Jean Le Boeuf reviews each of the food trucks at Celebration Park

Celebration Park's only downfall is that it's just too dang good.

Since the food truck park opened in November off Bayshore Drive in East Naples, the place has been absolutely and ridiculously packed most days, especially on weekend nights.

Seating is limited. Lines get long. The wait for a drink at the bar can seem endless.

And I'm absolutely and ridiculously in love with it all.

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Clearly foodies in Naples have been waiting (and waiting and waiting) for something like this to open. And so have I.

Celebration Park is the culmination of years of work for local entrepreneur Rebecca Maddox, who sparked a wave of revitalization along Bayshore Drive when she opened Three60 Market in 2012. The waterside cafe, market and wine shop brought new life to the East Naples street, which will soon see the opening of a new brewhouse and condominium community.

Her dream is to turn Bayshore into a destination as well as just another stop along the way. So she rounded up eight independently owned food trucks — serving everything from curry to pizza, seafood to beignets  — and lined them up along a sidewalk that leads to a full-service bar.

It's a beautiful sight.

There's live music. Yard games. A smattering of picnic tables. Parking across the street. (I haven't been able to nail down when parking is free and when it costs $3; better bring $3 just in case.)

I've been eating my way around the place, taste-testing as many meals as I can possibly stomach (and afford). Here are my takes on each of the trucks, in no particular order other than alphabetical:

Dilly's Seafood

A commercial Naples fisherman brings seafood straight from the Gulf waters to the food truck at Celebration Park and to Three60 Market right across the canal, where Dilly's Seafood also does dinner service from 4-9 p.m. each night. And then a Jamaican chef does wondrous things with those catches. Beer-battered sheepshead smothered in a creamy mustard tartar sauce. Limey-bright shrimp ceviche. Lobster Benedict with a crisp-on-the-outside, soft-on-the-inside hashbrown cake. The menu is always changing, but it's always reliable, always so, so good.

Dutchkinz

No matter which food truck you decide to order from, each meal at Celebration Park should finish with banana poffers sticky with a caramel-rum glaze. Dutchkinz has served its traditional Dutch desserts at markets and events throughout the region for years. It has a menu of deep-fried beignets dusted with powdered sugar (the apple ones are an absolute treat) and poffers, which are miniature pancake puffs studded with gooey bits of berries, marshmallows or, for the more savory bites, Gouda cheese or olive tapenade. But if those banana poffers with a bracing glaze are on special, they're a must-try.

Gigi Gourmet

I think I've found one of my new favorite burgers. Wisconsin cheddar cascades down its sides — gooey, golden, gorgeous. Applewood bacon and sauteed mushrooms dot its top. An Angus patty is grilled until juicy and tender. And the best part: a fig and goat cheese spread that sets off a fruity-sweet flavor under all that savory. It's hard to believe food like this comes from a food truck. Lollipop lamb chops. Spicy grilled shrimp tacos. Tender octopus over a bed of greens. Maybe it's not "gourmet" in the Naples sense of the word. But it's certainly food truck gourmet, if there is such a thing.

Gyro2Go

Follow the smells of lamb roasting on a slow-spinning spit and you'll find yourself standing in line for a gyro at Gryos2Go. It's like instinct. An animalistic one, which ends in a tzatziki-covered, hummus-smeared stupor. It happens every time. The truck is operated by Greek native Andreas Visilias. The menu is classically simple: gyros with roasted lamb or chicken, falafel, spinach pies and Greek salads. The baklava is always excellent. The lamb always tender and well-seasoned. The falafel always crumbly and fragrant. Just follow the smells...

Spoil Your Loved Ones With These Unique Foodie Gifts And Gift Hampers

Diwali is just around the corner and Hindu families around the world are getting ready to celebrate the biggest festival of the year. Deepawali is a great time for togetherness and is also a celebration of the good things in life - relationships, food and revelry. A big part of Diwali celebrations is the exchange of gifts between friends and relatives. Usually, people prefer giving gifts that include something sweet and decadent, which are usually ladoos, mithais or nuts and dried fruits. However, Diwali gifts have now evolved to include more mindful and thoughtful eatables, which are not just delicious but also nutritious. A number of hospitality brands have started promoting gift hampers, which are customised to the needs of a whole family as well.

Your options for choosing Diwali 2018 gifts are a dime a dozen and come festive season, you may be spoilt for choice.

