Nibbles of Tidbits, a Food Blog

Extraneous PRELUDE of Importance: Still working on technical issues in relation to the upload of new photos associated with our latest reports, thus opt to recite a Press Release we received.  By posting this we hope NOT to encourage the dumping of Press Releases in our inbox.  Although we appreciate that they do relate to food, for the record we’re not fans of receiving ’em like a depository.  We don’t want to collect them and mostly never parrot them, especially if they’re — Not personalized, uninteresting, self-serving, offering of barely worth mentioning consumer deals or incentives, unfamiliar, repetitive, not locally, nationally or universally relevant and/or contrary to Nibbles of Tidbits’ assessment.  It had to be said.  

Without further ado, we look forward to trying Rustica in June.*

Rustica, an exclusive new restaurant by award-winning Chef Grant MacPherson, will debut at Fashion Island in June. MacPherson’s wealth of international culinary experience will bring authentic regional cooking techniques and a blend of seasonal California foods to Fashion Island, one of Southern California’s favorite dining destinations. After being involved in more than 50 acclaimed restaurants and dining concepts worldwide, MacPherson is returning to his first passion – cooking – with the opening of Rustica. A true chef at heart, MacPherson will focus on a menu of creativity, refinement and elegance with fresh, high quality, seasonal foods.

“I believe in providing our guests with the ultimate dining experience,” said MacPherson. “At Rustica, I will be very involved in the cuisine, from executing the farm to table concept, to offering unparalleled service and personal interaction with the customers. I want our guests to feel at home and to feel like family and friends.” The same menu will be featured at lunch and dinner, offering homemade soups, unique salads, wood-fired flatbreads, hand-crafted pastas, seasonal fish, wet-aged beef, and exceptional gelato made daily. Signature items will include Tuna Nicoise, Golden Beet Salad, Peppered Beef Carpaccio, Oven Roasted Pacific Fennel Salmon, and Maine Lobster and Asparagus Risotto.

“Chef MacPherson has long been a major player in the restaurant business on the domestic and international stages, but Rustica is the first restaurant that will carry his name,” said Keith Eyrich, President of Irvine Company Retail Properties. “With Grant’s attention to detail and quality, Rustica will be a wonderful addition to Fashion Island’s collection of fine restaurants. Because of our track record for success, Fashion Island continues to be a top location choice for restaurants,” Eyrich continued. “Rustica is representative of our move to feature independent, chef-driven restaurants that showcase culinary excellence.” Eyrich notes that as part of Fashion Island’s $100 million reinvestment, more restaurants with patio dining will be featured throughout the center.

“Our guests love to dine outdoors and choose Fashion Island over places that can’t offer this amenity,” Eyrich said. Other notable restaurants that debuted at Fashion Island include the first-ever locations of Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar and R&D Kitchen, and the first California locations of Roy’s Hawaiian Fusion Cuisine and P.F. Chang’s. At 3,700 square feet, Rustica will have a casual and inviting atmosphere, with patio dining adjacent to Fashion Island’s new Nordstrom Court and elegant Italian-inspired fountain. The restaurant is located next to Nordstrom.

In addition to Rustica opening in June, Fashion Island also previously announced that Fox Restaurant Concepts will open its first California location of True Food Kitchen this summer. An acclaimed Phoenix-based restaurant, True Food Kitchen has a diverse menu created by best-selling healthy-living author Dr. Andrew Weil that focuses on high quality, locally-sourced ingredients that taste great. 

* Our apologies to Rustica for the possible damper on their exciting news with our PRELUDE.

Not sure if you can tell from this photo, but a big chunk is taken out of the bottom of this package.  It inverts about an inch and a half.  We already know that we’re paying more for less these days — But to me, this type of shrinking package is sneaky.  I don’t respect it.  These Licorice Pastels are from BevMo.  And they’re not that great tasting either, since they’re soft not crunchy.

Inspired by the Cheese & Charcuterie we saw at SideDoor in Corona Del Mar, we’re testing Cheese to select the best for a Cheese Tasting Party I’ll be hosting.  The goal is to make our platter as special as theirs.  We learned the importance of preliminary testing by quickly ruling out the TJ Morbier from France, Cheese #1 (Above).  It was awful.  I don’t like having to write this because it’s not appetizing, but it smelled and tasted like stinky feet — Not good!  I definitely wouldn’t want to serve it to guests, as it could be a turn off from the rest.

