mmm-yoso!!!

Gillespie Field Cafe- Breakfast and Lunch at the Airport in East County

mmm-yoso!!! is a blog about food.  Everybody has to eat.  Kirk and His Missus are eating, safely, in another part of the world.  ed(from Yuma) is eating mostly in Yuma.  Cathy is writing about where she has eaten.

Some people have asked me how I 'find' the restaurants where I eat.  Basically, it is drive and stop, looking for where somebody who lives or works nearby would chose for a convenient meal.  

The County of San Diego is about 4200 square miles and is home to eight airports in addition to the three airports in San Diego City limits: Lindbergh Field,  Brown Field and Montgomery Field. 

In El Cajon, Gillespie Field is conveniently located between Highway 67 and a Trolley station. (it's the Northernmost station which has both green and orange lines).   It is the oldest and largest of the eight county airports, and the land includes many airport related businesses (flight schools, aircraft storage, repair and maintenance shops, avionics and instrument shops) as well as two Business Parks.  About 2000 people are employed nearby.  People need to eat.  

In the far corner of the automobile parking lot,  conveniently located next to the airfield, where private plane owners can also park and walk ...

right next to the Control Tower  is the Gillespie Field Cafe.  It serves breakfast and lunch on weekdays (and is applying for a liquor license and is open from 4 p.m. until about 9 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.)

It is open at 6:30 a.m., Monday thru Friday and 7 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday. The Cafe closes about 2 p.m. on weekdays.  On March 1, 2011,  Roxanne and Peter, took over the running of the cafe. Roxanne is the waitress, Peter is the chef.   There are both an indoor and an outdoor eating area, with an unobstructed view of the airfield.  They serve good, diner food. Not gimicky pseudo-diner food.  This is the real thing.

I was fascinated by the description of '4-5 eggs' being used to make an omelet (in addition to the 'comes with two' part of the menu).

A "Build Your Own" Omelet ($9.75) made with 4-5 eggs, bacon,sausage, mushrooms and avocado. Fresh mushrooms, crispy bacon, really good breakfast sausage.  Sides of cottage cheese
and a biscuit with gravy.  Good biscuit- fluffy and soft, but almost underdone. I didn't mind not having a crispy crust, because I was mostly using the biscuit as a device to eat the gravy.  Great gravy- smooth, with sausage bits and a nice, pleasant combination of Peter's special seasoning including black pepper.
Then there was Breakfast Combo #2 ($7.75) (not the weekday specials; the Breakfast menu is four pages, including waffles ). Six wedges ( 3 slices) of French toast, 2 eggs and two bacon. Properly cooked French Toast made with a thicker white bread.  Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.  Not quite creamy soft as an egg bread would be, but very good and egg soaked and cooked through. I did not need the syrup.  The bacon was crispy and not thin but also not really thick.  It had a good flavor and just enough saltiness.

  

Perfect poached eggs.  Fresh eggs.  Creamy eggs.  My kind of breakfast. 

Of course,  Farmer John's coffee ($1.95)...always fresh and hot pot, since everyone here seems to order it.

One weekday, The Mister was home and we came here for lunch.

We had to have a side order of onion rings which are lightly battered and perfectly fried to go with our lunch selections, in this case, hamburger based.

All the burgers are 1/3 pound coarse ground beef, hand formed.  The menu says Angus beef. The Patty Melt ($8.29), cooked medium (we were not asked the level of doneness) and topped with a lot of sliced fresh grilled, unburned onions and Swiss cheese, on a very good rye bread, which was not greasy, but lightly grilled. There were almost too many onions, even for me...but I managed.  The side of potato salad I chose was good, made with skin on red potatoes, finely chopped carrots and celery.  I think it was made with a 'Light" mayonnaise, which I don't crave.
The Mister ordered a chili burger on this visit ($9.29) The same 1/3 pound burger, topped with Cheddar and the Cafe Chili on a toasted sesame seeded bun.  The chili, made with beans, is really good and I will order it as a meal on another cold day.  The cole slaw was fresh and crispy and lightly dressed with a vinegary mayo mix.  I added salt and pepper to it.  

 

Even if you are seated indoors, there is a view of the airfield and runway.

