The Food Addicts

Over the weekend, we got the opportunity to check out the Natural Products Expo West at the Anaheim Convention Center, which is the world’s largest natural, organic, and healthy products trade show. We found out about this expo when a rep for Stonyfield contacted us and invited us to attend as Press. Reason? We have an organic garden! Stonyfield wanted to stress the importance of using organic farming and are most well-known for their yogurt line. After meeting the people at Stonyfield, we got to walk around the convention and check out all the great products at the show, and not to mention, all the samples & freebies that we got to take home. It was NUTS, I tell ya. So anyway, here’s a few pictures from the event – and keep scrolling down to see your chance to win some of the goodies we got!

The Natural Products Expo was divided into these 6 major categories: Health & Beauty, Natural & Specialty Foods, Natural Living, Organic, Pet Products, and Supplements. That was a lot of ground to cover in a few hours.

This convention brings in over 50,000 industry members, so as you can see, it was jam-packed! Check out the Stonyfield yogurt cup in the background. They had a special goody bag for us when we got there!

Samples of food & drinks were everywhere we turned. It was like a buffet, except you only get a bite or two of each thing, and then you start feeling sick because you just mixed so many varieties of stuff in your stomach!

This is a dessert-lover's paradise - everything from cotton candy to macaroons. Along the way, you get chocolate, cupcakes, ice cream, cookies, and a heart attack.

This was cool - CocoPop was making their multigrain snack with their machine that shoots out the wheat/corn/rice cake. Can't get any fresher than that! Oh, and prime rib, anyone?

Japan had their own section of products, like soy sauce, ponzu sauce, tea, and sake. Panda brand used their mascot... no other than a Panda. Cute.

We got to chat with Chef Nathan Lyon, who stars in the show A Lyon in the Kitchen on Discovery Health and FitTV. His motto: Great Food Starts Fresh. And no, the next photo is not of someone from Cirque du Soleil. She is dressing the part of ginger to promote the brand Ginger People.

One of my favorite things at the expo was stuffing a stuffed doggy animal with organic cotton. Chester got a new friend and some treats in the Pet Products section of the convention.

There were an abundance of booths that had an eclectic array of teas. We got a ton of different tea bags to try. My favorite product of the show would have to be Coconut Water!! We got to take home full-sized bottles of these and that contributed to the heaviness of our bags. But it was worth it! I am lovin' Coconut Water!

You made it to the bottom! Here's your chance to win this bag full of samples that we want to share with you! Read below for what's included in this goody bag, and the simple rules to enter the contest.

What you get:

• Stonyfield – blue bag
• Stonyfield – 2 coupons for free Stonyfield yogurt
• Oikos – rubber spatula
• Oikos – SPF 15 Strawberry Lip Balm
• Naked Juice – SPF 15 Green Machine Lip Balm
• Soyjoy – Apple Walnut Bar
• Sahale Snacks – Tuscan Almonds with Parmesan & Herbs
• Sahale Snacks – Cashews with Pomegrante & Vanilla
• The Ginger People – Ginger Chews
• Country Choice Organic – Soft Baked Cookie
• Xtreme Shreds – Shredded Beef Jerky on a keychain
• Annie Chun’s – Roasted Seaweed Snacks, Wasabi flavor
• Annie Chun’s – Korean Sweet & Spicy Sauce in a tube
• Bakery on Main – Gluten Free Peanut Butter Chocolate Granola Bar
• Bakery on Main – Fiber Power Triple Berry Granola
• Redmond Real Salt – 2 oz. All Natural Sea Salt
• Cascadian Farm – Chocolate Chip Chewy Granola Bar
• Larabar – Chocolate Chip Brownie
• Larabar – Carrot Cake
• Blue Monkey – Instant Coconut Water Powder Pack
• Noah’s Naturals – Anti-Aging Beauty Elixir
• North American Hemp Co. – Shampoo, Conditioner, and Serum
• Environne – Fruit and Vegetable Wash (to remove pesticides, waxes, and chemicals)
• Justin’s – Chocolate Hazelnut Butter
• Dagoba – Organic Chocolate
• 8 different tea bags

Contest Rules:

• Be a subscriber of our blog
• Leave a comment letting us know what your favorite item in this goody bag is and what you’re  most excited to try!
• Contest ends at midnight Friday March 19th

Another recipe we want to share that was a big hit at our Thanksgiving Potluck is the Spicy Crab Stuffed Mushrooms that was made by our friend Cecille. It’s adapted from Everyday is a Party Cookbook by Emeril Lagasse, but it’s changed up a bit to our preference. When you combine mushrooms with crab, jalapenos, and cheese, you really get a winning appetizer! Cecille remade these crab stuffed mushrooms again with us and we made sure that it’s captured for your viewing pleasure. Of course, it would be even better if you tried out the recipe for yourself! We provided the link below to Emeril’s recipe at Food Network, but you can also follow the directions in our photos if you’d like to try our version with a few changes.

We used 1 pound of king crab meat, which we pulsed in the food processor.

