Show 150, December 12, 2015: Show Preview with Guest Host Chef Andrew Gruel and Executive Producer & Co-Host Andy Harris

Executive Chef Andrew Gruel of the rapidly growing Slapfish empire with restaurants in Huntington Beach, Laguna Beach, Newport Beach, LAX, Irvine at UCI and, soon, Brea, is back as today’s special Guest Host.

West Coast Prime Meats CookbookWe got a tremendous response to our segment last week on the publication of the West Coast Prime Meats CooksProfessional Recipes for the Home Kitchen cookbook. It’s the ideal gift for the serious home cook and it’s also a worthy coffee table volume. All the chefs’ recipes have been tested to be duplicated in the home kitchen. It’s available through their website at www.WestCoastPrimeMeats.com

for a modest $25.00. Five Dollars of the purchase price goes to a pair of outstanding supports groups for our Veterans, The Wounded Warrior Project and The Gary Sinise Foundation – Serving Honor and Need. It’s the Holiday gift you can feel really good about giving.

Next a mouthwatering preview of Saturday’s high-energy and appropriately festive show and not, with apologies, for dieters. If we’re doing it right we will always leave you hungry and thirsty. In our case that’s probably a good thing…

For the last seven years Chef Marlene Moore has been overseeing the busy Temptations Food Court, the Poker Room, and Bingo Parlor at Pechanga Resort & Casino. The Food Court features American, Italian, Mexican, Fried Chicken, Espresso and Pastries, Bahn Mi, Hot Dogs and Lemonade. Chef Marlene shares some tips for creative Holidays dishes with a true Southern flair. Think marination and jerk seasoning.

They always do it B-I-G in Las Vegas. What’s billed as the culinary event of the year, Ultimo – A Weekend of Excellence, hosted by The Venetian and The Palazzo, will take culinary extravagance to new levels, December 17th through the 20th. The highlight of the festivities will be the competition to select Team USA representing the United States in the prestigious Bocuse d’Or international cooking competition in Lyon, France in early 2017. This is the Olympics of the culinary arts.

Chef Richard Rosendale (Richard Rosendale Collective) is our guest. He is on the Chef Jury on Dec. 17th in Las Vegas and led Team USA at the Bocuse d’Or in 2013.

In 2011, beer enthusiasts Meg Gill and Tony Yanow founded Golden Road Brewing to bring fresh beer to the local market in the most sustainable way possible.  “Golden Road is committed to engaging and supporting the growing community of socially-minded beer enthusiasts.” “Brewed and canned in Los Angeles,” Golden Road’s year-round offerings include Point the Way IPA, Golden Road Hefeweizen, Get Up Offa That Brown and Wolf Among Weeds IPA. Co-founder Meg Gill is our guest

Anita Lau is better known to regular listeners of the “SoCal Restaurant Show” as the Mad Hungry Woman blogger. She was living in Hong Kong in the 90s before the turnover to China. Anita is just back from a 3-week visit. We’ll get a insider’s view of the dining scene there during the glory days of the British and now under Chinese authority.

One of the up-and-coming wineries in the Guadalupe Valley in Northern Baja is Lechuza, founded in 2005. It’s owned by Ray Magnussen (with his wife, Patty) who is also the hands-on winemaker. They are Americans. We’ll meet Ray.

Our regular Guest Host, Chef Andrew Gruel of Slapfish, was just in Chicago, a great dining out city whether you’re going for high-end gourmet or great street food. Chef Andrew will discuss his finds ranging from a true Chicago hot dog experience to the best in coal-fired pizza.

All of this and lots more absolutely incredible deliciousness on Saturday’s show!

Show 149, December 5, 2015: West Coast Prime Meats Cooks – Professional Recipes For The Home Kitchen

Amy and Craig Nickoloff of West Coast Prime MeatsIt was only a matter of time…! Our friends at West Coast Prime Meats have published the perfect cookbook for the Holidays: West Coast Prime Meats Cooks: Professional Recipes for the Home Kitchen.

West Coast Prime Meats is the protein purveyor of choice to some of the top restaurants in Southern California, Las Vegas and Hawaii.

The impressive volume includes enticing kitchen tested recipes for BIG Beef, Burgers, Pork, Lamb, Goat, Poultry and Seafood from the best chefs in Southern California, Las Vegas and Hawaii. It’s an inspired Holiday gift for the home cook that you can feel good about giving.

In the spirit of the Holidays the proceeds benefit two important Veteran’s charities, The Wounded Warrior Project and The Gary Sinise Foundation. Five Dollars from the sale of each book ($25.00 retail price) goes to the benefiting charities.

West Coast Prime Meats Cooks is available through their Web site and Amazon.com.

Authors Craig and Amy Nickoloff join us.

Show 149, December 5, 2015: West Coast Prime Meats Cooks – Professional Recipes For The Home Kitchen Continues…

Amy and Craig Nickoloff of West Coast Prime MeatsAuthors Craig and Amy Nickoloff continue...

You might say it was primed to happen …! Our friends at West Coast Prime Meats have published the perfect cookbook for the Holidays: West Coast Prime Meats Cooks – Professional Recipes for the Home Kitchen. In the spirit of the Holidays the proceeds benefit two important Veteran’s charities, The Wounded Warrior Project and The Gary Sinise Foundation. $5.00 from the sale of each book goes to the benefiting charities. Given what’s going on in the World these days It’s an appropriate time to remember our veterans.

Some of the top toques from prominent restaurants in Southern California, Las Vegas and Hawaii have graciously contributed the tested recipes including ARC, Bourbon Steak, Connie & Ted’s, il Pastaio, The Musso & Frank Grill, N9NE Steak House, Loteria! Grill, Providence, Temecula Creek Inn, Valentino and Water Grill.

The book includes chef-created recipes for Beef, Burgers, Lamb, Goat, Poultry, Veal and Seafood. There are dozens of genuinely useful tips including instructions on how to debone a Leg of Lamb. The principals of West Coast Prime Meats know meat from years of practical experience and graciously share a lot of handy secrets with the reader.

From the Prologue

“For those nights when you’d rather let someone else do the cooking and clean-up, consider this your guide to some of the best restaurants in Southern California, Nevada, and Hawaii. We are honored to serve them and proud to support them.”

“There is one other group we stand behind : our men and women in the Armed Services. To help them, we will donate 100 percent of the profits from book sales [a guaranteed $5.00 per book] to assist our wounded veterans, through the Wounded Warrior Project and through the Gary Sinise Foundation. We encourage everyone to learn about these two worthy charities.”

West Coast Prime Meats Cooks is available through their website and Amazon.com.