Beautiful Banff Eats 2018 – Banff, Alberta Canada

Beautiful Banff Eats 2018 – Banff, Alberta Canada

This is a must destination for any traveler. So beautiful!!!

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The Bison Restaurant – Banff, Alberta Canada

What a wonderful meal from start to finish. Highly recommend eating here. Had the meat and cheese with local cured meats, cheeses, house preserves, pickles, escargot with bone marrow, bacon lardon, gruyere, gremolata, garlic bread, bison short ribs with bacon lardon, mushrooms, baby potatoes, root vegetables, bison sausage, and Alberta raised Bison ribeye that was phenomenal .

 

The Maple Leaf Grill and Lounge – Banff, Alberta Canada

Another amazing meal here. Had the French Onion Soup with rich beef broth, swiss cheese, house focaccia croutons, and fresh herbs, followed by a so yummy cast iron seared scallops with house cured pork belly, maple poached pear, and butter sauce, then a delicious Coastal Seafood Platter with east coast lobster tail, snow crab, crispy calamari, mussels, pacific shrimp, beurre blanc, seasonal vegetables, baby reds, butter and lemons, and topped it all off with a Trio of Crème Brulee with baileys, maple syrup, and chocolate raspberry.

 

Park Distillery Restaurant + Bar – Banff, Alberta Canada

This is such a cool and hip place that was a joy to visit and had really tasty food and a distillery on site that makes gin. I enjoyed their adult beverage of Cascade made with Park Alpine Dry Gin, lime juice, fruit puree, mint, and simple syrup, then had their salmon and cod chowder with cream, potatoes, corn, peppers, fennel, and house made biscuit, the pork fingers which is bbq pulled pork covered with panko, rosemary, salt, and maple rye, and mustard, and the Rotisserie chicken and chips, with smashed potato, drippins gravy, and a grilled lemon.

 

Silver Dragon – Banff, Alberta Canada

This was a pleasant surprise of a tasty and affordable meal with friendly and good service. Had the wonton soup, spring roll, and lemon chicken with fried rice

 

Cows – Banff, Alberta Canada

Who doesn’t love ice cream? A truly delectable vanilla milkshake.

 

Northern Lights Café – Banff, Alberta Canada

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An extremely affordable and tasty prime rib, roasted potato and veggie mix, fresh baked chocolate chip cookie, and slice of apple pie.

 

Lake Agnes Tea House – Banff, Alberta Canada

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After a truly picturesque and breathtakingly beautiful hike up the mountain you reach this quaint little tea house in front of a lake. No electricity indoors so not good picture taking, but a great selection and variety of teas to relax and get your energy back for your hike back down.

 

Larkspur Lounge – Banff, Alberta Canada

A relaxed setting with nice views. Had to eat here Canadian Baked Brie that wa Phyllo Wrapped Brie Served with Fresh Crouton, Roast Garlic, Fresh Strawberries, Rhubarb & Candied Ginger Compote, and then had the Larkspur Alberta AAA Steak & Frites which is Maple Glazed 7oz New York Strip, French Fries, Garlic Herb French Bread, Onion Ring Garnish, and Red Wine Veal Reduction.

Trappixx Caribbean Restaurant – Cherry Hill, NJ

Trappixx Caribbean Restaurant – Cherry Hill, NJ

The service was great with the hostess/server being from Jamaica. Pictured is Beef Patty, Jerk Chicken platter, and Oxtail platter. Food was yummy.

