Giveaway: Pinkberry Swirlygram Gift Card, for Your Valentine

Now you can send the Pinkberry-lover in your life a special Valentine's delivery. From Feb 11-14, Pinkberry will hand deliver their famous frozen yogurt with toppings, gift card, or a take-home container of fro-yo complete with special V-day wrapping, balloons, and a note.
Candygram? It's Swirlygram.
All you have to do is go to a Pinkberry store and place your order (delivery is available within a certain radius of each store). You can also order online here, but that one doesn't come with balloons.

To get you going, Pinkberry is giving away a $10 Swirlygram gift card!

$10 is good for one Cupid's Swirl (prices include delivery), or pay the difference for anything else. I recommend the Blood Orange Pinkberry topped with blood orange slices.

I thought about making you tell me who you're sending it to, but I don't want to embarass people, so all you have to do is leave a comment with your contact info below.

Contest will end at NOON on Tuesday Feb 8th, leaving plenty of time for the gift card to be mailed to you.

Giveaway: Chef's Coat

If you're a chef, an aspiring chef, or just think you'd look cool in a chef's coat, this giveaway is for you!

Toughweld, an online workwear store, has offered to give away their bestselling chef's coat, the double-breasted coat with pearl buttons. Toughweld sells all kinds of work apparel from hospitality to chef's coat to flame resistant and safety gears.

To enter: just leave a comment below with your email address and your size.
To get extra entries, tweet about the giveaway or share it on facebook (be sure to refer to my handle @gourmetpigs or link it to my fb page so I can keep track of the entries).

The contest will end midnight of next Thursday, Jan 20.

Good luck!

A Second Chance: VIP Tickets to Pasadena Wine Festival Giveaway

Yes, it's another giveaway for Pasadena Wine Festival. This time they're upping the game and giving out TWO PAIRS of VIP tickets (worth $85 each), which gets you all the wine you'd care to drink in both the main and VIP tasting area, plus some food provided by Pala Casino.

The requirements are more demanding this time though. To enter to win, they want you to post on Pasadena Wine Festival's facebook EVENT page the following message:
"Gourmet Pigs, I want VIP tickets to the Pasadena Wine Festival!"

Now, the message has to link to both my facebook page and their facebook page, as above, which means you'd have to "like" both facebook pages if you haven't already and add an @ in front of the page names!
Once you post the message, let me know with a comment here.

The contest will end at midnight Wednesday Oct 6th and I will let the winners know on Thursday. Good luck!

Giveaway: Tickets to Pasadena Wine Festival

The second Pasadena Wine Festival is coming to the Los Angeles Arboretum on Saturday, October 9 from 2pm-10pm.

There will be wines from many regions in California, Spain, and Australia (see the participants here).

To soak up all that wine and fuel you up for a walk around the arboretum there will be samples and food for purchase from World Fare Bustaurant, The Dosa Truck, The Grilled Cheese Truck, Crepe 'N Around, Border Grill Truck, and Sprinkles.

I really wanted to go, walk around the arboretum while drinking wine myself but alas, I'll be out of the country. YOU can go though!

They're giving away FIVE PAIRS of general admission tickets ($28 value per ticket) to the festival which gets you:
admission to the arboretum to enjoy a tram tour (usually arboretum admission and tram tour would cost you $12), live music, food samples from the vendors, and you can sample wines from all the participating wineries for $1 each.

To win a pair, just leave a comment below with your email.
Get extra entries by tweeting: "Win tickets to Pasadena Wine Festival @PasWineFest via @gourmetpigs http://bit.ly/9E5eCW"
Leave another comment letting me know you did so though, so I can keep track!

Contest ends on September 30. There are five pairs to give away so you have pretty good chances. Good luck!

Giveaway: $50 Gift Certificate!

I've hosted a couple of giveaways from CSN Stores before and now they've asked me to host yet another one!

They are giving away a $50 gift certificate to be used at any of their online stores which sell everything from kitchen tables to cutlery to toys.

Even though the gift certificate wont cover shipping, a majority of their items are eligible for free shipping. The previous contest winner got crepe pans and other things and I've gotten a new blender (broke my old one while bartending) and shoe racks before, all with free shipping.

