Great Taste Magazine

Gilberto Cetina just published the first English cookbook, Sabores Yucatecos, on Yucatecan food based on recipes he cooks at his Los Angeles restaurant Chichen Itza.

LOS ANGELES, Ca. January, 2012—The food at Chichen Itza is not the Mexican everyone knows. Open since 2001, the restaurant has a loyal following who have discovered Yucatecan cuisine based on Mayan, Spanish with Lebanese and Dutch influences. Chef/owner Gilberto Cetina wrote the recipes in Sabores Yucatecos: A Culinary Tour of the Yucatán (WPR Books: Comida, $27.95), based on his mother’s cooking. A reception to launch the book was held at the restaurant recently. Co-authors Katherine Diaz and Gilberto Cetina, Jr., son, were on hand to share experiences. Read more »

Currently ablaze with 3.6 million lights in a Christmas wonderland, the Historic Mission Inn’s history and architecture make a visit a must for anyone visiting California’s Inland Empire. There’s still time to go, the Festival of Lights runs until January 8, 2012!
The Historic Mission Inn Hotel & Spa, a National Historic Landmark, is about an hour’s drive east of Los Angeles in Riverside.

The annual Festival of Lights in its 19th year beckons thousands of families to enjoy the display of multi-colored bulbs. Disney-like animated elves, angels, nutcrackers and other figures complement costumed carolers, falling snow (weekends) and fireworks.

Please visit The Historical Mission Inn for more information.

STACKED: Food Well Built just opened its third location in Cerritos to guests ready to use iPads to stack their own custom made burger, pizza or salad.

CERRITOS, Ca. Nov. 17, 2011—A new fast casual dining option, STACKED, opened today to diners eager to try design-your-own meals. After being seated, servers demo the iPads on each table, then leave guests to play with the rolling menus of burgers, pizzas, salads and sausages; along with endless toppings, sauces and extras. Read more »

Gourmet Walks culinary walking tour of downtown Napa delivers some of the spectacular local flavors of artisan olive oil, bread, charcuterie and, of course, wine to participants who also get a healthy dose of local history.

NAPA, Ca—Napa City itself was often bypassed by tourists on the way to the celebrated wineries of Napa Valley. Recent developments have transformed the city, making it a destination on its own. Read more »

Casual, family-friendly Rosti Tuscan Kitchen serves Italian specialties with entire separate vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free menus.

SANTA MONICA, Ca—Arugula & fig salad, penne with asparagus, and pesto hazelnut pie are just a few vegan options at Rosti Tuscan Kitchen in Santa Monica, California.

Italian is an easy choice for many vegetarians because many pasta and pizzas can be meatless. Rosti goes an extra step offering separate menus with vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options.

Busy owner Kevin Goldfein took time out to answer questions about his unusual—and welcomed—spin on tradition.

Why did you decide to create vegan, gluten free and vegetarian menus?

At Rosti Tuscan Kitchen in Encino and Santa Monica, I started getting frequent requests from guests with dietary restrictions and I wanted to accommodate these individuals. I then decided to expand my menu and added gluten-free, vegan, heart-healthy, and vegetarian choices to better cater to my diverse clientele.

Tell me a bit about your background. Read more »

Not just a wine bar, the food at Carpe Diem in Napa is eclectic, tasty, and happy-making. Owner/chef Scott Kendall serves a creative assortment of Small Bites meant to be sampled and shared, along with Bigger Bites.

NAPA, Ca. October, 2011—“People didn’t know we had food. It took a while for them to understand. Now they’re coming to eat,” says Scott Kendall, 28, owner/chef of Carpe Diem Wine Bar in downtown Napa. Although his menu offers wine-friendly snacks, it’s much more than cheese and crackers, "Even when they do come in just to drink, they end up socializing and eating something.” Read more »

by Linda Mensinga Carpe Diem Wine Bar in downtown Napa has grown a local following with an ever-evolving wine list and eclectic food menu. Wine director Steve Distler treats their guests to lesser-known discovery wines that are just as delicious and well made as the large estate bottles. NAPA, Ca.—“Napa Valley has a lot of small-scale wine producers. I love these because I can see and feel the heart and effort packed into their wines. For them it’s a dream. They put in the time and just won’t make crappy wine,” says Steve Distler, owner/wine director about the many discovery wines on the menu at Carpe Diem Wine Bar, “What I try to do is give them exposure." Most of the wines on his list of 95 bottles and 40 by-the-glass choices are boutique vineyards that cannot be found at the supermarket. Read more »

Good fats vs. bad fats, which is which, how to cook with the best ones and make appetizing dishes were the topics of an enlightening cooking class at True Food Kitchen in Newport Beach.

We all know that fat is bad. Consider the universe of food products that have appeared with the label “fat free.” But fat is actually essential to good health.

