I chose to do “Fresh + Frozen”, fresh vegetables paired with frozen pasta as salads or side dishes.  Surprisingly, Foodbuzz selected my proposal and I received 10 shiny coupons in the mail to purchase my pasta.  Now all I had to do was get my party scheduled, stock my kitchen, and get the party started!

The golden tickets! Coupons for Buitoni Frozen Meals for Two.

Knowing Butoni’s other products but not being familiar with their frozen line, I decided to hit the market blind. I was thinking that cooking this meal would be like an episode of the Food Network show, “Chopped”.  I would open my basket to see what I had and then whip up something phenomenal.  Yikes!

I picked up a variety of fresh veggies to give me lots of options on the “Fresh” side: white peaches, baby squash, red peppers, sweet corn, zucchini, egg plant, and a variety of tomatoes.  Farmers market shopping in the summer is heaven!  I rounded things out with a big box of organic mixed greens.

Veggies on my counter waiting to be chopped and skewed!

At the grocery store, I checked out the entrees in the freezer section.  My local Ralph’s only had a few varieties so I grabbed those and then jetted to Albertson’s where I found the same ones plus a few more. I ended up with five entrees that I knew would pair nicely with my fresh veggies in one way or another.  I left one free agent — a meat lasagna — to sample with all of the sides.

With veggies on deck, and pasta in hand, it was time to get cooking.  Check out the pairings I came up with!

Chicken & Mushroom Ravioli with Three Tomato Salad

Braised Beef & Sausage Ravioli with Fried Sweet Corn and Red Peppers

Shrimp & Lobster Ravioli with Steamed Baby Squash

Grilled Chicken & Spinach Cannelloni with Spring Mix, White Peaches, and White Balsamic Dressing

Four Cheese & Spinach Ravioli with Grilled Veggie (and Chicken) Skewers

In my original proposal, I proposed fresh vegetable side dishes that could be made in the time that it took to cook the pasta.  Of course I made that assumption without knowing how fast these pastas cook!  For the raviolis, they’re ready to plate within 5 minutes from being added to boiling water.  For the cannelloni and lasagna, baking time is upwards of an hour but the microwave option gets these dishes to the table in about 20 minutes.

With that knowledge, I started prepping my skewers first; I knew they would be the long pole in the tent.  Lots of slicing, dicing, and skewering was involved to get them ready for the grill!

Prepping the Skewers with red peppers, yellow peppers, eggplant, zucchini, and chicken.

Chicken and veggie skewers on the grill.

The other dishes were quick and easy, just as I had hoped.  I purposely opted for salads and sides that were simple yet elegant so I could focus on cooking the pasta and grilling the skewers.

Its getting hot in here!

At the height of cooking, things did get a little hectic.  The microwave was whirring and beeping, flames were coming from the grill, and steam was coming from several bubbling pots and pans on the stove.  I kept a cool head, though, and everything came together nicely and just in time.  Which was good because hungry guests were showing up to eat!

We're hungry and we're here to eat some pasta!

I put each pasta out with its paired side dish and the box the pasta came in.  I wanted folks to be able to be able to read the caloric contents, cooking directions, and other information as they fixed their plates.  Although everyone was hungry, they waited for a few moments, giving me the chance to do my foodie work and take a few snapshots.

Southern Italian Style Meat Lasagna next to the box with all the info!

After I explained the pairings and everyone fixed their plates, we settled in for some great conversation and good times.  I put together some pics of each dish and the reactions they produced from me and my tasters.  The names have been omitted to protect the guilty.  Enjoy!

Chicken & Mushroom Ravioli with Three Tomato Salad

Chicken & Mushroom Ravioli with Three Tomato Salad: Heirloom, Roma, and Green tomotoes with salt, pepper, and celery seed.

This sauce is great!  It came with the pasta!?

I don’t like mushrooms.

I like the texture of the mushrooms.  They’re not soggy.  This one goes well with the wine I brought, too.

I don’t like tomatoes.

This tomato salad is good!  What kinds of tomatoes are in here? (Answer: Heirloom, Roma, and “Green”!)

Braised Beef & Sausage Ravioli with Fried Sweet Corn and Red Peppers

Braised Beef & Sausage Ravioli with Fried Sweet Corn and Red Peppers

So easy to make! Get chopped sweet corn, diced red peppers, salt, black pepper, herbs, and olive oil. Saute in a hot skillet until the corn is tender. Done!

