Nibbles of Tidbits, a Food Blog

KABC, Channel 7 recently revealed where to get the BEST SLIDERS (Mini Burgers) and it recommended we try Charlie Palmer at Bloomingdale’s in South Coast Plaza.  Although they named the “Top 7 Slider Restaurants in Los Angeles,” they noted that Charlie Palmer’s in Orange County has exceptional Sliders too — I just tried two of the three.

I had the Kobe Beef Slider and the PBLT (Pork Belly, Lettuce & Tomato) Slider.  And before I even took a bite of the Kobe Beef Burger, I knew it was the Best Slider I’ve ever had.  Seriously, it’s aroma put me at the best backyard BBQ on a sunny day.  I usually don’t write this flowery, but it was that amazing to me.

And the PBLT was also surprisingly good.  “Surprisingly” because I’m generally a visible fat avoider — I trim all meat.  For that reason I haven’t gravitated towards Pork Belly, but I just went for it.  The texture was tender, not chewy as feared, but more like a thick slab of Bacon, which I love.

Both Sliders are worth traveling for.  Pictured above (L-R) PBLT, Kobe Beef & Kobe Beef — We haven’t yet tried the Crab Cake Slider, but may need to.  There’s more to this meal, but Charlie Palmer’s Sliders deserve a showcase.

Enjoy!

 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. 🙂

I’m saving $3 a Cupcake.  The trick is to make them, so I created My Own Cupcake Shoppe.  I’ve tried to make mine better than those previously reported on Nibbles of Tidbits.  Some Cupcakes are better than I’ve purchased, but none as good as the best.  I’m still striving towards that. 

I made all Cupcakes pictured and will post the step by step process when advised that it’s not being published elsewhere.  That’s currently unknown.  Until then, enjoy the concept.  It was fun making them.  Better pictures to be provided in a future post.

So far I’ve made the following flavors:  Orange, Lemon, Lime, Raspberry, Pineapple Coconut, Carrot Pecan, Snickerdoodle, Marble, Bailey’s Irish Cream, White and Milk Chocolate Chips, and Chocolate Mint.

Related Links:

http://www.ineedtext.com/FoodBlog/?p=187

http://www.ineedtext.com/FoodBlog/?p=12

http://www.ineedtext.com/FoodBlog/?p=808

http://www.ineedtext.com/index_files/Page2246.htm

La Siesta Restaurant was working hard, not napping.  They recently catered my friend’s wedding reception and did an excellent job.  The food was very good. 

I had never heard of them before, but I’ve since learned that they’re well loved in San Clemente.  I picked up one of their business cards and it says they specialize in Carnitas.  That’s what I liked the most.  Oh, the reception was very fun too. 

The view from the Ole Hanson Beach Club was spectacular.  It’s a great place for a wedding reception.  La Siesta was set up on the roof.  It’s a winning combination for those looking to tie the knot.  And finally, here’s a picture of the Cake.  It was cool too.  Congratulations Andrea & Mike.

Related Links:

http://www.lasiestasanclemente.com/

http://www.olehansonbeachclub.com/

If you’d like information regarding the Cake, please let us know in a comment.

Most of the appetizers at The Yard House are half price during Happy Hour, which is 3:00-6:00pm (M-F).  It’s a great deal on good quality food.  We got the Crab Cakes, Ham and Pineapple Pizza, Sliders with Bearnaise Sauce and French Fries, plus a Hefeweizen and Dirty Martini.  We liked it all.

Related Links:

http://www.yardhouse.com/flash/default.asp

http://www.ineedtext.com/FoodBlog/?p=1310

Here’s ingredient-by-ingredient instructions and pictures to an easy Beef Bourguignon.  I’m happy to say that this one turned out great.  The meat was perfectly tender and the broth was flavorful. 

To make the same, heat Olive Oil and Bacon Grease in a dutch oven, S & P some Beef cubes/chunks and quickly sear until all sides are brown, then remove and set aside.  

Peel and chop Onion, Carrots and Potatoes.

Saute the Onion for about 5 minutes, then add the Carrots and Potatoes to brown.  When sufficiently brown, add minced Garlic and cook another minute — Then add Beef Stock and a generous amount of Red Wine.  And return the seared Beef to the pot.