Not fancy,  not a large place.  Good food and lots of "regulars" who eat here. A true diner.    

Gillespie Field Cafe 2015 N. Marshall (at Bradley) El Cajon, 92020 (619) 448-0415

 

 

Unusual food items found around town. (COMC)

 mmm-yoso!!! is a blog.  Just an online diary.  Today Cathy is tying up loose ends. Kirk and ed(from Yuma) are being constructive.  Elsewhere.

Hi. I was Cleaning Out my Memory Card (COMC) as one of my Resolutions and decided to put together a post of things I thought I would someday mention.  That day is here.

One day, The Mister and I decided to go to Food 4 Less, (a bag-it-yourself grocery store, same company as Ralphs and Krogers).  Within the cold cuts/hot dog section of the store (I am always looking for skin-on wieners) was this:
A one pound package of bacon wrapped hot dogs, as seen served from many taco trucks. The package was marked down to $1.98, and had an expiration date in ten days. I took this photo in the store and sent it to Kirk.  Immediately. He said it was a post waiting to happen.  

Five of those hot dogs were a pound.  Most of the 'better' hot dogs are packaged seven to a pound.  We needed large bread to hold these dogs.  Costco.  Less than $2.50 for 12 gourmet buns.  (We used the extra ones for sandwiches and turned some into garlic bread). I just cooked the hot dogs in a large teflon coated pan on the stove top, turning until the bacon was crisp.

These are giant dogs (five filled that 12 inch pan) and needed that larger than normal Costco roll.
Topped with mustard and pickles, one was filling and two were too much to eat.  Our good dogs (and cats) got some treats that day. 

I could not figure how to make a whole post about this machine.
We saw it at Parkway Plaza, on the edge of the Food Court, near the Sbarro.  I do sometimes crave spun sugar...
You put in $2 in coins, a stick slides over, then down...
The machine spins the candy floss around the stick.

Viola! A fresh made cotton candy treat!
This machine disperses heated almonds and peanuts.  It was located in the Paddock Bar at the Del Mar Race Track.  I saw it when we were taking a lunch break at the Del Mar Fair. Really brings out the flavor. Now I heat up nuts in the fry pan before we eat them at home.
This past summer, San Diego was a "Test Market" for two Starbucks iced beverages.  Each was made with green coffee- raw- beans. Caffeine was in each beverage, which was juice based, but no taste of coffee (and no tea flavor).  The one on the left was made with lime juice and had fresh mint in it, the one on the right had fresh blackberries and was made with pomegranate juice.  They were refreshing and different and really good on hot days.  I hope the testing went well and we can see these beverages as a regular item in the stores in the future.

Here is a photo of our Christmas Dessert plate...International this year. From 6:00: The apple strudel (German) was an experiment which turned out well. The espresso (Italian) was just perfect that day and the pink item is called Vatkattu Marjapuuro.  It is Finnish. I call it cranberry whip.  Made with fresh cranberries and farina.  It could be a dessert or breakfast.  It ended up being both. Again, it just wasn't enough to do a whole post.

The Costco on Morena Avenue.  Only.  Gelato.

Made daily.  $1.50 for three scoops- mixed berry, pistachio and stracciatella (torn apart/ less chunky chocolate chips in plain (not vanilla flavored) ice cream).  Gelato is more dense than ice cream, is lower in sugar and lower in butterfat.  It is made at this Costco location daily and a quart for $5 is a wonderful deal. I like the pistachio the best...fresh crispy nuts.
The Vons at Liberty Station (not the standard footprint Vons)(when you walk in the center/cart area, go to the building on your left) has a 'make your own nut butter' bar. Between $5 and $7 a pound, these bins were just about to be refilled with fresh nuts. You turn the crank and fill the containers provided. Right next to it were fill your own honey containers, two types of honey. 

So there.  I got another thing off of my "To Do" list!  I hope everyone is taking some time to tie loose ends.   

How To- Peel a pomegranate, Cook bacon, Make kale chips and a sweet-ish snack

mmm-yoso!!! is a blog about food.  This episode will be hosted by Cathy.  Because Kirk and ed(from Yuma) are not available to host.

