On a recent Sunday, I dropped in for brunch at The Loft at Montage Laguna Beach. Although I was initially focused on the splendor of the Pacific coastline, it wasn’t long before it was the dishes that had my attention. With plenty to choose from, the menu offered a pleasing balance of updated traditional dishes and lively surprises. Their Blood…
Cathy Thomas Cooks
Restaurants
Award winning executive chef at The Ranch in Anaheim, Michael Rossi, charmed students with his skill and culinary passion in a recent cooking class. It was the first class taught in the beautiful teaching kitchen on the sixth floor – high above the restaurant. Twenty-four students sipped sparkling wine in this intimate-yet-high tech setting while watching Rossi’s every move. If…
Cha Cha’s Latin Kitchen in Brea is a Mexican cantina with a frisky vibe. At the heart of its allure are the boldly-flavored dishes and handcrafted drinks. The menu showcases unique twists on Latin American cuisine, modern takes on everything from wood-oven roasted Jidori chicken spiked with Yucatan spices, to the decadent caldo with a saffron-tomato broth rich in fresh…
Amar’s Creamy Grits, Four-Minute Egg and Honey-Glazed Smoked Bacon ‘Just can’t put into words how proud I am of super chef Amar Santana. Not only is he a highly successful chef-restaurateur, but he has used his talent and perseverance to work his way to the top on Bravo’s highly-competitive “Top Chef” TV show. Years ago, before he opened his restaurants…
Chef Roman Jimenez knows that using the very best ingredients yields bigger flavors and better textures. As executive chef at Macallans Public House in Brea Downtown, he advocates “from-scratch” cuisine. His irresistible Corned Beef Sliders showcase the best of the best. He corns his own beef in-house, a brine-then-sous vide operation. He makes his own pickles. And his scrumptious slider…
Wonyee Tom, executive baker and co-owner of Tomgirl Baking Co. in Huntington Beach, makes one of my very favorite bar cookies. The bars are rich in contrasting textures and flavors, their buttery crust supporting a treasure-filled topping. Cream- and honey-spiked caramel dances between nuts and dried fruits, most often a generous mix of sliced almonds plus diced cranberries and apricots….
The kitchen drama of flambéing is hard to beat. The ignited Cognac sends flames from skillet, a spectacle for guests and showoff cooks alike. Steak au Poivre, the classic French dish that teams high-quality steak with loosely cracked peppercorns, is a great example. Once the steaks are cooked to perfection, the peppery coating providing a flavor-amped crust, the meat is…
David Pratt, executive chef-owner of Brick in San Clemente, says that cooking “en papillote” is an easy, delectable and make-ahead way to cook fish when entertaining at home. It’s the classic technique that bakes ingredients sealed in a parchment-paper pouch. Each parcel contains one serving, and as it cooks the food inside steams in its own juices. Toward the end…