Bell Pepper Beef Stir-fry - [Cooking]

(Pictures for this recipe taken with my Canon Rebel XTi.)



It's bell pepper season at the farmers' market! With modern growing and transportation methods, bell peppers have become so ubiquitous as a year-round staple that most of us probably don't think about their natural growing cycles. However, bell peppers are actually a type of berry. Like all fruits, they're best enjoyed at the peak of their ripeness and freshness. Bell peppers become the most sweet and flavorful between July and November, which means that now is the perfect time to load up at your local farmer's market!



The optimal way to appreciate bell peppers in season is raw. However, if you intend to cook your bell peppers, you should pick a cooking method that preserves their natural sweetness and crispness. Stir-frying is ideal for this, since the short cooking time leaves the bell peppers close to their natural state. This basic recipe for Bell Pepper Beef Stir-fry is quick, easy, and delicious to make. It's a great meal on a hot summer day.

Bell Pepper Beef Stir-fry Recipe

Gear:

1 Santouku, chef's knife, or Chinese cleaver
1 cutting board
1 large wok or frying pan
1 metal ladle or spatula


Ingredients:




2-3 large bell peppers
1/2 lbs of flank steak
1 shallot
2 cloves of garlic
1 tbsp of sugar
1 tbsp of soy sauce
1 tbsp of Chinese rice wine
1 tsp of sesame oil
1 tsp of salt
1 tbsp of vegetable oil (preferably rice bran)
Additional salt to taste


Prep work:

1. Slice the flank steak into 1/4-inch by 1/4-inch by 2-inch long strips. The grain of the steak should be perpendicular to each strip. Shorter muscle fibers will keep the meat tender and make it easier to chew.


2. Mix the sugar, soy sauce, rice wine, sesame oil, and salt in a bowl. Thoroughly coat the steak with the mixture. Cover and set aside to marinate for at least 30 minutes. Do not let it sit for over an hour.


3. Clean the bell peppers, removing the stems, caps, seeds, and other fibrous material. Slice the bell peppers into 1/4-inch by 1/4-inch by 2-inch long strips.


4. Clean and finely mince the shallot.


5. Clean and finely mince the garlic.

Instructions:



Set your wok or frying pan over high heat. Allow to heat for several minutes. The cooking surface needs to be smoking hot.

Drizzle in the vegetable oil, then add the garlic and shallots. Stir briskly. You don't want them to burn.



Once the garlic and shallots have released their aroma and begin to color (15-30 seconds), add the marinated flank steak, reserving as much of the marinade in the bowl as possible.

Fry the steak until half cooked (~1 minutes), turning once or twice, and then add the bell pepper strips. Stir-fry briskly, drizzling in the remainder of the marinade, until the steak finishes cooking and the bell pepper pieces have softened slightly (~1-2 minutes). Don't overcook the bell peppers. They should still be crispy and juicy.



Add additional salt to taste if needed. Plate and serve immediately with lots of steamed rice.


Serves 1-2.

Good eating!

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Daddy Cakes Bakery (Highly Recommended) - Newport Beach/Orange County, CA [Supplying]

(Pictures for this review taken with my Canon Rebel XTi.

Daddy Cakes Bakery is holding a Father's Day Pancake Brunch this Saturday, June 20th, from 10:00am-12:00noon at the Whole Foods in the Tustin District. Dads dine for free! Everyone else pays only $5. All proceeds go to a local food bank. See you guys there!

Disclosure: Daddy Cakes Bakery generously sent Chubbypanda.com samples of their pancake mixes to review. However, it was agreed that a review was not required. Daddy Cakes exercised no editorial control or content approval over this article. The following is my unvarnished opinion of their products.)

I've never been fond of commercial pancake mixes. Call it either a distrust of processed foods or simple food snobbery, but I've never been able to convince myself that a powder from a bag can produce a pancake equal to the ones I make from scratch. It might just be bad childhood memories of my mom's attempts with Bisquick Pancake Mix. I don't know if it was the mix or the fact that pancakes weren't something she grew up with in Taiwan, but the final product always had a gluey, gummy texture and bitter aftertaste that left much to be desired.



For the past ten years, I've muddled along happily with a recipe of my own devising, using both the Joy of Cooking and Alton Brown's instructions on making your own pancake mix. However, I was captivated by the story of a local pancake mix business made good. Daddy Cakes Bakery, a Newport Beach company founded in 2007, is the brainchild of two brothers who are also fathers. They started out with the goal of making a healthy pancake mix for their kids, but decided to try selling the final product to the general public. Two years later, their line of amusingly named mixes is being carried by gourmet markets throughout Orange County, including Whole Foods in Tustin, Sprouts in Irvine, and several Mother's Markets. As a staunch supporter of local businesses, I had to give them a shot.


