Quick Summer Pickles Makes a Nice Crunchy Snack!

You might have a bumper crop of pickling cukes ready to harvest in your raised bed, planter, or standard garden. Maybe you just couldn't pass up on the beautiful green gems on the table at your local farmers market. Either way you have to do something great with all those cucumbers, right!

This  is a simple and inexpensive way to have and enjoy the crisp and tangy treats we all love to crunch on! There are no exotic ingredients and no complicated procedures or processes to producing the best, and freshest pickles you may ever eat.

Ingredients:
10-12 small cucumbers
2 Cups Vinegar 
1 Cup Water
3 Tblsps Salt
1/2 Tsp Sugar
small bunch fresh dill tops
small bunch flatleaf parsley
3 cloves garlic (optional)

Directions:
In a tub add dill, parsley, and garlic. Arrange cucumbers in tub with herbs. In a pot heat water enough to dissolve salt and sugar. Remove from heat. Add vinegar to mixture. Pour mixture over cucumbers in tub and allow to cool slightly. Put lid on tub and place in fridge for 3-4 days. Enjoy your crunchy pickles!

For large cucumbers cut in half or quarter into spears. You can adjust the components of the brine to allow for taste or even add your own blend of pickling spice.

Food Was Hard To Get At The Great American Food & Music Festival

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, either way it was certainly interesting! The Great American Food and Music Festival was no doubt one of the most screwy events I have ever attended.

We arrived at around 3:00pm with the intention of grabbing a bite to eat and enjoying the big band beat of Big Bad Voodoo Daddy.

The wait to get parking at Shoreline was pretty reasonable; no worse than any other event or concert. Once we parked and exited the vehicle it started getting a bit weird. As we made our way to the pedestrian crossing we encountered hoards of festival goers only they were moving in the wrong direction and yelling; “Rip Off!” and “Don’t waste your money, there’s no food here!” This went on for about 10 minutes; all the way to the entrance! There was even a line that was several hundred people deep waiting for refunds!?! Could the food festival actually be out of food? I really didn’t want to stand in that Disneyland E-ticket length line to get a refund and then go find something else to eat in Mountain View. Besides, I still need to see BBVD.

Taking matters in my own hands I decided to speak with the gate security and find out what all the hullabaloo was really all about? It turns out that there had been several logistic breakdowns throughout the day; not only were the vendors unable keep up with the demand for food, the credit card system they had in place was no longer working and had to be taken offline resulting in a cash or ticket only situation. This apparently wreaked havoc amongst the masses. The kind security person assured me there was plenty o food to be had and if we were not happy with the situation once we entered we could always leave and request a refund. We decided to take our chances.

Wow! There are a lot of people at this event; we passed booth after booth of food purveyors with most incredible lines I have seen. The thing about these lines is that they were not moving. It has become a game of “Is is worth it?” The game goes like this; Pinks Hot Dogs? Not worth the line, LA is close and we’ve been there before. Burgermiester? They are in San Francisco; we could go there tomorrow, not worth the wait in that huge line! We finally ended up in the Katz’s Deli/Anchor Bar & Grill Line, it might be worth the wait, how long will the wait be? Let’s give it a shot, and wait we did, for two hours to be exact!

Do you think a pastrami sandwich from Katz’s Deli and twenty wings from Anchor are worth a two hour wait? Well neither did we, but once you have invested over an hour it’s hard to leave, especially when you are literally three feet from success. Unfortunately success never came. We got to the window to order and they informed us that the pastrami people have gone on some kind of extended smoke break but we could have 20 wings to share amongst the 4 of us. You see they were now rationing the wings at five per person! WTF!?! If we want pastrami they recommend coming back in an hour… Uh, right?

Wings in hand we are now on a mission to scrounge up something else to eat and make it to the Big Bad Voodoo Daddy concert. I can’t believe we are starving at a food festival! Look! There is no line at Barney Greengrass; the Sturgeon King. We run up and grab two bagels with cream cheese and Nova Lox, well at least two of us will eat well, Muahaahaa! Maybe three if the young one is hungry enough. Off we go to the amphitheatre to catch the end of the Bobby Flay’s burger throwdown and BBVD, Woohoo!

