Nibbles of Tidbits, a Food Blog

I’d never been much of a Donut person, until I had a warm one when Krispy Cream passed through a few California towns.  I fell in love while driving to the office with a dozen warm Original Glazed Donuts in my car.  I couldn’t wait, had to have one (eating while driving), then two, and dare I say three?  I did, until I tossed half out the window for the birds — It became one half Donut way too many, but LOVE ’em when they’re “HOT Now.”

Inspired by warm Donuts, the Sugar Donut Muffin photos by Cinnamon Spice & Everything Nice, and the ease of baking versus frying compelled me to make them immediately.

These photos aren’t doing the Sugar Donut Muffins justice, but we truly enjoyed them right out of the oven, rolled in lots and lots of Sugar.  They seemed a little cakey and dry the next day, although still a recipe worth keeping.  It’s linked above.

The “Sugar” Donut Muffins were rolled in 3 choices of Sugar, granulated Sugar, Cinnamon & Sugar and Powdered Sugar.  The Cinnamon & Sugar was the favorite. 🙂

Muffins packed TO GO!

As Orange County Food Examiner, I just posted details and links regarding Orange County Restaurant Week, which starts (again) this Sunday, September 26th.  It’s always the best time to dine out in the OC.  You get more food for less money.

* The pictured Sizzlin Blue Crab Cakes are from Ruth’s Chris Steak House, an Orange County Restaurant Week participant.

Ready, Set, Blog!  It’s time for the first of (10) Challenges developed by Foodbuzz for Project Food Blog, a friendly contest amongst hundreds of talented Featured Publishers to determine the Next Project Food Blog Star.  What an honor that would be!  Oh, $10,000 is the PRIZE too.  Hello.  In Challenge #1 contestants will be put in a colander to see if they make it through to become (1) of (400) selected from (1,850+).  Each challenge eliminates more, until I’m left.  Here the judges want to know WHY I have what it takes to be “the one” and WHAT makes Nibbles of Tidbits unique and sets it apart from other food blog brands.  Good questions.  I hope to answer them clearly here in words and photos.

More about me and WHY I have what it takes to be the Next Food Blog Star*.

Although pictured in my Contestant Profile with my Rocky Mountain Orange Cream Pie at the Fair, I’d opt for Foie Gras in a minute.  And after reserving a slice of the Pie for later, I’d want to smash it in a friend’s face for a laugh, fully deserving retaliation.  If you dish it out, you’ve got to eat it.  Overall, I’m sweet, savory and spicy, and rarely make the same dish twice.  I’ve cooked my way through various classics — Lobster Thermidor, Beef Wellington, Coq au Vin and countless others.  And I’ve explored foods from a number of cultures — Thai, Indian, Greek, etc.  I love to experiment and keen on purchasing ingredients I’ve never tasted and/or used before.  It’s almost as fun as Christmas to determine what to make with them.  Experimentation is how I discovered Parsnips (White Carrots) so long ago and I still can’t believe most I ask haven’t tried them.  I want to taste almost everything.  Too many Americans are missing out by not sampling different things.

More reasons WHY… I’ve been lucky enough to win several ribbons in the Orange County Fair’s Culinary Arts Competitions.  I also won a contest sponsored by Milk, whereas my recipe (Fennel-Cannellini Soup) and photo appeared in Gourmet and Bon Appétit Magazines sporting a Milk Moustache.  I won the Grand Prize in the Soup category.  And another recipe creation (Angel Cake Soufflé) was endorsed by Better Homes and Gardens Test Kitchen.  Family and friends call me with their food related questions and I love answering them.

Equal to my passion for cooking, I’d opt to eat out day and night until tiring of it.  I haven’t yet tired, but my wallet does.  The restaurant options are limitless.  Dining out is instant gratification, as it provides diverse food quickly, without having to do the dishes.  One of the finest meals out caused me to melt down my chair in excitement with every bite — I was under the table by the end of the meal.  Maybe it was the Wine.

Utilizing all I’ve learned with a fine palate, I like to uncover (by taste) what’s in a memorable restaurant dish to possibly re-create it at home.  I’ve been successful with a few favorites — One example is linked and others can be found in the ‘Copycat Recipes‘ category.  And finally with respect to WHY I have what it takes, I write as the Orange County Food Examiner on Examiner.com and for others as needed by way of I Need Text Co.  I tell people that starting my blog is one of the best things I’ve done, since I walk and talk FOOD all day long anyway.  It’s truly meant to be that I’m here right now.  Cheers.

* I’m not sure about the “Star” part of the title — I’m most interested in the “Project Food Blog” part, because I love FOOD (the true Star), eating, photography, blogging**, cooking, writing and a good old-fashioned competition.

** Are there better words than blog, blogger and blogging?  The terms are just so… not cool sounding.  I guess it’s too late now.

WHAT makes my blog (Nibbles of Tidbits) unique?  And what sets it apart from other food blog brands?

