to say… “The night of the concert was amazing and we were treated like royalty.  We managed to fit in Universal Studios, tours of the Chinese and Nokia Theatre, Star walk and an amazing dinner at Yatai Asian Tapas Bar.  We actually got to sing Happy Birthday to Belinda Carlisle.  It was truly amazing!!  We will never forget it.”

Today we’re heading to Temecula for a lovely picnic among other things and we have a guest blogger goin’ to the OC Foodie Fest to eat from the 50 Gourmet Food Trucks parked at the Honda Center today.  There’s a lot of good eats happening right now.  We’ll soon report about them here.  Until then, enjoy the beautiful Koi, eyes only — They want to be fed too. 🙂

So many Chips, so little time — Well, we actually have the time, but can only eat so many Chips.  We thought it would be fun to sample a cross-section of the vast Chip selection offered at Cost Plus World Market.  Although they have much more than you see here, we ultimately decided to try (7) Bags of Chips and (4) Salsas for our Chip Invasion Taste-Off.

Seven of us gathered for the festivities to determine our favorites — To learn more about the Chips, hover your cursor over the pictured plates below to match ’em up with the Chip Bags above.  It’s always good to see what’s in a bag before you buy it.

The variety we selected appears to be a good representation of Chip types and brands.  Some are produced especially for Cost Plus World Market, and others you’ve seen there and at other popular markets (i.e., Kettle Chips).

The same applies to our Salsa selection — The (2) on the left below are specially made for Cost Plus World Market and the other (2) can be purchased there and elsewhere.  And the Salsa verdict is… All were good and enjoyed for their comparative uniqueness.  In other words, the pictured Salsas would be a terrific combination for a party.  One was spicy (Chipotle), one was mild (Roasted Tomato), one was cheesy (Chili Con Queso) and one was chunky (Corn, Black Bean & Red Pepper).  All were picked as a favorite by one or another, with the most votes cast for the Frontera Chipotle and Cost Plus World Market Chili Con Queso.

With respect to the Chips, the verdict was all over the board.  The favorites were the Gaytan Baked Cheese Puff, Sweet & Spicy Tortilla Chips with Flaxseed and the Death Valley Chipotle Chips.  We really don’t think the Spinach & Artichoke Chips taste like Spinach and Artichoke, but they’re a good dipping Chip for any Salsa.  The favored combo seemed to be the Veggie Tortilla Chips (due to their neutral flavor) dipped in the Chipotle Salsa.  It’s all good.

Note: Nibbles of Tidbits loves Cost Plus World Market — Check back to learn about our future Candy Taste-Off, our picnic inspired by Cost Plus products and more.  We have a lot of great ideas, because they have so much cool stuff!

Cost Plus is so worldly.  It’s been one of my favorite stores for over 20 years.  I recently took a trip to England, Australia, Thailand, India, Italy, Japan, Sweden, China and a few other stops along the way at Cost Plus World Market.  Did you know that it’s a food lover’s paradise?  It truly is!  Many travel far and wide for the Wine deals at Cost Plus, which are impressive alone, but you’ve got to check out the large food section.  It offers hundreds of sought after treats from all around the world.  If you’re looking for something in particular and haven’t found it elsewhere, give Cost Plus a call.  If they don’t have it and there’s a demand, they may consider offering it in the future — They strive to satisfy their customer’s needs.

Since there is so much FOOD to try and report about at Cost Plus, Nibbles of Tidbits will be posting a series of articles highlighting many of them.  We’ll be calling it our Cost Plus World Series.  For starters, we are planning a Chip Taste-Off, whereas we’ll be sampling several of the numerous bags of Chips available.  After that, we’ll be going on a Gourmet Picnic bringing only Cost Plus goodies (it can easily be done), and then we’ll be touring several regions for dinner, etc.  The possibilities are literally endless.