Quaker City Shrubs – Assembly Rooftop Lounge – Philadelphia, PA

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Quaker City Shrubs – Assembly Rooftop Lounge – Philadelphia, PA

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(The following is a special series on Bluejeanfood.com written by guest contributing writer and correspondent for “Small Bites Radio” William Knowles. He highlights his passions of trying something new whenever the opportunity presents itself, or possibly something old, but new again since it has been a while. I hope you enjoy his very special perspective that I am sure many of you can relate to. Follow him on his exciting journey “Around Town”)

Happy Summer everyone!  It’s been a while since I’ve joined you “Around Town”, but I’ve returned to take part in a special event that occurred on Wednesday evening, June 27th at Assembly Rooftop Lounge. This modern outdoor hotspot is located atop the Logan Hotel, looking down on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway and Logan Square for a fantastic panoramic view of this part of Philadelphia. Quaker City Shrubs is a new line of sparkling adult beverages, all featuring apple cider vinegar as the most prominent ingredient. Diageo, the international beverage manufacturer, partnered with the folks at Quaker City Mercantile to create this fresh concept and brand, and I had the pleasure of sampling the wares… There are three main flavors of the Quaker City Shrubs – grapefruit, blackberry and apple. Mercantile founder Steven Grasse was searching for the perfect summer drink, that also was a healthier alternative to the similar refreshments that have higher calorie and sugar content. The drinks contain just 90 calories with a 4% ABV, and three grams of sugar. While perfectly refreshing and enjoyable on their own, they also serve as great additions to any cocktail, as we sampled during the event. Quaker City Shrubs are available at your local grocers such as Wegman’s and Whole Foods, as well as at Total Wine and More stores throughout the region.  Enjoy, stay cool, and I’ll see you again “around town”…

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06-24-18 Small Bites Radio Show

Posted on

06-24-18

https://wildfireradio.com/small-bites-episode-86/

06-24-18

https://wildfireradio.com/small-bites-episode-86/

LIVE this Sunday, June 24rd at 635pm Small Bites on Wildfire Radio is going VEGAN. Small Bites Radio’s resident Vegan Chef Christina Martin of Cooking To Nourish will be in studio for some fun and food talk hosting the show since Derek is away on vacation.

We all know eating Vegan is good for your health, but did you know that it can look good on your body as well. To talk more about how, we are thrilled to welcome Michelle Schwegmann the Co-Founder of The Herbivore Clothing Company. Michelle Schwegmann and Josh Hooten founded The Herbivore Clothing Company in 2002 with hopes of spreading a positive message about animal rights and environmentalism. They have travelled to events all over the country tabling, speaking, and giving cooking demos to promote kinder and more sustainable lifestyles. At home in Portland their store in southeast is a hub for vegans, and the vegan-curious as well as travelers from all over the planet visiting the world’s only vegan mini-mall. They use Herbivore as a way to help fundraise and promote countless organizations by donating their products, time, and design work. In 2015 they wrote Eat Like You Give A Damn, a cookbook and vegan how-to guide to help those just starting out navigate their new cruelty-free life. They have 2 rescued dogs and one vegan-since-birth daughter, Ruby.

So how do you make Vegan food tasty so darn tasty? We will also be joined by Chef AJ of EatUnprocessed.com and host of TV show Healthy Living with Chef AJ on FoodyTV to chat about this. Chef AJ has been devoted to a plant-exclusive diet for over 40 years. With her comedy background, she has made appearances on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Late Show with David Letterman and more. A chef, culinary instructor and professional speaker, she is author of the popular book Unprocessed: How to Achieve Vibrant Health and Your Ideal Weight, which chronicles her journey from an obese junk-food vegan faced with a diagnosis of pre-cancerous polyps, to learning how to create foods that nourish and heal the body.  Her latest bestselling book The Secrets to Ultimate Weight Loss: A Revolutionary Approach to Conquer Cravings, Overcome Food Addiction and Lose Weight Without Going Hungry has received glowing endorsement by many luminaries in the plant based movement. Based in Los Angeles, Chef AJ teaches a monthly sold-out seminar featuring cooking instruction, nutritional science and song parodies, all delivered with comedic panache. Never content to leave her audience with mere “just do it” advice, she teaches how to create meals to transform their health, how to deal with cravings and food addiction and addresses the emotional side of eating. She is the creator of the Ultimate Weight Loss Program, which has helped hundreds of people achieve the health and the body that they deserve. Chef AJ was the Executive Pastry Chef at Santé Restaurant in Los Angeles where she was famous for her sugar, oil, salt and gluten free desserts which use the fruit, the whole fruit and nothing but the whole fruit. Chef AJ is also creator of Healthy Taste of LA and the YouTube cooking show The Chef and the Dietitian,. Chef AJ holds a certificate in Plant-Based Nutrition from eCornell University and is proud to say that her IQ is higher than her cholesterol.’