Other ingredients to add to the crab: 1 tsp chopped garlic, half red onion diced, 1/2 cup chopped jalapenos, 1/4 lb grated pepper jack cheese, and 2 ounces grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. (Note: Emeril's recipe doesn't call for red onion, but we added it in for a little crunch).

To that mixture, add 1/4 cup Japanese mayonnaise, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce, and 1 tsp hot sauce. Mix well.

Instead of button mushrooms, we used Portobellos instead. Stuff each mushroom with a good amount of crab mixture and top with some more grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Bake in a 350-degree oven for 30 minutes.

Spicy Crab Stuffed Mushrooms are perfect if you want to please your family and friends. The creamy crab filling has a nice kick of heat which really pairs well with the mushroom flavor. I would be surprised if you have any leftovers!

See the original recipe here: Spicy Crab Stuffed Mushrooms – Adapted by Emeril Lagasse

Tags: appetizers, crab stuffed mushrooms, emeril lagasse

Yes, it’s been long overdue. It’s about time we baked something for the Dessert section of our blog – something wonderful and light, like cream puffs! This is actually a dessert I enjoy eating, so it was fitting that we attempted our own version at home. Originally, we were going to make eclairs, but I figure cream puffs would be a good starting point to my first time making pâte à chou which is French for a light pastry dough. Five simple ingredients of butter, water, flour, salt, and eggs creates the puffed pastry for profiteroles, eclairs, and cream puffs. Since we just recently bought an entire jar of Nutella, we decided to mix in some of the lovely chocolate-hazelnut spread to the pastry cream to give it more flavor. The silky cream inside the flaky pastry is absolutely amazing! Overall, we had a fun time mixing, piping, baking, and making a mess in the kitchen. Now, what are we going to do with all of these cute little cream puffs?

To make the pâte à chou (pastry dough), start with 1 1/4 cups water, 1 1/2 sticks butter (cut into pieces), and 1/2 tsp salt and bring this to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to moderate and add 1 1/2 cups of flour and mix well until the mixture forms a dough. From there, transfer the dough to a mixer and beat in 5 eggs, 1 at a time, on high speed. The batter should be stiff enough to just hold soft peaks, so it will be easy to pipe.

This was the fun part - piping the pastry batter! This goes into a 375-degree oven for about 20-25 minutes, until golden brown on the outside. Let rest while you work on the pastry cream.

For the pastry cream, we referred to the recipe Daniel used in culinary school. In a saucepan, pour in 16 oz. milk, 3 1/2 oz. sugar, and 1/4 vanilla bean (cut and scraped out). Bring this mixture to a scald. In a separate bowl, whisk 4 egg yolks and 3 1/2 tbsp cornstarch and temper in the hot milk (this is so that the eggs don't curdle). Then add this mixture into the saucepan and heat over medium until cornstarch taste is gone and begins to boil.

The pastry cream is strained over butter and chilled in an ice bath to help it get thick. This is when we mixed in 1 tbsp of Nutella!

We piped the Nutella pastry cream into each puffed pastry, thus turning it into a cream puff.

Each bite of the cream puff proves to be decadent and delicious. Once you've mastered the pâte à chou recipe, you can be creative and fill it with whatever cream or custard you'd like - and of course, make those long fancy eclairs! Stay tuned for that!

To view or print-out this recipe, click here: Cream Puffs with Nutella Pastry Cream

Tags: cream puffs, nutella, pastry cream, pastry dough, Pâte à Chou

Sometimes I feel a little nostalgic about my mom’s home cooking. I truly miss a lot of the meals she would prepare when I used to live at home – comforting Vietnamese food, or unique dishes she would create from various inspirations. This particular chicken recipe was something I grew up eating, and I’ve always enjoyed it time and time again. It was my first time making it, based off of a quick phone conversation with my mom about what ingredients she used – and it was my job to figure out how much to measure! What’s funny is that she calls this Ga Ro Ti, which is Vietnamese for Rotisserie Chicken. But there is no roasting or baking involved! She uses her own method by braising and caramelizing the sauce to get it sticky and sweet. I took a stab at making it on my own, and thankfully, it did come out just like hers! I’m such a happy camper. Oh, and I made my own name for this recipe, ha!

This requires an overnight marination (but if you're impatient, a few hours should work). I took the skin off of 10 chicken drumsticks and marinated it with 3 tbsp oyster sauce, 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp sugar, 1 tsp five spice powder, and 6 chopped garlic cloves (I love garlic, so I went overboard). Cover and let this marinate.

In a skillet over medium heat, brown all sides of the chicken for a few minutes.

The key to braising the meat is with this coconut flavored soda. I don't know what it is with Vietnamese moms, but most of them use this to braise meat! Anyway, pour 1 can of Coco soda into the pan, cover, and let simmer for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, continue turning the chicken every so often to let it cook evenly.

After 20 minutes, take the cover off and turn the heat to high to let the Coco soda evaporate, which will thicken the sauce into a glaze.