Nibbles of Tidbits is about the GOOD, the BAD & the FUNNY regarding FOOD — From Yikes to Ooo La La, as the heading states.  Having cooked like a maniac for twenty plus years, I’ve learned that some dishes turn out great and others turn out like crap.  And some published recipes and flavor combinations work and others are just plain wrong.  I report about it all.  Since I’ve fine-tuned my cooking skills over time, most meals turn out GOOD, and I’ve come to realize that the BAD can also be FUNNY.  Photos posted for this first challenge represent the good, bad and funny (GBF) regarding food and drinks.

Nibbles of Tidbits is FOOD without limitations — Thank God since I want to experience all aspects of it, especially that from the earth, food events, restaurants, product testing and comparison, easy recipe creation, unique ingredients, copycat recipe development, cooking shortcuts, special finds and all things interesting.  I sometimes find pleasure in fast food and frozen meals, but feel most excellent at a gourmet (non-stuffy) dining establishment with a glass of Wine in hand.  All is reported about with helpful and entertaining insight.

I’m a snob for freshness, quality and value and want to get what I pay for.  Don’t gouge me with inferiority and all should be good — I prefer not to write bad things, but truth is king.  With a few exceptions, I’ve posted daily for almost 2 1/2 years and challenges include… Taking photos before digging in, measuring ingredients before adding them to creations, and presentation (mine looks too elementary school sometimes).  Nibbles of Tidbits is unique for the reasons mentioned herein and we’re (I’m) excited to encounter more, eat well and laugh along the way.

See my Project Food Blog Contestant Profile linked below — MAKE ME YOUR BABY.  I’ll make you proud! 🙂

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.

During Bertolli’s Taste & Tweet, we tried the Lemon Herb Shrimp & Penne.  We were impressed with the consistency and Lemony flavor of the Sauce and its ease of preparation.  All is happening right now — See link above for more details or click here for instant access.

* We paired our meal with Gnarly Head Pinot Grigio.  It went well with this Bertolli meal and will be reported about separately.

It’s reported that Coca-Cola’s new aluminum bottle design keeps Coke 15% colder (longer) than a standard shaped can — I’m certainly a fan of that.  Nibbles of Tidbits previously ran a contest and the prize was a case (24) of them.  And since that time, I’ve learned they’re quite the hot commodity.  You’ll never see them in a boring grocery store — They’re way too cool!

We attended a Coca-Cola Tasting Event at Hotel Erwin in Venice Beach, steps away from the sand.  It was on their High Rooftop Lounge, that’s broken down into stylish pod groupings overlooking the ocean and city.  We missed the sunset, but the city lights were beautiful too.

At this tasting event, 3 cocktails were made with Coca-Cola Classic®, Coke Zero™ and Diet Coke®, each mixed with a different liquor and served in its respective aluminum bottle.  As common in parts of Europe, drinks are made and served in the same can or bottle.  The bartender at this par-tay mixed the drinks over ice, then funneled them back into the bottles before serving ’em with a straw.  They were strong, but good — We liked the Lemon Chilled the best.

The appetizers were good too — There’s a fabulous Chef at the Hotel Erwin.  My favorite was the Mini Corn Dog on a Stick.  The batter was light and corny-crunchy, and they were served with a Coca-Cola Ketchup Sauce.  All went together well.

It was fun to meet other bloggers, like Peachhead, Coastal California, The Girl Blogger and their guests.  My Interior Designer guest requested a tour of a couple suites, which added to our overall cool experience — Down to the fun robes in the rooms.

One takes the elevator all the way up, then walks a scenic platform to the High Rooftop Lounge.  This evening we enjoyed appetizers and Coca-Cola’s hottest coldest drinks.  The bottle design is nostalgic and the drinks were served extra cold — Hope you stumble upon them at a hip place soon.

Sadly, I’m unable to attend the First Annual Blogger Festival that starts today — I had hoped to meet hundreds of foodies in San Francisco this weekend, but instead my diet has been (and will be) consisting of Cough Drops, Mucinex DM, Sudafed PE, NyQuil, etc.  I’m sure none of that will be on the Foodbuzz menus.  I’m envious thinking about what everyone else will be eating.  Nibbles of Tidbits will be there in fantasy and spirit and I truly hope to meet y’all next year.  Have an amazing weekend, but not too amazing. 🙁

To become a “Bertolli Influencer” at the Foodbuzz Blogger Festival, it was required that applicants submit a MENU using Bertolli products — One Appetizer and One Entree.  Bertolli and Foodbuzz have teamed to offer a brand scholarship program to provide (10) Featured Publishers with free airfare and transportation to/from the festival, and accommodations for (2) nights in the heart of San Francisco.  Please pick me. 🙂

Pictured HERE is the 2nd Course of my Bertolli Tasting Menu.  As an entry, I proposed the following:

1st Course (Appetizer): Melt in your Mouth Meatballs with Bertolli’s Fire Roasted Tomato and Cabernet Sauvignon Sauce w/ a Garlic and Extra Virgin Olive Oil Crostini.

2nd Course (Entree): Roasted Asparagus and Red Peppers tossed with Penne Pasta and Bertolli’s Garlic Alfredo Sauce with Aged Parmesan Cheese and Pine Nuts.