So you know where to buy fancy Vegan clothes and eat Vegan food, so now where should you go to hang with other likeminded people and have lots of fun? Well we have Kendra Arnold and Marisa Sweeney to talk about New Jersey VegFest. Kendra has been vegan for 15 years and vegetarian for even longer. Living a healthy, happy lifestyle and bringing people together is a huge motivator for her and she is a founder of Bike & Walk Morristown and is a dedicated lover of delicious vegan food and drink as well as host of Vegan Booster Club: a podcast featuring our vendors and their growing vegan businesses and organizer for New Jersey VegFest & Sprout Everywhere Events. Marisa is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist in New Jersey and Pennsylvania since 2009. Owner and Creator of the New Jersey VegFest, The Garden State’s Official Vegan Food Festival and Owner of Be Well a wellness center in Morristown that houses a team of integrative health and wellness practitioners that was established in 2012 growing the vegan movement one community at a time. The New Jersey VegFest and Atlantic City Vegan Food Festival will feature 200 vendors, inspiring speakers, a 10k & 5k on the boardwalk, live music, cooking demos and much more, all right on the boardwalk in Atlantic City. On July 13th there will be a vegan food truck festival at the Showboat Hotel. Then July 14th at Showboat Atlantic City they have Robert F. Diggs aka The RZA of the world-renowned Wu-Tang Clan, Scott Jurek an Ultrarunner, Lauren Ornelas of Food Empowerment Project, author Bryant Terry, Erika Boyd of Detroit Vegan Soul, and Party with Honey Labronx. Over 200 food and product vendors will be on the former casino floor of the Showboat Atlantic City. There will be food, fashion, products, and non-profits. There will be plenty of seating so you can relax and enjoy your food, along with live music, chef demos and more. This is festival you can spend the day at or you can eat, head out to the boardwalk and beach and come back and hang out with us again. For more info go to:

https://njvegfest.com/atlantic-city-vegan-food-festival/

Small Bites Radio correspondent Actor John DiRenzo is out and about with his valuable insight and experience in the culinary world so be sure to catch him on QVC selling the high quality Copper Chef products and getting ready for his new show Regional Eats.

You say you STILL NEED MORE!!! Don’t forget we still have our regular weekly segments from Courier-Post nightlife correspondent and The New York Times recognized John Howard-Fusco for his news of the week and please remember that John’s book “A Culinary History of Cape May: Salt Oysters, Beach Plums & Cabernet Franc” from Arcadia Publishing The History Press is now available to buy, Chef Barbie Marshall who is a Chef Gordon Ramsay Hell’s Kitchen Season 10 finalist and appeared on Season 17 of FOX Hell’s Kitchen #AllStars, and Chef Barbie was named Pennsylvania’s most influential chef by Cooking Light will delight us with her tip of the week, and a joke of the week from legendary joke teller Jackie Martling of The Howard Stern Show fame and Jackie “The Joke Man” Martling with his autobiography “The Joke Man: Bow to Stern” from Post Hill Press with foreword by Artie Lange available to order on Amazon.com. Fat Jack’s BBQ and Bluejeanfood.com hope you will use the TuneIn app to listen worldwide or also catch Small Bites Radio syndicated LIVE Sundays on KGTK 920AM, KITZ 1400AM, KSBN 1230AM, KBNP 1410AM, distributed by satellite through the Salem Radio Network, ScyNet Radio, Stitcher Radio, PodOmatic, and TryThisDish Radio which is the only independently owned and operated international chef-driven foodie and lifestyle radio network in the world! Also repeats of our shows are available to be listened to daily on the above platforms 5:30pm-6:30pm and on Mondays at 10am on Wildfire Radio, and as usual the newest episodes are available the following day on iTunes and PlayerFM.

https://wildfireradio.com/small-bites-episode-86/

Arctic Scoop (East Passyunk Ave) – Philadelphia, PA

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Arctic Scoop (East Passyunk Ave) – Philadelphia, PA

Pictured is Lychee Rose Ice Cream with fresh strawberries topped with condensed milk drizzle. It was YUMMY!

