Tag Archives: artisan food

Show 514, February 25, 2023: Preview of The Gas Co’s 10th Annual Foodservice Equipment Expo

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Gina Christian of SoCal Gas

SoCalGas is hosting the 10th Annual SoCalGas Foodservice Equipment Expo (2 days) on Tuesday, April 25th and Wednesday, April 26th from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the SoCalGas Energy Resource Center in Downey.

“With no-cost registration, the 10th annual Foodservice Equipment Expo provides an opportunity to Reconnect, Rebuild, and Innovate at one of the industry’s largest West Coast showcases of natural gas and energy-efficient commercial foodservice equipment. Leading industry manufacturers will display and demonstrate their brands as attendees visit booths and live-action cooking stations, sample artisan foods cooked on a variety of natural gas equipment, network, and learn about available rebates.”

SoCalGas Co.’s Gina Christian (Foodservice Technical Specialist) and Carmen Oliver (Customer Programs Advisor) are our guides.

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Show 129, July 4, 2015: Doug Minnick, Co-Founder & Co-Producer – Garagiste Festival

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Garagiste FestivalGaragiste Festival: Urban Exposure produced by Garagiste Events, returns to Los Angeles on July 11th, from 2 to 6:00 p.m. with 50+ artisan ‘garagiste’ winemakers pouring over 200 wines in a new, and appropriately rock and roll, venue: the stunning art deco landmark, The Wiltern in Koreatown. Proceeds from the non-profit festival will benefit Cal Poly Wine and Viticulture program.

Tickets are available here. This Festival typically sells out early. Please plan accordingly.

A new element of the Festival is a first-time alliance with Artisinal LA that will see a mini pop-up of a sampling of their best artisan food producers offering tastes of their healthy, local, sustainable and delicious edibles.

“We have always felt that finding undiscovered winemakers is like discovering a new band in a club before they have a hit record, so The Wiltern’s rock and roll history is a perfect fit for these renegade, under-the-radar wine makers. Plus, it is a stunning place,” said Doug Minnick Co-founder of The Garagiste Festivals. “And, as our fans know, a really cool venue is an integral part of the garagiste experience. As always, we will have one-on-one interaction with the winemakers, an unmatched tasting range of amazing hard-to-find wines, a no-snobs-allowed atmosphere, and just plain fun.”

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December 7: Carla Hall, Barbara Fairchild, Cookies for a Koz, Devon Espinosa, Donald Wressell, Brad A. Johnson, Dean Thomas

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Podcasts

Segment One: Host Jet Tila and Producer Andy Harris
Segment Two: Barbara Fairchild, former long-time Editor of Bon Appetit Magazine, educator, food journalist, and cookbook author Part One
Segment Three: Barbara Fairchild, former long-time Editor of Bon Appetit Magazine, educator, food journalist, and cookbook author Part Two
Segment Four: Carla Hall of ABC’s “The Chew” and Zov Karamardian of Zov’s Bistro in Tustin
Segment Five: Devon Espinosa, Bar Director at The Church Key
Segment Six: Pastry Chef Donald Wressell of Guittard Chocolate Co.
Segment Seven: Brad A. Johnson, restaurant critic for The Orange County Register
Segment Eight: Chef Dean Thomas of Europa Village Winery and The Inn at Europa Village in Temecula

Lechon Porchetta by Susan ParkYou can aid the victims of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines and enjoy some great Filipino food. There is a huge Filipino community right here in Los Angeles County.

In addition to the high profile benefit for typhoon relief at The Church Key on the Sunset Strip on Sunday (which we’ll be talking about later in the show) there is a more populist fundraiser at Bamboo Bistro in Panorama City on Sunday, Dec. 15th from 4 to 8:00 p.m.

Pinoy food will be there in abundance expertly prepared by L.A. chefs including Chef Mayet Cristobal, the Executive Chef of the Getty Museum. She will be serving Beef Short Rib Adobo. The minimum donation is a modest $20 per adult and there will be live music.

Barbara FairchildThe long-time former editor of Bon Appetit Magazine, Barbara Fairchild, is back with us reporting from New York. Barbara is also an educator, best-selling cookbook author, food and travel journalist and much-in-demand speaker.

