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 some…
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. She…
The Ranch Restaurant in Anaheim uses their own farm to grow 600 heirloom tomato vines that include over 90 varieties. The bounty is used in a variety of irresistible ways on the menu, including Heirloom Tomato Salad, Tomato Water, Clear-Bodied Bloody Marys. Award-winning executive chef, Michael Rossi, shared the recipe for his tomato salad, a version that I think is…
It’s a no-brainer; caffeine can interfere with a good night’s sleep. But what about food, does it play a role? According to a recent Wall Street Journal story, there are foods that can keep us from snoozing. The worst offenders were fat and sugar. Darn.EAT KIWIS: According to one study reported in the WSJ, kiwis are rich in the mood-moderating…
Sergio Ortega, executive chef at Descanso in Costa Mesa joined me to show how to prepare irresistible mushroom-filled tacos adorned with crispy cheese. He combines boundless culinary passion with well-grounded skills, showcasing his mastery of classic Central Mexican cuisine in a tantalizing variety of street-inspired dishes. Menu items at this modern taqueria range from chicharrons with salsa to grilled white…
Zach Geerson, executive chef at Journeyman’s Food and Drink in Fullerton, uses his talent to create dishes that are innovative and irresistible. With a firm footing in classic techniques mastered at The Culinary Institute of America at Hyde Park, he showcases alluring twists that bump up flavor and provide stunning presentations. Orange Coast Magazine named his restaurant “2019 Restaurant of…
Amy Lebrun, the talented executive chef at Lido Bottle Works at Lido Marina Village in Newport Beach, joined me in my kitchen to show off her fish cookery skills. She showcased rock cod fillets, same-day caught off the backside of Catalina Island. She sourced the fish from the Dory Fleet and Market, the beach-side fishing cooperative located at the base…
Roasting artichokes brings out their nutty, delicious flavor. The process isn’t open roasting, to my mind it is kind of a steaming in the oven, the halved olive oil-coated “arties” arranged cut-side down and covered with foil. I fell in love with them at TAPS Fish House and Brewery in Irvine. Executive chef Ryan Robertson does them to perfection –…