Nibbles of Tidbits, a Food Blog

It’s going to be a tough decision for the judges and I’m thrilled to be in the mix — Can’t believe I now have a (6/1) chance of winning a Trip for 4 to New Zealand.  That’s incredible!  And tomorrow is the last day to enter the Kiwi A-Go-Go Bloggers’ Contest to be selected as Ms. or Mr. October, if you will.  Each month from May through October, Zespri picks a Semi-finalist.  The links will tell more.  The winning entry will then be selected by a triad of prominent Kiwi specialists… Karen Brux, Zespri’s US General Manager, a representative of Air New Zealand, and Peter Ombler, a Kiwifruit grower from the Bay Of Plenty.  The winner will be announced on November 15th. 

Good luck to all Semi-finalists — May,  June,  July (Me),  August,  September and October.  If you’re not a Blogger, you may enter here to win your own New Zealand vacation.  And you’ll find more Kiwi recipes here.  Play The Kiwi Game often!

11/08/10 Update:  The Blogger Contest is now closed and October’s winner is linked above.

11/15/10 Update:  Congratulations goes to Baking Barrister for winning the Trip for 4 to New Zealand.  We were close, but no Kiwi for Nibbles of Tidbits.

Have you tried Tonnino’s Tuna?  I just did and now I’m hooked.  But for the challenge Tonnino’s is currently hosting, I would’ve never tried their Tuna — Mostly because I’ve never been fond of canned Tuna, Tuna Salad, Tuna Casseroles and alike, nor a fan of unfamiliar jarred products.  After learning about Tonnino’s exceptional quality and the care that goes into their Tuna (and the $5,000 prize), I became interested.  And since they’re in search of video recipes and we’re wanting to experiment, all came together in one great recipe — Calypso Tuna Cakes.  I made our recipe/video entry with the pictured Tuna and the taste was delicious. 

Because the recipe is currently involved in a competition, we’ll post it here later or soon link to it elsewhere.  The instructional video is posted on Tonnino’s site — View at your own risk.  I look goofy, but the Calypso Tuna Cakes are guaranteed awesome.  It’s a winner in flavor.  The Tonnino Tuna Chef Challenge ends October 1st.  Enter here now or wish us luck!

Just peeled my first Lychee fruit — They’re super easy to peel, but the fruit sure sticks to the seed (pit) pretty tightly, and the seed sometimes colors the fruit around it with a brown tint.  No wonder why I rarely see a pristine white, plump, seeded Lychee, at least where I’ve been.  It’s necessary to expose myself to certain things.  For total immersion I’ll book a trip to South China, where they are considered a symbol of romance and love. 🙂

I recently saw a Dolphin Banana on a party fruit platter and was compelled to make the same out of this morning’s Banana and a Spinach Leaf.  It’s not bad for a first attempt, but I think its nose is a (little) too short — Either way it made for an entertaining breakfast.  Try it.

It’s time to submit a video to become the next Chef Ambassador in The Tonnino Tuna Chef Challange.  Tonnino, known for its high quality, hand filleted/packed Tuna is looking for the Next Tonnino Chef.  In addition to the title, the PRIZE is $5,000 towards the advancement of culinary education and a one-year supply of Tonnino Tuna.  I created an amazing recipe and now workin’ on a video (yikes) for a chance to win dinero towards future dinner-O’s.  I hope to fund my varied culinary education through classes, books, events, and all things food related to report on Nibbles of Tidbits — And I’d surely come up with a lot more Tuna recipes.

* The above photo doesn’t do the flavor of our entry/recipe justice — We’ll post more about [it] once our video is submitted.  Good luck all!

We recently wandered into Zinc Cafe & Market in Corona Del Mar a half hour before closing time and happily learned that their Market Salads are 1/2 price during that time, the last half hour before closing.  It was great timing for us, thus we went crazy and got eight of them, five are pictured here and all are always good.  They offer a shady outdoor patio too, but we enjoyed our Salads on the beach (away from the seagulls) and for lunch the next day.  What a deal — It’s the best time to go there.

We didn’t capture the official name of each Salad, since we ate them so fast — Many are seasonal anyway, so you’ll just have to see what’s available and check out their website to see what’s possible.  They offer a lot and will tell you more than we can.

