Nibbles of Tidbits, a Food Blog

Manischewitz Matzo Ball Mix is a good start to a satisfying Matzo Ball Soup.  The Matzo Balls couldn’t be easier to make and they’ve got a nice flavor to them.  I prefer to use my own Stock/Broth if made and on hand, if not I’ve been using Wolfgang Puck’s Free Range Roasted Chicken Stock lately — It’s pretty good.  And sometimes I’ll boil a few onions with a canned/boxed Stock to add more flavor.

To make the Matzo Balls, you’ll just stir Eggs and Oil into the Matzo Ball Mix, set mixture aside in the fridge for 15 minutes, then shape it into small balls and drop all into hot Stock/Broth, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes — And that’s it.  This time I added Broccoli and Cauliflower.

MORE INFO about the Matzo Ball Mix I usually use:
http://www.manischewitz.com/products/sides_mixes/mixes.php

FYI – Pete Schweddy didn’t make these.  He makes Balls for NPR’s Delicious Dish, as you’ll see HERE:
http://www.hulu.com/watch/4156/saturday-night-live-nprs-delicious-dish-schweddy-balls

I think I’ve had these before — Not from Carl’s or The Green Burrito, but when I was in elementary school.  They taste like Burrito Day back when.  And they also taste like those Mini Tacos in the frozen food’s section of the grocery store, plus a food sample I once received at Costco on a Saturday afternoon. 

In other words, the flavor combination is reminiscent of foods gone by.  And I actually liked Carl’s Crisp Burrito’s flavor and texture.  I received a coupon to try a 3-Pack, but two are enough.  Three were a bit heavy, but they do hit a tasty note I’ve enjoyed before.  Next time I’d need a side of Sour Cream and Hot Sauce.

Coupon: http://www.carlsjr.com/promotions/coupon/free-small-drink-with-purchase-of-3-piece-or-5-piece-crisp-burritos/

A Glass of Cruz Garcia Real Sangria Imported From Spain.  A friend brought over a bottle the other night.  Her Mom discovered it while traveling and brought back a case.  And the following week she saw it for sale at her local Grocery Store, HA.  I guess it was bad news and good news for her.  And this bottle included a toast to my VAY-KAY the next couple days.  We’ll be back with more fabuloso foodola.  Ciao. 

Related Links:
http://www.snooth.com/wine/cruz-garcia-real-sangria-93/
http://www.expotv.com/Cruz-Garcia-Real-Sangria-Wine/1V-ZNK

The Chicken Kiev Special at Ikea Restaurant & Cafe exploded when I cut into it.  Yikes, it sure had a lot of the Herbed Butter inside.  The Chicken was tender, but I realized that I’m not a big fan of Chicken Kiev.  It looks like I’ll be heading back towards the Meatballs in the Ikea lunch rotation.

Previous IKEA Restaurant & Cafe Lunches and MORE INFO:

http://www.ineedtext.com/FoodBlog/?p=1743
http://www.ineedtext.com/FoodBlog/?p=2199
http://www.ineedtext.com/FoodBlog/?p=2431

BK Burger Shots from Burger King aren’t those cute little Sliders we’re all liking these days, but instead it’s just one giant perforated Burger, HA.  We tried a 6 Pack of Burger Shots and had to pull them apart to get one.  You can tell these were made quickly.  They taste just like a Whopper, but without the Lettuce and Tomato I’d prefer to have.  This was $4.09 — I’d rather have a Whopper for a buck.  Since Burger King’s website is a bit confusing and time consuming, only one related page is linked below.

Burger King: http://www.bk.com/#menu=2,91,-1

You’ve got to see these FOOD PHOTOS — Most are amazing, but I do apologize that a few are gross.  Be warned. 

http://www.darkroastedblend.com/2008/11/creative-food-manipulation.html

Apparently my “Cheesecake Flavor” is Adam’s Peanut Butter Cup Fudge Ripple — An interesting combination that I wouldn’t generally pick, but it was fun taking The Cheesecake Factory’s ‘What Cheesecake Flavor Are You?’ Quiz.  I like the song on the site too.  Aside from the quiz, my favorite flavor has actually been White Chocolate Raspberry Truffle. 

My designated flavor describes me (and the Cheesecake) as “The incredible mix of qualities that makes you so appreciated is nothing short of miraculous, much like this Cheesecake.  A lot goes into this flavor… Just like you, it’s an awe-inspiring combination of ingredients not soon forgotten.”