Hi again.  The Mister and I eat and cook at home, we don't always go out.  I thought I would show you a few ways we work around the kitchen. 
The humble pomegranate.  In season now.  You can purchase for about a dollar everywhere.  It has a thick  shell-like skin, membranes inside, which host a maze of juicy, flavorful seeds, called arils. The fruit/its juice is said to be a powerful antioxidant. However, the juice directly from the fruit stains clothes, furniture and your hands. To prevent this from happening, 
get a large bowl or pot and fill it with water at least 3/4 of the way. So that you can put your hands in the water with the fruit and water won't overflow. Start to break the shell underwater(you can score it with a knife).  Break the fruit up, without disturbing the arils/seeds. Start to peel the membrane away from the seeds, keeping the fruit-and your hands-    
underwater the whole time.  The seeds fall to the bottom. The membrane floats. It's physics. Remove shell/skin and membranes, drain and you have perfect pomegranate seeds! You eat the arils raw this way or make juice and strain the seed pulp out.  Straining the fine seeds is much more work, and why you pay dearly for pomegranate juice items. 

 

Bacon seems to be difficult for some people to cook. Really, it is simple and not messy.  Line a cookie sheet-the kind with all sides raised- with a piece of foil and place pieces of raw bacon, not touching, on the foil. Bake in a 350° oven.  If the bacon is thick, turn it after 20 minutes and bake about ten minutes more.  If it is thin bacon, bake without turning for about 25 minutes.

You can see the bacon shrinks, but there is no spatter in the oven (or even onto the cookie sheet).  Easy cleanup.  (It is this foamy when you first take it out of the hot oven. Our parents told us that's how you know it is done cooking.) (These are the same pieces, which have been turned during cooking, in both photos)

The Farmer's Market Bag from Specialty Produce a few weeks ago was interesting.  That yellow thing in the second photo is a citron, commonly called a Buddha's Hand. Yes, the bottom right corner of the second photo are purple potatoes.  Everything in this bag was something we liked and could use to supplement our meals at home.  Except it had been really hot and the kale (at the top in the 2nd photo) which I would normally use in a soup, was not going to happen, since we had had three days of temperatures hitting 100° out here.  Kale is said to be an antioxidant and highly nutritious also, like the pomegranate.  I decided to make kale chips.  
 

I tore the kale into bite size pieces and placed in a bowl, topping it with olive oil,salt and pepper and tossing until all the kale was coated (that bunch in the photo made two batches- both for the bowl and for the cookie sheet). Place the pieces not touching on the cookie sheet.
 
I baked at 350° for 15-20 minutes, checking that the kale is crispy before removing.

I hope everyone is having a good day. 

 Oh.  The Buddha's Hand was sliced (you can eat the pith and there is no juicy center) in about 1/4 inch pieces and boiled, on low heat,  in 2 cups of water with 2 cups of sugar for about 2 hours until the liquid was almost gone.  The pieces placed in a pan of sugar, coating on both sides and placed in the refrigerator. A tart and sweet snack treat! 

I hope everyone is having a non-hectic month!

Your New Year Resolution does not have to mean sacrifice:macarons (from Starbucks), charcuterie and cheese plates (from Tender Greens) and a fancy waffle (from Cafe Venti)

mmm-yoso!!! is a blog about food.  It's written by a few friends, all who have different backgrounds, cravings and locations.  Today, Kirk, ed (from Yuma) and Vicky are discovering things to write about and Cathy is writing.

Hi.  I hope the year is going well for you. I'm trying to stick to one of my resolutions from last year  and slowing down to savor life for a short time every single day. It isn't as easy to do as you may think.  Incorporating food along with slowing down. Daily.

Sometimes, this involves stopping in at Starbucks.
Where you can order a 3 cup French Press of any coffee they sell for $3.50. It is brewed and brought out to you.
I noticed in the refrigerator section these Macarons, made in France exclusively for Starbucks.  $10 for 12 of them and so *very* good. Flavored in pistachio, coffee, lemon, raspberry, vanilla and chocolate...light, airy with a crunchy crust, chewy cake like piece surrounding the creamy fondant-like fillings, all rich in flavor.  Decadent and delightful.  (Trader Joe's is selling a pack of 6 vanilla and 6 chocolate in their freezer section - the package does not indicate where they are made, but I suspect not in the USA.) One of the Starbucks Baristas said she thought the macarons may be seasonal, so if you see them in the refrigerator, grab a box...or something else to have with your coffee.