Note:  The first honorable mention goes to Nyakers Gingersnap Cookies from Sweden (above).  They’re Sweden’s Best Cookie and Cost Plus built a facility to have them made especially for you.  They are phenomenally crispy, thin and tasty.  We’re hooked.  Be sure to follow our Cost Plus World Series to learn a lot more.

The 40th Anniversary of Earth Day is this Thursday, April 22, 2010.  We thought we’d pick up trash while walking along the Upper Newport Bay Nature Preserve.  Fortunately there isn’t too much, but why not pick it up on the way?!  Bring a bag.  And since this is a Food Blog, why not bring a picnic and sneak in some wine 😉 .

The Crab Cooker is an oldie, but goodie in Newport Beach.  It’s been open since 1951 and still draws a crowd each day.  The prices are relatively reasonable for a beach area restaurant and the food is consistently fresh.  Most of my recent trips have been to its Fish Market.  Since the restaurant is within walking distance to the beach, we often get the Smoked Albacore to go.  With a little Cocktail Sauce and Tartar Sauce for dipping, you’re set for a beach picnic if you can successfully avoid the pesty seagulls.

The Crab Cooker’s Smoked Salmon and King Crab Legs (pictured above) and their Manhattan Clam Chowder, Scallops on a Skewer and Romano Cheese Potatoes are also favorites of ours.  People travel miles to have the Romano Potatoes, but if you’re looking for New England Clam Chowder you won’t find it here, as they only serve Manhattan, which is different because most seafood restaurants only offer New England.

On this beautiful day in January, we enjoyed our Smoked Albacore on the beach while watching the brave surfers and boogie boarders — The water is still way too cold for me, even with a wetsuit, but it’s entertaining (and warmer) to watch.

Can you tell what’s in the photo below?  It’s our magnified sliced Smoked Albacore with Tartar Sauce and Lemon to go.

FYI:  There’s a second Crab Cooker in Tustin, California.  For location information, the menu and more restaurant history, click here.  Eat lots of fish!

It’s not always easy to have a picnic on the beach — One careless move and the Seagulls are in.  They’ll initially send in one or two to assess the food situation, so you gotta eat on the down low.  DON’T even think about feeding them.  They’ll immediately summons the rest of the gang and it’s all over.  I learned that lesson a long time ago.

However, this time I learned if you drop food, the same thing happens.  I would have guessed that, but today I accidentally dropped a Tortilla Chip and was forced to flee the scene.  Those darn Seagulls can be so rude. 🙂

Newport Beach in November — It’s one of the nice things about California.  The weather is right for a picnic, but the birds are wrong.  It’s like “MINE, MINE, MINE…” from Finding Nemo.  That movie nailed them, HA. 

I attempted to have a Crispy Grilled Chicken Taco from Las Fajitas Mexican Grill nearby.  I think it was good, but unfortunately I had to forfeit much of it.  I did notice that the Salsa was really good and the service was friendly, and it was a beautiful day after the morning rain.

Related Links:

http://lasfajitasrestaurant.com/

http://lasfajitasrestaurant.com/LasFajitas_ToGoMenu_pages.pdf

http://www.visitnewportbeach.com/

http://www.city.newport-beach.ca.us/

I came across the Peaches and Cream Pops recipe and fell in love with the picture.  It looked and sounded great.  I just had to make them immediately. 

Since I didn’t have actual Popsicle molds, I made mine in small plastic wine glasses generally reserved for a good picnic.  They worked well for this too.  I also used Yellow and White Peaches in mine, and added a little Honey, which is optional in the recipe.

My final picture isn’t as pretty as the one in the original recipe, but they tasted great.  I now want Popsicle molds and I’m inspired to make a multitude of flavors.  I currently have a fresh cut Pineapple on hand.   Hhmmmm, maybe that’s the next flavor.

Here’s the RECIPE and better final picture:

http://eatcaliforniafruit.com/recipes/recipe_Detail.asp?rID=130