Add Mushrooms, Thyme, a Bay Leaf and peeled chopped Tomatoes.  Cover and bake in the oven at 325° for 2 hours.  Stir once every 30 minutes or so.

After a couple hours all will be tender and tasty.  And most of the time it’s even better the next day.  See the notes and link below for more information.

NOTE 1:  Other vegetables can be substituted in this recipe.  My preference in BB is Parsnips, Carrots and Mushrooms, but use what’s on hand when I really want something.

NOTE 2:  To make a larger portion, simply increase the ingredients proportionally.

NOTE 3:  Use Top Round, Bottom Round, Chuck, or similar stewing meat that’s on sale.  It’ll be tender in this dish.

Related Link:

Beef Bourgignon – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beef_Bourguignon

I recently went to a concert at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.  We were lucky to have a Suite, A-16 to be exact.  And this Dessert Cart appeared at our door.  It had quite the impressive selection.  My friends loved the Red Velvet Cake and the Brownie Bar.  I was eating a CPK Pizza at the time, so skipped it later wishing I got something.

Here’s a concert peek, our Suite, and more of the Dessert Cart.  TIP:  If purchasing a Suite, bring a small flashlight so you can see.  The lights stay off during a concert and it’s pretty dark.

Related Links:

http://www.staplescenter.com/

We had marinated and grilled Carne Asada, Chorizo & Beans, flavorful Pasta Salad, juicy Watermelon, homemade Salsa, a Layered Dip with homemade Guacamole*, Tortilla Chips, fix-ins for Tacos and Burritos, fresh baked Brownies, Strawberry Lemonade, Coronas, Cactus Coolers and Big Sticks.  The food was excellent and we had a BLAST.

To keep away the pesty bugs associated with many backyard parties, it’s a must to have these netted food tents.

Related Links:

http://www.kaboodle.com/reviews/tabletop-food-tent-large

*  Unfortunately the Layered Dip PICS weren’t up to par — It looked and tasted great in person though.

I recently ate at Tantalum Restaurant for dinner and I’ve been kicking myself everyday since.  Why?  Because I didn’t have my camera to capture all the amazing dishes we experienced.  I’m not doing this dish justice, but needed to show something to make myself feel better.

The above is the only leftover — It’s Black Beer Braised Short Rib, with Root Vegetable Hash and Grilled Baby Bok Choy.  Otherwise we polished off the rest at the restaurant.

*  Petite Slider Trio – Kobe Beef & Maytag Bleu Cheese, Short Rib & Onion Jam, and PorkBelly & Arugula (3 mini specialty burgers)

*  Apple & Tofu Fritters with Caramelized Yali Pears, Kaffir Lime Aioli

*  Pan Roasted Organic Chicken Breast with Garlic Smash, Summer Beans and Shisito Pan Sauce

*  Fried Banana Bread Pudding with Dark Rum Caramel and Tahitian Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

All were impressively presented — Now you know why I’m kicking myself.  It’s a great place with unique food.  The entrance feels a bit like a pleasant walk down the yellow brick road, which leads to a magnificent Harbor View, and a very cool restaurant and cozy bar areas.

For the Long Beach old timers, it’s located where the former Houlihan’s used to be.  It’s a whole new place, although Tantalum’s been open for 3 years.  I highly recommend it for style and taste, but it’s not inexpensive.  You can learn more and view the menu easily below.

Related Links:

http://www.tantalumrestaurant.com/

http://www.tantalumrestaurant.com/dinner_menu.php

http://www.yelp.com/biz/tantalum-restaurant-long-beach

A friend sent this to me in an E-Mail — I’m not sure where it originated, but I found it very interesting.  I’ve always been amazed and thankful for the bountiful foods from the Earth.  I like the photography and information here.

A Tomato has four chambers and is red — The heart is red and has four chambers.  Research shows that Tomatoes are indeed pure heart and blood food.

Grapes hang in a cluster that has the shape of the heart.  Each Grape looks like a blood cell and research shows that Grapes are a profound heart and blood vitalizing food.

Sliced Carrots look much like an eye — The pupil, iris and radiating lines look just like the human eye.  And science shows that Carrots greatly enhance blood flow to the eyes.

