Have you ever romanticized about sharing a delicious, freshly-harvested meal with friends in a rustic setting while learning from the chef himself how everything came to be? It doesn't have to be a dream. The Original Manassero Farms in Irvine have made it a reality with their "Breakfast in the Barn" series that started in May 2014. On designated Saturday mornings, guests can feast at the farm on dishes inspired by the farm produce and put together by award-winning Orange County chefs; not only do they taste what delights the chefs have in store but the breakfast diners also learn along the way how to reproduce these simple but fulfilling items. We were invited to attend the July event and enjoyed an informational and delectable time with the month's chefs - Chef Pascal Olhats and Chef Gregory Moro.

Have you heard of Dollar Shave Club before? Perhaps you've seen their viral video that came out two years ago (if you haven't, you seriously need to; it's hilarious). I got both my little brother and Duc onto it because it's inexpensive, convenient, and still a decent quality. It's a monthly subscription service that delivers low-cost razors through the mail. Their whole thing is about "shaving time and shaving money" so when they asked me how to do that in the kitchen, I immediately thought of several ways to share with you all. Cooking can be intimidating to a lot of people but there are some tricks of the trade to shorten the time it takes to make your meals. We're all busy and sometimes feel like delicious home cooking can't be made in a jiffy but hey, maybe you'll change your mind after checking out these five ways to shave time and shave money in the kitchen.

I preface this post by pointing out how rarely I do these non-food posts. However, when it seems particularly interesting or important to me, the topics will find their way to Much Ado About Fooding (MAAF) and I apologize if they don't fit your fancy. Feel free to ignore this one then, folks! Anyhow, what is this post about anyway? I was mentioned/tagged by my blogger-friend Sandi over at Fearless Dining to participate in a blogger "writing process" unveiling series where I expand on what inspires pieces for MAAF and how writing happens. There is a list of questions to answer, and then the author "tags" three others to move forward with this "blog hop." As you probably have seen, I try to get four posts out in a week and that, as you can imagine, requires a lot of writing! So if you're interested in briefly delving into what gets this all going, keep on reading. If not, I've got plenty of other fun pieces for you to dig your teeth into!

3808 N Williams, Suite 127, Portland, OR 97227 [Neighborhood: Boise-Eliot]
Pricing - $$/$$$ | Dining - Dressy Casual | Cuisine - New American
www.lincolnpdx.com

It's been a long while since our Portland trip (and we have an impending vacation soon too out of state!) so this post comes a little late to the game BUT it's not because I didn't want to write it. It's because I wanted to make sure that I was in the right state of mind and could give the respect that this restaurant is due based on our meal there. Lincoln Restaurant is one of the restaurants by Chef Jenn Louis whom we first met and chatted with at the 2013 Taste of the Nation event in Laguna Beach. Named one of Food & Wine's 2012 Best New Chefs and a semifinalist for both the 2010 and 2011 James Beard Foundation’s “Best Chef Northwest” awards, Chef Jenn is impressive but never gives the inkling of being so important in the culinary world when you meet her. We never got that sense when we dropped by the restaurant during our Portland trip but were ever so eager to check out the menu and dive into all that we had been drooling over in the year that we'd been following her on social media. There was no disappointment that evening - just a glorious, memorable meal.

There's a bit of pride when you watch a seed you had planted grow up to be a bountiful, delicious vegetable or fruit plant. What had started as the bare whisper of health to come was cultivated into a full-fledged kale plant, producing beautifully perfect leaves. Duc had started the kale seed long ago and then transplanted it in my parents' side garden where it flourished under the shaded sun. We had a large harvest recently so I had to think of a way to use it. I sketched out a potato kale gratin whilst thinking one day and decided we'd make it! This dish is like a big bowl of comfort food, wholesome and healthful. I noted that it is breadless because a lot of gratins have added breadcrumbs and cheese on top but this one doesn't (though you can add if you'd like!).

Founded in 1981 in Seoul, South Korea, Pulmuone Co. was built on Won Kyung Sun's dream to develop a farming cooperative with the first organic farm in South Korea and a store that sold organic vegetables. Fast forward a few years and a subsidiary is born as Pulmuone Wildwood Inc. (also referred to as Pulmuone Foods USA) in the United States. The US company has also split into several brands, Wildwood and Monterey Gourmet Foods, and has offices in both California and New York (headquarters are in Fullerton, CA). It was at the headquarters that I joined a group gathered to see what meals could be cooked using Pulmuone products. The chef of the evening was Executive Chef Nathaniel Nguyen of The Prince & Pantry.

