Nibbles of Tidbits, a Food Blog

The challenge continues in Morocco, where I’ve mentally traveled the past few days.  As a lucky contender still kicking my way through Project Food Blog, I’m now asked to “tackle a classic dish from another culture” that’s “outside [my] comfort zone” — I can’t wait!  I’m excited to advance to Challenge #2.  Thank you judges, voters, God, family and friends.

During international cookbook immersion, a spark ignited for Kefta with Eggs and Tomato.  I had sought to find a dish we really wanted to eat, one that had unique ingredients, yet not a ridiculous amount, and one that didn’t take too long to make, and it had to be colorful — I initially thought about Rogan Josh, but it didn’t pass the color test.  Another time for that.  Selecting an “ethnic classic” I wasn’t familiar with led me on a journey, as the prompt likely intended.  Before understanding my chosen dish, I thought I’d be dining in the Middle East, then came to realize that I’d actually be in North Africa, most specifically Morocco having the pictured Kefta with Eggs and Tomato for supper with Moroccan friends.  It’s also a classic brunch dish and it’s served as a snack at bus and train stations in between both destinations.

Kefta with Eggs and Tomato (with Ras El Hanout) is pin-pointedly Moroccan and satisfies all self-imposed and set standards of this challenge.  What’s Ras El Hanout?  Last week I had no clue and I’m still not sure how to pronounce it, but now know what it is.  After calling all over town to purchase it off the shelf, I learned one jar was available 40 miles away.  At that moment I realized that it wasn’t necessary to drive there, since [it] is a somewhat subjective spice — Meaning Ras El Hanout is not one spice.  It’s sold in countless spice variations. 

In Arabic, Ras El Hanout means “top of the shop” and refers to the best spices a seller has to offer.  It usually contains no less than a dozen spices and sometimes up to a hundred.  It’s also believed to be an aphrodisiac.  Does it mean that each Ras El Hanout combination magically morphs into an aphrodisiac?  I’m not sure about that, but it’s fun to wonder about.  Since I had all ingredients on hand, I made my own Ras El Hanout to find out.  I found several recipes on the web and chose one that sounded best to me.  I halved the recipe and added two ingredients that were common in similar recipes.  Nibbles of Tidbits’ Ras El Hanout Recipe is posted here:

1 Teaspoon of Cumin
1 Teaspoon of Ginger
1 Teaspoon of Turmeric
1 Teaspoon of Kosher Salt
1 Teaspoon of Black Pepper
1/2 Teaspoon of Allspice
1/2 Teaspoon of Coriander
1/2 Teaspoon of Red Pepper
1/2 Teaspoon of Saffron Threads
1/2 Teaspoon of Cardamom
1/4 Teaspoon of Cloves
1/8 Teaspoon of Nutmeg
1 1/2 Teaspoons of Cinnamon

Toast and grind spices if whole, then combine all and keep in an airtight container.  I reused a saved spice jar and slapped a new label over it. 

Kefta is basically ground meat, most commonly Lamb and/or Beef that’s mixed with a variety of herbs and spices — It’s then formed into balls, sticks or loaves, and grilled, fried or baked, etc.  The recipe made here is based on one from The African and Middle Eastern Cookbook (pg. 103).  I stayed true to authenticity, yet made it a little tastier by caramelizing the Onions before adding them to the Meatball mixture, and easier by baking them instead of frying ’em.  In addition, I added Garlic, as seen in many Moroccan Kefta recipes, and I used fresh Tomatoes instead of canned.  Nibbles of Tidbits’ Kefta with Eggs and Tomato Recipe is posted here:

1 lb. of Ground Lamb
1 small chopped Sweet Onion
1 Cup of Bread Crumbs
4 – 5 Eggs
1 large minced Garlic Clove
6 large fresh chopped Tomatoes
2 + 1 Teaspoon(s) of Ras El Hanout
1/4 Cup of chopped fresh Cilantro
1/2 Cup of Water* (1/4 + 1/4)
Flat Leaf Parsley (chopped), a little for Sauce and garnish
Salt and freshly ground Pepper
Olive Oil for baking sheet and Onion sauté

Sauté Onion until caramelized.  Add Garlic, cook two minutes longer and set aside.  Combine the Lamb, Bread Crumbs, 1 Egg, Ras El Hanout (2 tsps.), Onions and Garlic, Cilantro and S & P.  Mix together well, then add Water, 1/4 cup at a time until incorporated.  Form into medium sized Meatballs and bake in a preheated 400° oven for 25 – 30 minutes.  

* Adding Water or Milk to a Meatball recipe lightens them up, whereas they cut like butta.  There’s no reason for a Meatball to be tough, unless you’re a biker named One Tough Meatball.

