Show 379, June 27, 2020: Chef Avinash Kapoor, Kapoor’s Akbar, Downtown Los Angeles

Avi Kapoor of Kapoor's Akbar“Under the supervision of prominent executive chef Avi Kapoor, the latest incarnation of the Akbar restaurant family, Kapoor’s Akbar, offers diners an innovative Indian food experience on the edge of Downtown L.A. Relying on traditional recipes passed down through the family but updated with non-traditional techniques and ingredients, Kapoor’s Akbar serves freshly prepared dishes that are rich in taste, temptingly presented and always memorable.”

“Omnivores, vegetarians and vegans will find a wide range of selections to satisfy their hunger, joining the thousands of diners who have feasted over the years with generations of Kapoor Family restauranteurs.”

Chef Avi was one of the first accomplished Indian chefs in Los Angeles some two decades ago to pioneer the pairing of premium wines with Indian cuisine. Traditionally beer had been the suggested match.

We gently pull Chef Avi away from the tandoor oven for a visit.

Show 47, November 9, 2013: Host Jet Tila and Producer Andy Harris

Thanksgiving How to Cook it Well by Sam Sifton from Randon HouseDreading the thought of the big, high-anxiety Thanksgiving holiday meal preparation? Don’t despair…It’s our calming Thanksgiving special and we’ll put you at ease with practical advice from the cooking pros. We have you covered. We even suggest creative wine-pairings that include selections of real value.

Chef Jet and Producer Andy preview the Thanksgiving special.

Show 47, November 9, 2013: William Lewis, Sommelier and Partner, The Winery Restaurant and Wine Bar Continued…

Sir William Lewis of the Winery Restaurant and Wine Bar in TustinWilliam Lewis, the popular sommelier and partner of The Winery Restaurant and Wine Bar located in The District in Tustin returned to complete his inspired Thanksgiving wine pairings.

To recap Sir William’s suggestions:

Jordan “J” Sparkling
Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label
Clean Slate Riesling
Merryvale Starmont Chardonnay
Martin Ray Russian River Pinot Noir 2012
Grgich Hills Zinfandel 2010

For planning purposes William offered that you’ll get four, 6 oz. pours out of each bottle.

He also talked about digestives for the finale of your Thanksgiving meal. It might be brandy, cognac, Calvados (Apple Brandy) or even the increasingly popular herbal-based, Italian Fernet-Branca.

Look for the debut of The Winery Restaurant’s elegant new eagerly anticipated location on Pacific Coast Highway in Newport Beach in February of 2014!

November 9: Thanksgiving Holiday Special

Podcasts

Segment One: Host Jet Tila and Producer Andy Harris
Segment Two: Sam Sifton, National Editor of The New York Times Part One
Segment Three: Sam Sifton, National Editor of The New York Times Part Two
Segment Four: Chef Instructor Elizabeth Whitt Part One
Segment Five: Chef Instructor Elizabeth Whitt Part Two
Segment Six: Chef Instructor Elizabeth Whitt & Chef Jet Tila
Segment Seven: William Lewis, Sommelier and Partner, The Winery Restaurant and Wine Bar Part One
Segment Eight: William Lewis, Sommelier and Partner, The Winery Restaurant and Wine Bar Part Two

Dreading the thought of the big, high-anxiety Thanksgiving holiday meal preparation? Don’t despair…It’s our calming Thanksgiving special and we’ll put you at ease with practical advice from the cooking pros. We have you covered.

Chef Jet and Producer Andy preview the Thanksgiving special.

Sam SiftonJournalist Sam Sifton is the former restaurant critic for The New York Times and currently serves as their National Editor. He actually wrote the book on Thanksgiving last year. It’s entitled Thanksgiving – How To Cook It Well and it’s an excellent resource that any home cook would want to have.

Sam shares highlights from Chapter 2 of the book which is defining the perfect bird and explaining how to best cook it.