The other day, The Mister and I ventured into Tender Greens  again, and noticed they were offering a charcuterie plate for $10, so we ordered it. (The three slices at 12 o'clock are tuna, the one at 3 o'clock is a ham and the other two are some sort of wonderful house made salamis, one of them Fra'Mani- neither were too spicy) The house made meats were wonderful.   We also shared a grilled vegetable salad ($10)-Lettuces topped with grilled mushrooms, cauliflower, zucchini, brussels sprouts, baby parsnips and baby carrots, red pepper and topped with Parmesan and a tomato vinaigrette. Refreshing and making a light meal.

The cheese plate ($6) was an excellent dessert.  There were four cheeses, two cheddars and two Jacks.  One of the Jacks was a smoked cheese, which I usually do not like, but the texture and pairing it with the apple made it pleasantly tasty. That's a spicy apple puree on the plate, served with more slices of grilled bread brushed with olive oil.  We even shared a glass of Spanish white wine ($7).  A nice, light, healthy-ish meal. Something we don't always enjoy.    
One day, we stopped at Cafe Venti, in the same mall as the  Original Tajima and ordered dessert (they also make panini sandwiches here).  To share. 
 The Waffle-Yo: a fresh made waffle, topped with (choice of two) plain and mango yogurt, fresh kiwi, strawberries and mango as well as small mochi. (~$7). A lot of food here and we needed to share it.  Very good, very fresh. The yogurt is tangy, the way I like it.A latte ($3.75) and water accompanied our snack.  

We sat down and talked for each of these small interludes.  We didn't take anything "to go" and did not rush.  So far, I have stuck to one of my 2009 Resolutions and have added a few for 2010. It isn't easy some days, but it has been so enjoyable on other days.   I hope you are finding your resolutions enjoyable and not a burden.

Starbucks-everywhere

Tender Greens-Liberty Station, 2400 Historic Decatur Road San Diego, 92106 (619)226-6254 Website

Cafe Venti-4681 Convoy (between Engineer and Opportunity) San Diego, 92123 (858) 279-8500
 

El Titanic Seafood - One meal from the Eight Days of Feasting

El Titanic has closed.

mmm-yoso!!! is a blog about meals where Kirk, ed (from Yuma), Cathy and a few others record memories.  You are reading the blog. Today, it's Cathy doing the writing (or talking if you'd like to think of it that way).

Hi.  If you didn't already know it, The Mister and I have birthdays exactly seven days apart.  It is our tradition to have Him choose what and/or where to eat the first three days (and I can't say "no") and then we have to mutually agree on the middle two days and then I get to choose the last three days.  This year, our birthdays fell on Saturday.  Difficult to go out to dinner that night of the week.  So we did lunch.

As you can see, a sunny day. Indoors.

 The Mister ordered a Modelo Negro ($3.50) and we were served the standard  chips, bowl of limes and fresh salsa.

 

Oh, this is El Titanic,  I know I  just posted on it not long ago.  It is part of our "rotation" and The Mister wanted lobster...

 

And he got it- half a grilled Mexican spiny lobster, filled with shrimp sauce and served with three breaded (standard, from the freezer, butterflied) shrimp, rice, beans and salad ($16).

 

 

 

The lobster was a bit overcooked and dry, but still had flavor.  Butter would have helped.  The shrimp in the buttery sauce were excellent as were the rice and beans.

 

 

 

We shared the fish ceviche tostada ($3.50) We really like the fish ceviche rather than shrimp.  It tastes so fresh. Topped with fresh slices of avocado.  Just perfect.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I got exactly what I craved- the marlin chile relleños plate ($9). Yes, they are this large. I apologize for the photos which do not show the abundance of this fish. Two anaheim chiles stuffed with wonderful, flaky, smoked marlin then egg batter dipped and fried and topped with cheese, served with rice, beans and salad.  Excellent.  Perfect. Wonderful.

 

An extremely nice birthday feast.

El Titanic Mariscos

1771 N 2nd El Cajon 92021 (619)593-0637

Wednesday revelations

Welcome back to mmm-yoso!!!, the blog about food.  Cathy is still talking, ed is still in Yuma and Kirk (and His Missus) are still in Thailand.