A Walnut looks like a little brain, a left and right hemisphere, upper cerebrums and lower cerebellums.  Even the wrinkles or folds on the nut look like the neo-cortex. We now know that Walnuts help develop over 3 dozen neuron-transmitters for brain function.

Kidney Beans actually heal and help maintain kidney function and look much like human kidneys.

Celery, Bok Choy, Rhubarb and more look a lot like bones.  These foods specifically target bone strength.  Bones are 23% sodium and these foods are 23% sodium.  If you don’t have enough sodium in your diet, the body pulls it from the bones making them weak. These foods replenish the skeletal needs of the body.

Grapefruits, Oranges and other citrus fruits look very much like the mammary glands of the female and actually assist the health of the breasts and the movement of lymph in and out of the breasts.

Sweet Potatoes look like the pancreas and actually balance the glycemic index of diabetics.

Eggplant, Avocados and Pears target the health and function of the womb and cervix of the female – They look much like these organs.  Research shows that when a woman eats 1 Avocado a week, it balances hormones, sheds unwanted birth weight and prevents cervical cancers.  And it takes exactly 9 months to grow an Avocado from blossom to ripened fruit.  There are over 14,000 photolytic chemical constituents of nutrition in each one of these foods.  Modern science has only studied and named about 141 of them.

Figs are full of seeds and hang in twos when they grow.  Figs increase the motility of male sperm and increase the numbers of sperm as well as help to overcome male sterility.  

Onions look like body cells.  Research shows that Onions help clear waste materials from the body cells.  They even produce tears which wash the epithelial layers of the eyes, and they’re even shaped like tears.

Olives assist with the health and function of the ovaries.

NOTE:  The above information has not been verified for accuracy.  It has also been modified for grammatical accuracy and readability.  I apologize that I wasn’t able to correct the font variation and some formatting.

Our MENU included Rib Eye Steaks cooked Medium Rare – Traditional camp fare for many cowboys.

We also grilled Bacon Wrapped Asparagus and Lemon Butter Basted Shrimp — No recipes are needed here, since the ingredients and instructions are within the dish titles.  Just wrap, lace, baste and BBQ.  Both are simple and Tast-TEE!

One luxury camping lunch included home grown Tomatoes, sliced Mozzarella and julienned Basil drizzled with Italian Dressing (or Balsamic Vinegar and Olive Oil).  With that we munched on Chips and Bleu Cheese Dip, Fresh Cut Cantaloupe, and Artichoke Hearts.

Another night we had Tacos rolled in freshly cooked Uncooked Flour Tortillas.  Yes, that sentence is correct.  See related links for more information.

For breakfast we made Scrambled Eggs with Soy Sauce, Mini Bagels & Cream Cheese, and Mimosas.  Another lunch included Ham, Salami, Provolone, Pickle and Tomato Sandwiches.

Dessert was easy.  We brought Rice Crispy Treats, Cupcakes (various flavors, kinda like a dozen Doughnuts), and Fudge.  All were homemade.  The recipe on the Kraft Marshmallow Cream Jar is our favorite Fudge Recipe.  And you know where to find the Rice Crispy Treats recipe.

The Cupcake flavors prepared here are Orange Zest, Lemon Zest, Lime Zest, Raspberry Swirl, Snicker-doodle, Maple Brown Sugar, Chocolate, and Coconut Pineapple.  Cupcake recipes to be posted in the future. 

BTW, our camping was in a large Motor Home on the cliffs of Carlsbad, California, along the beach — We didn’t rough it too bad.

Fudge Recipe:  http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,189,152182-243194,00.html

Past Cupcake Posting:  http://www.ineedtext.com/FoodBlog/?p=12

Uncooked Flour Tortillas:
http://www.bloglander.com/cheapeats/2005/07/01/uncooked-flour-tortillas/

YouTube Bacon Wrapped Asparagus:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcI1fgXHksA

Since I like Houston’s ‘Chicago-Style Spinach Dip’ so much, I wanted to make it at home.  I researched the Internet and came across a few Copycat Recipes, so I tried a couple. 

I combined and fine tuned all that I learned to decide on the following as my version of the restaurant’s tasty dip, with a little more of the goodies — Artichokes and Spinach.  The Houston’s flavors are there.

Recipe and Ingredients: 

As shown above, first cut off the tough ends of the Artichoke Hearts (if necessary), then mix all ingredients together.  Transfer the mixture to an oven proof dish, then bake at 350° for 30 minutes.

