Category Archives: Food

Taste of Huntington Beach is on Sunday April 28th

Two things I love: Good Books and Good Food. That is why I love supporting the Taste of Huntington Beach organized by the Friends of the Children’s Library (FOTCL). I myself have been a volunteer and one-time correspondence secretary of the FOTCL.

Since 2002, the Friends of the Children’s Library (FOTCL), in partnership with the Huntington Beach Restaurant Association (HBRA), has donated more than $300,000 from Taste proceeds to the HB Children’s Library.

This Sunday, I will be at the HB Sports Complex, with my camera and my taste buds ready to sample the wine and craft beers and the tastiest food. I look forward to seeing familiar faces and making new friends. It’s going to be a great time!

To view photos I took from the 2010 Taste of Huntington Beach, click here.

Here are some I took from last year’s Taste of Huntington Beach event.

Champagne served at the VIP Tent of the Taste of HB last year.

Some of my favorite local Huntington Beach restaurants are there every year to support the Children’s Library.

Like Duke’s Huntington Beach

Sandy’s Beach Grill

Sandy’s Beach Grill made its debut at the Taste 3 years ago!

And TomGirl Baking Company

Former Taste of HB Committee Volunteer leader has joined the TomGirl Baking Company actually. What a sweet group of gals! (pun intended)

I really love discovering new tastes and new restaurants at the Taste of Huntington Beach. Here are two of the most delicious samples I’ve had.

Tasty tacos with a twist from Red Table Restaurant

Pork Belly skewers from last year’s first timer The Corner HB.

So if you are looking for a fun springtime event, I do hope you can make it to the Taste of Huntington Beach on Sunday, April 28, from noon to 4pm at the Huntington Beach Sports Complex. Where else can you get a wide array of culinary tastes and sips with one inclusive ticket price?

Support a great cause too!

About FOTCL:

The Friends of the Children’s Library is an all volunteer, non-profit organization dedicated to promoting children’s interest in literature, reading, and the use of library resources and services. ALL the money raised is used to support a variety of educational and entertaining programs and activities for the children in our community through the Children’s Department of the Huntington Beach Public Library.

LIKE the Taste of HB on facebook.com/tasteofhuntingtonbeach

LIKE FOTCL on facebook.com/FriendsOfTheChildrensLibraryOfHuntingtonBeach

Natural Products Expo West Wraps Up

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Last weekend, I attended the Natural Products Expo West, produced by New Hope Natural Media, for the first time. Held at the Anaheim Convention Center, the Expo showcased a record number of new natural and organic product launches and attracted more than 63,000 industry members and 2,428 exhibiting companies. From food items to cosmetics and other specialty goods, natural products are big business! Although I did not attend any of the conference sessions, I had a wonderful time tasting and sampling products at the Expo Floor, and meeting entrepreneurs at the Next Pavilion, which showcased new and upcoming brands.

I was warned by fellow bloggers that the expo could be a bit overwhelming, so my plan was to look for kids’ snacks, healthy office snacks, and coffee for future stories. I successfully resisted some of the really tasty samples and tried to keep my focus. Snack items were plenty, not so much coffee but plenty of tea! I ended up trying out so many probiotic treats it gave me indigestion but what was really satisfying was meeting the creators, founders, entrepreneurs and dreamers behind so many gluten-free, peanut-free, all-natural products. I will try to write about them in the upcoming weeks.

There were so many people at ExpoWest, it’s amazing that I bumped into someone I knew — the fabulous Christy Funk of Belly Sprout, a pioneer of all-natural, eco-chic in Orange County. At the end of half a day, my shoulder was sore from lugging around a bag containing numerous sample products. Outside the air was cool, the sun was out, and there was a band playing. What a way to end an expo touting natural living!

I think it was a well organized event and New Hope Natural Media did great by emailing updates daily about the conference. They also had a mobile app that attendees used to plan their days.

Check out my Storfiy about the conference.

