Nibbles of Tidbits, a Food Blog

Here’s another installment of Kids in the Kitchen.  It’s Maple Pork Chops with Apples made by Chef Lexi.  She’s 9 and pretty much prepared the entire dish with little assistance from her Mom.  They said it tasted okay, but they did make a couple substitutions due to lack of ingredients.  Perhaps if the recipe is made as written it would taste better.  It certainly looks good.

The recipe is from one of the best Kid’s Cookbooks, Family Fun Cooking With Kids.  I’ve previously posted about it and will continue to do so, since it has so many great recipes.  Lexi plans to cook many of them.  It’s a great learning experience and she has so much fun with it.  Information about the Cookbook is found in the related link.  Great job Lexi!

Related Link:

http://www.ineedtext.com/FoodBlog/?cat=754

Maggianos in Costa Mesa just recently expanded their bar area.  It’s a much needed expansion, since the bar and waiting area was way too small for the volume.  They took over the Corner Bakery and it’s now all Maggianos.  I thought I was going to be walking in through the Corner Bakery as usual and was pleasantly surprised to see that it’s more of Maggianos.  There’s now plenty of room to spread out and meet friends for a drink in the bar.

This night we had Mom’s Lasagna and Veal and Mushroom Ravioli al Forno.  All was fabulous as usual.  Abbondanza!

Related Link:

http://www.maggianos.com/

It’s been open for twenty years, but we just recently stopped in for the first time.  A friend called to get together — Her criteria was that she wanted to go to a place where she can eat, drink and smoke on an outdoor patio.  I told her there’s not too many places left for all that, but then called The Harp Inn to learn they’re still one of them.  She got what she wanted. 

And the food wasn’t bad either.  The Salads were fresh, the Jalapeno Poppers were served with Celery and Carrots (a healthy bonus), and the service was friendly.

The Harp Inn has live music most Thursdays through Sunday.  It starts at 9:30p.m., unless otherwise specified.  They also offer several television screens for sports enthusiasts.  It’s quaint and casual.  We’d go back again for the same and to perhaps catch one of the bands.

Related Link:

http://www.harpinn.com/index.html

This was more of an Eggplant experiment turned into a what’s on hand Ratatouille.  Many Eggplant recipes require that you Salt and drain the Eggplant for an hour before cooking.  Salt is supposed to pull out the bitter flavors sometimes found in Eggplants — But I don’t want to do that.  Call me impatient, plus the process makes the Eggplant seem unappealing to me afterwards, so I never do it.

Here I conducted an experiment.  I cubed an Eggplant and sautéed half in a little Olive Oil and Salt over the stove, and baked the other half with some Olive Oil and Salt in the oven.  Since Eggplant absorbs oil like a sponge, I add more as needed while trying not to add too much.

Overall, I thought the texture of the baked Eggplant was more desirable than the sautéed Eggplant.  The baked Eggplant is pictured above being added to the Sauce.  I thought the stove cooked Eggplant was a little tough and less flavorful.  None were bitter.  I enjoyed eating the baked Eggplant straight from the oven, but the other wasn’t as enjoyable.

I added both Eggplant batches to sautéed Sweet Onion, lots of minced Garlic, chopped Tomatoes and served all over Angel Hair Pasta with a little Shaved Parmesan.  I would have been satisfied if I had just baked the Eggplant, ate it from the oven and skipped everything else.

Related Links:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ratatouille

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0382932/

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20071022104958AAVGqPO

Italian Organics sent me a couple bottles of their Organic Sicilian Blood Orange Juice.  They’re based in Staten Island, New York.  I did a little work for them some time ago and have been wanting to try this juice ever since.  Thanks for sending it Alfredo.  It’s tasty.  Italian Organics (I.O.) is working on finding more suppliers across the United States.  Right now it’s available in New York, but let’s hope it’s soon shelved in a store near us.

You can drink to your health knowing that Organic Blood Oranges contain Anthocyanins, which act as powerful Antioxidants.  I.O. harvests this exceptional fruit in volcanic soil near Mt. Etna Sicily.  Not only does it taste great, but it’s rich in Potassium, Calcium, Iron, Fiber, and Vitamins A & C.

And since it’s so good for you, if you want to make a Blood Orange Martini out of it, that’s okay.  The recipe I used is linked below.  Instead of using typical Orange Juice in your Martini, shake things up with this colorful juice.  It makes a prettier presentation too.  And I added a Sugared Rim to sweeten the deal.  Yummy!