Here's a list of 5 Diwali gift hampers with foodie gift options that you are sure to love:

1. Luxurious Gift Hampers by Pullman, New Delhi Aerocity

If you wish to pamper your loved ones with a truly royal Diwali, Pullman's luxury gift hampers are available at Cafe Pluck at New Delhi Aerocity. The hampers contain tea deli, homemade cookies, cake loaves and chocolate bars, assorted nuts, flavoured honey, as well as novel food items like wasabi coated peas. Moreover, there are decorative items like candles and torans to choose from. The hampers start from Rs. 1500 (plus taxes) and go up to Rs. 10,500 (plus taxes).

2. Diwali Hampers by Sheraton Hyderabad

Hotel Sheraton Hyderabad is offering Diwali hampers and goodies, which are available at Cafe Link of the hotel. They have an extensive range of food, wine and gift hampers that are ideal for corporate and personal gifting. They also have a range of bespoke hampers, which can be customised according to your personal preference of champagne and wines, paired with sweet and savoury delicacies.

3. Sattviko Diwali Hampers (Multiple Locations)

If you've been looking for unique and budget options to gift your friends and families on Diwali, then Sattviko's range of Diwali hampers is just what you need. Currently available in eight cities across India - Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Udaipur, Kolkata and Indore - Sattviko's gift hampers contain quirky and nourishing eatables, which your family is sure to love. Items in Sattviko's Diwali hampers include ajwaini flaxseed jar, pan raisins jar, gur chana jar, pudina makhana, pizza khakra chips, etc. The hampers can be ordered from Sattviko's website online.

4. Madbatter Gift Packs And Goodies, Delhi NCR

Rashmi Prasad is a home baker, who is delivering home-baked lucky cookies across Delhi and NCR during Diwali. The gift packs start from Rs. 499, while she is also delivering a range of other delicious desserts, including brownies and Diwali cakes.

5. Festive Hampers From Tasha's Artisan Foods, Delhi NCR

Natasha Minocha of Tasha's Artisan Foods in Gurgaon has curated a number of healthful and delightful Diwali gift hampers containing goodies that range from granola bars and nut bars to cakes and cookies. Orders for the hampers can be placed from their official website, for anywhere across Delhi and NCR.

6. Diwali Hamper From Mother's Kitchen, Delhi

Shivani Malik is a food entrepreneur and the owner of Mother's Kitchen, which specialises in gluten free and vegan goodies. Her special Diwali hamper contains delicious gluten-free products, including protein power balls, coconut and almond cookies, and rose and dry fruits health bars.

7. Diwali Hampers By Confection Connection, Delhi NCR

Confection Connection in Dwarka specialises in handmade chocolates and truffles and they have a range of gifting options for corporate or personal gifts. The hampers start from Rs. 319 onwards and contain delicious sweet delicacies like flavoured chocolates, biscuits, rose bars, chocolate coated nuts, etc.

Can You Lose Weight By Eating Just Potatoes?

Potatoes are typically considered bad for not just your weight, but your overall health. Consuming too much potato in your diet can lead to erratic blood sugar levels, weight gain and a number of other health-related complications. But, what if we told you that there is a potato diet for weight loss, which promises to make you lose weight, by eating only the starchy tuber for some days? The potato diet plan sounds bizarre and it probably is, but some people have sworn that they got the results they desired by just eating the one food, for the period of the diet. The diet is based on the nutritional health benefits that potatoes come with, including health carbohydrates and fibre, as well as some essential vitamins and minerals.

Potatoes are rich in vitamin C, which is nature's immunity pill, as well as good amounts of potassium. Moreover, sweet potatoes contain vitamin A and other important nutrients. So, what makes the potato diet effective in melting the fat away and making a person lose weight? Nothing special, it's just that the potato diet puts you on a calorific deficit, making you lose weight. However, this weight loss isn't sustainable and may not last for long, as you are bound to get back to your normal meals at some point, after the diet ends.

How Does The Potato Diet For Weight Loss Work?

The potato diet for weight loss gained traction after American filmmaker, comedian, actor and author Kevin Smith followed a regime that allowed him to eat just potatoes for two whole weeks, before introducing vegetable stews to his diet. The regime is detailed in the New York Times' bestseller 'Presto!: How I Made Over 100 Pounds Disappear' by Penn Jillette. Before him, former Australian sportsperson Andrew Flinders Taylor claimed to have followed the diet for an entire year and said that he lost 50 Kgs on it! The potato diet is pretty simple to follow and involves the dieter consuming the tuber for all three meals of the day. Taylor consumed all kinds of potatoes and consumed low-calorie potato dishes like mashed potatoes, baked and herbed potatoes for his meals.

