“I always tell my employees to do the right thing for the right reason,” said Jack H. Brown, Chairman and CEO of Stater Bros. Markets. “Helping families in need this Holiday Season is definitely the right thing to do.”

Throughout the months of November and December, Stater Bros. Charities will be presenting over $350,000 in total donations to various Southern California food banks and self-help organizations. Over 100 organizations will receive donation checks to assist with the larger needs they are already facing this Holiday Season. From bottles and blankets to food and program support, each of these cash donations will go towards the fight against hunger.

In addition to cash donations, all 167 Stater Bros. Supermarkets will have food barrels in the front of the store to collect non-perishable food items for families in need in the local communities. Some of the products in greatest demand include canned fruits and vegetables, whole grains (such as oatmeal, crackers, cereal and pasta), canned meats, canned or dry beans, and shelf-stable dairy products. This food will be shared with regional food banks and charities to assist those families who are struggling to make ends meet.

All Stater Bros. check stands will offer yet another opportunity for Stater Bros. customers and employees to make cash donations to the “Harvesting Hope in our Community” campaign. “Harvesting Hope” Donation Canisters will be located at the end of every check stand for loose change. Every check stand will also have $10 “Harvesting Hope” Scannable Donation Cards, and each $10 donation will provide 30 full meals. Then at the conclusion of this campaign, Stater Bros. Charities will be making further monetary donations to fight hunger.

“It’s our hope that every person living in our community will be cared for this Holiday Season,” said Brown. “Because of this, Stater Bros. Charities and Stater Bros. Markets are honored to help in a larger way this year by making substantial contributions to the organizations that serve on the frontlines.”

Stater Bros. believes in being a good neighbor, and the “Harvesting Hope in our Community” campaign winds up Stater Bros. year-long efforts to support nonprofit organizations in the communities it serves. Each year, Stater Bros. contributes over $15 million to assist those in need, with an emphasis on worthy programs that benefit hunger relief, health and nutrition, and education. Stater Bros. also donates over 3 million pounds annually of food and products to the local food banks.

Stater Bros. was founded in 1936 in Yucaipa, California, and has grown steadily through the years to become the largest privately owned Supermarket Chain in Southern California and the largest private employer in both San Bernardino County and Riverside County, with annual sales in 2008 of $3.74 billion. During the past ten years, Stater Bros. has contributed $100 million in support of nonprofit organizations in the communities it serves. The Company operates 167 Supermarkets, and there are over 19,000 members of the Stater Bros. “Family” of Employees.

Farm Fresh To You

I have to say that I have been very happy with my deliveries. All the deliveries have been on-time and I have not been disappointed in my delivery. They literally FILL the box to the brim with fresh produce picked right off the fields. I have had wonderful rainbow chard, carrots, apples, pears, plums, broccoli, heirloom tomatoes, potatoes and more. They have several delivery options and I have opted for the Small Mixed Fruit and Vegetable box which is $23.00. My delivery schedule is every two weeks.

Here is an example of their pricing, and remember the price includes delivery:

Mixed Fruit and Veggies

Small $23.00 – Feeds 1-2 people
Regular $31.50
More $44.00
Monster $55.00

They also have an option called Easy To Eat, mostly fruits but also includes vegetables that can be eaten without cooking. You can also choose an All Fruit or All Veggie selection. Go to their website to check out all their options.

You can choose the frequency of delivery, once a week, every two weeks or monthly – YOU CHOOSE and you can change at any time. If you want to get a bigger box, no problem, just let them know 48 hours ahead of your delivery day. They are very accommodating and if there is something that isn’t to your liking in your delivery, they will bring you something you do like. How awesome is that? Yes, you can even select a permanent list of exclusions from your delivery.

In addition, you can log onto their website a few days before your delivery and see what is scheduled for the next bounty. If there is something you don’t like in the next delivery, simply add it to your exclusion list and they will substitute it with something else. That’s awesome!

I have always wanted to join a local farm’s Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program, but it was the cost commitments that held me back. Yes, there is no price on fresh, locally grown produce and supporting local farmers, but I have always shyed away. Now there is an affordable model that works with my schedule and with my tastes in food.

So I signed up and asked how do I pay. They invoice you! It gets even easier. You can pay with a check or with a credit card when they invoice you. They will deliver to you on your designated day and will arrive around the same time each week. Billing occurs monthly.

Go to www.farmfreshtoyou.com and sign up right now. Check out their affordable pricing model and choose a box size that is right for you and your family. There are no long term commitments and if you aren’t satisfied with your order, let them know and give them a chance to make it right. You will see that each box contains 100% organic produce and raised on farms from either Capay Farms or their new farms in Ventura County and the Inland Empire. Support your local farmers.

Special for FoodieInDisguise readers:

Get $10.00 off your first delivery!! That’s right, use PROMO code 5171 to take advantage of this offer.

