A Conundrum of the Frozen Variety

Growing up, I was always a big fan of frozen sweet treats - frozen yogurt to be specific.  I have happy memories as a child going to Penguin's Yogurt in Los Angeles and getting a small cup of vanilla topped with M&M candies.  Those were the days.  Then when my family moved to Orange County, Golden Spoon's peanut butter chocolate frozen yogurt became my new flavor du jour.

For me, I always liked the soft swirl texture of frozen yogurt over ice cream.  I liked that it felt lighter and less dense, and of course I loved adding some sort of sprinkles as a topping.  Until now.

You see, my love affair with yogurt swiftly ended once I discovered I had corn allergies and I sadly realized that my beloved Golden Spoon made their frozen yogurt with high fructose corn syrup (this fact still pains me to this day, especially in the summertime).  Gone were the days of going to the yogurt shop and getting some simple soft serve.

Then the "yogurt craze" hit.  Pinkberry led the pack, claiming to be made with "natural" ingredients and was far "healthier" than other yogurt shops.  Other similar spin off shops soon followed.

I decided to jump on the bandwagon and try one of the healthy yogurt shops.  After all they claimed to be free of artificial ingredients right?  $3.00 and a stomachache later, I realized it couldn't be farther from the truth.  After some extensive googling, I found out that not only were the ingredients not "natural", but they were also things that I couldn't even pronounce!  I felt like the kid in the ice cream commercials who tries to read all the ingredients on the back of the container.  So much for the fresh, organic, yogurt I was hoping for.

What these yogurt shops don't realize is that yogurt without all the added sugars and preservatives actually tastes quite good!  There's no need for the corn syrup, artificial ingredients and fake sweeteners.  Why isn't there just natural frozen yogurt out there that not only tastes good but is good for you too?  I'm a big supporter of enjoying food in its purest form and then adding on extras if need be.  If plain yogurt is too tart or not sweet enough, add on some fruit or chocolate chips to sweeten it up a bit.  This way, everyone can control the sugar content of their yogurt to their own liking.

Until an all-natural yogurt shop opens, I'll have to settle for other alternatives such as coconut milk ice cream and sorbet until I can enjoy soft serve frozen yogurt again.  Hey, a girl can dream right?

An Ode to Sprinkles Cupcakes

So I happen to be a fan of cupcakes.  More specifically, a fan of Sprinkles Cupcakes.

Sprinkles was the first of many cupcake shops to pop up all over Southern California.  While I have sampled some of the other bakeries, Sprinkles will always have a special place in my heart.  Not only are the cupcakes made with the finest all-natural ingredients, it's one of the few desserts that I can enjoy without worrying that it has been laced with corn syrup. 

I love that the bakery has seasonal flavors (Eggnog Spice or Caramel Apple anyone?) and that they also have classic flavors that never go out of style such as Vanilla, Milk Chocolate, Black and White (chocolate cake with vanilla icing), and of course Red Velvet.  The cupcake shop even introduced a Gluten-Free Red Velvet flavor, so those who have a gluten intolerance can enjoy these little gems as well.

Just look at these beauties (even though they have been clearly eaten and/or mashed up)

Thanks Sprinkles, for always being there for family occasions, friends' birthdays, and office parties.  Also thank you for creating take home mixes even though the cupcakes I create at home are never as good as in your bakeshop.

xoxo,

Allison

Sprinkles Cupcakes
Corona del Mar Plaza
944 Avocado Ave.
Newport Beach, CA 92660

Heading East: Going underground in Boston

For the 4th of July this year, I headed east with the family to celebrate America's Independence in the place that started it all- Boston.  Having spent only a small amount of time on the East Coast (must remedy that ASAP), I was excited to make my first trip to Beantown.

Let me begin by saying that I absolutely LOVED Boston - the people, the food, the city - it was all pretty fantastic.  I loved the cobblestone streets and how you could turn a corner and there was history staring at you right in the face.  After taking the famous Freedom Trail, I realized just how much historical significance was packed into a small-ish city.  And yes, the weather was hot!  I had forgotten what summer feels like (hint hint California).

