Tweet There is mischief in Amar Santana’s eyes as his exuberant laughter fills my kitchen with culinary joy. He is relaxed, his confidence driven by a passion for cooking and a well-proven skill sets. The celebrity chef joined me to share the secrets of his silky corn pudding, a versatile side dish that can accompany everything from steak to sweetbreads….
Tweet Recognize the name? Chef Amar Santana dazzled viewers as a finalist on Bravo’s “Top Chef.” He competed on Korean Food Battle, and although he doesn’t speak Korean, almost won the competition. The HALL Global Eatery, SCP, Costa Mesa: Along with business partner Ahmed Labbate, Chef Santana has opened a extraordinary food hall at South Coast Plaza (it’s the spot…
Tweet Yes, Cathy Thomas Drinks! One of my favorite cocktails of 2019 is the Morrigan’s Dream at the award-winning new restaurant, Fable & Spirit in Newport Beach (Lido Marina area). Mixologist Drew Coyle makes this irresistible concoction with fresh fruit juice, fresh celery juice, gin and Yellow Chartreuse. It’s bright and refreshing. Pretty too, a delicious green hue served in…
Tweet Gratin Crush: teams butternut squash and Yukon Golds. Beyond irresistible. My gratin love started long ago in Paris. My first family meal in the home of my soon-to-be grandmother-by-marriage, I tasted my first cauliflower gratin. It was a pivotal moment. French cuisine had grabbed my palate and my imagination. How could anything taste, smell and look so delicious? There…
Tweet Hatch chilies are such a treat. These beauties are named for the original growing area in Hatch, New Mexico. Growers say that the intense sunlight and cool nights in this valley result in a uniquely flavored chili. (The valley, which stretches along the Rio Grande’s southern-most bend before crossing into Texas and Mexico, is covered with row after row…
Tweet Eggs Benedict with crisp prosciutto? You bet. Pour Company in downtown Fullerton offers an inviting seasonal menu of American classics as interpreted by Nick Oberlin. As executive chef-partner, Oberlin puts his signature twists on everything from Mexican Shrimp Salad – napped with a Caesar dressing spiked with poblano chilies and Cotija cheese – to Smoked Pork Belly Sliders judiciously…
Tweet I dream of summertime French breakfasts, when fruit laden clafouti is often the star. The fruit – most often pitted fresh cherries or halved apricots – is baked adrift in a thick, flan-like batter. It’s pancake-y delicious. According to Paris-based cookbook author David Lebovitz, clafouti batter is based on a crêpe batter, so unlike a traditional custard, it contains…
Tweet Brittany Valles, executive chef at Oak Grill at the Fashion Island Hotel, adores the bright flavor and crisp texture of sugar snap peas. Her fondness for these plump crescent-shaped beauties earned her the nickname of “sugar pea” in a previous job. Both the pods and the rows of peas inside are edible, their vegetal taste edged in welcome sweetness….