I wish this sauce was a little bit thicker.  Its kind of light, like a vodka sauce.

Hey, there’s no stuffing in my ravioli!  Can I have some more?

This corn is delicious!  Its so sweet I could eat it raw, right off the cob.

Shrimp & Lobster Ravioli with Steamed Baby Squash

Shrimp & Lobster Ravioli with Steamed Baby Squash

This ravioli was the best in show! Awesome sauce and texture with big chunks of lobster!

WOW! This sauce is amazing.  It really completes the dish.  Tastes like something I would get in an Italian restaurant.

I like this one.  I just got a big piece of lobster in that last bite.

(To the kids:) YES you have to eat your squash!  I only gave you one little piece.  If you want more ravioli you have to get more squash too!

Grilled Chicken & Spinach Cannelloni with Spring Mix, White Peaches, and White Balsamic Dressing

Grilled Chicken & Spinach Cannelloni with Spring Mix, White Peaches, and White Balsamic Dressing

I really liked the Alfredo sauce on this one.  It wasn’t what I was expecting from a frozen pasta.

Yeah, I liked the sauce and the texture of the filling.  I thought it was going to be mushy but it was firm.

This salad is tasty!  The peaches on top are a nice touch.

(Kid) I’m not gonna eat this one.  I like chicken but I don’t like spinach.

Four Cheese & Spinach Ravioli with Grilled Veggie (and Chicken) Skewers

Four Cheese & Spinach Ravioli with Grilled Chicken and Veggie Skewers

Wait.  Wasn’t this supposed to be veggies and pasta?

Yeah, this one was meatless so I decided to add some chicken to the skewer.  I don’t see any problems with that!

(Kid) I’m not gonna eat this one either.  Spinach.

I really like the eggplant, it soaked up the flavor of the marinade like a sponge!

The sauce on this ravioli is just OK but this marinade is delicious.  I should put some on my pasta! (LOL) Seriously: Can I have some marinade to put on my pasta? (Answer: No!)

Wrapping Up

Wow!  I had a great time sampling all of these pastas. The friends and family that I shared everything with seemed pretty satisfied too.

Thanks, Foodbuzz and Buitoni, for the support and opportunity to put on this pasta party.  It was a treat and a challenge to match each pasta with a fresh veggie side dish that was delicious and easy to make.  I’ll be serving these up again soon.

Arrivederci!

This Wednesday, Hotel Maya is hosting their signature “Mojitos and Mutts” happy hour.  Well trained and leashed canines — along with their respective humans — are invited to visit the waterfront hotel to mix and mingle for a barking good time.

While the two legged folks sample mojitos made with 10 Cane Rum, puppies will be pampered with complimentary goodie bags with doggy snacks.

Event sponsor i Love Dogs has partnered with Hotel Maya to theme the event and promote social awareness.  The theme for July is “L.A. for LA”, “benefiting dogs and their owners in Louisiana who have been affected by the [Gulf of Mexico] oil disaster”.  Future themes include a fashion show and a Halloween party.

Mojitos and Mutts at Hotel Maya
6:30 to 8:30 PM on the last Wednesday of the month from now until October.

http://www.jdvhotels.com/hotels/losangeles/maya

700 Queensway Dr.
Long Beach, CA, 90802
562.435.7676

i Love Dogs

http://www.ilovedogs.com

Foodbuzz is a leader in foodie social networking and content aggregation.  I’ve been working with them as a Featured Publisher and Taste Maker since starting South Bay Foodies back in 2008.

For the Family Bites feature, Foodbuzz partnered with Newman’s Own and 50 Featured Publishers.  Each publisher was asked to share recipes that included products from the Newman’s Own line of sauces and salad dressings.

With some help from Margaret and Nicole, I put together nine recipes using Sockarooni Sauce, Balsamic Vinaigrette, and other Newman’s Own products.  You’ll have to try them!  Be sure to look at the Family Bites entries from other featured publishers too for great family focused recipes.

Check out my Family Bites page on Foodbuzz or view the recipes one by one using the links below.  Thanks again to Foodbuzz, Newman’s Own, and my South Bay Foodies friends!

