Category Archives: Good Eats

Costa Mesa Favorites

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I have lived in Costa Mesa for nearly three years now, and I’ll be the first to say that I just adore my little neighborhood.  From the back bay trails to the coffee shops and restaurants, Costa Mesa is pretty much the best.  So here are a few of my personal Costa Mesa Favorites.

Best Coffee: Sidecar Doughnuts

costa mesa favoritesI’ve written about Sidecar Doughnuts a few times now, but I most recently discovered their delicious coffee.  I’m not really a coffee drinker at all, but there’s something special about their iced coffee, especially after a sweaty spin class at Grit Cycle (another Costa Mesa fave!).

Best Brunch: SOCIAL

socialcostamesaCosta Mesa is home to a lot of fabulous brunch spots, but SOCIAL is my current fave.  The brunch prices are decent, the menu is seasonal, and they have live music at brunch as well.  Plus, champagne with guava juice? What’s not to love?

Best Crossfit: Crossfit Vibe

crossfitvibegroupIt’s no surprise that Crossfit Vibe made the list.  I’ve been going to this box for nearly two years and I love it to pieces.  If you are local and want to try crossfit, I highly recommend them.

Best Salad: Mendocino Farms

MendocinoFarmsThe Sophisticated Chicken and Prosciutto Salad gets me every time. Mendocino Farms also has a seasonal menu and offers a wide variety of salads and sandwiches, but my heart belongs to the Sophisticated salad.

Best Drinks: Boathouse Collective

boathousecollectiveI’ve only been to Boathouse Collective once and didn’t try the food, but I LOVED the large outdoor space and garden.  Boathouse may have a small menu, but what they have is delicious.

Best Running Path: Back Bay Loop

backbayloopThis may be considered partially Newport Beach, but I love running the back bay loop.  I trained for both of my half marathons on this loop and it offers the right amount of rolling hills and lovely scenery.

Tommy Bahama Flavors of Aloha

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One of my favorite things about dining at Tommy Bahama is their cool, Hawaiian vibe.  So when I was invited to attend the Tommy Bahama Flavors of Aloha event to celebrate chef Rick Rodgers’ new cookbook, I jumped at the chance to attend.

Flavors of Aloha is a cookbook exclusive to Tommy Bahama, and the recipes are all traditional Hawaiian-inspired dishes with a few unique twists here and there.  I’m personally a big fan of traditional Hawaiian cuisine, and loved how this cookbook paid homage to some of the islands’ signature flavors.

tommy bahama flavors of alohaOur evening started with a cocktail hour complete with leis, mai tais, and passed appetizers from the book.  My favorite appetizer by far was the Maui onion dip which was made with fresh onion, bacon and chives and served with taro root chips.

tommy bahama flavors of alohaSome of the other appetizers that were served included ahi poke in little cones, spam musubi (think spam sushi) and coconut shrimp.  I should also note that all these appetizers are in the Flavors of Aloha cookbook and can be found at Tommy Bahama restaurants.

Then it was time for dinner.  I had already informed the team of my food allergies so my meal was slightly different from everyone else but still quite delicious (also huge thank you to Orisi PR for helping me out!).

The first course that was served was a raw shaved papaya salad with chilled shrimp on top.  My lovely date for the evening Joelle was kind enough to give me her shrimp so I could taste part of the dish.

tommy bahama flavors of alohaI had a wedge salad with blue cheese and fresh tomatoes which was also quite delicious.

tommy bahama flavors of aloha For our main course, we were served two proteins: Kona coffee rubbed steak and grilled salmon.  I was served two pieces of salmon (minus the soy glaze) which ended up being quite fortuitous for this salmon lover.

tommy bahama flavors of alohaFor the grand dessert finale we were served either pina colada cake or my personal favorite, the vanilla creme brulee in a PINEAPPLE.  I packed up the pina colada cake for the Englishman, but the creme brulee was all mine.

tommy bahama flavors of alohaA big thank you to Chef Rick Rodgers and Orisi PR for hosting such a wonderful event!  I can’t wait to dig into the Flavors of Aloha cookbook and create some of the recipes for myself.  And make a return trip to Tommy Bahama for some more creme brulee.

Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookies

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This past week was a bit of a rough one.  My dear sweet grandfather passed away at the age of 95, and while we all knew it was coming, it’s still hard to imagine life without him.  So when I’m feeling a little down I go for a run, go to yoga and bake.  And these tahini chocolate chip cookies from the Meals Made Simple cookbook were just what I needed.

tahini chocolate chip cookiesI have been on quite the tahini kick lately.  I made tahini dressing for my Asian slaw, I used it as a sauce for some zoodles, and now I’m using it in cookies!  I’ll admit I was a little skeptical when I first saw the recipe in the cookbook, but Danielle Walker swears that these are the best chocolate chip cookies ever so I was game.  Plus, it’s another recipe to check off for the 2015 cookbook challenge!

When I first made the cookies I handed one to the Englishman to taste without telling him what was in it.  He couldn’t detect the tahini at all! He said they had a slightly nutty flavor (which I agree) but you wouldn’t know it was tahini unless someone told you.

If you are looking for a different cookie that’s grain free and doesn’t use the standard almond butter, try this recipe with tahini!  I modified a few of the ingredients based on what we had, but for the most part followed the recipe exactly.  The original recipe makes 24 cookies, but you can cut it in half if you don’t want that many cookies in the house 😉  I have also found that these cookies freeze really well (and taste good frozen too!).

Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookies (adaptedfrom the Meals Made Simple cookbook)

tahini chocolate chip cookiesIngredients:

1 large egg white

2 tbsp melted butter or coconut oil

1/2 cup tahini

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/4 cup tapioca starch (or arrowroot powder)

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/4 cup cacao nibs

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or coat well with cooking oil.

Mix your egg white and maple syrup until mixture is smooth (use a hand or stand mixer if you have it!).

Gently fold in your tahini, tapioca starch, vanilla, salt and baking soda and continue to mix.  Add your chocolate chips and cacao nibs.

Place spoonfuls of dough onto your baking sheet.  For crispier cookies, flatten your dough a bit.

Place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes.  Cool and enjoy!

This was such an easy recipe to make and I love that it’s paleo friendly AND uses tahini.  I already can’t wait to whip up my next batch.

Dinner at Cucina Alessa

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Four years ago, I first wrote about Cucina Alessa (please excuse the rough photography).  I loved all the food and yet somehow I never went back.  When my mom was brainstorming ideas for her birthday dinner, we agreed that it was high time we returned to Cucina Alessa and I’m so glad we did.  So consider this dinner at Cuinca Alessa part deux.

When I dined at Cucina Alessa the first time, I wasn’t following a gluten-free diet so my entrée choices revolved around pizza and pasta.  Since I am more on a gluten-free/paleo diet now my food choices have definitely changed and I’m happy to report that Cucina Alessa has plenty of gluten-free options if you want them.

For our appetizer course we decided to go with the calamari (the Englishman’s personal fave) and the fresh burrata.

Cucina Alessa Calamari

Burrata is one of my favorite cheeses in life, and this one did not disappoint.  It was all the creamy perfection you would expect and more.  The calamari was also a big hit among the table and it was devoured in minutes.

Cucina Alessa Burrata

For my main course, I ordered the grilled salmon with broccoli and a side of roasted rosemary potatoes.  Since I am currently obsessed with all the salmon, I was excited to try this dish.

Cucina Alessa SalmonThe salmon was grilled perfectly and came with a lemon garlic sauce that wasn’t too heavy or overpowering with the dish.  If you are looking for a non-pasta option at Cucina Alessa, definitely go for this (and get some potatoes on the side).

The Englishman went with the gnocchi which he greatly enjoyed and would recommend to any gnocchi lovers out there.

Cucina Alessa Gnocchi

My mom got a shrimp pasta in a lobster sauce – I only tasted the shrimp but the sauce on it was fantastic.

Cucina Alessa Lobster SauceMy dad went with the chicken Parmesan, which is one of the best classic dishes on the menu. Chicken, pasta, cheese; what’s not to love?

Cucina Alessa Chicken ParmAnd because we were celebrating a birthday, some gelato was required at the end of the evening.

cucina alessa birthday gelato

I’m thinking it won’t be four years before I return to Cucina Alessa again.