Dippy’s Custard & Ice Cream – Mantua, NJ

Dippy’s Custard & Ice Cream – Mantua, NJ

I really enjoyed my visit here. Awesome selection of ice cream, nice atmosphere, and friendly service. Had a 2 scoop salted caramel ice cream on a waffle cone.

Cape May 2018 Tasty Eats and Treats

Cape May Tasty Eats and Treats

Having John Howard-Fusco a Cape May, New Jersey expert and author of “A Culinary History of Cape May: Salt Oysters, Beach Plums & Cabernet Franc” by The History Press at my disposal on Small Bites Radio is an asset. So when I knew I would be spending a few days down there, you’re darn right I asked for his advice and followed his wonderful book to have a great time while in Cape May. If interested in doing this as well CLICK HERE to buy his book. Below are the delicious things I had to eat in and around the area. Be sure to try them out for yourself and thank me and John Howard-Fusco later. Fyi, you really don’t need to thank me, and John would much rather you just buy his book 😉 JK

Lobster House – Cape May, NJ

Pictured is Snapper Soup, Famous Crab Soup, Fresh Jersey Oysters on the half shell, Jersey Baked Clams Casino, Clam Bake Dinner with lobster, steamed clams, shrimp, mussels, red skin potato, and an ear of corn, and a side of fresh cut thick French fries. Everything was great and the view is enjoyable on the deck.

 

Mad Batter – Cape May, NJ

Pictured is Mad Batter Clam Chowder a rich blend of chopped clams, onions and bacon in a heavy cream broth with a touch of saffron, Pan Seared Red Snapper and Battered Shrimp with warm corn salad, lime compound butter, fresh avocado, mashed potatoes and asparagus, and Chocolate Lava Cake. This was a great meal and loved the atmosphere and service was top notch.

 

Elizabeth Degener A.K.A the Cape May Bread Lady with Enfin Farms at 609 Sunset Blvd, Cape May, NJ

I was lucky enough to get the very last piece of bread for sale for the day and the stand was only open for less than an hour. Pictured is the pumpernickel bread and it was AMAZINGLY awesome and tasty.

 

Uncle Bill’s Pancake House & Family Restaurant – Cape May, NJ

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Pictured are their famous tender buttermilk pancakes that they have been serving for over 50 years. They were so yummy and a good way to start the day with food in my belly.

 

Then not technically in Cape May, but close enough to drive to we visited Back Bay Bistro – Villas, NJ

Pictured is crab bisque which was awesome, steamers which is littleneck clams in a garlic wine broth that were out of this world, and their Honey Dipped Fried Chicken that was a slam dunk of a great meal and would order again in a second. This place really surprised me since it was a little off the beaten path and food was top notch.

Again if interested in buying John’s book, CLICK HERE

 

Alaura Kitchen and Candy – Pitman, NJ

Alaura Kitchen and Candy – Pitman, NJ

I REALLY enjoyed my visit here. Such a cool little spot with amazingly tasty ice cream and little menu of bites to eat if you wanted as well. Very affordable prices and friendly service to go along was a winning combo. Had homemade vanilla bean milkshake topped with whipped cream.