Related Links:

http://www.iojuice.com/

http://www.iojuice.com/Pages/ContactUs.htm

http://www.recipezaar.com/282479

http://sarahacconcia.wordpress.com/2008/10/14/blood-orange-juice/

The recipe and Shrimp preparation is linked below.  Unlike the Shrimp, the Chicken is covered with foil while baking, then removed to another pan to broil until browned (approx. 5 minutes) before serving. 

Here I used wings, thighs and legs, since the breasts were used for another recipe.  The Shrimp is only cooked for 20 minutes uncovered, but the Chicken was cooked at a lower temperature, 375° for 55 minutes.  Both recipes made tender, tasty meat.

I just love the flavors in this recipe — They seem to make a fabulous dish out of any meat.  Next time I’ll try it on Beef.  Keep an eye out for that report.

Related Link:

http://www.ineedtext.com/FoodBlog/?p=1146

“Crispy Taquitos” are an unlikely choice at The Cheesecake Factory, especially since there are so many great Mexican Food Restaurants around, but they make them soooo good.  We recently had ’em on the patio at Bella Terra in Huntington Beach. 

It’s our third time eating them and they’ve been consistently tasty each time.  They are made with Spicy Chicken and can be found under Appetizers on The Cheesecake Factory’s magazine-menu, if you know what I mean.  You can take a peek at the link below.

Related Links:

http://www.cheesecakefactory.com/

http://www.cheesecakefactory.com/menu.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cheesecake_Factory

I heard Carm’s Coneys on 17th Street in Costa Mesa is really good.  I hadn’t even seen it, since it’s sandwiched among many other small restaurants and businesses.  Its owner was born in Brooklyn, NY.

I stopped in tonight and tried The Original Coney said to be one of their most popular Dogs and is made with all white Veal.  You get a choice between a New England Roll or Bun.  Upon recommendation I had the New England Roll and Carm’s Award Winning Chili.  I liked it — It’s different tasting.  They say if you bite into a Dog you don’t like, they’ll give you something else.

The place is really cute and it had a lot of people inside.  Apparently I’m the only one out of the Famous NY Dog’s loop.  I found the service super friendly, helpful and happy.  I’ll go back and try a few more things.  I’ve got my eye on the Zweigle (Red or White Hot), Bratwurst, Salt Potatoes and Sweet Potato Fries.

And I’ll also try the Chili Cheese Fries, since I’m putting together a post all about Chili Cheese Fries.  Carm’s Coneys first opened in Newport Beach in 1985, closed in 1991 to pursue other interests, and is now re-open with an expanded menu in Costa Mesa.  It’s a nice little place with good food and service.

UPDATE (11/30/08):  The location is now occupied by Jimmy’s Burger Joint, which officially opened yesterday.  Jimmy is/was a partner of Carm’s and says Carm is looking for a new location to re-open.  I’m advised that the Chicago Dog is one of the things to try at Jimmy’s Burger Joint — I guess I’ll need to do that sometime.

Related Links:

http://www.carmsnyconeys.com/

http://www.hofmannsausage.com/home/

I finally tried one of Carl’s Jr.’s Six Dollar Burgers – The Guacamole Bacon Burger, which sells for about $5.00.  I’m not impressed.  It tastes more like a $3.00 Burger, and frankly I like their less expensive Burgers better.  It certainly doesn’t taste like a restaurant Burger, but more like a fast food Burger, which it is.  Don’t be fooled by their advertising.  It’s priced too high and doesn’t deliver what it boasts.  This Burger is smaller and less attractive than the one currently featured on Carl’s Jr.’s website.  If you haven’t tried it yet, be warned, it’s not worth the money and isn’t what it claims to be.

Related Link:

http://www.carlsjr.com/

Here’s a good looking Burger in real life – http://www.ineedtext.com/FoodBlog/?p=270

Since I didn’t have all the ingredients on hand to make Banana Bread, I made improvised Banana Cakes.  The experiments started with a White Cake Mix, 3 large extra ripe Bananas and a box of Vanilla Pudding Mix. 

I mashed the Bananas, then added in the Cake Mix and Pudding Mix.  And I prepared as instructed on the Cake Box, less 1/4 Cup liquid.  The Cake Mix I used called for 3 Eggs, 1/3 Cup of Oil, and 1 1/4 Cup of Water – I added only 1 Cup of Water and used Walnut Oil.

For a second experiment I poured most of the batter into a baking tin for the oven, and the rest into a small glass bowl for the toaster oven.  I cooked both Cakes 5 minutes longer than directed on the Cake Box. 