Understanding the difference is what Brand Executive Chef Michael Stebner made clear at his class. Even better, he prepared delicious examples in a three-course luncheon, shared the recipes and cooking tips to a full room of students recently. Read more »

Z’Tejas Southwestern Grill at South Coast Plaza is raising money for the Costa Mesa Firefighters Widows & Orphans Fund with their annual Chile Fest Sept. 6-25. The fundraiser kicked off with firefighters arriving aboard their rig with Fire Chief Kirk Dominic leading the brigade. Guests enjoyed the special service provided by the firefighters who accompanied servers carrying plates and drinks, greeting and seating guests, chatting and answering questions.
Chile Fest is an annual celebration that pays tribute to the harvest of the chilies in Hatch, New Mexico. During this time, Z’Tejas offers a special menu from which a portion is donated to a local community charity. This year Firefighters Widows & Orphans Fund will receive a dollar for each item sold off the Chile Fest Menu. In addition, the firefighters will donate any tips they earn to the fund. Read more »

Iron Chef Judge Donatella Arpaia shares her cooking secrets, her favorite places to eat, and her pregnant cravings.

New York, Aug. 2011— Donatella Arpaia is a restaurateur, cookbook author, Iron Chef judge and soon to be mother. As a frequent judge on the Food Network’s Iron Chef America and the Next Iron Chef, she’s become a household name. Read more »

Ghiradelli is helping defeat breast cancer with fans of their Intense Dark chocolate bars.

September, 2011—In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the Ghirardelli Chocolate Company is supporting the National Breast Cancer Foundation (NBCF) through its Be an Intense Supporter program. Available for a limited time, beginning September 15 through the end of December 2011, specially marked pink ribbon packages of Intense Dark™ found at grocery and specialty retailers nationwide will carry a code inside the package redeemable for a $1 donation to NBCF. For each Intense Dark pink ribbon code entered at www.ghirardelli.com/intensedark up to $100,000, a donation will be made by Ghirardelli to help further the Foundation’s mission of saving lives through early detection and to provide mammograms and supportive services for those in need.

Products featuring the pink ribbon packaging in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month include: Evening Dream™ 60% Cacao, Twilight Delight™ 72% Cacao, Midnight Reverie™ 86% Cacao, and Toffee Interlude™. Over the past two years Ghirardelli has donated $200,000 to NBCF.

See recipes for coconut almond torte, another way to enjoy Intense Dark.

Authentic Mexican flavor with some twists sets Sol Cocina apart from the fare served in most restaurants. What Executive Chef/Partner Deborah Schneider calls “the death hubcap of sludge” refers to the deep-fried, cheese-covered, red sauce-loaded dishes of tacos, burritos, fajitas and enchiladas served everywhere. “You never see it in Mexico. That’s not how they eat down there,” she said. Read more »

Hot sweet and tasty! Anything and everything is fried this year at the Orange County Fair in Costa Mesa, California.

Costa Mesa, Ca. July, 2011 — The Orange County Fair, open now until August 14, serves up the best reasons to defy the food police. A carnival of delights awaits any willing to sacrifice their arteries for a day. By all appearances everyone is happily endorsing this year’s theme, “Let’s Eat!”
Totally fried Kool Aid appeared this year, as well as fried Girl Scout cookies, bbq ribs and brownies at Chicken Charlie’s. In numerous Read more »

“Non-traditional tacos with global ingredients,” is Executive Chef/Partner Greg Daniels’ description of the food at taco asylum in Costa Mesa, California.

Chef Greg Daniels

Chef Greg Daniels loves being a chef and can now afford to be one. The California native, 34, attended college, did some writing and edited the school newspaper, then got a job in an office. “At 21 I talked my way into a second job as bartender, but fell in love with the camaraderie of the restaurant industry,” Daniels said. Read more »

Running back and forth between the kitchens of two restaurants comes easily to Walter Cotta since the executive chef actually runs 35 to 45 miles a week. The energetic native of El Salvador has worked at L’Opera Ristorante since 1991.

Chef Walter Cotta

Before coming to Long Beach Cotta cooked in various Southern California restaurants including Barsac and La Loggia in Studio City and Sostanza in Santa Monica. He was hired as sous chef to original chef Stefano Colaiacomo.

Owner Enzo DeMuro opened Alegria in 1994 and Cotta was asked to develop the menu of tapas and Latin American lunch and dinner selections. Read more »

Trio Restaurant

Restaurant week in Palm Springs, June 3-12, offers choices from across the culinary spectrum. Trio’s prix fix menu is just $24 for three courses of their modern American food in a contemporary atmosphere.

Last year’s restaurant week went so well partners Tony Marchese and Executive Chef Mark Van Laanen knew they would join other 75 restaurants and 10 hotels for the upcoming Palm Springs Desert Resort Restaurant Week. “I was amazed last year. It was like Saturday every night for 10 days. They saw value,” Van Laanen said about their $24 menu (see below) at Trio Restaurant in Palm Springs. Five first course choices, six second courses and three desserts offer enough variety to attract diners for more than one evening. Read more »

The Fourth Annual Palm Springs Desert Resorts Restaurant Week cooks up delicious dining experiences from 100 locations, June 3 to 12.