06-03-18 Small Bites with Glenn Gross and Derek Timm of Bluejeanfood.com

Posted on

06-03-18

https://wildfireradio.com/small-bites-episode-85/

06-03-18

https://wildfireradio.com/small-bites-episode-85/

LIVE this Sunday, June 3rd at 635pm Small Bites with Glenn Gross and Derek Timm of Bluejeanfood.com on Wildfire Radio is an ALL-STAR lineup. How do we know this??? Because as Nike said; BO KNOWS!!! That’s right; we are thrilled to welcome Bo Jackson. Bo is the first athlete in history to be named an All-Star in both MLB with the Kansas City Royals and NFL with the The Oakland Raiders and named ESPN’s Greatest Athlete of All Time. Bo will be joining us to talk about his amazing food line Bo Jackson’s 34 Signature Foods. Over the years, Bo acquired a passion for preparing great tasting food in the kitchen and he wants everyone who enjoys cooking as much as he does to experience the quality of Bo Jackson Signature Foods. Small Bites was also honored to team up with Aversa PR & Events and Culinary Fight Club CEO Jiwon McCartney to present Philadelphia’s first CFC Mushroom Council Blended Burger Challenge using his Bo’s Burgers Patty Mix on May 3rd at Uptown Beer Garden MC’d by Christian Collins that benefited Fight2Feed with amazing talent like Chef Christine Hazel, Chef Enrico Botto, Chef Kwame Dennis and more judged by Doug Keiles, Lisa Keys and others. It was an intense and extremely close competition with Chef Brent Berry and Hiram Quintana coming out victorious with a chance to compete at the World Food Championships now. We can’t wait to talk to Bo and all about his Bo Jackson’s 34 Signature Foods 🙂

Then to keep the ALL-STAR lineup continuing we are pleased to welcome Fogo de Chão. As Limp Bizkit and Snoop Dogg sang, Fogo de Chão is all about the red-light\green light. You ready to roll? The story of Fogo de Chão began in the mountainous countryside of Rio Grande do Sul in Southern Brazil. It is the lessons their founding brothers learned on their family farms that gave them the ambition to share their rich culinary heritage with the rest of the world. As a leading Brazilian steakhouse, or churrascaria, specializing in the centuries-old Southern Brazilian cooking technique of churrasco – the art of roasting high-quality cuts of meats over open flame, all of which are carved tableside by Brazilian-trained gaucho chefs. Fogo’s distinctive and authentic Brazilian dining experience begins with the seasonal Market Table and Feijoada Bar, which includes seasonal salads, soup, fresh vegetables, imported charcuterie and more. The restaurant features a variety of simply seasoned meats that are fire-roasted by gaucho chefs, plus seafood, desserts, signature cocktails and an award-winning wine list. Well now internationally-renowned steakhouse Fogo de Chão is inviting guests to experience its newest seasonal offerings created just for summer. Standout items at the Market Table, which is available during Weekday Lunch for $15, include refreshing salads such as Watermelon Feta and Heirloom Tomato & Mozzarella, plus a nutrient-dense Chickpea salad. Summer also brings the return of the Watermelon Fresca mocktail. The $15 Weekday Lunch includes the seasonal Market Table & Feijoada Bar plus family-style service of Brazilian side dishes. Guests may choose to add a single selection of fire-roasted meat for under $25, or indulge in the Full Churrasco Experience. What a treat!!

We’re still batting a thousand with another ALL-STAR. This time we welcome Chef Todd Toven to talk about Blackstone Products who is THE expert in outdoor griddles. Time to add outdoor griddling for delicious cooking that goes beyond the “same old, same old.” Anything that can be cooked on a typical grill can be cooked on a griddle — along with thousands of other foods. By combining the latest technology with innovation, Blackstone griddles take families from breakfast to lunch to dinner with desserts and snacks in between. Foods that could never be cooked on a traditional grill can now be cooked outdoors using Blackstone Products. Think about cooking outdoors eggs, pancakes, bacon, stir fry, cheesesteaks, even delicate fish. Griddling is easy to learn and, even more importantly, easy to clean. The transportable Blackstone griddles are perfect for tailgating, camping, parties with friends and even those with limited outdoor space. Chef Todd Toven is an expert in outdoor cooking as Chef Todd after graduating from college in 1994 worked as a line chef and cook for a few different restaurants. This is where his creativity in the kitchen started to be developed. He eventually combined his cooking skills with his love for the outdoors. He started self-filming his high country hunts in 2008 and posting them on YouTube. He later started filming videos on wild game cooking, camp cooking, camping, and other outdoor-related topics. His videos have now received MILLIONS of views from outdoor enthusiasts around the world! Check out Chef Todd’s YouTube channel at