And happily both Cakes turned out really good — Moist and Banana-Bready.  I mixed Powdered Sugar, Vanilla Extract and Milk to make a Glaze that’s seen on both Cakes. 

These experiments were born from over ripe Bananas with no flour on hand — And since there was an excess of batter, why not make a baby Cake too?!  Plus I’d never made a Cake in the toaster oven before, so I wanted to try it.  I had the larger Cake as a back up if it didn’t go well.  

Overall, I would make and enjoy the very same again.  The flavor and texture were agreeable and it was fun to have a “tasting” Cake.  Others really liked it too.

UPDATE (12/14/08):  Subsequent Toaster Oven cooking (experimentation) has revealed it’s necessary to add 5-15 minutes to the cooking time of a Cake, Bread or Custard.

Related Link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banana_bread

There’s no Cake here right now, but it’s way too easy to make fresh baked Chocolate Chip Cookies.  This is the first time I’ve seen the Nestle Toll House Walnut Chocolate Chip Cookies.  And I don’t even need to slice them.  You know how tiring that can be – Ha. 

I just break them off the Cookie block and pop ’em in the Toaster Oven.  They’re great to have in the fridge for a quick dessert, snack or indulgence.  Is four a day bad?  It’s just a phase.

Related Link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chocolate_chip_cookie

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/

This is a Chicken & Cheese from Philly’s Best, and they’re grilling Steak below.  Both the Steak & Cheese and Chicken & Cheese Sandwiches are made with White American Cheese, unless otherwise requested — They offer Wiz too, if you’ve got to have it.  And of course grilled Onions, Peppers and Mushrooms can be added. 

The Steak and Chicken Sandwiches are equally awesome.  I like to eat them with Pickles and Peppers.  They have two different kinds of Pickles and I like them both, and I’m particular about my Pickles.  I’ve been to the Irvine and Huntington Beach locations, but ‘Philly’s Best – Authentic Cheesesteak and Hoagie Shop’ now has over twenty restaurant locations.

Related Link:

http://www.eatphillysbest.com/

Like the recipe says, this Spicy Baked Shrimp recipe is yummmmmmy!  If I had more Shrimp, I’d make it again right NOW!  I halved the recipe for what’s pictured here — I need more Shrimp asap.     

I just mixed ALL the ingredients together, added the Shrimp and baked the combination in the oven for 20 minutes.  The preparation couldn’t be easier — Love that.

I served the Shrimp with warm crusty Sourdough Rolls that tasted so good dipped in the Sauce.  I’m glad I discovered this delicious recipe.  It’s officially a new, rustic and fun staple in my food repertoire.  You gotta try it too.

Related Link:

http://www.recipezaar.com/32745

I think Pick Up Stix does a pretty good job.  These pictures are from a pop in at the Westcliff location in Newport Beach, California.  TIP:  Try not to hit it when the nearby High School is releasing students.

Pick Up Stix is featuring Crispy Honey Chicken, Rice and a Salad for $4.99 — It’s in a Coupon Packet I received in the mail, but you don’t need the coupon to get it.  Since it sounded good and I pass by one, I got that Special to go.  I liked the Honey Chicken, but the Salad tasted bagged and was wilted.  I did ask that it be packed on the side, but they overlooked that request.  The Dressing for the Salad isn’t terrific either — I ended up using my home favorite Sesame Dressing.  Overall, I do like Pick Up Stix, but need to be selective with a couple items. 

Related Links:

http://www.pickupstix.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pick_Up_Stix

http://www.feastkitchens.com/products.html

http://www.ineedtext.com/FoodBlog/?p=35

I’ve written other lenghthy and short restaurant reviews in addition to those on Nibbles of Tidbits.  All are located in Costa Mesa, Newport Beach and Irvine, California — Reviews of the Greek Town Grill, Saagar Indian Cuisine, Catalina Fish Kitchen, The Wild Rabbit, El Matador, El Toro Bravo Tortilleria, Taco Rosa, El Chinaco, Islands and Houstons can be read below.  Or use this blog’s Search Box to find what you’re looking for, and don’t forget to check out the ‘Restaurant Reviews’ Category.