I ultimately decided on 5 – 6 Cheeses from Trader Joe’s and can’t wait to plate them with Calabrese Salami and Black & Green Olive Bread, with a complimentary selection of fresh Pears, dried Montmorency Cherries, Pecans, Garlic Stuffed Olives, Red Grapes, Mustard, Club Crackers, Pita Chips, etc.  Check back to see how our Cheese & Charcuterie measures up to the platters at SideDoor.

Would you believe ALL the food pictured in this post is fake?  It’s true — It’s all phony baloney!  Some of it looks close to real and some obviously counterfeit.  Nonetheless, it’s the best forged food we’ve seen.  It goes well with our favorite Twilight Zone episode titled a Stopover In A Quiet Town.  In it a couple wakes up in unfamiliar surroundings (a doll house) after a night of  partying.  They then discover that everything in the house and town is a prop and that they’re now living dolls for larger people on a different planet.  These party platters would be served there.

All photos were taken at The HoneyBaked Ham Company in Corona Del Mar.

11/09/11 Update:  The Corona Del Mar location is now closed.

Stay tuned tomorrow on ABC starting at 9PM (Pacific) and on Twitter for Bertolli’s Taste & Tweet Sunday Night Dinner Party.  Nibbles of Tidbits will be virtually dining with other VIP Bloggers via #BertolliItaly — We’re on Twitter as FoodBlog and our Tweets (aka Chirps) are RSS’d below.  Our participatory selection for this fun event is Bertolli’s Lemon Herb Shrimp & Penne paired with Gnarly Head Pinot Grigio.  We can’t wait to try all during Desperate Housewives, when the Into the Heart of Italy episodes premiere.  Learn more @ www.IntotheHeartofItaly.com.

* Come back tomorrow to see how the above cooked up and click here for previous Bertolli product reviews.

Important Women’s Health Issue:

* Are you feeling tired?
* Are you stressed?
* Do you have feelings of inadequacy?
* Do you suffer from shyness?
* Do you sometimes wish you were more assertive?
* Do you feel overwhelmed at times, as if there is not enough time in the day for all of your responsibilities?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, ask your doctor or pharmacist about Margaritas. 

Margaritas are the safe, natural way to feel better and more confident about yourself and your actions. Margaritas can help ease you out of your shyness and let you tell the world that you’re ready and willing to do just about anything. You will notice the benefits of Margaritas almost immediately and with a regimen of regular doses you can overcome any obstacle that prevents you from living the life you want to live. Your stress will literally melt away. Shyness and awkwardness will be a thing of the past and you will discover many talents you never knew you had. Stop hiding and start living, with Margaritas. 

Margaritas may not be right for everyone. Women who are pregnant or nursing should not use Margaritas. However, women who wouldn’t mind nursing or becoming pregnant are encouraged to try it.  

Side effects may include:

– Dizziness
– Nausea
– Vomiting
– Incarceration
– Erotic lustfulness
– Loss of motor control
– Loss of clothing
– Loss of money
– Table dancing
– Headaches
– Dehydration
– Dry mouth
– And a desire to sing Karaoke 

Warnings:

* The consumption of Margaritas may make you think you are whispering when you are not.

* The consumption of Margaritas may cause you to tell your friends over and over again that you love them.

* The consumption of Margaritas may cause you to think you can sing.

* The consumption of Margaritas may make you think you can logically converse with members of the opposite sex without spitting. 

Please share this with other women who may need Margaritas.

Note:  Photo by Food Colors — Above was forwarded by a friend. Original origin is unknown.  We think it’s funny!

