Central Market at Preston Royal – First look!

New Central Market opens

Central Market throws open it’s doors today! The Preston Royal locale (previously housed by Borders) marks the opening of Central Market’s ninth store. IttyBittyFoodies had a media sneak peak yesterday at some of the innovations and offerings customers can look forward like the new selection of New York Deli-style dishes and baked goods. Think artisanal boiled and then baked bagels onsite and new bialys and New York City based Charlito’s cocina artisan salumi.There’ll be a full service custom sandwich bar with a “Build Your Own” sandwich option as well as a menu of chef created sandwiches.

Tei-An (with kids…gasp!)

One Arts Plaza

Pikelet would sooner have a platter of sushi than a tray of cupcakes. For his 6th birthday we did the unthinkable. On a whim we decided to whisk the whole family off to Tei-An at One Arts Plaza, on a busy Saturday night without a reservation! We were playing with fire taking kids to a place we only reserve for date night.

Better than cupcakes!

Upon arrival, we sheepishly told the hostess we didn’t have a reservation but Pikelet just had to have their stellar sushi for his birthday dinner.

Gourmet Fast Food: Linguine with Lump Crab Meat, Asparagus & Avocado

Making a nice meal doesn’t always have to take a long time. This linguine recipe with lump crab meat, asparagus and avocado lets you create a meal in the time it takes to boil pasta. Now that’s what I call fast food.

Recipe featured on White Rock Lake Weekly

Till our next Happy Meal!

Lemley’s at Dallas Farmers Market

Tonight's dessert after a day of painting paper boats

Many of us associate Lemley’s at the Dallas Farmers Market with sweet summer peaches but I’ve always found all his produce just stellar. The last month Pikelet & Lollo have had asked me repeatedly to drive downtown for Lemley’s canteloupes. The sweet aroma will envelop you before you even cut one open. And oh the heavenly pink coral flesh that await at first bite – juicy, sweet, luscious…

IttyBittyFoodies celebrates 1 year

Lollo & Pikelet

Happy Birthday IttyBittyFoodies! It’s time to have a Birthday Month Celebration! A year ago, I didn’t know if I could write again after taking a hiatus from writing when Lollo was born. Well here we are on our 60th post and nominated for Babble’s Top 100 Mom Food Blogs (please vote here under Cheryl Collett), named one of Dallas Best Blogs on Wherelocalseat.com and was featured on TinyDallas under Moms We Love.

Pikelet is about to turn 6 and Lollo is now 3.

Texas Daily Harvest Milk from Urban Acres

Urban Acres

Milk is milk to me. If I’m passing a pharmacy I won’t think twice about popping in for a gallon rather than driving elsewhere for the organic stuff (foodies please don’t balk!). Sure I think that organic milk tastes better than conventional but it’s not enough for me to go the extra mile – literally. That is until last weekend when fate gave me a chance encounter with Texas Daily Harvest Milk at Urban Acres in Oak Cliff.

Honey Girl Kitchen

 

Just pack the hamper, wine and Pelligrino!

Spring is the start of picnic season and Honey Girl Kitchen is offering home-made organic picnic dinners to go! Think fresh ‘Fanciwiches’ made with Jimmy’s mortadella stuffed in a Mexican baguette and layered with smoked mozzarella and all the fixings or cool ‘Fancisides’ like jicama and cucumber salad or a simple caprese. The kid’s ‘Fanci Tiny Pants’ menu feature turkey wraps, cute little onigiri rice balls or organic PB&J sandwiches all served with a watermelon slice on a stick. Desserts are home-made brownies or Honey Crew Granola.

Mortadella on Bollilo

To top it all, Honey Girl Kitchen has thoughtfully coordinated pick up for these picnic dinners during the Spring, Summer and Fall Concert Series at The Dallas Arboretum from April 19 to October 27.

IttyBittyFoodies sabotaged on Babble.com Top 100 Food Mom’s Blog list

It has come to my attention that someone has put a fake name Cheryl Colett (with just one ‘L’ in the last name) and linked it to a fake R rated site in the Babble.com Top 100 Mom Food Blogs for 2011. Thank you to a kind person who wrote to tell me about this. I don’t pretend to understand why someone did this, I’m upset that someone would go through those lengths over a blog nomination. What happened to fair game and common decency?  The worse thing is that people have voted thinking it was my site. If you have voted, can you please check that you voted for Cheryl CoLLett (with two ‘L’s in the last name). The right listing has a description of IttyBittyFoodies in it. Here’s Babble’s link. I’m sorry for the inconvenience and if you have forwarded my previous post, please let others know.

Have a good night.

Babble.com Top 100 Mom Food Blogs 2011 – VOTE for IttyBittyFoodies

I’m gushing a little. Maybe not as much as Sally Field in her famous Oscar “You like me” acceptance speech in the 1984 for her role as Norma Rae. I haven’t won anything but I am excited to announce that IttyBittyFoodies is in Babble’s nomination list for Top 100 Mom Food Blogs for 2011.

So please ‘LIKE’ me and vote by clicking on the link here. Just click on view ALPHABETICALLY and search for CHERYL COLLETT of IttyBittyFoodies.

Thank you for supporting IttyBittyFoodies and please share the site using the buttons below with likeminded & very cool (like you) parents.