• Chicken Pasta Salad
• Cajun Seafood Pasta
• Marinated Tofu and Mixed Greens Salad
• Sockarooni Cream Cheese Dip (My fave!  and so easy to make!)
• Grilled Peanut Butter and Honey Sandwich
• Spinach and Red Pepper Salad
• Sweet and Savory Meatloaf (This is an awesome meatloaf recipe….if i do say so myself. Ha!)
• Spinach Stuffed Chicken
• Beef and Spinach Lasagna Rolls (A nice “spin” on traditional stacked lasagna. Roll it up!)

Thank you for paying $1!

Today and tomorrow, Honest Tea is putting up unmanned “Honest Stores” throughout LA with bottles of tea for sale on the honor system.  Patrons are asked to leave $1 for each bottle of tea that they take. While there won’t be anyone there to pressure folks into paying, cameras will monitor all transactions.

Other cities that have already been put to the test include Boston, Chicago, and New York.  At the high end, Boston leads with a 93.3% honesty rating.  New York is second with 89%.  Chicago trails the pack with only 78% honest.

How will LA stack up?  Will Angelenos go for the five-finger-discount or will they hand over four-quarters for a bottle of tea?

Oh, if something other than conscience is needed for participants, it might help to know that all proceeds from the Honest Store will be donated to City Year, a non-profit that “unites young people of all backgrounds for a year of full-time service, giving them skills and opportunities to change the world”.

Visit an Honest Store near you!

Thursday, July 15, 2010
10 a.m. – 6 p.m. at The Grove

Friday, July 16, 2010
9 a.m. – 10 p.m. at Runyon Canyon
10:45 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. at Hollywood & Highland
1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.Santa Monica Pier
3:45 p.m. – 5 p.m. Venice Beach

Honest Tea

http://www.honesttea.com

We’re fans of the TV show The Amazing Race, the show where contestants race all over the world solving puzzles and doing stunts to win prizes.  Nicole decided she wanted to try something similar and signed us up for The Amazing Los Angeles Race.  Same concept except this race is based right here in LA.  We picked a couple team mates based on their skills and their potential for victory.  We were in it to win it!

We enlisted Kelvin — a math major — for his numerical-analytical-puzzle-solving skills, and Margaret for her native-Angeleno-ness.  We know LA well but we’re transplants and figured we might need someone with a bit more LA experience.

After picking up some “designer” shirts from The Alley in LA’s fashion district we named our team: The Autobots.

I can summarize our LA Race experience by saying we had an absolute great time!  I’m not going to reveal any details (can’t make it easy for you if you try!) but I will say that I enjoyed seeing parts of LA that I hadn’t before and getting a new appreciation for our public transportation system.

We worked hard to solve our puzzles and even broke out sweating as we dashed from one location to the next.  The other teams put up a good fight….but we came out on top.  AUTOBOTS FOR THE WIN!!!!!

Autobots for the win!

During the awards ceremony (ha!), we toasted with beers provided by the folks who put on the race.  Then we headed out for our own celebratory feast.  We ended up at The Original Thai Barbecue in Culver City, one of Nicole’s favorite places to get Thai food.

Margaret scored the Crispy Turkey, a fried turkey leg served with a sweet sauce.

Crispy Turkey

Kelvin went for the Shrimp Pad Thai, a classic noodle dish with shrimp grilled to perfection.

Shrimp Pad Thai

Nicole shunned all untensils and went for the Thai BBQ Ribs.  Finger licking good!

Thai BBQ Ribs

I went for the signature dish, the Thai BBQ chicken.  I try to get other dishes at Thai BBQ but always come back to this well seasoned and nicely cooked quarter chicken served with fried rice.

Thai BBQ Chicken

At the end of our meal we were completely satisfied.  Our bellies were full and our championship egos were bigger than the Staples Center*.  It was a great birthday celebration for Nicole!

The Amazing LA Race

http://www.amazinglarace.com

You can also get discount tickets from Gold Star!

The Orginal Thai Barbeque
http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-original-thai-bbq-restaurant-culver-city

10036 Venice Blvd
Culver City, CA 90232
(310) 559-9711

* Not a clue for the race! LOL

Chef Makoto doing work in the kitchen! (Courtesy of Sashi MB).

On hand to share in the party will be renowned Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto along with Michael Voltaggio, winner of Top Chef Season Six.

