Gourmet Food Trucks Are The Hip New Restaurants In Southern California

Posted by admin on Sep 1st, 2010 | 0 comments

In Southern California, the old-fashioned sandwich trucks are being upgraded to mobile restaurants with menus as varied as the culture. In the face of chain restaurants and high operating costs, many small locally owned food businesses have disappeared and the catering truck industry is stepping into the gap.

The speed of the growth of this new development in the restaurant industry has, at times, created conflicts within some communities. The Southern California Mobile Food Vendors Association was formed to attempt to create a set of “best practices” for operating within the changing industry. While the rules and regulations are still developing, the popularity of the movement with the general public is unquestioned.

One of the many ways the industry is changing is in the use of Web sites and Twitter to let customers know the schedules and locations of their favorite gourmet traveling restaurant. The various truck owners post schedules and menus so their “followers” can easily make plans to meet for their favorite meal. The possibilities are seemingly endless. From a simple grilled cheese to Japanese noodles, there’s something for almost every taste.

The Grilled Cheese Truck – Whether you are looking for that simple grilled cheese or something more exotic, this menu has an answer to the search. The cheese offerings start with the routine American and extend to a creamy Brie (on Cranberry Walnut bread) or Gruyere with lots of savory additions and interesting sides.

Barbie’s Q – If your preference is St. Louis style ribs or pulled pork sandwiches, Barbie’s can supply it along with the traditional sides. They even have a Veggie Burger for those who love barbecue but don’t eat meat. Like many other gourmet food trucks, they also cater.

Skewers on Wheels – A non-traditional meal choice for many Americans, food on skewers lends itself to a wide variety of textures and flavors. From Shiitake mushrooms or tofu to Hawaiian spam pineapple the skewers can be paired with a salad and create a full meal for any taste preference.

TastyMeat – Meat lovers can choose from beef, lamb, or chicken in a savory sauce; add lettuce, tomato, and onions, then wrap it in a fresh flatbread for a delicious quick meal.

Kogi – Combine Korean barbecue with Mexican style and you get Spicy Pork Tacos or Short Rib Burritos and they haven’t forgotten the vegetarians either, Tofu comes in either a taco or a burrito.

Asian Soul Kitchen – For a more traditional Asian meal, try Japanese soul food. Sample Yakisoba, a combination of noodles, veggies, and a flavorful sauce or for a more filling meal order Nijukaga a hearty stew of beef, potatoes, and noodles in a Bonita broth.

Even the old-fashioned ice cream trucks are leaping onto the gourmet, twittering bandwagon.

Coolhaus – Make an ice cream sandwich to order with your favorite cookie and ice cream. Choose from six cookie flavors and fill them with your choice of more than twenty ice creams. From the traditional vanilla bean to white chocolate macadamia, they make an ice cream sandwich new.

Get Shaved – Shaved ice may sound like another version of a “snow-cone”, but the resemblance ends with the basic ingredient. These low-calorie (60-70 calories per 8 ounce serving) come in a myriad of flavors from Banana to Watermelon.

There are trucks that serve at most any hour of the day, from breakfast to dinner time. Whether you are looking for a Southwest Omelet or a slice of Pizza, there’s a truck out there looking for your business. Twitter is the easiest way to keep track, but many are also on Facebook or have their own Web sites.

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Have the Best Dinner Party with Gourmet Food on the Table

Posted by admin on Aug 28th, 2010 | 0 comments

Dinner parties are wonderful especially if you are just one of the attendees.  Hosting one is a nightmare for many especially for the mothers or wives. The tasks are really laborious and you are also a subject to scrutiny whether you like it or you don’t. To host a party takes a whole lot of planning and looking for someone to cater is not always the best idea more importantly if you on a budget crunch. To get rid of these worries and to lessen the work to be done, looking for an online gourmet food provider can give the answers.  This can be a good tool to ensure the quality of food you will serve as well as increase your time on other things.

The next thing you need to worry is how to give your home a little tweak. Keep in mind that the overall presentation and look of the house can complement the type of food that you will serve.  If you planning to serve the best gourmet food then make sure that the ambience is suitable for you. No matter how delicious the food is, the mood of those who will eat them is also a very big factor to consider. The covers of your table, the curtain on your wall, the music you will play and the food you will serve will all give the verdict at the end of the day.

Nowadays, you may seek the help of the chef that provides their services on a appointment basis.  While searching for the best online gourmet food, see if you can also ask a good chef to do the cooking for you. Again, you will find information about this type of service via the Internet. The important thing to remember is to exhaust all the possibilities so you can achieve on party that is difficult to forget. 

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Japanese Gourmet Food and its Misconceptions

Posted by admin on Aug 24th, 2010 | 0 comments

There has been mixed reviews concerning Japanese food. Some many consider them surprisingly good while others often find them complicated. Due to these opposing comments, a number of misconceptions have been noted in many years, specifically on the English names that are used to describe or call the Japanese gourmet food.