Here's how to enter:
1. Leave your email address in the comments below.
2. Get an extra entry when you "like" my Facebook page.

You have 1 week to enter. The contest will end at midnight Tuesday, September 14.
Good luck!

Giveaway: Tickets to Munch LA - CANCELLED

UPDATE: THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED!
**********************************************

Fundraising with cookies and Krispy Kreme is so last year. This year it's all about food trucks!

That goes for school fundraising too.
Fairfax Highschool is holding a one day festival called Munch LA featuring 30 food trucks, culinary demos, even designer shopping (shopping for Paige Denim or T Bags dresses while munching on kimchi fries?). There will be complimentary drinks from sponsors including Hansen's Natural Soda.



Participating trucks include India Jones, Ahn-Joo, Dim Sum Truck, Frysmith, Tropical Shaved Ice and way more (full list here).

Tickets are $7 pre-sale and $10 at the door but for the next 3 weeks, Munch LA is giving away one pair of tickets per week!
I'll be drawing the name from all the comments below, so the earlier you enter, the more chances you'll have to win! I'll be drawing names at midnight of Sunday 9/5, Friday 9/10, and Wednesday 9/15.

How do you enter?
1. Just leave your email address in the comments below.
2. You'll get ONE extra entry if you either:

• Tweet: "Win a pair of tickets to @MunchLA on @gourmetpigs http://bit.ly/9PtmsM"
• or "Like" my Facebook page. But either way you'll have to leave a separate comment to let me know.

Good luck!

Munch LA
11am-5pm. Fairfax High School, 7850 Melrose Ave, LA 90046
Free parking on-site (first come first serve).

Giveaway: LA County Fair Tickets + Wine Tasting Vouchers!

As you may know, the Los Angeles County Fair kicks off this weekend!

Their PR contacted me to do a giveaway so I'm giving away a PAIR of tickets to the LA County Fair along with some wine tasting vouchers you can use to sample some of the winners of the LA International Wine & Spirits awards.

Besides the usual fair foods (like the bacon-wrapped oreos and deep-fried everything) the food trucks will also be coming to the Fair to keep you sated between the rodeo and circus shows.

Here's how you can enter:

1. Leave a comment below with your name and email address.
2. Get an extra entry by "liking" my Facebook page. If you already have, then you'd automatically get the extra entry.

Since the Fair will start this weekend and we want to get you the tickets as soon as possible, you have until midnight on Sunday, September 5 to enter. Good luck!

Giveaway: $50 Gift Certificate to Roy's!

Roy's Restaurant recently launched a promotion for the LA (and surrounding areas) locations called the L.A. Ohana Tour. Here's how it works:

You visit a participating Roy's restaurant and get an Ohana Tour card. Bring this on your second visit and you will receive a free Chocolate Souffle (w/ purchase of entree) !
Come to another participating Roy's again, and you will receive a $20 gift card (w/ purchase of entree) and also be entered into a sweepstake to win a trip to Hawaii.

To make it even easier on you to make that first visit, they are giving away a $50 gift certificate to any participating Roy's location! They include Anaheim, Los Angeles, Newport Beach, Pasadena, and Woodland Hills.

To enter, just leave a comment below with your contact information.

*Get an extra entry by sharing about this giveaway on twitter (tweet: "Enter to win $50 Gift Certificate to Roy's from @gourmetpigs ~ http://bit.ly/bXj1G2")
or facebook. Leave another comment letting me know you've done so, so I can keep track.

You have until midnight of Friday, July 9. Good luck!

Giveaway: Wine Competition Swag Bag + Tickets to LA County Fair

I was recently invited to preview/taste the winning wines of the 71st Los Angeles International Wine & Spirits Competition, selected from 3,165 wines by 75 judges. Alas, I can't attend the preview because I'm out of town, but they generously offered a gift bag for me to give away to one lucky reader!

The gift bag, valued at $75, will include:

• A variety of spirits and olive oil samples from this year's competition.
• A pair of tickets to the L.A. County Fair
• Vouchers to the wine-tasting seminars at this year's Fair.

Before you enter, make sure you can attend the L.A. County Fair!





