Show 275, May 26, 2018: Show Preview with Co-Host Andy Harris

Happy Memorial Day Weekend. Enjoy, relax and be safe.

Now an enticing preview of this Saturday’s big Memorial Day Weekend 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… Keep in mind we’re here with you live every Saturday morning, including Holiday Weekends, with a fresh show.

Chef Vincent Nattress grew up on Whidbey Island, WA and departed. In 2015 Vincent realized his dream of returning to Whidbey with his wife, Tyla, and creating a culinary destination there, Orchard Kitchen. It’s a teaching kitchen, destination restaurant and a five-acre organic farm in Langley, WA. We’re pulling Chef Vincent away from a cooking class for a brief chat.

Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry campaign invites Los Angeles residents to sip and sample the area’s most celebrated culinary creations to help kids in need at this year’s Taste of the Nation for No Kid Hungry on June 3. Hosted at Culver City’s Media Park, the annual tasting event will feature gourmet cuisine and libations crafted by the city’s top chefs, sommeliers, and mixologists as they unite to raise funds to ensure all children in America have access to the healthy food they need, every day. One-hundred-percent of proceeds from the event benefit No Kid Hungry’s work to end childhood hunger in America. “Top Chef” alum Chef Dakota Weiss (Sweetfin Poke) is the local Chef Chair. She joins us with the delectable details.

If you have diabetes, knowing which foods to eat is a bit of a tricky business. That’s why the American Diabetes Association wrote Quick Diabetic Recipes For Dummies®—to answer all your food-related questions. It offers more than 100 tasty, nutritious, and easy-to-prepare recipes to keep you satisfied and healthy for life. Chef Amy Riolo, a best-selling cookbook author, edited the book and created the recipes and is the National Spokesperson for it with the American Diabetes Association. Amy is our guest.

Centrally located on Whidbey Island, WA in Coupeville, the Oystercatcher has proudly served simple, good, food for more than 18 years. Chef Tyler Hansen (3rd chef/proprietor) and his team create a harmonious and authentic farm-to-table menu to showcase all of what the island, and the region has to offer. They even make the extraordinary effort to bake all the breads used in the restaurant. Chef Tyler is about to go into his lunch service so he’d breaking away to chat with us.

Temecula’s EcoCulture Farms’ mission is to use regenerative agricultural techniques in order to utilize and improve the productivity of the environment from which we draw our sustenance. They practice responsible land stewardship in order to harvest from and simultaneously improve our ecosystem. Cory Shallow, Co-owner & Farm Manager has all the 411 for us.

Craft beers, gourmet chili and entertainment take center stage at the upcoming 10th Annual Pechanga Microbrew Fest & Chili Cookoff on Saturday, June 9th from Noon to 5 p.m. at Pechanga’s new Summit Event Center. Event proceeds benefit Habitat for Humanity Inland Valley Senior & Disabled Person Programs. The “Toast of Menifee,” The Mason Jar Brewing Company (a discovery of ours from two years ago) is back in the Fest for the 3rd time. Brewmaster & Proprietor Robert Carter is our guest. Cheers…

Chef Andrew Gruel, the founder of The Slapfish Restaurant Group, joins us with another installment of “Ask the Chef.” When you’ve at your favorite fast casual or quick service restaurant are you faced with the dilemma of way too many choices as the line lengthens in back of you ? Does it take 4 complicated steps to customize a simple salad ? Are there dozens of possible adds? Is this a matter of having choices or utter confusion? We’ll get Chef Andrew’s informed thoughts. This discussion is inspired by Wall Street Journal’s Julie Jargon from her May 11th piece, “Today’s Special: Way Too Many Options for One Sandwich.”

All of this and heaping helpings of extra deliciousness on this week’s not-to-miss show!

Show 275, May 26, 2018: LA’s Share Our Strength’s Taste of The Nation Chef Chair, Dakota Weiss

Dakota WeissShare Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry campaign invites Los Angeles residents to sip and sample the area’s most celebrated culinary creations to help kids in need at this year’s Taste of the Nation for No Kid Hungry on June 3. Hosted at Culver City’s Media Park, the annual tasting event will feature gourmet cuisine and libations crafted by the city’s top chefs, sommeliers, and mixologists as they unite to raise funds to ensure all children in America have access to the healthy food they need, every day. One-hundred-percent of proceeds from the event benefit No Kid Hungry’s work to end childhood hunger in America.