In a previous review of Sashi, I mentioned that Iron Chef competitions were nothing new for Chef Makoto.  He’s worked side by side with Morimoto on more than a dozen challenges in Kitchen Stadium.  This episode will be Makoto’s debut as the challenging chef.  Food Network listings reveal the challenge will be against Iron Chef Michael Symon.  No word on the secret ingredient though!

Of course, Sashi is pulling out all the stops for this event with a six course tasting menu ($120) and private viewing of the show.  The party starts with cocktails at 5 PM.  Space is limited but you might still be able to get a seat!  Call for reservations at 310-545-0400 or check out their website at www.sashimb.com.

I’ll be rooting for the home team.  Show ‘em what you got, Chef Makoto.  “Allez Cuisine!”

Iron Chef America: Synmon vs. Okuwa

Chef Makoto Okuwa, a former sous chef to Iron Chef Morimoto enters Kitchen Stadium for the first time as a challenger to Iron Chef Michael Symon. Will Okuwa break under the pressure of leading his own team, or impress the judges with his treatment of the secret ingredient? Tune in to see whose cuisine reigns supreme!

Now, I’m a total omnivore but I was bummed to miss this dinner.  I was looking forward to what the minds at Whole Foods would come up with as they paired wines with each dish in this meal.  I’m thinking red wine goes with beef, right?

Thankfully, the dinner was attended by Shoshana from the vegetarian focused food blog Veggie 101.  She did a great review of each course, complete with pictures.  I’m referring you to her to get the details!  Follow the link below for the complete review.

Restaurant Review: Whole Foods El Segundo Vegetarian (Vegan) Wine Dinner, June 29, 2010

Summer Berry Salad from Whole Food's Vegetarian Wine Dinner (Courtesy of Veggie 101)

Thankfully, many of the communities feature their own events so you can stay close to home, avoiding crowds, road rage, and parking frustration.  Here’s a list of events from north to south!

Marina Del Rey
http://www.visitmarinadelrey.com/sg/july_4/index.html
July 4th, 9 PM

• Just on the other side of LAX, the Marina Del Rey fireworks display — sponsored by Los Angeles County Department of Beaches & Harbors — runs for 20 minutes. If you’re driving, get there early…parking and traffic can be miserable.  If you are able to get out of your parking spot and time it just right, you might be able to make it to El Segundo for the tail end of their show too!

El Segundo
http://www.elsegundo.org/depts/recreation/special_events/default.asp
July 4, 9 PM

• I love El Segundo for its small town charm!  Their massive fireworks show is launched from Recreation Park and can be seen and heard from just about all over town.  Of course, the best locations are in the park and Main street.  There are plenty of bars and restaurants along Main street where you can enjoy dinner before the show.

Lawndale
http://www.lawndalecity.org/PDFs/LESD.pdf (Requires PDF Reader)
July 3, 5:30 – 9 PM

• Thank goodness the folks in Lawndale decided to do their party on Saturday instead of Sunday!  You can check this show out and not have to worry about crowds and traffic on the fourth.  Or you can do both!  This pre-fourth party includes food and entertainment for the whole family, followed by a blazing fireworks show.

Redondo Beach
http://www.redondofireworks.com
July 4, 9 PM

• Redondo does it really big when it comes to the fourth with celebrations on the pier and in Seaside Lagoon, the official location for their fireworks show.  The Lagoon opens at 2 PM. You have a buy a ticket — some tickets include parking — but you’ll be sure to have a great seat for the show along with the fun of splashing in the lagoon.
• If you’d rather have a patio or roof-top view of the show in Redondo, check in at the Crowne Plaza Hotel.  If you’re a guest, you can watch the fireworks from their roof-top pool deck.  If getting a room is too rich for your blood, just have dinner at Splash, the hotel’s restaurant.  Diners get three hours of free parking in the hotel’s parking deck and can stay and watch the show from the restaurants patio. Sweet!

Torrance
http://www.ci.torrance.ca.us/Parks/7652.htm
July 4, 11 AM – 9 PM

• Torrance’s celebration in Wilson Park is another big Independence Day celebration starting early in the day and going on into the night.  More like a street fair, the celebration features food vendors, bands, and rides of the kids.  The event is free but parking is $10.  Shuttles are offered from Del Amo Mall and the Civic Center.  Best bets for catching the fireworks show without (too) much traffic hassles: approach Wilson Park the east on Carson St and Arlington Ave.  You should be able to catch the show from the surrounding neighborhood or the lawns around Torrance High School.

