December 7: Wine Exchange, West Coast Prime Meats, George Geary, The Family Dinner Project, Russ Bendel and Jared Cook

Podcasts

Segment One: Show Preview with Co-Host Andy Harris
Segment Two: Wine Authority Kyle Meyer, Santa Ana’s Wine Exchange, with Champagne Buying Advice
Segment Three: The Meatheads from West Coast Prime Meats with Holiday Cooking Advice
Segment Four: Chef George Geary on Celebratory Cheesecakes for the Holidays
Segment Five: EAT, LAUGH, TALK! – The Family Dinner Playbook Part One
Segment Six: EAT, LAUGH, TALK! – The Family Dinner Playbook Part Two
Segment Seven: Restaurateur Russ Bendel and Chef-Partner Jared Cook – Ironwood, Olea & Vine Part One
Segment Eight: Restaurateur Russ Bendel and Chef-Partner Jared Cook – Ironwood, Olea & Vine Part Two

Now an incredibly appetizing preview of this Saturday’s scrumptious show. It’s not, with profuse apologies, for dieters. If we’re successful we will hopefully leave you incredibly hungry and thirsty. In our case that’s probably a pretty good thing… As always, we greatly appreciate you being a part of our loyal listening audience. Truly couldn’t do it without you.

Thinking about buying a bottle of French Champagne as a gift or for the festive Holiday Table? Our resident wine authority, Kyle Meyer of Santa Ana’s Wine Exchange, joins us with selection tips from an expert that, happily, won’t break the bank. Orange Wine is a new topic of conversation among wine aficionados. Kyle provides the needed overview.

Between the two of them our resident Meatheads from West Coast Prime Meats, Terry Hanks and Jay Henderson, have decades of practical experience with center plate proteins. They are both avid home cooks, too. Terry and Jay join us with some genuinely useful Holiday cooking tips.

Cheesecake! The Emmy award winning show The Golden Girls made eating cheesecake a nightly ritual on the hit television series.  The pastry chef who made those luscious and delicious cheesecakes and many other foods for hit sitcoms is George Geary. Now Geary has expanded his cheesecake repertoire even more with the eagerly anticipated 2nd Edition of The Cheesecake Bible: 300 Sweet & Savory Recipes for Cakes and More.  Chef George is our guest with decadent ideas for the best in holiday cheesecakes and pro’s tips for stress-free holiday baking.

In the age of video chats and filtered “selfies”, sometimes real, human connection seems harder to come by, but it remains an important part of living a satisfying life. Eat, Laugh, Talk: The Family Dinner Playbook emerges from the brains behind The Family Dinner Project, a Massachusetts General Hospital Psychiatry Academy-affiliated nonprofit that notes the profound impact that a fun family meal can have on the spirit, brain, and health of all family members. Co-authors (there are five) Brianne DeRosa and Shelly London join us to set the table.

Restaurateur Russ Bendel (and partners) are the respected operators of Ironwood (Laguna Hills), Olea (Newport Beach) and Vine (San Clemente) in Orange County. Russ was awarded Restaurateur of the Year honors at this year’s Golden Foodie Awards. Ironwood has a new lounge. Russ joins us with Chef-Partner Jared Cook to chat about the Holiday menus at Ironwood, Olea & Vine.

Kyle Meyer of Wine ExchangeThinking about buying a bottle of French Champagne as a gift or for the festive Holiday Table? Our resident wine authority, Kyle Meyer of Santa Ana’s Wine Exchange, joins us with selection tips from an expert that, happily, won’t break the bank.

Orange Wine is a new topic of conversation among wine aficionados. Kyle provides the needed overview.

Jay Henderson one of the Meatheads from West Coast Prime MeatsBetween the two of them our resident Meatheads from West Coast Prime Meats, Terry Hanks and Jay Henderson, have decades of practical experience with center plate proteins. They are both avid home cooks, too. Terry and Jay join us with some genuinely useful Holiday cooking tips.

