Fatburger is now open in Temecula, CA

In 1952, Lovie Yancey created the biggest, juiciest hamburger around. Fatburger, born so long ago, has been making customers happy for over 60 years. At Fatburger, Fat equals Big. They have a wide range of sizes from the Small which is 2.5 ounces to the XXXL which is 1.5 pounds of fresh ground beef. They even have a picture wall as diners try to conquer this behemoth.

Ray Malik was born to be a restaurateur. He had a family-owned gourmet NY-style pizza chain of stores, before seeing the potential in Fatburger. He took over the franchise in Riverside and turned it into a bustling location. Even before the equipment was in, he hired and trained his Temecula crew in Riverside so they would hit the ground running. On December 12, 2012, Fatburger in Temecula began its soft-opening mode. Like any venture, you always need to work out kinks. Just like when Disneyland first opened on July 17, 1955, nothing is ever perfect. The Temecula location is actually retro-fitted to the space so the flow is a little different, but Ray has this location running like a well-oiled machine for only being open for a month. The crew is really friendly and yells out, “Welcome to Fatburger” as everyone walks through the door, not just the cashier, everyone behind the counter. As I dined and watched for a good hour, it was just amazing. As the lunch crowd came in and the line started getting longer, one of the crew started taking burger and fry orders and yelled it back to the fry cook, which means a shorter time for your fresh, made-to-order food.

To read more and see slideshow, please visit: http://www.examiner.com/review/fatburger-is-now-open-temecula-ca

Mahalo,

OC Food Diva

Almondina® is “Grandma Dina’s secret recipe” of guilt-free cookies

Grandma Dina’s original recipe, called Petit Gateau Sec, was kept a total secret and revealed only to her daughter, Ahuda, at the end of her life. Yuval Zaliouk, world renown musical conductor, started Almondina (Almondina^® after his grandmother) in 1989 and has been going strong ever since. The almond biscuits are all-natural and do not contain cholesterol, added fat, trans-fat, salt, or preservatives. Each biscuit is only 30 calories, Kosher, and Pareve. Grandma Dina was health-conscious over 70 years before it became to the attention of households around the world.

Almondina The Original is based on Grandma Dina's original secret recipe that she called Petit Gateau Sec, made with top quality almonds, plump raisins, and a blend of other natural flavors, then cooked to a perfect crispness. This cookie has an almost vanilla flavor to it from the roasted almonds with crunchy texture and raisins for a little sweetness. These were so good and can see why Yuval loved his grandma’s cookies so much!

To read more and see slideshow, please visit: http://www.examiner.com/review/almondina-is-grandma-dina-s-secret-recipe-of-guilt-free-cookies

Mahalo,

OC Food Diva

Tummydrops helps you enjoy the foods you love, even if they don’t love you back

Being an avid foodie and culinary writer, I love great food! But sometimes the food doesn’t love you back. Heartburn, upset stomach, and other digestive ailments occur, but we, hardcore foodies, suffer through to experience all of the flavors of the culinary world. I stumbled upon Tummydrops while doing recipe reviews. I have stomach reactions when it comes to tomato products and the recipes were all Italian foods containing tomato products from sauce to whole tomatoes. While I was cooking, I started by casually sucking on these Tummydrops and to my surprise, I was pain-free with no stomach upset. Dustin James, MD, Board Certified Gastroenterologist, also known as The Tummy Doc, has developed these natural products to help us through our foodie days. Let’s take a look at the two Tummydrops flavors offered by Enteral Health & Nutrition.

Tummydrops’ Natural Ginger Drops contain a special blend of ginger, which may assist with occasional stomach upset, nausea, morning sickness, and motion sickness. They are gluten-free, GMO-free, and kosher certified. Ginger, also known as Zingiber officinale, is prized for its culinary uses and contains multiple active substances, including gingerol, which may assist with occasional nausea and vomiting. They are made with all-natural ingredients – brown rice syrup, dried cane syrup, natural color from beets, natural ginger powder (proprietary blend) and other natural flavors. Only 10 calories each! The flavor is zingy and soothing.

To read more, please visit: http://www.examiner.com/review/tummydrops-helps-you-enjoy-the-foods-you-love-even-if-they-don-t-love-you-back

Mahalo and have a great holiday weekend!

OC Food Diva

Wet Seal Truck Thursdays

 
Wet Seal Corporate, 26972 Burbank, Foothill Ranch, CA 92610

Tyler Florence balances flavors in wine and cooking

On December 11, 2009, a partnership started between Michael Mondavi Family Winery, fourth generation winemaker in southern tip of Napa Valley, and celebrity chef Tyler Florence. Tyler has always been known to experiment with different ingredients to combine flavors for the perfect balance. The same technique is used to make wine, selecting varietals from different areas to make the perfectly balanced wine. Tyler is best known from the Food Network as the host of Tyler’s Ultimate and The Great Food Truck Race. I remember him from his first appearance on Food Network’s Food 911, where he would go into the family kitchens and make something awesome with whatever was in their pantry and refrigerator. It’s been an amazing journey for him and I’m glad I was able to watch him grow. He also owns restaurants in the Bay Area, Wayfare Tavern in San Francisco and El Paseo in Mill Valley with co-owner, Sammy Hagar, which was restored to its historic glory from 1936. He now has 6 cookbooks under his belt: Tyler Florence Family Meal, Tyler Florence’s Real Kitchen, Eat This Book, Tyler’s Ultimate, Dinner At My Place, and Stirring the Pot.

Tyler Florence 2010 Sauvignon Blanc is 100% Sauvignon Blanc. Blend #4 made it to the bottle with fresh citrus and tropical fruit flavors with a crisp acidity. Serve chilled and it’s great for the hot summer ahead. I also used this wine in one of Tyler Florence’s recipes: Filet Mignon with Blender Bearnaise from Holiday Parties episode of Dear Food Network. I purchased the beef tenderloin from Sprouts and was quite surprised how tender the meat was. It rang in at a little over $50 for a 3-lb. piece but if you were in a good steakhouse, you would pay between $35-50 for an 8-oz. piece. The butcher also trimmed and tied the tenderloin at no extra charge. How awesome is that! Use your meat thermometer to check the temperature every 5 minutes after it’s been in the oven for 20 minutes. I personally like my steaks, black and blue, but medium rare is also great for this cut of beef – 130°. You definitely don’t want to overcook this prime cut. Personally, I always shoot for rare and then if it too rare for others, you can always grill on the range for a few minutes. The béarnaise sauce was bright and very easy to make. The shallots, champagne vinegar, and white wine gave it a citrus flavor and so much more. It complimented the filet perfectly.

 

To read more and see slideshow, please visit: http://www.examiner.com/review/tyler-florence-balances-flavors-wine-and-cooking

Mahalo,

OC Food Diva