(Quirky sense of humor.)

Dan Byers, one of the founders, generously sent Chubbypanda.com a crate of their products to review. Cat and I expected to get one or two sample packs. What arrived was nearly their entire line of pancake/waffle mixes - Better Batter Buttermilk, Sensuous Strawberry Sensations, Sinful Cinnamon, Criminal Chocolate, Glamorous Gingerbread, Vivacous Vanilla, and Bountiful Buckwheat. Most of Daddy Cakes' mixes are vegan; a few are vegetarian.



Our initial impressions were favorable. The mixes seemed uniform, with little separation between heavier and lighter elements. By following the instructions on the packaging, we able to able to create airy batters with good cohesion. We found that 90g of mix and 71mL of water produced nine 2-inch (5.1cm) pancakes, a nice portion for 1-2 people. We incorporated the water and pancake mix using the standard method of aerating the mix, adding the water on top, and then stirring gently for just enough time to bring the two together. To minimize gluten formation, we allowed for somewhat lumpy batter. We also allowed each batch of batter to rest for five minutes before cooking. All of the test batches were cooked in a lightly oiled, 18-inch cast iron skillet over medium-low heat. Cooking time was approximately 3 minutes for the first side and 1 minute for the second, although times will vary based on batter thickness, stove strength, and cooking vessel.



By far the best Daddy Cakes mix we tried was the Vivacious Vanilla. The pancakes made from this mix were very fluffy, with a soothing vanilla flavor and no bitter aftertaste. Cat was enthralled. To date, we've purchased and used five additional packages of Vivacious Vanilla from the Tustin Whole Foods.



The Better Batter Buttermilk came in a close second. It was very similar to the Vivacious Vanilla, although without the extra flavoring. This is Daddy Cakes' core product. I found it superior for a number of additional culinary applications, including crepes, waffles, frying batter, and beignets. I'm ashamed to admit that this batter produces a better pancake than my own from-scratch recipe. It's also noticeable better than other pancake mixes I've tried in the past.



The Bountiful Buckwheat Buttermilk is less sweet than the others, with a pleasantly nutty aroma. Using the 90g:71mL ratio, this mix produced thinner, crispier pancakes.



On the other hand, the Criminal Chocolate Chip made much heftier cakes using the same 90g:71mL ratio. Streaked with chocolate and with a good chew, this mix is sure to please the munchkins while remaining relatively healthy.



The Sensuous Strawberry Sensations mix is another surefire kid pleaser. It's lighter than the Criminal Chocolate Chip, but packed with even more strawberry flavor. It might be too intense and sweet for adults, though. I found myself oddly reminded of strawberry Froot Loops cereal.



Even punchier is the Sinful Cinnamon, which Cat commented was perfect for those in love with that tropical spice. However, if you're only in like with cinnamon, or even indifferent, it's a bit much.



The Glamorous Gingerbread was intriguing. Dotted with small pieces of ginger spice caramel, these cakes emit a heady bouquet. However, like the Sinful cinnamon, it might be too extreme from anyone who isn't absolutely in love with gingerbread. Like all of Daddy Cakes' mixes, it remains a quality product.




Daddy Cakes Bakery - Excellent products for parents or professionals who need to be able to put together a healthy meal quickly. Just add some fresh fruit, maybe a little turkey sausage, and you've got a nutritious breakfast low on additives. As for me, I'm not about to retire my own recipe just yet. But, Daddy Cakes has raised the bar. Until I can make a pancake better than theirs, I'll probably be buying many more packs of Vivacious Vanilla to keep up with Cat's growing appetite for them.



Daddy Cakes® International, LLC
517 Superior Avenue
Newport Beach, CA 92663
Toll Free 1-800-315-1928
Direct 1-949-309-2669

List of Daddy Cakes resources:

• Website and online store


• YouTube Channel


• Facebook page


• MySpace profile

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Kaju Market Hotteok Stand - Los Angeles, CA

(Pictures for this review taken with my Canon PowerShot SD800is.)



What's your snack of choice when you're cruising the city late at night? Do you like wrapping your lips around the obscene, incestuous porcine coupling that is the Bacon-Wrapped Hot Dog? Are you lured to the kaleidoscopic glitter of roasted meat served up at the many taco stands that dot La La Land? Maybe you're the kinky type, seeking out flavor-packed abominations that aren't completely one thing or another, only to find yourself crying in a shower the next morning. No, it never washes off. But, if you're like me, you'll find yourself obsessively checking Twitter again later that day.