OC MEX Food Blog:

http://ocmexfood.blogspot.com/search?q=Shelly+Borrell
http://ocmexfood.blogspot.com/search?q=el+matador

Restaurantica:

http://www.restaurantica.com/blog/Shelly-Borrell–A-Food-Writer-in-the-Making/124/

Yelp:

http://www.yelp.com/user_details?userid=HkCrGBVeDWIEpogaR_ZSeA

Chow Hound:

http://www.chow.com/profile/185997

Hungry City Guides:  I’ve written several other reviews for the OC Hungry City Guide.  The book is due to be published late this year or early next year.  It appears to be a little up in the air.  I’m sure I’ll let you know when it’s out. 🙂

http://www.hungrycity.com/

Related Links:

http://www.ineedtext.com/FoodBlog/?p=839
http://www.ineedtext.com/FoodBlog/?p=92
http://www.ineedtext.com/FoodBlog/?p=837
http://www.ineedtext.com/FoodBlog/?p=90
http://www.ineedtext.com/FoodBlog/?p=270
http://www.ineedtext.com/FoodBlog/?p=730

I should have ordered this, but mostly because it’s so colorful, plus the Ranch Dressing wasn’t great on our Side Salads.  The Lettuce was fresh, but (in our three opinions) if having Ranch Dressing it’s hard to beat the taste of homemade/restaurant made Original Ranch Dressing.  Most others are too tart, thick, or just not good.  The one at Glen Ivy is okay, but a Salad is 100% better with any great dressing.

And I’m not a fan of the pre-made Sandwich waiting in the fridge.  We ordered a Turkey Sandwich and they just reached into the fridge, grabbed a Sandwich and handed it over the counter.  Cafe Sole´ looks better than that and should be.  They make their Salads fresh, so I was bummed to see the Sandwich.  

Since the Turkey Sandwich didn’t look bad, we kept it, but later returned it when refrigerator flavor was detected.  Yuck.  I can’t stand that taste.  We weren’t looking for it, but unfortunately it was there. 🙁

On a brighter note, they make the Pizzas in a wood burning oven.  We had the Mediterranean Pizza with Caper Berries, Artichoke Hearts and Tomatoes, along with our mud bake, mineral bath, lounge in the pool, pedicures, pool aerobics, Wine and Bellini’s.  It was a beautiful day!  Glen Ivy Hot Springs is a pleasing place to spend the day.  It’s not inexpensive, so we were very happy to have $400 in Gift Cards.  We left with $1.24 remaining — Fabulous!

Related Links:

http://www.glenivy.com/

http://www.glenivy.com/index.php/resort/C18/

http://www.hiddenvalley.com/products/DryDressingDips.php

Online Restaurant Menus are a lot less messy and more organized than paper Menus.  Many of the pictured Menus are online, so I’d better read them there or arrange mine in alphabetical order for just as easy access.

Search Menus By all USA Locations:

http://www.allmenus.com/
http://www.menuism.com/
http://www.takeouttonight.com/
http://www.imenuhq.com/
http://www.usmenuguide.com/

Specific Area Menus:

http://www.menupages.com/ – New York
http://www.usmenuguide.com/lasvegas.html – Las Vegas
http://www.menupix.com/losangeles/ Los Angeles
http://www.menukarma.com/menus/los-angeles

Design Your Own Menu:

http://www.themenumaker.com/
http://www.menushoppe.com/

About Online Menus and How To Find More:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Online_menus
http://www.ehow.com/how_2002982_menus-restaurant-online.html

I’ve been making this basic recipe for years.  I just switch it up between an all in, or some out combination of chopped Red and/or Green Cabbage, grated or chopped Carrots, finely chopped Celery or Celery Seed, chopped Parsley and finely sliced Green Onions.

I then add all to the above — Mayonnaise, White Wine Vinegar, Sugar, Salt, and freshly ground Pepper to taste.  This is one of my favorite snacks to have on hand.  It’s hard to rival that perfect combination of ingredients. 

The Coleslaw above is made with Red Cabbage and Carrots, and the one below is made with Red Cabbage, finely grated Celery and Green Onions.  The measurements of the remaining ingredients vary on the volume of vegetables.  I’ll usually add a little at a time to dial in that perfect taste and coverage.  I tend to have a lighter hand on the Mayo and heavier hand on the Vinegar, without overdoing it.

P.S.  I confess that I also happen to like Kentucky Fried Chicken’s Coleslaw and Chic-Fil-A’s Coleslaw, although neither taste like mine, nor each other.  Coleslaw has endless variations and it’s a better snack than many.

Post-Post Coleslaw:  This one was made with shredded Green Cabbage, grated Carrots, chopped Parsley and finely sliced Green Onions, plus the standard mix-in, as detailed above.