View the story "Why Natural Products Expo Was Trending on Twitter All Weekend" on StorifyWhy Natural Products Expo Was Trending on Twitter All WeekendGluten Free and Vegan were the buzz words at last weekend’s Natural Products Expo. I sampled many-a-probiotic product and tasted lots of delicious treats. There were also cosmetic products and other goods. Check out the tweets that made the expo trend.Storified by Marcie Taylor· Tue, Mar 12 2013 11:16:55Whole Foods commits to 100 percent #GMO transparency by 2018 http://newhope360.com/non-gmo/whole-foods-commits-100-percent-gmo-transparency-2018 via @NewHope360 #EXPOWESTNaturalProductsExpoWe may have caused a scene at #ExpoWest #Organic http://pic.twitter.com/M40DD2S3xGBarnana@duongsheahan I’m drinking tons of water today to help flush out all the eating I did at #ExpoWest lol!Stephanie QuilaoGreat to meet the gang from @drinkclearly Clearly Kombucha @ #ExpoWest Thanks for the Kombucha! Can’t wait to see it on the shelves in #KCchristine heggestad6 of my fave finds at #expowest: #vegan and/or #raw! http://bit.ly/ZgIZQaCaren BaginskiPatchouli Mint was my fave from @ZumBarSoap & it’s made from goat’s milk#gf #fresh #veg #glutenfree #expowest http://pic.twitter.com/Ssy0ychfjlGlutenFree Gal@KeVitaDrinks drink of the day, my favorite flavor! #kevita fun meeting you guys at #expowest! http://instagr.am/p/Wu9WE8vNEA/Lane GoldSo glad to see @Horizon_Organic & @LoveMySilk at #expowest urging people to send letters asking their reps for #GMO labeling!Kari Hamerschlag#expowest – reflections on good, bad, & pretty. Take note @Lightlife, @MorningStrFarms, & @BeyondMeat. http://bit.ly/ZCa9mC #veganAngela@jameschristy Such a crazy event.

We wanted to connect with many more people at #ExpoWest, thankfully there is Twitter.Hemp NaturalsNew Katy Perry flavor of @popchips is kettle corn; not a fan of the texture or aftertaste #expowest http://pic.twitter.com/U8LUZjIWaYJennifer HarrisAnother delicious #expowest find: @thirdstreetchai decaf mixed w/ bluediamond almondmilk! #fitfluential… http://instagr.am/p/WvBze9i7V4/Alexandra WilliamsAfternoon drink with @MammaChia1 yummy and healthy! #expowest http://pic.twitter.com/5B89Xhkx2YBrittney MinorLots of bars from my #expowest extravaganza #GF http://pic.twitter.com/TfTqfzsrCrJennifer Harris

Celebrating Movies at Oscar Themed Party at Kimera

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I can count the number of times I went to a movie theater to watch a movie last year. Four. One was a girls’ night out (guess which movie?) and the other 3 times were all children’s films at the El Capitan Theater in Hollywood. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE WATCHING movies. But these days, taking the time out to actually “go to the movies,” is a bit challenging. So it comes as no surprise that I haven’t seen a single Oscar-nominated film.

I’m not totally out of the loop though, I will be attending the 5th Annual Red Carpet Oscar Viewing Party at Kimera Restaurant in Irvine. I went last year and it was fun. As far as red carpet party ideas go, Kimera knows its stuff. There was an actual red carpet and even a step and repeat banner where you could pose and have your picture taken. But what I really liked were the cocktails inspired by the nominated movies, and of course, the food was delicious.

Here are the details about the Party this year – you can still buy tickets!

“The Fifth Annual Red Carpet Gala Oscar party at Kimera will be held on February 24, from 4-10pm. The event starts with a lounge reception from 4-6pm followed by an elegant buffet dinner. There will be a silent auction and raffle ticket sales to benefit the Alzheimer’s Association.

Entertainment will include red carpet interviews, Dance “Short Performances” and prizes for best-dressed and other categories awarded by a panel of fashion experts.

$85 per person (tax and gratuity not included), VIP booths available starting at $100 per person. Space is limited, reservations required. Reservations at (949) 261 1222 and rsvp@kimerarestaurant.com.”

And on another note, Sunday’s event at Kimera will be extra special as it will be the restaurant’s last night at the location. The OC Business Journal reports that it has something to do with Google’s expansion at the Impac Center. I have many fond memories of Kimera and the awesome staff. Last year, I hosted my cousin J.A. Tan‘s Art Exhibit there. You can see the awesome photos from “Autism Night at Kimera” by photographer Albert Evangelista. Of course, I will always remember my bonding time with Team Kimera during the Alzheimer’s Walk at The District in Tustin. Three cheers for Kimera, give them some love on facebook.com/kimerarestaurant.

Somewhere Beyond the Sea – Carmel-by-the-Sea

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The six hour road trip, from Huntington Beach in Orange County to Carmel by the Sea in Monterey County, California takes you down a scenic route. And it can really be a relaxing drive along the Pacific Coast Highway, except when you are traveling with kids in tow. Driving for so many hours with no DVD to keep time can be challenging. Even with their Nintendo DS and iPhone devices, there was always that nagging question of:”Are we there yet?”