The beach is walking distance from Zinc Cafe & Market in Corona Del Mar.  If I could own a home anywhere around here, it would be in Corona Del Mar, near many restaurants and the amazing beauty pictured below.

The photo certainly doesn’t do this easy Roasted Corn Salad combination any justice (sorry about that).  The recipe is simply a mixture of Roasted Corn (cut off the cob), Sun Dried Tomatoes, Avocado, Green Onions and Sea Salt — That’s it.  No Oil and no Vinegar, but it works.  I was sceptical at first, but this is a tasty Salad that doesn’t seem to lack moisture.

I’m so excited to learn that I’m an Official Semi-Finalist in the Zespri Kiwifruit Kiwi A-Go-Go Bloggers’ Contest — Thanks Zespri!  If you have a Food Blog and wish to enter, the contest is still open.  If you don’t have a blog, you may still enter here to possibly win (4) tickets to New Zealand from Zespri.  And if you’re curious about my contest entry, it’s linked here.  We submitted a fun video and tasty recipe to hopefully be on our way to Kiwi-land, New Zealand to meet the Zespri folks, etc.  Have you tried the golden Kiwifruit yet?  We just did for the first time.  It’s pictured below and looks almost identical to the green Kiwifruit, but seems more mellow in flavor and perhaps less tart.  It’s thrilling to see the golden Kiwifruit in person, since its color is so beautiful, but we’ll most likely opt for the green Kiwifruit to eat.

Link to ‘The Kiwi Game’ on YouTube — Hope to see ya in New Zealand!

Why did we feel guilty eating these Carrots?  It’s probably because they seemed to be in love.  We got ’em during our tour of Tanaka Farms.  Carrots are one of the amazing clues left by God — Read more about that here.

Have you been to Tanaka Farms yet?  If you haven’t, you’re missing out.  It’s in Irvine and is also known as Orange County’s Largest U-Pick Farm.  During certain tours you get to pick your own Strawberries, Watermelon and much more.  We recently went on the Strawberry Tour, which was more fun than we imagined.

At the end of the Strawberry Tour, you get to pick and take home your own large basket of Strawberries, which happens after you eat as many as you can stuff down.  We all said they were the best Strawberries we had in our lives.  Not sure why, but they’re amazingly sweet.  The tour lasts about an hour. 

While on the tractor ride that’s included with the Strawberry Tour, you get to try a few of the seasonal vegetables along the way.  After sampling all, you feel like you’ve just had a healthy meal.  We joked that we should bring Salt, Pepper and Ranch Dressing next time — And we seriously might.

In addition to the endless Strawberries, we ate Radishes, Carrots, Sugar Snap Peas, Green Beans, Iceberg and Red Leaf Lettuce directly from the field.  What a treat!  And when you’re done eating, you just toss the remains (aka Carrot and Radish tops, Strawberry leaves, etc.) over your shoulder off the tractor.

Weekend Strawberry Tours are running now through June 27th (weather permitting) and the Watermelon Tours begin in early July.  Tanaka Farms also offers Cookout Tours, whereas you get to pick, wash and cook your own meal directly from and at the farm.  The view from the cookout area is beautiful.

We still keep talking about how much fun this was and that we now look forward to enjoying Tanaka Farms all year long.  They have a fresh produce stand that’s open daily. 

Family run Tanaka Farms is organized, friendly, fun, clean and pesticide free.  They do a lot of creative planting to put forth the best produce possible.  We’re impressed with ALL.

My Brother-in-Law just told me a funny story.  One of his co-workers learned that purchasing a maximum of (5) Green Beans at one time doesn’t weigh anything, thus he’s usually not charged for them at the checkout stand.  After fine tuning his discovery, he went to the supermarket daily for a week, until he had enough Green Beans to make a meal.  Can you believe it?  It’s true.  And he’s not poor either — He owns two houses and has a great job.  I’m still laughing about this.  In some ways it’s moderately inspiring (haha), but I certainly wouldn’t want to go to the supermarket every day.  Hope he doesn’t stumble upon this blog or my Brother-in-Law is in trouble. 🙂

Note: Photo is of Fava Beans, which are generally more expensive than Green Beans.