You can probably skip this Cookbook — It’s Williams-Sonoma New Healthy Kitchen: Starters (2006).  I’ve finally gotten around to utilizing it.  The colorful recipe photos are beautiful and offer so much promise, but when gettin’ down to wanting to make any of them, the pickings are slim.  Some recipes are impractical, others don’t even sound good, and ingredients should be altered in the pictured recipe I made.  It’s the Purple Bell Pepper & Goat Cheese Terrine (p. 33) substituting Red Bell Pepper, since Purple Bell Peppers are hard to come by.  Other than that, I followed the exact recipe and thought my unveiled terrine to be too runny and salty.  If you still want to make this recipe after this report, it’s recommended that you use half the Salt and Milk that’s listed, and possibly replace the Shallot with chopped Green Onion or Chives.

* I also have Williams-Sonoma New Healthy Kitchen: Desserts and will post what we ultimately make from it.  I hope it’s better than this Starter.  If you cannot view the enlarged recipe well enough to prepare a better version of it, tell us in a comment.

A new law went into effect on January 1, 2010.  California became the first state to ban Trans Fat in restaurants.  I certainly don’t need Trans Fat, also known as Partially Hydrogenated Oils, but have a big problem with the government telling restaurant owners what they can and cannot use/serve in their respective food businesses.  It’s like rewriting a chef’s recipe.  Responsibility is with oneself.  There are more important issues to be tackled by local and federal government, which are blogged about elsewhere.  This is supposed to be a happy place. 🙂

* Photo is of Newport Harbor in Newport Beach, California.

Nibbles of Tidbits will be making an effort to dine out even more in 2010.  There’s a lot of deals happening and we’d like to take advantage of them.  As the Orange County Food Examiner, I previously reported about several unfortunate restaurant closures in 2009, along with a few dining out tips to minimize the closures in 2010.  Let’s do our part to help stimulate the economy by dining out more this year.  It’s a win-win situation and there will be less dishes to wash.

Note:  Photo is of the Tenderloin Carpaccio served at Fleming’s Prime Steak House & Wine Bar in Fashion Island (Newport Beach).

I’m not sure if the following hangover remedies actually work, but thought the information was interesting and may be helpful to some.  Hopefully I won’t need ’em this year, but it’s handy just in case.

COFFEE:  While Coffee does NOT help sober you up, it can provide some relief for that pounding headache.

RAW EGGS:  Salvation for hangover sufferers could lie in downing raw Eggs as they contain a chemical ingredient called N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC).  It is thought that NAC boosts the body’s ability to mop up destructive chemicals called free radicals, which build up in the liver as enzymes break down alcohol.  Free radicals are normally destroyed by a naturally occurring enzyme called glutathione, but reserves can be low after periods of heavy drinking.  
 
BURIED UP TO YOUR NECK IN SAND:  In Ireland, it’s said that the cure for a hangover is to bury the ailing person up to the neck in moist river sand.  I don’t think I’ll be doing this.
 
PICKLE JUICE:  In Poland, drinking Pickle Juice is a common remedy.
 
Now why Fernet-Branca?  Fernet (pictured) is a type of spirit known as an Amaro – Italian for ‘bitter’.  One theory is that the bitterness is a cure for the body to begin producing saliva and digestive juices.  Herbalists say that it’s the combination of herbs found in Fernet that make it the ideal cure.  More than 40 barks, roots, herbs, fungi and spices go into Fernet.  These include Myrrh, Orris Root, Saffron and Cinchona Bark.  In fact, when the original formula was conceived in 1845, it was born as a medicine.  Decades later, Fernet is recognized as being healthful.  Give it a try, if necessary.

I haven’t verified the following, but found it very interesting.  It was forwarded to me by a friend, and since it’s food related it qualifies to be shared here.  I’ll be buying some Bananas tomorrow.  Read on to learn about the benefits of the Banana…

A Physiological Psychology Professor at CCNY told his class about Bananas — He said the expression “Going Bananas” is from the effects of Bananas on the brain.  After reading this, you’ll never look at a Banana in the same way. 

Bananas contain three natural sugars – sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber.  A Banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy.  Research has proven that just two Bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout.  No wonder the Banana is the number one fruit with the world’s leading athletes.

But energy isn’t the only way a Banana can help keep fit.  It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to a daily diet.

Depression:  According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a Banana.  This is because Bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier. 

PMS:  Forget the pills – Eat a Banana.  The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.

Anemia:  High in iron, Bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and thus helps in cases of anemia. 