Related Links:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coleslaw

http://www.seasonalchef.com/recipe0406a.htm

http://www.chick-fil-a.com/#home

http://www.scribd.com/doc/124752/American-Chain-Restaurant-Recipe-Book

http://www.kfc.com/

Ruby Tuesday Restaurant has been advertising in Southern California forever it seems, at least a year — But there hasn’t even been one in the entire state.  It’s kind of annoying, especially since they’ve persuaded me to want to try their Mini Burgers – HA.  I guess they’re busy building a brand, but seeing as they’ve spent a lot of money advertising in this market, they should at least open a restaurant in the state.  Right?

And I just recently saw a new Ruby Tuesday commercial telling me to “…forget everything [I] know about Ruby Tuesdays, [your] changing it all, a new menu, new decor…”  Blah, blah, blah.  Well, since I’ve never actually seen one, I can certainly forget everything I don’t know about it.

NEWS BULLETON:  A Ruby Tuesday finally opened in California last month — It’s in San Bernardino, so I still won’t be trying their Mini Burgers (aka Sliders) anytime soon.  Have you been to one?  If so, where?  I guess the advertising worked on me, but I’m still not driving to San Bernardino, so there. 😉

Ruby Tuesday: http://www.rubytuesday.com/

Ruby Tuesday’s MENU: http://www.rubytuesday.com/menu/pdf/s7.pdf

Make your own Sliders: http://www.ineedtext.com/FoodBlog/?p=4063

It’s half a homemade Waffle with Boysenberry Syrup and fresh cut Strawberries made by ‘Kids in the Kitchen’ while visiting Lake Arrowhead.  It was a colorful breakfast, but sadly the forest outside is badly burned. 🙁

Almost one year ago, a family cabin in Lake Arrowhead, California almost burned down.  If you recall, it was reported on the news in late October 2007 — There was a big fire in Lake Arrowhead and surrounding parts of the mountain.  One fire burned all the way up to the back of my Sister’s cabin. 

We had heard that most cabins on our street (Brentwood) were on fire, then finally learned that ours was one of the few still standing.  We were/are so thankful and convinced that ours was spared partly due to a fire access road directly behind it. 

Before the fire we all stared out the big cabin window and colored a picture of the forest.  We recently found those pictures and feel very sad for the trees.  Our crayon colors are now gray and black, whereas they were several shades of green and brown.  Our Waffles tried to cheer things up.

We THANK ALL the Firefighters who helped save our cabin and others.  Sadly most of the trees in our area are burned, but many others are okay, and several cabins are being rebuilt. 

Related Links:

http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/local&id=5720289

http://www.knbc.com/news/14397191/detail.html

http://calfire.blogspot.com/2007/10/lake-arrowhead-fire-updates.html

This visit we had the Cilantro Lime Shrimp Salad and Brick Oven Margherita Pizza.  Both were good.  I like many things on their menu — Next time I want the Chicken Artichoke & Goat Cheese Salad or Salmon BLTA. 

The decor could be lightened up a little, but the service is excellent.  The Desserts are on display and they offer Beer & Wine.  It’s a nice escape from shopping or working.  You’ll find it on the 2nd Floor of Nordstrom at the Irvine Spectrum Center — There’s a lot of great restaurants and entertainment at the Irvine Spectrum.

Related Links:

http://about.nordstrom.com/aboutus/restaurant/default.asp

http://www.allmenus.com/menus/54953/Nordstrom-Cafe-Bistro/

http://www.shopirvinespectrumcenter.com/

The Brea Mall Cafe Nordstrom INFO & FOOD:
http://www.ineedtext.com/FoodBlog/2009/06/07/cafe-nordstrom-serves-a-mean-mall-lunch/

The recipe is from my Niece’s Cookbook, Family Fun Cooking with Kids.  And as declared, it is a simple Bread, especially if you’re not the one getting your hands dirty.  I supervised the preparation of this Turtle Bread and looking back the process wasn’t too bad.

BUT there was a time in the middle that hands were stuck to the Dough and Flour was flying.  There are no pictures of that in the book, nor here, since they’re not pretty.  But Oil up your hands real good BEFORE starting to knead the Dough.

This post is another feature of Kids in the Kitchen with Bailee and Alexis.  It was FUN to watch the Bread rise and shape it into a Turtle.  Its eyes are Raisins that expanded to look like Olives. 

The aroma of Bread baking in the oven and the opportunity to eat your own homemade Bread are special experiences.  We want to do it again.  For the recipe enlarge the picture below, or obtain this creative Cookbook and start cooking with your kids – They have fun doing the dirty work, HA.  It’s a win-win.

Related Link and Cookbook Information:

http://www.ineedtext.com/FoodBlog/?p=990