Show 559, January 6, 2024: Chef Keith Corbin and Shelbi Johnson, The LA Chef Con / LATTC Student Mentorship Program

Keith Corbin of Alta Adams

One of the new programming elements in the recently concluded LA Chef Conference 2023 was the activation of the LA Chef Con / Los Angeles Trade Technical College (LATTC) Student Mentorship Program. Five outstanding LATTC Culinary Arts Pathway Students were each awarded $1,000 and then paired with a leading industry mentor for one year with the objective of furthering their growth and education on the Culinary Arts. The Mentorship Program was funded by a grant from Lawry’s Restaurants.

One of the Mentorship Program’s recipients is LATTC Culinary Arts Pathway student Shelbi Johnson. Shelbi has been paired with Chef/Proprietor Keith Corbin of Alta Adams in Los Angeles. We’ll meet them both.

Alta Adams in the West Adams neighborhood of Los Angeles just celebrated their 5th Anniversary. New operating hours for 2024 are Dinner served Tuesday through Sunday and Brunch service Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

When Shelbi was previously a high school student at LACES in the C-CAP Program she was one of 2 winners in the Beaver Creek Recipe Soup Contest. She was awarded a $5,000 scholarship and a trip to Beaver Creek, Colorado.

Show 558, December 30, 2023: Chili Crisp – 50+ Recipes to Satisfy Your Spicy, Crunchy, Garlick Cravings with Food Writer James Park

Cookbook Author James Park

For the uninitiated “Chili Crisp (a Chinese condiment) is a magical sauce that tingles with heat, crunches with fried garlic and onions, and pleasantly coats any food with oily goodness. Stir it into soup, toss it with noodles, drizzle it on warm, buttery biscuits. It’s both a foodie obsession and a surprise secret weapon for adding spice and depth to any meal.”

James Park, food writer and chili crisp devotee, has created Chili Crisp, the cookbook, – 50+ Recipes to Satisfy Your Spicy, Crunchy, Garlicky Cravings. Between the covers are 50 approachable and adaptable recipes to fill your whole day with chili crisp. Packed with Chili Crisp inspiration to take your love of this spicy ingredient to the next level, Park provides dozens of no-recipe recipes (potato chips + chili crisp, a match made in snack heaven) and a handy formula to inspire the reader to create your very own house version of Chili Crisp.”

“James Park, the author of Chili Crisp, the cookbook, is a recipe developer and food writer based in Brooklyn. Trained at the International Culinary Center in New York City, he has worked with various food media brands, such as Eater, Food52, BuzzFeed, and Chowhound. He shares his love for Korean cuisine and culture, fried chicken, chili crisp, and more @jamesyworld on social media.”

James Park takes a pause from enjoying a bowl of his Spicy Tomato and Egg Soup to join us.

James graciously shares with us the Chili Crisp recipes that he enthusiastically demonstrated for the Melissa’s food media group.

Spicy Tomato and Egg Soup

Spicy Tomato and Egg Soup

Recipe excerpt from:
Chili Crisp: 50+ Recipes to Satisfy Your Spicy, Crunchy, Garlicky Cravings

by James Park

I love having soup for breakfast. It offers the same comfort as sipping a hot cup of coffee to start a day, but with more flavors! I crave this spicy tomato and egg soup, especially as my hangover cure the morning after a night of too much drinking. When I first tasted this easy homey Chinese soup, I immediately thought of gyeran-guk, Korean egg drop soup. I tried a lot of Chinese comfort food after I moved to the United States, and it was so special to experience familiar yet different flavors each time. Regardless of my Korean identity, the comfort I felt from enjoying this soup was universal.

Taking the time to cook tomatoes in green onion and garlic–infused oil releases their sweet and tangy natural juices, creating an incredible broth with minimal seasonings. Using chili crisp early in the cooking process, rather than as a finishing touch, adds pleasant heat and umami and allows the flavors to deepen.

You can enjoy the soup on its own, but I love eating it gukbap style, which means rice served with the soup in Korean cuisine. Add a scoop of warm rice to the soup bowl and pour the soup directly on top of the rice. Or use this soup as a base for your favorite noodle soup. Starting a day with this warm, flavorful soup will make a big difference in your energy throughout the day, especially if you have a hangover. It works like magic for me every single time!