Sam Sifton is back with us providing more helpful Thanksgiving education. He offers his two favorite side dish recipes. Those are Three-Pepper Sausage Cornbread Dressing, and Roasted Cauliflower with Anchovy Bread Crumbs.

Elizabeth WhittChef Instructor Elizabeth Whitt is no stranger to the show. When Chef Jet has a culinary quandary he goes right to Chef Elizabeth. She is a Le Cordon Bleu, Paris trained chef with expertise in both hot foods and pastry.

In this segment Elizabeth talks about pumpkin. Should it be fresh or can it be canned? Also, the step-by-step instructions for preparing and baking the perfect, classic pumpkin pie.

Elizabeth has an “Appetizers and Hors D’oeuvres” class coming up on December 5th from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m.

Chef Instructor Elizabeth Whitt continues with genuinely useful Thanksgiving cooking help.

She explains what dishes can be successfully prepared ahead to save time (and limited oven & burner space) on the big day.

Chef Elizabeth also shares her easy recipe for her favorite Thanksgiving side dish for her own Thanksgiving table.

It’s your turn…

Jet and Chef Elizabeth Whitt offer their Thanksgiving advice in responding to listeners’ questions. It’s everything from how do you know when a persimmon is ripe to what are the most creative ideas for using the abundant leftovers.

Also everything you want to know about cooking deep-fried turkey and the path to preparing the perfect stuffing.

Sir William Lewis of the Winery Restaurant and Wine Bar in TustinWilliam Lewis is the award-winning sommelier and partner in The Winery Restaurant and Wine Bar located in The District in Tustin. For the second year in a row they were awarded The Golden Foodie for Best Wine List in Orange County in 2013. They were also just recognized with OpenTable’s 2013 Diner’s Choice Award for Notable Wine List.

Whether your preference for your Thanksgiving table is a pairing of a fine white, sparkling, or red wine William has the selection of the perfect match for each that will both impress and not break the bank.

William Lewis, the popular sommelier and partner of The Winery Restaurant and Wine Bar located in The District in Tustin returns to complete his inspired Thanksgiving wine pairings.

He also talks about digestives for the finale of your Thanksgiving meal. It might be brandy, cognac, Calvados or even the Italian Fernet-Branca.

Look for the debut of The Winery Restaurant’s elegant new eagerly anticipated location on Pacific Coast Highway in Newport Beach in February of 2014!

Podcasts

Segment One: Host Jet Tila and Producer Andy Harris
Segment Two: Sam Sifton, National Editor of The New York Times Part One
Segment Three: Sam Sifton, National Editor of The New York Times Part Two
Segment Four: Chef Instructor Elizabeth Whitt Part One
Segment Five: Chef Instructor Elizabeth Whitt Part Two
Segment Six: Chef Instructor Elizabeth Whitt & Chef Jet Tila
Segment Seven: William Lewis, Sommelier and Partner, The Winery Restaurant and Wine Bar Part One
Segment Eight: William Lewis, Sommelier and Partner, The Winery Restaurant and Wine Bar Part Two

Show 46, November 2, 2013: Josiah Citrin, Chef/Proprietor of Melisse

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…

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 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

March 2: New Orleans, Las Vegas and Laguna Beach foodies

Podcasts

Segment One: Liz Williams, President and Director, Southern Food and Beverage Museum, New Orleans
Segment Two: Executive Chef Rick Moonen of rm seafood at The Shoppes at Mandalay Place in Las Vegas
Segment Three: Nancy Milby, co-founder of Laguna Beach Uncorked! An International Wine & Food Fest! and Executive Director of Laguna Culinary Arts, Inc.
Segment Four: Brock Radke, Food and Web Editor for Las Vegas Weekly
Segment Five: Jim Colombo, General Manager of Five Crowns and SideDoor in Corona del Mar
Segment Six: Dining at Urasawa in Beverly Hills and Highlights from “A Taste of Harlem in Baldwin Hills” at Post & Beam

It’s tempting food from New Orleans, Las Vegas, and Laguna Beach this week. Also a preview of an inspired Newport Beach Public Library Foundation series to teach kids about cooking.

elizabeth_m_williamsElizabeth (Liz) M. Williams is the founder and president of the Southern Food and Beverage Museum in New Orleans, which celebrates the food of the American South with exhibits, a library, archives, collections, and programming.

