Show 237, August 19, 2017: Phyllis Hinz & Lamont Mackay, The Cooking Ladies Part Two

Phyllis Hinz and Lamont Mackay are the Cooking LadiesAccomplished travel journalists, cookbook authors and chefs, Phyllis Hinz and Lamont Mackay. have taken on a new life chapter as the well-traveled “The Cooking Ladies.” We continue our conversation with them.

The pair of RV-travel companions have decades of culinary wisdom behind them and thousands of miles of blacktop in the rear-view mirror. Their entertaining new cookbook and travel journal is On The Road With The Cooking Ladies – Let’s Get Grilling.

The book chronicles their latest adventure, collecting tales of culinary and cultural encounters from roadhouses to back country smoke pits, with recipes that pay tribute to the do-it-yourself spirit of the classic North American cookout.

Having surveyed a whole continent of grilling ideas, The Cooking Ladies encourage readers to expand their own horizons with regional specialties like Hot Brown and Brined Turkey Breast or Loco Moco, alongside dozens of unbeatable recipes for ribs, roasts, chicken wings, pork loin, grilled veggies, and much, much more.

We discuss some of their nine years of travel adventures in Bar Harbor, Maine, The Big Island of Hawaii, Temecula, CA and Northern Alabama and other destinations which inspired recipes in the book.

 

Show 139, September 26, 2015: Executive Chef Eric Klein of Wolfgang Puck’s Spago Las Vegas

Eric KleinExecutive Chef Eric Klein of Spago Las Vegas is no stranger to the “SoCal Restaurant Show.” In the last couple of weeks he has cooked a private dinner for The President, been the celebrity guest chef aboard Holland America Line’s ms Maasdam on a 7-day Northeast Canada Discovery voyage, and been at-the-stoves with Wolfgang Puck as the host chef at one of the most prestigious annual charity funds-raisers in Las Vegas.

We’ll chat about his incredible five-course, farm-to-table lunch Chef Eric cooked on the fly in Bar Harbor, Maine at The Looking Glass Restaurant there with Host Chef Matt McPherson. The Chefs had never cooked together previously. The Captain of the ms Maasdam was one of the fortunate attendees.

Last week Chef Eric was the host chef for Chef Wolfgang Puck’s 3rd annual “Sip & Savor” benefit at Spago Las Vegas. It benefits Keep Memory Alive.

It’s a mix-and-mingle, wine-and-dine event which gave the guests the opportunity to indulge in an interactive culinary affair sampling the signature cuisine of each of Puck’s six Las Vegas restaurants, paired with a number of Chef Puck’s favorite wines.

We’ll catch-up with Chef Eric. He’s at the Saturday morning Downtown Summerlin Farmers Market. Spago Las Vegas is selling limited-production artisan bread there (baked in their own kitchen) as part of their local community outreach.

 

Show 138, September 12, 2015: Bar Harbor, Maine’s The Bluenose Hotel and The Looking Glass Restaurant

Looking Glass RestaurantThe Bluenose is a classic hilltop hotel property with a spa in scenic Bar Harbor, Maine at the gateway to Acadia National Park. It’s old-fashioned hospitality with elegant accommodations and all the modern touches. The magnificent ocean vistas are unrivaled.

The adjacent Looking Glass Restaurant offers superb local fare for breakfast and dinner with an incredible view of Frenchman Bay. Its inviting patio deck is even pet-friendly.

Newly arrived Executive Chef Matt McPherson and property GM Jim Ash are following a vision to fill diners’ plates with locally caught seafood, Maine cheeses, meats raised in the area and in sustainable ways and fresh, local vegetables. Much of the produce comes from an on-site garden located just below the restaurant.

“I think the local movement is one of the most important things with food right now, where people are so disconnected with where they’re getting everything from,” Chef McPherson said. “People are used to the whole mass-quantity perfection, and that’s not really what food is. I think if we can get into the localized cooking and what food is supposed to be and kind of push that slowly, that’s the wave of the future.”

The Wine Spectator Award-winning list includes a fine selection of California wines in addition to some quality Maine selections. The portfolio of local craft beers from Atlantic Brewing Co. is also available including a couple of selections on tap. You can’t get any more local than the blueberry ale.

General Manager & Co-Owner Jim Ash and Executive Chef Matt McPherson are our guests.