Podcasts
Segment One: Show Preview with Co-Hosts Andy Harris and Chef Andrew Gruel
Segment Two: Chef Dominic Palmieri, The Midway Gourmet, L.A. County Fair
Segment Three: Chef Ivan Calderon, Taco Rosa’s “Battle of the Taquileros” Part One
Segment Four: Chef Ivan Calderon, Taco Rosa’s “Battle of the Taquileros” Part Two
Segment Five: Proprietor Chef Rich Mead, Farmhouse at Roger’s Gardens
Segment Six: Chef & Cooking Instructor Farhana Sahibzada, author of Flavorful Shortcuts to Indian / Pakistani Cooking
Segment Seven: Chef Andrew Gruel’s “Ask the Chef” Part One
Segment Eight: Chef Andrew Gruel’s “Ask the Chef” Part Two
Now an appetizing preview of this Saturday’s tantalizing show. It’s not, with profuse apologies, for dieters. If we’re successful we will always leave you incredibly hungry and thirsty. In our case, upon careful reflection, that’s probably a pretty good thing…
We always look forward to sharing with you the new, creative taste sensations at the LA County Fair on now through September 24th in Pomona. Already creating excitement is Flamin’ Hot Cheetos on virtually everything edible including pizza. The master of midway food himself, Chef Dominic Palmieri, the Midway Gourmet, joins us for the tempting high calorie update.
Taco Rosa, Chef Ivan Calderon’s upscale Mexican restaurant in Newport Beach, will host “Battle of the Tequileros” on Mexican Independence Day, Saturday, September 16th from 1-5 p.m. Bringing together 26 different tequila and mezcal brands, the celebratory event will benefit Save our Youth (SOY), a local non-profit serving the at-risk youth of the Newport-Mesa area through arts, fitness, education, and scholarship programs. Chef Ivan is our guest.
During his 35 years of professional cooking, Chef Rich Mead has cultivated relationships with the highest regarded local sustainable farms, allowing him to create the freshest menus using locally sourced, seasonal ingredients and specially grown vegetables. In 2016, after years of planning, Chef Mead unveiled a unique and sustainable field-to-fork dining experience at Farmhouse, located within Roger’s Gardens in Corona del Mar. Nestled on over 6 acres in the garden-like setting, Farmhouse features exclusive wines, craft beers, signature cocktails, artisan refreshments and a healthy based seasonal cuisine. We pull Chef Rich out of the local farmers market for a chat.
Farhana Sahibzada is a Chef and Cooking Instructor full of incredible passion for the food she cooks. Her dishes ooze with the scrumptious authenticity of her homeland, Pakistan. Blessed with a rich cultural heritage of Indian and Arabic influences, the region offers a vibrant tapestry of exquisite tastes. We’ll meet her.
Chef Andrew Gruel is poised to take Slapfish’s signature fish and chips to London. Since this is a traditional British dish that’s a bit unusual. Chef Andrew will present us with Fish and Chips 101.
We get e-mail…In today’s “Ask the Chef” segment Chef Andrew will respond to recent listeners’ questions. We’re starting off with why we should be concerned about the inadvertent, mistaken release of tens of thousands of farm-raised Atlantic salmon into clean Washington State waters.
All of this and heaping helpings of extra deliciousness on this week’s show!
We always look forward to sharing with you the new, creative taste sensations at the LA County Fair on now through September 24th in Pomona. Already creating excitement is Flamin’ Hot Cheetos on virtually everything edible including pizza. The master of midway food himself, Chef Dominic Palmieri, the Midway Gourmet, joins us for the tempting high calorie update.
This year’s theme is “Dare to Fair.”
“It’s a 1950s experience with 21st century sensibility. You can’t experience the Fair on your phone.”
