Podcasts
Segment One: Show Preview with Co-Host Andy Harris
Segment Two: Maria Ponzi, President & Director of Sales and Marketing, Ponzi Vineyards, Tualatin Valley, Oregon
Segment Three: Charles Duque, Managing Director, French Dairy Board and French Cheese Board, New York
Segment Four: Executive Chef Ross Luciano for Levy Restaurants, StubHub Center, Carson
Segment Five: Marianna Gatto, Executive Director, Italian American Museum of Los Angeles, Taste of Italy Benefit
Segment Six: Executive Chef John Brenning, Legends Hospitality for LA Memorial Coliseum
Segment Seven: Restaurateur Piero Selvaggio of Santa Monica’s Valentino, Planeta wines of Sicily
Segment Eight: 2nd Annual “Battle of the Burgers,” Annette Brown, Director of Public Relations, Visit Temecula Valley
Now a tantalizing preview of this Saturday’s properly decadent 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…
The Tualatin Valley, Oregon’s esteemed Ponzi Vineyards is one of Oregon’s premier wineries. Established in 1970 as one of the pioneering wineries in Willamette Valley, Ponzi is now being run by the family’s 2nd generation of two sisters. Luisa Ponzi (trained in Burgundy) is Winemaker and Anna Maria Ponzi is President & Director of Sales and Marketing. Maria Ponzi artfully pulls the cork for us.
It’s all about butter with Charles Duque, the Managing Director for The French Dairy Board and the French Cheese Board. Indispensable to new culinary trends, butter is a source of inspiration that never grows old. Butter is an emblem of French cuisine. We’ll find out why with Charles.
The StubHub Center in Carson is the interim home of LA Chargers Football and LA Galaxy Soccer. Executive Chef Ross Luciano of Levy Restaurants oversees the menu there. It’s the expected hot dogs, peanuts and nachos plus more upscale fare favorites including Chicken Caesar Salad and a Seared Tuna Poke Bowl. Vegetarian and gluten-free options on the menu, too.
On Saturday, Oct. 13th from 5 to 10:00 p.m. in Downtown Los Angeles the Italian American Museum of Los Angeles is presenting the 10th Annual Taste of Italy showcasing fine restaurants, world-class wines, live entertainment and celebrated chefs. Proceeds from Taste of Italy support educational programming and other initiatives related to the Italian American Museum of Los Angeles’ mission. Executive Director of IAMLA, Marianna Gatto, joins us with all the tempting details. Mangia, mangia…
The historic LA Memorial Coliseum (host of 2 previous Olympic Games) is home to USC Trojan Football and LA Rams Football. Executive Chef John Brenning of Legends Hospitality oversees the menu there. New for this season is Chef John’s LA Hot Chicken Sandwich with both “Hot” and “Extra Hot” versions!
Piero Selvaggio of Valentino, Santa Monica fame is one of the pioneers of Italian fine-dining in Los Angeles. He also has been one of the visionaries introducing premium wines of Sicily to the United States. Piero joins us to talk about the noble Nero d’Avola grape grown in Sicily and Sicily’s Planeta wines.
Visit Temecula Valley will hold its 2nd Annual Battle of the Burgers on Saturday, October 20, 2018 in conjunction with Pechanga Resort and Casino and Temecula Valley Unified School District. Some 20 restaurants are expected to compete for the championship title at Pechanga Resort Casino. New to the event, is a “Loaded Fries” competition that will include thirteen Pechanga Resort Casino executive chefs partnering with third year Career Technical Education (CTE) students at Temecula Valley High School. The students will team up with the chefs to create their Loaded Fries recipes and will be the executive chefs for the day, while Pechanga chefs will be their sous chefs. Visit Temecula Valley’s Annette Brown serves up all the details.
Program Note for October 13th:
We’re graciously stepping aside for Notre Dame Football on Saturday morning, October 13 and will return to the airwaves at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 20th. We’re live from Pechanga Resort Casino for the 2nd Annual Battle of the Burgers competition to benefit the culinary arts students at Temecula Valley High School.
All of this and heaping helpings of extra deliciousness on this week’s not-to-miss show!
The Tualatin Valley, Oregon’s esteemed Ponzi Vineyards is one of Oregon’s premier wineries. Established in 1970 as one of the pioneering wineries in Willamette Valley, Ponzi is now being run by the family’s 2nd generation of two sisters. Luisa Ponzi (trained in Burgundy) is Winemaker and Anna Maria Ponzi is President & Director of Sales and Marketing.
Founders Dick and Nancy Ponzi moved their young family to the Willamette Valley in the late 1960s with a spirit of adventure and a passion for making world class Pinot Noir. After many research trips to Burgundy and an extensive search for the ideal location, they purchased 20 acres on a small farm just southwest of Portland, Oregon. It was a daring risk — at the time, the Pacific Northwest was not thought to be a place to grow Pinot noir, but Dick and Nancy realized the Northern Willamette Valley’s climate was ideal for cool climate varieties. Pinot noir cuttings were planted, and in 1970 Ponzi Vineyards was founded.
The methods, philosophies and winemaking passion established nearly 50 years ago are still practiced today under the family’s second generation.
Ponzi Vineyards continues to set the standard for Oregon’s viticultural innovation while maintaining an unwavering commitment to a tradition of winemaking excellence. For the last 25 years, this philosophy has been carried on by the Ponzi family’s second generation.
All 130 acres of family-owned vineyards are LIVE Certified Sustainable, the world’s highest standard for sustainable viticulture and enology. Driven by the concept that the varietal must match the terroir and climate, Ponzi Vineyards continues to set the bar for Oregon and remains at the forefront of the nation’s top wine producers.