Now we are in a happy place, we are chowing wings, and lox and bagels, and grooving to the beat of the swing band on the stage. For the moment life is good, until the food ran out. My oldest son decided this would be a good time to grab a burger; hunger seems to have made him a bit less picky and the swing band is not quite the hiphop/hard rock stuff he likes, so off he goes to get us a burger. I have to admit Burgermiester make a really good burger. I felt like the Nova Lox were very fresh, but the bagels were wrapped and lost their outer crunch. After a two hour wait Katz’s lack of pastrami was a total disappointment, and the wings from Anchor were OK, but honestly Hooters original wings are just as good with only a fifteen minute wait and they aren’t a buck a wing! So far Burgermeister has my vote.

With the burger split four ways and the concert over we headed out to see if we could get another decent nosh, maybe some ice cream from Grater’s …Uhmm, nope sold out! There were some fantastic chocolate bouchons from Bouchon in Napa. They were crisp on the outside and fudgy and rich in the middle. They were reminiscent of a brownie, but so much more. I felt that they were worth the two bucks, but I really wanted the ice cream.

We decided to see if anyone incited a riot at the pastrami booth. While it seemed there were no casualties, we were informed that people have waited at least an hour and a half and they were next to be served. I hope they don’t run out again, for their sake, I’m not waiting.

So we finally find ourselves at the Tony Luke’s booth. The line is manageable and actually moving. This booth has security at the front of every line, I wonder what happened here. I heard Philly can get rough but sheesh! In any event the line is hopping and we get a Philly and an Italian Pork sandwich. Both of these are awesome! The meat on the Philly is shaved paper thin. I have never seen anything like this in California! There is a bit of cream cheese on the roll and that’s it, but that’s all it needs! This is juicy and flavorful and delicious. If you know of a Philly like this outside of Philly you need to write me and let me know where I can get it! The Italian pork was equally fantastic; sliced paper thin and perfectly seasoned, and topped with braised greens. Tony Luke’s was the new star of the food segment of this festival, for me anyways.

All in all it was a great day out with my family. Aside from the Deli Debacle perpetrated by Katz’s whose pastrami we waited for and never tasted, we had a great time. Nice weather, good food, great music! Would I do it again next year? I’m inclined to say no, but Big Bad Voodoo Daddy could convince me otherwise.

Brew-B-Q Father’s Day Contest. Sponsored by MUG Root Beer

The Last Bite Food Network member "The BBQ Grail" is hosting a contest sponsored by Mug root beer. We love to support our members; especially when prizes are involved, so check out this great contest and win your Dad some awesome MUG swag!

MUG Root Beer knows 40 percent of dads have received a Father’s Day gift that wasn’t on their wish list. This year, MUG Root Beer is reinventing the Father’s Day tradition with Dad’s favorite past time-a frosty brew and ingredients for spending time with family and friends outdoors. I have received five MUG Root Beer “Brew-B-Q” Gift Packs. The gift pack contains a cooler, 2 liters of MUG Root Beer and all the ingredients to make their special Southern Brew-B-Q Sauce recipe

Does your dad deserve to win a “Brew-B-Q” Gift pack? Or maybe your husband? If you’d like to nominate someone, send an email to to bbqgrail@earthlink.net and tell me why “dad” deserves to win. Remember, this is a Father’s Day contest so it has to be about dad, the kids and BBQ. You can include a picture if you’d like. (If you send me a picture, you are giving me permission to publish!) All entries will be posted on the BBQ Grail blog. Winner’s will be decided by me and announced here on Father’s Day. You’ll receive an email if you win, requesting your address.

Pink's Hot Dog Stand in Hollywood, A Family Tradition.

Richard Pink and his wife and sister don't plan to franchise the nearly 70-year-old landmark, a big celebrity and tourist draw. They'll stick to its original location at La Brea and Melrose.

By Hugo Martín
June 7, 2009

The gig: Co-owners of the Pink's hot dog stand. Richard Pink, 65, his sister, Beverly Pink Wolfe, and his wife, Gloria Pink, inherited the stand near the corner of Melrose Avenue and La Brea Boulevard in Hollywood from Richard and Beverly's parents. Richard Pink, a real estate lawyer for ING Real Estate, holds the title of president. His wife oversees operations and promotions. The family took the business from a humble pushcart in a weed-choked lot to a Hollywood landmark.