To make the Sauce, combine the Tomatoes, Sugar, reserved Ras El Hanout (1 tsp.) and a handful of Flat Leaf Parsley.  Simmer until reduced, then add the baked Meatballs to the Sauce.  Form 3 – 4 wells for the Eggs.  Crack ’em directly into the skillet, cover and cook until Eggs are set.  Serve straight from the skillet with Crusty Bread.

For continued authenticity, we served the Kefta with Sweet Mint Green Tea, Orange Juice and Olives, popular beverages and a snack in Morocco.  I properly mixed the Tea too.

Kefta with Eggs and Tomato turned out to be a flavorful, hearty and beautiful dish.  For this challenge, I read 15 – 20 recipes to create an adaptation that kept the dish authentic, yet made it easier to prepare and better to eat.  I can’t help it — It’s all I know. 🙂

Could this post be worthy of (1) of your (200) votes?  I hope so!  I’m exhausted, yet still wanting to line up standby guests for the Discovery Dinner Party, in the event there’s reason to celebrate.  My brain is on the last flight back from Morocco.

You may VOTE FOR ME here.

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! 🙂

I concur with the message in this video by the Bulk is Green Council.  You can save time and money buying certain items in the bulk aisle, rather than elsewhere scattered throughout the store.  I recently experienced its benefits at Henry’s Farmers Market — A great store for bulk.

Above is just a sliver of Henry’s bulk foods selection — Don’t forget to write the item number on each tag / bag sealer, so the checker will know how to ring it up.  Many items look the same, especially the powdered goods.  It can be a fair amount of writing if you get a variety.  This day we tried a little of a lot (about 15 items).  It was entertaining and we did see that money can be saved when needing a little or a lot of certain things.

I’m advised that it’s National Bulk Foods Day on October 23rd — Hhhmmm, it seems there’s a day for everything now.  Did you know it’s National Nibbles of Tidbits Day on December 3rd?  It is!  Until then, buy from the bulk foods aisle.

The Project Food Blog Competition starts in September and Contestant Profiles are going up.  We just posted ours that’s captured in the above screen shot.  During the (12) week competition, Contestants will be whittled down through participation in (10) challenges related to food blogging.  The ultimate prize for the last blogger standing is $10,000 and a “special feature” on Foodbuzz for one year.  Wish us luck!

Project Food Blog Contestants

Nibbles of Tidbits Contestant Profile

Working on a Logo for Project Food Blog — Nibbles of Tidbits, a SoCal Food Blog is an official contestant in the Project Food Blog Competition, which starts in September.  Contestants will be whittled down over (12) weeks through participation in (10) challenges related to food blogging.  The ultimate prize is $10,000 and a “special feature” on Foodbuzz for one year.  We’re gonna be opening up a can of… (probably something, oh, and that too). 🙂

This Kiwi wannabe is burstin’ at the seams with excitement over ZESPRI’s Kiwi A-Go-Go Bloggers’ Contest.  The possibility of winning a Trip for 4 to New Zealand put me over the edge.  Inspired by the true stars of the contest (Kiwi and New Zealand) and by the love of board games and goofy interaction, I created a variation of an old classic game — The new sensation is called The Kiwi Game.  It’s a FREE Game that comes with every 2 Kiwis and is shown in our very first VIDEO (posted directly below).  It was fun making it!

This post serves as my entry into ZESPRI’s Kiwi A-Go-Go Bloggers’ Contest — In the consumer sweepstakes (selected by random drawing), readers may also enter The Great Kiwi Adventure for a chance to win a Trip for 4 to New Zealand.  We’re competing for a prize in connection with our creations and mentioning this cool contest to you.  Good luck ALL!

And did you know that… A two-piece serving of Kiwi (aka Kiwifruit) has twice the Vitamin C of an Orange, as much Potassium as a Banana, and as much fiber as a serving of bran flakes (less than 100 calories)?!  Zespri’s nutrition information says exactly that.  They also report that it’s a good source of Magnesium, it’s sodium free and a low-fat source of Vitamin E.  The Kiwifruit has it goin’ on — It’s truly a special fruit.  Learn more about ’em here.

In celebration of the Kiwi and to satisfy our longing to visit New Zealand, we created the pictured Kiwi Blackberry Shortcake with Whipped Cream and Toasted Coconut.  It’s a beautiful combination of flavors and colors reminiscent of a coral reef.  We’ve provided the recipe and step-by-step photo instructions (below) l – r working on downward.

