Wafflette Café makes an “impression” in Foothill Ranch, CA

Francisco Izawa, owner of a few restaurants in South Orange County including Chile Fresco and Maison de Pho, was searching for his next restaurant venture. With his childhood upbringing in Europe and Japan, he was introduced to many different food cultures. While in France, Gaufres a la Flamande are a specialty just like crepes. After recipe development, a waffle recipe was conceived, but not too sweet so it would work equally well in both savory and sweet applications. Wafflette Café http://www.wafflette.com/

 opened on December 8, 2013 with tasty waffle sandwiches and sweet treats. Utilizing his Japanese heritage, the waffle is very light. It reminds me of my childhood with very light breads and desserts from the Japanese market. The menu is a fusion of American flavors with European and Asian influences and cooking techniques. Francisco and his staff are always super friendly and can help you with any questions you might have about the menu.

Organic Flavored and Sweetened Iced Teas come in flavors like strawberry, mango, guava, and mixed berries. We tried the Guava Iced Tea. Admittedly, I’m not a big tea drinker, but the tea was sweet and had a light, refreshing flavor. The guava was a nice blend and an excellent pick-me-up on a warm day.

To read more and see slideshow, please visit: http://www.examiner.com/review/wafflette-caf-makes-an-impression-foothill-ranch-ca

Mahalo,

OC Food Diva

Quick Leftover Creations...

I needed to whip up something quick for dinner. I grabbed the Costco fish sticks from the freezer and baked them in the toaster oven. Then, I layered some leftover Pineapple Chimichurri from the Living Coastal cookbook I had just tested. Topped it with an easy over egg with a sprinkle of California Rancher Monterey Seasoning. The creamy yolk worked surprising well with the fish sticks and the chimichurri added a refreshing kick.

Product Review: CBTL’s Americano Machine

If you read my previous article, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf’s“Trade Up Your Cup 2” at Angels Stadium of Anaheim, the story of this product started in the wee hours of the morning on Sunday, September 29, 2013. Even after hours of waiting in line, CBTL’s Americano Machine was well worth the wait.

The outer packaging was very sturdy and kept the Americano Machine in pristine condition during transit. With machines like this, it is best to use distilled water to keep the water lines clear of mineral deposits that may clog them over time. Read the instructions carefully before using it for the first time. There is a priming process that it needs to go through before you make your first cup of coffee. I suggest doing it the night before as it may take a little time than you have available if you plan on making a travel mug of coffee before work. In comparison to the Keurig machines, the Americano Machine is much louder. I like that there are adjustable height levels for the base depending on the coffee cup size you are using, but I felt that the bottom level had the best support. So if you’re using a smaller cup, you might want to hold it up to the dispensing tip so the coffee doesn’t splatter on your counter or the machine. I also like the self-contained capsule storage drawer that collects the used capsules. When it gets full, just pull the drawer out and dump it into the trash. You may want to wash out the drawer as there will be residual coffee that may drip out of the pods. Purchase includes a 1-year limited warranty. Thumbs up!

To read more, please visit: http://www.examiner.com/review/product-review-cbtl-s-americano-machine

Mahalo,

OC Food Diva

Michelle haut Chocolat retail boutique now open in Costa Mesa, CA

Michelle Pontius trained at the International Culinary School Art Institute and began her chocolatier career making ¼ lb, gold wrapped, rose-salted turtles with caramel and pecans and ghost pepper salt-dusted dark chocolates. Michelle has also showcased her chocolates at the Oscars and even Teri Hatcher’s (Desperate Housewives) Celebrity Yard Sale. On November 14, 2013, Michelle haut Chocolate http://www.michellehautchocolat.com/ opened its first retail boutique in The OC Mix at SOCO. The OC Mix is an excellent location for shoppers to peruse different areas ranging from clothing to artisan products to eateries. Michelle haut Chocolat http://www.michellehautchocolat.com/ uses only the finest ingredients from 73% bittersweet Belgian chocolate and packaging direct from Italy which is made from Lokta plant, a renewable plant grown in Nepal.