 

Cookbook Author George GearyCheesecake! The Emmy award winning show The Golden Girls made eating cheesecake a nightly ritual on the hit television series.  The pastry chef who made those luscious and delicious cheesecakes and many other foods for hit sitcoms is George Geary. He later became the first award winning pastry chef for the Walt Disney Company at Disneyland.

Geary’s cheesecakes became one of his most popular culinary calling cards so he then published his favorite recipes in his first cookbook, 125 Best Cheesecake Recipes in 2002, and it was such a hit that a follow up book, The Cheesecake Bible was published in 2008 and became a best-seller.

Now Geary has expanded his cheesecake repertoire even more with the highly anticipated 2nd Edition of The Cheesecake Bible: 300 Sweet & Savory Recipes for Cakes and More George provides home cooks with extensive how-to instructions, tips and techniques to make the perfect cheesecake.

Recipes in the book range from holiday favorites, savory and citrus cheesecakes, no-bake cheesecakes, to bars, pies, toppings and sauces, and breakfast items. Some of the delicious recipes in the book include: Artichoke Cheesecake, Maine Lobster Cheesecake, Passover Honey Cheesecake, Blood Orange Spiced Cheesecake, Eggnog Rum Cheesecake, Italian Zabaglione Cheesecake Bars, Blood Orange Cheesecake Crępes, Cheesecake Bonbons and many more unique flavored desserts.

Chef George is our encore guest offering decadent ideas for the best in holiday cheesecakes and pro’s tips for stress-free holiday baking.

Shelly London of the Family Dinner ProjectIn the age of video chats and filtered “selfies”, sometimes real, human connection seems harder to come by, but it remains an important part of living a satisfying life. In fact, over 20 years of research has shown what parents have known for a long time: regular family meals lead to long-term benefits, including higher resilience, self-esteem, and grade-point-averages, and LOWER rates of substance abuse, teen pregnancy, eating disorders, and depression.

Eat, Laugh, Talk: The Family Dinner Playbook52 Weeks of Easy Recipes, Engaging Conversation, and Hilarious Games emerges from the brains behind The Family Dinner Project, a Massachusetts General Hospital Psychiatry Academy-affiliated nonprofit that notes the profound impact that a fun family meal can have on the spirit, brain, and health of all family members.

The Family Dinner Project’s new book gives readers the tools to kickstart a habit of putting together fun family dinners, including:

  • Conversation starters
  • Quick and easy recipes
  • Fun table games for everyone to play
  • Tips for overcoming obstacles, setting dinnertime goals, managing busy schedules, and engaging everyone in the conversation

With anecdotes from real families who have become a part of The Family Dinner Project’s growing movement, this book will inspire readers of all ages to look forward to dinner (together)!

Co-authors (there are five) Brianne DeRosa and Shelly London join us to set the table.

“What if there was a single activity you could do at home, requiring no special equipment or training of any kind, that could have lifelong benefits for the physical, emotional, academic and social health of every member of your family? That activity exists, and it’s the family dinner.”

Building on decades of research and over ten years of experience working with real families who are overcoming the common challenges that keep people from sharing regular meals, The Family Dinner Project — a nonprofit initiative based at Massachusetts General Hospital — has written a step-by-step playbook to help make family dinners possible.

Eat, Talk, Laugh: The Family Dinner Playbook (Familius Publishing) is packed with practical advice and inspiration to help you overcome common mealtime challenges and get the most out of your family dinners. Organized in sections according to common mealtime obstacles, Eat, Laugh, Talk provides 52 weeks of food, fun and conversation that will appeal to people of all ages.  Laid out in an easy-to-follow, week-by-week format, Eat, Laugh, Talk is a book of real stories, real experiences and real family dinners that will inspire you and your family.

