Show 512, February 11, 2023: Executive Chef Wes Whitsell, Hatchet Hall, Culver City Part Two

Wes Whitsell of Hatchet Hall

Hatchet Hall in Culver City (on the border with Los Angeles) is your lively neighborhood restaurant and bar (with a new Michelin Star) focusing on the simplicity of quality ingredients, relationships to their farmers, and a relaxed good time.”

“Hatchet Hall specializes in working relationships with local farmers and purveyors to provide the best quality experience for the table. The basis of the restaurant is family — whether it’s your loved ones, farmers, or guests, — we all gather around the same table. The menu changes daily, reflecting the seasons of California and Chef Wes Whitsell’s creativity, purchasing produce with limitation and the idea of keeping things exciting for the staff and guests. The food is simple; not heavily plated or overdone, finding beauty in imperfection.”

“The wine list is regularly updated with limited runs on by the glass options, focusing on the culture and history of the wine as well as the natural wine movement of all organic, biodynamic, and sustainable wines. The spirits list is vast, specializing in American Whiskey with expressions and nuances that you’re only able to get from being able to purchase a full single barrel.”

“Raised in a small Texas town, by an avid outdoorsman and farmer, Chef Wes grew up eating what was hunted and gathered in the traditional sense. Before it was a trend, it was Wes’s way of life.”

“Hatchet Hall is a restaurant that aligns deeply with his values. Wes has a strong belief in the integrity of the food he cooks, while never forgetting those early lessons he learned from his own roots: that small Texas town. At Hatchet Hall, he taps into his Southern roots, the live fire component that makes the restaurant so special, while drawing inspiration from his past culinary experiences, his relationships to farmers, and the amazing produce California has to offer.”

Chef Wes Whitsell takes another break from his busy kitchen to continue with us. He has an order of the Anson Mills Cornbread with cheddar, shishito and honey butter at the ready.

Show 497, October 29, 2022: Nika Shoemaker-Machado, Georgia’s Restaurant, Long Beach Exchange & Anaheim Packing House Part One

Nika Shoemaker-Machado of Georgias Restaurants

Georgia’s Restaurant returned “Nana” Gretchen Shoemaker’s mouthwatering Gumbo to their menu at Georgia’s Restaurant at the Long Beach Exchange and the Anaheim Packing District just in time to celebrate National Gumbo Day back on October 12th, 2022 and for the remainder of 2022!

“Nana Gretchen Shoemaker’s “soul-delicious” signature Gumbo has been a guest favorite since it was first introduced and guests can again savor Nana’s Secret Southern-style Roux featuring Chicken, Andouille Sausage, Shrimp, Crab, and Okra, served over Rice at both locations. To complement this super satisfying meal, guests can also add Soulful Sides such as Collard Greens, Baked Beans, Mac & Cheese, or Nana Gretchen’s famous Cornbread served with house-made honey butter, while enjoying her fresh Peach Cobbler for the perfect finish.”

“Nana Gretchen Shoemaker (Nika’s Mom,) the heart of Georgia’s, would tell you Soul Food is the food you get when you cook with your whole heart and soul.”

“Georgia’s dishes are the comfort foods she learned to make with her grandma, the very ones she raised her daughters on, served in her successful catering service and has shared with family and friends throughout the years.” Other specialties include herb-seasoned Fried Chicken, Gretchen’s Jambalaya, Fried Catfish and Sweet Potato Pie.

“When you taste Georgia’s food, you taste the love and devotion that makes Georgia’s Soul Delicious!!”

2nd generation proprietress Nika Shoemaker-Machado (“Nana” Gretchen’s daughter) takes a break from the cornbread muffin pans to join us.

A new Georgia’s is in the works for Eastvale in northwestern Riverside County. This newer city incorporated in 2010 was former dairy farms.

Show 497, October 29, 2022: Nika Shoemaker-Machado, Georgia’s Restaurant, Long Beach Exchange & Anaheim Packing House Part Two

Nika Shoemaker-Machado of Georgias Restaurants

Georgia’s Restaurant returned “Nana” Gretchen Shoemaker’s mouthwatering Gumbo to their menu at Georgia’s Restaurant at the Long Beach Exchange and the Anaheim Packing District just in time to celebrate National Gumbo Day back on October 12th, 2022 and for the remainder of 2022!

“Nana Gretchen Shoemaker’s “soul-delicious” signature Gumbo has been a guest favorite since it was first introduced and guests can again savor Nana’s Secret Southern-style Roux featuring Chicken, Andouille Sausage, Shrimp, Crab, and Okra, served over Rice at both locations. To complement this super satisfying meal, guests can also add Soulful Sides such as Collard Greens, Baked Beans, Mac & Cheese, or Nana Gretchen’s famous Cornbread served with house-made honey butter, while enjoying her fresh Peach Cobbler for the perfect finish.”

“Nana Gretchen Shoemaker (Nika’s Mom,) the heart of Georgia’s, would tell you Soul Food is the food you get when you cook with your whole heart and soul.”

