All posts filed under: Misc.

Yxta Cocina Mexicana “Dia De Los Muertos” Celebration

Published by

Happy November 1st!  For my readers in the Los Angeles area, I wanted to pass along an awesome event.  Tonight, Yxta Cocina Mexicana & Sino Tequila invite you to celebrate “Dia De Los Muertos” (Day of the Dead) with them.  Visit the restaurant from 9pm-1am for DJ, dancing, and food (9pm-12am) & drink specials!  See below for the details! $5 Sino Blanco Shots $6 Sino House Margaritas $6 Jamaica Margaritas $3 Tecate $10 Day of the Dead cocktail (drinks by Mercado mixologist Gilbert Marquez $2 tacos al pastor, tinga de pollo, carnitas $7 two tamales with rajas and queso oaxaca (food by Mercado executive chef Jose Acevedo Yxta Cocina Mexicana 601 S. Central Avenue Los Angeles 90021 213.596.5579 Stay hungry…

Tuesday’s Tip-Substitute Pumpkin Puree for These!

Published by

As you can see from my recent posts, I am really into pumpkin and fall eats, and today is no exception.  But, you will definitely take this  tip beyond the autumn season!  When you are baking, substitute pumpkin puree for the butter and oil!  For oil, the ratio is 1 for 1 (1 cup pumpkin puree for 1 cup oil), and for butter the ratio is 3/4 to 1 (3/4 cups pumpkin puree for 1 cup butter).  The puree won’t change the taste of the dessert, but will save you a few calories and make your dessert a bit healthier! Have a tip for NewsforChews?  Email me at newsforchews@gmail.com! Stay hungry!

Unjunk Halloween Candy-UNREAL Candy

Published by

With Halloween and Trick-or-Treat right around the corner, I am sure that many of our houses are already full of bite sized goodies that we wouldn’t normally buy.  While we would love to give out healthy foods to our costumed guests, we don’t want to be known as, “that house.”  BUT, I have found healthier and just-as tasty versions of our favorite chocolate candies!  The people of UNREAL bring us “Candy Unjunked,” a company that makes candy from organic and natural ingredients, and is all about reinventing the typical candy. UNREAL does NOT contain: -Corn Syrup -Hydrogenated Oil -Artificial flavors -GMO’s (Genetically modified organism) -Synthetic Colors UNREAL does contain responsibly sourced ingredients, including: -Traceable cacao beans from Ghana and Ecuador -100% sustainable and organic Palm Kernel Oil sourced from a sustainable and organic plantation in Brazil -Dairy from free-range cows pasture raised without antibiotics or added hormones -All natural origin colors, coming from plants like beets, red cabbage, etc. -30% less sugar, 60% more protein and 250% more fiber per serving on average compared to …

Los Angeles Food and Wine Festival-Part 2

Published by

I told you about the first part of my experience at this year’s Los Angeles Food and Wine Festival last week (HERE), but now I get to tell you about all the delicious desserts I enjoyed! Peach and Blueberries Shortbread with Creme Fraiche, Currents, and Mint from Akasha Restaurant.  It was a great beginning to the dessert section because it was light and summery and left me enough room for other desserts! Next up was the longest line of the Festival, The Gorbals and Top Chef, Ilan Hall.  He served a Bacon Mashmellow Snow Cone with Tapioca.  I don’t know if the line was so long because of the Top Chef’s star quality or because of the quirky dessert. The bacon dessert wasn’t my thing, and neither was the tapioca, so onto the next dessert, which was my thing-chocolate! The Maple Bacon Ice Cream with a Chipotle Brownie Bite was from Campanile Restaurant. I liked the brownie part, but not the ice cream portion.  I don’t think bacon desserts are my thing, so I will leave …

Los Angeles Food and Wine Festival-Part 1

Published by

Today we are not having Meatless Monday…I am going to finally tell you about the this year’s Los Angeles Food and Wine Festival in downtown Los Angeles.  This is the main gist of the Festival, you drink a lot of wine and champagne from amazing wineries and you eat a lot of delicious food from world-class chefs.  A pretty perfect afternoon if you ask me!  I am dividing the experience into 3 parts; main dishes, desserts, and a Q&A with Delta wine sommelier Andrea Robinson. The wineries represented were from some of the best in Napa Valley, Sonoma, Mendocino County, Santa Barbara, and more.  Chefs were from the most exclusive Los Angeles restaurants, sought-after resorts, and included many Bravo Top Chefs.  Below are images of my mouth-watering menu and descriptions, with a few of my favorites starred. When you walk into the Festival, the first thing that you grab is an empty wine glass, then you are thrown into a huge tent with hundreds of vendors.  My plan was to survey the vendors and pick which ones …