After taking in the breathtaking coastal views and stopping for lunch at San Luis Obispo, we finally enter Carmel. The first thing that hits you is the scent of pine. Trees tower overhead as you make your way down small streets. It is like discovering a secret town in the forest.

In Carmel-by-the-Sea, streets are lined with art galleries and small Zagat-rated eateries. Everything is within walking distance, even the beach! There is a small town feel with added charm. Dutch doors and wooden signs give a distinctively Euro feel to this California town, that once had the actor Clint Eastwood as its mayor.

We stayed at the Hofsas House Hotel, one of the larger inns in the area, with 38 spacious rooms. The independent family-owned boutique hotel made us feel right at home. From the hot apple cider that greeted us at the lobby to the wine and cheese platter in our bedroom. Owner Carrie Theis was a gracious host, with Cajun, the canine concierge by her side. Everyone on staff was excellent too.

The weekend we visited, the weather wasn’t as sunny but still there were plenty of things to do. Just being able to go on foot around the charming town was a treat! We stopped at galleries and grabbed treats at Carmel Bakery en route to Carmel Beach. We also visited the Carmel Mission for a step back in time.

Take a look at this little book I created with Britely entitled Weekend In Carmel.

If you’re looking for a chill weekend getaway, consider Carmel by the Sea.

Carmel on Dwellable

Happy Anniversary SoCo Farmers’ Market!

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It’s really cool when you see an idea blossom into an event. Even better, when the event becomes a tradition. Let’s hear it for the latest edition of the Chopped-style (a la the FoodNetwork TV show) Farm to Food Truck Challenge. It seems like only yesterday when the whole gourmet food truck thing was deemed a fad, and the SoCo Farmers’ Market had just opened. But it’s been two years and how the market and the event have grown. Looks like gourmet food trucks are here to stay. Chefs are the new rockstars, in case you didn’t notice. And the Farmers’ Market is the place to go.

That is why I am happy to share with you details about this Saturday’s Farm to Food Truck Challenge. Saturday, November 17th, 2012 9am-2pm at the SoCo Farmers’ Market in Costa Mesa.

According to Farmers’Market manager and foodie extraordinaire Anais Tangie: “Due to having postpone the event, we had to downsize (the event) a bit, to a total of 10 trucks, with three confirmed Challengers. We can’t wait to host you at the SoCo Farmers Market for our two year birthday celebration!”

Here’s the
SCHEDULE
Setting up starts at 7:30am, first wave of volunteers
Arriving at 8:00am, second wave of volunteers
Opening at 9:00am, CMHS and High School Inc. arrives
Arriving at 11:00, Judges, VIPS
Tasting begins at 12:00pm
Judging begins at 1:00-1:30
Announcing winner at 1:30-2:00

INGREDIENTS
The five mandatory farmers market ingredients are:
Butternut squash- Bautista Creek Local Produce or Pedros Farms
Walnuts- Bautista Creek Local Produce
Pomegranate- Nicholas Family Farms or Atkins Farms
Kale- Menos Farms or Gaytan Farms
Mushrooms- Kanes Family Farm

DISHES
Five Challengers will create five competition dishes using SoCo Farmers Market ingredients and Savory Spice salts and spices.

TICKETS
Purchase a $30 Tasting Tickets to eat one of each of the Challengers competition dishes via PayPal. Only 100 Tasting Tickets sold. Here’s the link to copy, paste and share https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=SPPRGZ8H583DS.

LINE UP
Taco Maria (competition)
Seabirds*** (competition)
A Bite Truck*** (competition)
Barcelona On the Go
Calbi
Lobsta Truck
Rancho a Go Go
Front Porch Pops
Piaggio On Wheels
(Two pending Confirmation)

For more information on the SoCo Farmers’ Market, visit www.socofm.com and LIKE them on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/socofm

Hyatt Hotels Introduce New Healthy Organic Kids Menu

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Forget the typical fried chicken nuggets and high fat mac n’ cheese, and French fries that dominate most children’s menus. This summer, the Hyatt Hotels and Resorts introduced a new, innovative and responsible children’s menu called “For Kids By Kids” in all of its full service hotels in North America. The menu is designed to make the healthier choice, the easier choice by providing more nutritious and healthy offerings for their youngest guests. Hyatt’s food and beverage philosophy, after all, is “Food. Thoughtfully Sourced. Carefully Served.”

