May 11: Cochon 555, Jenn Stoker, Kedric Francis, Vic Vegas, Brandon Boudet

Podcasts

Segment One: Chef Jet Tila
Segment Two: Chef Jennifer Stoker the Chicago-based author of She Cooks, She Scores: The Steamy Stories Behind the Recipes
Segment Three: Kedric Francis, Executive Editor of Coast (monthly) as well as the co-founding editor of the new OC Register Magazine (appearing twice monthly with the Monday edition of the Orange County Register.) Part One
Segment Four: Kedric Francis, Executive Editor of Coast (monthly) as well as the co-founding editor of the new OC Register Magazine (appearing twice monthly with the Monday edition of the Orange County Register.) Part Two
Segment Five: Chef Vic Vegas, chef/proprietor of Vic’s restaurant in Anthem, NV, a suburb of Henderson
Segment Six: Chef Brandon Boudet, Executive chef and co-proprietor of Dominick’s, Little Dom’s and Tom Bergin’s

Incredible food with a lot of variety is on the menu for this week. It’s pork, a taste of Chicago, a dine-around in the OC, crawfish broil with New Orleans seasoning and inspiration, and yummy Venezuelan food hidden in plain sight in Las Vegas! Bring it on…

Chef Jet Tila host of the SoCal Restaurant ShowLast Sunday our own Chef Jet competed as one of five esteemed teams in the highly competitive Los Angeles stop of the 5th Anniversary tour of Cochon 555. It’s intense…

Each selected chef was tasked with creating five original dishes using all parts of a Heritage pig. The winner was decided by a team of 20 judges and the votes of the 400 pork-loving attendees.

The winning Los Angeles team now moves on to the National Finals in Aspen on June 16th as part of the celebrated Aspen Food & Wine Classic.

Jet will share his ringside observations on the competition.

 

 

Jenn StokerChef Jenn Stoker is a Chicago-based personal chef and graduate of the prestigious Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park.

Along the way she has perfected some fun recipes and interesting relationships. She has put all of this into her book, She Cooks, She Scores: A Satisfying Collection of Tastes and Tales.

Here’s what a reviewer had to say : “This accomplished chef and author has combined her talents and life experiences to bring us along her life journey with an inside look at her passion for cooking, life, and love.”

“Most Cookbooks are technical and without any flavor. Chef Jenn breaks it down as if you are in the kitchen with her. She doesn’t stop there! She turns the heat up a little with recipes that were inspired by ex-boyfriends! Mamma Mia!“

Perceptive journalist and veteran editor Kedric Francis has been on the Orange County scene for seventeen years. He is currently the Executive Editor of Coast (monthly) as well as the co-founding editor of the new OC Register Magazine. Previously he was the founding editor-in-chief of Riviera as well as Riviera San Diego.

Kedric is going to share his perspective on the dining out scene in Orange County as compared to dining out in Los Angeles County. He’s also discussing the differences he notes in restaurant criticism in each area.

It’s voting time for the best restaurants section in the OC Register’s annual Best of OC publication. Reader/public voting is on now through the end of May.

Vic VegasMany of you may remember the name Vic Vegas from a recent season of the popular Food Network series, Food Network Star. Vic originally looked like a weird MMA fighter turned chef, but it turned out he’s really a Mama’s Boy from Jersey with some great Italian recipes.

Fast forward two years, and now Vic has his own restaurant, aptly titled Vic’s, in the Las Vegas suburb of Anthem, Nevada. It’s only been open two months and it already has a great following.

Vic will share his experiences of opening the new restaurant, what’s on the menu and what he thinks about the upcoming season of Food Network Star, about to hit the airwaves in just a couple of weeks.

Brandon Boudet of Dominick’s, Little Dom’s and Tom Bergin’sNew Orleans native, Chef Brandon Boudet, is the co-owner of Dominick’s, Little Dom’s and Tom Bergin’s.

On Saturday, May 18th and May 25th from Noon to 4:00 p.n. Chef Boudet is holding his 4th Annual Crawfish Boil on the patio at Dominick’s. It’s 300 pounds of fresh Louisiana crawfish cooked at each event!

It’s a real taste of New Orleans in Los Angeles!

Also on the menu are Boudet’s New Orleans specialties including Po’ Boys and Crawfish Boiled Artichokes with Remoulade. For dessert there are New Orleans Sno Balls.

Podcasts

Segment One: Chef Jet Tila
Segment Two: Chef Jennifer Stoker the Chicago-based author of She Cooks, She Scores: The Steamy Stories Behind the Recipes
Segment Three: Kedric Francis, Executive Editor of Coast (monthly) as well as the co-founding editor of the new OC Register Magazine (appearing twice monthly with the Monday edition of the Orange County Register.) Part One
Segment Four: Kedric Francis, Executive Editor of Coast (monthly) as well as the co-founding editor of the new OC Register Magazine (appearing twice monthly with the Monday edition of the Orange County Register.) Part Two
Segment Five: Chef Vic Vegas, chef/proprietor of Vic’s restaurant in Anthem, NV, a suburb of Henderson
Segment Six: Chef Brandon Boudet, Executive chef and co-proprietor of Dominick’s, Little Dom’s and Tom Bergin’s

Show 19, March 2, 2013: Liz Williams, President and Director, Southern Food and Beverage Museum, New Orleans

Liz WilliamsThe Southern Food and Beverage Museum will soon move into their new, spacious, and greatly expanded, facility in the next few months. Within the Museum is the prominent “Museum of the American Cocktail”.