As a Tastemaker for Foodbuzz, we got to try the newest SoyJoy Baked Whole Soy & Fruit Bar.  It’s Blueberry, one of our favorite flavors — Good start.  And we generally appreciate a tasty and healthy breakfast bar.  It was our first time (4 of us) trying a SoyJoy product.  Unwrapped we all like how they look — Baked, fruity, easy to eat and toasted.  After that we dueled over their taste.  Two liked their flavor and texture and the other two found them a little too dense to finish and more bland than anticipated.  Overall, no one here considers them bad, one might buy them, and Holly the Dog was hoping to catch a bite.  Thanks SoyJoy and Foodbuzz.  It’s always fun to try new high quality products.

* Bars have 0 Grams Trans Fat, No Hydrogenated Oils, 140 Calories, B Vitamins, etc.  Go to SoyJoy for the rest.

Nibbles of Tidbits was recently invited by the California Avocado Commission to attend a gourmet, interactive lunch and cooking demonstration with chef partners Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger of the Too Hot Tamales.  Since I was unable to attend, but didn’t want to miss it, Nibbles of T sent its resident Guest Blogger, Bonnie of Bonnie Joy Designs.  She always provides an interesting angle to a story and was excited to receive a personally signed copy of Cooking With Too Hot Tamales (below). 

Ahhhh – Those Avocados were Awesome!

Avocado advocates Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger (a.k.a. The Too Hot Tamales) along with the California Avocado Commission hosted a rousing, festive Food Blogger-only event ahead of Cinco de Mayo at their downtown L.A. restaurant, Ciudad, last Saturday. The afternoon began with a surprise. Actually, it was the “interactive” portion of the show, which turned out to be a “Top Chef” style competition featuring the Food Bloggers themselves as the chefs along with California Avocados, and a very long table full of potential accoutrements.

The Food Bloggers were given only seconds to pair up (I assume none of the Bloggers had ever met one another before, which made what came next even more amazing), then they were given just 3 minutes to flesh out (pardon the pun) their best recipe for guacamole. Then they got a mere 5 minutes (yes, there was a timer!) to execute their dish and 2 more minutes to give it a definitive name. I can report that the Food Bloggers took this competition very seriously, even if it was all in fun.

And I don’t think I need to tell you who the judges were… But what I can tell you is that even they were impressed at how well all 10 recipes turned out. Bravo! (Sorry Susan, that’s actually not a plug for the network you are on as one of the final “Top Chef Masters” on May 5th…or… maybe it is). I think I got to sample all ten dishes, and they really were all tasty and creative, so everyone was a winner.

The next hour featured the Too Hot Tamales doing what they do best – whipping up a four course meal with each one featuring avocados as the core ingredient. If you want to see poetry in motion, then you need to experience Susan and her long-time business partner Mary Sue as they whirled and twirled their way through a menu that included a Crispy Avocado Taco, an incredible salad with fried (yes, fried) capers, Chicken and Avocado Chilaquiles and for dessert, Avocado and Mango Slices with a Creamy Yogurt Dressing. They even managed to blend an Avocado and Orange “Liquado” to drink. Needless to say, each dish was a masterpiece.

Ciudad Executive Chef Jeremy Tummel and Jan DeLyser from the California Avocado Commission also joined in the fun that happened at this invitation only event. If you came away from this afternoon hungry, then you did not attend the same event that I did. The attention to detail was impeccable – from the beginning Margarita to the personalized cookbooks at the end – and was well appreciated by the interior designer in me.

I now have a fresh appreciation for a fruit that is locally grown and nutritionally packed. So be sure to add Avocados to your daily diet, and not just on special occasions or on Cinco de Mayo!

Thanks Bonnie.  I love Avocados too and my parents eat ’em almost daily.  It looks like I missed a pretty cool event, but I’m happy to have the exciting report and photos.

Note:  Bonnie bought a new camera for this event — As I write this, it’s in the process of being returned.  We like what was captured, but weren’t happy with the graininess of the photos.  What’s posted here is the best of the worst.  Click on the Blogger links above to view better photos.

