10/3/11 – When we left the KCC Farmers Market on Saturday, our tour guide pointed out Diamond Head Market and praised their scones, which are locally famous. Little did we know that she’d bring a box of scones on our North Shore farm tour two days later. Blueberry scones are best known, but my preference was banana, with soft, sweet fruit, and a sticky, muffin top-like texture.

10/3/11 – Before Waialua Estate processes their 70% dark chocolate, they have to have to slice open the pods and process the cacao. We got a raw taste on their farm. with sweet mucilage surrounding bitter seeds.

10/5/11 – My college friend Brad was in Anaheim for an IT convention and he snuck away to join me for Vietnamese food at Thanh My, one of the better late night Little Saigon dining options. Our meal included rice with vermicelli, pork, shrimp and quail egg, cooked in a sizzling pot.

10/7/11 – Our kickoff for Baja Culinary Fest led us to Mision 19, where Julian Cox, Joe Panarello, John Sedlar and Kevin Luvande joined host autor Javier Plascencia in preparing a marathon 10-course meal alongside noted Mexican chefs Angel Vasquez and Pablo Salas.

10/8/11 – At Saturday’s Baja Culinary Fest tasting pavilion, one of my first bites was of a quesadilla involving three local Quesos Sta. Brigida cheeses: plain, herbed and tomato, from a woman with a family that’s been making cheese for 45 years.

10/8/11 – One of the aspects that’s made Tacos Salceados so compelling is their accompaniments, which not only includes grilled scallions and chiles gueros, but also their deluxe salsas, which during our latest visit included peanut, almond, tamarind and habanero.

10/9/11 – One of the reasons Baja is garnering so much attention is their incredible seafood, and El Mazateno piles it into corn and flour tortillas. One of the tacos that hit our communal table starred local marlin.

10/9/11 – Our Sunday tasting tour concluded at Erizo Cebicheria, the second latest venture from chef Javier Plascencia. He recently expanded his ceviche concept to include a seafood market, which is where he inspected a geoduck clam.

10/9/11 – Tijuana tour organizer Bill Esparza of Street Gourmet LA Bill Esparza finally took a breather before we boarded the bus to join Javier Plascencia for a photo at Erizo Cebicheria.