Show 421, April 17, 2021: Chef Carla Hall – Honoree for “A Taste of C-Cap – 2021 Virtual Annual Gala” Part One

Celebrity Chef Carla Hall

On Thursday evening April 29, The Careers through Culinary Arts Program (C-CAP) is presenting “A Taste of C-CAP– 2021 Virtual Annual Gala.” During the fundraising event, C-CAP will honor a beacon of hope to all of us– chef, author and TV Host, Carla Hall– for her work to mentor and support C-CAP’s students and alumni.

“Carla first won over audiences when she competed on Bravo’s Top Chef and Top Chef: All Stars (fan favorite) and shared her philosophy to always cook with love. She believes food connects us all and strives to communicate this.”

Among the many benefits at the Commis donation level for “A Taste of C-CAP” is a multi-course meal (delivered to your home via Goldbelly) prepared by either Marcus Samuelsson or Carla Hall. It’s arrives expertly packaged, ready to heat and serve.

Carla spent 7 years co-hosting ABC’s Emmy award-winning, popular lifestyle series The Chew, and she currently brightens the mornings of millions as a Culinary Contributor to Good Morning America. She hosts a Podcast on the Wondery Platform called Say Yes with Carla Hall. Her latest cookbook, Carla Hall’s Soul Food: Everyday and Celebration, has landed on annual “Best Cookbook” lists across the country and received an NAACP Image Awards nomination. Carla also serves on the Leadership Committee for the James Beard Foundation Food and Beverage Investment Fund for Black and Indigenous Americans.

Just announced is that Chef Carla has her first children’s cookbook (with illustrations) coming out in the Fall. It’s titled Carla and the Christmas Cornbread.

Chef Carla joins us.

Show 252, December 16, 2017: Chef Mimi Chen, Commis, Team USA 2019, Bocuse d’Or International Culinary Competition

Mimi ChenIn our continuing coverage of the biannual Bocuse d’Or International Culinary Competition and Team USA 2019’s pursuit of defending the Gold for America we’ll meet Team USA 2019’s newly selected Commis, Chef Mimi Chen formerly a Line Cook at Daniel Patterson’s highly regarded COI in San Francisco.

On November 9th in The Palazzo Ballroom at The Venetian / Palazzo Resorts in Fabulous Las Vegas the spirited competition for the Team to proudly represent Team USA 2019 (under the aegis of the sponsoring Ment’or BKB Foundation) was held. Each finalist team had 5 hours and 35 minutes to prepare an exquisite meat recipe (Snake River Farms American Wagyu Whole Bone-In Rib Roast) presented on a platter as well as a Norwegian Seafood Steelhead Trout creation individually plated. Mimi was the Commis for the victorious team headed by Executive Chef Matthew Kirkley, ex-COI.

Both Chefs Matthew and Mimi will now train intensively in Napa, CA for the next year in preparation for the Bocuse d’Or in Lyon.

October 5: Live from Patchwork Show: Edible Editon

Podcasts

Segment One: Host Jet Tila and Producer Andy Harris
Segment Two: Jet Tila, host of the “SoCal Restaurant Show”
Segment Three: Carlos Salgago, Executive Chef and Proprietor of Taco Maria
Segment Four: Nicole Stevenson, co-producer of Patchwork Show – Edible Edition
Segment Five: Bill Esparza, the Mexican Food Maestro
Segment Six: Brad A. Johnson, Restaurant Critic for The Orange County Register Part One
Segment Seven: Brad A. Johnson, Restaurant Critic for The Orange County Register Part Two
Segment Eight: Marin Howarth, co-owner and Executive Chef Noah Blom of ARC restautant at SoCo

Host Jet Tila and Producer Andy Harris preview the show.

Patchwork Show Edible EditionToday we’re broadcasting live from the Patchwork Show – Edible Edition at South Coast Collection 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 and entertaining weekend of eating, learning, tasting and shopping.

Admission is free…

The always stylish, Kedric Francis, the Executive Editor of both Coast Magazine and The Orange County Register Magazine joins us as guest co-host.

Luckyrice Night MarketHost Jet Tila is in Las Vegas for the LUCKYRICE Night Market on the pool deck of The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas tonight from 7 to 10:00 p.m. Jet will be serving his signature Khao Soi (a Northern Thailand favorite) and seasonal flavors of his refreshing Kuma Snow Cream.

VIP and General Admission tickets are available.

Carlos Salgado of Taco MariaChef Carlos Salgado has a background as a fine-dining pastry chef. He relocated back to Orange County after his tenure at Commis in San Francisco and launched, with his family, the ambitious Taco Maria food truck in Orange County in 2011. He was honored with the distinction of being named the best gourmet food truck in OC by both major newspapers.

On Saturday’s Taco Maria was the featured food truck at The Farmers Market at SoCo. Carlos developed such a loyal and vast following that he was compelled to launch a real, full-service restaurant, including an outside heated patio, at SoCo.

Right now it’s dinner only with lunch and weekend brunch to follow. They hand-make their fresh tortillas on the spot. The meats and seafood are wood grilled and sustainable. The produce comes from local Orange County Farmers Markets.

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

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.

Bill EsparzaBill Esparza, the “Mexican Food Maestro” and authority on the food of Baja California is with us.

Bill leads escorted food tours of Tijuana and Northern Baja for journalists and the public alike. He’s given advice to Travel Channel’s Andrew Zimmern, among other notables.

Bill is moderating “Justin Timberlake good for Tequila? Gentrification of Mexican Spirits” panel tomorrow afternoon (Sunday) at Patchwork Show: Edible Edition. Mezcal and Tequila will be sampled as part of the discussion.

Photography by Brad A JohnsonIt’s been about a year since Brad A. Johnson joined the Orange County Register as their high profile restaurant critic. Previously The Register’s restaurant reviews tended to accentuate the positive.

Brad is a James Beard Award-winning food and travel journalist who brings a more worldly view to his writing which includes praise and specific criticism.

Johnson will discuss how a restaurant critic approaches reviewing a restaurant and what the process is. He’ll also touch on a year’s worth of observations of the Orange County dining scene.

It’s fair to say the restaurant opening of the year in Orange County is ARC right here at SoCo in Costa Mesa. The reviews have been ethereal. Last Sunday they were the recipient of the Golden Foodie for “Best New Restaurant.”

Marin Howarth and Executive Chef Noah BlomARC owners Marin Howarth and Executive Chef Noah Blom join us to talk about their wild ride.

It’s all from-scratch cooking with locally sourced ingredients. Every menu item is unusually cooked over an open fire. It’s an open kitchen so everything is totally visible to the guest. Great care goes into the preparation of the libations, too, under the supervision of a bar chef. Bitters, infusions, syrups, and sodas are all made in-house.

Podcasts

Segment One: Host Jet Tila and Producer Andy Harris
Segment Two: Jet Tila, host of the “SoCal Restaurant Show”
Segment Three: Carlos Salgago, Executive Chef and Proprietor of Taco Maria
Segment Four: Nicole Stevenson, co-producer of Patchwork Show – Edible Edition
Segment Five: Bill Esparza, the Mexican Food Maestro
Segment Six: Brad A. Johnson, Restaurant Critic for The Orange County Register Part One
Segment Seven: Brad A. Johnson, Restaurant Critic for The Orange County Register Part Two
Segment Eight: Marin Howarth, co-owner and Executive Chef Noah Blom of ARC restautant at SoCo