You can get up to 2 entries. Here's how to enter:
1. Leave a comment with your contact information below.
2. Tweet: "Win a gift bag($75 value) from LA Int'l Wine Competition via @gourmetpigs! Enter here: http://bit.ly/afgZxL "
Once you tweet, leave me a separate comment telling me you did so (easier for me to count the entries this way).


Once you win, I will contact you for your mailing address and they will mail you your gift bag.

You have until midnight on Thursday, June 17 to enter. Good luck!

~~~~~~~~~~

Also, the LA International Wine & Spirits Competition is also holding a fundraiser, Wine & Cars Under the Stars, where for the first time the public can taste the winning wines. Taking place on June 19, tickets for this event are $100 each and benefit The Learning Centers at Fairplex, which offers educational programming for the community.

Giveaway: $80 for (Almost) Anything!

Remember the pasta maker giveaway that 97 of you didn't win?
Well, here's a chance to get that again, and more! Or get an ice cream maker instead, or whatever you want.

The same company, CSN Stores, approached me to do another giveaway. This time the giveaway is an $80 gift certificate to spend on whatever you want on any of their 200+ online stores. They have online stores selling everything from the pasta maker you didn't win, the Le Creuset dish you've been wanting, to Bar Furniture, to baby cribs.

You can go to their main page at http://www.csnstores.com/ and browse through them! One thing though, the $80 certificate won't cover your shipping fee (but they do have free shipping on a lot of their items).


You can get up to 2 entries. Here's how to enter:
1. Leave a comment with your contact information below and what you might buy from CSN Stores.
2. Tweet: "Win $80 to spend at @CSNStores from @gourmetpigs! Here's how: http://bit.ly/aMSniM"
Once you tweet, leave me a separate comment telling me you did so (easier for me to count the entries this way).


You have until the end of next Friday June 4 (midnight) to enter. Good luck!

Giveaway: Mendocino Farms Tasting Event!

Mendocino Farms is LA's new favorite sandwich spot ever since they opened their downtown location.

Sourcing artisanal bread, local and sustainable produce from farmer's markets, chef Judy Han brings in not only slow food movement influences but also tries to reconstruct "fine dining" favorites into a sandwich form. The results? Braised Lamb sandwich, French Onion Soup melt, and Kurobuta pork belly banh mi that have garnered the attention of LA Times, Tasting Table, and various blogs.

Now Mendocino Farms is expanding to the westside, Marina del Rey to be exact, and they are holding a Pre-Opening Party and Tasting Event next Tuesday (4/27) at 6:30 PM. The event is Invite only BUT they have offered FIVE spots for my readers!
One of them could be you!

Want to join us for the tasting party?
Just leave a comment below with your contact info or contact me directly! Please be sure you'll be available to attend the party.
Tweet about the giveaway to get an extra entry:
"Attend @MendocinoFarms' Pre-Opening Party&Tasting via @gourmetpigs. Enter here: http://bit.ly/bwh4EU"

You'll have until the end of Saturday to enter, so that I won't have attendees make last minute plan changes!

Giveaway: Your Own Home Pasta Machine!

I was recently approached to hold a giveaway by someone from CSN Stores, which operates over 200 online stores including those selling tableware and kitchenware from microwaves and eco-friendly fridges and cookware sets to Rachael Ray Cookware -- I don't watch her but someone gave my her fondue set for Christmas. Some people have told me her products are actually pretty good, and they do look cute.

They asked me to choose something for the giveaway, and here was my pick (and I hope you guys like it):

CucinaPro Imperia Home Pasta Machine S150, which has a 6" wide roller and spaghetti and fettucine cutter ~TA DA!
You know you want to eat fresh, handmade pasta for dinner at home. Forget those dried, pre-packaged stuff.

So, how to win your very own pasta machine? You just have to promise to make me some pasta once a month for the rest of your life.
Nah, I kid, I kid~ (but I won't refuse if you offer).

It's the usual deal + a teeny bit more:
Leave a comment below with your contact info and tell me what would be the first dish you'll try to cook with your new pasta machine!

Easy enough, no? You have until midnight of next Tuesday, January 26th (PST).

Good luck to all!

Giveaway: All-purpose Cooking Sauce!