Recently, my sons and I were invited to attend a preview of the kids menu at the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort and Spa. Executive Chef Chris Savage did a cooking demo with the children. Together they prepared a healthy salad and waffles. The tasting buffet featured whole grain pastas with a choice of 2 sauces: tomato and cheese; a build your own taco bar, and waffle dipping sticks. All the items are part of the “For Kids by Kids” flavor journey menu tasted, tested and approved by a team of children led by 11 year old cooking enthusiast Haile Thomas.

One of the best things about the new menu is that it appeals to both kids and parents. The ingredients are fresh not frozen. But perhaps the biggest draw for kids is that they have a hand in making their food – sort of – because it all starts with making good choices. They can build their own whole wheat sub sandwich, for example, and create their own pasta by choosing the pasta (penne, spaghetti, gluten-free), sauce (tomato or cheese), protein (turkey meatballs, chicken breast), vegetable (peas, broccoli, carrots, spinach, zucchini).

Another wonderful aspect of this new menu is that world renowned food revolution pioneer and edible educator Alice Waters is a part of it. She has lent her inspiration and support to the new kids menu. According to Waters, “All children deserve to eat real food – fresh, seasonal, organic, and delicious.” She adds: “I wanted to do a small, three course meal, within the context of Hyatt’s initiative, that could be sourced exclusively from organic farms across the country. Of course it’s about taste and ripeness and seasonality-but it’s bigger than that, too: it’s about supporting the people who are taking care of the land for our future generations.”

Now that’s definitely something to chew on.

For more inspiration, watch Haile Thomas TEDx Kids talk. And here’s a video of Alice Waters talking about the new Hyatt Kids Menu. View more photos from the event via my Flickr stream.

Craft Beer Fest to Benefit 9/11 Fallen Firefighters Fund

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Things are brewing in restaurants and bars across the country and the blogosphere. If you’ve had a craft beer recently then you know what I’m talking about. Craft beers refer to beers brewed by small, independent brewers. Remember the microbreweries that were popular in the nineties? Well, out of its ashes, it would seem that the passionate craft beer makers and consumers have risen. Even actor Adrian Grenier has his own beer company, Churchkey Can Company, but that’s a story for another time.

This post is about the 3rd Annual OC Brew Ha Ha Festival – a festival featuring over 175 Craft Beers, 70 Breweries to benefit the Fallen Firefighters Relief Fund Honoring 9/11. On Saturday, September 8th, 3rd Annual OC Brew Ha Ha craft beer festival will be held at beautiful Oak Canyon Private Park in Silverado near Irvine Lake. The event features unique beer-parings with cuisines from local restaurants and food trucks, exclusive beer tasting seminars by renowned experts, and live entertainment.

I asked some of the participating brewers about this growing craft beer trend. Head Brewer for Pizza Port in San Clemente Ryan Fields said: “The recent popularity of craft beer is not a trend, it’s a revival. We’re bringing things back to the way they are supposed to be and have been in the past.” Head Brewer for Alcatraz located in The Block at Orange Robb McLeod echoes this sentiment. He said:
“Craft beer is going off because an increasing number of beer drinkers are realizing that they need not drink the same old beer all the time. As for trends, these things have a cyclic waxing and waning. The way it has been since it all started decades ago.”

***
The mission of OC Brew Ha Ha is to bring high quality beer and food to connoisseurs with a discerning palette and celebrate the fast growing craft beer industry. The event brings together Beer Appreciation Seminars led by industry leaders including Ed Heethuis of Celebrator Beer News and Ritual Brewing, Jonathan Porter of Tustin Brewing, and Jace Milstead of Firestone Walker; world-renowned Cicerone and “Craft Beer Ambassador” for the award winning Stone Brewing Company, “Dr. Bill” Sysak, will present a special seminar and rare beer tasting for VIP guests.

There will be free food samples offered at the fun Farmer John Tailgater, Slater’s 50/50 station and more. Stone Catering from the famous Stone Brewing World Bistro, Rasta Taco, Sausage King, and top food trucks Bacon Mania, Chomp Chomp Nation, Company 77, The Garlic Truck, Rancho a Go Go, and the Viking Truck will be on-site serving up perfect beer pairing eats.

In memory of 9/11, proceeds from the festival support the Local 3631 Firefighters Union and Fallen Fire Fighters Relief Fund, a non-profit organization that aids surviving spouses and children of Orange County Firefighters lost in the line-of-duty. Local off duty firefighters join the brewers on-site to pour beer for this special event.

