Food Fact Friday: Candy Corn

Happy Halloween everyone! I wanted to blog about a typical Halloween candy, and the image of candy corn popped in my head. I'm a big fan of candy corn...I remember being younger and trying to perfectly bite off all the different layers, haha. Did anyone else do that or am I crazy?

It turns out that candy corn was invented right here in the U.S. It was Created in Philadelphia in the 1880s by George Renninger of the Wunderlee Candy Company. However, the company most closely associated with this wonderful confection is the Goelitz Confectionery Company. Founder Gustav Goelitz, a German immigrant, began commercial production of the treat in 1898 in Cincinnati and is today the oldest manufacturer of this confection. The sales of candy corn is what has kept the company alive through all these years.

Making this Halloween confection was a laborious process back in the 1800's. Kettles with water, sugar and corn syrup would be cooked. Then marshmallow and fondant would be added for texture. The hot mixture was then colored and hand poured into molds, layer by layer. It's tri-color design was considered revolutionary. Now, it's made primarily by machines, but the recipe remains the same.

Candy Corn Crazy: The National Confectioners Association estimate 20 million pounds of candy corn are sold each year!

Two Meals at Acme Oyster House

It's been a while since I did a post on the great food I had in New Orleans. So in the next couple weeks I'll post on Napoleon House and Commander's Palace too. The good news is, I get to sample even more delicious food because we are going back for Christmas and my birthday! I'm so excited...especially to go back and eat at Acme Oyster House. We ate there twice (only took pics once, sorry) and had amazing food both times.


Acme Stop #1: Acme has a convenient location, close to Canal and Bourbon St. We walked up and there was a decent size line, but it did move fast! There were some people trying to cut, but the hostess wasn't taking any of that, which was great. We were seated in the front, where the main oyster bar is. We ordered our New Orleans drink of choice, Abita beer, and perused the menu. There were so many choices, I didn't know where to begin. We finally were ready, but then our server was MIA. She wasn't very attentive. I think they give the servers there too many tables. My sister and I split raw oysters and then I ordered a shrimp po boy with a side of gumbo. The oysters were friggin awesome! I used to work at an oyster bar, and they always got all types of oysters from all over the northeast and northwest. So I've had my fair share of all types of oysters. But these P&J oysters were the best I have ever had! I was so impressed. My shrimp po boy was great. It had a good amount of shrimp that were well seasoned and cooked perfectly. The bread was nice and soft. The gumbo had a medium thickness, with good chunks of sausage and chicken...but it wasn't as good as the one I had at the New Orleans School of Cooking. Meal #1 was a great one.

The Chargrilled Oysters, best invention ever!

Acme Stop #2: We got there a little later than the first time, so we were seated quickly in the back. They have big tables with lots of big groups, so it was loud and fun. We started off with some ice cold Abita Amber and were ready to order. Time to try the Chargrilled Oysters! My sister and I also split the Boo Fries and the Acme Special Po Boy. The chargrilled oysters came out first and were still sizzling. They grill these and douse them with seasoned butter and romano cheese. They were even better than the raw ones! The oysters weren't over cooked at all which surprised me. The oyster with the hot butter and cheese was the best combo. It was great on the bread they served it with. Then came the Boo Fries..these are topped with gravy and cheese...I mean, what can get better than that?! The fries that were smothered in gravy were a little soggy, but I had no complaints. It was perfect with our Po Boy, which had turkey, ham, cheese, and debris. Debris (which is bits of roast beef in gravy), is the best discovery ever! This meal was even better than the first.

Boo Fries, 2nd best invention ever.

If you're going to New Orleans, you HAVE to go to Acme. Even if you don't like oysters, they have great food that's not pricey. The service is spotty, but you have so much fun and good food it hardly even matters. It's one of my top spots in NOLA, and I can't wait to go back.

Taste Test Tuesday: PB Puffins

I was in Publix in search of a snack to keep stashed in my pantry when I noticed that Puffins were on sale. I've heard good things about these on other blogs so I decided to try them out. Turns out there 100% natural too, sweetened with cane juice. I've become a peanut butter addict lately, so that's the flavor I opted for.


Serving Size: 3/4 cup (30g)
Calories: 110
Fat: 2g
Sodium: 230mg
Carbs: 23g
Fiber: 2g
Sugar: 6g
Protein: 3g
Rating: 5 out of 5

I was pretty tired on a Saturday morning and I wanted to make the easiest breakfast possible. Cereal it is! I skipped the milk part, for some reason I've never been a fan of plain milk to drink or with cereal...but that's another story. Anyway...I just ripped open the bag and munched away. I first thought, wow, the bag is pretty full, that's a good sign I didn't get ripped off. I put a few of the pb nuggets in my mouth and crunched away. They were delicious...perfectly crunchy and not totally filled with just air! They weren't overly sweet and had a really good peanut butter flavor. These are a perfect snack and I'm sure make a good, healthy breakfast with some milk.

Six on Sunday: Panini Time!