Learn About “Your Flavor” HERE:
https://promos.thecheesecakefactory.com/

My Flavor INFO:
https://promos.thecheesecakefactory.com/eslice.php?code=P4-T14-Shelly

My 2nd Flavor INFO:
https://promos.thecheesecakefactory.com/eslice.php?code=P4-T11-Borrell

* The photograph is unrelated to The Cheesecake Factory.  It’s what Lake Arrowhead looked like a week ago driving down the mountain.  It’s beautiful, but makes me want to stay warm inside, and take this quiz. 🙂

I walked into the office the other day and thought someone had brought in the makings for a Mojito. Wishful thinking I guess.  It smelled like fresh cut Mint, so I asked, “Where’s the Mint?”  Instead it was this Gum.  A co-worker was chewing it.  This Trident Passionberry Twist doesn’t have your typical Mint Gum scent, but one of the live Herb.  I’m not much of a Gum chewer, but had to try a piece.  The Mint scent was a little stronger than the flavor, but I secondly appreciated the Passion Fruit flavor.  It’s GOOD Gum – HA. 

The post title was inspired by an old SNL sketch that used to crack me up.  It’s so dumb that it’s funny.  Below is a very short excerpt of it:  

Newport loves its Dogs, so it’s a perfect location for the Three Dog Bakery.  It’s a chain, but this one is in the Corona Del Mar Plaza in Newport Beach.  It’s near Fashion Island, an outdoor shopping center that welcomes Dogs.  It’s hard to go there without seeing one.  The Three Dog Bakery ( I like to call it Barkery) bakes cute treats that are easily digested by Dogkind.  I’m not sure, but this location may be their best franchise.

Related Links:

http://www.ineedtext.com/FoodBlog/?p=1013 – Three Dog Bakery in Lake Arrowhead

http://www.visitnewportbeach.com/member_details.cfm?id=354 – Corona Del Mar Plaza

I learned there’s nothing to preparing a Ham, especially one that’s pre-cooked, like the one pictured here.  Since a Ham usually starts with a smoked flavor, it’s almost best to just place it in a Dutch Oven without anything else.  For this Ham, I read several recipes before choosing to add a combination of Brown Sugar, Pineapple Juice and Beer.  I also thought that a deep scoring would allow the baste to permeate more deeply into the meat and make it look prettier.

Overall, the Ham did look nice, but the too-deep scoring made it difficult to cut a decent slice for my guests.  It yielded too many small squares – HA.  And the Beer/Pineapple/Sugar combination wasn’t good either.  I could still taste the Beer, which I usually prefer in a glass.  I also added too much liquid to the pot, which isn’t necessary since the Ham was cooked covered.  When it was done (12 minutes per pound), I found myself shaving off the outside to obtain a reasonably sized slice of the traditional Ham inside.  Next time I’ll simply add a little Brown Sugar.  I had previously seen that recommendation, but thought I needed some liquid — I’ve since learned, when covered, a Ham will provide its own juice.  Now on to Split Pea and Ham Soup…

I’ve read that Burger King has started selling FLAME, a new cologne for men — It’s supposed to smell like a Flame Broiled Hamburger.  HA.  I’ve got to get my hands on a bottle.  I need a couple joke gifts and this cologne would be perfect. 

I called a few local Burger King Restaurants and most didn’t know what the heck I was talking about — It was fun trying to explain it.  Another fine example of good corporate communication (not) and advertisement without infrastructure.  I checked online and they appear to be sold out, unless I can get it WHERE???  What up BK?

Related Links:

http://www.rickysnyc.com/

http://www.firemeetsdesire.com/

http://www.burgerking.com/bkglobal/

http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/16/burger-kings-flame-broiled-mens-body-spray/

http://hotair.com/archives/2008/12/19/confirmed-new-burger-king-cologne-smells-like-gasoline/ 

If you have time, please vote for me on Foodbuzz.  My messiest apron has Christmas Cookie Frosting applied with a little help from my friends.  I get by with a little help from my friends. 🙂

Food buzz is offering a prize for the messiest apron.  Could this be the one?  Check out the full story and picture on Foodbuzz.  Buzz it.  Related Link:  http://www.foodbuzz.com/photos/us/california/costa_mesa/680683-yikes-my-messiest-apron-so-far–

Have you seen this yet?  I just got it from the OC Market Place aka the Orange County Swap Meet.  When you throw it against a hard surface, it appears to splat then slowly returns to its original shape.  This picture doesn’t do it justice.  A guy was demonstrating them by throwing Tomatoes against his mini-van window.  It looked really cool, so we had to get a few.  On Saturdays and Sundays, the OC Market Place sells these Tomatoes, Eggs and other non-food related splatting toys.  We bought two Eggs and this Tomato. 