But let's get down to business.  The food.  I found all of the food for the most part in Boston to be excellent, although I did not get to enjoy as much seafood as I would've liked.  I also was impressed with how aware the waitstaff and chefs were of food allergies and sensitivities at many of the places I dined at.  Now onto the food.

The Paramount: http://www.paramountboston.com/

This no-frills breakfast spot was quick, easy, and cheap.  It was your typical New York style deli with the no-nonsense line cook who just wanted your order without a million modifications.  I chose to keep it simple with a big bowl of oatmeal, fruit, and english breakfast tea.  And I have to say, the oats were pretty fantastic.

Very Patriotic oats too I might add

 Slow cooked with milk and topped with fresh berries; not too bad for a deli-style cafe.  The eggs and pancake dishes also looked pretty delicious, and clearly I wasn't the only one who thought so.  In the two times we dined at the Paramount Deli the line was out the door.  No-frills definitely takes the cake sometimes.

Rustic Kitchen: http://www.rustickitchen.biz/

Entrance to Rustic Kitchen

We dined at the Rustic Kitchen which was adjacent to our hotel, and the entire meal from start to finish was excellent. Many of you may recognize Rustic Kitchen from "The Cooking Show" which is actually filmed on a kitchen set every Friday inside of the restaurant.  Unfortuantely we were not there while they were filming, but it was cool to see all the behind the scenes action.  Anyway, on to the food.

I started with an '06 Merlot from the Raymond Estates in Napa Valley along with some fresh olives and cheeses that were brought to the table. When I first looked at the menu at Rustic Kitchen I pretty much wanted to eat every single item off it.  The restaurant was incredibly accomodating to my food allergies, and even prepared my entree separately so there wouldn't be any chance of cross-contamination.  So what was my entree du jour?  After going back and forth between the Baked Macaroni and Cheese, a Portabello Mushroom Pizza, and the Rustic Burger, I finally decided on the pizza. 

And boy was it delicious.  Carmelized onion, goat cheese, thyme, and mushroom on a thin crust.  It was decadent but not TOO decadent, and I shared the Rustic Bistro Salad with my mom beforehand so I definitely got some greens in with my meal.  If you are ever in Boston, take the time to have dinner at this place.  You definitely won't regret it.

Finale Patisserie: http://www.finaledesserts.com/

Lastly, and most appropriate, we have Finale.  After an exhausting hunt for Boston Cream Pie (and no time to go to the Omni Parker Hotel where it was invented), we stumbled upon this cute Patisserie that looked like it would've fit right in along the river Seine in Paris.  While Finale offers a lot of tantalizing looking desserts, my family and I had only one thing on our mind.  Boston. Cream. Pie. 

Beautifully executed Boston Cream Pie

Now of course, Boston Cream Pie is more like a cake and less like the literal word "pie", but when you've got a dessert sitting in front of you looking like that, does it really matter? The Boston Cream Pie (cake) was light and fluffy, with layers of cream sandwiched between yellow cake and chocolate ganache. I am now determined to somehow recreate the deliciousness that was placed before me at Finale. Somehow, some way, I will enjoy Boston Cream Pie again.

If Boston Cream Pie doesn't float your boat, be sure to check out the other desserts that Finale has to offer such as freshly baked cookies, tarts, and other cakes. Plus, Tom Brady of the New England Patriots is a big fan, so it can't be all bad right?

Aside from the 3 places listed above, other notable food mentions go to Legal Seafoods, Joe's American Bar and Grill, and Dunkin' Donuts (as sampled by my dad).  If you ever find yourself in Beantown, be sure to check out some of these places. 

And someone please tell me the perfect recipe for Boston Cream Pie!

