Show 368, April 11, 2020: Chef Michael Stamm, MGP Specialty Food and Cured & Whey, Las Vegas

Michael Stamm of MGP Specialty FoodIf you’re in the gourmet specialty food business Las Vegas is the land of opportunity in normal times. There are multiple high-end, fine-dining restaurants located on The Strip as well as in the affluent suburbs of Summerlin and Henderson. Downtown Las Vegas has been enjoying an independent dining revival, too. A great local success story for 21 years is Chef Michael Stamm of MGP Specialty Food. “Specialty Products for the Gourmand.”

His gourmet specialty food retail operation for the public is Cured & Whey. They offer one of the most impressive cheese and charcuterie board selections available in Las Vegas. During the health crisis all soft and hard cheeses are being sold at deep discounts. Cured & Whey also stocks the essential pantry items. Curbside pickup is available.

“It takes a lot of care and integrity to procure just the right products and deliver above and beyond what our customers need and want,” said Chef Michael. Chef Michael’s philosophy is indeed a reflection of his commitment to quality and the extraordinaire.  He shares his manufacturers’ passion for excellence and takes great pride in the products and manufactures he personally selects to represent.

Chef Michael brings out the foie gras just for us and explains how he is navigating this unheard of time where Las Vegas is essentially closed for visitors.

May 3: Sherry Yard, Jesse Barber, Nan Kohler, Barbara Fairchild, Yvon Goetz

Podcasts

Segment One: Host Jet Tila and Producer Andy Harris
Segment Two: Sherry Yard of iPic Theaters and Helms Bakery Part One
Segment Three: Sherry Yard of iPic Theaters and Helms Bakery Part Two
Segment Four: Executive Chef Jesse Barber of Barnyard Venice
Segment Five: Nan Kohler, Managing Partner, Grist & Toll – An Urban Flour Mill, Pasadena Part One
Segment Six: Nan Kohler, Managing Partner, Grist & Toll – An Urban Flour Mill, Pasadena Part Two
Segment Seven: Barbara Fairchild, Restaurant & Travel Editor, grapecollective.com, editor, writer, speaker and consultant
Segment Eight: Chef Yvon Goetz, Chef & Partner, The Winery Restaurant & Wine Bar, Tustin and Newport Beach

Chef Jet and Producer Andy preview the show.

Multiple James Beard Award-winning Pastry Chef Sherry Yard is familiar to the listening audience of the “SoCal Restaurant Show.” Her work-in-progress is the ambitious revival of the Helms Bakery in Los Angeles on the border with Culver City.

She will tell us all about her exciting new position as Corporate Vice President of the Culinary Division of iPic Theaters. Watching a movie on the big screen should be a deluxe experience with food to match !

There is a relatively new hidden gem of a very personal farm-to-table restaurant in Venice. That’s Barnyard Venice. Come hungry and prepare to be pleasantly surprised and also well-taken care of.

Nan Kohler, the Managing Partner of Grist & Toll – An Urban Flour Mill, is back for an encore. This time she’ll also be speaking about gluten-free.

Barbara Fairchild, the well-traveled Restaurant & Travel Editor for grapecollective.com is back with us to share some inspired restaurant finds from her recent travels both in Europe and in The States.

The Winery Restaurant & Wine Bar in Tustin has a new location on the Bay in Newport Beach. It’s a “wow” of a spot!

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

Sherry YardRenowned pastry chef and best-selling cookbook author Sherry Yard spent close to 20 years with Wolfgang Puck. She also has been awarded two prestigious James Beard Foundation Awards! On May 5th in New York City Sherry is being inducted into the James Beard Foundation’s Who’s Who of Food & Beverage in America. It’s an elite group…

In late 2012 she left Spago to realize a dream project with Sang Yoon. That’s the reopening (and revamping) of the fondly remembered Helms Bakery in Los Angeles on the border of Culver City.

She has just stepped into the newly created position of Corporate Vice President of Culinary Direction for iPic Theaters.

Their new state-of-the-art Westwood complex has just opened. Locally-sourced gourmet food is now on the menu for the luxury movie viewing experience.