HOWEVER, my Tomato started leaking after one of my throw downs, so I sadly had to say goodbye.  I hope that doesn’t happen often — I’m not that strong.  We’ll be monitoring the Eggs.  Be careful if your kids have these, since I’m not sure what they’re filled with.  Related Link:  http://www.ocmarketplace.com/

The recipe is real, but the story behind it isn’t.  You must have heard the story about the lady who paid $250 for the Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe from Neiman Marcus?!  When I heard about it, the amount was $2,500 — You know how stories get exaggerated.  Either way, Snopes reports it to be false.  The full interesting story is linked here.

http://www.snopes.com/business/consumer/cookie.asp

Aside from that, an old friend recently reminded me how “freaking good” they are.  I used to make the recipe a lot and do think they’re possibly the Best Chocolate Chip Cookies in the world — The blended Oatmeal and grated Chocolate certainly contribute to it.  I usually add Walnuts, Pecans or Macadamia Nuts.  The recipe is linked above and below on an album page I created over ten years ago.  It’s not fancy but includes four bonus recipes if interested.

Neiman Marcus Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

Today a friend gave me some fresh caught Rockfish, which I don’t think I’ve ever tried.  I asked how she prepares it and she told me that her husband kinda poaches/simmers it in Butter, Pickle Juice and Lemon.  How easy!  And she said it’s always awesome.  

With that combination I had to do the same, and I’m so excited to know about this quick and tasty recipe.  I cooked the Rockfish for less than 10 minutes.  It just flaked apart and the broth was delicious.  I added a little Parsley at the end.  Thanks Kat and Doug.

Related Links:

What is Rockfish? – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rockfish

I love Bubbie’s Pickles – http://www.bubbies.com/

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

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

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

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

Related Links:

http://lasfajitasrestaurant.com/

http://lasfajitasrestaurant.com/LasFajitas_ToGoMenu_pages.pdf

http://www.visitnewportbeach.com/

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

You probably wouldn’t want the Lemon pictured here, since it’s pretty freaky looking — But there are several Lemon trees in front of Kohl’s at the Bella Terra Shopping Center in Huntington Beach.  And you’ll also find a few Rosemary bushes there too.  So if you’re local and need Lemons and/or Rosemary for a recipe, drive down to Bella Terra to save a few bucks.

Related Link:

http://www.bellaterra-hb.com/

Decorating Halloween Treats is now a super fun tradition with my best friends.  One friend makes all the basics and the rest of us just get to show up and decorate them.  I’m one of the lucky decorators. 🙂

The Cupcake topping in the main photo is made from ground Oreo Cookies and the goodies in the bags above are Milk Chocolate dipped Oreo Cookies.  The Halloween Cookies are homemade with my friend’s favorite Sugar Cookie recipe, then cut into pumpkins, bats, witches, cats, ghosts, Frankenstein and more.  The Cupcakes are Chocolate.  All are fresh baked and yummy.

Above are just a few of the tools and below is just some of the fun.  After all, we each get to take home trays of Cookies, Cupcakes and Chocolates.  It’s a lot of laughs too, especially with this crazy bunch. 🙂

I rarely post people pictures on this blog, since it’s all about the food, but I’m wearing my Foodbuzz Apron, so I’d thought I’d let them know.  Thanks Foodbuzz!  And a big THANKS to Loretta for doing all the hard work so we can just show up and have fun.

Related Link:

http://www.foodbuzz.com/

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

It’s already Octoberfest at Lake Arrowhead Village — Now and every weekend starting at noon through all of October.  And there’s no admission fee.  We were at the family cabin (nearby) last weekend with a couple Dogs, Holly and Maggie, respectively below. 

Since we cooked up a storm for ourselves, we picked up a few treats from the Three Dog Bakery for the pets.  Dogs are always popular in Lake Arrowhead Village, but you can’t bring them inside the roped Octoberfest/Band Area — You should know that if you’re a pet owner who also wants to party, because you can’t bring your Beer outside the ropes.

And we always bring Peanuts for the Blue Jays.  We just put a bunch on the cabin deck and they fly right in to get them.  It’s pretty cool.  They’re so beautiful too.

And here’s the Dogs playing in the cabin.  They were tugging over a stuffed Gorilla until we gave them the treats from the Three Dog Bakery.  I should also mention that there’s a Three Dog Bakery in Newport Beach too, since that’s where I live — Not at the Barkery, near Newport. 🙂

 Related Links: 

http://lakearrowheadvillage.com/Merchant5/merchant.mvc

https://www.threedog.com/Default.aspx

http://www.lakearrowhead.net/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Arrowhead,_California

We saw this recipe in a cookbook I recent bought for my Niece’s Birthday  — We thought it was so clever and cute that we made it during a sleepover at a family cabin in Lake Arrowhead.  That’s us on the cake from left to right, my sister Ami, Niece Lexi, Mom, Me and Niece Bailee.    