One in six children in America struggles with hunger, including more than 1.8 million kids in California. No Kid Hungry is ending childhood hunger nationwide by ensuring that kids start the day with a nutritious breakfast and families learn the skills they need to shop and cook on a budget. Since the campaign’s launch, No Kid Hungry and its partners have connected kids struggling with hunger to more than 775 million meals.

In 2017, Los Angeles’ Taste of the Nation for No Kid Hungry raised enough to connect hungry kids in need up to 1 million healthy meals. Local beneficiaries include California Association of Food Banks, California Food Policy Advocates, Los Angeles Regional Food Bank and West Side Food Bank.

Taste of the Nation for No Kid Hungry tickets are $110/adult and $25/child for General Admission. VIP tickets, including early access to the event and exclusive tastings, are available for $160. Executive Cabana packages, priced at $5,000, include 10 VIP tickets, a private cabana with seating for 10, and bottle and butler service. For additional information and to purchase tickets, please visit right here.

“Top Chef” Season 9 alum Chef Dakota Weiss (Sweetfin Poke) is the local Chef Chair. She joins us with all the delectable details.

May 26: Orchard Kitchen, Dakota Weiss, Amy Riolo, Oystercatcher, EcoCulture Farms, Mason Jar Brewing

Podcasts

Segment One: Show Preview with Co-Host Andy Harris
Segment Two: Chef / Proprietor Vincent Nattress, Orchard Kitchen, Bayview, Whidbey Island, WA
Segment Three: LA’s Share Our Strength’s Taste of The Nation Chef Chair, Dakota Weiss
Segment Four: Culinary Personality & Author, Amy Riolo, Editor, Quick Diabetic Recipes for Dummies
Segment Five: Chef / Proprietor Tyler Hansen, the Oystercatcher, Coupeville, Whidbey Island, WA
Segment Six: Farmer Cory Shallow, Co-owner & Farm Manager, EcoCulture Farms, Temecula
Segment Seven: Robert Carter, Brewmaster, The Mason Jar Brewing Co., Menifee, CA
Segment Eight: Chef Andrew Gruel, Slapfish Restaurant Group

Happy Memorial Day Weekend. Enjoy, relax and be safe.

Now an enticing preview of this Saturday’s big Memorial Day Weekend 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… Keep in mind we’re here with you live every Saturday morning, including Holiday Weekends, with a fresh show.

Chef Vincent Nattress grew up on Whidbey Island, WA and departed. In 2015 Vincent realized his dream of returning to Whidbey with his wife, Tyla, and creating a culinary destination there, Orchard Kitchen. It’s a teaching kitchen, destination restaurant and a five-acre organic farm in Langley, WA. We’re pulling Chef Vincent away from a cooking class for a brief chat.

Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry campaign invites Los Angeles residents to sip and sample the area’s most celebrated culinary creations to help kids in need at this year’s Taste of the Nation for No Kid Hungry on June 3. Hosted at Culver City’s Media Park, the annual tasting event will feature gourmet cuisine and libations crafted by the city’s top chefs, sommeliers, and mixologists as they unite to raise funds to ensure all children in America have access to the healthy food they need, every day. One-hundred-percent of proceeds from the event benefit No Kid Hungry’s work to end childhood hunger in America. “Top Chef” alum Chef Dakota Weiss (Sweetfin Poke) is the local Chef Chair. She joins us with the delectable details.

If you have diabetes, knowing which foods to eat is a bit of a tricky business. That’s why the American Diabetes Association wrote Quick Diabetic Recipes For Dummies®—to answer all your food-related questions. It offers more than 100 tasty, nutritious, and easy-to-prepare recipes to keep you satisfied and healthy for life. Chef Amy Riolo, a best-selling cookbook author, edited the book and is the National Spokesperson for it with the American Diabetes Association. Amy is our guest.

Centrally located on Whidbey Island, WA in Coupeville, the Oystercatcher has proudly served simple, good, food for more than 18 years. Chef Tyler Hansen (3rd chef/proprietor) and his team create a harmonious and authentic farm-to-table menu to showcase all of what the island, and the region has to offer. They even make the extraordinary effort to bake all the breads used in the restaurant. Chef Tyler is about to go into his lunch service so he’d breaking away to chat with us.