Her new book is New Orleans: A Food Biography.

Beignets, Po’ Boys, gumbo, jambalaya, Antoine’s. New Orleans’ celebrated status derives in large measure from its incredibly rich food culture, based mainly on Creole and Cajun traditions. At last, this world-class destination has its own food biography. Elizabeth M. Williams, a New Orleans native, takes readers through the history of the city, showing how the natural environment and people have shaped the cooking we all love. The narrative starts by describing the indigenous population and material resources, then reveals the contributions of the immigrant populations, delves into markets and local food companies, and finally discusses famous restaurants, drinking culture, cooking at home and cookbooks, and signature food dishes.

Rick Moonen of rm seafood in Las VegasRick Moonen of rm seafood at The Shoppes at Mandalay Place is one of those unusual celebrity chefs in Las Vegas with a namesake restaurant. Las Vegas is his home and he actually lives there.

Chef Moonen is recognized for his considerable talents in preparing seafood. He is also a pioneer in the sustainable seafood movement.

On Thursday evening, March 15th Chef Moonen will be joined by Chef Matthew Accarrino (former chef de cuisine of Restaurant RM) of SPQR in San Francisco to present a five-course, seafood lover’s meal (with wine pairings) to benefit Three Square Food Bank in Las Vegas.

Laguna Beach UncorkedThe 2nd Annual Laguna Beach Uncorked is set for Saturday, March 9th at the Laguna Beach Festival of the Arts grounds from 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. It’s an indulgent afternoon of tastings from 20 prominent Laguna Beach restaurants and 30 top wineries from around the world. Proceeds benefit CHOC Children’s Hospital in Orange County.

One of the founders of the festival, Nancy Milby, the Executive Director of Laguna Culinary Arts, Inc., will be with us to preview Laguna Beach Uncorked! An International Wine & Food Fest!

Brock Radke of Las Vegas WeeklyOur eyes and ears in Las Vegas, Brock Radke, is back with us. Brock is the Food and Web Editor for the Las Vegas Weekly there and a genuine insider.

Inspired by Bon Appetit’s newly announced 20 Most Important Restaurants in America, Brock put together his own list for Las Vegas. He joins us to discuss his picks.

Kids Cook is the first program in the new series, Making Memories for Children from the Newport Beach Public Library Foundation.

It’s a three-part culinary adventure under the expert direction of Jim Colombo, General Manager of Five Crowns in Corona del Mar. Jim is also an accomplished chef by training.

Making Memories for Children from the Newport Beach Library FoundationThe first session is on Sunday, March 10th in the garden at Five Crowns. It’s an introduction to a variety of fresh herbs, fruits and vegetables, followed by a hands-on lesson in preparing simple, delicious treats.

The program continues on March 17th and 24th.

Podcasts

Segment One: Liz Williams, President and Director, Southern Food and Beverage Museum, New Orleans”
Segment Two: Executive Chef Rick Moonen of rm seafood at The Shoppes at Mandalay Place in Las Vegas
Segment Three: Nancy Milby, co-founder of Laguna Beach Uncorked! An International Wine & Food Fest! and Executive Director of Laguna Culinary Arts, Inc.
Segment Four: Brock Radke, Food and Web Editor for Las Vegas Weekly
Segment Five: Jim Colombo, General Manager of Five Crowns and SideDoor in Corona del Mar
Segment Six: Dining at Urasawa in Beverly Hills and Highlights from “A Taste of Harlem in Baldwin Hills” at Post & Beam