She also somehow finds the time to actively serve on both the National and L.A. Boards of the Careers through Culinary Arts Program. (C-CAP.)

The iPic Theaters menu for Westwood even includes Helms Treats. There are premium signature cookies and even frozen novelties!

On the ground floor there is an Italian restaurant (Tanzy) open to the public for lunch and dinner.

Sherry Yard was on hand Sunday, April 25th on Rodeo Dr. in Beverly Hills to observe the cutting of Chef Donald Wressell’s breathtaking birthday cake for the 100th Anniversary of the City of Beverly Hills. Chef Donald is the corporate chef for Guittard Chocolate Co. Sherry has created incredible desserts for the Oscars and was truly impressed with the incredible results. 15,000 slices of deliciousness were served!

Adding a needed basement to the Helms Bakery (where there was none before) has delayed the project. Sherry is now looking at a 2015 launch.

Jesse Barber of Barnyard VeniceBarnyard Venice (opened in 2012) is a bit of a find housed in an old cottage on Pacific Avenue. It’s rustic and comfortable.

Chef Jesse Barber, an alum of the kitchen at Tasting Kitchen, is the menu-maker. Earlier in his career he worked with Thomas Keller at both The French Laundry and Bouchon. He’s put together an ever changing menu with an emphasis on local ingredients. He’s a regular at the Santa Monica Farmers Markets and that’s the basis for his menu which changes almost daily.

His grilled octopus is a standout.

Ramen Tuesday is at the bar.

Nan KohlerNan Kohler is the Managing Partner of Grist & Toll – An urban Flour Mill in Pasadena. She has extensive background in baking.

Nan discusses her take on celiac disease and the growing need for gluten-free products.

On Sunday, May 4th Chef Bruce Kalman of Pasadena’s Union is cooking a dinner in conjunction with Grist & Toll. Union uses many of their products including their polenta which is a favorite of Chef Jet’s.

Chef Kalman will incorporate Grist & Toll’s whole-grain milled fresh flours into five courses. The price is $85 per guest.

Nan explains how the flours produced by Grist & Toll differ from the commercial enriched flour that goes into plain white bread. A lot of the nutritional value is surprisingly lost with the processing of conventional enriched flour.

Nan is also starting to offer baking classes.

Barbara FairchildIt’s a pleasure to welcome food journalist Barbara Fairchild back to the show. She is an editor, writer, speaker and consultant. She was the long-time Editor of Bon Appetit Magazine before the publication relocated to New York.

Her newest position is Restaurant & Travel Editor for grapecollective.com.

Based on her recent travels Barbara has restaurant finds for us from both London and Paris.

Yvon Goetz of the Winery Restaurant and BarThe Winery Restaurant & Bar at the District in Tustin has created quite a splash over the last six years. All that was missing was an ocean view.

Newly arrived on the Bay in Newport Beach is the 2nd location for The Winery Restaurant & Wine Bar. Partner/ Executive Chef Yvon Goetz is overseeing the kitchen here, too. It’s dinner only at present. Lunch will be coming on the weekends. Chef Yvon is our guest.

The new Winery brings the same distinctive experience as its flagship location in The District in Tustin. This one strives to make the guest feel like they have been transported to a relaxing getaway in Napa or Sonoma. This escape features ocean views from the second-story dining room and breathtaking bar.

The menu here is a bit more seafood centric. Some of the fish (Opah, Ono, and Mahi Mahi) +is flown in from Hawaii daily.

“The major difference with this location will be the stunning views of the waterfront and boat access. We anticipate endless possibilities, with something to suit every palate,” said JC Clow, Managing Partner of The Winery Restaurant & Wine Bar. Three private docks are available for guests to arrive via the Marina.