I had been asked by Country Bob's, a small company that makes signature all-purpose sauce, and other sauces such as bbq sauces etc, to hold a giveaway for a couple bottles of their All-Purpose Sauce!
(image taken from their website)

I didn't want to hold the giveaway without first trying out the product and reviewing it, so this took me a while ... Last week I finally invited my friends who helped me move a couple months back and told them I was cooking steak for them.

Bought a pack of rib eyes and a kiwi. Marinated the steaks in the sauce and the juices from a kiwi (It's supposed to tenderize the meat, or so I've heard). I wish I could marinate it longer, but I procrastinated as usual.
I didn't have a grill :( So I had to cook it in a pan. Add some brussel sprouts cooked with olive oil and potatoes, give the guys a bottle of beer, and voila! :P
Looks pretty good, I think :P Tasted pretty good too. Unlike other steak sauces, Country Bob's is on the sweeter side rather than the spicy. It still has a bit of spice to it, but I think this sauce would work very well for marinating rather than for dousing your meats. Our rib-eyes turned out well and we didn't need to put any sauce on top.

All you cooks out there, win a bottle and give them a try! :)
Just leave a comment below with your email/contact info, or if you're uncomfortable doing that, email it to me directly at gourmetpigs@gmail.com

I will choose a couple of winners a couple of weeks from now!

Giveaway+Review: Pineapple Jerky!!

I was recently approached by Doug from Jerky.com to review their products and hold a giveaway on my site!
I checked out their website after that, of course. Jerky.com has a wide variety of beef jerky but I was most excited to see Venison, Elk, Buffalo and Ostrich jerky sections!

Apparently they are coming out with their own brand of jerky in March, but in the meantime they are holding this giveaway for some Pineapple Jerky. Yes, yes, pineapple jerky! I was originally expecting some beef jerky marinated in pineapple juice or something when I heard "pineapple jerky" but it truly was Pineapple, marinated in honey.

When I opened one of these bags in the car, the aroma just permeated the air and my friend who's driving just turned around and said "Whoaaa! That smells good!"
The pineapple jerky is chewy with a pretty concentrated pineapple flavor, but it's actually quite sweet (probably due to the honey). I love how this is not that tart, as the tartness of pineapples usually leave a bad aftertaste in my throat.

I can't really say I've had pineapple "jerky" before so if I were to say "this is the best ..." that wouldn't really fly would it :P ? Well, as far as "preserved pineapple of some sort" goes, this is the best one I've had.

I did check out the price afterwards and currently a 1/4 lb bag is going for $9.99 (retail $14.99) on their site - not cheap indeed, but the superior quality definitely shows. This would tend towards the higher end snack splurges for me.

In the meantime, though, you guys can win a bag for FREE! (who doesn't love free stuff, huh?)

So just leave your email address (or just some way to contact you) in the comments below, or if you don't want to leave your contact info, you can also just email me at gourmetpigs@gmail.com

Anniversaries, Giveaways, Fat, and Pungentness

My one year blogiversary is coming up! Is that a real word or did I just make it up?
Anyways, I decided to do not one, but TWO special things to celebrate!! (celebrating is just an excuse, I just want to do it)
I need your input and I'm turning this into my one-year-anniversary-blog-giveaway-contest.

So the background: I am planning: 1) a foie gras crawl, and 2) a durian crawl.
Am I kidding? Am I /ever/ kidding? I am totally serious. Not on the same day of course.
Well, maybe.

So here's what I've come up with for #1) foie gras w/ eggplant at Orris, and foie gras with mac&cheese and black truffles at Chaya Brasserie. What other particular foie gras dish should I include? The rule is that it has to be on their regular menu - otherwise the whole plan will go down the drain!

For #2) durian smoothie from Simpang Asia, sticky rice with durian --> where?
Fresh durian from the Ranch 99 in SGV area. Any other durian foodstuff and where can I get them?

So
THE RULES:
You guys post what dish I should get for either #1 or #2 and where.
Post your suggestions in the comments section and include your email address so I can contact the winner.
You have until the date of my first post - Oct 23rd.

THE PRIZE: Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations DVD