As Orange County Food Examiner, I just posted a collection of links to most (if not all) the Farmers’ Markets happening in Orange County.  It’s a terrific resource — You can learn where they all are here.

We’ll soon be posting about Orange County Farmers’ Markets on Examiner.com.  This weekend we started with a visit to the Corona Del Mar Farmers’ Market.  Our visit was also inspired by the new Cookbook we’re trying, Southern Living’s Farmers Market Cookbook.

Right now the Corona Del Mar Certified Farmers’ Market has a lot of beautiful flowers — You can surely tell it’s Spring.  It’s one of the smaller Farmers’ Markets in Orange County, but offers plenty of variety.  We post a sampling here and will later publish a slide show on Examiner.

The Corona Del Mar Farmers’ Market is at PCH and Marguerite, near the pictured clock tower.

We’re already liking this Cookbook and haven’t made a recipe yet.  We’ll be heading to one of our local Framers’ Markets soon — It’s in Corona Del Mar at PCH/Marguerite and will be reported about on Examiner.com. 

We look forward to sampling several recipes from this Southern Living Cookbook and will report about all here.  We’ve got to see what looks best at the local Farmers’ Market and take it from there.  Until then, we think these Lime Ice Cubes (above) are worth mentioning.  They’re so simple to make and memorable at a party, brunch, BBQ or just for fun.  Kids like ’em too.

* Nibbles of Tidbits is happy to be trying this Cookbook — Check back for future reports.

Still hooked on Grilled Romaine Salad and busy working on a lot of exciting projects — Stay tuned and full.  Click here and above for the how to’s and more.

If you can’t BBQ, grill or poach Salmon, this cooking method works well too – The above Salmon was marinated in a Chimichurri Sauce, then cooked at 350° for 15 – 20 minutes on a rack that’s placed on a foil lined cookie sheet.  Any rack will do.  There’s very little clean up and the gross white stuff (fat) that tends to collect around cooking fish is minimized.

TIP:  Save the rack from an old toaster oven before discarding it — It’ll come in handy for various cooking purposes, like this.

You can probably skip this Cookbook — It’s Williams-Sonoma New Healthy Kitchen: Starters (2006).  I’ve finally gotten around to utilizing it.  The colorful recipe photos are beautiful and offer so much promise, but when gettin’ down to wanting to make any of them, the pickings are slim.  Some recipes are impractical, others don’t even sound good, and ingredients should be altered in the pictured recipe I made.  It’s the Purple Bell Pepper & Goat Cheese Terrine (p. 33) substituting Red Bell Pepper, since Purple Bell Peppers are hard to come by.  Other than that, I followed the exact recipe and thought my unveiled terrine to be too runny and salty.  If you still want to make this recipe after this report, it’s recommended that you use half the Salt and Milk that’s listed, and possibly replace the Shallot with chopped Green Onion or Chives.

* I also have Williams-Sonoma New Healthy Kitchen: Desserts and will post what we ultimately make from it.  I hope it’s better than this Starter.  If you cannot view the enlarged recipe well enough to prepare a better version of it, tell us in a comment.

Special K just added a couple new products to their repertoire.  Over the years I’ve enjoyed many boxes of Special K’s Original Cereal, thus opted-in to try their latest products as a Tastemaker for Foodbuzz.  This day four of us gathered together to sample Special K’s Fruit Crisps and Low-Fat Granola.  We reached a consensus regarding one of Special K’s new products and were divided with respect to the other — Our assessment is noted below.

Immediately we ALL fell in love with the Blueberry Fruit Crisps.  They are indeed crispy, light and slightly sweet as reported.  Each pouch of (2) is only 100 calories, which makes for a great health conscious snack.  We’d all buy them next time.  They also come in Strawberry.  And with respect to the Low-Fat Granola we were divided — Two think it’s terrific, one is on the fence and another didn’t care for its after-taste.  Personally I’m a bigger fan of their Original, Cinnamon Pecan, Blueberry and Red Berries Cereals.  Overall, Special K makes a lot of tasty products and we appreciate the opportunity to try their latest.