Blood Pressure:  This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it perfect to beat blood pressure.  So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the Banana industry to make official claims for the fruit’s ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.

Brain Power:  200 students at a Twickenham Middlesex School in England were helped through their exams this year by eating Bananas at breakfast, during breaks and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power.  Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.

Constipation:  High in fiber, including Bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.

Hangovers:  One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a Banana milkshake sweetened with honey.  The Banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.

Heartburn:  Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a Banana for soothing relief.

Morning Sickness:  Snacking on Bananas between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness.

Mosquito Bites:  Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a Banana skin.  Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.

Nerves:  Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system.

Ulcers:  The Banana is used as a dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness.  It’s the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases.  It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.

Temperature Control:  Many other cultures see Bananas as a “cooling” fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers.  In Thailand, for example, pregnant women eat Bananas to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD):  Bananas can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer tryptophan.

Smoking & Tobacco Use:  Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking.  The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.

Stress:  Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body’s water balance.  When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels.  They can be rebalanced with the help of a high-potassium Banana snack.

Strokes:  According to research in The New England Journal of Medicine, eating Bananas as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%.

Warts:  Those keen on natural alternatives swear that if you want to kill off a wart, take a piece of Banana skin and place it on the wart, with the yellow side out.  Carefully hold the skin in place with a surgical tape.

A Banana is truly a natural remedy for many ills.  When you compare it to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrate, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals.  It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around, so maybe it’s time to change that well-known phrase so that we say, “A Banana a day keeps the doctor away.”

And finally, need a quick shine on our shoes?  Take the inside of the Banana skin and rub it directly on the shoe… Polish with a dry cloth and voila.  It’s an amazing fruit!  Bananas must be the reason monkeys are so happy all the time.

Who has the right of way when trying to navigate around the excess displays in a grocery store?  It’s getting a little ridiculous.  Why does every aisle have to be loaded such that only one cart can pass at a time?  It causes too much congestion and makes me feel like I’m on an obstacle course.  I’m not going to buy an item because I have to trip over it — Stop the madness.  It doesn’t make for a pleasant shopping experience.

A friend sent me this article a couple weeks ago and I found it very interesting.  It kind of makes sense to a layman.  I learned that it’s best to drink warm water after certain meals, instead of a cold beverage.  After reading the article, you may want to opt for a cup of Green Tea with your French Fries in place of a Soda.  Since there are many factors involved in a heart attack, we don’t purport that following this advice will avoid one, but don’t think it will hurt.  The report includes several links to additional beneficial (healthful) information.

As a Food Correspondent for Foodbuzz, I attended the Taste of Newport Food Festival and reported about it on Foodbuzz.com.  See more photos there and most of the review below.

The 21st Annual Taste of Newport Food Festival happened this year on September 18^th – 20^th.  And I was there as a Foodie Correspondent on behalf of Foodbuzz.  The beautiful city of Newport Beach is home to some of the finest restaurants in Orange County, California, and over 30 of them were serving top notch fare on Newport Center Drive, around Fashion Island.  The food was amazing as usual and this year’s musical headliners were Sugar Ray, Train and David Cook.  Do you think David can cook?  Maybe he’ll cook me dinner some night.  In any event, it wasn’t a food event to be missed.  Happy 21st Taste of Newport!  We celebrated by taking in all it had to offer – Indian, Italian, Brazilian, Thai, Japanese and more.

Taste of Newport provides a great opportunity to sample dishes from several local restaurants in one evening.  For the price of admission, one can participate in cooking demonstrations, corporate giveaways, and superior entertainment.  Some even consider the Taste of Newport a great concert with access to fabulous food.  We had fun dancing at the Sugar Ray concert this year, especially with a Lamb Chop in hand.

Unfortunately the food isn’t included in the $25 cost of admission – Once you’re inside, it’s necessary to purchase an eScrip card in any amount between $1 and $100, which is then swiped at the various food booths in lieu of cash.  The process works well, after you get passed the two lines.  The restaurant lines aren’t too bad if you arrive when it opens, but the event packs them in and gets pretty crowded.  For optimum enjoyment it’s best to get there early and bring cash, as the credit card lines to purchase tickets and eScrip are much longer than the cash lines.