The eatery seats a maximum of 80 people but serves as many as 2,500 hot dogs and nearly 170 pounds of chili a day. The wait time to order a meal ranges from a few minutes to two hours or more, depending on the time of day.

Pink's Hot Dogs will be available at the Great American Food & Music Fest this weekend!

Read The Rest Here...

Welcome Summer The Baja Way!

Now that summer is finally here and the smokers and grills are blazing away at full tilt chunking out briskets and burgers and baby back ribs, there is another food the is synonymous with summer; the Baja Fish Taco!

While I could go on about fish tacos and even come up with a decent fish taco recipe; a good friend of mine has already taken the time to do so. He is Rob Burns; the inventor of Scorpion Bay Gourmet Hot Sauces and the creative genius behind the blog at foodluvin.com

Rob's Recipe for authentic Baja Fish Tacos can be found by clicking this link. Be sure to follow up with his Pico De Gallo Salsa and the essential trinity of sauces that make this regional delight irresistible.

Fish Taco White Sauce
Avocado Sauce
De Arbol Hot Sauce

Rob has some great views, awesome products and wonderful recipes. That is what makes foodluvin.com one of The Last Bite's favorite blogs to eat!

Barbecue Recipe: Beer Can Chicken

Here's a great way to break in the grill or barbecue this season. For those of you in the warmer climates that have already been BBQing; you get to cook outdoors again and drink a beer while you do it. What could be better?

Ingredients:

1 (4-pound) whole chicken
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 can beer

Option: Substitute your favorite dry rub for the salt and pepper

Remove neck and giblets from chicken and discard. Rinse chicken inside and out, and pat dry with paper towels. Massage chicken lightly with oil then rub inside and out with salt, pepper or dry rub. Set aside.

Open a beer can and take several gulps (make them big gulps so that the can is half full, if you accidentally drink too much, try again until you get it right). Also make sure you are using a standard size beer can, after all, your poor chicken has to straddle that thing! Place the beer can on a solid surface. Grabbing a chicken leg in each hand, fit the bird cavity over the beer can as shown in the above image. You can use a special beer can rack or just balance your bird Sumo style on the can. Transfer the Chicken Sumo Warrior to your grill and place in the center of the grate, balancing the bird on its two legs and the can like a tripod.

Cook the chicken over medium-high, indirect heat (no coals or burners on directly under the bird). If you should have any heat source directly under the bird you will likely end up with an incinerated chicken tripod, and the recipe will be renamed Fire Extinguisher Chicken. Keep the grill cover on, for approximately 1 1/4 hours or until the internal temperature reads 165 degrees F in the breast area, and 180 degrees F in the thigh, or until the thigh juice runs clear when stabbed with a sharp knife. I prefer to use a thermometer; stabbing is so violent! Remove from grill and let rest for 10 minutes before carving.

Suggestion: Serve with some Gourmet Barbecue Sauce on the side for dipping.

Review: Shipp's Barbeque Sauce

Hey Foodies, time for another sauce review on The Last Bite.

Tax time is finally behind us but gas is up to $4 a gallon. Luckily barbecue season is in full swing; so save some cash by staying home for some great BBQ instead of eating out. We’ll try to point you in the right direction with some product reviews.

Today I tried “Shipp’s Barbeque Sauce”. I checked out their website where you can buy their sauce using paypal. It had the following information to share:

“Shipp's BBQ sauce has been a big hit with family and friends for many years (since 1968) and now it's available to the public. It's great on hamburgers, steaks, ribs, chicken, just about anything! Give it a try - it's time you tried a new barbeque sauce anyway!”

Initial Impression: When I got the bottle of Shipp’s Barbeque Sauce in my hand I sort of had mixed feelings. I was excited about having a sauce from a family owned business all the way from Arkansas, but the plastic bottle and the wrinkly label had me questioning the quality before I ever got to the contents.