Farm Fresh To You
P.O. Box 391
Anaheim, CA 92815
1-800-796-6009
www.farmfreshtoyou.com

Tell them Scott from FoodieInDisguise sent you!!

Well now you can! In partner with Amazon, FoodieInDisguise can now be your online store for most things kitchen related! Visit the store by going to www.foodieindisguise.com/store. There you will see a category called As Seen On FoodieInDiguise. Here, you will find items that are specifically mentioned on the site. Amazon has some great discounts, so take advantage of them while you can! Plus free shipping on most orders over $25.00.

You can also search thru categories like Cookbooks or Kitchen & Housewares. If you’re looking for software like a recipe program or even the latest Top Chef video game, check out the Food Related Software link.

I’ve added a couple of new categories to the store and now you can purchase Gourmet Food items like olive oils, vinegars and other speciality foods. I then took it another step forward and you can purchase some everyday grocery items as well!

So check it out and help support FoodieInDisguise.

Don’t forget to bookmark the store and if you want to see additional categories, let me know.

The site has limited

I’m still waiting for my review copy, but if it’s like George’s other books, it is full of information and organized well. A screenshot of one of his pages on Amazon.com show’s a nice clean layout for each sauce with measurements in US and Metric.

So in addition to sauces, George also has a section on rubs and marinades. While a grilled steak is awesome on it’s own, it’s even better when you can have it with a rich mushroom sauce.

Let’s not forget that sauces can be sweet too! Learn how to make a milk chocolate sauce, raspberry coulis or a foundue!

George is also the author of several other titles including: 125 Best Cheesecake Recipes, 125 Best Biscuit Mix Recipes and The Cheesecake Bible. George is giving cooking demonstrations at the LA County Fair until October 4. Check out George’s website for details on his fair offerings.

I had the fortune of meeting George for the first time when he was teaching classes for Sur La Table. He really knows how to capture the audience and pull them in. He’s got stories to tell, for days, and that just makes each class fun. George teaches locally now in Yorba Linda at the Emanual Danish Cultural Center.

Check out his website at www.georgegeary.com for more information on George, his classes and culinary tours!

You can purchase a copy of George’s book on the FoodieInDisguise Amazon store!

_

I was logging into the Surfas website this morning and saw a notice on the webpage that Surfas, one of the greatest restaurant suppliers in the Southland, is ceasing its web presence and directing customers to CulinaryDistrict.com.

According to the site, all of Surfas’ current offerings will be available thru Culinary District as well as an expanded offering. I visited the Culinary District website and at the top it says it is part of the Surfas Group. I’m not sure if some kind of buyout took place or if the Culinary District is a Surfas funded project. On the Surfas website there is a banner alerting their customers that a Culinary District is opening in Hot Springs National Park in Arkansas.

So I took a stroll in CulinaryDistrict.com and everything Surfas carried is available for sale, including all the Surfas branded materials. The site is a bit more interactive it feels fast today, but lets see if it keeps up with demand. So the first thing I did was to compare pricing. Most of the items I checked were priced cheaper at CulinaryDistrict.com than on Surfasonline.com.

Interesting.

Even shipping is cheaper. I did an experiment and purchased the same Global 8″ Chef Knife from each store. I chose the same shipping method and the cost to ship from Culinary District was cheaper as well as the cost of the knife.

One thing I won’t be able to enjoy is the UPS Ground shipping meant overnight shipping for me since I lived in Southern California. I hope their retail operations in Culver City is continues to stay strong. Surfas has been a staple in the business in California since 1937 and has been in Culver City since 1947.

UPDATE: The Culinary District is the idea of Les Surfas (Owner of Surfas) and his wife Diana, an Arkansas native. They had been formulating a plan for a smaller gourmet grocery and restaurant supply store in Arkansas for many years. “It was something in the back of our minds while we developed our new store in California,” he said. “We wanted to scale it down.”

Both Les and Diana share a love for old buildings and historic districts – so opening the Culinary District was clear for both of them.

The new store will be located in Hot Springs’ Hamp Williams building, in downtown Hot Springs. The Surfas Group is managing the renovation of the 50,000-SF building to restore it to its original 1920s grandeur.

Farm Fresh To You was founded by Kathleen Barsotti and Martin Barnes in 1976 - marking the early stages of the organic foods movement. Graduate students at UC Davis, Kathy and Martin borrowed money from their parents to buy 20 acres of property in Capay Valley. Today, their 4 children run the farm and they have been bringing farm fresh produce to doorsteps in the Bay Area since 1992. Capay Fruits & Vegetables is a second generation organic farm which got its start in the Coastal Range’s Capay Valley 90 miles northeast of San Francisco.

