Show 102, December 20 2014: Show Preview with Executive Chef Andrew Gruel (Guest Host) and Producer Andy Harris

Executive Chef Andrew Gruel of the rapidly growing Slapfish empire is today’s special Guest Host.

Chef Gruel, a notable seafood authority, will first comment on his identified trends in seafood looking ahead to 2015. He’ll also update us on his experience as a judge on Food Network’s Food Truck Face Off for Season One and talk about a new food TV series he’s part of, currently in production.

CUCINA Enoteca, a California-inspired Italian kitchen and wine shop, opened earlier in the year in 8,300 square feet in Fashion Island. It’s a venture of Tracy Borkum’s San Diego-based Urban Kitchen Group. The very popular predecessor sister restaurant is located in the Irvine Spectrum. Leading the day-to-day kitchen operations in Newport Beach as Chef de Cuisine is Orange County native Brent Omeste, a rising culinary talent. Chef Brent is our guest.

Lorenzi Estate Vineyards and Winery in Temecula is one of the newest wineries in the area and already attracting positive-word-of-mouth among wine connoisseurs. It’s the passion project of magazine publisher Don Lorenzi (Inland Empire Magazine) a self-taught winemaker who resides part-time on the estate. His family has a long history in growing wine grapes. They are best known for bold reds and case production is a boutique 2,000 per year. Darnel Damon-Dias, the dynamic Tasting Room Manager, joins us for a verbal tour.

Houweling’s Tomatoes (Mastery Under Glass,) is a family-owned, world-renowned greenhouse tomato grower with facilities in Camarillo, and Delta, BC. A new facility in Mona, Utah is just coming into production. Founded by Cornelius Houweling as a grower of fresh flowers, it’s now led by his son, Casey. Houweling’s is now dedicated to delivering a full complement of scrumptious tomatoes year-round, while constantly innovating to reduce its environmental footprint. They are also pioneers in branding their premium tomatoes and cucumbers. David Bell, the Chief Marketing Officer for Houwelings, joins us with the fascinating story.

Are you in overdrive contemplating just the right wines to match with that festive holiday food celebration ? Fear not…Our new resident wine expert, Kyle Meyer, President and Director of Purchasing for Best Wines in Santa Ana, gives us some inspired suggestions that should provide the proper inspiration.

Cathy Thomas is the award-winning Food Writer for The Orange County Register. Cathy shares with us her favorite dishes of 2014 and looks ahead to some food trends for 2015. Is cauliflower perhaps the new kale for chefs ?

Cathy was just in New York at The James Beard Foundation as the invited guest presenter at a session of the acclaimed Beard on Books author series. The conversation was Melissa’s 50 Best Plants on the Planet. Cathy will share that special experience at the James Beard House as well as talk about some of the restaurants she visited.

All of this and lots more absolutely incredible deliciousness on Saturday’s show!

December 20: Andrew Gruel, CUCINA Enoteca, Lorenzi Estate Vineyards and Winery, Houweling’s Tomatoes, Best Wines, Cathy Thomas

Podcasts

Segment One: Show Preview with Executive Chef Andrew Gruel (Guest Host) and Producer Andy Harris
Segment Two: Executive Chef Andrew Gruel of Slapfish
Segment Three: Chef Brent Omeste, CUCINA Enoteca, Newport Beach
Segment Four: Lorenzi Estate Vineyards and Winery
Segment Five: Houweling’s Tomatoes
Segment Six: Kyle Meyer, Best Wines
Segment Seven: Cathy Thomas, Food Writer, Orange County Register
Segment Eight: Cathy Thomas, CathyThomasCooks.com

Executive Chef Andrew Gruel of the rapidly growing Slapfish empire is today’s special Guest Host.

Chef Gruel, a notable seafood authority, will first comment on his identified trends in seafood looking ahead to 2015. He’ll also update us on his experience as a judge on Food Network’s Food Truck Face Off for Season One and talk about a new food TV series he’s part of, currently in production.

CUCINA Enoteca, a California-inspired Italian kitchen and wine shop, opened earlier in the year in 8,300 square feet in Fashion Island. It’s a venture of Tracy Borkum’s San Diego-based Urban Kitchen Group. The very popular predecessor sister restaurant is located in the Irvine Spectrum. Leading the day-to-day kitchen operations in Newport Beach as Chef de Cuisine is Orange County native Brent Omeste, a rising culinary talent. Chef Brent is our guest.

Lorenzi Estate Vineyards and Winery in Temecula is one of the newest wineries in the area and already attracting positive-word-of-mouth among wine connoisseurs. It’s the passion project of magazine publisher Don Lorenzi (Inland Empire Magazine) a self-taught winemaker who resides part-time on the estate. His family has a long history in growing wine grapes. They are best known for bold reds and case production is a boutique 2,000 per year. Darnel Damon-Dias, the dynamic Tasting Room Manager, joins us for a verbal tour.

Houweling’s Tomatoes (Mastery Under Glass,) is a family-owned, world-renowned greenhouse tomato grower with facilities in Camarillo, and Delta, BC. A new facility in Mona, Utah is just coming into production. Founded by Cornelius Houweling as a grower of fresh flowers, it’s now led by his son, Casey. Houweling’s is now dedicated to delivering a full complement of scrumptious tomatoes year-round, while constantly innovating to reduce its environmental footprint. They are also pioneers in branding their premium tomatoes and cucumbers. David Bell, the Chief Marketing Officer for Houwelings, joins us with the fascinating story.