1 (16 oz.) Bag of Frozen Chopped Spinach, thawed and squeezed or drained of all water

1 (12 oz.) Jar of Marinated Artichoke Hearts, drained and chopped (Unmarinated is fine)

1 Large Garlic Clove, minced or pressed

1 Cup of Mozzarella Cheese, grated (Jack Cheese can be substituted)

2/3 Cup of Parmesan Cheese, grated or shaved

1/2 Cup Sour Cream (Heaping Cup)

1/4 Cup Cream or Half & Half  (Less, if too runny or watery, add a little at a time)

Houston’s serves their Chicago-Style Spinach Dip with Tortilla Chips, Sour Cream and Salsa, which is great, but at home I usually have it with Stacy’s Simply Naked Pita Chips.  It’s hard to find a good bagged Tortilla Chip — But if you prefer the complete Houston’s combination, Have’a Chips are recommended as one of the better packaged Tortilla Chips.

These Scones were PERFECT.  I’ll never need another Scone recipe.  I mean it!  One of my very dear friends hosted this lovely High Tea to celebrate a couple birthdays.  We had a wonderful time and meal. 

While getting ready to just show up, I thought to myself, she’s probably working hard right now.  I appreciate her efforts even before tasting the fruits of her labor.  In particular, the Scones were better than any I’ve had.  We all said the same thing.  She sent a copy of the recipe, so I attached it below.

The Victorian House table setting was cute and cozy.  She served Tea Sandwiches, aka Canapes, made of Chicken & Rosemary, and Cucumber & Cream Cheese — Along with all was Clotted Cream, Preserves, and Fresh Fruit.

And mustn’t forget the Tea, an Orange flavored combination made by Monks.  It was exceptionally aromatic.  We all thought we were done when she comes out of the kitchen with Key Lime Squares.  Come on now.  She did the High Tea right.

The food and the company couldn’t be beat.  Thank YOU!

Related Links:

cream-scones.pdf – Cream Scone and Mock Clotted Cream Recipe

http://www.joyofbaking.com/

http://www.recipesource.com/

Bonus Link: 

http://www.theritzlondon.com/tea/ – You’ll see that The Ritz in London serves the same at their High Tea.  I wonder if it’s as good?

Thank you for the birthday gift Islands — And what a great gift it was.  I truly LOVE your burgers.  I most often get the Hawaiian Burger, which is what you see here.

These pictures are taken on the patio at the Irvine, California location off Bison.

The Kona Pie is very good too.  I’ve enjoyed it a few times in the past, but this day I was on the run without refrigeration.  The waiter brought it by for a quick photo, but then I gave it to a large party timed for dessert.  That was fun to do — They were excited about it too.  I REALLY wanted to take a bite, but you can’t give it away after that, and I knew I couldn’t finish it all — So I’m glad it went to a bigger cause.

Thank you Islands.  Your birthday gift was generous and pleasing.

http://www.islandsrestaurants.com/

Great Meatballs are at the Spaghetti Bender on PCH.  I like to swing by to pick some up, even if it’s out of the way.  The Meat Sauce they are served in tastes homemade with hours of love.  The Meatballs are airy and filling, not dense, nor hard like too many others.  Two large Meatballs come in a side order.  That’s what I got, plus an order of Garlic Bread.

The Meatballs and Sauce are consistently good.  In comparison, the Garlic Bread is just okay.  It’s a little dry and doesn’t really have much of a Garlic flavor, but it’s nice to dip in the Sauce.  Another item worth mentioning here is the Original House Salad, which is different and delicious.  It has capers, avocado, tomatoes, and a few other ingredients I’ll need to report about next time I get it.

As a bonus, there’s a large Rosemary bush out front.  I usually pick a piece on the way out.  It comes in handy sometimes and smells good.  Now what should I use it for this time?

Related Links:

www.spaghettibender.com

I met a local food lover for dinner.  This guy knows his stuff too.  He suggested we first get an appetizer at Nick’s Pizza Ristorante Italiano, then walk across the parking lot to Niko Niko Sushi for some Yellowtail Cheek he had previously reserved.  I thought it was a great idea and here’s what it all looked like.