They are now entering the Southern California market. Here is an exceprt from their most recent newsletters to their community partners, from Thaddeus Barsotti:

Yes, I know, LA is not exactly local to Capay. We are working with a land owner in Ventura County to bring the same farming and delivery model to our southern neighbors. Late this fall we will be working with a new grower to plant crops specifically for distribution to the LA area. Much of the first contents to the LA area are coming from our farm in Capay (still relatively local in the grand scheme of the produce world) and the balance of the product is being sourced from organic growers in the South.

The model of local produce production and distribution that we supply you with is something that could happen for Southern California too. They have all of the ingredients – land, a little bit of water and lots of consumers.

I am so excited to have Farm Fresh To You here in the Southland. I signed up right away and it was so easy! They were offering $10 off your first order at the Festival. They have several sizes and varieties to choose from. To start I decided to go with the Mixed Fruit and Vegetable box which is $23.00 a box. A few days before you can log onto their website and see what crops are being picked and what will probably arrive in your shipment. The have a delivery schedule already set up and I’m having my produce delivered to my office for me to take home. Irvine area delivery is on Thursdays and I can’t wait!

Here is an example of their pricing, and remember the price includes delivery:

Mixed Fruit and Veggies

Small $23.00 – Feeds 1-2 people
Regular $31.50
More $44.00
Monster $55.00

They also have an option called Easy To Eat, mostly fruits but also includes vegetables that can be eaten without cooking. You can also choose an All Fruit or All Veggie selection.

You can choose the frequency of delivery, once a week, every two weeks or monthly – YOU CHOOSE and you can change at any time. If you want to get a bigger box, no problem, just let them know 48 hours ahead of your delivery day. They are very accommodating and if there is something that isn’t to your liking in your delivery, they will bring you something you do like. How awesome is that?

I have always wanted to join a local farm’s Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program, but it was the cost commitments that held me back. Yes, there is no price on fresh, locally grown produce and supporting local farmers, but I have always shyed away. Now there is an affordable model that works with my schedule and with my tastes in food.

So I signed up and asked how do I pay. They invoice you! It gets even easier. You can pay with a check or with a credit card when they invoice you. They will deliver to you on your designated day and will arrive around the same time each week.

Go to www.farmfreshtoyou.com and sign up right now. Check out their affordable pricing model and choose a box size that is right for you and your family. There are no long term commitments and if you aren’t satisfied with your order, let them know and give them a chance to make it right. You will see that each box contains 100% organic produce and raised on farms from either Capay Farms or their new farms in Ventura County and the Inland Empire.

Farm Fresh To You
P.O. Box 391
Anaheim, CA 92815
1-800-796-6009
www.farmfreshtoyou.com

Tell them Scott from FoodieInDisguise sent you!!

Upon first glance of the outside it is a slight departure from previous Sur La Table’s in that the exterior was primarily in Black and White. The awnings and decor gave the exterior a distinct Parisian look. Once inside your eyes don’t know where to look. Everything from cookware to tableware to linens to pastry tips, if you can think of it, Sur La Table has it. That’s the magic about walking into a Sur La Table. It’s the variety and assortment that they offer that sets them apart from other kitchen/cookware retailers. In addition sales associates who have a passion for cooking just like you.

The store layout is full, but there is plenty of room for moving up and down the aisles of this new store. The main cashwrap area is in the center of the store like many of their other store layouts. As you walk into the store you have cookware to your right and ceramics, linens and glassware to your left. Behind the cashwrap area is small electrics and foods. In the far right corner you have cookbooks and bakeware, while the left corner has home and kitchen goods.Directly across the cashwrap to the right is cutlery.

As I mentioned earlier, tonight’s opening was a Friends and Family event. Friends and coworkers, Tim and Jennie came with me and Jennie brought a friend, Claudine! It was a fun evening with food provided by Zov’s Bistro. We each walked out of the store a little poorer tonight, but happier!  Claudine, Jennie and Tim had lots of questions tonight and answering their food and cooking questions brought me back to Sur La Table in Pentagon Row in Arlington, VA.  I was on the sales floor in-between cooking classes helping customers and helping them make the best decision for their cookware needs. I felt very much at home there. If you didn’t know it, you might have mistaken me for an employee if you overheard my conversations this evening.

If you get a chance this weekend go to South Coast Plaza West where it will be air-conditioned and where you can walk into Sur La Table and explore. Talk with a store associate about what your cooking passions are and if you are new to cooking, ask them what tools you might need to help you in your culinary journey.

Special thanks to Tia (Store Manager), Stephanie (District Manager). Will (Clientele Specialist) and Carol Wertheim. Thank you for welcoming us into your home, we look forward to coming again and again!

Sur La Table
South Coast Plaza – West Wing (formerly Crystal Court)
1st Level across from the Apple Store
333 Bear Street
Costa Mesa, CA 92626

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The newest Sur La Table in Southern California opens on Friday, August 28th at South Coast Plaza.

The store is over 5,000 square feet of kitchen playground. Not only will you find a wide selection of cookware, tableware and kitchen tools, but you find knowledgeable employees who share you passion for food. Sur La Table prides themselves as the trusted authority.