[Giveaway details at the bottom of this post] It is no secret that Duc and I really like eating at solita Tacos & Margaritas at Bella Terra in Huntington Beach. It's just a tad too easy since he just lives up the street from the restaurant; when in doubt, we go to solita if we aren't planning on cooking. I'm sure this is the same case for those who luckily live above the establishment and the other neat places at Bella Terra. When solita unveiled that they would be offering to-go as well, it made it even harder to resist them. If you haven't heard of solita, it's by the same people who brought SOL Cocina to Newport Beach but this location is more casual and inspired by Baja street fare (read more from our past post here). The food is great and the atmosphere like a friendly neighborhood favorite. The takeout service just makes it even easier to expand the restaurant's reach and bring the party to others elsewhere. We were invited to try out their take-out just to see what new things they had in store.

The first thing that usually jumps to people's minds when you talk about poppy seeds is some kind of pastry. Well, that or the fact that it is an opiate but that's not the point of this post. Wait no, I take that back - that part is relevant. Don't take a drug test right after having this salad dressing lest you want to test positive for something and look like a heroin addict. Practice safe eating! Anyhow, I have been liking poppy seed dressings lately so when this became our Test Kitchen ingredient, I thought I ought to go in that direction. Who needs fattening pound cake when you can have a creamy, smooth dressing over some fresh greens? The recipe's simple but the taste is complex. Enjoy making this one, folks!

The award-winning LA Spice Catering Company located in Los Angeles and servicing much of southern California recently hit another home run with their newest development after more than 25 years of being in the business: LA Spice Cafe. The neighborhood-centric wholesome and hearty restaurant was started by the catering company's CEO and founder, LeAnne Schwartz, a little more than a year ago and has already become a community favorite. It's a joint that promotes a casual feel to gourmet food, welcoming others to give their breakfast and lunch dishes a try and inviting guests to get a little more healthiness for their buck.

LA Spice Cafe also fits right into the Culver City puzzle (where it's located) which is currently being reworked to revitalize the area and bring people in. City council members can frequently be spotted here for breakfast meetings. The restaurant features a seasonal menu with fresh ingredients and a slight spin to classics that don't detract too much from what others are used to; don't be afraid of getting experiments here! Just expect great food. We sat down one Saturday morning to speak with Chef Chris DeVillier, learn about what drives the menu, and taste what made the whole company as successful as it is.

The OC Fair 2014 began last Friday to many cheers and hurrahs. Last year was the first time that I have been to the fair and stayed long enough to indulge in some food. This year, their theme is "Summer Starts Here," and that sounds just about right. It isn't truly summer in Orange County until you know the fair is upon us all. I've heard that there are several new food items that are practically challenges in themselves. If you're looking to stick your face into any fried food place, here is a food guide to check out online. I'm looking forward to looking at the Best Of food competition entries again this year - there were some gorgeous and delectable entries for sure! If you haven't made plans yet, there are two tickets waiting to be won at the bottom of this post.

What defines good food for you? Does it have to be plated well, using the latest techniques, and sourcing exotic ingredients? The components are important and so is the culinary skill in making a dish work but there is some level of culture that plays a large impact on how well (or not well) received a plate will be. The memories evoked and the emotions alongside those are all important. For me, Thai food somehow found itself in my realm of go-to comfort foods. After a long day, I want to settle down with some red curry and tofu, a glass of creamily smooth Thai tea, and a small side of spicy papaya salad. What I don't necessarily expect when those comfort food moments hit is that the food not only satisfies the cultural factor of what makes food good but also the culinary. We found that at Ayara Thai Cuisine in Los Angeles though. I had been reading about it every now and then but when we decided to turn a day into an LA trek, we put this on the list and ventured out to meet with them. What a fine decision that was.

It's summertime! You know what that means. Abundant fruits and a whole lot of watermelon to dig your face into. Sure, you can chomp on some slices and let the juices run down your chin and fingers...or you can puree the heck out of it to make yourself a cool refresher. We had plenty of strawberries and homegrown basil to go through so I threw a bunch into a blender real quick for this thirst quenching drink. Try out this recipe - you shan't be disappointed!