Appearance: I really liked the way this sauce looks. It has a deep reddish brown color with little black flecks; my guess is coarse black pepper. The consistency of this sauce is a bit thin but it would do well as a mopping sauce near the end of cooking. I would expect to use a lot of napkins if you are using it on a sandwich. Now I’m getting excited about tasting it!

Aroma: The aroma is very tangy, almost vinegar like with most dominant scent being tomato. Not too unusual for a barbecue sauce. I get a little garlic and black pepper in the bouquet, but you really have to get a big snoot full to get past the tangy tomato scent.

Taste: I always like to have a taste before trying any sauce on food. Sometimes the incredible complex flavors surprise and amaze you. Well, I was surprised but not amazed in this case. Celery and black pepper are the flavors that jump out up front. As a matter of fact I’m sure I have never tasted a barbecue sauce that had that much of a distinct flavor up front. It’s as if the sauce was built around the black pepper and celery. I found it to be somewhat out of balance. Sweetness was a bit of an issue for me as well, I found this sauce to be very sweet.

The Food Test: It just so happened that on this particular day my smoker has been stocked full of dry rubbed beef brisket. What better test for a BBQ sauce than this? I must say Shipp’s BBQ Sauce is better applied to a well seasoned and smoked brisket than it is out of the bottle. The overpowering flavors and sweetness seem to be absorbed by the meat. Other than the bite of the black pepper there is no detectable heat. As I predicted earlier it is a bit thin for sandwich application, maybe as a dipping sauce?

Conclusion: “Shipp’s Barbeque Sauce” is ok in my books. I enjoyed it on my brisket sandwich and on my shirt and on my jeans! If you want a sweet and tangy BBQ sauce with plenty ‘o’ black pepper you have found it. Their friends and families have been lovin’ this sauce since 1968 and now you can too.

Packaging 3/10 – Wrinkled Labels
Aroma 6/10 – Tangy, Tomatoey
Appearance 7/10 – Color, Black Flecks
Taste 6/10 – A Bit Out of Balance
Heat 1/10 – No Heat.

Overall 5/10

FREE Hot Sauce at RoJosGourmet

Once again RoJosGourmet.com is giving away FREE Gourmet hot sauce. The sauce that has been selected for this special is the best selling hot sauce in the RoJo's Gourmet Foods line-up.

Monty's Gourmet Foods Uses Only The Finest Green Jalapeno Peppers In This Gourmet Blend Of Peppers & Spices To Ensure Our Great Customers Get The Best Hot Sauce Possible. A new release, Green Scream jalapeno hot sauce has already won awards for its incredibly fresh taste. The fiendish Chile pepper bearing lizard on this label was created by the world famous Dave Kellett; creator of the Sheldon comic strip.

Current Awards:
* Second Place - 2007 Scovie Awards - Hot Sauce - Specialty Chile Category

* Second Place - 2008 Fiery Foods Challenge - Hot Sauce: Specialty

* Third Place - 2008 Fiery Foods Challenge - Hot Sauce: Louisiana Style

All you need to do is place the Monty's Green Scream Hot Sauce in your shopping cart and enter the Promo Code: FREEGSHS. The price of the hot sauce will be deducted when you apply the coupon code.

Other coupon codes currently offered at RoJosGourmet.com are 5OFF for $5 off of any shopping cart with a $50 total. Any shopping cart totaling $99 automatically get FREE FedEx Ground or Home delivery.

See you at RoJo's Gourmet Foods. The Tastiest Place in Cyberspace!

Scorpion Bay Gourmet Hot Sauce sizzles at the San Diego Fancy Food Show.

(PRLEAP.COM) January 11, 2008 – To a gourmet hot sauce company, an opportunity like this is the key ingredient to gaining worldwide exposure. Such is the case for Scorpion Bay Hot Sauce. Scorpion Bay will be a featured exhibitor for the first time at the 2008 Winter Fancy Food Show, held at the San Diego Convention Center on January 13th—15th. The show, now in its thirty-third year, features more than 1,100 exhibitors from around the globe, and offers over 100,000 individual food items to sample.

“It’s a spectacular opportunity to put us on the “taste radar” of a much wider audience,” says Scorpion Bay’s founder and Encinitas resident Rob Burns. Burns, whose love of surfing and extensive travels throughout coastal Mexico first attracted him to the flavors of the region, began experimenting with thicker, Baja-inspired sauces from his kitchen. When his friends’ demand for these homemade sauces exceeded his ability to produce them, he realized that he had something special, and Scorpion Bay Hot Sauce was launched.