We look a bit like zombies, but it was fun to make.  Our heads are Nilla Wafers, the pillows are Marshmallows, and the bodies are Twinkies.  We used Jawbreakers for the eyes, sweet and sour Candy Rope for the bed skirt and trim, and made a Milk Chocolate Cake instead of a Vanilla one.

Here’s a picture of the book cover and recipe.  The original looks more polished — It was harder to make than we expected.  It’s tricky frosting over the Twinkies, we added toothpicks to hold them in place.  The softer the Frosting and bed trim Candy, the better.  It was a cool experience together.

Our Cake was posted on Culinarty by Lore as one of (10) Original Food Photos.  Take a look at it there and check out her other picks.  They are all pretty amazing.  Thanks Lore.

http://culinarty.sapiensworks.com/articles/lores-choice-10-original-food-photos-5/

Related Links:

http://www.cookingwithkids.com/

http://www.kids-cooking-activities.com/

http://www.amazon.com/FamilyFun-Cooking-Kids-Deanna-Cook/dp/1423100867

I usually don’t advertise advertisements, especially for fast food, but the new Jack in the Box commercial makes me laugh.  It’s the one with the two grown men in a twins baby stroller crying — It’s TOO funny!  Since it was on TiVo we played it several times.  Anyway, now I’m brain washed to try their new product – HA.  Good one J in the B. 

It’s usually not my preferred fast food joint — I might get a Taco from there every five years or so.  The commercial is for their Pita Sandwiches with Chipotle Sauce (aka Pita Snacks).  I tried their Fish Pita Sandwich.  Chipotle anything gets me every time. 

Overall, the Sauce flavor was good, but the Sandwich wasn’t.  It’s basically a Fish Stick hosted in a Pita that’s too chewy and thick for its contents, but I did get it out of my system (no mas) and I can still laugh at the commercial.

While requesting the Pita Sandwich, I saw something unique on the menu, Fried Cheesy Macaroni Bites, which reminded me of something at the Fair.  I had to try them too.  And I have to admit that I kind of liked them.  I couldn’t eat more than 3, since they’re greasy, but good.  And they do have Macaroni and Cheese inside.  I was glad I tried them, since they made up for the other.

Sandwich Proposals:  Serve on Flat Bread, use two pieces of Fish or a larger portion, add more fresh Lettuce and Chipotle Sauce.  Good luck.

Related Links:

http://www.yumsugar.com/1824741

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/544035

http://www.griffineatsoc.com/2008/07/jack-in-box-is-so-cheesy.html

http://www.foodfacts.info/blog/2008/07/jack-cheesy-macaroni-bites.html

This dish happened by mistake.  And the title was inspired by a funny SNL skit that cracks me up every time.  Here’s an excerpt of the song by Dana Carvey with some fun animation.  Choppin’ Bro CO Lay — It’s funny stuff!

I was attempting to make my Aunt Barbara’s Spinach Souffle´.  She’s been making it every Christmas for years.  My sister and I always look forward to gobbling it down.  And since I recently learned how simple the recipe is, I wanted to make it immediately.

But it appears I wasn’t paying enough attention at the grocery store, because I ended up with (3) blocks of frozen chopped Broccoli, instead of frozen chopped Spinach.  Since I had the rest of the ingredients, I made the recipe with the Broccoli and added some Panko Breadcrumbs on top.

The Broc-Co-Lay Souffle´ was okay tasting, but the recipe is a lot better with Spinach, and no Panko Breadcrumbs are needed.  Also, it was a bit curdled looking when made with Broccoli, which isn’t attractive in a Souffle´, Gratin or similar.  I won’t be making it with Broccoli again.

Aunt Barbara’s Spinach Souffle´ Recipe: 

3 10oz. Frozen Chopped Spinach, thawed and drained
[It’s made with Broccoli above and Spinach below – YEAH]

1 16oz. Sour Cream

1 Envelope Lipton Onion Soup Mix

Mix all ingredients together and bake in the oven at 350° for 35-40 minutes.

Recipe shown here with Broccoli and Panko Breadcrumbs.

And here, as it’s supposed to be made with Spinach.  Yum.  Thanks for the recipe Aunt B.

FYI:  These are the Panko Breadcrumbs I’ve been using in recipes.  They continue to stay fresh and crispy each time I open the container.

Panko Breadcrumbs – http://www.iansnaturalfoods.com/canada.html