Still, I usually like my after dark street food encounters like I like my women; sweet and almost too hot to handle. Near downtown Los Angeles that can mean only one thing. Hotteok, the Korean version of crispy fried napalm with a nutty finish. Luckily, I can always get my fix in front of Kaju Market on the corner of 5th and Western.



Cooked to order on a flat griddle, each one of these candy coated pancakes is filled with a tooth-melting mixture of sugar, honey, nuts, and spices. Give the nice man your order and he'll slap them into a container straight from the stove. The smell coming off each golden disk is maddening, promising pain and pleasure with every bite. With a melting point of 365°F, the molten syrup nestled in each crunchy and chewy cake is hot enough to raise blisters. It's a delicate balancing act. Bite down too soon and the filling will explode into your mouth like lava from an erupting volcano, with much the same result. But, wait too long and the hotteok will lose their crispy candy coating to airborne moisture. It's a battle of wills between your mind and your stomach.





Kaju Market Hotteok Stand - The mind always loses. Hurts, but it's worth it. Time to find another drink. Something with ice.


Bill:

Hotteok - 1.50/each


Flavor: A
Ambience: (N/A for street food)
Service: A
ROI: A

Overall: A


Kaju Market Hotteok Stand
450 S Western Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90020

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Tustin Street Fair & Chili Cook-Off - Tustin, CA

(Pictures for this review taken with my Canon Rebel XTi.)



Last Sunday was the city of Tustin's 25^th annual Street Fair & Chili Cook-Off. Believe you me, people in Tustin know how to throw a good bash.


(Corner of Main and El Camino Real.)

Here's the recipe. Start off by shutting down vehicle traffic to all of Old Town Tustin...



Line the streets with stalls run by artists, food vendors, and independent merchants selling knickknacks...



Add a stage constantly presenting live entertainment and kooky contests, like Mr. Hottest Legs in Tustin...



Fill in any gaps with a bunch of serious chili contenders locked in heated battle for top awards bestowed by the International Chili Society...



...and invite damn near the entire county. We're talking serious shindig here.



The big draw, of course, is the Chili Cook-off. With close to a dozen gustatorial gladiators vying to be crowned Tustin's king of chili, it takes a sure hand, a steady gut, and a strategic supply of antacids to insure you don't end up running for a throne of your own. There are in-your-face chilies that storm their way across your tongue and down your throat, burning and pillaging along the way. There are deceptively mild chilies that go down smooth only to deliver a sucker punch to your gut. There are bean-based chilies, meat dominated chilies, cheesy chilies, and tomato-y chilies. There's a chili for every man, woman, and child. If you're anything like me, you gotta try them all.



To keep the innocent from suffering, soothe your poor tongue and stomach with some ice cold beer, which you can get pulled straight from the tap at any of the conveniently located beer booths. This cup may say "Coors Light", but it holds a smooth, crisp Hefeweizen from the Tustin Brewing Company. Nothing kills the heat of a strong chili like good ale.



If you want something meatier to sink your teeth into, tasty food abounds, served up at stands run by local restaurants or organizations. In addition to several stands offering skillfully roasted meat, trip-tip sandwiches, and hot dogs, you can find cotton candy, Italian ices, tacquitos, churros, chocolate-covered strawberries, and a variety of custard-filled pastries. It's enough to bring a strong man to his knees.





Tustin Street Fair & Chili Cook-Off - Take my advice. Hit the Costco the day before for some Pepto or Tums, skip dinner the night before, and wear your big eatin' pants. It pays to be prepared.


Tustin Street Fair & Chili Cook-Off
(First Sunday of every June)
Corner of El Camino & Main
Tustin, CA 92780
1-714-573-3326

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Kaya Sushi - El Segundo, CA

(Pictures for this review taken with my Canon PowerShot SD800is.)



The restaurant was dim, lit by neon lights and a painfully bright plasma TV. Stands of lacquered bamboo thrust up from the tiled floor in a garish mockery of once-vibrant life. A wall of glass stood between us and the dining area as water streamed down its surface. Tendrils of manufactured mist swirled around our feet from a pool at the base. I'd only seen the foyer, but I knew we were in trouble.


(Dragonblink sipping soup.)

Recommended for its bentos by foodie friends Elven Princess and Linglei, Kaya Sushi is the latest addition to the sushi-glutted area around LAX. The opening of the El Segundo branch was breathlessly anticipated by area foodies, who were buzzing about it weeks in advance due to the reputation of the original Marina Del Ray location.



Like many of its highly profitable, fish-slinging brethren, Kaya seems to specialize in style rather than substance. Every one if its dishes are a work of art, painstakingly sculpted and flawless in presentation. However, showmanship aside, the rest of the restaurant reminds me of a Faberge egg; Gorgeous, yet hollow.