Maria Ponzi pulls the cork for us.
It’s all about butter with Charles Duque, the Managing Director for The French Dairy Board and the French Cheese Board. Indispensable to new culinary trends, butter is a source of inspiration that never grows old. Butter is an emblem of French cuisine.
Butter is an entirely natural product in its pure state. To make 35 oz. of butter, you need 23 quarts of milk.
Butter has survived for thousands of years. It has not aged in the slightest and is still smooth, soft and melting. Even through the ages, it has remained a natural and traditional product.
Butter production methods have remained virtually unchanged for 5,000 years. The churning system has been perfected over the centuries and health precautions have improved, especially with pasteurization, but, incredibly, the process has remained essentially the same.
We’ll find out why with Charles.
The StubHub Center in Carson is the interim home of LA Chargers Football and LA Galaxy Soccer. The menu changes a bit between Soccer and Football. The LA Galaxy plays a lot more home games and their season is currently winding down.
Executive Chef Ross Luciano of Levy Restaurants oversees the menu there. It’s the expected hot dogs, peanuts and nachos plus more upscale fare favorites including Chicken Caesar Salad and a Seared Tuna Poke Bowl (for the Chargers.) In the Galaxy’s Healthy Kitchen are rotating chef-created healthy options including Jamaican Jerk Chicken with Mary’s organic chicken. Vegetarian and gluten-free options on the menu, too.
We’ll meet Chef Luciano.
On Saturday, Oct. 13th from 5 to 10:00 p.m. in Downtown Los Angeles the Italian American Museum of Los Angeles is presenting the 10th Annual Taste of Italy showcasing fine restaurants, world-class wines, live entertainment and celebrated chefs. Proceeds from Taste of Italy support educational programming and other initiatives related to the Italian American Museum of Los Angeles’ mission.
General Admission ($60) and Premiere tickets ($125) are still available but the event does sell out before October 13th. Capacity is thoughtfully limited to ensure the comfort of all guests.
Executive Director of IAMLA, Marianna Gatto, joins us with all the tempting details. Mangia, mangia…
The historic LA Memorial Coliseum (host of 2 previous Olympic Games) is home to USC Trojan Football and LA Rams Football. Executive Chef John Brenning of Legends Hospitality oversees the menu there. New for this season is Chef John’s LA Hot Chicken Sandwich with both “Hot” and “Extra Hot” versions!
Chef Brenning began his career in the culinary arts more than 20 years ago. Before joining Legends and spending the past three years in the sports and entertainment side of the business at The Coliseum, Chef John held positions at the Ritz-Carlton and Four Seasons Hotels across California.
“It’s all about the food and service. The food and service will only be as good as the passion and heart put into it.” – Chef John Brenning
Piero Selvaggio of Valentino, Santa Monica fame is one of the pioneers of Italian fine-dining in Los Angeles. He also has been one of the visionaries introducing the premium wines of Sicily to the United States. Piero joins us to talk about the noble Nero d’Avola grape grown in Sicily and Sicily’s Planeta wines.
“We travelled through Sicily as on a great wine continent, establishing our estates in five different areas from west to east, seeking our interpretation of them through research into indigenous varieties, including those by now forgotten, and into the suitability of the different terroirs to welcome international varieties as well. We planned to eventually build around each territory a comprehensive system of experience composed of hospitality, cooking, nature and culture. On these elements the history of our company has always been based. This instinct for the future, together with our curiosity to see the world and compare ourselves with it, has guided our choices.”
Visit Temecula Valley will hold its 2nd Annual Battle of the Burgers on Saturday, October 20, 2018 in conjunction with Pechanga Resort Casino and Temecula Valley Unified School District. Some 20 restaurants are expected to compete for the championship title at Pechanga Resort Casino. New to the event, is a “Loaded Fries” competition that will include thirteen Pechanga Resort Casino executive chefs partnering with third year Career Technical Education (CTE) students at Temecula Valley High School. The students will team up with the chefs to create their Loaded Fries recipes and will be the executive chefs for the day, while Pechanga chefs will be their sous chefs.
Temecula Valley Unified School District CTE students will volunteer for the event, with the third-year students competing in the event. The school is selling tickets to the event for $10 each as a fundraiser. All the proceeds will go directly to purchase food handler cards for their culinary students.
Attendees will be able to try several burgers from participating restaurants, as well as loaded fries from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. The winners will be announced after 3:00 p.m. at the event, and posted online right here.
Visit Temecula Valley’s Director of Public Relations, Annette Brown, serves up all the juicy details.
Podcasts
Segment One: Show Preview with Co-Host Andy Harris
Segment Two: Maria Ponzi, President & Director of Sales and Marketing, Ponzi Vineyards, Tualatin Valley, Oregon
Segment Three: Charles Duque, Managing Director, French Dairy Board and French Cheese Board, New York
Segment Four: Executive Chef Ross Luciano for Levy Restaurants, StubHub Center, Carson
Segment Five: Marianna Gatto, Executive Director, Italian American Museum of Los Angeles, Taste of Italy Benefit
Segment Six: Executive Chef John Brenning, Legends Hospitality for LA Memorial Coliseum
Segment Seven: Restaurateur Piero Selvaggio of Santa Monica’s Valentino, Planeta wines of Sicily
Segment Eight: 2nd Annual “Battle of the Burgers,” Annette Brown, Director of Public Relations, Visit Temecula Valley