Kiwi Blackberry Shortcake RECIPE

Ingredients:
2 Cups Flour
1/2 Cup granulated Sugar (divided)
1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
8 Tablespoons softened Butter (1 stick)
3/4 Cup Milk
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
1 Cup shredded, toasted Coconut (toast in dry skillet until golden brown)

2 Cups peeled and quartered Kiwi (approx. 4)
1 1/2 Cups whole Blackberries

1 Cup Heavy Cream
3 Tablespoons Confectioners’ Sugar
1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 450° and grease an 8-inch square pan.  Sift together the Flour, a little more than 1/2 the Sugar, Baking Powder and Salt.  Stir in the softened Butter and Milk just until blended.  Batter will be a little lumpy.  Bake for 13 – 15 minutes.  While baking, whip the Heavy Cream until almost stiff, then add the Confectioners’ Sugar and Vanilla.  When stiff peaks are formed, place the Whipped Cream in the fridge until ready to use.  Peel and chop Kiwis into slices then quarters, combine with Blackberries and sprinkle all with remaining granulated Sugar, toss lightly so not to blend the vibrant colors and set aside.

Once Shortcake has cooled, cut a square or rectangle piece and cut in half lengthwise.  Place bottom half on plate and top with Whipped Cream and Kiwi Blackberry mixture, then top with the Shortcake cap, more Whipped Cream and toasted Coconut.  Garnish with a sprig of Mint (optional), Kiwi slice or Blackberry.

Prep Time: 20 Minutes — Makes: 9 – 12 Servings.

Note:  Since you don’t need to over mix the dough or the fruit combo, this recipe is easy and fast to make.  It’s impressive looking and tasting too.

Q:  Why New Zealand’s Bay of Plenty is appropriately named? 
A:  Because it’s currently at bay and I wanna go there plenty. 🙂

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.

We just passed our Two Year Anniversary with a blur.  It has been a blast and we look forward to all that’s to come.  We’re grateful for our blessings and toast to FOOD from the earth and all the creative hands that prepare it.  There’s so much more to try.  Cheers!

Doesn’t this look nicer than dealing with the holiday shopping crowd the day after Thanksgiving?  We took a family RV down to the South Carlsbad Cliffs and had fun BBQ’ing, walking along the beach, playing Wii games, painting rocks, laughing, chillin’, eating and drinking — All are much better than following the lines.  No thanks Black Friday, we Christmas shop on our own time.

It’s a Nibbles of Tidbits moment of branding painted by one of our Kids in the Kitchen contributors, Artist Bailee — Great job on the Egg and Bacon, always a favorite.

I pre-steamed the Artichokes at home, then grilled them on the BBQ at our camp spot while watching the sunset over the ocean.

And made 3 different Dipping Sauces for the Artichokes — Garlic Aioli, Lemon & Dill and Walt’s Wharf’s Lea & Perrin’s Sauce.  Most dipped into was the Garlic Aioli (Mayo, Lemon, Garlic & Seasoning Salt). 🙂

We also tested the Cook or Be Cooked Wii Game in the RV and will post about that soon.  And the Chocolate Cake previously reported about was good, but certainly not the best ever.

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.

Nibbles of Tidbits is an I Need Text Company Blog that provides helpful cooking tips, meal preparation photos, recipes, restaurant reviews, travel reviews, food television commentary, informative links, food event and product reports, and good, bad and funny stories about all things food related.  We’re working hard to provide the best information in the cleanest format.  As we continue to test for optimum functionality this weekend, we’ve posted the above photo as a preview of our Tastemaker report on Nature’s Pride Bread.  It’ll be interesting.

Nibbles of Tidbits will be getting a new look this Saturday & Sunday — It’ll still be simple, yet updated.  Any transitional formatting issues are in the process of being corrected.  Thus if you see weirdness (overlaps, covered text, or other), it’s just temporary growing pains.  We’re excited about the future and plan to do a lot more cooking, dining and reporting here. 

Although these photos don’t represent the theme of this post, they were thought to be nice to look at while testing out our final theme selections.  Both were taken while camping in Carlsbad — We experienced the gorgeous sunset while basting skewered Shrimp with Lime, Soy Sauce and melted Butter on our portable grill.  Ciao.

I Need Text Company, Nibbles of Tidbits’ main site is being overhauled.  It’s basically getting a new look and we’re hopefully making it easier for clients to obtain the information they desire.  The change will happen overnight during the first week in July.  Until then, we remain open for business.  Thanks for your inquiries.

Two more announcements, Happy Father’s Day today — And don’t forget to ENTER a comment on the SONIC post to win a $25 Gift Certificate to SONIC Drive-In.  We’ll be drawing the winners from the commenters and mailing out (10) Gift Cards in 4 days.