Don’t let the name Nick’s Pizza make you think it’s just a Pizza place.  It’s much more than that.  They serve some of the best Italian food in Costa Mesa.  It’s located in an odd spot in the middle of a parking lot, but once you get inside you don’t know that.  They have great service too.  We shared the Bowl of Mussels, described as steamed Mussels with Garlic, White Wine, Parsley and a Red Spicy Sauce.  I thought the mussels and the sauce had great flavor.

We then walked over to Niko Niko Sushi to collect our Yellowtail Cheek.  I’ve never had it before, but was game.  However, when we arrived, they informed us that they were out of it.  Bummer.  Instead we got Himachi, which included a bonus “we’re sorry” piece.  That was nice. 

They also made us an Octopus Salad and Seaweed Salad, which was surprisingly good.  I write ‘surprisingly’ because I’m not really a fan of either.  All Octopus I’ve had thus far has been too chewy to enjoy.  This actually wasn’t.  It was nicely marinated and tender.  And I have to also say that the Seaweed was the best I’ve had thus far too — Not too fishy tasting, like some can be.  Here’s the related pictures.

Thanks to my food friend for suggesting all.  It was delightful.

Related Links:

http://www.nickspizzapasta.com/ , I do not see a website for Niko Niko Sushi at this time.

http://www.ineedtext.com/FoodBlog/?p=1301

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

Lemon Zest adds so much flavor to food.  It can be magical in some dishes.  I often make Lemon Zest Potatoes as a side dish.  To vary the flavor, I’ll usually toss in whatever herb(s) I have on hand.  This time it was Cilantro, one of my favorites.  It’s a punch of flavor.

This is simply a combination of Red Potatoes, Lemon Zest, Butter, Cilantro, Salt, and freshly ground Pepper.  Toss all together lightly, so not to mash.  Sometimes I put them in a skillet to fry the outsides a bit, and other times I’ve made a soup out of it.  Both ways it’s been delicious.

* I partially peel the Potatoes, mostly to cut off the weird parts.  If I have a perfect Red Potato, I usually don’t peel it at all — Mostly because I just don’t find it aPEELing.  Sorry.

My neighbor walked by when I was BBQing this.  I thought to myself… Please don’t ask me what I’m grilling. 

“Hi neighbor, it smells good, what are you grilling?” 

What would I say?  “UUmmmmm, a halved head of Romaine Lettuce.”  It just sounds so, like where’s the beef.  I didn’t even have anything else to tack on to the answer.  Thank God he didn’t ask 🙂 .  

I’ve loved the Grilled Romaine Salads I’ve had in a few restaurants and wanted to capture that same flavor, so I gave it a try.  And… I HIT IT first attempt. 

Read more…

There are certain things we eat that MUST be accompanied by a Glass of Milk.  For me, it’s Chocolate, most sweets, a homemade dinner or lunch, and breakfast.  Does anything satisfy or compliment certain foods better?  I know Red Wine does too, especially after a hard day, but we’re talking about Milk now.  Sometimes “Got milk?” does make a lot of sense.

I don’t know all the ins and outs about Milk — Some say aspects are good and others say differently.  I know I wouldn’t want to give it up.  I often crave a very cold glass of it.

On a side NOTE:  I once won a contest using it in a recipe.  The contest was sponsored by Milk, thus I’m sporting a Milk Mustache in a print AD.  My recipe and mug were published in Gourmet and Bon Appétit Magazines a few years back.  See the link below for the print copy and recipe. 

Related Link:

http://www.ineedtext.com/Gourmet%20Magazine.pdf

More information regarding Milk itself:

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

http://www.whymilk.com/

http://www.gotmilk.com/

http://www.moomilk.com/tour.htm

http://www.nutritionexplorations.org/

 

Today’s Mother’s Day.  Time to enjoy our family meal.  It’s different than what’s typically considered BBQ’d Chicken, BBQ Sauce wise.  The baste and dipping sauce is made of Nucoa Margarine, Apple Cider Vinegar, Garlic Salt and Paprika.  Dad bastes the chicken breasts over mesquite chips.  Mom says Butter won’t do, nor any other Margarine.  They say Nucoa doesn’t flare as much on the BBQ when basting.  The combination definitely makes a great dipping sauce too.  I still love it after all these years. 

Read more…

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.