The Kaya Sashimi Special is the perfect example of the restaurant’s overwhelming focus on appearance. The dish is a sampler of four different types of fish sliced into paper-thin wafers and arranged in jeweled folds. While the plating is attractive, the flavors fall short.



Each selection wallows in a pool of ponzu sauce, which thoroughly saturates the meat and overwhelms more subtle characteristics. As a result, everything tastes like ponzu. Every bit of additional seasoning or garnish. Everything.



Adding insult to injury, the portion sizes are miniscule. Normally, sashimi is cut thicker than fish used for nigiri (fingers of rice topped with raw fish). With the Kaya Sashimi Special, the fish is sliced wafer thin, almost like a carpaccio. Five pieces of fish in the Kaya Sashimi Special have roughly the volume of two to three regular pieces of sashimi. Add a flavor eradicating ponzu marinade and a $38 price tag, and you've got all the ingredients for a major disappointment.



The a la carte sushi items are a somewhat better value. Visually stunning, the flavor and freshness, are about average. However, as is the case with many of the trendier sushi bars in LA, the prices can still be shocking. Style comes with a hefty premium at Kaya.



The rolls are similarly expensive, although they tend to taste more intense than the sashimi or nigiri. Each roll tends to average about 4-6 pieces, so expect to need at least two rolls per person. Given the choice, I'd go with rolls over any of the other sushi selections at Kaya.



The cost-conscious diner is better off ordering the Hew Dup Bop, the Korean version of a chirashi bowl. Kaya takes a modest patty of sushi rice, covers it with a generous mound of salad and Korean pickles, adds hefty chunks of raw fish, and tops the dish with cod roe and gold leaf. The mild seasoning can be kicked up using the large dollop of gochujang (Korean fermented chili paste) provided on the side.



The lunch boxes are also a better value than the sushi. While a bit pricey, they're filling and offer a reasonable variety of dishes. Each set comes with miso soup, salad, rice, tempura, pickles, and a few pieces of sushi and California roll. The diner gets to pick her choice of grilled meat. As far as lunch options at Kaya go, their bentos are the best value.





Kaya Sushi - The food is pretty and the restaurant is stylish. However, appearance isn't enough to compensate for lackluster service and egregiously high prices. The quality of the food, while decent, doesn't justify the cost.


Bill:

Kaya Sashimi Special - 38.00
Tobiko (black) - 6
Smelt Egg w/Quail Egg - 6
Sea Urchin - 9
Salmon Roe - 8
Tobiko (Red) - 6
Spider Roll - 14.00
Hew Dup Bop - 18.00
Lunch Box - 13.00


Flavor: C+
Ambience: A
Service: C
ROI: D

Overall: C+


Kaya Sushi
2251 E. Maple Ave.
El Segundo, CA 90245
1-310-640-1025
Restaurant website


Other Locations:

13400 Washington Blvd.
Culver City, CA 90292
1-310-577-1143

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Anonymous Email #1 - [Criticism]

When I first began food blogging, one of the questions I asked myself was how I would handle critical emails or comments from business owners upset by negative reviews. Having worked in the restaurant industry in the past, I know how much of themselves small business owners sink into their endeavors. Few people handle criticism well, so it's natural for someone to want to rebut, refute, or simply lash out against bad publicity. Since one of my issues with review sites like Chowhound and Yelp is their refusal to allow business owners a voice, I decided that I would post emails or comments from business owners on my site in their entirety. They would be redeemed or damned by their own words.

I stand by all of my articles, including negative reviews and reviews which include low scores for Flavor, Ambience, Service, or ROI. As I've repeatedly stated on Chubbypanda.com, anything I write here is strictly my opinion, formulated based on my experience with a business or product. Palates are intensely personal and deeply subjective. Different people will naturally have differing impressions about the flavor of a dish, the quality of service, and ROI (Return On Investment) value. On Chubbypanda.com, I offer my opinions for anyone who cares to read them, and advise visitors to take my articles with "a grain of salt". They may find that they end up liking a restaurant or product to which I was indifferent or poorly disposed.

In addition, even excellent restaurants can have a bad night or two. Staff turnover is high in the food industry. Purveyors can fold overnight, or be unable to dependably provide the same raw materials. Thus, a restaurateur is engaged in a constant struggle to provide consistent products and service. For this reason, I have a policy of trying every restaurant at least three times before writing about it. There have, however, been exceptions in the past.