Podcasts

Segment One: Host Jet Tila and Producer Andy Harris
Segment Two: Sherry Yard of iPic Theaters and Helms Bakery Part One
Segment Three: Sherry Yard of iPic Theaters and Helms Bakery Part Two
Segment Four: Executive Chef Jesse Barber of Barnyard Venice
Segment Five: Nan Kohler, Managing Partner, Grist & Toll – An Urban Flour Mill, Pasadena Part One
Segment Six: Nan Kohler, Managing Partner, Grist & Toll – An Urban Flour Mill, Pasadena Part Two
Segment Seven: Barbara Fairchild, Restaurant & Travel Editor, grapecollective.com, editor, writer, speaker and consultant
Segment Eight: Chef Yvon Goetz, Chef & Partner, The Winery Restaurant & Wine Bar, Tustin and Newport Beach

Show 46, November 2, 2013: Host Jet Tila and Producer Andy Harris

Jet Tila with Ben McKee of Imagine Dragons at Life is Beautiful Festival in Las VegasThanks to all of our loyal & enthusiastic listeners who were part of the audience for Jet’s Saturday afternoon cooking demo with Ben McKee of The Imagine Dragons at the Life Is Beautiful food and music festival in Downtown Las Vegas. It was standing room only for the demo in the Chefs On Stage East tent.

Jet and Andy previewed the show. We had everything from a snapshot on where to dine now in New York to what it takes to prepare and serve gourmet food to the demanding VIPs at the Breeder’s Cup at Santa Anita. Also we’ll get the behind-the-scenes with a winning chef from Food Network’s new hit series “Cutthroat Kitchen” hosted by Alton Brown. Jet is one of the regular judges for the first season.

November 3: Barbara Fairchild, Merrin-Mae Fuentebella, Jason Kessler, Anita Lau, Elizabeth Whitt, Josiah Citrin, Matt Bencivenga

Podcasts

Segment One: Host Jet Tila and Producer Andy Harris
Segment Two: Barbara Fairchild, food journalist, cookbook author, educator, and consultant
Segment Three: Chef Merrin-Mae, winning cheftestant, Food Network’s “Cutthroat Kitchen”
Segment Four: Jason Kessler, food journalist
Segment Five: Anita Lau of the Mad Hungry Woman blog”
Segment Six: Chef Instructor Elizabeth Whitt
Segment Seven: Josiah Citrin, Chef/Proprietor of Melisse
Segment Eight: Matt Bencivenga, executive chef and partner of the Wolfgang Puck Catering Company

Jet Tila with Ben McKee of Imagine Dragons at Life is Beautiful Festival in Las VegasThanks to all of our loyal & enthusiastic listeners who were part of the audience for Jet’s Saturday afternoon cooking demo with Ben McKee of The Imagine Dragons at the Life Is Beautiful food and music festival in Downtown Las Vegas. It was standing room only for the demo in the Chefs On Stage East tent.

Jet and Andy preview the show. We have everything from a snapshot on where to dine now in New York to what it takes to prepare and serve gourmet food to the demanding VIPs at the Breeder’s Cup at Santa Anita. Also we’ll get the behind-the-scenes with a winning chef from Food Network’s new hit series “Cutthroat Kitchen” hosted by Alton Brown. Jet is one of the regular judges for the first season.

Barbara FairchildBarbara Fairchild is a respected food journalist, cookbook author, consultant, and educator. She is best known to us as the long-time former editor of Bon Appetit Magazine when they were based in Los Angeles.

This summer she taught a course in the Arthur L. Canter Journalism Institute at the prestigious New York University. Barbara tells us all about that as well as provides us with some great Manhattan dining suggestions ranging from a deli find to fine dining Italian and a comfortable celebrity chef restaurant that’s really worth going to.

Merrin Mae FuentebellaChef Merrin-Mae is a cheftestant on the first season of Food Network’s high pressure “Cutthroat Kitchen” hosted by Alton Brown. Her episode is entitled “Kiss My Grits” and was first aired on October 6th.

The level of competition was particularly intense and the sabotages were devilish. Chef Merrin-Mae made us proud in SoCal (she is a local) and she won the episode. One of the other cheftestants was a “Chopped” winner and was eliminated after the first round!

She currently works at Alma with executive chef Ari Taymor. When she did the show she was part of the culinary team at Sotto.

The latest fad diet that is getting a lot of attention is the Paleo Diet (also known as the caveman diet.)

