Artfully Crafted @ 50 Forks

What a wonderful complimentary dinner with my Nikko and sisters at 50 Forks!!! We enjoyed an artfully crafted food prepared by AI (Art Institute) culinary students. The school restaurant is open Monday through Friday for lunch and dinner.  Most of all, it's reasonably priced!  First Course or Bites @ $5; Second Course or Nosh @ $10;  Third Course or Sweets @ $5.  Can't beat that!  

5Min - 10Sec Egg, Caviar, Fingerling Chips, Saffron Onions, Her Salad

Brie, Spicy Walnuts, Dried Fruit Compote, Baguette

Roasted Yam, Bacon, Creme Fraiche

All the "Bites"

Sous Vide Sole, Edamame Mash Carrot Bibbons

Morocan Chicken, Preserved Lemons, Green Olives, Basmati Rice

Duck Confit, Warm Green Puy Lentils, Pearl Onions

Pink Lady Apple Galette, Sour Cream Ice Cream, Cinnamon Dust,
Caramel Sauce 

Peanut Buter and Milk Chocolate Snow, Chocolate Tartlet,
Crispy Chocolate Meringued, Banana, Sorbetdd Meringue,
Banana Sorbet Quenelle, Creme Fraiche

Baco Mercat

One of my favorite places in DTLA (downtown LA) - never disappoints. Always so good!

Baco's very own POP

baked crispy eggplant (tomato, oregano, mozarella) 

new on the menu, " crispy pork testa
(lentils, romesco, gremolats)

"the original" pork, beef carnitas, salbitxada 

Wedding at The Turnip Rose

Attended a wedding at The Turnip Rose in Costa Mesa . Loved the venue -- very nice. The food was excellent, I thought from the hors d'oeuvres to the after dinner dessert with assorted chocolate covered strawberries injected with alcohol and an ice cream bar. Forget about dieting! Oh and "Open Bar" all night long! It was amazing! Another wonderful wedding reception! Definitely an excellent place for a venue.  

My Cosmopolitan Martini

Why not both?  Salmon and Filet Mignon

The Strawberry Bar 

Strawberries injected with choice of alcohol

from the ice cream bar

Coffee Code

A meal is never complete without dessert!  If you’re like me, I always leave room for some yummy sweets!  
After eating a delicious meal, I often crave for something tasty to satisfy my sweet tooth.  It may not always be from the places I eat, but there is one place that will always satisfy this craving.  

Coffee Code, a local establishment close to home is open late.  This is my go to place when everything else is close and I’m having sweet withdrawals.  They have an array of desserts and specialty coffee and lattes.  My favorite is the “Berry, Berry Waffle”.  It’s delectable, delightful, and delicious!  

If you live in the area, or simply passing through from a long day at Disneyland, I would recommend this place for some good eats late at night.  

So keep your eyes peeled for my posts while I fill your bellies with another gastronomic adventure of this hungry tEATeacher!

Photo Credits: Chad Marquez 

Photo Credits: Chad Marquez 

My favorite, the Berry Berry Waffle 

Indulged our sweet palates with Extraordinary Desserts

Located in Little Italy in San Diego, this place is definitely a "hot spot".  You can dine in just for desserts, and that's exactly what we did.  Boy, did we indulge on some yummy sweets!  I don't think I will be able to eat another dessert for awhile.
There were many to choose from.  They all looked so yummy, we just wanted to taste all.  And so here are just a few of what we tried.
It's been awhile since I've posted here...but do keep your eyes peeled for my posts while I fill your bellies with another gastronomic adventure of this hungry tEATeacher!

we just couldn't resist all the yummy sweets

 

Creme Brûlées

Bread Pudding 

Cake Counter 

truly a very busy evening and a "hot spot" in Little Italy

A Thanksgiving Feast

I love Thanksgiving.  It's a time to spend with family and friends.  What I love the most about this holiday is the food.  Every year my family and I have a traditional Thanksgiving feast.  Yes, that means a nice juicy turkey and all the trimmings.  This year, my son, Nikko, who aspires to become an executive chef someday prepared a wonderful feast for the whole family.  It was amazing, of course!  Oh and my daughter, Sasha made her potato dish.  This has become a family favorite; thus it became a Thanksgiving tradition.  It is something we look forward to every year!

This year's menu:
Roasted turkey with jus, ham, spiced orange cranberry sauce, delicita squash, green bean casserole, swish chard with pine nuts and golden raisins, herb turkey stuffing, and wild rice pilaf.  All were delicious!   I have my son, Nikko to thank for preparing another amazing meal!

Our table setting 

No room in our dining room, I had to set up in the living room for a party of 14. 

My Beautiful Family.  That's Nikko, my future chef in the red beanie.  

Food Pod Adventure in Portland

Food Trucks, Food Pods, Food Carts....they're basically the same in the sense that it's a mobile restaurant.  Last month I had the opportunity to visit Portland, Oregon where I was amazed at the number of stationary food carts within a few feet of each other.  

My sisters and I stayed in the heart of downtown Portland, near Pioneer Square. From the 10th floor window of our room of the Benson Hotel, I could see the line of food pods (a group of food carts known in Portland as a pod)  along Alder Street; one of the many blocks that is home  to a sampling of good eats.

It was rather difficult to resist the many choices of food pods. There were many to choose from.  What ever our belly desired, it was there: Mediterranean, Thai, Cuban, Colombian, Peruvian just to name a few.  It was truly food heaven!  Most of all, the food were very reasonably priced.  Most food carts in Portland sold their entrees for $5 to $12.  I enjoyed checking out at all the variety of food and the food pod stands.  Since it was stationary, many even provided tables and chairs for customers to enjoy their food. Although some chose to sit at the numerous parks nearby which my sisters and I did.  

If you plan to visit Portland, I strongly recommend trying the food pods.  They're everywhere!   A must try is the nitro ice cream for dessert.  We discovered this cart just across from VooDoo Donuts on 4th street.  

So keep your eyes peeled for my posts while I fill your bellies with another gastronomic adventure of this hungry tEATeacher!

One of the many food carts along Adler Street near Pioneer Square

So many to choose from

We loved Colombian food, we returned for more the next day. 

Salpicon (refreshing fruit cocktail with vanilla ice cream),
          Patacones (pronounced: "pa-ta-con") 

Liquid Nitrogen Ice Cream ready in seconds 

Waffles for dessert?  Yummy! 

Of course we had to try Cuban food.  This gentleman opened a new establishment in the area after operating from his food cart for a few years!  

Loved the Cuban plantains! 

My sisters and I couldn't wait to eat the plantains while waiting for our Thai food order!