The following email is the first critical email I've ever received from a business owner in the two and a half years I've been food blogging. While he declines to identify his business, based on the content of the email and the fact that I've only written ten negative articles out of a total of over two hundred, I've narrowed down the likely offending review to the following two:

• A review I posted on Yelp of La Delice Pastry Shop in New York. This is the only review I have ever written without first visiting the eatery. It was posted on Yelp in response to this post by my friend Kathy of A Passion for Food, which describes some very poor treatment she received from La Delice staff.


• A review I posted about Belacan Grill in Redondo Beach, which is referenced in the email. This review was cross-posted on Yelp.

The email also references my review of John Thorne's Mouth Wide Open, a book I highly recommend.

Here's the email in its entirety. The emphasis and all caps are the sender's. The original formatting has been preserved.


-=Received Saturday, May 9^th, 2009 at 1:26PM PST=-

I recently ran into your blogs as I was looking up my own business to read customer reviews. I do not have any intentions of telling you which business I am referring to, nor will I comment about your discrimination against it.
I will, however, let you know that as a reader of your literature you talk out of both sides of your mouth. On one hand you bash businesses for their lack of "sensitivity" to "your friends", and on the other hand you talk about the poor economy:
"We have rising gas prices, plummeting real estate values, double-digit unemployment, the specter of economic depression, and stock markets that have fallen with such rapidity that they threaten to drag the rest of the country into the Abyss with them. While criminally irresponsible Wall Street CEOs demand handouts from the federal government, and usurious financial institutions exploit us with our own tax dollars, small businesses, the backbone of the American economy, collapse left and right."

You, ChubbyPanda, are not helping the economy. In fact, you are HURTING IT JUST AS MUCH - WITH YOUR VERY OWN FINGERS - THROUGH YOUR VERY OWN COMPUTER. You are going to be just as hungry as the business owners you are un thoughtfully provoking if you don't stop to think before you write, while you try to play "boyfriend" to all the "tiny Asian girls" of the world. Personally knowing someone who dated a "tiny asian girl" for 10 years, and contracted chlamydia from five years into the relationship, doesn't help me find "tiny Asian girls" as appealing as even a burnt piece of toast any more.

I would love to know how you would feel if someone ran a negative campaign against you, the very same way you are running against small business owners on account of your "friends". You are running rampant on the internet with no regard to who you are affecting and how. Hasn't your mother taught you proper manners? Didn't she teach you something along the lines of: "If you can't say something nice, then don't say anything at all"? That's definitely something I would have taught you if you were my son.

How in the world do you think you are helping the economy by posting negative feedback about business eateries that you didn't even eat in yourself? Have you ever heard of the saying "Mind your own neck"?
Karma has an insatiable way of dealing with rights and wrongs. You, ChubbyPanda, are very wrong in more ways than one. You are spreading a fire that should have been put out with its first glimmer of a flicker. Also, from what I can see, you are not as poignant of a writer that you boast about being. You make grammatical and spelling errors all over the map, which make me question the school system involved in educating you. Just to have a little fun... I will go through your web blog for a few minutes to copy and paste some of your errs.

All you have to do is go to your link, select and copy the mistakes I list below, press Ctrl F, and paste the booboo's into the search. You will find them all on your own page, and I didn't need a friend to tell me how reckless you are with YOUR work.


Let's begin:
1) http://www.chubbypanda.com/
"Please Note: Unless otherwise stated, I have not sampled this product, business, or event, and am not personally recommending it. FoodVibes are informational tidbits I've chosen to pass on because I think other food lovers might find them interesting.)"

WHERE DID THE PARENTHESIS BEGIN?

2)http://www.chubbypanda.com/
"Even more recession proof chains are feeling the burn."

WAS THIS LINE MEANT TO BE FOOL-PROOF OR WAS IT THE PROOF OF A RECESSION?

3) http://www.chubbypanda.com/search/label/reading
"Even Food Network's celebrity chefs sometimes have trouble keeping afloat as publishing houses continue to release wave after wave of these sure-fire money makers."
LET'S TRY THIS ONE AGAIN AND SEE IF WE CAN SPOT THE CORRECTION I MADE FOR YOU:

EVEN FOOD NETWORK'S CELEBRITY CHEFS SOMETIMES HAVE TROUBLE KEEPING AFLOAT AS PUBLISHING HOUSES CONTINUE TO RELEASE, WAVE AFTER WAVE, THESE SURE-FIRE MONEY MAKERS.

