Foodie TV Shows We Love: "Chopped"

New episodes of Chopped air Tuesdays at 7pm PST
on Food Network

"Chefs, please open your baskets. And for the appetizer round we have.....Mahi Mahi, Candy Cane Beets, Verjus, and Olive Loaf. 20 minutes on the clock, starting.....NOW!"

So raise your hand if you know what at least two of those ingredients are, cause I didn't. Really, you knew verjus is a very acidic juice made by pressing unripe grapes, crab-apples or other sour fruit?!? Or that Olive Loaf is a meatloaf (usually bologna) stuffed with green olives, sweet peppers, basil and garlic?!? Whatever, overachievers. You can put your hands down cause now comes the tough part...try making those four ingredients into a fancy appetizer in just 20 minutes and having it judged by three world-reknowned chefs as part one of a three-stage competition where the winner takes home a cool $10,000 grand prize.

How To...Preserve Lemons!

What to do with leftover lemons, a mason jar, and a ton of salt? Make homemade preserved lemons, of course! 

This Week in Foodie TV

Triple D goes to Guy's "Johnny Garlic's" on Monday's new episode, plus a Friday re-run visits one of the most unique burger joints I have ever been to, "Tioli's Crazee Burger" in San Diego's North Park neighborhood.

No Reservations attends the "Cook It Raw" festival in Japan and Guy Fieri profiles his own restaurant, Johnny Garlic's on Diners, Drive-Ins, & Dives. Read on to hear more about these and what else foodies will be setting their DVRs to this week.

Restaurant ReCreations: Scarpetta's "Spaghetti with Tomato & Basil"

  

The finished product of my Restaurant ReCreation of
Scarpetta's "Spaghetti with Tomato & Basil"

Welcome to the first post in our series, Restaurant ReCreations, where we will take a look at some of your favorite restaurant dishes and explore how you can recreate them right at home in your very own kitchen! We will explore dishes from different cuisines and varying types of restaurants all while trying to keep it simple enough that the most amateur chef in all of us could follow along and turn out a quality interpretation of that restaurant's best offering. And with that in mind, let's jump into our first Restaurant ReCreations adventure!

Beereview: The Bruery Provisions, Old Towne Orange

Craft beer has gained in popularity and has taken the beer industry by storm within the last few years. One place that knows what they are doing when it comes to this industry is "The Bruery Provisions" in Old Towne Orange. Stop by, grab a flight of 5 craft "bru's," a cheese and meat plate and enjoy the smell of hops in the air!

Welcome to Appetíto!

Hello everyone and thank you for visiting Appetíto! This is a joint venture from a food-loving brother and sister who grew up in a family where food was a uniting force that brought people together.

Raised as the children of a restaurant-owning father who emigrated from Italy, our family loves to eat, but also eats to love and the culture of food has come to influence our lives in more ways than we could have imagined. Our intention is for the blog to capture that love and appreciation in the form of sharing experiences with our readers. As you peruse Appetíto, readers will find posts covering a variety of topics that aim to illustrate the different ways we have come to take enjoyment from food. To read more about what serves as the inspiration behind Appetíto and to find out a little bit more about the people behind the site, check out the "About Appetíto" tab above! Read on below to learn more about all of our different tabs and feature!