We pulled into a slightly lopsided parking lot one Saturday morning, typically reserved for weekday customers of nearby businesses, and looked across the street at the happy crowd gathered outside of Eat Chow in Costa Mesa. Some must have been waiting for their other breakfasting friends to arrive but others were queuing to get a table at the bustling place. It was a weekend crowd and not uncommon for this popular hot spot which has gathered enough devotion with this and their Newport Beach locations that a third spot is in the works for Santa Ana. We sat down with coowners Brian McReynolds and Amy Curran to see why it was that Instagram and Facebook feeds have been filling up over the years with pictures of happy dishes and guests.

"A wine pub? What's that?" you might be asking yourself. I asked myself the same question when I first got a sniff of the new restaurant's opening. I hadn't heard the two words used together before but the blend was intriguing. Calivino Wine Pub opened May 10, 2014 but apparently already has regulars. It's located near Angel Stadium and is nestled among other eateries that I would not expect to be nearby such as a Subway and Hooters. However, this also manages to give the area a place Anaheim does not really have for wine aficionados in the community - good food and a decent wine list experience. We stopped in one day to meet Owner Daniel Bradley, check out the digs, and delve into what was making Calivino already a popular hangout spot for the locals.

I love hazelnuts. Their flavor is unmatched by other nut flavors, and when combined with something like chocolate, it is sublime. I brought back quite a hefty bag of the nuts from our Portland trip and couldn't quite figure out what to make with it; thus, it became a Test Kitchen ingredient. I was tempted to eat the whole bag but I needed them to grow on their own. I loved the suggestions that came through of which one frequently suggested one was Nutella. While that was a great idea in its own right, my dear talented chocolatier friend (Amy Jo of Valenza Chocolatier) suggested gianduia which is pretty much the mother to Nutella. Challenge accepted! With some research through this nifty 35-part series and other parts of the internet, I came up with something that beats out the sugary, oily jar that is Nutella. It's purer, more nutty, more chocolatey, and made of ingredients we know and trust. Make yourself this recipe using only six ingredients and live happy with jars of decadent happiness.

The Polish sandwich struck my interest when it first showed itself on the menu of a nearby Weinerschnitzel when I was young. Soon after, I saw a Polish hot dog at Costco and I wondered what gave these dishes their denominations. Lo and behold, the kielbasa! What a lovely sausage it is. We got our hands on some of these Polish sausages from Zeigler's Sausages (a local sausage-maker) and the ideas came slowly on what to do with them. Inspiration struck one morning as I thought about what it was that I loved kielbasa with and sauerkraut came to mind. The idea turned into a rudimentary sketch on a nearby Post-It note which became a reality once I grabbed my other ingredients which included marble rye bread from Blackmarket Bakery (local bakery) and hot and sour pickles from Pernicious Pickles (local pickling company). I also contributed my own mustard seeds, sauerkraut, and even wasabi mayo. Yum!

What do you get when a naturopathic doctor raises a daughter who is interested in food and cooking? Executive Chef and co-owner Lindsay Smith-Rosales, the passionate creator of Laguna Beach's Nirvana Grille. A restaurant based on sourcing as sustainably as possible, Nirvana Grille was built to be committed to responsible ingredients for its dishes. Chef Lindsay believes in feeding the body what it is supposed to have and has walked the many paths to find the balance herself, having run the full gamut from being vegan to not. As she says, "It really is about feeding your body what it deserves." I joined other food media folks one summer evening to indulge in the restaurant's new seasonal menu and got to see what a difference the ingredient sourcing makes on a meal.

"When you take a bite of our sandwiches, we want you to be able to distinctively taste each ingredient which, when combined together, is also amazing." - Matt Meddock, Founder and Co-Owner

If you have been harboring a unique idea for a passion project for 6+ years, you should realize that it's something you really want to do. For Matt Meddock, founder and co-owner of newly opened Sessions Sandwiches, that concept floating in the back of his mind for years during his work in promotions for bars/restaurants/nightclubs and as a paramedic was to fill the void that southern California has when it comes to sandwiches. Never having owned a restaurant before in his life, Matt was trying to figure it out after selling his marketing company and while working a hectic paramedic's life; his thoughts kept returning to his sandwich chain idea and with some encouragement from his wife, he opened Sessions Sandwiches on the Newport Beach peninsula. We stopped in to get a taste of what turned out to be some of the best sandwiches we've ever had. Maybe he's onto something here...