Temecula’s EcoCulture Farms’ mission is to use regenerative agricultural techniques in order to utilize and improve the productivity of the environment from which we draw our sustenance. They practice responsible land stewardship in order to harvest from and simultaneously improve our ecosystem. Cory Shallow, Co-owner & Farm Manager has all the 411 for us.

Craft beers, gourmet chili and entertainment take center stage at the upcoming 10th Annual Pechanga Microbrew Fest & Chili Cookoff on Saturday, June 9th from Noon to 5 p.m. at Pechanga’s new Summit Event Center. Event proceeds benefit Habitat for Humanity Inland Valley Senior & Disabled Person Programs. The “Toast of Menifee,” The Mason Jar Brewing Company (a discovery of ours from two years ago) is back in the Fest for the 3rd time. Brewmaster & Proprietor Robert Carter is our guest. Cheers…

Chef Andrew Gruel, the founder of The Slapfish Restaurant Group, joins us with another installment of “Ask the Chef.” When you’ve at your favorite fast casual or quick service restaurant are you faced with the dilemma of way too many choices as the line lengthens in back of you ? Does it take 4 complicated steps to customize a simple salad ? Are there dozens of possible adds? Is this a matter of having choices or utter confusion? We’ll get Chef Andrew’s informed thoughts.

All of this and heaping helpings of extra deliciousness on this week’s not-to-miss show!

Vincent NattressChef Vincent Nattress actually grew up on Whidbey Island, WA and departed. In 2015 Vincent realized his dream of returning to Whidbey with his wife, Tyla, and creating a culinary destination there, Orchard Kitchen. It’s a teaching kitchen, destination restaurant and a five-acre organic farm in Langley, WA.

“An Omnivore’s dining destination with a farm-to-table ethos, our restaurant is located in the very heart of our organic farm. Collaborating with local farmers, vintners, cheesemakers, chefs and oystermen, we bring you an ever-changing, four-course menu showcasing the season’s best ingredients. We offer one seating for thirty-two guests at our community tables. We look forward to feeding you soon!”

In 2005, Vincent joined Meadowood Napa Valley as the Executive Chef with the express mandate of restoring the property to culinary glory. Vincent was a part of an amazing team, including Patrick Davila, Joseph Humphrey and Christopher Kostow, that set the stage for Meadowood to become a culinary Mecca.

We pull Chef Vincent away from a cooking class for a brief chat.

Dakota WeissShare Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry campaign invites Los Angeles residents to sip and sample the area’s most celebrated culinary creations to help kids in need at this year’s Taste of the Nation for No Kid Hungry on June 3. Hosted at Culver City’s Media Park, the annual tasting event will feature gourmet cuisine and libations crafted by the city’s top chefs, sommeliers, and mixologists as they unite to raise funds to ensure all children in America have access to the healthy food they need, every day. One-hundred-percent of proceeds from the event benefit No Kid Hungry’s work to end childhood hunger in America.

One in six children in America struggles with hunger, including more than 1.8 million kids in California. No Kid Hungry is ending childhood hunger nationwide by ensuring that kids start the day with a nutritious breakfast and families learn the skills they need to shop and cook on a budget. Since the campaign’s launch, No Kid Hungry and its partners have connected kids struggling with hunger to more than 775 million meals.

In 2017, Los Angeles’ Taste of the Nation for No Kid Hungry raised enough to connect hungry kids in need up to 1 million healthy meals. Local beneficiaries include California Association of Food Banks, California Food Policy Advocates, Los Angeles Regional Food Bank and West Side Food Bank.

Taste of the Nation for No Kid Hungry tickets are $110/adult and $25/child for General Admission. VIP tickets, including early access to the event and exclusive tastings, are available for $160. Executive Cabana packages, priced at $5,000, include 10 VIP tickets, a private cabana with seating for 10, and bottle and butler service. For additional information and to purchase tickets, please visit right here.