The 4-1-1

So you may have noticed that I have tossed around the phrase "food allergies" here and there on the good ol' blog.  As much as I'd love to call myself a true foodie (in some ways I think I am), I do have limitations when it comes to trying any dish that is placed in front of me.  Chances are I'm the girl in the restaurant that will modify her order to her own personal liking while trying to maintain the original essence of the dish.  But let's start at the beginning.

I didn't always have food allergies.  At least, I didn't think so.  I ate relatively healthy as a kid, but would also enjoy the small bag of cheetos in my sack lunch from time to time.  As I moved away from home and started college, I noticed my health was beginning to suffer as well. 

Naturally, I assumed it was the college lifestyle - lack of sleep, lots of booze, and cafeteria-style food loaded with who knows what kind of preservatives.  As I entered my senior year, I began eating "healthier" by making my own frozen lean cuisine meals at home and attempting to get a decent night's sleep.  But I began to notice that after most meals I was feeling ill - from sushi to pizza and even certain cereals.  A dozen doctor visits later and they still couldn't pinpoint what was going on. "It's just stress" they would say.

Enter post-college life.  Working a 9-5 (really 7) job that I didn't enjoy, and decidedly feeling worse and worse after pretty much every meal that I ate.  It wasn't until I spent a night in agony after eating a slice of cornbread from Whole Foods that I knew something was up.  My older brother has food allergies, so I figured I might as well get tested too.

Low and behold, I discovered that I was allergic to corn, soy, and walnuts.  While this may not sound like the end of the world (and it's not) it did force me to re-evaluate and examine my diet.  You see, being allergic to corn and soy doesn't just mean corn on the cob and soy sauce.  It encompasses all derivatives of corn and soy which includes such items as high fructose corn syrup, cornstarch, corn flour, soybean oil, soy protein, etc. etc.  I found myself reading the back of cereal boxes and was shocked to find that they were loaded with some of the offending ingredients listed above.  No wonder I felt so sick after my morning breakfast!

Needless to say, I wiped it all out of my diet and started with a clean slate.  I began to navigate my way through the supermarket, reading the backs of boxes and containers to make sure no offending ingredients were listed.  Gone were the days of frozen meals, it was up to me to cook my own stuff now (which wasn't a bad thing).

Cooking at home also meant gourmet sandwich day with wine!

Restaurants naturally became more of a minefield, and ordering a simple dinner usually resulted in a waiter running back to the kitchen to verify an ingredient with the chef.  Annoying?  Perhaps.  But at least I've only had a small handful of allergic reactions from dining in restaurants.

So that brings me to today.  And this blog.  In a way, I do consider having food allergies to be a good thing.  It forced me to not only eat healthier, but it has also increased my awareness of what really goes into our food.  I try to shop as organically and locally as possible, and love discovering restaurants who pride themselves on preparing food with fresh and natural ingredients, not ones loaded with uncessary preservatives. 

This is where the idea for the blog came in.  Why not seek out restaurants that make their food from scratch and serve only the freshest items out there so everyone can enjoy?  I give a restaurant top marks when I can sit down and order from their menu and NOT send the waiter back to ask what xyz ingredient is in a particular dish.  I'm determined not only to find great eats, but to find eats that will accomodate ANYONE with special dietary needs.  Just because you can't wolf down a processed frozen pizza doesn't mean you can't enjoy good eats like everyone else right?

Good eats include Sprinkles cupcakes! Nom Nom Nom....

Ok, so that was a bit of a long post, but now you know a bit where I'm coming from and a bit more about my OC restaurant quest.  And for all those allergy sufferers out there - you aren't alone!

It's all Greek to Me

I'm in love, and their name is Chicken Dijon.

Before you get too confused, let me explain.  First off, Chicken Dijon is a Greek restaurant, which is random I know because when you see Dijon you think Dijon Mustard which makes me think of France.  (I digress).  Anyway, I haven't felt such a love affair with a restaurant since I first sampled the French Onion Soup at Little Next Door in LA, so I was long overdue.  And it was worth the wait.