It’s been quite a ride as of late for this enthusiastic purveyor of hot sauce. Since his company’s humble inception, Burns is thrilled to add that he’s doubled sales every quarter, a remarkable feat in such a competitive marketplace. And his success hasn’t gone unnoticed. Just last year Scorpion Bay teamed up with the Southern California based retailer/distributor Hot Licks. In no time at all, customers were buying up Scorpion Bay’s unique flavors, and sales went skyward. So when Hot Licks decided to exhibit at this year’s Fancy Food Show, inviting its featured vendor was a natural choice.

At the show you’ll have an opportunity to get a taste of Scorpion Bay Hot Sauce served up on an iconic Baja offering—fish tacos. Attendees will get to sample from the company’s three eclectic flavors: HotAcado Avocado, De Arbol and Chocopotle Chipotle Hot Sauce. What makes all of these sauces stand apart is their consistency, which is noticeably thicker than traditional commercial hot sauces. Scorpion Bay’s motto, “Do what you love—do it well and you will never go wrong,” is found on the side of every bottle.

Full story Here

Surfing and Hot Sauce Meet at Scorpion Bay

Warm up your chilly winter night with the taste of Baja Mexico.

Upon returning home from numerous surfing adventures, they'd often find themselves craving that spicy, robust flavor synonymous with the Baja palette. So, with the knowledge amassed from the many adventures, complemented by a hearty dose of experimentation, three unique gourmet-style hot sauces that echoed the true taste of Baja were created. Enter Scorpion Bay Hot Sauce.

So, what makes Scorpion Bay unique, you ask? For starters, the gourmet-style sauces are unmistakably thick. As in T-H-I-C-K! Instead of making them easier to pour by thinning our sauces, they simply redesigned the bottles with a wider opening. And Scorpion Bay Hot Sauces can be used in a variety of ways: as a marinade, a delicious spike for chili, soups and salad dressings, and of course, all of your favorite Mexican foods. Better yet, come up with your own recipe and let us know. After all, variety is the spice of life!

Chocopotle Chipotle Hot Sauce Smoky. thick. Sweet. And a slight hint of chocolate. We combined them all, and added a few sprinkles of our own secret ingredients to bring you Chocopotle! A perfect as a marinade for pork or Portobello mushrooms. Thinking about a BBQ? Brush it on tofu, meat or whatever you have grilling over the coals. Once you've tasted this unforgettable hot sauce you'll find yourself saying, Chocopotle, where have you been all my life!

De Arbol Hot Sauce. Close your eyes and picture the quintessential hole-in-the-wall Baja taco shop. See that bowl of fresh homemade hot sauce on the table? Yep, that's what we've made. We took those De Arbol chili peppers people love, added creamy tomatillos and soon had a thick, fiery, authentic taco shop style hot sauce literally brimming from the bottle. Go ahead introduce it to chili, pizza, chips, fish tacos,the list is infinite as the flavor!

Like nothing you have tasted before, Hotacado Avocado Hot Sauce, this tasty original combines two staples of Baja--Haas avocados and fresh, sun-ripened jalapeno to create an unmistakably thick and creamy green sauce. Of course, you'll also taste that signature Scorpion Bay kick! Spike up your salad dressing, pour it into a bowl as a chip dip, add a splash to your eggs and be sure to have it on hand when the fish tacos are on the table.

Follow the link to find even more interesting gourmet gift on sale now!

Surf the Flavors of Baja...

Review: Grumpy’s Private Reserve Bar-B-Que Sauce; Not So Bold.

Hello Foodies and specialty food makers, today’s sampling is Grumpy’s BBQ sauce; Not So Bold flavor. If you would like to see your product reviewed on The Last Bite, email us to find out where to send your samples.

Initial Impression: The jar I received to sample is pre-label change. The sauce is contained in a standard barrel jar and is wrapped with a fancy die cut label. This sauce looks like it has been in grocery stores forever. There is a label over the ingredients declaration. Hmm? Let’s peel it off and see what happens.