Amy RioloIf you have diabetes, knowing which foods to eat is a bit of a tricky business. That’s why the American Diabetes Association wrote Quick Diabetic Recipes For Dummies®—to answer all your food-related questions. It offers more than 100 tasty, nutritious, and easy-to-prepare recipes to keep you satisfied and healthy for life.

Chef Amy Riolo, a best-selling cookbook author and past guest, edited the book and is the National Spokesperson for it with the American Diabetes Association. Amy is our guest.

Quick Diabetic Recipes For Dummies is the perfect guide to help you start making healthier food choices and cooking delicious diabetes-friendly recipes at home. It provides expert tips on the types of food you should keep stocked in your kitchen, advice on healthy cooking techniques, ways to lower fat, and, most importantly, information on what to eat with diabetes.

Tyler HansenCentrally located on Whidbey Island, WA in Coupeville, the Oystercatcher has proudly served simple, good, food for more than 18 years. Chef Tyler Hansen (3rd chef/proprietor) and his team create a harmonious and authentic farm-to-table menu to showcase all what the island, and the region has to offer. They even make the extraordinary effort to bake daily all the breads used in the restaurant. The bread is so popular that it’s sold to other Island restaurants.

“Historically the island provided an abundance of food, with the prairie serving as a sacred place for those who lived there. We honor that tradition at the restaurant today working with the farmers who continue to keep that heritage alive on the island.”

“Creating the entire experience from scratch is what makes the restaurant tick. The first wheat fields on Whidbey were harvested in September to mill the local flour for the bread. Being involved with the growing process to the finished product on the plate is the passion that drives the kitchen.”

Chef Tyler is about to go into his lunch service so he’d breaking away to chat with us.

Cory ShallowTemecula’s EcoCulture Farms’ mission is to use regenerative agricultural techniques in order to utilize and improve the productivity of the environment from which we draw our sustenance. They practice responsible land stewardship in order to harvest from and simultaneously improve our ecosystem.

One of their very satisfied restaurant accounts is Old Town Temecula’s revered E.A.T. Extraordinary Artisan Table and Chef Leah. E.A.T. sources produce and fresh eggs from EcoCulture Farms as well as other products.

“We strive to steward a highly functioning ecosystem in order to produce an abundance and variety of edible and salable products. Closing the waste stream, improving relationships with our local community, spreading knowledge and awareness around food and agriculture are central to the functioning of the farm. Each enterprise of the farm has the ability to stand alone, yet each play a pivotal role in each other’s functionality and efficiency. Our livestock, vegetable production, fruit tree cultivation, and soil building programs feed and support each other in a cohesive and harmonious manner.”

Cory Shallow, Co-owner & Farm Manager has all the 411 fir us.

Mason Jar Brewing CompanyCraft beers, gourmet chili and entertainment take center stage at the upcoming 10th Annual Pechanga Microbrew Fest & Chili Cookoff on Saturday, June 9th from Noon to 5 p.m. at Pechanga’s new Summit Event Center. Event proceeds benefit Habitat for Humanity Inland Valley Senior & Disabled Person Programs.

The “Toast of Menifee,” The Mason Jar Brewing Company (a discovery of ours from two years ago), is back in the Fest for the 3rd time. Brewmaster & Proprietor Robert Carter is our guest.

One of the smallest craft breweries participating in the Pechanga Microbrew Festival, Mason Jar Brewing, was founded in 2014. It’s the creation of the determined husband and wife team of Robert Carter and Grace Santiago. They transitioned into becoming a production brewery from their hobby as passionate and award-winning home-brewers.

Husband and wife team, Robert Carter and Grace Santiago, are active and participating residents of Menifee, California. Robert, a home inspector/youth football coach and Grace a local Real Estate agent, have both found their true creative calling in brewing beer.

Cheers…

Andy Harris and Andrew Gruel at the Fifth Anniversary of the SoCal Restaurant ShowChef Andrew Gruel the founder of The Slapfish Restaurant Group joins us with another installment of Ask the Chef.”

When you’ve at your favorite fast casual or quick service restaurant are you faced with the dilemma of way too many choices as the line lengthens in back of you? Does it take 4 complicated steps to customize a simple salad ? Are there dozens of possible adds? Is this a matter of having choices or utter confusion?

We’ll get Chef Andrew’s informed thoughts.

