Author Archives: Cathy Thomas

Share Yes, I have a luscious job.  One example? A recent lunch at the beautiful Winery Restaurant (The District, Tustin). My job before lunch? To shoot a video with Executive Chef Yvon Goetz and Register Grilling Contest Winner, Deron Richens. … Continue reading →

Share Big Bites of OC Eateries: Slapfish, the oh-so-popular food truck has gone the brick-and-mortar route in Huntington Beach on Beach Blvd. (between Mother’s Market and Albertson’s). It’s “clean food” – fresh and flavorful. Everything from lobster quesadillas to fish … Continue reading →

Share A rosy blush adorns one cheek. It graces the downy orange-gold skin, promising apricot lovers that, inside, the fruit is fragrant and flavorful. At its tree-ripened best, the juicy flesh has the look of deep-pile velvet; the taste, enhanced … Continue reading →

Share Imagine a restaurateur’s delight to be featured in Jay Leno’s monologue your first week in business. Bruxie’s “bold fold” waffle concept intrigued the entertainer, as it did the lines of customers queuing up at the Old Towne Orange eatery. … Continue reading →

Share 85C: (bottom to top – Milk Pudding Bun ($2.40), Lemon Taro Swirl ($1.60), Berry Multi-grain Loaf ($4.90) and Brioche ($3.25) Diamond Jamboree, a vibrant, bustling retail center in Irvine (Jamboree at Anton), features a wide array of dining destinations. … Continue reading →

Share I’m not a jealous person. But when I saw Chef Zov Karamardian’s home vegetable garden, I was overcome with envy. Just steps from her kitchen, cucumbers, tomatoes and herbs flourished, alongside a spectrum of lettuces and greens. Espalier fruit … Continue reading →

Share More than twenty local chefs showed off their offbeat tacos at the 19th Annual SOS Wild & Crazy Taco Night Thursday. The Share Our Selves’ event was held at the charity’s headquarters in Costa Mesa. Share Our Selves, or … Continue reading →

Share It’s a great time to bake up some blueberry treats; California bountiful blueberry season starts now and continues through June. Here’s one of the blueberry bushes in my front yard. So, how will I use them? Sweets need to … Continue reading →

Share Yeeeeeee-hah!  Trust me, you can believe Steven Raichlen. Beer-Can Chicken is succulent and moist inside, with a luscious crisp exterior enhanced with his tasty rub and the scent of smoke. He says that barbecuing a bird perched upright straddling … Continue reading →

Share Avanti Café’s executive chef and co-owner Mark Cleveland prepares Zhug, an herbaceous hot sauce that adds pizzazz to, well, just about everything. Read on … Cleveland, executive chef and co-owner of Avanti Café in Costa Mesa, has a knack … Continue reading →