I haven’t verified the following, but found it very interesting.  It was forwarded to me by a friend, and since it’s food related it qualifies to be shared here.  I’ll be buying some Bananas tomorrow.  Read on to learn about the benefits of the Banana…

A Physiological Psychology Professor at CCNY told his class about Bananas — He said the expression “Going Bananas” is from the effects of Bananas on the brain.  After reading this, you’ll never look at a Banana in the same way. 

Bananas contain three natural sugars – sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber.  A Banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy.  Research has proven that just two Bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout.  No wonder the Banana is the number one fruit with the world’s leading athletes.

But energy isn’t the only way a Banana can help keep fit.  It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to a daily diet.

Depression:  According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a Banana.  This is because Bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier. 

PMS:  Forget the pills – Eat a Banana.  The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.

Anemia:  High in iron, Bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and thus helps in cases of anemia. 

Blood Pressure:  This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it perfect to beat blood pressure.  So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the Banana industry to make official claims for the fruit’s ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.

Brain Power:  200 students at a Twickenham Middlesex School in England were helped through their exams this year by eating Bananas at breakfast, during breaks and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power.  Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.

Constipation:  High in fiber, including Bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.

Hangovers:  One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a Banana milkshake sweetened with honey.  The Banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.

Heartburn:  Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a Banana for soothing relief.

Morning Sickness:  Snacking on Bananas between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness.

Mosquito Bites:  Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a Banana skin.  Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.

Nerves:  Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system.

Ulcers:  The Banana is used as a dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness.  It’s the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases.  It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.

Temperature Control:  Many other cultures see Bananas as a “cooling” fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers.  In Thailand, for example, pregnant women eat Bananas to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD):  Bananas can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer tryptophan.

Smoking & Tobacco Use:  Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking.  The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.

Stress:  Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body’s water balance.  When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels.  They can be rebalanced with the help of a high-potassium Banana snack.

Strokes:  According to research in The New England Journal of Medicine, eating Bananas as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%.

Warts:  Those keen on natural alternatives swear that if you want to kill off a wart, take a piece of Banana skin and place it on the wart, with the yellow side out.  Carefully hold the skin in place with a surgical tape.

A Banana is truly a natural remedy for many ills.  When you compare it to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrate, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals.  It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around, so maybe it’s time to change that well-known phrase so that we say, “A Banana a day keeps the doctor away.”

And finally, need a quick shine on our shoes?  Take the inside of the Banana skin and rub it directly on the shoe… Polish with a dry cloth and voila.  It’s an amazing fruit!  Bananas must be the reason monkeys are so happy all the time.

Inspired by the coverage of the Foodbuzz Blogger Festival, I made Roasted Brussels Sprouts.  At the Outstanding in the Field style dinner held at the Greenleaf Warehouse in San Francisco, it seems like everyone loved the Brussels Sprouts.  They looked terrific on the various event recap posts, which made me want to make ’em. 

The recipe of the actual dish served at the festival is here, but I made something else.  These Brussels Sprouts have a nice roasted char, but different ingredients.  I tossed this bunch of hot water washed, halved Brussels Sprouts with Olive Oil, White Balsamic Vinegar and Salt & Pepper — That’s it.  Just roast all in a 425° oven for about 25 minutes.  Stir occasionally and add more Olive Oil and Vinegar as necessary or to taste.  They turn out sweet and caramelized.

I can’t say these Brussels Sprouts are as good as those served at the Foodbuzz dinner, since I sadly wasn’t there, but they’re darn good and easy to make with what’s on hand.  I’ll surely make them again — Super easy and tasty is my favorite combination.

So far, Diho Siam has the best Wor Wonton Soup in Costa Mesa.  The broth is amazing!  Due to the weather and being under the weather, I’ve had a lot of Soup lately.  This is the second day in a row I’ve had the Wor Wonton Soup Bowl from Diho Siam — (949) 645-3259.  Too bad I didn’t photograph it yesterday, the Broth was crystal clear like the best Consomme ever seen, and the Shrimp was on top.  It would’ve made for a better photo.  Consistently both, and all previous bowls, were flavorful, convenient and satisfying.  If local and under the weather too, you’ve got to try it.  And if searching for other cold comforts read here or to view more Diho Siam meals click here.