Chicken Dijon is located in a strip mall in Irvine, jammed between Panda Express and Boba Tea, so it doesn't exactly scream FABULOUS GREEK FOOD LIVES HERE.  It had somewhat been on my radar since my friend swore up and down that it was the best Greek food shes had, but I had never made the effort to seek it out.  Until Saturday.

It all started with the Irvine Greek Festival, or should I say lack of one.  My friend and I ventured out with the hopes and dreams of gyros and feta cheese and warm pita bread, and were disappointed to discover the Greek festival had overpriced food items that didn't even look that appetizing.  The only highlight of the "festival" was this delightful bunch of dancers below.

How cute are they?

Craving Greek food, we hightailed it out of the "festival" and made our way to Chicken Dijon.  We decided to split the gyro sandwich, hummus (with warm pita), grape leaves, steamed veggies, and Falafel.  All of this delicious food and our bill was still under $20.  Amazing and quite unheard of in Southern California.  And take note allergy suffers - everything is made fresh, so you don't have to worry about any preservatives in your food!  If you have a corn, soy, or even dairy allergy, this place is definitely for you.

gyro, pita, hummus, salad, veggies, oh my!

The gyro sandwich was perfectly seasoned, and had just the right amount of taziki sauce, onion, lettuce and tomato.  The hummus had an unexpected (but welcome) kick with the added cumin, and the grape leaves were bite size and perfectly filling.  I would write more about the falafel but unfortunately it faced an early demise.

Epic falafel fail.

There isn't much else I can say about this place except that it was just plain awesome.  Friendly staff, great prices, and great food.  There really should be more of these (and by more I mean down the street from my apartment or work).  Thanks for the good eats Chicken Dijon!

Want to find a Chicken Dijon by you?  Check out http://www.chickendijon.com/.

Chicken Dijon (Orange County)
15333 Culver Blvd #410
Irvine, CA 92614

Farmer's Market Discoveries

One of the things I regret most when I lived in LA is that I didn't take full advantage of the abundance of Farmer's Markets the city had to offer.  Santa Monica, Venice, Hollywood...I could go on and on.  Sure, I stopped in once or twice, but always had a reason not to go.

Since moving to Orange County, I've decided that I need to change that trend.  I'm within perfectly acceptable driving or biking distance between two Farmer's Markets on Saturday mornings, and quite frankly, I enjoy them.  A lot.

Maybe because it's a relaxing way to start my day, or because I get excited picking up the produce or smelling the fresh cut flowers.  Either way, I always end up with a hearty bounty of goodies when I return home.

A recent trip included hummus, potatoes, almonds, cherries, peaches, and fruit rolls.

Some of my personal favorites at the Farmer's Market include:

Dolce Monachelli's:  http://www.dolcemonachellis.com/

Italian Butter Rum cake.  Need I say more?  Dolce Monachelli's specializes in homemade gourmet cakes that melt in your mouth with every bite.  My parents order these beauties for other family members every Christmas and they are a big hit!  It's perfect as a dessert, or an accompaiment to your morning espresso.

Bread Gallery: http://www.breadgallery.org/

I love, love Bread Gallery's vegan Cinnamon Raisin Bread.  It's light and flavorful, and not loaded with excess sugars and other sweeteners.  Plus it's dairy free!  The multigrain bread is great for sandwiches, and you get your daily dose of omega-3's with the flaxseeds.

Baba Foods: http://www.babafoods.com/

Hummus is always at the top of my list, and many stores create their hummus with added preservatives and sugars.  Not Baba Foods.  Their hummus is all-natural, and comes in a variety of tantalizing flavors.  My personal favorites are the Classic, Roasted Garlic and the Sun-Dried Tomato Basil.  Baba Foods also has homemade pita chips and pita bread that naturally goes perfect with the hummus.

The Irvine Farmer's Market has now become a part of my regular Saturday morning routine.  Supporting our local farmers, picking up fresh fruits and veggies, and devouring samples from the local vendors?  What a lovely way to spend a Saturday morning.