Podcasts

Segment One: Show Preview with Co-Host Andy Harris
Segment Two: Chef / Proprietor Vincent Nattress, Orchard Kitchen, Bayview, Whidbey Island, WA
Segment Three: LA’s Share Our Strength’s Taste of The Nation Chef Chair, Dakota Weiss
Segment Four: Culinary Personality & Author, Amy Riolo, Editor, Quick Diabetic Recipes for Dummies
Segment Five: Chef / Proprietor Tyler Hansen, the Oystercatcher, Coupeville, Whidbey Island, WA
Segment Six: Farmer Cory Shallow, Co-owner & Farm Manager, EcoCulture Farms, Temecula
Segment Seven: Robert Carter, Brewmaster, The Mason Jar Brewing Co., Menifee, CA
Segment Eight: Chef Andrew Gruel, Slapfish Restaurant Group

Show 30, June 1, 2013: Celebrity Chef Alan Wong, Alan Wong’s, Honolulu

Alan WongChef Wong is one of the distinguished pioneers of Hawaiian Regional Cuisine. This group of influential chefs was advocating using local ingredients and sustainability years before the concept was fashionable. In Honolulu he is the owner / chef of Alan Wong’s and the more casual Pineapple Room located in Macy’s in the Ala Moana Center. On Maui his property is Alan Wong’s Amasia at the Grand Wailea Resort. That’s Hawaii Regional Cuisine with sushi and a robata grill.

Chef Alan defines Hawaii Regional Cuisine as an artful blending of all the cultures now populating the Islands. In addition to native Hawaiian food it includes influences from the Chinese, Japanese, Portuguese, Koreans, and Filipinos, among others.

Chopped Ahi Sashimi and Avocado Salsa StackThere are many ways to experience dinner at Alan Wong’s. The a la carte menu features salads and entrees. There is also an a la carte “Side By Side Tasting” menu. Additionally there is both a “Chef’s Tasting Menu” and “A Tasting of The Classics” prix fixe menu. Both of the “Tasting” menus have optional wine pairings matched with each course.

Miya Nishimura is Chef Alan’s Chef De Cuisine at Alan Wong’s. She is a rising star in her own right.

On Sunday, June 2nd Chef Alan Wong is one of the celebrity chefs with a tasting station at the annual Share Our Strength Taste of the Nation Benefit at Studio at Montage Laguna Beach Resort. The event starts at 4:00 p.m. One hundred per cent of the ticket sales revenues goes toward hunger relief efforts in Orange County

June 1: Hawaiian Food and Restaurant Special

Podcasts

Segment One: Hawaii Food Tours’Chef Matthew Gray
Segment Two: Jeffrey Vigilla, executive chef of the Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort in Honolulu
Segment Three: Celebrity Chef Alan Wong, Alan Wong’s, Honolulu
Segment Four: Chuck Furuya, Master Sommelier and partner in DK Restaurants, Honolulu
Segment Five: Celebrity Chef Sam Choy, Sam Choy’s Kai Lanai, The Big Island, Hawaii
Segment Six: Les Apoliona, Land Asset Manager, Land Assets Division of Kamehameha Schools of Hawaii

Summer is upon us and the vacation travel season is at hand. Both Jet and Producer Andy have recently been to Hawaii. Saturday will be our Hawaii special bringing you the best (and tastiest) tips for visits to Oahu and The Big Island.

Matthew Gray of Hawaii Food ToursChef and food critic Matthew Gray has been objectively observing the Oahu food scene since 1993. He was previously the food critic for the local newspaper, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Whether it’s a joint in Chinatown making their own noodles or the best in high-end cuisine Matthew knows the territory.

Some six years ago he created Hawaii Food Tours to provide visitors with highly entertaining, one-of-a-kind food adventures. His signature food tour is his Hole-in-the-Wall Food Tour where you discover the rich history of Honolulu through food. Matthew takes his guests to unusual places they would never discover on their own.

Chef Jeffrey Vigilla of the Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach ResortJeffrey Vigilla is the accomplished executive chef of the 2,860 room Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort in Honolulu on 22 lush tropical acres. It’s the largest hotel property on the famed Waikiki Beach with the widest stretch of beach. Chef Vigilla is going local with as much of his menu ingredients as possible. His chocolate is from Waialua Estates on Oahu and he even sources local honey.