Our favorite restaurants this year were Chakra Creative Indian Cuisine and Agora Churrascaria.  Another benefit of attending Taste of Newport is taking home lots of coupons as an incentive to visit the actual restaurants – I can’t wait to eat at Agora Churrascaria with my $10 off coupon.  As a Foodie Correspondent for Foodbuzz this year, I learned how best to navigate a Taste of Newport next year, which will hopefully helps others.  The event isn’t cheap, but a portion of the proceeds are donated to various local charities.  And my final recommendation is to select a few Christopher Michael Handcrafted Chocolateson the way out with the balance left on your eScrip card. 

Baskin Robbins Ice Cream and Cake Dance commercial — Have you seen it?  Some find it completely annoying and others find it oddly funny.  What do you think about it?  We had one of the Ice Cream Cakes for a birthday celebration.  It was okay.  I like the combination, but (unfortunately) always find the Cake portion a little dry.  Back to the commercial, Ice Cream and Cake, Do the Ice Cream and Cake — I find it oddly funny, boarderline annoying and a little creepy, my Mom says she can’t turn the channel fast enough when it comes on, and my Brother-in-Law sings it at the Fire Station with another Fireman who thinks it’s funny.

 

I bought these fresh White Currants for less than a dollar at Grower’s Direct.  The price was good, like most of the produce there, and I’d never tried them before.  You’ll find great prices on fruit and vegetables at Grower’s Direct, if you can put up with the narrow aisles, people traffic and (sometimes) parking issues.  I went there for the makings of a Vegetable Platter and tacked on these White Currants for a try.

I quickly learned that White Currants aren’t too edible alone — They’re tart and have a lot of crunchy seeds inside.  So much for simply enjoying a new tasty Berry, HA.  I was hoping to eat ’em like a Blueberry, Raspberry, etc.  The next thought was to make something out of them.  What?  The obvious was Jam/Jelly, which I don’t use.  And I couldn’t see them enhancing the flavor of anything that’s quick and simple to make.

Since I didn’t want to waste all of them, I tossed some in a small batch of Rice Pudding, which isn’t as simple as it sounds.  I had the prepared (leftover) Rice, but it’s necessary to pick off both ends of the White Currants before adding to a recipe.  And by the time you pick off the bottom fur-ish part, you’re left with mostly seeds and skin, HA.  It’s real worth it, not. 

Overall, they weren’t bad in the Rice Pudding, nor good either.  I learned a lot, yet still don’t know the best thing to do with White Currants.  That’s okay, because it’s always fun to try new things — Some are fabulous finds and others just an educational story.  Next.

Thai Tasty Corner Restaurant closed, then moved down the street renamed Thai Tastee.  The rent is better they say.  Although I never ate at Thai Tasty Corner, I gave them a try as Thai Tastee.  I had their Thai Fried rice with Shrimp and regret to report that the first bite included an eggshell — That’s never happened.  Past that, the Rice was good and the staff is very nice.  Thai Tastee is worth giving a try and better suited in its new location (formerly Mazzottis) down the street. 

And Carm’s Coneys will soon be occupying Thai Tasty Corner’s former location.  To continue musical restaurants, Jimmy’s Burger Joint now occupies Carm’s Coneys former location.  We hope all will do well and serve great food.

UPDATE 10/10/09:  It looks like Carm’s Coneys changed their mind about moving to the above location.  The coming soon sign is no longer in the window.  We’ll report if they end up somewhere else in Orange County.

There’s an unnecessary ingredient in Long John Silver’s New Baja Fish Taco.  They call them “crumblies” — Cute, but they’re basically just fried pieces of batter.  The addition doesn’t make sense on this Taco.  If the Fish is crispy, why add the crumblies?  It’s just more fat.  And if the Fish isn’t crispy, the crumblies seem to emphasize the fact, which was the case with this Taco.

Long John Silver’s INFO: http://www.longjohnsilvers.com/

Did you know that these foods are illegal or barely legal in the United States?  Check out the link to learn why you cannot eat certain foods in the USA and perhaps why you shouldn’t eat others.