4)http://www.chubbypanda.com/search/label/reading
"Thorne's writing exudes a thoughtful earthiness that invites the reader to join in the author's own musings into, and experimentation with, a meandering assortment of foods and dishes."
PICK ONE TO REPLACE YOUR ERROR AND MAKE THE SENTENCE RIGHT "AND IN EXPERIMENTATION WITH" OR "AND EXPERIMENT WITH"

5)http://www.chubbypanda.com/search/label/reading
"Weighing in at a respectable 410 pages, each chapter is a self-contained small plate of unpretentious common sense covering Thorne's detailed exploration of a particular dish or foodstuff. "
RUN THORNE! RUN! OR, AM I TRYING TO SAY RUN ON SENTENCE??? PUT A COMMA IN THERE...LET'S SAY, OH, RIGHT AFTER THE WORD SENSE!

6)http://www.chubbypanda.com/search/label/reading
"In contrast, his essay on the pungent allure of Bagna Caôda is myopically detailed as the author traces the evolution of the dish, examining changes in the ratio and composition of the ingredients through history while he searches for the recipe just right for him."

IN CONTRAST, HIS ESSAY ON THE PUNGENT ALLURE OF BAGNA CAODA IS MYOPICALLY DETAILED AS THE AUTHOR TRACES THE EVOLUTION OF THE DISH, EXAMINING CHANGES IN THE RATIO AND COMPOSITION OF THE INGREDIENTS THROUGH HISTORY, WHILE HE SEARCHES FOR THE RECIPE JUST RIGHT FOR HIM.
~OR BETTER YET~
IN CONTRAST, HIS ESSAY ON THE PUNGENT ALLURE OF BAGNA CAODA IS MYOPICALLY DETAILED AS THE AUTHOR TRACES THE EVOLUTION OF THE DISH, EXAMINING THE CHANGES IN RATIO AND COMPOSITION OF THE INGREDIENTS THROUGHOUT HISTORY, WHILE SEARCHING FOR THE RECIPE THAT'S JUST RIGHT FOR HIM.

7)http://www.chubbypanda.com/search/label/reading
"With an asking price of $26 USD, it's a real bargain for any food fan who's been craving something meatier to chew on than the mass-produced offerings currently available. "

WITH AN ASKING PRICE OF $26 USD, IT'S A REAL BARGAIN FOR ANY FOOD FAN WHO'S BEEN CRAVING SOMETHING MEATIER TO CHEW ON RATHER THAN THE MASS-PRODUCED OFFERINGS CURRENTLY AVAILABLE.


AND THE LIST CAN GO ON.....BUT I have better things to do than sit here and play Hooked on Phonics with you. You also should concentrate on correcting your faults before you write about other people's problems. For instance "Do you know how hard it is to run a restaurant? Why don't you pay for an apartment for me?". Apparently that owner is having a difficult time keeping a roof over his family's heads. Unfortunately that is difficult for you to understand.

You see...you are not perfect. Nobody is perfect. But, when you launch your blogs against hard working individuals who pour sweat and blood into the food that made you a Chubbypanda, one day you too may lose that plate of food on your table and you will be called Skinnypanda instead. Try to concentrate on bettering your writing style so that one day I can read a book titled "How to eat like a Chubby Panda" because unfortunately your technique is very weak. You possess excellent writing skills, but you have one weakness. YOU CANNOT KEEP YOUR AUDIENCE CAPTIVATED LONG ENOUGH TO WANT TO READ ALL OF YOUR WORK FROM BEGINNING TO END. I know I couldn't do it!

I do not fear for my eatery. As long as I wake up at 4am in the morning, my door will be open for the public to enjoy my hard work, and for me to enjoy my earnings.

-=End=-

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Twitter Added! - [Crazies]

Hey guys!

I'm happy to announce that I've added a Twitter feed to Chubbypanda.com.



My schedule has gotten a lot busier since the beginning of the year, which has made it harder for me to post as many reviews as I'd like. But, that doesn't mean I've stopped eating. I've added a Twitter feed at http://www.twitter.com/chubbypandablog so that I can post thoughts about the restaurants I'm visiting, what I'm cooking, food deals and restaurant openings that I hear about, and whatever else strikes my fancy.

This doesn't mean that I'm going to stop posting. I'm still trying very hard to get my post count back up. But, hopefully this Twitter feed will let me update the site in a far more dynamic manner.

Hope you'll follow me! =)


- CP

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Daddy Cakes Expands Orange County Distribution - [FoodVibes]

(What are FoodVibes?

As a food blogger, I regularly get emails from publicists, publishers, restaurateurs, and business owners eager to share information about their latest projects, great deals, and upcoming events. Sure, they're looking for some free publicity, but a lot of it is interesting stuff. Rather than just keeping it to myself, it seemed like a good idea to make this information available to the general public. However, I wanted to be able to differentiate these posts from restaurants or products I'd reviewed myself. That's why I've created the [FoodVibes] tag to mark food news I've received from third party sources.