https://www.youtube.com/user/praisehisawesomename/

Finally we have the ALL-STAR sugar buster. We can’t wait to would founder and CEO Björn Öste of Good Idea Drinks. Good Idea Inc. is the US subsidiary of Swedish food & biotech company Aventure AB. Good Idea – the Swedish Sugar Buster is available in the company webshop (www.goodideadrinks.com), on Amazon and at various retailers across the US. Currently the company is working with KeHE and major nationwide distributors. In addition, to traditional retailers and grocery chains Good Idea is working closely with corporate wellness centers, nutritionists and other leading health care professionals to make the Swedish Sugar Buster available in retail and food service. Good Idea –the Swedish Sugar Buster is designed and scientifically proven to help a healthy person handle the sugar spike following a carb-rich meal. Now paving the way in the supplement category and earning recognition in Prevention Magazine. Many ordinary meals such as burgers, pizzas, fries, white bread and even sushi contain fast carbs that make the blood sugar spike and then drop again like a stone. Most people recognize this as the slump that can occur after a meal. In the long run, these recurring spikes and lows put a strain on the metabolism. Good Idea contains an all-natural blend of five amino acids and chromium in flavored sparkling water, clinically proven to help the body handle the sugar spike following a meal. With Good Idea they are targeting to disrupt the soda industry with their Swedish Sugar Buster. They aim at providing great tasting and sustainable alternatives to sugary beverages that are not only sugar free, but that also busts your blood sugar spikes for a balanced blood sugar level following a meal. Sounds great to us!

Small Bites Radio correspondent Actor John DiRenzo is out and about with his valuable insight and experience in the culinary world so be sure to catch him on QVC and QVC2 selling the high quality Copper Chef products.

You say you STILL NEED MORE!!! Don’t forget we still have our regular weekly segments from Courier-Post nightlife correspondent and The New York Times recognized John Howard-Fusco for his news of the week and please remember that John’s book “A Culinary History of Cape May: Salt Oysters, Beach Plums & Cabernet Franc” from Arcadia Publishing The History Press is now available to buy, Chef Barbie Marshall who is a Chef Gordon Ramsay Hell’s Kitchen Season 10 finalist and appeared on Season 17 of FOX Hell’s Kitchen #AllStars, and Chef Barbie was named Pennsylvania’s most influential chef by Cooking Light will delight us with her tip of the week, and a joke of the week from legendary joke teller Jackie Martling of The Howard Stern Show fame and Jackie “The Joke Man” Martling with his autobiography “The Joke Man: Bow to Stern” from Post Hill Press with foreword by Artie Lange available to order on Amazon.com. Fat Jack’s BBQ and Bluejeanfood.com hope you will use the TuneIn app to listen worldwide or also catch Small Bites Radio syndicated LIVE Sundays on KGTK 920AM, KITZ 1400AM, KSBN 1230AM, KBNP 1410AM, distributed by satellite through the Salem Radio Network, ScyNet Radio, Stitcher Radio, PodOmatic, and Try This Dish Radio which is the only independently owned and operated international chef-driven foodie and lifestyle radio network in the world! Also repeats of our shows are available to be listened to daily on the above platforms 5:30pm-6:30pm and on Mondays at 10am on Wildfire Radio, and as usual the newest episodes are available the following day on iTunes and PlayerFM.

https://wildfireradio.com/small-bites-episode-85/

Trattoria Rosa Bianca – Yardley, PA

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Trattoria Rosa Bianca – Yardley, PA

Really nice atmosphere here. Food was pretty good. Would go back if in the area. Here is what I had:

antipasti miste italian: cured meats & cheeses, marinated vegetables, olives

calamari fritti crispy calamari, roasted tomato pesto

polpo grilled octopus, crispy potatoes, arugula, ceci

pollo alla milanese breaded chicken cutlet, baby arugula, lemon vinaigrette, pecorino