That's all there is to it! The meat is moist and the glaze is sweet, which is perfect over a bed of white rice and vegetables. It's not your traditional Ga Ro Ti, but it definitely works for me! Mmm... simple, sweet, and succulent!

To view or print-out this recipe, click here: Braised & Glazed Chicken Drumsticks

Tags: braised chicken drumsticks, ga ro ti, vietnamese food

When it comes to baking, we prefer to do more savory baking than sweet baking – so when we made Salami and Scallion Biscuits, we liked that it was great as a quick snack, or an accompaniment for our dinner. I’m not a big fan of salami, but Daniel can’t get enough of salami! So, I’m sure you can deduce who ate most of the biscuits! We used a great recipe found online by Melissa Clark of the New York Times to help us make these quick and delightful biscuits. Salami and scallions seem to go hand in hand because you have a good balance of saltiness from the cured meat and the mild onion flavor of the scallions. Who knows? Someone came up with this recipe a long time ago, and it’s just classic. Make it sometime when you have some extra salami to get rid of. It’s great to stretch it to the max!

In a large bowl, combine 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tbsp baking powder, 2 tsp sugar and 1 tsp kosher salt. Then add 3 tbsp cubed and chilled butter, 1/4 cup chopped salami, and 2 tbsp chopped scallions.

To form a dough, add 3/4 cup of heavy cream (we used half and half, ha!) until a shaggy dough forms. Once you knead it to form a dough, pat it down to 1/2 inch or 1-inch and cut out the biscuits. If you don't have a circle cookie cutter, you can use a cup like we did. Remember to press the scraps together and form as many biscuits as possible.

Once it's all formed, transfer to a baking sheet and brush the top with some melted butter. Bake for 15-20 minutes at 375 degrees, or until biscuits are lightly browned.

Salami and Scallion Biscuits... savor them!

To view or print-out this recipe, click here: Salami and Scallion Biscuits

Tags: salami, salami and scallion biscuits

Happy March, everyone! To start the month off right, we are starting with a giveaway! I know – the February one just ended last night, and we have another one already for you!

In honor of 60 years of great coffee and baked goods, Dunkin’ Donuts is celebrating its “birthDDay” by giving one of our lucky readers a chance to win a $60 Dunkin’ Card!!

To enter, all you have to do is leave a comment and let us know what your FAVORITE kind of donut is and we will choose a winner at random! Our contest will end at midnight March 8th, TIME’S UP! Our winner is Ed C.! Thank you to everyone who left a comment!

Dunkin’ Donuts is also giving you a chance to win $12,000 and have your very own donut creation sold in stores with their “Create Dunkin’s Next Donut” contest. Now through March 8, you can create and enter your personal donut creation at www.dunkindonuts.com/donut. A dozen finalists will be chosen by a panel of Dunkin’ Donuts judges to travel to Boston for a bake-off facilitated by Dunkin’ Brands Executive Chef Stan Frankenthaler at Dunkin’ Donuts University. You will be able to vote for your favorite finalist online beginning April 19. The winner will be unveiled on National Donut Day, June 4.

Good luck! Oh, and Happy Birthday, Dunkin’ Donuts! We wish you were here in Southern California!

Leave a comment for your chance to win a $60 Giftcard from Dunkin' Donuts!

Tags: dunkin' donuts, food blog giveaway

There are just those days where we don’t want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen to prepare dinner. And in fact, sometimes we’re so lazy we don’t even want to cook! So contrary to popular belief, just because we have this food blog doesn’t mean we’re constantly cooking every day and having lovely home-cooked meals! I’m actually a big fan of quick cooking, so this recipe we created is perfect for that. For those who want to get rid of some ingredients in the fridge and want a nice healthy meal, this is for you!

We are not exposed to a lot of Filipino food, so the only time we really get to eat it is when we make it ourselves, like the Chicken Adobo we made awhile back. Pancit is basically Filipino noodles that is usually pan fried with soy sauce, citrus flavoring, sliced meat, and vegetables. There are a lot of variations, so we decided to make our own version with what we had at home. We used the Kikkoman lime ponzu sauce and soy sauce to flavor the dish, and added some chicken, carrots, and pea sprouts. Yes, pea sprouts. It’s actually really refreshing and tasty in noodle dishes!

We bought an 8 oz. bag of pancit (ingredients are rice flour, cornstarch, and water), and we soaked it in warm water for about 15-30 minutes, until soft.

In a pan, we started by sauteing 3 minced garlic cloves, 1 large shallot, and 1 cup of grated carrots. Then we added 12 oz of bite-sized chicken pieces (we used chicken breasts).

When the chicken is just about done, we added the noodles along with 8 oz. of pea sprouts and 2 scrambled eggs. To that, we seasoned the entire mixture with soy sauce and ponzu sauce.

See how easy that was? Doesn't take a rocket scientist to throw some ingredients together to get a nice and healthy colorful meal. Pancit is definitely "something conveniently cooked fast."

To view or print-out this recipe, click here: Chicken Pancit Noodles

Tags: chicken, filipino food, noodles, pancit