Barbara has recently had a couple of culinary excursions to the San Francisco Bay Area and will report on dining spots she enjoyed that merit your attention. She will also speak about an unusual evening she was part of honoring San Francisco’s STARS, a long-departed celebrity chef driven restaurant that, in it’s day, was the Spago of San Francisco. The proprietor/executive chef Jeremiah Tower (now a resident of Mexico) was in attendance.

Roberta Koz WilsonIt’s Holiday Time and our thoughts turn to incredible, fresh-baked, small batch, high-quality cookies as special gifts. That can only mean a chat with Roberta Wilson (jazz saxophonist great Dave Koz’s sister) the force behind Cookies for a Koz. Ten per cent of the proceeds are donated to the Starlight Children’s Foundation. Dave Koz is a Global Goodwill Ambassador for them.

Roberta’s and Dave’s late mother, Audrey, perfected the recipe for a great chocolate chip cookie and that’s the legacy of the company. The much-appreciated cookies were a door-opener all over town for the youthful Dave as his career was just beginning.

Carla HallFood fans know Chef Carla Hall as the “Hootie Hoo” lady and fan favorite from multiple seasons of Bravo’s “Top Chef.” She is now the co-host of ABC’s daytime lifetime series, “The Chew.” Last week “The Chew” celebrated their 500th episode and the show continues to gain in popularity. Carla also is the author of Cooking with Love: Comfort Food That Hugs You, newly available in paperback.

Carla is being honored by Zov Karamardian of Zov’s Bistro in Tustin at her Culinary Concert to benefit the James Beard Foundation on Sunday, February 9th. It’s a great holiday gift for that special foodie in your life.

That Sunday Carla and Zov will conduct a highly entertaining cooking class for the guests followed by a lavish lunch. Carla will be available to sign copies of her book and interact with the guests. It all starts at Noon.

For more info and to make reservations please call 714.838.8855 ext. 21

Devon EspinosaDevon Espinosa (a C-CAP graduate) is one of the rising young stars among the master bartenders in the West. He created the cocktail program at ink. and Pour Vous and he’s the bar chef for the new The Church Key on the Sunset Strip. Some of his cocktails are canned for freshness.

Devon is also one of the organizers of a high-profile benefit at The Church Key on Sunday, December 8 from 5 to 9:00 p.m. for Typhoon Haiyan relief efforts. An impressive line-up of chefs and bartenders are coming together to raise the vitally needed funds. Look for celebrity chefs Eric Greenspan, Kris Morningstar, Ray Garcia and Steve Samson among many others.

Donald WressellThere really is no finer pastry chef in America than the pleasantly low-key Donald Wressell. He was the opening executive pastry chef at the Four Seasons Los Angeles at Beverly Hills. This is the luxury property where the majority of the out-of-town Academy Award nominees stay. Every year Chef Donald would create incredible individual chocolate show-pieces celebrating each of the “Best Picture” nominees. These elaborate pieces where then featured, via photography, in the Oscar coverage beamed across the globe.

Donald has competed in the most prestigious international pastry competitions and, most recently, has coached, too. He’s judged pastry chefs for competition shows on Food Network.

He’s currently the pastry chef for the proudly American chocolate company, Guittard Chocolate Co. Guittard is based in Burlingame but Chef Donald has a test kitchen and research facility here in Los Angeles. He also teaches classes for professional pastry chefs and candy makers.

In January he’ll create the sure to be dazzling Birthday Cake for The City of Beverly Hills’ 100th Anniversary. He created another cake spectacular for Beverly Hills’ Diamond Jubilee 25 years ago while he was at The Four Seasons.

Blossom Restaurant at the Aria in Las VegasA few weeks ago Brad A. Johnson, the James Beard Award-winning restaurant critic for the Orange County Register, was with us to talk about his first 4-Star review. It’s Blossom restaurant at Aria Resort in Las Vegas.

Brad is back with us to explain his criteria for a 4-Star restaurant review and also talk about the new crop of ultra-luxe Chinese restaurants on The Strip. It’s some of the most elegant Chinese fine-dining outside of China and designed for highly discriminating (and wealthy) Chinese guests!

Dean ThomasChef Dean Thomas is the Executive Chef de Cuisine for the Europa Village Winery in Temecula and also serves as the Innkeeper for the Inn at Europa Village (along with his wife, Nicole.) His multi-course breakfasts, reserved exclusively for guests at The Inn, are unrivaled in the Valley. Many of the ingredients actually come from the vineyard property and change with the season. Chef Dean has extensive credentials as an executive chef for luxury hotel properties.

