Subject: Fruits and Vegetables

• Skwinkles Salsagheti

  Name: Skwinkles Salsagheti Origin: Mexico Found at: Bodega "R" Ranch, Tustin Cost: $2.99 for 12 count box Ingredients: Straws: Corn Syrup, Wheat Flour, Sugar, Dextrose, Sorbitol, Citric Acid, Partially Hidrogenated [sic] Vegetable Oil, Chili Powder, Glycerin, Iodized Salt, Wheat Fiber, Sodium Lactate, Lactic Acid, Sodium Citrate, Malic Acid, Artifical Flavor, Mono and Diglicerides, Lecitin Soy [sic], Sodium Benzoate and Potassium Sorbate (To Maintain Freshness), Colors FD&C (Red 40, Yel

  November 3, 2008

• You Won't Be Able to Stay Neutral About the Stellar French/Swiss Fare at Basilic

  March 19, 2009

• OC Is Bursting With Sound-Alikes of the Famous Alberto's. We Search for the Best Incarnation

  January 29, 2009

• The Newest Veggie Grill in Irvine Is Good Enough to Fool (Almost) Everyone

  December 4, 2008

• Café Piccolo in Long Beach Stuffs Thai and Indian Cuisine Into Its Italian

  November 13, 2008

• The Lost City of the Incas Discovered in Fountain Valley at Casa Inka

  September 4, 2008

• [Food Issue 2008] For Our Recessionary Times, 54 Orange County Meal Deals Between 99 Cents and $15

  August 7, 2008

• At Michael's On Naples Ristorante, It's an Octopus'—Not Olive—Garden

  August 7, 2008

• [This Hole-in-the-Wall Life] Tadig Into This at Green Rice

  July 31, 2008

• Bunny Love

  July 17, 2008

• [This Hole-In-the-Wall Life] Paleta Paradise at La Flor de Mexico

  July 3, 2008

• At Hak Heang in Long Beach, the Cambodian Seafood Often Comes With a Side of Decibels

  June 26, 2008

• Blanca in Newport Beach Dishes Out Crudo, an Italian Spin on Sushi

  an italian spin on sushi at blanca

  May 15, 2008

• The Korean Barbecue at Go Goo Ryeo in Garden Grove Is Amazing, But Your Date May Not Approve

  May 1, 2008

• Thai Swan in Orange Is Home Cooking Made Simple and Comfy

  April 17, 2008

• Getting Schooled at Soka Bistro at Soka University

  February 28, 2008

• Haute and Heavy

  February 7, 2008

• Beneath the Batter

  A synergy of cultures at Mario's Peruvian Seafood

  January 31, 2008

• Old Home Week

  Zena's evokes the kindness of strangers

  January 3, 2008

• Counter Intelligence

  The quest for the perfect burger ends in Irvine

  December 20, 2007

• Sucking in the '70s

  The grub at Wong’s is sublime, if you don’t mind dangly tassels

  November 8, 2007

• Pork Belly Decadence

  It’s a do-it-yourself world at Manpuku

  October 11, 2007

• Of Mice and Mousse

  K’Ya is a slice of elegance amid Disneyland’s tourist hell

  October 4, 2007

• Raw Power

  Despite a few missteps, don’t call the raw-food philosophy at 118 Degrees half-baked

  August 9, 2007

• Grub Guide

  August 2, 2007

• This Hole-in-the-Wall Life

  August 2, 2007

• Soil to Soul

  July 19, 2007

• Building a Better Berry

  Pinkberry may be coming to town, but Yogurtland is already OCs fro-yo on the go

  July 5, 2007

• Big Easy Barbecue

  Memphis chef Diego Velasco shares his secrets to the perfect backyard summer feast

  June 7, 2007

• The May Gray Blues

  The Beachcombers fare doesnt live up to its spectacular, summery setting

  June 7, 2007

• Out of the Ashes

  The delectable saga of Thai Nakorn enters its third act

  May 10, 2007

• This Hole-in-the-Wall Life

  May 24, 2007

• grub guide

  April 19, 2007

• Grub Guide

  April 12, 2007

• Grub Guide

  April 5, 2007

• Grub Guide

  September 20, 2007

• Plums Café: It's Not Just for Breakfast, Anymore

  May 7, 2009

• Boqueria's Tasty Tapas Hatches at Rooster Cafe

  May 28, 2009

• Easy, Breezy Recipe: Amar Santana's Gazpacho

  Here's a signature from Amar Santana, Executive Chef at Charlie Palmer, South Coast Plaza. Light, healthy and a cinch to make, it's perfect for summer (once the weather perks up, that is). On the other hand, if you're feeling fancy, you can jazz it up by garnishing it with marinated baby shrimp and avocado, as Santana does.We couldn't get a photo of the dish itself, but, let's face it: we all know what gazpacho looks like. But not everyone knows what Santana looks like--so here's a cheery pic of

  June 12, 2009

• Pinkberry News, Including Friday Freebie!

  To celebrate the launch of two new flavors, coconut and passion fruit, Pinkberry stores are giving away a free small-sized portion--one per customer--tomorrow, Friday June 26, between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m.Fresh news toppings are also on the menu for summer: lychees, bing cherries (from the Pacific northwest, don't you know) and, in August and September, Valencia oranges.Can't say I'll be going for the lychees, but they sure look pretty.