He claimed to have experienced a drop in his blood pressure as well as his blood sugar levels. But should you follow it? The diet obviously goes against everything that we've been taught about healthy eating and there are enough red flags in the plan for you to dismiss the diet as a fad diet. There may be anecdotal evidence of the diet working for some people, but one should definitely not follow such extreme diets to lose weight.

Simple process makes for delicious eating

Quick pickling — it's a trend cropping up in many recent culinary conversations.

As the name implies, it's a fast and easy alternative for preparing tongue-tingling fermented vegetables and fruits — minus the time, equipment and steamy kitchen involved in traditional water bath canning.

The ingredients are few — the produce, a pickling solution, some clean jars and a refrigerator.

The process is relatively simple, and the results are delicious — and usually ready to eat in a matter of hours, or days at the most.

What's behind the popularity of quick pickling?

It's the natural outgrowth of other recent food movements, which really aren't so new after all, says Chef Greg Andrews, who operates The Pickled Chef in Latrobe with his wife Ashley Andrews.

They sold 5,500 jars of various pickles last year, with customer favorites being dill pickles, kimchi, hot peppers, dilly beans and asparagus, according to Ashley Andrews. Their shelves feature a wide array of pickled veggies, raw pickled foods, condiments and sauces.

“Fermenting and pickling are thousands of years old,” Greg Andrews says. “The methods are tried and true; they've just been experimented with and improved over the years. Beer, bread, a lot of things we don't even think about, are all fermented.”

Kimchi and curtido

The current interest in global cuisines is one factor driving the trend, the chef says, pointing to the popularity of dishes such as kimchi, the sweet-and-spicy Korean pickled slaw, and curtido, another slaw from south of the border.

The Pickled Chef version of curtido includes carrot, red onion, cabbage, jalapeno, lime juice and cumin. After fermenting for 7 to 9 days, it makes a good accompaniment for tacos, roasted chicken, fish and pork chops, Greg Andrews says.

“Virtually every civilization and every country has its own tradition of pickling,” he says, and diners are increasingly adding those punchy international flavors to their plates.

Next, there's the move toward healthier eating, with gut health taking center stage for many people. Fermented foods introduce desirable bacteria into the digestive system, he says.

Finally, there's the move away from packaged foods and back to fresh, local and sustainable agriculture, illustrated by the increasing numbers of backyard gardens, farmers markets and community supported agriculture programs.

“People want something that tastes like grandma used to make,” Ashley Andrews says. “And we have a great heritage of agriculture around here.”

Hectic pace

With the hectic pace of modern life, many of us don't have days to spend in the kitchen doing traditional canning, so quick pickling is a good alternative, she says.

A basic quick pickling solution includes vinegar, some water and salt. Other herbs and spices can be added for flavor. If you don't like vinegar, you can make a brine with just water and salt.

What's good for pickling?

Tender vegetables and firm fruits, according to Dori Owczarzak, a Washington, Pa.-based extension educator for Penn State Extension.

In addition to the cucumbers, green beans, zucchini and root vegetables commonly used, fruits like apples, pears, cantaloupe and watermelon rind also work well.

“Fruit should be slightly under-ripe and there shouldn't be any bruising,” Owczarzak says.

Quick pickled produce is best eaten soon after it's made, she says.

“I'm not aware of any science-based recommendations for consuming foods that have been quick pickled, so I would default to standard shelf-stable recommendations,” she says.

“There's so much room for error that I would say use only tested recipes and treat (quick pickled foods) like any other food once it's prepared — eat it in 3 or 4 days, or within a week.”

Another reason to get your quick pickles on the table pronto is texture, says Robert Grey, farm educator and outreach coordinator with Grow Pittsburgh.

“If they sit more than a few weeks, they lose their crunchiness,” he says.

No experience needed

Grey also stresses the importance of cleanliness in the preparation process. Since quick pickling doesn't involve sterilization via a hot water bath, make sure your jars are clean.

“If you don't have a clean jar, bad bacteria can build up,” he says. “You'll start to see scum or mold growing on the top of your liquid.”

Aside from that, he says, “don't be afraid to try. Quick pickling is really easy and anyone can do it without any experience.”

Grey says he learned the process about a year and a half ago, in Grow Pittsburgh's urban farm apprenticeship program, which he now manages.

“The most important thing is salt and vinegar. If you don't like vinegar, you can just make a salty brine. Experiment with different herbs.”