 “The Family Dinner Project, a nonprofit initiative started in 2010, champions family dinner as an opportunity for family members to connect with each other through food, fun and conversation about things that matter.  More than 20 years of scientific research shows “why” family mealtimes are so important.  The Family Dinner Project provides the “how” for today’s busy families. Our team members have come from varied personal and professional backgrounds. We are parents and non-parents, and our ages range from “young professional” to “Medicare-eligible.”  Our collective professional experience includes education, family therapy, research, food, social work, marketing and communication.  With nonprofit partners and local champions, The Family Dinner Project team works online and at community events to help families increase the frequency, meaning and long-term benefits of their shared meals.  We are based in Boston at Massachusetts General Hospital’s Psychiatry Academy.”

Co-authors (there are five) Brianne DeRosa and Shelly London continue their conversation with us at the family dinner table.

Chef Jared CookRestaurateur Russ Bendel (and partners) are the respected operators of Ironwood (Laguna Hills), Olea (Newport Beach) and Vine (San Clemente) in Orange County. Russ was awarded Restaurateur of the Year honors at this year’s Golden Foodie Awards. Ironwood has a new lounge. Russ joins us with Chef-Partner Jared Cook to chat about the Holiday menus at Ironwood, Olea & Vine.

Ironwood features a full bar, open kitchen, and an enclosed outdoor heated patio with views of the Saddleback Mountains. It offers South Orange County residents a fine dining night out with a complete food and wine experience.”

“OLEA, named for a genus of trees that flourish in warm and tropical regions, is a European twist on the Napa/Sonoma-inspired cuisine and spirits at Vine, the restaurant Bendel assumed ownership of seven years ago.” The restaurant is characterized as Wine Country Cuisine at a chef-driven American bistro.

VINE is an all-encompassing Wine Country dining experience, a full bar, featuring craft cocktails, Open Kitchen, and a Semi-Private Dining table in our Wine Room. It offers South Orange County residents a fine dining night out with a complete food and wine experience.

VINE highlights Wine Country Cuisine influenced by the Napa Valley and other notable wine producing regions. In addition, the wine selection includes more than 100 bottles – more than 25 of which are available by the glass.”

Russ Bendel of Ironwood, Olea and VIneRuss Bendel was born and raised in Philadelphia and relocated with his mother, father, and sister to California when he was a child. Russ grew up in the restaurant industry and always knew it was in his blood at an early age.

He earned his Bachelor of Science degree from The Collins College at Cal Poly Pomona with an emphasis on Restaurants and Business Management. During that time, Russ worked with Bloomin Brands Restaurant Group for 15 years, six years with Outback Steakhouse and nine years with Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar. He was promoted to partner of the flagship Newport Beach location at the age of 25, youngest ever in company history.

Chef-Partner Jared Cook was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest. After graduating from Western Culinary Institute in Portland Oregon, he relocated to Southern California. Since then Jared worked in restaurants such as French 75 in Laguna Beach, Chat Noir in Costa Mesa, and was promoted to Executive Chef at the Crow Bar and Kitchen, in addition to working at Vine Restaurant & Bar for the third time as a Cook, Sous Chef, and now Executive Chef.

Russ joins us with Chef-Partner Jared Cook to continue their chat about the Holiday menus at Ironwood, Olea & Vine.

Podcasts

Segment One: Show Preview with Co-Host Andy Harris
Segment Two: Wine Authority Kyle Meyer, Santa Ana’s Wine Exchange, with Champagne Buying Advice
Segment Three: The Meatheads from West Coast Prime Meats with Holiday Cooking Advice
Segment Four: Chef George Geary on Celebratory Cheesecakes for the Holidays
Segment Five: EAT, LAUGH, TALK! – The Family Dinner Playbook Part One
Segment Six: EAT, LAUGH, TALK! – The Family Dinner Playbook Part Two
Segment Seven: Restaurateur Russ Bendel and Chef-Partner Jared Cook – Ironwood, Olea & Vine Part One
Segment Eight: Restaurateur Russ Bendel and Chef-Partner Jared Cook – Ironwood, Olea & Vine Part Two

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