Tuesday’s Tip-Best Tips for Grocery Shopping

Published by

Today I have a few tips on how to maximize your grocery shopping and minimize the time spent in the grocery store.  All of my tips will help you be prepared before you even go into the store.  Follow these simple tips for an easier and better shopping experience. 1.  Make a list!  You can’t believe the amount of people I watch wandering aimlessly around the store deciding what to buy.  For the most part, I buy the same things every time I go to the grocery store, and I still make a list!  If you are following a recipe, write down the exact measurements of your ingredients because who hasn’t gotten home only to realize you have to go back to the store since you didn’t buy enough of an ingredient. 2.  Great you wrote a list, but how many times have you been at the meat counter and had to go back to the produce department because you forgot something?  (at least how my grocery store is set up, these are 2 departments …

National Iced Tea Day!

Published by

June 10th is National Iced Tea Day, so I wanted to give you two recipes from the people at Lipton to help you celebrate!  Both recipes include suggestions if you want to take your kid friendly iced tea to an adult version! WHITE CITRUS SANGRIA 1 bottle 100% Natural Lipton Green Tea with Citrus 1-3/4 cups white grape juice 1/4 cup orange juice 1 orange, sliced 1 lemon, sliced 1 lime, sliced Combine Lipton 100% Natural Diet Green Tea with Citrus and juices in large pitcher. Stir in fruit. Chill at least 2 hours. Serve in ice-filled glasses. Optional alcohol: Replace grape juice with white wine Find more Lipton Iced Tea recipes on Facebook,  https://www.facebook.com/liptonicedtea STRAWBERRY AÇAI DAQUIR-TEA 4 oz Lipton Strawberry Acai Tea & Honey mix ½ oz Pineapple Juice Splash Grenadine 1 Strawberry, for garnish Combine and shake all ingredients, strain into an iced Collins glass and garnish with a Strawberry Optional alcohol: Rum Find more Lipton Tea & Honey recipes on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/lipton Both of these look amazing…which one are you going …

An Interview with Todd and Cam of Dandelion Chocolate

Published by

Chocolate is one of my favorite foods and was very excited when Dandelion Chocolate reached out to me to do a Q&A with the owners and give their chocolate a try.  I browsed the website and loved the philosophy of the company.  They are a bean-to-bar (they roast, crack, sort, winnow, grind, conch, and temper small batches of beans and then mold and package each bar by hand) chocolate company located in San Francisco, and are opening a store front later this year.  Read below for my Q&A! Bio: Dandelion Chocolate is a bean-to-bar chocolate factory opening in the Mission District of San Francisco later this year. We are opening our workshop out of a lifetime love of chocolate. Our friends often said that given enough time, it seemed inevitable that one of us would open a chocolate factory. They watched as we experimented with growing small cacao plants in our apartments, pan roasted beans in the oven, and ate our way through the many of the chocolate shops of the world. A little more …

Food Network and Share Our Strength’s Documentary, “Hunger Hits Home”

Published by

Last night I had the privilege of attending a special screening of Food Network and Share Our Strength’s new documentary “Hunger Hits Home”.  The screening was hosted by Gina and Pat Neely (Down Home with the Neelys), and in addition, many other Food Network stars and celebrities were on hand to support.  The documentary is narrated by Oscar-winning actor and longtime anti-hunger activist Jeff Bridges, and focuses on the devastating hidden crisis of childhood hunger in America.  The film is part of an ongoing partnership between Food Network and Share our Strength, whose No Kid Hungry initiative aims to eradicate child hunger in America by 2015 by surrounding children with nutritious food where they live, learn and play.  Below are a few images from the red carpet and more information about the documentary, Food Network, and Share Our Strength. The documentary was so well done and gives faces to the food insecurity epidemic in America.  Tune into or set your DVR’s to Food Network this Saturday, April 14th at 8pm/7pm central to see the documentary.  Also …

Q&A with Michele Locker of The Kugel Company

Published by

The first time I ate Kugel was the Thanksgiving after I moved to LA.  I had never had tried it before nor had I even heard of it, but enjoyed every bite.  I have also never made it because I never thought my Kugel could compare, so when I found out about The Kugel Company, I got very excited!  I had the opportunity to interview Michele Locker, CEO of The Kugel Company.  Read below for insight into her company and Kugel itself. NewsforChews:  Why and when did you start your business? Michele Locker:  I have always wanted to start my own company and work for myself.  I grew up eating Kugel at family gatherings and Thanksgiving dinners and thought the Kugel Company was the perfect way to both fulfill my dream and share a classic dish with everyone. The business officially started as a sole proprietorship in December 2010, and I am thrilled to be able to bring the joy of an old family tradition into the homes of families everywhere. My ultimate goal is …