“Georgia’s dishes are the comfort foods she learned to make with her grandma, the very ones she raised her daughters on, served in her successful catering service and has shared with family and friends throughout the years.” Other specialties include herb-seasoned Fried Chicken, Gretchen’s Jambalaya and Fried Catfish.

“When you taste Georgia’s food, you taste the love and devotion that makes Georgia’s Soul Delicious!!”

2nd generation proprietress Nika Shoemaker-Machado (“Nana” Gretchen’s daughter) takes another break from tending the cornbread muffin pans to continue with us.

A new Georgia’s is in the works for Eastvale in northwestern Riverside County. This newer city incorporated in 2010 was former dairy farms.

Show 396, October 24, 2020: Nika Shoemaker-Machado of Georgia’s Restaurant Long Beach & Anaheim

Nika Shoemaker-Machado of Georgias RestaurantsGeorgia’s Restaurant (family-owned) at the Long Beach Exchange and Anaheim Packing House will be offering a special new Breast Bucket & Sides combo all throughout the month of October 2020 in honor of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month to help increase awareness and support! The Georgia’s Restaurant new Breast Bucket & Sides combo features a 6-Piece Bucket of Boneless Chicken Breasts (all white meat) and Choice of Two Sides including selections such as their signature Collard Greens, Garlic Rice, and French Fries for just $20 all month long. The special is available at both locations for outdoor patio dining, takeout, delivery and curbside pickup.

In other Georgia’s news Nana Gretchen Shoemaker’s “soul-delicious” signature Gumbo is back on the menu in both locations. “The house Gumbo has been a guest favorite ever since it was first introduced and now guests can again savor Nana’s secret Southern-style Roux featuring Chicken, Andouille Sausage, Shrimp, Crab, and Okra, served over Rice at both locations. To complement this super satisfying meal, guests can add some Soulful Sides such as Collard Greens, Baked Beans, Mac & Cheese, or Nana Gretchen’s Famous Cornbread served with house-made honey butter and enjoy her fresh Peach Cobbler for a sweet finish.”

2nd generation proprietress Nika-Shoemaker-Machado is our guest.

Show 87, September 6, 2014: Corporate Chef Ida Rodriguez, Melissa’s Produce

Chef Ida Rodriquez of Melissas World Variety ProduceIda Rodriguez is the long-time Corporate Chef for Melissa’s / World Variety Produce. Until the end of the month it’s still Hatch Chile season.

Over Labor Day Weekend Chef Ida was in Hatch, New Mexico as a participant for the annual Hatch Chile Festival. Chef Ida and Sharon Hernandez (the co-founder of Melissa’s) were there to do a book-signing of Melissa’s Hatch Chile Cookbook. It gets really crazy there during the Festival.

The most unusual Hatch Chile dish Chef Ida tasted (which she also
really enjoyed) was a Hatch Chile cornbread Whoopie pie. Chef Ida joined us to provide the chile flavored report.

Weekend Hatch chile roastings continue through this month at select supermarkets. Check the Melissa’s website for the schedule, times, and locations.

Three-Pepper Sausage Cornbread Dressing

Thanksgiving How to Cook it Well by Sam Sifton from Randon Houseby Sam Sifton

Here is a recipe I adapted from the cooking of Kurt Gardner, a New York theater man of great culinary passions who has been contributing the dish to our home for years, usually in proportions large enough to feed boroughs. Rare is the month where there is not a frozen bag of this stuff in our freezer, ready to be deployed.

2 tablespoons extra- virgin olive oil
11⁄2 pounds andouille sausage, or fresh chorizo or hot Italian sausage
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and diced
2 stalks celery, cleaned and diced
2 red or orange bell peppers, cored, seeded, and diced
2 poblano or Anaheim peppers, seeded and diced
2 serrano or jalapeño peppers, seeded and diced
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, cleaned and roughly chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 cups chicken stock (if using store- bought, use low sodium variety)
1 pan cornbread, cut into cubes (recipe follows)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Heat olive oil in large fl at- bottomed sauté pan over medium- high heat. Add sausage and sauté until browned, approximately 10 minutes. Remove to a large bowl and set aside.

3. Add onion to the pan and reduce heat to medium, then sauté until onion begins to turn clear and soften, approximately 5 minutes. Add celery and peppers and continue cooking until peppers begin to soften, approximately 10 minutes.

4. Pour vegetable mixture into bowl with sausage, add chopped cilantro, salt and pepper to taste, and toss to mix.

5. Return pan to heat and deglaze with a splash of chicken stock, then scrape contents into bowl with sausage and vegetable mixture.

6. Pour mixture into a large roasting pan and add cubed cornbread, mixing by hand. Add chicken stock to moisten, cover with aluminum foil, and place in oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until it is soft and the flavors well incorporated. If you desire a crunchy top, remove foil for fi nal 10 minutes of cooking.

(Dressing can be made ahead of time and reheated when needed. If dry upon reheating, add additional chicken stock.)

Excerpted from Thanksgiving: How to Cook it Well by Sam Sifton. Copyright ©2012 by Sam Sifton. Excerpted by permission of Random House, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.