Serves 2 or 3

  • 1 Tbsp neutral oil, such as vegetable or canola
  • 4 green onions, chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced (about 1 Tbsp)
  • 3 medium tomatoes, roughly chopped into 2 to
  • 3 in [5 to 7.5 cm] chunks
  • 1 tsp kosher salt, plus more as needed
  • ¼ cup [60 g] chili crisp
  • ½ medium yellow onion, sliced
  • 2 cups [480 ml] chicken broth or water
  • 1 Tbsp light soy sauce
  • 2 tsp rice wine vinegar
  • 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
  • 2 tsp cornstarch
  • 3 large eggs
  • Warm rice or cooked noodles, for serving
  1. In a large pot over medium-high heat, heat the neutral oil. Set aside 1 Tbsp of the green parts of the chopped green onions and add the rest of the green onions and the minced garlic to the pot. Sauté for 30 to 60 seconds, or until fragrant. Add the tomato chunks and salt, and cook for 2 to 4 minutes, or until the tomatoes are softened. Add the chili crisp and sliced onion to the pot. Cook for 1 minute while stirring.
  2. Add the 2 cups [480 ml] broth and bring it to a boil, then turn the heat to low, season the soup with soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, and sesame oil, and let simmer for 5 to 10 minutes.
  3. While the soup is simmering, prepare a slurry by mixing the cornstarch with 1 Tbsp of water in a small bowl. Set it aside.
  4. Crack the eggs into a bowl, and beat them until the whites and yolks are fully mixed, preferably using chopsticks.
  5. Bring the heat to medium-high, then slowly pour the beaten eggs in a circular motion into the simmering broth. Don’t touch the eggs for 2 minutes, or until the curdled eggs come up to the surface. Then gently break the eggs apart with a spoon.
  6. Stir in the prepared cornstarch slurry and let it simmer for few minutes more, or until the broth gets slightly shiny and thicker. Season with more salt if necessary.
  7. Serve immediately with the reserved chopped green onions for garnish. Serve with a side of warm rice or cooked noodles for noodle soup. The leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Photographer: Heami Lee
Food styling: Pearl Jones
Prop styling: Gözde Eker

Show 524, May 6, 2023: Laura Theodore, PBS’s Celebrity Vegan Chef and TV Personality. Jazzy Vegetarian Cookbook – 10th Anniversary Edition

Cookbook Author Laura Theodore

PBS’s celebrity vegan chef, Laura Theodore, is back with us to celebrate the 10th Anniversary Edition of Jazzy Vegetarian – Lively Vegan Cuisine That’s Easy and Delicious.

“This 10th Anniversary Edition of the cookbook features over 120 dazzling vegan recipes, including 25 new recipes from Season Ten of Laura’s popular PBS television series. With more full-color photos, modernized cooling tips, and gluten-free options, this spectacular cookbook highlights vegan recipes that are easy, nutritious, and most of all, delicious.”

“Jazzy Vegetarian: Lively Vegan Cuisine That’s Easy and Delicious (10th Anniversary Edition!) delivers show-stopping guidance and recipes that make it easy to embrace healthful yet sumptuous vegan dining at home!”

Chef Laura graciously shares with our listeners her easy to prepare recipe for Lentil-Veggie Curry Soup that she demonstrated in her recent Webinar for the Melissa’s Produce food media group.

Show 122, May 16, 2015: Feride Buyuran, Pomegranates & Saffron – A Culinary Journey to Azerbaijan

Feride BuyuranImagine a country where East and West are beautifully intertwined in the cuisine and culture and where its treasured cooking secrets are just waiting to be discovered. Welcome to Azerbaijan.

In Pomegranates & Saffron – A Culinary Journey to Azerbaijan, Feride Buyuran takes the reader on a delightful culinary journey through this beautiful land in the Caucasus. Interspersed throughout the text are fascinating glimpses of local culture and traditional proverbs related to food that will make the adventure even more memorable.

Explore 200 tempting recipes for appetizers and salads, soups and stews, pasta, meat, vegetable and egg dishes, breads, saffron rice pilafs, aromatic drinks and desserts. All the recipes are adapted for preparation in a Western kitchen.

Feride Buyuran is the creator of AZcookbook.com, a popular food blog that features recipes and stories from Azerbaijan and beyond. Her passion for cooking and fond childhood memories led her to produce Pomegranates & Saffron, her first, about the cuisine of her homeland which was part of the former Soviet Union until 1991.

Author Feride Buyuran is our guest.

Show 48, November 16, 2013: Collin Crannell, Executive Chef of The Lobster

Executive Chef Colin Crannell of the Lobster in Santa MonicaThe guests still think of Executive Chef Collin Crannell of The Lobster in Santa Monica as the “new” chef even though he’s been there four years. He has serious fine dining background going back to Joachim Splichal’s Patina and luxury hotels.

Of course he’s a lobster specialist. There is even a lobster ravioli on the menu with Santa Monica farmer’s market vegetables. He’s a regular at the network of Santa Monica Farmers Markets. He also does some pretty wonderful thinks with steak.

Chef Crannell impresses with soup, too.

His favorite appetizer is Burrata cheese with local seasonal Heirloom Tomatoes and Basil Pesto.

The Lobster is located at the top of the entrance to the historic Santa Monica Pier. It’s an incredible ocean view. The restaurant proudly defies the notion that if you offer a great view you can probably get away with serving mediocre food.