Sur La Table will be located in the West Wing (formerly the Crystal Court) on the first floor across from the Apple Store and near the rotunda where the Mini-Carousel is. They have the perfect location in the mall and they can’t wait to open the doors for you on Friday (August 28) morning at mall opening.

While their official Grand Opening is on Tuesday, September 1st, they are opening the doors to the store a few days early to celebrate!

Today I met with Clientele Specialist, Will Kornfeld, who is with Sur La Table. They are right in the middle of building the store and putting product on the shelves so I didn’t want to take up too much of his time today, but we talked about how he came to Sur La Table. Will comes from the Sur La Table in Newport Beach and officially transferred to South coast Plaza this week.

As some of you know, I am a former employee of SLT and I have helped open a couple of Sur La Table’s. The “advance” team is making sure that everything is perfect for you on opening day. With less than a week to go, they literally have thousands of items to put out, as well as prepare the many displays that will be in the store. New employees are being trained and other employees from other SLT locations are getting the bearings in their new store. They can’t wait to greet you on opening morning.

So Will’s position of Clientele Specialist is somewhat new for Sur La Table. In addition to providing knowledgeable information on the sales floor, he will be reaching out to the culinary professionals. He will be responsible for reaching out to restaurants, caterers and other food professionals and assist them with the same detail and care he gives to all the new and seasoned home cooks that will be visiting the store. If you are a culinary or food professional, reach out to Will for special professional discounts.

If you live in Southern California, FoodieInDisguise.com is hosting a contest where you can win a $50.00 Gift Card good at the South Coast Plaza store. or more details, click HERE.

I hope to see many of you in line on Friday as we anxiously await the opening of the store!

I arrived at the taste celebration with an empty stomach and a desire to try something new. I’ve lived in the Fairfax area for nearly 5 years and have tried many of the shops at the Farmers Market.

While visiting the Farmers Market you can tour the entire world on your stomach – Japanese, Italian, French, Korean, Brazilian, Greece as well as the more divergent foods from our own country.

But, instead of trying to visit the world, I wanted to try re-creating the three meals of the day. Since this was a tasting menu, I figured 3 small meals might make 1 regular sized one. Right? Well, that’s my reasoning and I’m sticking to it!

Breakfast: Starting the Day off Right!

The yellow and green balloons in front of a shop indicated they were on the tasting menu. I started at the French Crepe Company which had so many people you almost couldn’t see the balloons. I had a savory Ham & Cheese crepe. It was light and tasty and a great way to start the morning…at 6 pm.

I followed the balloons to Farm Fresh Produce and had a selection of raspberries, grapes, strawberries and melons. It was perfect for the hot day—juicy, fresh and so flavorful compared to the local supermarket.

At e’ple I found my ‘something new’–Banana Spinach Juice. I know what you’re thinking, and I thought that too, and even more so once I saw it; a sort of light green, globby sludge in a cup. But the banana and the spinach balanced each other out perfectly and it was actually refreshing. There had to have been some kind of other base juice to make it as liquid as it was, but I couldn’t place it.

Lunch: It’s a little nuts

Breakfast complete and something new tried, it was off to find lunch. It was found at Bryan’s Pit Barbecue in the form of Brisket Sandwich and a side of potatoes. Nothing earth shattering, but a serviceable little sandwich made even better by the brisket smell wafting from the pits behind the counter.

A little afternoon snack was then in order. I came across long time merchant Phyllis Magee serving up an assortment of almonds, cashews and macadamias that hit the spot. Not too salty and very fresh! I plan on going back to buy peanut butter made on the spot. Phyllis’s family has been at the Farmer’s Market since 1934 and Magee’s Kitchen and Magee’s House of Nuts are the only shops dating back to the opening of the Market . Phyllis, a former employee, married into the family and has been running the operations since the early 80’s.

Dinner: Where’s that banana spinach juice?

Some food, though great for dinner, just seemed wildly inappropriate for July in Los Angeles, and I’m not sure why the shops chose them. For example, Du-Pars, at the Market since 1938 and recently renovated, was serving up Chicken Pot Pies. In July. In LA. On an 86 degree day.

For dinner I was fancying something a bit lighter, maybe a little surf & turf. I grabbed a Tuna Tartare from the Marmalade Café (not technically IN the Market, but on the same property) It had a spicy citrus sauce and followed it with Jerked Pork from Maronda’s Meats and a small Beef Short Rib with Korean Slaw from La Korea, which was good but being the third spicy dish in a row, just made me crave that banana spinach juice.

Dessert:

Finally it was desert time. Monsieur Marcel, at the Market for 15 years, was serving up Cheesecake Lollipops topped with a raspberry and 75 written in chocolate on the side. Dare I be cheeky and say it was as tasty as the chef? Why not, this is France! The land of lovers! The land of forbidden romance! And…. Apparently the land of really cheesy accordion playing that made me feel I was stuck in Ratatouille.