  June 25, 2009

• Recipe: The Winery's Zinfandel Braised Bone-In Prime Beef Short Ribs, Carrot Pearl Couscous and Roasted Asparagus

  Here's a recipe that's more elaborate than others we've featured recently. It's from the Winery Restaurant & Wine Bar in Tustin (where Yvon Goetz is Executive Chef and Partner), so it should come as no surprise that a whole bottle of the drink of the gods is a key ingredient. And if you can get your version to look as good as his, you deserve a second one.Ingredients (serves four) For the short ribs:4 1lb short ribs, bone in1 bottle Zinfandel1 qt veal stock2 tsp vegetable oil1 cup flour

  July 15, 2009

• Traditions Offers Cheap, Hot, Delicious North Indian Cuisine

  July 23, 2009

• Two Upcoming Food/Wine/Art Events at the Shorebreak/Zimzala, Huntington Beach

  ​First, this Sunday (from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.) is the inaugural 2nd Sunday bash at the hotel, featuring "fine wine, tasty nibbles, live music and stimulating art." Specifically, the booze is from Coppola Diamond Collection, the grub is from the hotel's own Zimzala restaurant, and the paintings are from the imaginatively named The Gallery. Artists include Dean Torrence of Jan & Dean fame, who paints exclusively for the gallery, and former Warner Bros animator Tina Schmidt. The entry fee of $10

  September 9, 2009

• Drink of the Week: The Algerian Boulevard at Andrei's

  ​The drink: The Algerian Boulevard at Andrei's Conscious Cuisine and Cocktails. $7 normally, $5 at happy hour (3 to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday) Edwin's already pretty thoroughly examined the "cuisine" part of newly opened Andrei's Conscious Cuisine and Cocktails in Irvine, but methinks the "cocktails" needs some talking about. I asked bar manager/lead bartender Kurt Van Dyke for a taste of the joint's signature drink. He delivered a pink concoction on the rocks, floating lemons and flecked w

  September 4, 2009

• On the Line: Mark Cleveland of Avanti Cafe

  Cleveland: Ex-cellent!​I'm still mad at Avanti Cafe for stopping their International Tuesdays, so that just means I now try to visit once a week instead of every other day. I usually visit in the evening, when Mark Cleveland relieves his co-owner Tanya Fuqua in a transition as seamless as a Jamaican 4x100 relay baton passing. They've made Avanti the place for innovative vegan cooking in Orange County since 2005, and the two concoct the best drinks this side of Memphis at the Santora. We nabbed

  October 27, 2009

• At the Farmer's Market: Apples and Stuff Made From Them

  Dave Lieberman​It's fall, which means it's apple season here in Southern California.Tilden Farms from Riverside has Sekai Ichi apples, which are thought to be a cross between Red Delicious and Golden Delicious. They're great for eating out of hand, with a lot of juice and none of the mealiness that tends to plague Red Delicious.Many vendors have Pink Lady apples this year, which are a cross between Golden Delicious and Lady Williams that originated in Australia. These are chameleon apples: You

  October 29, 2009

• Five Great Things To Do With That Jack O' Lantern On Nov. 1

  ingernet @ flickr.com CC BY-NC-ND 2.0Truly a woman after my own heart.​You bought the pumpkin, you carved it, the doorbell rang a hundred million times, and you gave out enough candy to fund an army of dentists for the next year.Now it's the day after Halloween and the jack o' lantern is headed for the trash--or is it?While it's true that most pumpkins of a size suitable for jack o' lanterns (jacks o' lantern?) are not bred for their flavor, all pumpkins are edible. Roasting the pumpkin usuall

  October 30, 2009

• At the Farmer's Market: The Sweetest Sweet Potatoes Ever

  The whole point of a farmer's market is to bring fresh, local food to people with as few intermediate steps as possible. While it's always fresh, sometimes the bounds of "local" get stretched. (Don't get me wrong--I am not about to give up my San Joaquin Delta asparagus--but calling that local to Irvine is stretching the bounds of reason.)And then there's Rui, the smiling, gracious woman behind the table of R Farms, near the center of the Irvine market, across from the giant hummus booth.Dave Li

  November 4, 2009

• Life on the Veg: Veggie Stack at Memphis Soul Cafe

  Grace Le​ The biggest grievance vegetarians have while dining out is most likely going to be lack of selection. Most restaurants think they've got all their bases covered by keeping a few boxes of frozen garden patties in stock and a few salads on the menu. Upon first glance, Memphis Soul Cafe's menu seems to be the perfect example of such a cop out. That is, until you ask for the specials.

  November 11, 2009

• At the Farmer's Market: Peaches (Maybe)

  Dave Lieberman'Tis the last peach of summer left rip'ning alone...​That's right, peaches--maybe.Yes, it's mid-November. Yes, it's already snowing all over the purple mountains' majesty and the fruited plains east of here. People in New York are settling in for a long winter of imported Israeli produce, and even here in the fruit basket of the United States, the farmer's markets are full of hard squashes and fall fruits like pomegranate and quince.But the Tenerellis, who own a farm in Littleroc

  November 12, 2009