Tom Fleming’s Crossroads Diner

View from the waiting room

The Confession - I’m going to come right out and say it, we have not fallen in love with Crossroads Diner’s cinnamon buns. Ok now that it’s off my chest, more about it later. It is noon on a Saturday and there are at least 10 tables infront of us. Ugh it’s a 30-45 minute wait. Thank goodness there are children’s books to keep Pikelet & Lollo occupied in the waiting area. If spotting chef Abraham Salum of Salum and the gorgeous new Komali waiting patiently like the rest of us pedestrians is any indication of what’s to come, then wait we shall. 

Belly full of whale cakes – easy salmon cakes with green beans & bacon

Pikelet & Lollo eat salmon cakes because of the book “Big Blue Whale” by Nicola Davies. They call them ‘whale cakes’ and eat loads because thought of having stinky ‘whale’ breath is an attractive trait when you are five and three years old.

“When it breathes out, it makes a great misty puff as high as a house. This is the whale’s blow, and you can see it from far away. You can hear it, too – a great PROOUFF. And if you are close enough, you can smell it, as the whale’s breath is stale and fishy.”

Exclusive Bolsa and Artizone dinner giveaway!

I’m giving away two tickets to an exclusive private Bolsa and Artizone dinner gathering. The event will be held al fresco style at Bolsa in Oak Cliff this Monday March 14th. The four course menu designed by Chef Graham Dodds features ingredients from artisans like Scardello Cheese, Flavors From Afar, JJ&B -  jellies, jams and butters, spices from Tom Spicer’s FM1410, Vongeertsem Butcher Shoppe and La Duni. It promises to be a fresh and fabulous meal!

Royal China Dallas Restaurant

You may wonder why we chose Royal China as the venue for a celebratory meal on the first day of the Lunar New Year. Tucked on the corner of Preston and Royal, Royal China’s customers are predominantly non-Asian dining on the ubiquitous American Chinese favorites like orange chicken or beef and broccoli. Even the children’s menu features nuggets and rice.  But Royal China surprisingly has some of the most authentic Chinese dishes in Dallas and the answer lies in the hands of Zhang Xue Liang, Royal China’s noodle chef and his crew of dumpling makers.

Maple & Motor – Burgers and Beer

First rule upon entering this gas station turned insanely popular burger joint – line up and order before sitting down. Do not try (or even think about) poaching a seat beforehand. And just like how Mother Nature has a way of moving things along, by the time you order and pay, there’ll be a table free for you. The same applies to the parking lot. Pick up trucks and luxury vehicles alike wait patiently for a spot. And the turnover is quick. Maple & Motor’s ’greased stained tribute to low class cool’ has garnered quite a cult following here in the BigD. No wonder DMagazine honored it with it’s Best Burger accolade 2010. It’s personable owner, Jack Perkins wanders round greeting regulars by name and shaking hands with patrons like old friends.

Perrfection in a burger!

Ok. Now to the burger.

The ‘No Thank You Bite’

 We’ve all been there, trying to coax/bribe/threaten our kids to eat their meals while they squirm about and turn into artful dodgers. Sometimes we resort to theatrics and put on our best British accents and talk like Charlie from the Charlie and Lola series by Lauren Child. In the book, “I will never not ever eat a tomato“, Lola flat out refuses to eat all sorts of food and clever big brother Charlie tells a funny stories and rebrands them with exciting names

A fair dinkum Aussie Meat Pie here in the US

Australia Day is coming up January 26th and we often have a little hankering of something from our home. We celebrate Australia Day much like what Americans do for Independence Day – it’s a public holiday so we spend it with our family, have a bbq in the backyard, watch the sports (yes it’s universal) and then watch the fireworks. But since it’s cold in the US in January, we’re opting for winter food – a good old fashioned Aussie meatpie , made with minced beef and gravy, topped with a dollop of tomato sauce (aka ketchup here in the US).

Aussie Meat Pie

My favorite Australian pie shop is Australian Bakery Cafe.

Home baked goodness – Little Aprons Bakery

The morning begins with a waft of cinnamon and butter curling through the air as I walk down the stairs.  The table set with our usual breakfast fruit, two fiddly, giggling boys and the source of the home baked aroma - a plate of warm cinnamon buns. Home made cinnamon buns are wonderful for leisurely weekend mornings and for those who don’t bake, it’s comforting to know that we can call on Little Aprons Bakery.

Happy New Year – My Two Year Old Eats Octopus

Happy New Year! As I sat to write down my New Year’s (Foodie) Resolutions, I stumbled across one of my favorite blogs My Two Year Old Eats Octopus byNancy Tringali Piho and thought I would pass on her pearls of wisdom. And my personal New Year’s resolution? … to simplify. I wish you all wonderful things for 2011.

Thank you for reading! Till our next happy meal!

My 2 year old cooks duck

Here is the easiest New Year’s Eve dinner party recipe - slow roasted duck legs with only 2 minutes of prep time. It’s so simple that my two year old Lollo actually makes it sans putting it in and taking it out of the oven of course. We like the Maple Leaf Farms brand which feature a meatier duck leg quarter but most duck legs will work with this recipe. The results are a wonderfully crisp skin wrapped over moist tender meat that’s almost like a confit. We use green peppercorns for its delicate taste especially for the kids and for the holidays we recommend you splurge and get some pink peppercorns too!  The kids love participating and are supremely proud that they cook duck regularly. This recipe is dedicated to my non-cook friend B.

Last minute Santa Cookie – it’s a no bake!

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If you’re looking for a quick recipe or Santa craft idea for kids, my friend, Stacie Martin has the perfect no bake Santa cookie recipe. And you don’t even have to have an artist in the family like Stacie’s husband Christopher of Christopher Martin Gallery to make them look this cute!