So anyhow, I was eating somewhere and was talking with my friend about different restaurants and what to order where and someone asked me if I was a food blogger, mentioned  the word "yoso" and walked away-it was kind of creepy, in a stalker-like way.  In that particular restaurant, I saw three people taking photos of their food anyhow.  I didn't even have my camera with me.  I haven't posted on the place and might not.  But, if you are some sort of stalker type, there are clues if you watch how I eat or order... 

Say you are at Wendy's and see someone with a baked potato. 

Seems OK, so far...but the potato is not cut open...the butter is on the outside. 

Hm.  So is the sour cream.

OK.  Now the clue. 

Never, ever, EVER would this be the part I would toss away from a baked potato-anywhere.  Ever.

 

THIS is the part I don't bother with- the innards of a baked potato.  Useless.  I love potato skins. With butter. Real butter.

 

OK.  Here's another clue.

Say it is before the sun rises. 

You are in Santee.

You see Mary's donuts and few cars parked outside.  One of them is most likely mine.

 

You see someone looking at all the hot fresh donuts,    

eventually settling on no more than four.  One maybe has chocolate.

 

(Because The Mister will eventually wake up and somehow know I brought home donuts.)  But one will *always* be a plain glazed French Cruller.  That's mine.

 

 

A final tell about how I eat. Pretty much anywhere (this photo is from Longhorn), I will get a 1/3 to 1/2 lb, medium rare burger, no cheese...and if I can, put some mayonnaise, lettuce, tomato, onions and pickles on it. But *never* cheese. 

So, if you see someone eating and talking about food, it might be me and it might not.  We are all just people.  Blogging is a hobby for most of us...a kind of diversion.  It does not define us.  We are just happy to be sharing part of ourselves-kind of anonymously. Start a conversation about food and things that might be of interest to the other person.  Don't worry if they blog or not. 

Today is a busy day for me.  Gotta run.  I hope all of you are having a nice week so far. 

Mary's Donuts SouthEast corner of Mission Gorge Road at the 125/52 exchange, Santee.  Never closed.

K Sandwich- Breakfast goodies.

mmm-yoso!!! is here, a blog about stuff we eat.  Kirk is in Thailand and ed is galavanting in Yuma...and both are preparing to blog about more of their meals.  Today, it's Cathy talking about something she ate.

Hi.  Here I am again and there you are, reading and thinking about what you want to eat today or tomorrow.  Kirk has blogged about K Sandwich numerous times,  mostly in posts about various banh mi. 

This post is just about breakfast items at K. There is a steam tray area and some prepared items to grab and go also...which I will talk about in another post.

Fresh squeezed Orange juice ($1.95). Very sweet (in a good way) and pulpy; the way I like it.  Coffee with milk (sweetened condensed milk) $1.95.  You can get the coffee hot or cold.

The bacon and egg croissant ($2.25). The croissant is lightly toasted, the eggs are whipped and slightly scrambled, the bacon is thin and not overly flavorful. There are two strips on the sandwich. An "inside view' of the ham and egg croissant ($2.25). Same, fresh croissant with the same two lightly scrambled eggs and two slices of ham.

The pate chaud are always on display in the glass case next to the register, keeping warm. Only $1 and *so* worth it. I hope this cross section view (taken after a bite or two) (sorry it isn't a clear photo) portrays the light airiness of the pate/pastry and the ground pork filling. You can see it isn't greasy, or the bottom would be soaked and falling out; it never is.

If you really can't decide, you can get a Super Breakfast Sandwich, on a croissant or baguette -a baguette as long as an old iBook computer- for only $3.35.  Two slightly scrambled, fresh cooked eggs, ham, bacon and cheese in a fresh, warmed baguette.

Near the back of the store, the fresh bread is available for $1.25 or three smaller sandwich size rolls for $1 and croissants are also $1 for the plain and the filled (chocolate, chocolate with cream cheese, strawberry with cream cheese, pineapple with cream cheese and sometimes blueberry with cream cheese).

The ham and cheese baked croissant, also sold in the bakery area, ($1.25) looks like this on cross section.  An excellent, fresh and flaky grab and go snack.