Chef Dean is the unofficial executive concierge for Wine Country Temecula. When it comes to directing guests to the wineries and restaurants best suited to the visitors’ wishes Dean’s advice is the gold standard.

Chef Dean shares with us the specifics on an independent restaurant in Temecula as well as a winery restaurant that are both on his highly recommended list. He also talks about a Slow Food event he is hosting on December 12th featuring local artisan food products and cooking demonstrations.

Podcasts

Segment One: Host Jet Tila and Producer Andy Harris
Segment Two: Barbara Fairchild, former long-time Editor of Bon Appetit Magazine, educator, food journalist, and cookbook author Part One
Segment Three: Barbara Fairchild, former long-time Editor of Bon Appetit Magazine, educator, food journalist, and cookbook author Part Two
Segment Four: Carla Hall of ABC’s “The Chew” and Zov Karamardian of Zov’s Bistro in Tustin
Segment Five: Devon Espinosa, Bar Director at The Church Key
Segment Six: Pastry Chef Donald Wressell of Guittard Chocolate Co.
Segment Seven: Brad A. Johnson, restaurant critic for The Orange County Register
Segment Eight: Chef Dean Thomas of Europa Village Winery and The Inn at Europa Village in Temecula

Show 43, October 12, 2013: Duskie Estes, Executive Chef and Co-Proprietor of zazu kitchen + farm, Sebastopol. CA

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Chef Duskie Estes and Salumist John Stewart of Zazu Kitchen and FarmOne of the most exciting chef teams operating in the Sonoma County wine country is Chef Duskie Estes and Salumist John Stewart (wife & husband) who are the proprietors of the newly relocated zazu kitchen + farm located at The Barlow (a former apple juice processing facility restored and reconceived as a home for artisan food producers including boutique wineries) in Sebastopol. Some of the vegetables used at the restaurant are actually grown in large tubs on the restaurant’s inviting patio. They were mentored by pioneering Seattle chef/restaurateur Tom Douglas before relocating to Sonoma County to go off on their own.

The original zazu restaurant (part of a former chicken coop) was founded in Santa Rosa in 2001. It was located in a rustic roadhouse way out of town surrounded by rural farms and vineyards. If a local didn’t tell you about it you’d probably never know it was even there. Their regulars include some of the most distinguished winemakers in Sonoma County. The eclectic wine list includes reserve selections that you just don’t see outside of the private stash of the wineries.

Duskie and John were living farm-to-table long before that became a marketing buzzword for chefs. They raise their own chicken and ducks to provide the eggs for their fresh pasta and their praise-worthy gelati. Their daughter operates a rabbit meat business.

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Show 42, October 5, 2013: Nicole Stevenson, co-producer of Patchwork Show – Edible Edition

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Nicole StevensonPatchwork Show – Edible Edition co-producer Nicole Stevenson joined us to preview the first-ever Patchwork Show : Edible Edition at SoCo in Costa Mesa this past weekend, Oct. 5th (from 11 to 8 p.m.) and Oct. 6th (from 11 to 5 p.m.)

This free, weekend festival showcased the flourishing artisan food movement in SoCal through an interactive experience filled with baking programs, food trucks, restaurant pop-ups, book signings, beer and wine gardens, samples and more!

The whole family – not just foodies –enjoyed the hands-on activities from DIY workshops to educational panels hosted by award-winning chefs to handmade products for sale from more than 90 food artisans and modern handmade businesses.

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September 28: Patchwork Show Edible Edition, Coffee Bean, Savor the Central Coast, Mad Hungry Woman

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Host Jet Tila and Producer Andy Harris preview the show.

Patchwork Show Edible EditionOn Saturday October 5th “The SoCal Restaurant Show” will be broadcasting live from the Patchwork Show – Edible Edition at SoCo in Costa Mesa from 10 to Noon.

Patchwork Edible is an annual creative food summit bringing visionary chefs, authors, bloggers, handmade craft vendors and food artisans together with attendees for a comprehensive weekend of eating, learning, tasting and shopping.

Chef Jet Tila host of the SoCal Restaurant ShowHost Jet Tila talks about some of his recent (and upcoming) dining adventures of note.