So, I strolled down the Market with my cheesecake on a stick leaving the Epcot Center-like France behind to travel to the 1950’s and catch The Do-Wop All Stars wrapping up in front of Bennet’s Ice Cream. By the time they were done I had made it to the front of the line. I sampled an assortment of ice creams, all homemade, chocolate overkill, coffee and cookie dough. They were mercifully small because they were extremely rich.

I took my ice cream and moved to another musical era, the 1930’s. The Hot Club Quartet with Janet Kelin (Gypsy Swing and Early Jazz) was cutting a rug at the Market Plaza beneath the clock tower. Everyone was having a great time. Couples that looked as if they probably were teenagers when the market opened were dancing along with the professionals.

And it wouldn’t be an outing in LA without a star sighting. Fran Kranz, Topher on Fox’s Dollhouse walked by sporting a decidedly shaggier look than his TV persona.

And so, as the sun set, I ended my culinary tour, where I began, at the French Crepe Company with a Nutella Crepe, reading the LA Original Farmers Market Cookbook and a smile of my face. Here’s to 75 more years!

For more information on the LA Farmer’s Market, visit: http://www.farmersmarketla.com.

Aaron T. Harvey is a freelance designer, foodie, new contributor to FoodieInDisguise and founder of GeekFilter.net.

I travelled to Laguna Niguel today to check them out. They are in the La Paz Center off La Paz and Pacific Park Drive between Henry’s and Long’s Drugs.

I guess I had hyped myself up to find a place brimming with people, but it wasn’t. The storefront was very plain and dead quiet – not even music to cut the silence. You can’t see the kitchen just a huge blank wall. They have about 20 flavors to choose from and are priced at $3.00 a cupcake.

While they are hosting a ribbon cutting ceremony on Wednesday, it looks like Divine has been there for awhile. In fact, according to fellow blogger Nancy Luna at the OC Register, they have been open since at least March.  I walked away with several flavors and sampled them at home.

Liz, a cupcake afficianado, who wrote in on the previous story about Divine said I had to taste their Red Velvet as it was one of the best she has ever had. So I bought two. Initial inspection is a tall cupcake with a nice, rich red color. Upon peeling back the paper I noticed that the cake was very oily. So oily infact, that my fingers were glistening as a result. The icing was about a 1/2 inch thick. The cake was moist (probably due to all the oil) and had a good taste. Is it the BEST Red Velvet I have had? No, that honor falls to an actual Red Velvet cake I had at CakeLove in Washington DC. The creamcheese icing tasted good, but remember I’m not a huge fan of icing.

Next I had the vanilla cake with buttercream icing. This had a large crown. Upon inspecting the backend of the cupcake, it looks like the batter overflowed onto the op of the muffin pan. This too, had about a 1/2 onf icing. The cake however had the consistency of bread. It was kinda dense and once I started to chew it became gummy and was difficult to swallow. As for taste, there was minimal vanilla taste in the cake. Unfortuantely I couldn’t go into the icing.

So did they Divine and Conquer? In this blogger’s opinion, no. Liz, I will go there again on “grand opening” day and see if the Red Velvet is better.

Divine Desserts, Etc.
27261 La Paz Road, Suite G
Laguna Niguel, CA 92677
949-305-3355

The new store in Brea is located at 735 E. Birch Street, while the Riverside location is at 475 E. Alessandro Blvd. With the upcoming store opening in Orange this will bring a total of 10 stores in the Southland. Other locations are in Irvine, Tustin, El Cajon, Torrance, San Marcos and Seal Beach.

On July 10th, the new stores will feature a free breakfast buffet at 7:30am while supplies last and the first 2000 customers will get reusable shopping bags. On July 29 (Riverside) and July 30 (Brea), the “Cheese Lady” will be onsite to carve a 3300 pound wheel of chipotle cheddar in a “California” theme from 10am-5pm.

On Tuesday, July 14th from 5pm to 9pm you can have a taste of everything that is in the market for one, low, incredible price. Taste foods from over 36 vendors. Retail and merchants will also be offering special sales to help celebrate their “birthday”.

Ticket’s are wickedly priced at $20 for tastings and a beverage. For $5 more, you can add beer/wine to your ticket. $45 will get you all that plus a copy of The Original Farmers Market Cookbook. The authors will be onsite that evening to sign copies of their book.

Tickets are going fast so go to www.farmersmarketla.com to buy your tickets online!

Another feature they have added is locking the blades in place. I can’t tell you the number of times I have poured out liquid from the bowl and forgot to hold the blade, only to have it fall into the bowl and splatter stuff all over the place. Another feature is a better seal between the bowl and the lid. Better gaskets make for a better seal to keep those liquids in.