Radiography Schools report the 50 best foods to eat for weight loss, to feel great and stay healthy.  All are terrific to eat, even if you don’t need to lose weight.  Coincidentally I enjoyed (11) of them yesterday.  The linked report includes some helpful information.

OMGosh, I’ve missed the LBC.  I lived in Belmont Shore and Belmont Heights in Long Beach for several years before relocating to Huntington Beach, then Costa Mesa.  I have a lot of great food and fun memories there.  It’s a cool city with vast food finds.  We skated the Long Beach Bike Path beginning to end, from Ocean/54th Place to Shoreline Village, like I have hundreds of times before — It’s nicely paved for skating.  

We had Shrimp, Chicken and Beef Fajitas, Side Salads, Chips & Salsa, Coronas and Margaritas on the Tequila Jack’s patio in Shoreline Village, which offers a few good restaurants to choose from.  This visit we attempted to eat at The Yard House, next door to Tequila Jack’s — BUT instead had an incident.  Since we skated, two were in socks and one in shoes.  Nevertheless we received an electronic transponder after reserving a table at The Yard House.

We secured 3 chairs at the bar to wait for a table to be available, then the YH Manager came over to tell us he couldn’t serve us due to the socks and we had to leave.  Real cool huh!?  I know there are rules, but was it necessary that we essentially be kicked out?  We weren’t walking around, we were going to be sitting outside, and looked and acted respectable otherwise.  He wouldn’t even allow us to wait outside until our patio table was ready.

I think the Manager’s non-flexibility was ridiculous — Our socks were gorgeous and would ultimately be under the table.  His fear of litigation and lack of case by case discretion lost our business.  THUS we had a lovely lunch at Tequila Jack’s, where they plainly saw our same state yet sat us without question.  Aside from this experience I like The Yard House and its food, but today we liked Tequila Jack’s much better.  The service was terrific.

More INFO: http://www.shorelinevillage.com/tequilajacks.html

Taco Tuesdays at Tequila Jack’s:
http://theguide.latimes.com/long-beach/restaurants/taco-tuesdays-event

Yesterday Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) offered a FREE New Grilled Chicken Drumstick to ALL (above).  And today El Pollo Loco (EPL) offered the public a FREE Drumstick (below) and Wing.  I was curious to try KFC’s new product so we went for the free Drumstick, and we already knew the taste of EPL’s Drumstick, but paid for this one for true comparison. 

But let’s just get right down to it, there’s no comparison — El Pollo Loco’s genuinely Grilled Chicken is hard to beat.  It’s got a lot of great flavor and it’s cooked on the better grill.  Isn’t it obvious from the photos above?  KFC’s Drumstick wasn’t bad — It was just bland and nothing special whatsoever.  I certainly wouldn’t go out of my way for it, but I would for EPL’s Drumstick. 

This OFFICIAL comparison reminded me how good EPL’s Chicken actually is.  Can another well-known fast food chain just jump in and expect much with just okay?  I think not.  I like Kentucky’s “Fried” Chicken much better than this Drumstick — KFC should stick with its Original Recipe and Extra Crispy, and come up with something better for this CHICKEN WAR.  El Pollo Loco is the WINNER.

Related Links:

http://www.kfc.com/

http://www.elpolloloco.com/

http://fastfood.freedomblogging.com/2009/04/22/kfcs-new-kentucky-grilled-chicken-vs-el-pollo-loco/18537/

What’s the exact difference between a Cupcake and a Muffin?  I pondered that question one night, then made these from a Cake Mix.  I didn’t use Cupcake Foils, over-poured the mix, and topped each with a Cinnamon and Sugar Crumble.  Are they Muffins now?  Or does the Cake Mix need more Baking Powder and/or Flour or other?  I’m not sure  —  And I’ve since learned there’s a lot of thought on it (below).  Regardless, these were good whatever they were, and their preparation is yet another way to use a Cake Mix.

What’s the difference between a Muffin and a Cupcake?  ANSWERS:

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/337338

http://www.cupcakeproject.com/2007/05/cupcake-vs-muffin-update.html

http://curiousfoodie.wordpress.com/2008/02/20/muffins-cupcakes-why-they-are-different/

http://nosheteria.com/2005/03/its-muffin-no-its-cupcake.html