Although I propose the use of Bertolli’s “Garlic” Alfredo Sauce, the original was substituted here, since the other wasn’t available at the store I shopped. Instead I roasted a bulb of Garlic in the oven and mixed in a few cloves.  All was a flavorful combination.  The (10) winners should be announced tomorrow, then Foodbuzz readers will vote for the top (3) menus to possibly be prepared at the festival — My fingers are crossed.

UPDATE 10/22/09:  Unfortunately I didn’t win this one, but you can review the winning menus here.  Thanks for the opportunity Foodbuzz and Bertolli.

If you’re an official food, wine or spirits blogger, there are a limited amount of tickets still available for the 1st Annual Foodbuzz Blogger Festival.  The 3 day schedule of events is a food lover’s dream that takes place in the heart of San Francisco.  If it happens for me, I’ll report all about it.

Dare I say, I think Twitter is way over-rated, but nonetheless we’re on there as FoodBlog.  We appreciate our fair amount of followers, but you’ll get more information here than over there.  Ciao.

Twitter Link: http://twitter.com/FoodBlog

Happy Hour Week is approaching in Orange County.  It’ll take place April 12th through the 18th in 2009.  The restaurant line-up already looks great and more will be added before the kick-off.  Thanks OCFoodies.com for continually seeking to provide great food related deals for the locals! 

MORE INFO re Happy Hour Week: http://www.happyhourweek.com/

JOIN Orange County Foodies Network: http://www.ocfoodies.com/

Nick’s Pizza Ristorante Italiano is on Restaurantica – http://www.restaurantica.com/blog/Nicks-Pizza-Ristorante-Italiano/130/

Nick’s Tortellini and Chicken with Artichoke Hearts, Prosciutto and Green Peas in a Light Cream Sauce.

Related Links:

http://www.restaurantica.com/blog/

http://www.ineedtext.com/FoodBlog/?p=1240

http://www.ineedtext.com/FoodBlog/?p=1213

http://www.ineedtext.com/FoodBlog/?p=249

http://www.nickspizzapasta.com/

LAUNCH OF GLOBAL FOODBUZZ
BLOGGER COMMUNITY LEVERAGES REAL-PEOPLE,
REAL-TIME POWER OF FOOD PUBLISHING   

San Francisco – October 13, 2008:   Foodbuzz, Inc., officially inaugurates its food blogger community with more than 1,000 blog partners, a global food blogging event and an online platform that captures the real-people, real-time power of food publishing in every corner of the world.  At launch, the Foodbuzz community ranks as one of the top-10 Internet destinations for food and dining (Quantcast), with bloggers based in 45 countries and 863 cities serving up daily food content.  

“Food bloggers are at the forefront of reality publishing and the dramatic growth of new media has redefined how food enthusiasts access tasty content,” said Doug Collister, Executive Vice President of Foodbuzz, Inc.  “Food bloggers are the new breed of local food experts and at any minute of the day, Foodbuzz is there to help capture the immediacy of their hands-on experiences, be it a memorable restaurant meal, a trip to the farmers market, or a special home-cooked meal.”    

Foodbuzz is the only online community with content created exclusively by food bloggers and rated by foodies. The site offers more than 20,000 pieces of new food and dining content weekly, including recipes, photos, blog posts, videos and restaurant reviews.   Members decide the “tastiness” of each piece of content by voting and “buzz” the most popular posts to the top of the daily menu of submissions.  Foodbuzz currently logs over 13 million monthly page views and over three million monthly unique visitors.      

“Our goal is to be the number-one online source of quality food and dining content by promoting the talent, enthusiasm and knowledge of food bloggers around the globe,” said Ben Dehan, founder and CEO of Foodbuzz, Inc.  

The Foodbuzz blogger community is growing at a rate of 40 percent per month driven by strong growth in existing partner blogs and the addition of over 100 new blogs per month.   “The Foodbuzz.com Web site is like the stock of a great soup.  The Web site provides the base or backbone for bloggers to interact as a community, contribute content, and have that content buzzed by their peers,” said Mr. Dehan.

Related Link:

http://www.foodbuzz.com/

 Foodbuzz just kicked off its 24 Meals, 24 Hours, 24 Blogs promotion.  They picked 24 Blogs from around the world to participate by posting a Meal within the same 24 Hours.  I entered, but you’ll see that the competition was stiff — Hopefully my idea will get picked next time.  Until then, here’s a link to the 24 excellent posts.  All did an amazing job – http://www.foodbuzz.com/24.

As a Featured Publisher, I received this Apron and Spatula in the mail today.  Thanks Foodbuzz!  I’ll take a picture using them someday. 🙂

It’s a Social Network for Foodies.  You should check it out and join.  Here’s an easy link to take a peek. 

http://mustlovefood.com/home.php 

Food and Beverage News and related information can be accessed at the domain below.  See this post about me. 🙂

http://food-and-beverage.net/2008/07/31/nibbles-of-juicy-looking-tidbits/