There you go.  Breakfast. Have a good week.

K Sandwich corner of Convoy/Linda Vista at Mesa College Drive Open at 6 a.m. Mon-Sat, 8 a.m. Sunday.

Saturday Silliness-Some meals Cathy has eaten away from home

mmm-yoso!!!, the blog about food.  Cathy is writing to show you she is alive, taking photos and blogging.  Just a little.

Hi.  I got some emails asking me if I was OK...I've been busy this month.  I still found time to eat, while meeting friends for lunch, or working and pretty much took photos of everything I ate.  Nothing exciting, just food. So, here you go.  Sort of a week in my life. Condensed.

Souplantation for lunch.. Where there are no rules. So I always grab two salad plates-one for the ready made stuff as well as the salad -salad.   

OK, this time I grabbed three plates.  I had one half bowl of chili also, but didn't take a picture.   

 

 

I usually try one of the three pastas available, with the sort of garlic/sort of foccacia bread.  This day it was Alfredo sauce and pasta.

I always get the squaw bread. With real butter.  

A blue crab, steamed with Old Bay...(excellent fresh flavor) from Crab Hut .   

   

   

 

 

So, my $5 lunch, while working... Fresh Kaiser onion roll, 1/4 lb roast beef, Black tea on sale.

Turns into a wonderful huge sandwich.. I was working on Voting Day and could not leave the area I was assigned. I also got myself a jelly donut for dessert. (Included in the $5 price).

...

A really good ceviche tostada from some taco shop where I met a friend.

The gyros salad from Daphne's . 

A $21 meal from Nijiya Market. Soft shell crab on bottom center.  Curry croquette, fried squid, chicken Katsu Bento box, some sort of seaweed salad...Total price included the can of hot green tea and the liter of cold coffee as well as that imported banana crepe. We ate it on one of the outdoor tables.

That's it.  Nothing overly exciting.  Hope you are having a nice weekend.

The 2008 San Diego County Fair- Part One: Before the Fairgrounds open

mmm-yoso!!! is a blog about food.  Today, Cathy is busy writing because Kirk and ed from Yuma are busier doing other stuff.

Hi.  This post was written before the County Fair will open on Saturday June 14.  The Theme of the Fair was chosen about eleven months ago and for this year it is "Summer of Sports" and dates for deadlines to bring entries to the Fair are set -so that everything will be in place when people walk in the gate on opening day.  Not only will things be in place, but awards have been awarded and ribbons are on everything.

You might recall my little little  three part blogging of the Fair last year.  One thing I mentioned (and continue to mention, even to complete strangers in grocery checkout lines) is that the preserved foods are "the heart of the Fair" to me...Preserved foods and Home Arts in general are *the reason* we have a County Fair- why almost every county in the US has a Fair.  The San Diego County Fair is the fifth most attended County Fair in the USA.  If we did not have Home and Hobby, a Student Showcase and Kids Best, the Fair would just be rides, carnival games and a giant Swap Meet sale...oh and wonderfully unusual foods(which will be blogged about in Part Two).

Some of the vendors were in place, since they have no place else to be.  But the Fairgrounds were not really set up when I was there...the Saturday after Memorial Day, when the Preserved Foods were judged. 

These were the entries.  The table in the forefront is where two judges, along with their own "secretary" and "runner" sit. There were a total of six judges. You can see the judges have crackers, lemon slices and water as their palate cleansers- the basket is filled with disposable forks and spoons.

Here is another view.  The entries are set up in Divisions and Categories. The labels with the contestant's names are folded over, so the judging is "blind". Underneath each entry is the recipe the entrant followed. One of the things the judges look for is that the preserved foods were...um... properly preserved.

As a small example, in this Division 3209 of Relishes and Sauces.  The judges had to judge 7 different barbecue sauces, 12 chutneys, 8 mixed relishes, 7 canned salsas and these 5 "other than listed" relishes and sauces.

After reading the label listing dates and type of canning method and seeing that the item in question was preserved properly, as well as the recipe the entrant has provided,  the judge will open each canned item, being certain to hear the "whoosh" sound of a good vacuum seal.  They then check that enough "head room" was used in the preserving process. Usually then the judge will smell the item and then insert a fork or spoon, to check consistency, spoon some out and either taste then, or do the same above steps with each item and then begin tasting.  A lot of wasted calories and possible illness can be eliminated before tasting. 