Are you in overdrive contemplating just the right wines to match with that festive holiday food celebration ? Fear not…Our new resident wine expert, Kyle Meyer, President and Director of Purchasing for Best Wines in Santa Ana, gives us some inspired suggestions that should provide the proper inspiration.

Cathy Thomas is the award-winning Food Writer for The Orange County Register. Cathy shares with us her favorite dishes of 2014 and looks ahead to some food trends for 2015. Is cauliflower perhaps the new kale for chefs ?

Cathy was just in New York at The James Beard Foundation as the invited guest presenter at a session of the acclaimed Beard on Books author series. The conversation was Melissa’s 50 Best Plants on the Planet. Cathy will share that special experience at the James Beard House as well as talk about some of the restaurants she visited.

All of this and lots more absolutely incredible deliciousness on Saturday’s show!

Andrew GruelToday’s Guest Host is Executive Chef Andrew Gruel of the growing Slapfish empire. He also owns a seafood distributing company to ensure quality for his own restaurants.

Chef Andrew Gruel, a notable seafood authority, will first comment on his identified trends in seafood looking ahead to 2015. He’ll also update us on his experience as a judge on Food Network’s “Food Truck Face Off” for Season One and talk about a new food TV series he’s part of currently in production.

Brent OmesteCUCINA Enoteca, a California-inspired Italian kitchen and wine shop, opened earlier in the year in 8,300 square feet in Fashion Island. It’s a venture of Tracy Borkum’s San Diego-based Urban Kitchen Group. The very popular sister restaurant is located in the Irvine Spectrum.

Leading the day-to-day kitchen operations in Newport Beach as Chef de Cuisine is Orange County native Brent Omeste, a rising culinary talent. The menu is a California spin on rustic Italian fare.

On the menu are variations of luxurious pastas, antipasti, creative pizzas and plates small and large, along with fresh crudos and Chef’s whim seasonal specials. The diverse wine program features more than 250 familiar names, and rare, small-batch varietals for guests to purchase at a retail price, either to enjoy with their meal for a minimal corkage fee or to take home.

Chef Brent Omeste is our guest.

Darnel Damon DiasLorenzi Estate Vineyards and Winery in Temecula is one of the newest wineries in the area. It’s the passion project of magazine publisher Don Lorenzi (Inland Empire Magazine) a self-taught winemaker. He resides on the estate part-time. His family has a long history in growing wine grapes.

They are best known for bold reds and case production is a boutique 2,000 per year. Even though Lorenzi has been making wines from Temecula grapes since 2002, Lorenzi Estates Wines only recently opened Temecula’s newest tasting room.

In 1968, local winemaking legend Philo Biane planted the first of his 400 acres in Temecula. Because Biane lived next door to a family member of winemaker and winery owner Don Lorenzi, it is no small irony that decades later, Lorenzi Estate Vineyards would be part of the original site Biane planted in the 60’s.

Darnel Damon-Dias, the dynamic Tasting Room Manager, joins us for a verbal tasting tour.

David BellHouweling’s Tomatoes (Mastery Under Glass,) is a family-owned, world-renowned greenhouse tomato grower with facilities in Camarillo, and Delta, BC. A new facility in Mona, Utah is on the threshold of production. Founded by Cornelius Houweling as a grower of fresh flowers, it’s now led by his son, Casey.

Houweling’s is dedicated to delivering a full complement of scrumptious tomatoes year-round, while constantly innovating to reduce its environmental footprint. They are also pioneers in branding their premium tomatoes and cucumbers.

Unlike many greenhouse growers who contract product under their name from other growers in Mexico, Canada and the USA, the Houweling’s brand appears only on products they grow. Houweling’s tomatoes are grown from 3rd party verified 100 per cent Non-GMO seeds.

David Bell, the Chief Marketing Officer for Houwelings, joins us with the fascinating story.

Kyle Meyer of Best WiinesAre you in overdrive contemplating just the right wines to match with that festive holiday food celebration?

You’re on the spot…What’s a compliment-worthy match with potato pancakes, brisket, goose or spiral glazed ham ? You also need to be a hero with the perfect bubbly for New Year’s Eve that’s also affordable ?

Fear not…Our new resident wine expert, Kyle Meyer, President and Director of Purchasing for Best Wines in Santa Ana, gives us some inspired suggestions that should provide the proper inspiration.

Cathy ThomasCathy Thomas is the award-winning Food Writer for The Orange County Register. Cathy shares with us her favorite dishes of 2014 and looks ahead to some intriguing food trends for 2015. Is cauliflower perhaps the new kale for discriminating chefs?

Cathy was just in New York at The James Beard Foundation as the invited guest presenter at a session of the acclaimed Beard on Books author series. The conversation was Melissa’s 50 Best Plants on the Planet.

Cathy will share that special experience at the James Beard House as well as talk about some of the restaurants she visited. One of her dining destinations was Gramercy Tavern with Michael Anthony as the current executive chef.

Podcasts

Segment One: Show Preview with Executive Chef Andrew Gruel (Guest Host) and Producer Andy Harris
Segment Two: Executive Chef Andrew Gruel of Slapfish
Segment Three: Chef Brent Omeste, CUCINA Enoteca, Newport Beach
Segment Four: Lorenzi Estate Vineyards and Winery
Segment Five: Houweling’s Tomatoes
Segment Six: Kyle Meyer, Best Wines
Segment Seven: Cathy Thomas, Food Writer, Orange County Register
Segment Eight: Cathy Thomas, CathyThomasCooks.com