Listeners’ have often asked what it is like to be married to a chef. Is it as glamorous as depicted on Food Television?

Inspired by noted Las Vegas food journalist Al Mancini’s piece on the subject (“Late for dinner: Being the spouse of a chef is often lonely.”) Chef Jet and his wife, Allison, discuss the reality of being married to a chef.

As Food Network’s Guy Fieri says, “This is the real deal.”

Delilah SnellPatchwork Show: Edible Edition producers Delilah Snell and Nicole Stevenson join us to preview the first-ever Patchwork Show: Edible Edition at SoCo in Costa Mesa the Weekend of Oct. 5th and 6th.

This free, Weekend festival will showcase the flourishing artisan food movement in SoCal through an interactive experience filled with baking programs, food trucks, restaurant pop-ups, book signings, beer and wine gardens, samples and more!

The whole family – not just foodies – will enjoy the hands-on activities from DIY workshops to educational panels hosted by award-winning chefs to handmade products for sale from more than 90 food artisans and modern handmade businesses.

Born and brewed in SoCal in 1963, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf is the oldest and largest privately-held specialty coffee and tea retailer in the United States.

CBTL Trade Up Your CupOn Sunday, Sept. 29th coffee drinkers are invited to Angel Stadium of Anaheim to celebrate National Coffee Day at Trade Up Your Cup, the 2nd annual event hosted by CBTL, the Single Serve Beverage System by The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf.

Guests can exchange any electric coffeemaker with a cord, for a brand new CBTL Americano Machine. The event runs from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

In celebration of National Coffee Day, bottomless coffee will be served for guests in line from 6:00 a.m. until 8:00 a.m.

Kedric Francis of Coast Magazine and the Orange County Register MagazineKedric Francis, our ace travel correspondent, is the Executive Editor of both Coast Magazine and The Orange County Register Magazine.

This weekend Kedric is at the ever-popular Sunset Magazine Savor The Central Coast Festival in San Luis Obispo County. The main event site is the Santa Margarita Ranch.

It’s tasting, sipping, and, of course, indulging.

Michael Voltaggio, the chef/owner of ink. and ink.sack is the featured celebrity chef.

Kedric provides an on-the-scene report.

Maui HawaiiAloha…

Two of the most popular areas of Maui for visitors are Lahaina and Kapalua.

One of our valued AM 830 KLAA correspondents just returned from his honeymoon in Maui.

We’ll chat with him about his best meals in Maui in a variety of price-ranges.

Anita Lau of Diary of a Mad Hungry WomanAnita Lau, “Diary of The Mad Hungry Woman” of blogosphere fame, joins us.

This morning Anita shares with us a tasty San Diego restaurant find that offers a menu of mixed nationalities.

Show 22, March 23, 2013: Jeff & Christa Duggan of Portola Coffee Lab, Theorem by Portola Coffee Lab, and Seventh Tea Bar in the OC Mart Mix in Costa Mesa

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Jeff and Christa Duggan of Portola Coffee Lab in Costa MesaJeff and Christa are coffee obsessed but they are fun, too.

The goal of Portola since opening in the OC Mart Mix in 2011 is to create a 100 percent single-cup brew coffeehouse designed and constructed as a nod to craft, quality, and freshness. They brew every cup a single portion at a time using three meticulously researched and perfected brewing methods.

They blazed the trail for other artisan food businesses to open at The OC Mart Mix and the long lines of repeat customers illustrates the story of their success.

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February 2: Andrew Zimmern, Leah DiBernardo, Ti Adelaide Martin, Tony DiSalvo, Jason Kessler

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Podcasts

Segment One: Andrew Zimmern of Travel Channel’s “Bizarre Foods America”
Segment Two: Leah DiBernardo, Executive Chef & Co-Owner of E.A.T. (Extraordinary Artisan Table) in Temecula and head (as a volunteer) of the Slow Food Temecula Valley convivium
Segment Three: Ti Adelaide Martin, New Orleans restaurateur, co-owner of Commander’s Palace, Café Adelaide and the Swizzle Stick Bar, and SoBou
Segment Four: Tony DiSalvo, Executive Chef of Whist and the Viceroy Santa Monica
Segment Five: Jason Kessler, food writer, Food Republic and Bon Appetit Part One
Segment Six: Jason Kessler, food writer, Food Republic and Bon Appetit Part Part Two

Travel Channel’s biggest star and celebrity chef is with us live to kick off the show.