Let’s take a look at some of the haut items:

Le Grande Dome (Rose Salted Caramel) is a handmade buttery caramel with toasted pecans layered in 73% Belgian chocolate. It weighs in at ¼ lb and is gold wrapped and gift boxed. The buttery caramel was silky smooth with a creamy, buttery flavor unlike any caramel I’ve tasted. It wasn’t as salty as I would have imagined, but great nonetheless. It matched dreamily with the chocolate to provide more depth in flavor. The pecans added a crunchy texture and nutty flavor to the mix. I love this and almost didn’t want to share it. If you decide to get one, get two! You’ll thank me later. Thumbs up, way up!

To read more and see slideshow, please visit: http://www.examiner.com/review/michelle-haut-chocolat-retail-boutique-now-open-costa-mesa-ca

Mahalo,

OC Food Diva

Goose Island Beer Co. Crafting Fine Dark Ales and Stouts

John Hall began Goose Island Brewpub in 1988, during the introduction of the brewpub concept nationwide. Hall wanted to build interest in craft beer - allowing the consumer to watch the brewing process and enjoy them on-site. In the Midwest, Goose Island Beer Co. had to compete with the popularity and affordability of mass-produced beers, yet they succeeded. In 1995, Goose Island Beer opened up a larger brewery and bottling plant to keep up with demand. In 1999, a second Goose Island Brewpub opened near Wrigley Field. With nationwide distribution and export markets in the United Kingdom, Sweden, Norway, and Puerto Rico, Goose Island Beer is readily available at a beer stores, restaurants, and bars near you.

Nut Brown Ale combines the finest domestic and imported malts to produce a chestnut-hued ale. It was the Gold Medal winner in the American Brown Ale category at the World Beer Cup in 2006 and 2010. Aromatics experienced were walnuts and cocoa. Flavors experienced were chocolate, tobacco, honey, nutty,  a slight bitterness yet smooth and somewhat strong. This beer should be served ice cold.  Possible food pairings would be pork and beef dishes. 

 

To read more, please visit: http://www.examiner.com/review/goose-island-beer-co-crafting-fine-dark-ales-and-stouts

Mahalo,

OC Food Diva

Book Review: Living Coastal: Inspirations for Entertaining, Decorating and Cooking California Style

Living Coastal: Inspirations for Entertaining,Decorating and Cooking California Style is a beautiful book by Jolee Pink with fantastic photography by Mike Pawlenty. This book celebrates San Diego art and cuisine by area artists and chefs inspired on what is in their backyard - the breathtaking Pacific Ocean. The book is broken into celebration chapters: Retro New Year’s Eve, It’s Game Day, Movies & Munchies, Spring Fling, Tapas by the Sea, Shower Sweetness, Trip to the Tropics, Surfside Serenity, Baja-Style Bash, Breezy Beachside Picnic, Cockleshells & Birthday Bells, Date Night, Chill’n & Grill’n, Haunting Halloween, Weekend Brunch, and Home for the Holidays. Each chapter contains decoration ideas, decorative table settings, recipes from San Diego chefs, and artisan food & beverage products produced in San Diego.

In the It’s Game Day chapter, Chef Alex Carballo, of urbn coal fired pizza, shared his recipe of Stone IPA Marinated Mahi-Mahi Skewers with Pineapple Chimichurri. Local products used in this recipe are locally caught mahi-mahi and Stone Brewing Co.’s IPA (India Pale Ale). I found the Stone IPA had a very strong hops aroma and you can almost sense the higher alcohol content with your nose. The flavor was very strong yet crisp. Mahi-mahi was a little hard to find last week in Orange County, but finally found some at WholeFoods. This recipe is a great idea for a game day party as it is pretty quick to make.  Mah-mahi has a firm texture so it holds up on skewers really well. The Pineapple Chimichurri was a perfectly sweet counter-balance to the fish. The final product is good, but I think some changes could be made to make it great. The fish actually marinates directly in the Stone IPA. I would probably change this around a bit to have it marinate for a shorter time or maybe just baste the fish before grilling as it was too strong. Mahi-mahi has a strong fishy aroma that may be unappealing but the Stone IPA actually neutralizes it so I would definitely use it in some fashion. The chili spice on the fish was a little too strong as well. I would probably use half the amount next time. Also, I would definitely do a much finer grind or maybe puree to make a dipping sauce for the skewers in order to disperse more of the sweetness from the pineapple to each bite.

 

To read more and see slideshow, please visit: http://www.examiner.com/review/book-review-living-coastal-inspirations-for-entertaining-decorating

Mahalo,

OC Food Diva