Ingredients: Brown sugar, water, tomato paste (tomatoes), apple cider vinegar (diluted with water up to 5% acidity), yellow prepared mustard (vinegar ,mustard seed, salt, turmeric and spices), liquid smoke (purified natural liquid smoke, water), hot sauce (peppers, vinegar, salt),honey, black pepper, spices, kosher salt, oriental hot mustard (mustard, turmeric), cayenne pepper.

The ingredient list is really nice and clean. There are no preservatives or artificial anything. I did peel off the ingredient label that covers the original declaration. It looks like the type of liquid smoke has been changed and that’s it, no nefarious goings on here!

Appearance: This is one rich, thick, and sexy sauce. It is reddish brown sauce and there are sparse but definite pieces of herbs and spices floating around. The consistency of this barbecue sauce lends it to many applications. It was super thick and brushes on and sticks to your meat nicely. It also makes a great dipping sauce since it won’t drip off of whatever you’re ‘queuing.

Aroma: Mouthwatering. I’m not sure what else to say. I popped the cap and took a whiff. It made my mouth water like crazy. Now that I calmed down I can tell you that this sauce has definite layers of aroma. At first you get a sweet tomatoey perfume, next the vinegar pops you in the nostrils and makes your mouth water. The velvety smokiness comes in for the finish and practically hypnotizes you.

Taste: Sweet, tangy, and smoky with emphasis on sweet. This could be a dessert sauce. Tasting it from the jar it has a definite tangy fruity flavor. There are some larger pieces of peppercorn in it. Like magic they appear in your mouth and add yet another layer of flavor. The pepper is pronounced but not overpowering or out of balance. I detect the ever so slightest zest, but not what I would call spicy. Not so bold is definitely the right designation for this flavor.

The Food Test: Since we were having some nice weather I decided to fire up the grill and throw some yard stroller on it. Well not the whole bird just some leg and thigh sections. I gave it a quick rub down with poultry spice and barbecue rub and fired away. Once the chicken was done I brushed the Grumpy’s on them. Since there is such a high sugar content I didn’t apply it until the last few minutes. The Grumpy’s takes well to heat and the caramelization of the sugars rounds out all of the flavors.

Conclusion: Grumpy’s Private Reserve Bar-B-Q Grumpy’s Private Reserve Bar-B-Que Sauce Not So Bold is ue Sauce Not So Bold is a thick and rich Kansas City style barbecue sauce. It has layers of flavor that include mustard, black pepper, and smoke. Not So Bold has very little detectable heat so it would be perfect for those in your family that prefer you don’t singe off their eyebrows. A Chile-head may require the addition of some heat or an upgrade to a spicier flavor of Grumpy’s. Overall Grumpy’s Private Reserve Bar-B-Que Sauce Not So Bold is a fine example of how a KC Style BBQ Sauce should taste.

Packaging 8/10 – Fancy Die Cut Label
Aroma 9/10 – Overpowering
Appearance 8/10 – Thick, Rich, Sexy
Taste 8/10 – Layered Flavors
Heat 2/10 – Barely Detectable.

Overall 8/10 – How a KC Style BBQ Sauce should taste.

Enjoy the Taste of Summer - Guilt Free!

Your dream has come true; and right in time for grilling and barbecuing season!

Innuendo Foods has outdone themselves with Pebble Creek Fine Culinary Sauces No Sugar Added Grill Glaze & BBQ Sauce.

Imagine you barbecuing and grilling without having to worry about all the sugar in the usual barbecue sauces. This delicious Grill Glaze & BBQ sauce has all the flavor you expect without the sugar or the after taste you get from the typical sugar free products. Our chefs spent months developing this sweet smoky sauce to provide you with the most mouthwatering Barbecue experience you could hope for!

Pebble Creek No Sugar Added Grill Glaze is Carbohydrate and Diabetic friendly and will not cause a spike in your blood sugar. With only three carbs per serving you can enjoy the taste of summer again!

All of the sauces in Pebble Creeks line are chef created and produced in small batches to maintain the highest level of freshness and flavor. Their uncompromising standards ensure that all of their fine sauces are always free of artificial colors and preservatives.

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