Please Note: Unless otherwise stated, I have not sampled this product, business, or event, and am not personally recommending it. FoodVibes are informational tidbits I've chosen to pass on because I think other food lovers might find them interesting.)



As part of my push to promote local restaurants and food-related small businesses, I thought I'd share the following press release with you guys. Daddy Cakes is an aspiring pancake mix company with a kooky send of humor based in nearby Newport Beach.

In an economic climate during which many small companies are experiencing little-to-no growth, Newport Beach-based, Daddy Cakes, which produces a line of nine flavors of pancake mixes, has grown exponentially over the past year, recently expanding their distribution in Orange County to Whole Foods Market and Sprouts Farmers Markets.

A fairly young company, Daddy Cakes launched its first mix in mid-2007 and, within a few months, went on to develop the complete line of nine flavors, all of which are vegetarian, with three 100% organic flavors & six vegan flavors, all available online at www.DaddyCakesBakery.com. While most small companies and start-up businesses were starting a downward spiral in early 2008, Daddy Cakes had expanded to multiple locations and by mid-2008, within a year of launching, the complete product line was picked up by a number of local retail locations in California. In addition to Whole Foods Market in Tustin and Sprouts Farmers Markets in Irvine, San Marcos and Seal Beach, Daddy Cakes can be found in Orange County at Mother's Markets & Kitchen locations, Farm to Market in San Juan Capistrano, Hershey's Market on Balboa Island, Promelis Market in Costa Mesa and Newport Beach, Pacific Ranch Market in Orange, and Irvine Ranch Market in Newport Beach. In addition, the line is available at The Market in Park City, Utah and in Telluride, Colorado at The Panhandler and Golden Door Spa.

Daddy Cakes serves as a wholesome alternative to the many pancake mixes available on the market by utilizing real fruit, whole grains and organic flour to create a variety of heart-smart flavors.”

More information on Daddy Cakes products and availability can be found online at www.DaddyCakesBakery.com.

Now that we're well into Lent, I've had some desperate readers write in to ask for vegetarian restaurant and product recommendations. The emails are all pretty much the same. "I gave up meat for Lent and I'm running out of ideas. Help!"

I haven't tried Daddy Cakes' products myself, so I can't vouch for their quality. Luckily, Marisa McClellan at Slashfood has already posted a review.

You all know how strongly I feel about supporting local businesses in this economy, so I'm looking forward to giving Daddy Cakes a try myself.

List of Daddy Cakes resources:

• Website and online store


• YouTube Channel


• Facebook page


• MySpace profile

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Hamilton Petit Cafe (A Call to Action) - Huntington Beach, CA [CLOSED]

(Pictures for this review taken with my Canon PowerShot SD800is.)

I am one seriously pissed off panda. I can't remember the last time I was this angry. We have rising gas prices, plummeting real estate values, double-digit unemployment, the specter of economic depression, and stock markets that have fallen with such rapidity that they threaten to drag the rest of the country into the Abyss with them. While criminally irresponsible Wall Street CEOs demand handouts from the federal government, and usurious financial institutions exploit us with our own tax dollars, small businesses, the backbone of the American economy, collapse left and right.


(What we're losing.)

Are you worried about your job? I am. Everyone I know is. Consumers aren't spending. Retirement savings, home values, and investment portfolios have been cut in half. The unemployment rate hasn't been this high since 1983. People aren't just feeling poor, they're becoming poor. Businesses can't get the short-term loans they need for day-to-day operations. Even if they could, who's going to buy their goods or services? Credit card rates are being arbitrarily jacked up in excess of 30%. 30%! You'd get a better deal from Big Tony. Sure, his boys might break your legs, but at least he'd have the decency not to do it while taking a federal handout. It's not just us, either. Thanks to globalization, the world is now flat. Everyone is getting screwed with their pants on in an international clusterfuck.

If you're not worried, you haven't been paying attention.



"But Chubbypanda," you say, "Isn't this blog supposed to be about food? Why are you ranting about the economy like Rick Santelli before his entirely justified and glorious bitch slapping by John Stewart?"

Because, dear reader, everything is about the economy these days, even food. People are eating out less. A lot less. Restaurant spending is down 12%. Around the county, independent restaurants are closing shop left and right. From small mom & pop eateries to iconic mainstays like New York's Rainbow Room Grill, the recession is taking its toll.


(You'd pick a Big Mac over this Croque Madame?)

Even more recession proof chains are feeling the burn. Ruth Chris Steakhouse posted a $53.9 million loss for 2008 and its stock has dropped from $20 a share to less than $1. Where are people going when they do decide to eat out? I'll let the following headline answer that question for me.

