Celebrity chef Michael Mina created his signature Tartare of Ahi Tuna almost twenty years ago when he opened his first restaurant, Aqua in San Francisco. Now he has three restaurants in that city, plus numerous eateries from coast to coast, including Stonehill Tavern at the St. Regis Monarch Beach in Dana Point. Instead of the standard beef-centric tartare ingredients, he…
Celebrity Chef Michael Mina Shares Secrets of His Ahi Tartare
Celebrity Interviews, Chefs, Cooking, Restaurants, Uncategorized, Videos
Five years ago while attending a culinary conference, I had the opportunity to take the exam that Julia took so long ago at the Cordon Bleu. It was a little stressful. But looking back, what a hoot to wing my way through my hero’s cook-it-perfect test. Happy 100th birthday, Julia. Thanks for the memories. Most participants looked troubled, their foreheads…
Not Just A Crush: Jacques Pepin is the Consummate Teacher
Celebrity Interviews, Chefs, Cooking, RecipesIt started out as a “school-girl” crush. That was the late 70’s (the decade, not my age, thank you). Now, well, I hear his voice in my head. It’s OK, lots of cooks hear it too. It’s a voice of good, not evil. No romance, just guiding kitchen words; Cut it this way, tuck your left-hand fingers under, and don’t…
Irresistible Beer-Can Chicken, Succulent Inside/Crisp Outside
Celebrity Interviews, Chefs, Cooking, RecipesYeeeeeee-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 a half-full brew container produces the best chicken he’s ever eaten. OK, maybe it doesn’t sound respectful to insert a beer…
I had a one-on-one interview with Martha before she taught a cooking class at Macy’s Home Store at South Coast Plaza. People magazine had their fifteen minutes before I had mine. Martha was promoting her newest book, “Martha’s Entertaining: A Year of Celebrations” by Martha Stewart (Clarkson Potter, $75, hardcover, 432 pages). I started our interview with a question about…
The Pioneer Woman Enchants Us With Tales of the Prairie
Celebrity Interviews, Chefs, Cooking, RecipesIt may be difficult for food bloggers to fight back pangs of jealousy when it comes to Ree Drummond. She’s the blogger that dubs herself The Pioneer Woman, the city-gal-turned-rancher’s-wife (and mother of four) that gets more than 20 million page views a month. Those are big numbers in the blogosphere, enough to make her a best-selling cookbook author. Enough…
Ina Garten’s new book sold out before her signing began. Williams-Sonoma left nothing to chance, organizing myriad fans into tidy lines that snaked out of South Coast Plaza‘s interior onto the sidewalk. The much loved host of the Food Network’s “Barefoot Contessa” thinks the easiest parties are the most fun – not just for the host but for everyone. She…
OK, the technology was struggling to improve the quality of Web videos when I taped this segment with Jacques Pepin. Later I figured out that I looked better in a black coat that was tailored. But look at my mug; I look like a love-sick puppy. For decades I have admired culinary icon Jacques Pepin. I greatly respect his culinary…