Jason Kessler of Food RepublicFood journalist Jason Kessler of Food Republic and Bon Appetit was actually on the diet for 40 days and shares his experience with us. Jason’s observation is that because the diet is so restrictive you can drop some weight rather quickly. The severely limiting factor is that it gets monotonous rather fast.

San Diego, we haven’t forgotten you.

anita-lauAnita Lau of the Mad Hungry Woman blog is with us with a San Diego dining discovery. Anita was a nominee for a Golden Foodie award in Journalism this year.

Anita’s find is Ristorante Kaz. This is an intriguing Japanese Italian fusion cuisine spot. Anita’s favorite bite was an angel hair pasta dish with creamy sea urchin with spinach and salmon roe.

Elizabeth WhittFeeling ambitious in the kitchen…? Time to get a running start on holiday cooking and entertaining. Our superstar chef instructor, Elizabeth Whitt, of www.ChefElizabeth.com is with us again to get those holiday preparations pointed in the right direction with relative ease.

Pumpkin is in this year. Chef Elizabeth has both a savory and sweet recipe to add to your holiday collection. First up is an incredible Pumpkin Risotto with a fresh baking pumpkin or butternut squash. For dessert there is a not too sweet Pumpkin Cheesecake. Yum….!

When Chef Jet has his own culinary questions he turns Le Cordon Bleu, Paris-trained to Chef Elizabeth. She has a series of popular holiday classes coming up that always sell out early. On November 7th she has “Make-Ahead Holiday Side Dishes” from 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and “Holiday Pies and Desserts” the same day from 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Then on December 5th its her most popular class, “Appetizers and Hors D’oeuvres,” from 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

All classes are at the Cypress Community Center in Cypress.

Josiah CitrinFifteen years ago when fine-dining restaurants located outside of the protective umbrella of luxury hotels were at a low ebb in Los Angeles Chef Josiah Citrin sold his stake in a very popular Santa Monica dinner house and went out on his own to open a ultra-luxe, destination, freestanding, fine-dining, contemporary French restaurant with California accents. That was the start of Melisse. All these years later it still impresses.

Josiah is a new member of the Bocuse d’Or USA Foundation’s prestigious Culinary Council. On November 10th Josiah and five other culinary superstars will join forces to cook an extraordinary six course repast at Melisse in Santa Monica to raise funds for The Foundation. Two different levels of wine-pairings are available for a supplement.

The esteemed group of chefs includes Gavin Kaysen, the Executive Chef and Director of Culinary Operations for Daniel Boulud’s Café Boulud in New York, Palm Beach, and Toronto. He has previously represented the USA in the Bocuse d’Or culinary competition. For reservations please call 310.395.0881.

The Bocuse d’Or USA Foundation, established in 2008, is a non-profit organization led by a Board of Directors of renowned chefs Daniel Boulud, Thomas Keller and Jerome Bocuse (Paul’s son.) The Foundation is devoted to recruiting, training, and financially supporting the promising young American chefs who compete on behalf of the United States in the prestigious Bocuse d’Or competition, held in Lyon, France every two years. Think of it as the Olympics of the culinary world…

The 2013 Breeder’s Cup, horse racing’s premier international event, returns to storied Santa Anita Park on November 1st and 2nd.

Matt BencivengaWolfgang Puck Catering (they cater the annual Governors Ball for The Oscars) has been selected to serve it’s fine-dining, seasonal cuisine to some 5,000 demanding VIP attendees. Wolfgang Puck Catering’s cuisine will be served in the Trackside Marquee, Frontrunner, Sierra Vista, Trophy Lounge and the Chandelier Room.

Founding Executive Chef and Partner (of Wolfgang Puck Catering) Matt Bencivenga joins us to talk about the challenges of maintaining Spago quality at large events. It takes a lot of skill, planning, and an army of chefs.