From there it’s genuine farm-to-table dining supplied by artisan purveyors in Temecula.

Super Bowl mania is residing in New Orleans this weekend and we’ll be chatting with a veteran New Orleans restaurateur (actually NOLA restaurant royalty) who will give us the real insider’s view of the goings-on in the City.

Then it’s on to the Noodle Bowl Festival in Santa Monica.

There is an ultra-premium dining experience available to a few select diners each evening at The Bazaar by Jose Andres and we’ll hear all about it.

Finally some intell on new restaurants (and a few veteran ones) making waves on the Los Angeles dining scene.

Andrew Zimmern (2 time James Beard Award-winner) has taken Travel Channel, and the country, by storm with his engaging and highly entertaining food travels. Andrew is with us live (from New Orleans) to talk about the new season of “Bizarre Foods America” (debuting February 11th) which begins in Washington, D.C.

Restaurateur & Chef Leah DiBernardo of E.A.T. (Extraordinary Artisan Table)Temecula is a large, fast-growing bedroom community adjacent to a rural agricultural area in Riverside County. It’s well known for wine grapes but a number of dedicated family farmers grow fruits (lots of citrus) and vegetables there for restaurants.

Restaurateur & Chef Leah DiBernardo of E.A.T. (Extraordinary Artisan Table) is the head of Slow Food Temecula Valley and an articulate champion of the local artisan food movement. Leah joins us to talk about the inspiring mission of Slow Food Temecula Valley and the year anniversary of her gourmet take-out shop, E.A.T. which also caters.

Ti Adelaide MartinIt’s Super Bowl madness in New Orleans. Also Mardi Gras time there leading up to Fat Tuesday.

If there is restaurant royalty in New Orleans it’s embodied by the legendary Brennan Family.

Ti Adelaide Martin (a 2nd generation member of the Brennan Restaurant Family) joins us to talk about the food aspects of Super Bowl. Ti co-owns Commander’s Palace, Café Adelaide and the Swizzle Stick Bar, and the newest, SoBou in the French Quarter.

Tony DiSalvo of Whist at the Viceroy Santa MonicaTony DiSalvo is executive chef at Whist at The Viceroy Santa Monica.

Chef Tony is hosting the Noodle Bowl Festival at The Viceroy on Sunday, February 10th from 4 to 7 p.m. to celebrate the Lunar New Year. Chef DiSalvo is serving kimchi sujebi, a traditional Korean noodle soup made with from-scratch dough.

Last Monday Chef DiSalvo was part of a group of celebrity chefs presenting a 6-course meal at the Abigaile in Hermosa Beach.

Food writer Jason Kessler (Food Republic and Bon Appetit Magazine) is back with us to profile some new dining adventures in Los Angeles.

First is a chronicle of dining at Saam at The Bazaar by Jose Andres. This is a very expensive, 22-couse tasting menu experience that is served in an exclusive private club setting.

From there Jason takes us on a verbal dine-around of some new (or revamped) area hot spots worthy of your attention.

Podcasts

Segment One: Andrew Zimmern of Travel Channel’s “Bizarre Foods America”
Segment Two: Leah DiBernardo, Executive Chef & Co-Owner of E.A.T. (Extraordinary Artisan Table) in Temecula and head (as a volunteer) of the Slow Food Temecula Valley convivium
Segment Three: Ti Adelaide Martin, New Orleans restaurateur, co-owner of Commander’s Palace, Café Adelaide and the Swizzle Stick Bar, and SoBou
Segment Four: Tony DiSalvo, Executive Chef of Whist and the Viceroy Santa Monica
Segment Five: Jason Kessler, food writer, Food Republic and Bon Appetit Part One
Segment Six: Jason Kessler, food writer, Food Republic and Bon Appetit Part Part Two

Show 13, January 19, 2013: Delilah Snell, home canning and preservation (continued)

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Delilah is also organizing the Craftcation Conference in Ventura from March 21 to 24, 2013. It’s a conference with workshops in business, arts, crafts and foods.

Also discussed was the new Cottage Food Act which lets home producers of certain artisan food products sell their products. Health Dept. inspection is necessary.

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