I took a photo of this beautiful rose petal jelly, which, unfortunately was kind of liquidy and not properly jelled, but looked so very pretty in the jar.  Apparently it also tasted quite nice, but when a judge has 12 different jellies to try and one isn't properly prepared, it is sadly eliminated from getting or even being considered for a ribbon. 

Despite your thinking that it must be exciting and fun to judge jams, jellies, preserves and conserves...well, it kind of isn't.  These judges have to sit down and eat sugar based products for a good three to four hours in a row.  Think about it.  Even if you are a chocoholic and think you could eat chocolates all day every day...really-four hours straight?  The judges basically eat no carbohydrates for one or two days before they have to judge, so the sugar rush won't adversely affect them.  One judge who I spoke to told me she eats no carbs for two days prior and loads up on meat and cheese for breakfast before driving to the Fairgrounds.  Still, she gets kind of shaky and on a sugar high for hours after she gets home, and then crashes the next day.    The Strawberry Jam category this year had 27 entries.  That poor judge had to not only find the best of all of them...but had to taste and re-taste so many jams just of that flavor to determine the best...of 27.

These were some of many entries in the  "other than listed, miscellaneous" division.  See the  Thai Hot and Sweet dipping sauce-2nd from the right?  That is chopped garlic on the bottom, hot chilis in the top layer and a nice sweet oil in between.  Mix it up, put it on a cracker, and you have the Best of Show winner. 

As I said, the grounds were barely set up when I was there, but they are almost all set up now.  Hope to see you at the Fair!  If not, I will enjoy and then blog it for you.

You can see more details of dates and times of the fair on the website.  I try to go in as soon it opens in the morning, and park in one of the free lots.  Transportation on school buses and a few Double Decker buses is provided every 15 minutes or so; also free.  Parking this year is $9.

Website

Another event. With food. At Nordstrom

mmm-yoso!!! is just a humble blog.   We talk about what we ate and where we ate it and maybe what it cost.  We tell you if we liked it or not.   Today, Cathy is talking about what she ate...the food was free, but the ancillary costs...oh my!

Hi again.  Yes, Nordstrom has had its "spring event".   My friend was invited and asked me to tag along.  Of course I did, with my camera in one pocket...and credit card in the other pocket.  You remember the last 'event' I went to, right? 

In general,  Nordstrom is a high end clothing and accessory store which rewards its best customers by closing the doors and allowing only the best (i.e. big spenders) ones to attend these twice a year happenings, (close to the Christmas holidays and Mother's Day), for easy shopping while serving adult beverages and fancy snacks.  On a 'regular' shopping day, you can eat at the Nordstrom Cafe inside the store.  These 'events' are catered.

I really got all of my purchases into this one bag, since silk does not take up much space when folded or thrown on the floor...and I ate a lot of goodies in between making those purchases. I started out the evening with a melon martini- a sip already taken before the photo... The server told me it was vodka with melon liqueur and you can see, a melon ball was in the glass.  Very refreshing.

Then I moved on with a miniature barbecue chicken miniature mini teensy slider..which was unusually tasty. (The napkin it is placed on is 4 inches square).

This was followed by a polenta puff topped with ancho chili sauce.

The 'Asian chicken' filled pocket was extremely tasty- ground chicken mixed with a taste of green onions, garlic and ginger made this moist delicate pocket an almost hearty snack .

By far, my most memorable and favorite tasting food of the night was the orzo pasta, with Kalmata olives, cherry tomato halves (richly flavored cherry tomatoes, I might add), artichoke hearts, with a lemon oregano dressing and topped with crispy feta cheese bits.

There was supposedly a S'mores dessert, but I never saw it being handed out. I don't crave chocolate, but I do like marshmallow, so I was a bit disappointed, however I managed to get to the Godiva shop and bought a serving (four) of the candied orange peels dipped in dark chocolate ($2.25) to bring home to The Mister.

Of course, I hit the coffee bar before driving home....

The store holds these events twice a year and I can't wait for the next one in December.

Nordstrom. Nationwide locations listed on the website.