Most of Grey's pickling has been done with green beans, turnips, beets and radishes. Lately, he says, he's been adding lemon-flavored herbs like lemon verbena, lemon basil and lemon balm.

“I thought it was really cool how nature created these same flavors over time in different herbs,” he says.

SWEET & TANGY MUSTARD PICKLES

Raw, fermented, refrigerator-style pickles; adapted from a recipe from Ashley Andrew's great-grandmother

Servings: approximately 4 quarts, or 8 pints

Preparation time: 2-4 hours

Ingredients:

• 6 pounds medium-sized (2 to 3 inches) pickling cucumbers

• 4 sterilized standard quart or 8 standard pint canning jars and lids

Pickling Solution

• 1 ⁄ 2 cup pickling salt

• 1 ⁄ 2 cup sugar

• 1 ⁄ 2 cup dry mustard

• 1 tsp. turmeric

• 1 quart vinegar

• 1 quart water

Cut the cucumbers into chunks and place in sterilized canning jars. Make pickling solution by mixing pickling salt, sugar, mustard and turmeric in a 2-quart non-reactive mixing bowl. Slowly pour in the quart of vinegar and quart of water. Stir well, stirring out any lumps.

Carefully pour pickling solution into each jar of pickles, filling to the top. You may need to stir a couple times in between pouring. Put sterilized tops and lids on canning jars and close tightly. Let stand in a cool, dry place for at least three weeks before using, making sure cucumbers remain submerged in the brine.

Refrigerate jars after fermenting.

Now Order Delicious Imported and Gourmet Food Online

Online grocery stores of repute have jumped into the fray. Today these select online stores cater to your longing for gourmet food items.

One can buy imported and gourmet food online easily now, at one's favorite online grocery store. These stores offer an exclusive range of brands in the category of gourmet food. These brands include every product covering international cooking ingredients such as vinegar and olives beside pasta and canned foods as well as noodles, jams and spreads, and sauces. All these products are available from well known international brands. Some of these include Agnesi, Abbie's, Olicoop, Skippy and DANA among many others. With these attractive products, you get to indulge your taste buds.

Rapid Expansion in this Sector
In the last five years, there has been a very rapid expansion in the gourmet retail space that includes online gourmet food. This, in turn, has brought about a strategic shift from the traditional and low-cost products to premium products in the higher range. During the years, the select section of the gourmet food that was consumed by Indians has also radically undergone an amazing change. Indian consumers that were once very conservative in their eating habits, can now be seen showing interest in trying out new products. This change in dietary habits has brought about the availability of foods such as pasta, one of the most popular among the various gourmet foods, with different types of cheeses. Online grocery stores of repute have jumped into the fray. Today these select online stores cater to your longing for gourmet food items. The variety of gourmet products on offer from these stores is covered under:

Canned Food products

Food

Jam, Sauce & Spread and

Pasta and Noodles.

The Reasons Behind Change in Dietary Habits

There are several reasons behind the change in the dietary habits of Indians over the last few years. Their yearning for imported and gourmet food resulted from international wanderings. There is an obvious increase in the number of Indians traveling abroad in the last about five to ten years. As people traveled abroad they became familiar with a large variety of food. The Italian food that uses pasta, vinegar, olive oil, cheeses, and noodles caught the fancy of Indians on account of the simplicity of preparation. To add to this was the fact that kids from all parts of India simply love fast food! We need no coaxing when asked to eat pasta and noodles. This resulted in a rapid change in the dietary habits of Indians almost overnight. The online stores did the rest. They made these food products readily available.

Availability of Imported and Gourmet Food

Under the food section, a typical grocery store such as Quick2Kart would offer Sunsweet Lemon Essence Prune and Sunsweet Prune Juice 1l. Whereas, the same website, under Jam, Sauce & Spread, includes Skippy Reduced Fat Creamy and Skippy Peanut Butter Natural Crunchy.

Websites serving across other parts of the nation also have a good collection woo their customers.

There is no doubt that in the foreseeable future the range of such products is going to expand drastically. This is only natural since online grocery stores are always eager to satisfy what their customers want.

therefore find Article, in the future one will see the number of cheeses multiply. There will be a much larger choice in vinegar and sauces as well as noodles and pasta. One will also see more international brands jostle for space in the leading online grocery stores. Gourmet foods are here to stay.

The online grocery stores are fast filling up with gourmet food products. It will now be possible for you to serve the kind of food – you may have eaten either abroad or in restaurants serving continental preparations – right at your home!