The new processor features a 1000 watt motor that runs super quiet. The body is made in die cast metal and looks slick. The new unit retails for $545 but is on sale at Williams-Sonoma for $299.99. The unit ships with three bowls, two discs (slicing and shredding), two blades and spatula. The unit also ships with a DVD.

I can’t wait to get my hands on one. I wonder when the exclusive ends?

Here is an except from a section of that article called Paperless Future:

If media diversification and proliferation continue apace, marketers can expect feature ads as we know them to disappear over the next five years. Coupons will go paperless and coupon delivery will occur in-store and in-aisle—literally at the point of purchase. Shoppers will deploy mobile devices to seek out and “pull down” messages ranging from recipes to promotions as they shop the store.

Consumers hungry for recipe ideas or product recommendations can text or “tweet” friends, and visit “foodie” social media sites and blogs for inspiration as they walk store aisles. Traditional ad formats will yield to the immediacy and brevity of vehicles like Twitter tweets, which enjoy the boost of enhanced credibility from peer group product champions.

Do you Twitter while you shop? Have you ever Twittered or IM’d a friend for a recipe idea while walking down the aisles of Ralph’s? Me personally, I think I have twittered that I was in the store, but the most I have ever said is that I saw a cute guy in line or something! I usually have a good idea of what I’m buying once I’m at the market. I have also used CellFire, a digital coupon application on the iPhone.

By the way, the cute iPhone cupcakes are from an entry at last year’s Ignite NYC II event.  Nick and Danielle Bilton won The Cupcake Decorating Championship at that event.

Photo Credit: woohome.com

Come in and get tips and techniques if you’re a first time baker or even a veteran! No reservations needed for Brownie 101, just show up and have some fun!

While you’re there, check out their selection of bakeware like Wilton’s Brownie Cup. A brownie that has it’s own “bowl” to fill in with ice cream!

Better yet, check out their Baker’s Edge Brownie Pan – now everyone can have an edge on their brownie cuz we all know that’s the best part!

]]> http://www.foodieindisguise.com/2009/05/06/brownie-worshops-sur-la-table/feed/ 1 http://www.foodieindisguise.com/2009/05/02/oxos-strawberry-huller/ http://www.foodieindisguise.com/2009/05/02/oxos-strawberry-huller/#comments Sat, 02 May 2009 08:57:45 +0000 Scott Mindeaux, Editor http://www.foodieindisguise.com/?p=2273 You’re probably asking yourself, why do you need to hull a strawberry. Just tear the green leaves off the top and cut a part of the top off. That’s all you really need to do right?

Wrong.

Did you know that the tartest and toughest part of the Strawberry is the hull (see Fig. 1)? Most folks will take a paring knife and just cut the top off. But by cutting off the top, you’re getting rid of a good portion of good sweetness in the flesh (see Fig 2). It’s only the center part that you have to remove (see Fig 3).

So Oxo’s Strawberry Huller makes it easier than ever to prepare strawberries for fruit salads, tarts, or simply snacking. Just pierce and scoop to remove the leaves and the hull with one motion.

No fruit is wasted.

Press the button to release the leaves and hull and you’re ready for your next strawberry. Sweet!

As with all Oxo products, it has a rubber handle on top for an easy grip and it’s dishwasher safe.

The Oxo Strawberry Huller is available at Sur La Table and other retailers like Cooking.com for around $6.00

Crate and Barrel’s new venture CB2 comes to the Los Angeles area with a storefront located at 8000 Sunset Blvd, the location of the old Virgin Megastore. Grand Opening ceremonies take place on Thursday, April 30.

CB2 is Crate & Barrel’s destination for modern furnishings, lifestyle and decor at a bit more affordable price point. Smart designs, clever materials. Neat stuff, cool colors. They center around categories such as Eat, Sleep, Work, Live, Decorate, Outdoor, Work and Splash.

For us foodies, CB2 carries a nice selection of dinnerware, flatware, stemware, party stuff, barware and tableware. In the furniture section they do have dining tables, chairs and storage.

CB2 currently has two stores in Chicago, and one each in New York City, San Francisco and Berkeley, CA.

Sur La Table

The Bravern is over 300,000 square feet of retail, commercial and residential space. The Bravern is set for a Grand Opening date this Fall.

Sur La Table must be on schedule with that timeline as they has started their search for a Store Manager for that location. The store will be over 5,000 square feet and joins other retailers such as Neiman Marcus, Jimmy Choo and the Red Door Spa.

This will make Sur La Table’s third store in the Seattle Metro area. More details to come as we get closer to the opening date.

The first Sur La Table store opened in Seattle’s Pike Place Market in 1972. Since then the company has expanded to 74 stores nationwide along with a successful direct-mail and e-commerce operation. In addition, Sur La Table has an amazing cooking class program in 25 of its stores nationwide.

Photo credit: Rendering from thebravern.com

Visit surlatable.com for more details and pricing. Prices good in stores and online.