“This wouldn’t be a Fair without food! Dare to indulge! Deep-fried, on-a-stick, ooey, gooey, barbequed, dipped in chocolate and just plain delicious. That’s the best way to describe the array of food at the LA County Fair. Fair food offers a unique culinary experience, and the LA County Fair has so many choices, you can eat breakfast, lunch and dinner here every day of the Fair and never eat the same thing twice! From Asian to Greek to Classic American to Mexican – the Fair’s got it.”
The Midway Gourmet is cookin’ up a batch of unbelievable treats. Among the must-tries:
- Nutella funnel cake
- Flamin’ Hot Cheetos roasted corn on the cob. It’s life changing!
- Flamin’ Hot Cheetos cheese fries
Flamin’ Hot Cheetos pizza
- Nitro Pop, candy pop kettle corn dipped in liquid nitrogen. It’s like eating frozen popcorn ice cream
- The Pickle Cheese, a giant dill pickle stuffed with jalapeño cheese, dipped in corn dog batter and deep fried. For the expecting, and un-expecting, set. This was featured on Season 4 of The Food Network’s “Carnival Eats” early this spring. Did you catch it?
Taco Rosa, Chef Ivan Calderon’s upscale Mexican restaurant in Newport Beach, will host “Battle of the Tequileros“ on Mexican Independence Day, Saturday, September 16th from 1-5 p.m. Bringing together 26 different tequila and mezcal brands, the celebratory event will benefit Save our Youth (SOY), a local non-profit serving the at-risk youth of the Newport-Mesa area through arts, fitness, education, and scholarship programs. Chef Ivan is our guest.
Offering perhaps the most diverse tasting selection in all of Southern California, the event will give guests an unparalleled opportunity to experience the unique nuances between a variety of tequilas and mezcales. Guests can also enjoy tasty tray-passed tapas-style bites from the Taco Rosa kitchen, exciting giveaways, and live mariachi music. A panel of esteemed judges, as well as the participants, will vote on the winners of the following categories:
- Best Cocktail
- Best Blanco
- Best Reposado
- Best Añejo
- Best Booth Presentation
“Now in our fifth year, Battle of the Tequileros has become more than a tequila festival. It has become a cultural experience that shines light on a hallmark of Mexican culture, while benefitting a cause that helps uplift our community’s youth,” commented Ivan Calderon, who has been an active supporter and board member of Save our Youth for the past 24 years.
Tickets for the 21-and-over event are priced at $75 and offer guests all-inclusive access to tequila and mezcal tastings. Tickets can be purchased by calling 949.720.0980 or online here:.
Taco Rosa is located at 2632 San Miguel Dr., Newport Beach, CA 92660.
With locations in Newport Beach and Irvine, California, Taco Rosa is the upscale, full-service sister restaurant to Taco Mesa. Chef Ivan Calderon’s award-winning menu utilizes sustainable ingredients and artisanal spices brought to life through authentic and contemporary cooking techniques.
Presenting the very best dishes and beverages from a variety of regions throughout Mexico, Taco Rosa takes their commitment to authenticity and sustainability one step further by using GMO-free masa for their corn products and tortillas. For more information, visit the Taco Rosa website.
Ivan Rogelio Calderon is the founder of Taco Mesa, Taco Rosa, and Taco Mesa Tortillería Orgánica & Café. As a third-generation restaurateur, Calderon began his career in the restaurant industry at El Torito Grill as a bus boy and as he worked his way through college began to move upward within the company, eventually earning himself a role in management. As a manager, he made it his mission to elevate El Torito’s operating standards. He helped lead the chain in opening several locations across the United States, eventually earning a position as regional manager.
In 1992, he opened the original Taco Mesa in Costa Mesa which garnered him recognition for bringing healthy and authentic, quick-service Mexican cuisine to Orange County. The Taco Mesa brand has expanded to include four locations in Costa Mesa, Mission Viejo, Orange (which he re-opened as his new tortilleria), and Foothill Ranch.
Calderon’s newest concept, Taco Mesa Tortillería Orgánica & Café, produces GMO-free corn masa for all his locations and will soon offer GMO-free tortillas to retailers and other restaurants.