In New Orleans : A Food Biography Elizabeth M. Williams, a New Orleans native, takes readers through the history of the city, showing how the natural environment and people have shaped the cooking we all love.

Beignets, Po’ Boys, gumbo, jambalaya, Antoine’s. New Orleans’ celebrated status derives in large measure from its incredibly rich food culture, based mainly on Creole and Cajun traditions.

The narrative starts by describing the indigenous population and material resources, then reveals the contributions of the immigrant populations, delves into markets and local food companies, and finally discusses famous restaurants, drinking culture, cooking at home and cookbooks, and signature food dishes.

March 2: New Orleans, Las Vegas and Laguna Beach foodies

Podcasts

Segment One: Liz Williams, President and Director, Southern Food and Beverage Museum, New Orleans
Segment Two: Executive Chef Rick Moonen of rm seafood at The Shoppes at Mandalay Place in Las Vegas
Segment Three: Nancy Milby, co-founder of Laguna Beach Uncorked! An International Wine & Food Fest! and Executive Director of Laguna Culinary Arts, Inc.
Segment Four: Brock Radke, Food and Web Editor for Las Vegas Weekly
Segment Five: Jim Colombo, General Manager of Five Crowns and SideDoor in Corona del Mar
Segment Six: Dining at Urasawa in Beverly Hills and Highlights from “A Taste of Harlem in Baldwin Hills” at Post & Beam

It’s tempting food from New Orleans, Las Vegas, and Laguna Beach this week. Also a preview of an inspired Newport Beach Public Library Foundation series to teach kids about cooking.

elizabeth_m_williamsElizabeth (Liz) M. Williams is the founder and president of the Southern Food and Beverage Museum in New Orleans, which celebrates the food of the American South with exhibits, a library, archives, collections, and programming.

Her new book is New Orleans: A Food Biography.

Beignets, Po’ Boys, gumbo, jambalaya, Antoine’s. New Orleans’ celebrated status derives in large measure from its incredibly rich food culture, based mainly on Creole and Cajun traditions. At last, this world-class destination has its own food biography. Elizabeth M. Williams, a New Orleans native, takes readers through the history of the city, showing how the natural environment and people have shaped the cooking we all love. The narrative starts by describing the indigenous population and material resources, then reveals the contributions of the immigrant populations, delves into markets and local food companies, and finally discusses famous restaurants, drinking culture, cooking at home and cookbooks, and signature food dishes.

Rick Moonen of rm seafood in Las VegasRick Moonen of rm seafood at The Shoppes at Mandalay Place is one of those unusual celebrity chefs in Las Vegas with a namesake restaurant. Las Vegas is his home and he actually lives there.

Chef Moonen is recognized for his considerable talents in preparing seafood. He is also a pioneer in the sustainable seafood movement.

On Thursday evening, March 15th Chef Moonen will be joined by Chef Matthew Accarrino (former chef de cuisine of Restaurant RM) of SPQR in San Francisco to present a five-course, seafood lover’s meal (with wine pairings) to benefit Three Square Food Bank in Las Vegas.

Laguna Beach UncorkedThe 2nd Annual Laguna Beach Uncorked is set for Saturday, March 9th at the Laguna Beach Festival of the Arts grounds from 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. It’s an indulgent afternoon of tastings from 20 prominent Laguna Beach restaurants and 30 top wineries from around the world. Proceeds benefit CHOC Children’s Hospital in Orange County.

One of the founders of the festival, Nancy Milby, the Executive Director of Laguna Culinary Arts, Inc., will be with us to preview Laguna Beach Uncorked! An International Wine & Food Fest!

Brock Radke of Las Vegas WeeklyOur eyes and ears in Las Vegas, Brock Radke, is back with us. Brock is the Food and Web Editor for the Las Vegas Weekly there and a genuine insider.

Inspired by Bon Appetit’s newly announced 20 Most Important Restaurants in America, Brock put together his own list for Las Vegas. He joins us to discuss his picks.

Kids Cook is the first program in the new series, Making Memories for Children from the Newport Beach Public Library Foundation.

It’s a three-part culinary adventure under the expert direction of Jim Colombo, General Manager of Five Crowns in Corona del Mar. Jim is also an accomplished chef by training.

Making Memories for Children from the Newport Beach Library FoundationThe first session is on Sunday, March 10th in the garden at Five Crowns. It’s an introduction to a variety of fresh herbs, fruits and vegetables, followed by a hands-on lesson in preparing simple, delicious treats.

The program continues on March 17th and 24th.

Podcasts

Segment One: Liz Williams, President and Director, Southern Food and Beverage Museum, New Orleans”
Segment Two: Executive Chef Rick Moonen of rm seafood at The Shoppes at Mandalay Place in Las Vegas
Segment Three: Nancy Milby, co-founder of Laguna Beach Uncorked! An International Wine & Food Fest! and Executive Director of Laguna Culinary Arts, Inc.
Segment Four: Brock Radke, Food and Web Editor for Las Vegas Weekly
Segment Five: Jim Colombo, General Manager of Five Crowns and SideDoor in Corona del Mar
Segment Six: Dining at Urasawa in Beverly Hills and Highlights from “A Taste of Harlem in Baldwin Hills” at Post & Beam