 

Alan WongHawaii’s Alan Wong is one of the pioneers of Hawaiian Regional cuisine. Now, sourcing and serving the freshest local ingredients is in vogue. In Hawaii, Alan owns the flagship Alan Wong’s in Honolulu as well as the more casual Pineapple Room in Ala Moana Center. On Maui his most recent establishment is Amasia at the Grand Wailea.

The President dines with the First Lady at Alan Wong’s on his yearly vacations on Oahu.

On Sunday, June 2nd Chef Alan will be one of the celebrity chefs cooking at the Share Our Strength Taste of the Nation Benefit at Studio at Montage Laguna Beach.

Chuck FuruyaChuck Furuya of the D.K. Restaurant Group with hugely successful properties on Oahu, Maui, and The Big Island was only the 10th person in the United States to pass the rigorous Master Sommelier examination. He’s the recognized leader in the Islands in furthering wine education.  He loves to introduce undiscovered wines to his guests and good value is always part of his mission. No wine snobbery here…

Sam ChoyThe Big Island’s Sam Choy is known as Hawaii’s culinary ambassador to the world. He has a new restaurant on The Big Island, Sam Choy’s Kai Lanai, with a 180-degree view of the Pacific Ocean. He’s also known as the “Godfather of Poke” which is his signature dish. Chef Sam is the author of 16 cookbooks and is a regular culinary celebrity chef aboard Crystal Cruises.

Kamehameha Schools is Hawaii’s largest private landowner with some 365,000 acres on The Big Island, Maui, Molokai, Oahu, and Kauai. They own the choice land in Waikiki that are the sites of the Royal Hawaiian Hotel and associated upscale retail complex. One of their new initiatives is to support value added agriculture with entrepreneurial leaseholders of their land. Two out of three coffee estates in the Kona area are on Kamehameha Schools leased land.

Les Apoliona, a land asset manager for the north Kona district for the Land Assets Division of Kamehameha joins us to talk about the inventive effort to support these businesses and the move to make The Big Island more self sufficient in the production of food. Les has a background in food service and hotel management and is well-known in the restaurant community of The Big Island.

Podcasts

Segment One: Hawaii Food Tours’Chef Matthew Gray
Segment Two: Jeffrey Vigilla, executive chef of the Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort in Honolulu
Segment Three: Celebrity Chef Alan Wong, Alan Wong’s, Honolulu
Segment Four: Chuck Furuya, Master Sommelier and partner in DK Restaurants, Honolulu
Segment Five: Celebrity Chef Sam Choy, Sam Choy’s Kai Lanai, The Big Island, Hawaii
Segment Six: Les Apoliona, Land Asset Manager, Land Assets Division of Kamehameha Schools of Hawaii/a>

Show 29, May 18, 2013: Craig Strong, executive chef of Studio at Montage Laguna Beach

Chef Craig StrongFor the 3rd year Chef Craig, Studio, and Montage Laguna Beach are hosting the Orange County “Taste of the Nation” benefit for Share Our Strength. Share Our Strength’s national mission is hunger relief.

One hundred percent of the ticket revenue from June 2nd goes to local Orange County hunger relief organizations for programs. All expenses are covered by donations and sponsors. That’s highly unusual!

The event itself is an elaborate, walk-around tasting on the oceanfront bluff (with views of the Pacific) of Studio with food tasting stations from Studio and celebrity chefs from around the country. There are also premium wines served. Guests have the chance to really interact with the chefs and winemakers in a relaxed environment.

The impressive chef line-up includes Alan Wong from Alan Wong’s in Honolulu, Josiah Citrin of Melisse in Santa Monica, and Brooke Williamson of Hudson House in Redondo Beach, the 1st runner up on this season’s “Top Chef” series on Bravo.

Tickets in advance are $150, and the VIP Meet the Chef experience is $250.