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

It’s time to celebrate Nibbles of Tidbits One Year Anniversary.  It’s today, April 24th.  Let’s toast Champagne and eat lots of FOOD to cheer.  I Need Text Company plans to put forth many years of high quality content and food photography on Nibbles of Tidbits.  Look for more restaurant reviews, cooking tips and ideas, product testing, experiments and reports about all things food related.

PRESS RELEASE:  http://www.prlog.org/10220332.pdf

The Nibbles of TidbitsÔ Thesaurus appears to highlight small and barbaric samplings of mostly small portions of an unlimited variety of FOOD — Emphasis added, because we’re about all that and a Bag of Chips. 🙂

(1)  Bites of Scraps

(2)  Tastes of Morsels

(3)  Chomps of BitsÔ

(4)  Pieces of AteÔ

(5)  Gnaws of Fragments

Enjoy it ALL!  http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/thesaurus

Can you find the Nibbles of Tidbits rock with the Hot Dog (mustard only) painted on it?  This is sort of like “Where’s Waldo” but a lot easier.  We enjoyed the sunsets and BBQ’s over the weekend in South Carlsbad, California.  While camping along the beach cliffs, we painted rocks that we placed throughout the camp site with many others.  I wonder how many new readers we’ll gain through this mainly just for fun method of promotion. 🙂

Related Link with CAMP FOOD: http://www.ineedtext.com/FoodBlog/?p=380

I Need Text Company Press Release:

http://www.prlog.org/10161179-dont-eat-your-words-save-your-appetite-for-the-food-in-2009.html

It’s fun to be picked for any award, so thanks Blog Of The Day Awards (BOTDA) for picking Nibbles of Tidbits as a Blog Of The Day, especially on Halloween.  It was a treat instead of a trick.  I just added the COOL AWARD on the right — I like its nostalgic old west design.  Thanks again!

Related Links:

http://blogofthedayawards.blogspot.com/2008/10/nibbles-of-tidbits-food-blog.html

http://www.ineedtext.com/FoodBlog/?p=1247

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

Restaurantica offers more than 350,000 restaurant listings across the United States and Canada.  Its format is similar to Yelp and Chow.  Restaurantica’s been providing down to earth, honest restaurant reviews since 2003 and now has more than 184,000 reviews.  You can search for the restaurant you’re looking for, after searching for it here of course. 🙂

I’ll be their Costa Mesa expert, if you will.  I’ll be posting monthly on Restaurantica about all the fabulous food finds in Costa Mesa, Newport Beach, Orange County, and wherever I might travel.  The above photo is related to my post about Nick’s Pizza Ristorante Italiano.  Restaurantica has ALL the yummy food pictures and details.  http://www.restaurantica.com/blog/Nicks-Pizza-Ristorante-Italiano/130/.

Be sure to check the Restaurantica Blog for monthly reviews and food photos by me, then write about your favorite restaurant.  The more reviews the better.

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

Hello.  Welcome to Nibbles of Tidbits, a Food Blog.  I’m Shelly Borrell and its publisher.  We report about and photograph all things FOOD related — Cooking, dining out, recipes, competitions, events, products and a whole lot more.  We review and feature many Southern California restaurants and other fabulous food finds discovered through travel and eating on Earth. 

Nibbles of Tidbits is a place to read about the terrific dishes we’ve made, as well as “dishes gone wrong.”  If you’ve been cooking for a fair amount of time, you know that many dishes turn out great and some just become that (hopefully funny now) day of enlightenment.  

Nibs of Tids for short (probably only once – HA) is a blog about the GOOD, the BAD & the FUNNY regarding FOOD — From Yikes to Ooo La La.  We emphasize food experimentation, comparison, various cooking techniques, uncommon ingredients, easy meals, helpful tools, shortcuts, cool ideas and fun stuff.  

When not dining out, our goal is to prepare unique and flavorful, high-quality meals on a daily basis.  Why not?  We report the results of our testing and tastings, good and bad.  We’re a ‘Tavern on the Web’ to take away yummy inspiration or learn what not to do next time.  Thanks for visiting and do check back often.  Ciao.

BONUS INFO:  If seeking information regarding Freelance Writing Services, please visit our main site — I Need Text Company, www.ineedtext.com.  And if you’d like to read more, I currently write as the Orange County Food Examiner on Examiner.com.  I’ve been a cookin’ fool for years and lucky enough to win a few recipe/food contests.  To learn more about that, click here and to view additional (non-food related) writing samples, this is the link for you. 

All the Best, Shelly Borrell

P.S.  We love reading about interesting TIDBITS, so leave us a comment to NIBBLE on while you’re here.