A hot, melty sandwich sounded great to me tonight. I I had some ham and chicken...so chicken cordon bleu it is! It came out nice and toasty with good flavors. Plus, it only had about 325 calories, perfect for a mini meal.


Chicken Cordon Bleu Panini
* 1 chicken breast (pre-cooked)
* 2 slices ham
* 2 tsp honey mustard
* 2 wedges Laughing Cow Light Swiss
* 4 slices of your favorite bread

Preheat your griddle of panini press to medium. Spread honey mustard on 2 slices of bread and then the cheese on the other 2 slices. On top of the cheese, evenly divide and layer the ham and the chicken. Then place the side with honey mustard on top. Spray the griddle or panini press with olive oil spray. Place the sandwiches on the griddle/press until browned (about 3 mins). Then spray the uncooked side with some olive oil spray and flip over for another 3 minutes (if using a griddle). Then you're ready to enjoy!

Food Fact Friday: Tiramisu

October is National Dessert Month...any excuse to eat some sweet treats (like Halloween isn't a good enough excuse!). One of my all time favorite desserts is Tiramisu. I love the coffee taste combined with the light sweetness of mascarpone and the texture of the ladyfingers...yum...I'm starting to drool on my keyboard, not good! I researched Tiramisu and turns out it's a pretty recent invention. Here is some info about this decadent delight...

Legends state Tiramisu was invented in the 1600s in Tuscany, but mascarpone was not yet brought to Italy. Other legends say it was invented during the 1800s in Turin, but there is no documentation to support it. The first written acount of Tiramisu is from the 1980's, in a cookbook called "I Dolci del Veneto” (The Desserts of Veneto). It was said to be invented in the 1970's in a restaurant in Treviso, Italy called Le Beccherie. It became so popular, that other restaurants in Italy began copying it. It made it's way to San Francisco in the early 1990's and now it's popular all over the United States.

CLICK HERE for the classic Tiramisu recipe!

Titanic Tiramisu: The world's largest tiramisu was created in April of 2007 in Italy, weighing in at over 674 lbs.

Taste Test Tuesday: Kardea Bars

I was lucky enough to get a few samples of the new Kardea Nutrition Bars. I haven't seen them in the stores yet, but you can order them online on their website. This is what Kardea has to say about their Banana Nut Bar...Banana nut is one of life's great comfort food combinations. Kardea brings you this taste sensation in its heart healthy nutritional bar. 1g Plant Sterols, 7g Total Fiber, 7g Protein, Vegan-Friendly, Lower Glycemic Sweetener & Kosher Certified. The label also says "for natural cholesterol management". I guess that's what the plant sterols are for.

Calories: 150
Fat: 5g
Carbs: 21g
Protein: 7g
Fiber: 7g
Sugar: 11g
Sodium: 80 mg
Rating: 4 out of 5 (Banana Walnut & Cranberry Almond)

My favorite flavor out of the pack was Banana Walnut, so I tried that first. The size was about what I expected for a 150-calorie bar (not big), but that was fine. The texture scared me a little, it was very soft. It was mostly smooth with a few chunks of the nuts. But I took a bite and it tasted great. There was a strong flavor of banana and walnuts. The next day I was going to try the Cranberry Almond, so I put it in the fridge for about an hour to firm up. That helped the "floppiness" of the bar a lot. The Cranberry Almond was a hit too. But I'm not a huge fan of Chai or Lemon, so those two I didn't like. But if you are into those flavors you should try it. All of the bars were well flavored with the title ingredients. If I saw these in the store, I would buy a few. It's a great snack bar with a good distribution of nutrients and good flavor.

Six on Sunday: Chicken Pizza

I was craving pizza and I rummaged my fridge to see what I could throw together. I took out my jar of Newman's Own Marinara and the rest of my ingredients. This is a great quick meal for one. I ate it with some salad too. All in all...a pretty healthy meal.


Chicken Parmesan Pizza for One
1 whole wheat pita (about 7" diameter)
2 1/2 tbsp marinara
2 oz shredded chicken
1 light string cheese (I love Frigo)
1 tsp parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400. Spread the marinara evenly over the pita, then add the remaining toppings. Bake on a baking sheet for 7-9 minutes. It's a quick & easy meal for a busy weeknight.

Food Fact Friday: I Want Crabs!

Stone Crabs are here! The stone crab season began October 15th and runs through May 15th. They are served at many restaurants here. I've had them a few times, and let me tell ya, they are worth the usually hefty price tag! One of the famous eateries that serves these delights is Joe's Stone Crab in Miami Beach. If you can get a table there under an hour, consider yourself lucky! Unfortunately, reservations aren't accepted. Now, a little bit about this crustacean...


Stone crabs are native to Florida and can be found as far north as North Carolina, and as far south as Belize. The Florida stone crab loses its limbs easily to escape from predators or tight spaces, but their limbs will grow back. When a claw is broken in the right place, the wound will quickly heal itself. It only takes about one year for the claw to grow back to its normal size. Each time the crab molts, the new claw grows larger.

