Nathan Coulon, former chef at True Food Kitchen at Fashion Island in Newport Beach, shared one of the restaurant’s signature dishes, a delectable salad that is so easy to prepare, it’s perfect to make at home. The restaurant’s menu is based on the principals of Dr. Andrew Weil’s anti-inflammatory diet and food pyramid. Nutrient dense kale, the focal point of…
Cathy Thomas Cooks
Chefs
Justin Miller, executive chef at Pizzeria Ortica in Costa Mesa, creates beautiful, market-inspired dishes that showcase his produce purchases. Most Wednesdays, he drives to Chino Farms in Rancho Santa Fe to buy seasonal fruit and vegetables for the restaurant’s menu. Chino Farms’ focus is on flavor, harvesting fruits and vegetables each day at the peak of ripeness. One of my…
SALUMI TEARS: Cathy Pavlos, chef-owner of LUCCA in Irvine, made some visiting Italian chefs cry. After they enjoyed a platter of glorious salumi, she told them it was American-made. They didn’t believe her. She brought out the proof. Two of them wept. Salt-curing and air-drying meats and sausages is a centuries-old artisanal tradition in Italy. But … American artisanal salumi…
Even the most scurrilous Scrooge on my gift-giving list seems to appreciate the appeal of cookbook gifts. “BAKE! Essential Techniques for Perfect Baking” by Nick Malgieri (Kyle Books, $29.95), 224 pages “This book is meant to have enough easy, straightforward baking recipes that people who haven’t baked before can use successfully,” says author Nick Malgieri, who heads up the baking…
Chef Ming Tsai’s latest book is filled with quick and easy weeknight dishes that can be prepared in one pan. Most recipes are short enough to fit on one page and use relatively inexpensive ingredients. They produce delectable concoctions, often showcasing classic Asian fare tweaked with subtle trademark twists. He says that he sometimes “francophiles” a dish, using a smattering…
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…