I think it doesn’t get enough attention. Sure every Holiday Season we all make sure it’s on our tables, but the rest of the year, it’s a wonder if we get as much as we should. Yes, even this writer doesn’t have enough of it and maybe gets a splash of the good stuff with his Vodka every now and then, but now there are two new reasons to have more!

Fruit Essentials, a Wisconsin food technology company, is introducing Forti-Fruit™ fortified cranberries and Omega-Mix™ trail mix as a healthier and more nutritious option to satisfy our snack cravings.

Sweetened with natural fruit juices instead of refined sugars, every ounce of Forti-Fruit is fortified with antioxidants and over 1 gram of healthy omega fatty acids (Omega 3, 6 and 9).

“Dried cranberries and unsalted nuts are an easy and health-beneficial alternative to other processed snack foods,” according to Ralph Pullmann, president and CEO of Fruit Essentials. “Busy families don’t have a lot of time to search food labels for hidden sugars and fats, so Fruit Essentials created Forti-Fruit and Omega-Mix to make it easier for active kids and adults to fit better nutrition into their diet and busy lifestyle.”

Using these fortified cranberries, Fruit Essentials Omega-Mix takes the classic trail mix to a whole new level, by packing 8 grams of a balanced ratio of Omega 3-6-9 essential fatty acids into every ounce. They start with only nuts that have a sufficient amount of antioxidants and healthy fats. These raw nuts are minimally processed and have no salt. The mix does not use the candy found in many trail mixes, instead, Forti-Fruit juice-sweetened cranberries are used to complete the mix’s flavor profile.

Fruit Essentials has a whole line of products that harness the health benefits of all parts of the cranberry and amplify it with a balanced ratio of essential fatty acids. Other products include the N’Mia™ Cranberry & Olive Oil Blend, Cranberry Women’s Formula Supplement and Cranberry Seed Oil, which comes in both liquid and softgel forms.

Fruit Essentials are currently available from specialty health stores. For easier ordering of Forti-Fruit, visit their website and order direct!

To learn more about Fruit Essentials products or to order online visit www.fruitessentials.com

Fresh & Easy introduces family-sized meals helping to feed families on a budget. Each dish is about 40-45 ounces and expertly developed by a team headed by Chef Mike Ainslie. All Fresh & Easy branded products contain no artificial colors or flavors, no added trans fats and only use preservatives when absolutely necessary.

Fresh & Easy’s top selling kitchen product is the family-sized Chicken and Broccoli Pasta Alfredo, with the Chicken Teriyaki with Rice and Vegetables coming in second. The other best sellers include the larger-portioned Lasagna with Meat Sauce, Spaghetti with Turkey Meatballs, Chicken and Bacon Macaroni and Cheese, and Chicken Burritos with Green and Red Sauce.

“Customers told us they were looking for larger sizes to feed their families on a budget. We introduced larger portions of our very popular kitchen meals, so our customers can feed a family of four for only $8,” said Simon Uwins, chief marketing officer. “We are pleased customers are responding so well and are taking advantage of being able to save money without having to compromise on the quality of what they feed their families.”

To find a Fresh & Easy location near you, visit http://www.freshandeasy.com

Has anyone noticed how huge Rachael Ray’s Empire has grown? In a short amount of time, she has built several successful shows on the Food Network, has her own daytime talk show, has a cutlery line, then she debuted her orange handle cookware. Next she comes out with table and serving ware. Oh, and let’s not forget all of her cookbooks.

Well several months ago I was at the market and in the cooking oils section, specifically Olive Oils. Lo and behold, there it was: EVOO as she lovingly refers Extra Virgin Olive Oil as. But that wasn’t all, she also has Modena Balsamic Vinegar! But it doesn’t stop there when it comes to pantry items. Rachael also has her own beef and chicken stocks. Made to her specification by the folks at Colavita, she doesn’t want to sacrifice flavor for the convenience of a prepared stock.

But it doesn’t stop there…I’m sure you have all seen the commercials on TV for her new line of dog food, Nutrish. High quality pet food made to exacting specifications by Rachael. Proceeds from the sale of Nutrish also benefit her charity Rachael Rescues which helps distribute funds to pet charities and organizations that help animals in need.

Oh! One more thing, Rachael also has a line of bed linens and towels for your home as well. Just think, your home can be a Rachael Ray home. Martha, move over!

It’s probably safe to say that her start on the Food Network propelled her to where she is today. If she were to leave the Food Network, that would send a blow to the Food Network that in my opinion has shows that aren’t up to par with other cooking shows of the past.

So here is my personal take on Rachael Ray. When she first came onto the scene on the Food Network I watched her shows. The whole “30 minutes” idea was kinda kewl and we all need ideas for fast, easy meals. Well Rachael came to the rescue. The fact was the food was real. No fancy this or that, just easy to cook meals that anyone would enjoy eating. Yes the episodes really take like 7-9 hours to produce, but all in all, those meals can be cooked in 30 minutes or less.