San Pedro
http://www.cabrillobeachbathhouse.org/
July 4, 9 PM

• For 59 years running, the folks in San Pedro have been celebrating the Fourth with fireworks on Cabrillo Beach.  Although its not a part of the fireworks show, you can find a really cool experience when they ring the Korean Bell at Angels Gate Park on Sunday morning at 10:30 AM.  Its one of the few times each year that they actually ring the bell!

Long Beach
http://www.longbeachseafestival.com
July 4, 9 PM

• Not to be outdone by any of its neighbors, Long Beach has several fireworks shows including one from the Queen Mary and one near the Aquarium of the Pacific.  Both events include options for BBQ dining along with the oohs and aahs.  Fireworks from both shows can  be viewed from various locations through The Pike and Rainbow Harbor.
• http://www.queenmary.com/?page=fourthofjuly
• http://www.aquariumofpacific.org/newsevents/eventsdetail/4th_of_july

With all the things listed here, there’s still more going on!  Whatever you do to celebrate, have a safe and enjoyable Independence Day weekend!

Photo credit JohnKay.

This report is sweet, indeed, with a look at Get Shaved, self-proclaimed to be “Southern California’s Finest Shaved Ice”.

Website: http://www.getshavedice.com/Home.html

Twitter: @getshaved

The Truck:

The Food:

The Get Shaved truck is one that I’ve been tracking for a while.  For me its been elusive, though, so it was a tremendous treat to find out they were dishing up the dessert at a recent company picnic I attended.  Ice cream and brownies are the typical dessert fare for most catered picnics I attend so I have to give big kudos to the organizers that put Get Shanved on the menu.  Thank you!

If you’re not familiar with Hawaiian shaved ice — or “shave ice” if you want to get really real — just know that its the best snow cone you never had.  Its made of finely shaved ice that is almost fluffy and really snow like, not icy like a typical snow cone.  Optionally, the ice is placed on top of a scoop of frozen sweet cream.  The treat is completed by topping it with one or more sweetened and flavored syrups.  The result: A perfectly cool treat!

Hungry employees line up to Get Shaved.

Everyone else also realized the benefit of having an authentic Hawaiian-style shaved ice truck available.  The line was long but worth the wait.  I timed my approach just right to minimize queue time.  While I waited I checked out the short menu (not the full menu they might have for regular sales) and wondered what I would get.  Everyone was going bananas over the Monkey Brains so I decided to be different and got “Let Them Eat Cake”.

The short menu for this picnic had four choices.

I wasn’t disappointed by taking the road less traveled by the rest of the folks enjoying their cool treats.  Let Them Eat Cake lived up to its name with the vanilla, coconut, and pineapple flavors blending together with the sweet cream to bring to mind a pineapple upside down cake served with vanilla ice cream.  Sweet, cool, and very refreshing.

If you’re looking to get shaved some time soon, you can find the Get Shaved truck in Gardena this Friday, July 2 at K1 Speed.  Enjoy!

Get Shaved

Friday, July 2nd, 12:30PM-4PM and 5:30PM-9PM

In the Lot near K1 Speed
19038 S. Vermont Ave
Gardena, CA 90248

Palm Lined Streets of Riviera Village in Redondo Beach.

This weekend you can get a generous dose of arts, crafts, food, and live music at Redondo Beach’s Riviera Festival.

Spanning two days — Saturday and Sunday, June 26-27 — this festival is centered in the Hollywood Riviera neighborhood of Redondo. The Riviera is home to many great restaurants and shops.  The prime location is just a few blocks away from stunning cliff-top views of beaches, the Palos Verdes peninsula, and Catalina Island (if skies are clear).

Check out the festival website for directions on where to park or how to get there via shuttle from Redondo Union High School.

I’ll be taking a closer look at the festival this weekend thanks to an invitation from the Redondo Beach Chamber of Commerce.  Stay tuned over the next couple of weeks as I report on some of the hot spots that make Redondo Beach a great vacation destination — for all you folks out of town — and a great place to live and hang out for the rest of us!

Riviera Village Summer Festival

http://www.rvsummerfestival.com
Saturday, June 26th & Sunday, June 27th
At the corner of Catalina and Avenue I in Redondo Beach.