May 18: Sherry Yard, Craig Strong, Bill Esparza, Martin Blin, Marcus Samuelsson

Podcasts

Segment One: Pastry Chef Sherry Yard
Segment Two: Craig Strong, executive chef of Studio at Montage Laguna Beach
Segment Three: Bill Esparza, the “Mexican Food Maestro” and authority on the food of Baja California
Segment Four: Marius Blin, executive chef of Sofitel Los Angeles and president of Club Culinaire of Southern California
Segment Five: Pastry Chef Sherry Yard, Celebrity Chef discusses the new Helms Bakery
Segment Six: Marcus Samuelsson, chef / proprietor of Red Rooster and Ginny’s Supper Club in Harlem

Sherry YardSpecial treat for this Saturday’s show. Pastry princess Sherry Yard is guest hosting the “SoCal Restaurant Show.” She was Wolfgang Puck’s long-time pastry chef until departing after the Oscars this year to embark on a restaurant project of her own.

Sherry Yard is a multiple James Beard Award-winner for both the pastry arts as well as writing. These coveted medallions are the Oscars of the food world! Sherry was just in New York for the annual Beard Awards presented at Lincoln Center. Sherry will tell us what it’s like to be backstage and onstage in Manhattan during the Beard Awards.

Chef Craig StrongCraig Strong is the executive chef of Studio at Montage Laguna Beach. This is one of Orange County’s elite fine-dining destinations. It’s housed in its own architecturally distinctive building on the luscious grounds of Montage and the added bonus is the view of The Pacific.

On Sunday, June 3rd Chef Strong and his team are again hosting the annual Share Our Strength – Taste of the Nation benefit in Studio and the adjacent grounds. It’s a refined walk-around wine and food tasting afternoon with incredible tastes from some of the most high profile chefs in the country. Alan Wong from Alan Wong’s in Honolulu is one of the distinguished visiting chefs. Chef Alan cooks for the President at Alan Wong’s when he visits Honolulu. Also Chef Brooke Williamson of Hudson House in Redondo Beach. She was the runner- up in this season’s “Top Chef” series on Bravo!

Bill EsperanzaSaxophonist Bill Esparza has been dubbed the “Mexican Food Maestro.” As a hobby he’s developed an expertise (now a bustling 2nd career) in the foods of Baja California and the other culinary regions of Mexico. He leads escorted food tours there for journalists and food fans alike. He’s even given advice to Travel Channel’s Andrew Zimmern.

On Sunday, June 23rd he’s hosting LA Weekly’s Tacolandia Tacofest from Noon to 5:00 p.m. on the parking lot of the Hollywood Palladium.

33rd Annual Picnic de ChefsWhen a group of accomplished French chefs get together to cook guaranteed fun is always on the menu. The 33rd Annual Picnic des Chefs will be held on Sunday, June 2, 2013 at Vasa Park in Agoura Hills. This picnic is organized annually by the Club Culinaire of Southern California to benefit area charities.

On hand will be food tasting stations from 20 area restaurants complimented by premium wines from 20 wineries.

Chef Martin Blin the executive chef of Sofitel Los Angeles (across from the Beverly Center) and the President of the group joins us with all the appetizing details.

Back to our conversation with Sherry Yard.

Her new venture is the reimagined Helms Bakery (under construction) in partnership with Sang Yoon of Father’s Office and Lukshon. This will be on the site of the original Helms Bakery, an iconic food landmark and brand established in 1931 (with home delivery) which sadly closed in 1969.

Marcus Samuelsson and Andy Harris at a Taste of Harlem in Baldwin HillsMarcus Samuelsson of Red Rooster and Ginny’s Supper Club in Harlem really needs no introduction. Among his many achievements he orchestrated the menu for President Obama’s first State Dinner at the White House during his initial term.

His excellent memoirs, Yes, Chef, is now in paperback. It just earned a James Beard Award. It’s a must read for any young person contemplating a career in the culinary arts. Chef Marcus is brutally honest in recounting his achievements and failures on the lengthy path to the major success he now is.

Podcasts

Segment One: Pastry Chef Sherry Yard
Segment Two: Craig Strong, executive chef of Studio at Montage Laguna Beach
Segment Three: Bill Esparza, the “Mexican Food Maestro” and authority on the food of Baja California
Segment Four: Marius Blin, executive chef of Sofitel Los Angeles and president of Club Culinaire of Southern California
Segment Five: Pastry Chef Sherry Yard, Celebrity Chef discusses the new Helms Bakery
Segment Six: Marcus Samuelsson, chef / proprietor of Red Rooster and Ginny’s Supper Club in Harlem