During his 35 years of professional cooking, Chef Rich Mead has cultivated relationships with the highest regarded local sustainable farms, allowing him to create the freshest menus using locally sourced, seasonal ingredients and specially grown vegetables
In 2016, after years of planning, Chef Mead unveiled a unique and sustainable field-to-fork dining experience at Farmhouse, located within Roger’s Gardens in Corona del Mar. Nestled on over 6 acres in the garden-like setting, Farmhouse features exclusive wines, craft beers, signature cocktails, artisan refreshments and a healthy based seasonal cuisine
Think Grilled Corn and Summer Squash “Succotash” with fried shishito pepper or Roasted Weiser Farms Pee Wee Potatoes with pancetta bread crumbs.
The full Summer menu at Farmhouse is also offered in the Farmhouse bar. It features four refreshing new Summer cocktails, hand-crafted by Anthony Laborin, head of Cocktail R&D.
We pull Chef Rich out of the crowded aisles of the local farmers market for a chat.
Farhana Sahibzada is a Chef and Cooking Instructor full of incredible passion for the food she cooks. Her dishes ooze with the scrumptious authenticity of her homeland, Pakistan. Blessed with a rich cultural heritage of Indian and Arabic influences, the region offers a vibrant tapestry of exquisite tastes.
Born in Karachi and raised in Lahore, Pakistan, Chef Farhana has lived in Los Angeles for the past thirty years. She teaches classes at some of L.A.’s most prestigious cooking schools, turning age-old South Asian cuisine into quick, healthy and satisfying meals for every modern American household.
There is an educational component to Farhana’s work. Not only do her recipes demystify a cuisine from the Indian subcontinent, her natural charm and easy-going nature make her the perfect conduit to teach traditions from a part of the world Westerners often know little about.
Farhana’s goal is to remove the intimidation and encourage people to cook South Asian food at home. She takes regular culinary trips back to Pakistan to work with food industry professionals in Punjab, fine tuning treasured recipes so home cooks can master tastes that have driven South Asian culture for thousands of years.
Her book ‘Flavorful Shortcuts to Indian and Pakistani Cooking’ (Trafford Publishing) won the 2014 ‘Beverly Hills Book Award’ as the Best International cookbook.
We’ll meet her.
Chef Andrew Gruel is poised to take Slapfish’s signature fish and chips to London before year’s end. Since this is a traditional British dish that’s a bit unusual. Classic fish and chips are deep-fried fish fillets and French fries typically served with malt vinegar. Chef Andrew will present us with the Fish and Chips 101 tutorial.
Crispy and delicious, of course, when properly prepared…
We get e-mail…In today’s “Ask the Chef” segment Chef Andrew will respond to recent listeners’ questions. We’re starting with why we should be concerned about the inadvertent, mistaken release of tens of thousands of farm-raised Atlantic salmon into clean Washington State waters. This is the home waters of wild Pacific salmon.
Last Sunday Chef Andrew spent the full day cooking at The Los Angeles Times The Taste. He was part of both the afternoon Sunday Block Party and the concluding, evening Flavors of L.A. We’ll hear about it.
Podcasts
Segment One: Show Preview with Co-Hosts Andy Harris and Chef Andrew Gruel
Segment Two: Chef Dominic Palmieri, The Midway Gourmet, L.A. County Fair
Segment Three: Chef Ivan Calderon, Taco Rosa’s “Battle of the Taquileros” Part One
Segment Four: Chef Ivan Calderon, Taco Rosa’s “Battle of the Taquileros” Part Two
Segment Five: Proprietor Chef Rich Mead, Farmhouse at Roger’s Gardens
Segment Six: Chef & Cooking Instructor Farhana Sahibzada, author of Flavorful Shortcuts to Indian / Pakistani Cooking
Segment Seven: Chef Andrew Gruel’s “Ask the Chef” Part One
Segment Eight: Chef Andrew Gruel’s “Ask the Chef” Part Two