Podcasts

Segment One: Host Jet Tila and Producer Andy Harris
Segment Two: Barbara Fairchild, food journalist, cookbook author, educator, and consultant
Segment Three: Chef Merrin-Mae, winning cheftestant, Food Network’s “Cutthroat Kitchen”
Segment Four: Jason Kessler, food journalist
Segment Five: Anita Lau of the Mad Hungry Woman blog”
Segment Six: Chef Instructor Elizabeth Whitt
Segment Seven: Josiah Citrin, Chef/Proprietor of Melisse
Segment Eight: Matt Bencivenga, executive chef and partner of the Wolfgang Puck Catering Company

Show 44, October 19, 2013: Chef Jo-Jo Doyle, executive chef, The Honda Center, Anaheim, CA

Jo Jo DoyleOur neighbor to the North, across E. Katella Ave., is the Honda Center, home of Ducks hockey. Earlier in the year they took the highly unusual step of bringing all of their food service in-house to have better quality control of all the food and beverage served there.

The new executive chef supervising everything from hot dogs to the gourmet food going into the luxury boxes is Jo-Jo Doyle. You met him on Saturday’s show. He was most recently overseeing the entire operation at Churchill Downs home of the famous Kentucky Derby.

Chef Doyle is now responsible for managing all food and beverage offerings at Honda Center including the spectacular new Grand Terrace (a 15,000 square foot indoor/outdoor entertainment space,) Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7 Club restaurant and bar, concessions and catering.

October 19: Daniel Boulud, Andy Ricker, Sriracha Festival, Honda Center Catering

Podcasts

Segment One: Host Jet Tila and Producer Andy Harris
Segment Two: Daniel Boulud, executive chef & global restaurateur based in New York
Segment Three: Daniel Boulud, executive chef & global restaurateur based in New York Part Two
Segment Four: Chef Jo-Jo Doyle, executive chef, The Honda Center, Anaheim, CA
Segment Five: The L.A. Sriracha Festival, Sunday, October 27th
Segment Six: Andy Ricker, chef and restaurateur, Pok Pok, Portland, Oregon and Brooklyn, New York Part One
Segment Seven: Andy Ricker, chef and restaurateur, Pok Pok, Portland, Oregon and Brooklyn, New York Part Two
Segment Eight: Jet and Allison Tila (Mrs. Jet Tila)

Host Jet Tila and Producer Andy Harris preview the show.

Marche Moderne in South Coast Plaza Costa MesaDon’t forget Marche Moderne’s (South Coast Plaza) upcoming “The Pig Head To Toe 3.0” for one week only! The dinner showcases Executive Chef Florent Marneau’s modern interpretation of a fall classic – choucroute – (sauerkraut) and a celebration of pork in nine different ways. The seasonal menu, priced at $30 per guest, will be available at dinner only from October 22 to 29. Plan ahead…

Daniel BouludWhen it comes to true French chef royalty the revered leader in New York is everyone’s favorite Frenchman, Daniel Boulud. His Three Michelin starred flagship restaurant, Daniel, is celebrating its 20th year of culinary excellence.

His newest cookbook, DANIEL: My French Cuisine, was two years in the making and is the perfect gift book for food-lovers for the Holidays. There are 125 spectacular photos of Boulud’s food and Daniel restaurant.

The book has 75 signature recipes plus an additional 12 recipes Chef Boulud prepares for his friends, at home, on more casual occasions. He actually lives above the restaurant in the proud European tradition of owner/chefs.

Food journalist Bill Buford is also a contributor to the handsome coffee table book. He has pieces on the origin and preparation of ten iconic French dishes.

Chef Boulud is making a rare appearance in Los Angeles next week supporting the release of the cookbook.

On October 23rd he’ll be at Hotel Bel-Air cooking a sumptuous five course dinner with Wolfgang Puck.

On Thursday, Oct. 24th at Noon, Chef Daniel will be signing copies of DANIEL: My French Cuisine at Whole Foods at 6350 W. 3rd St. in Los Angeles across the street from the Original Farmers Market at 3rd and Fairfax.

Finally that evening he will be in conversation with the notable Los Angeles Times restaurant critic, Jonathan Gold, at the William Turner Gallery at Bergamot Station Arts Center in Santa Monica. The talk is at 8:00 p.m. with an earlier reception running from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. There are reserved as well as General Admission seats.