The larger of the two claws is called the "crusher claw". The smaller claw is called the "pincer claw". A large crab claw can weigh up to half a pound. But the bodies of these crabs are relatively small and aren't eaten. Harvesting is accomplished by removing one claw and returning it to the ocean where it can regrow the lost limb. To be kept, claws must be 2.75 inches. Both claws are not removed because then the crab is left defenseless. Sounds pretty humane to me.

Freshness Fact: A fresh stone crab shouldn't take too much effort to pull out of the shell. If getting the meat out is making your life difficult, it is most likely a claw that was frozen.

LA Fitness Opening Soon!

I know this is non-food related...but I couldn't help myself. I need to workout to counteract all the pigging out I do on the weekends. I'm very excited about the new gym (that statement is really sad, haha)!

I've been a member of LA Fitness for about a year now. I work in Boca Raton, so the one in East Boca that's opening up off Yamato and 95 is perfect for me! It's finally opening on Saturday, October 25th! From what the salespeople have told me, it's going to be the largest LA Fitness in Florida. They'll have a huge cardio area...plus racquetball, basketball and a pool.

10/24 - UPDATE: They will be opening some day between 10/28 - 10/30 due to inspections. But they said everything is set up and ready to go.

10/29 - UPDATE: The plans are to open on Saturday, November 1st. They are going through the last inspections today.

11/3 - UPDATE: They are now open for business!

Taste Test Tuesday: Newman's Marinara

I saw a bottle of Newman's Own Marinara in my cupboards and thought of his recent passing. He was an excellent actor and very charitable. Newman established a policy that all proceeds from the sale of Newman's Own products, after taxes, would be donated to charity. As of early 2006, the franchise has resulted in excess of $200 million in donations. One beneficiary of the donations is the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp in Connecticut, a residential summer camp for seriously ill children. So buy more Newman's Own products! It's for a good cause.

Serving size = 1/2 Cup
Calories: 70
Fat: 2g
Sodium: 510 mg
Fiber: < 1g
Sugar: 11g
Protein: 2g
Rating 3.5 out of 5

I opened the jar and the thickness was good. Not too runny, not too thin. But I thought it would have more texture to it. I picture a marinara to have lots of chunks of tomatoes, but this only had a few. Now on to tasting...

Spaghetti Squash: I added a couple tablespoons to spaghetti squash and some parmesan. It tasted okay. It needed salt and garlic and maybe a little olive oil. The flavor didn't go as well with the spaghetti squash as I had hoped.

Pizza: Another day I made a mini pizza (recipe to come on Sunday). The sauce tasted much better this way, offsetting the saltiness of the cheese. It's a perfect consistency for pizza sauce because it's relatively smooth and not watery.
My favorite bottled sauce of all time is Barilla Green & Black Olive Tomato Sauce...thanks for getting me hooked on it Dad :) But I will keep trying out Newman's Own products to help support some great causes.

Foodbuzz Publisher Community Launches

It’s here, it’s here! Foodbuzz, Inc. is unbelievably excited to announce the official launch of the Foodbuzz Publisher Community, which is comprised of more than 1,000 global food bloggers, our “Featured Publishers.”

At launch, the Foodbuzz community successfully broke into the top ten rankings of internet destinations for food and dining, according to Quantcast, a global internet rating service.


Foodbuzz Publisher Community
In addition, the inaugural 24 Meals, 24 Hours, 24 Blogs event—which aims to showcase 24 Featured Publisher blog posts around the globe in a 24-hour period—kicked off on Sept. 20 and successfully displayed to online food enthusiasts an international, virtual street festival of food and diversity.

“Food bloggers are at the forefront of reality publishing and the dramatic growth of new media has redefined how food enthusiasts access tasty content,” said Ryan Stern, Director of the Foodbuzz Publisher Community. 24 Meals, 24 Hours, 24 Blogs captured the quality and unique local perspective of our food bloggers and shared them with the world. The event illustrates exactly what the future of food publishing is all about—real food, experienced by real people, shared real-time.”

Foodbuzz is proud to be the only online community with content created by food bloggers and rated by foodies, offering over 20,000 pieces of new food and dining content weekly. Members can vote for their favorite pieces of content (recipes, photos, blog posts, videos, restaurant reviews) by “buzzing” them up to the top of the daily menu of submissions.

Foodbuzz
While the site is logging over 14 million monthly page views and over three million unique monthly visits, the Foodbuzz blogger community is concurrently growing at a rate of 40 percent per month, driven by strong growth in existing partner blogs.

“Our goal is to be the number-one online source of quality food and dining content by promoting the talent, enthusiasm, and knowledge of food bloggers around the globe,” said Ben Dehan, founder and CEO of Foodbuzz, Inc. “Foodbuzz is like the stock of a great soup, allowing bloggers to contribute content and subsequently interact in a rapidly growing, online niche-specific community.”

Keep buzzing,
The Foodbuzz Team

Click Here to view all the fantastic menus from 24,24,24!

Missing in Action

Sorry I've been gone! I am officially back in action. I had a busy streak for a while and the cooking and taking pictures kind of went out the window for a few weeks. But I'm back for Taste Test Tuesday starting tomorrow.