Her little quirks like the “EVOO” and her “mmmmm” where kinda catchy and I never had a “garbage bowl” until Rachael came along. Then Rachael started doing more “lifestyle” shows like here $40 a day. Interesting concept. I thought to myself, could I really do that in real life? While a good idea, I know that while on vacation, spending only $40 a day was pushing it. But it was nice seeing her travel from place to place, around the world, showing us that you can eat on less than $40 a day. It was kinda inspiring, but I know my eating habits! :)

When her daytime TV talkshow came to CBS, I have probably only watched it like one or two times. If I remember correctly, the two times I watched was when the contestants from “The Next Food Network Star” would come to her show. Rachael is very involved with the community and does alot of charity work.

I have never purchased any of her products, though I do own two pieces of cookware that my sister got for me one Christmas – yep, orange handles and all! Maybe I will try out some of her EVOO or her chicken stock just to see what the quality is like.

Have you used any of Rachael’s pantry items? What’s it like?

Photo Credits: rachaelray.com and foodnetwork.com

No details yet on where in South Coast Plaza the store will be, but my guess is that it could be in the South Coast Plaza Village across from the Mall. Sur La Table rarely opens stores in indoor mall environments, but they could be looking to explore that possibility. There is a William-Sonoma in the main mall and I doubt they will open in the Crystal Court due to its close proximity to a Crate & Barrel and Macy’s Signature Kitchen and Home Store.

When a location and date are available, you know I will get that information to you!

I’m so excited!

Specialty’s Cafe & Bakery, well known in the SF Bay area, Seattle and Chicago will be opening their first Southern California location by the end of January 2009 – most probably near the Irvine Spectrum.

There are actually TWO locations. One location will be in the new towers at 20•40 Pacifica near the Irvine Spectrum at Irvine Center Drive and the 405 Fwy. The other will be near the John Wayne Airport (SNA) at the Irvine Towers at Von Karman and Michelson.

Specialty’s Cafe & Bakery is typically located in an urban business district or suburban business center, and operates 5-days per week during the morning, noontime and afternoon hours. Most locations target takeout and delivery customers and feature limited seating. The focus is the food: fresh baked breads, cookies and pastries, plus handmade sandwiches, homemade soups and fresh salads.

Each location features an exhibition bakery, where fresh bread, pastries, and cookies are mixed and baked from scratch. The aroma of fresh-baked breads and Specialty’s’ legendary chocolate chip cookies creates a unique, brand-building environment. Dawn Sandnes, one of the founders, continues to personally oversee recipe development, product implementation, and food quality. Customers consistently rate food quality and flavor as the number one reason they prefer Specialty’s. They were intent on providing a healthier and more varied alternative to the generally fatty and uninspiring bakery products. Instead, unique breads (and sandwiches!), lots of fresh vegetables, fruits, and grains are the basis for most of Specialty’s products.

Specialty’s is the culmination of Craig Saxton and Dawn Sandnes with the opening of their first Specialty’s in 1988. They currently operate over 17 locations.

The Irvine location will most likely feature online ordering kiosks, wireless internet access, ample seating inside and an outdoor patio.

You can see an online menu for their stores on their website at www.specialtysdirect.com

I look forward to Specialty’s coming to Southern California. I have eaten at the location at Union & 5th in Seattle as it was near one of my transfer points on the bus system when I was still working for Sur La Table.

[NOTE: The have an online warm cookie alert so you know when they come out of the oven!]

If you live in Costa Mesa, Huntington Beach, Newport or UC Irvine you’re in luck! Don’t get in your car and try to find a 24 hour CVS or Ralphs. Call Midnight Muncheez!

Midnight Muncheez will deliver everything from chips, drinks and food to Nag Champa, Condoms and Ping Pong balls! It’s an interesting collection to say the least. In the next few months they will be expanding by adding a kitchen and delivering freshly made pizzas and sandwiches.

Midnight Muncheez was founded by Jeff Bordok and Jared Jones in 2007. Their mission:

“Our mission is to provide a food delivery service while helping to educate young adults about the risks of drunk driving.”

I question their recent addition of liquor to their menu however. While their charter is to prevent drunk driving why should they promote the very thing that caused their mission to be formed in the first place?

In any case, this is a great service for anyone, not just young adults. A quick run thru their menus shows that in addition to a wide array of food and drink they can sell you everything from Nyquil, condoms, toothpaste, red plastic cups, batteries to a deck of cards.

So if you find yourself in need cuz you’ve had a bit too much to drink or cuz you can’t drive, give Midnight Muncheez a call! They deliver from 8pm to 3am Sun-Thu and 8pm to 5am on Fri and Sat.

Midnight Muncheez
(877) EZ-MUNCH
(877) 396-8624
www.midnightmuncheez.com