General admission tickets are $40 from 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. VIP tickets are $55 and entrance begins one hour earlier at 12 p.m. All guests receive a commemorative festival glass, ten 4 oz. tastes, beer appreciation seminars, free food samples, complimentary water, soft drinks, and free parking. VIP guests receive fourteen 4 oz. tastes, plus a VIP exclusive seminar by ‘Dr. Bill’ Sysak of Stone Brewing with a complimentary taste of a rare beer personally selected by him. Additional tastes may be purchased on-site at the event.

For the first time OC Brew Ha Ha is presenting a Friday night Brewers’ Dinner and Campout on 9/7/12. Limited spaces are available for sale. To learn more about the new campout visit www.OCBrewHaHa.com.

These events are restricted to those 21 years and older and are sponsored in part by Farmer John, SWELL, and the World Famous KROQ 106.7FM.

Billabong’s 6th Annual Design For Humanity to Benefit Chipotle Cultivate Foundation

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I don’t remember much about the Grammy Awards on tv this year, but I do remember this commercial that featured Willie Nelson covering a Coldplay song. The song accompanied a very moving animated farm video. It was a Chipotle ad and itunes downloads of the song benefited the Chipotle Cultivate Foundation.

Last June 21st, Billabong and the Chipotle Cultivate Foundation hosted an intimate farm to table dinner at The Ecology Center, in San Juan Capistrano, CA. The dinner was the kick off for the Annual Deign for Humanity. The Design for Humanity 2012 Fashion, Art and Music event on July 25, 2012 will benefit the Chipotle Cultivate Foundation,an organization dedicated to creating a sustainable, healthful and equitable future

Guests enjoyed a pre-dinner reception and live performance from Donavan Frankenreiter inside The Ecology Center’s exhibits, followed by a sit down dinner prepared by Chef Paul Buchanan of Primal Alchemy catering. Each dish highlighted local bounty such as avocados from musician Jason Mraz’s farm; Eureka lemons and herbs from pro-skateboarder Bob Burnquist’s farm; Tangelos and Navel oranges from Murray Farms; Weiser Family Farms heirloom potatoes; mussels from Carlsbad Aquafarm; Tamai Farms roasted chilies; and greens from Kenter Canyon Farms, among others. Speakers at the event included Evan Marks, The Ecology Center founder; Candy Harris, Billabong Brand Director; and Chris Arnold, director of communication at Chipotle Mexican Grill and secretary of the Chipotle Cultivate Foundation.

Photo credit: Gina Turpel

Chipotle’s Chris Arnold said: “We are honored that the Chipotle Cultivate Foundation has been selected as this year’s beneficiary. Our partnership with Billabong, and their Design for Humanity fundraising efforts, support the foundation’s mission to reach and educate younger generations about food matters, and generate additional support for family farmers and their communities.”

Billabong, the active lifestyle brand, presents the Design for Humanity event every year. It is a massive fashion, music and art party on the backlot of Paramount Studios in Hollywood featuring multiple concert stages, DJ dance parties, a runway fashion show featuring one of a kind Billabong looks, organic food trucks, a custom art gallery and silent auction, a VIP street and much more. Proceeds from the silent auction and 100% of the ticket sales will benefit The Cultivate Foundation.

Stonefire Grill Searches For  SoCal Super Dads On Twitter

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Stonefire Grill is looking for 10 super dads on twitter for a chance to win a catered party for 10 either to go or at one of Stonefire Grill’s 7 locations in Southern California, in time for Father’s Day. Here’s what the press release says: “Has your dad overcome adversity and gone the extra mile to provide a better life for you? Do you know a single father who puts in overtime so that his kids can continue with piano lessons? Perhaps you know someone who has taken on the role of father for his many grandkids. Or he’s coping with a physical ailment and still able to put food on the table. This Father’s Day, Stonefire Grill is conducting a search for Super Dads across the southland who go above and beyond the call of duty.”

To To nominate a dad, here are the steps to take:

Follow Stonefire on Twitter (@Stonefiregrill)
Post a description of his “super” qualities/actions
Deadline: Friday, June 8.

Ten super dads will be chosen to receive a catered party for 10 either to-go or at one of Stonefire’s 7 locations as a reward for their stellar parenting skills. Winners will be announced Monday, June 11 and receive their prize on Father’s Day — Sunday, June 17th.

Just last week, my family and I attended a fabulous Tweetup at Stonefire Grill in Fountain Valley. The food was fabulous and the company amazing.

Take a look at my Storify about the Tweetup.

LA’s Umami Burger opens in the OC

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