McDonald's posts sizzling 80% profit rise in 2008.


(Food for the soul.)

How, then, are charming eateries like Hamilton Petit Cafe going to survive? Many of them aren't. This one didn't.

A tiny little operation tucked in the middle of Huntington Beach, Hamilton Petit Cafe garnered a glowing review from the local town paper, the Huntington Beach Independent, when it opened in 2007. The owner, a sweet Vietnamese lady, ran the front, waited on tables, and helped the cooks in the back. She poured her life into her restaurant, her attempt at the American dream. Business was good for a time.


(A signature dish.)

They served a superb selection of French and Vietnamese cafe food. Heavenly crepes, which enfolded flavorful fillings in their crispy yet resilient folds. Hot and cold sandwiches, including the ham and melted cheese goodness that was their Croque Madame (third from top). Covered with Béchamel sauce and a fried egg "over easy", it was hot, crispy, savory, and unctuous. The lip and artery coating combo was worth the cholesterol hit. Vietnamese Spring Rolls filled to bursting with fresh herbs, a selection of tasty Pho, coffees, fresh fruit smoothies, and a few home-style dishes like their comforting Chicken Curry rounded out a satisfying menu where nothing was over $10. Nothing.

Delicious food at great prices from a family-run business, Hamilton Petit Cafe was the type of restaurant I started this blog to promote and celebrate.



Then, the first stirrings of what would eventually become full-fledged meltdowns in the real estate and financial sectors began. Fears rose and customers became less frequent. By the time Cat and I first stepped through their doors this Saturday, the end was inevitable. The owner, her face lined with the cares and worries of two years worth of struggle still welcomed us warmly to the vacant restaurant. She stopped by frequently as we ate to make sure we had everything we needed. It wasn't until I was settling our check that the owner told us the restaurant had been sold. In a few days' time, maybe a week, Hamilton Petit Cafe would be gone. The buyer was an aspiring sushi chef who was setting out on his own for the very first time. The owner told us that she hoped we had enjoyed our food, and that we'd come back later to support the new sushi restaurant. When asked if she would be reopening Hamilton Petit Cafe in another location, she mustered a sad smile and shook her head. It was just too hard, she told us.



We've all had restaurants close on us before (Red Onion/New Shanghai) and, other than the occasional pang of regret, we forget and move on without considering the extent of the tragedy in this already too-frequent event. There's the owner's heartache and the potential for continued financial hardship. There are the cooks, dishwasher, wait staff, and busboys, all of whom have lost their jobs during a period of double-digit unemployment. There are the local businesses who used to serve Hamilton Petit Cafe; butchers, grocers, restaurant suppliers, launderers, etc., who have lost just a little bit more revenue in a time when they can ill afford it. Eventually, they too may need to downsize or close.

What can we do? How can we help? We can vote with our dollars. We can support local, small businesses and restaurants that give back to our communities and generate the majority of jobs in the United States. The Andersonville Study of Retail Economics in 2004 reported that for every $100 spent at a local small business, $68 remained in the local economy. In contrast, only $43 remained in the local economy for every $100 spent at a regional or nation chain. That's a difference of $25, and each those dollars add up. They keep our friends and neighbors employed and promote diversity in products and services.

Times are tough and many of us are frightened. We don't know if our jobs are going to be around next month or if anything will be left in our retirement accounts when we need them the most. We don't know what's going to happen in the next few years. So, we economize. We spend less and eat out less, which are probably good choices with all things considered. But, that doesn't mean we need to settle for a mediocre meal at the nearest Mc-Crap-In-The-Shack when we do go out. Look around and explore your town. Odds are that there are plenty of mom & pop eateries offering affordable eats. Do you have a favorite local restaurant? Save up your money and eat there as a monthly treat. Your business keeps them alive. Have faith in our country and our economy. We have the skills, the resources, the knowledge, and the drive to pull out of this recession and we eventually will. But, if you want your favorite restaurants to still be around once we do, if you want to preserve the unique character and diversity of your local businesses, you need to decide whether you'd rather have a Croque Madame or a Big Mac. What's it going to be?


Hamilton Petit Cafe - Times are tough and local businesses need our support. It may be too late for Hamilton Petit Cafe, but there's still hope for your favorite local restaurants.


Bill:

Fruit Smoothie - 3.25
Vietnamese Spring Rolls - 3.95
Croque Madame - 5.95
Chicken Curry - 6.95
Strawberry Crepe - 7.95
Homemade Flan - 2.5


Flavor: A
Ambience: A
Service: A
ROI: A

Overall: A


Hamilton Petit Cafe
9556 Hamilton Ave
Huntington Beach, CA 92646
1-714-887-6411

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