Our neighbor to the North, across E. Katella Ave., is the Honda Center, home of Ducks hockey. Earlier in the year they took the highly unusual step of bringing all of their food service in-house to have better quality control of all the food and beverage served there.

Jo Jo DoyleThe new executive chef supervising everything from hot dogs to the gourmet food going into the luxury boxes is Jo-Jo Doyle. You’ll meet him on Saturday’s show. He was most recently overseeing the entire operation at Churchill Downs home of the famous Kentucky Derby.

Chef Doyle is now responsible for managing all food and beverage offerings at Honda Center including the spectacular new Grand Terrace (a 15,000 square foot indoor/outdoor entertainment space,) Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7 Club restaurant and bar, concessions and catering.

LA Sriracha FestivalWith the growing popularity of Sriracha in Southern California as a condiment you just knew it had to happen. On Sunday, October 27th from 3 to 6:00 p.m. in Downtown Los Angeles the curtain will go up on the first annual L.A. Sriracha Festival.

The chef driven food festival is organized by Food GPS’s Josh Lurie and food journalist Randy Clemens. Randy has written two well-received books on Sriracha. His latest is The Veggie-Lovers Sriracha Cookbook.

Josh and Randy join us to take the green cap off the familiar Sriracha bottle and drizzle out all the spicy details.

Multiple stations will allow guests to savor a variety of Sriracha themed dishes, including desserts. Local craft beer, cocktails and sodas will be there to help temper the heat.

The impressive chefs’ line-up includes Neal Fraser, Eric Greenspan, and Ernesto Uchimura of Plan Check Kitchen.

Andy Ricker of Pok PokSurprisingly, Chef Andy Ricker is not from Thailand but as an accomplished restaurateur he’s found great success recreating the flavors of Northern Thailand which he really fell in love with during an extensive visit in 1992. He started with a modest restaurant in Portland, Oregon and his growing empire now extends to Brooklyn.

The original Pok Pok in Portland because a must-stop destination for visiting foodies after being profiled on Food Network’s “Diners Drive-ins and Dives.” In 2011 Andy was bestowed the honor of “Best Chef – Northwest” from The James Beard Foundation.

Just out from Ten Speed Press is Pok Pok: Food and Stories from the Streets, Homes, and Roadside Restaurants of Thailand. Particularly helpful are the writings on what differentiates the various regions of Thai cuisine. The book also contains suggestions for complete menus using the various recipes.

“Pok Pok” is a Thai reference to the sound heard from a mortar and pestle when you are grinding food in it.

On to the recipes…

Chef Ricker shares his signature recipe for chicken wings which is more Vietnamese than Thai. He also talks about the famed papaya salad and provides tips on how to properly prepare it. In Thailand there are some hundred variations of this popular dish.

Chef Jet Tila host of the SoCal Restaurant ShowWhen Jet’s wife, Allison, is out socially the question she hears the most is, “What’s it like being married to a prominent chef ?” The expectation is that it’s either chef-prepared gourmet meals nightly or dining out at the very best restaurants. Not exactly…

Inspired by award-winning food journalist Al Mancini’s provocative piece for Las Vegas CityLife ( “Late for dinner : Being the spouse of a chef is often lonely”) Jet and Ali paint the real picture. No violins please…It’s far from glamorous but the good news is that Allison really wouldn’t trade places with anyone!

Podcasts

Segment One: Host Jet Tila and Producer Andy Harris
Segment Two: Daniel Boulud, executive chef & global restaurateur based in New York
Segment Three: Daniel Boulud, executive chef & global restaurateur based in New York Part Two
Segment Four: Chef Jo-Jo Doyle, executive chef, The Honda Center, Anaheim, CA
Segment Five: The L.A. Sriracha Festival, Sunday, October 27th
Segment Six: Andy Ricker, chef and restaurateur, Pok Pok, Portland, Oregon and Brooklyn, New York Part One
Segment Seven: Andy Ricker, chef and restaurateur, Pok Pok, Portland, Oregon and Brooklyn, New York Part Two
Segment Eight: Jet and Allison Tila (Mrs. Jet Tila)