One of the most common notion people have about sushi is that it is always about raw or uncooked fish. It is important to note that even sushi does not necessarily mean ‘raw fish’. The term itself refers to one of the ingredients being used to prepare the meal – rice vinegar. This is the most important part of this Asian gourmet food. Sashimi on the other hand is the right term for the word raw or uncooked.

Another example of gourmet food misconception in Japan is referring an umeboshi as a pickled plum.  Due to its appearance and noticeable sharp taste, most foreigners who see this particular fruit would easily conclude that it is indeed a plum. In reality it is actually an apricot that has been pickled using salt and is colored with perilla herb. At first, it leaves a strange after taste, but on the second and third bite, people could find themselves enjoying the exotic and unique taste of this particular ingredient. The fruit itself is very beneficial to one’s health and this is the primary reason the Japanese love to incorporate a portion of umeboshi in their traditional meals.

Most people are also fooled by another gourmet food misconception about mirin. It completely resembles cooking oil in terms of color and consistency. In reality this is a type of sake that is primarily used for cooking. It is one of the essential ingredients in Japan alongside soy sauce. It is one of the sources of the savory taste you can find in Japanese meals. 

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Tips For Gourmet Food Recipes

Posted by admin on Aug 20th, 2010 | 0 comments

When you talk about a gourmet dish, it usually means that there are lots of intricate steps involved in its creation. Naturally, gourmet food recipes tend to feature ingredients that are more expensive than what you would normally use. Because of this, such recipes are often closely guarded family secrets only used on special occasions.

One of the best sources of a good gourmet recipe is right at home. Nearly every family will have a number of heirloom recipes. The various permutations and modifications they’ve undergone helped them achieve their current legendary status. Usually, only one family member has the knack of cooking a particular dish to perfection. That means your mother is the go-to person for the perfect roast chicken, while Aunt Alice makes the best lasagna anyone has ever tasted. It’s unlikely these are healthy gourmet recipes, but that’s why they’re so special. Once you’ve obtained the recipe, you’re free to modify it to suit your tastes and possibly create a new one of your own.

The internet is a great place to look for gourmet food recipes if your relatives are stingy with information or inspiration. You can be confident about using recipes like these as, more often than not; they are tested, critiqued and rated by an army of like-minded netizens. The changes, suggestions and modifications to any given recipe are extremely helpful to a novice cook who’s looking to put their own spin on a gourmet dish. By carrying out your research, you can also look up recipes based on their main component.

You can always try to recreate a dish you’ve enjoyed in an upscale restaurant. People tend to balk at trying anything labeled “gourmet” due to the perceived high cost. However, attempting healthy gourmet recipes in your own home will always cost less than forking out an exorbitant amount on a restaurant meal. Think of the flavors you remember from the meal and look up a recipe for reference if you must. It’s highly likely you’ll arrive at the final result through your own trial and error. If that doesn’t work for you, try cooking a regular meal, like steak-and-kidney pie, but with the best ingredients you can find. You’ll probably find that they make a whole world of difference! 

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Gourmet Food Recipes Online Can Help A Dinner Party

Posted by admin on Aug 16th, 2010 | 0 comments

The prospect of having to host a dinner party can be stressful enough to reduce the most hardened veteran to tears. Anyone who’s been involved in work behind the scenes would know that cooking the food for the party is just one part of the intensive preparation that needs to be carried out prior to the event. Even so, this doesn’t detract from the importance of acquiring gourmet food recipes online.

It’s important to keep the décor in mind when throwing a dinner party. Buying a completely new dining and living room set is extravagant, needless and out of the question. It’s possible to glam up your home without breaking the budget. Always remember that guests perceive the setting as a reflection of the meal to come. Therefore, one would not expect the best gourmet food in dull and dowdy surroundings. Different slip covers for the furniture and good quality dining utensils are things you can’t do without.

Once you’ve sorted out any décor issues, it’s time to plan the menu. Settling on a specific theme makes it a lot easier to put together a meal. Exotic foods like Thai or Filipino or even a medley of well-known Asian dishes are likely to be well-received by guests. Deciding on a particular theme makes it easy for you to look for gourmet food recipes online as recipes can be grouped either based on their main component or the region from which they originate.

You will need to go shopping after deciding on a theme and décor. The shopping can be divided into two trips – one for non-perishables (decorations, cutlery, etc.) and one for perishables (food). Shopping in a methodical manner helps eliminate stress and a shopping list will prevent you from forgetting anything. It also helps you budget too, as the best gourmet food doesn’t come cheap. Never shop for food on an empty stomach either as this leaves you open to impulse food buys, loss of focus and potentially blowing your budget.

It’s important to send out your invites early so that it doesn’t clash with anything else guests might have planned. As the day of the dinner party approaches, the guest list should be finalized and attendances confirmed. 

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