Restaurant weeks have grown in number and popularity due the opportunity they provide to try new locations at lower than normal prices. Diners can feast on three-course prix fixe menus for $24 or $36 in Palm Springs and surrounding desert communities during Palm Springs Desert Resorts Restaurant Week. Read more »

HIP members were treated to a front row view of a pig butchering by Executive Chef Amar Santana of Charlie Palmer at Bloomingdale’s . The pork cutting and trimming took place at the DoubleTree Guest Suites in Anaheim The pale creature lay on its side generally ignored until Chef Santana approached with his knife.

Chef Amar Santana

He explained his technique as he sliced the pig, about 95 pounds, into various sections. Santana is known to be fond of pork. So fond in fact, friends gave him $300 and a pork design suitable for a tattoo. He didn’t reveal the tattoo but our Editor in Chief, Teri Williams has seen it.

While most chefs buy the pork already cut to their needs, Santana suggested that buying a whole pig could save money, as every part was usable. He held up a fat leg and commented he would cure it to make proscuitto.

“My favorite parts  are the pork belly, ears and pork butt. I like them because they have the most flavor and texture,” Santana said.

Santana also makes sausage. “I use all the parts. I make my own sausages in the restaurant; fresh and also dried cured sausages such as salami and chorizo.”

“I like to make cracklings with the skin. But I also boil it, chop it and add to fresh sausages for texture,” Santana continued.

He takes part in Charlie Palmer’s Pigs and Pinot held every year in Healdsburg. “It’s a great event. I’m doing a Peking style whole pork with house-made hoisin sauce, scallions and flour tortillas.

Dining on DoubleTree Chef James Chavez’s pork and other creations brought for the “Pig Pot Luck” was the best part of the tasting accompanied by wines from The Organic Cellar.

See our PICS page for more.

LONG BEACH, Calif—A table of 4 enjoyed dinner, wine and conversation recently at Michael’s on Naples for about 3 hours. Servers and some owners might be expected to feel frustration at not turning the table. Not Michael Nene, owner/operator of Michael‘s on Naples, who was pleased they had enjoyed their evening and felt at home. “They said thank you for the great time and apologized for overstaying their welcome,” said Nene. He assured them that he was happy to have them to sit as long as they wished.
Read more »

SAN CLEMENTE, Calif.—Authentic Hawaiian food in all its variations make Hapa J’s a destination worth the drive to San Clemente from points south or north. Lunch or dinner, the range from Spam musubi to char siu baby back ribs will please anyone’s palate and everyone’s pocketbook.

“With the restaurant here, we’re trying to represent all Hawaiian cuisines–from fusion to plate lunch,” said chef Aaron Lee about Hawaiian food. “This is also home style cooking. At home we cook every weekend. Family’s a big part of culture,” the Hawaiian native added. The chef, 28, is happily recreating his family’s recipes, lunch wagon specials, luau traditions, fusion entrées and pupus. Lee’s Man fries cry out to be ordered. He tosses fries in his secret chicken wing sauce, tops them with Hawaiian pulled pork, ranch and barbecue sauce, then melts cheese over the top and garnishes with green onions. 

The restaurant, open just a year and a half, has already drawn a faithful local crowd to south San Clemente along the coast halfway between Los Angeles and San Diego. The restaurant is the brainchild of Lee and owner/operator Justin Hose-Shea. Hapa is a Hawaiian word meaning part white, hapa haole, and part island and Asian heritage. Hose-Shea’s wife is Hawaiian, and their son’s name is Jaedon; hence the J in Hapa J’s.  Read more »

 Great Taste sponsored HIP network members enjoyed the after-show happy hour at Madison’s in Long Beach. Sampling a variety of appetizers created by Chef Reynaldo Tovar and tasting organic wines from The Organic Cellar was a relaxing end for attendees of the Goldberg & Solovy food Show.

The food show, held at the Long Beach Convention Center, is just a five-minute walk from Madison. Lots of fun tidbits were available for sampling, such as savory mushroom vol au vent stuffed puff pastry. Girard’s Salad Dressings supplied fresh carrot sticks to taste their Bacon/Spinach or Sweet Thai dressing.

For those who believe every month should be Eat Dessert First Month, Sweet Street was a definite must. Their cranberry/pumpkin torte was a slice of Thanksgiving heaven; no waiting required. Equally tempting and rich, the caramel brownie from Cherrie’s Brownies, Inc. was a hit.

Chef Tovar, recently featured on the cover of Great Taste, had stuffed mushrooms, fresh fruit, and brie encroute to nibble. Guests found room somehow to indulge. Brian Cuddy of The Organic Cellar poured Italian wines he chose to match the menu provided to him prior to the evening. 

By Linda Mensinga

“The doomsday predictions are exaggerated. We will not run out of wild fish by 2050. Not all fish stocks are over-fished,” said Andrew Gruel. Gruel is manager of Seafood for the Future, part of the conservation effort by Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach.

Recently (May 17, 2010) Great Taste sponsored another delicious HIP tasting event at Wild Fish Seafood Grille in Newport Beach with guest speaker Andrew Gruel discussing the future of seafood. He explained to an interested audience that farmed seafood has been labeled as bad by surveyed consumers who are not well informed. “Many fish are farmed very well in closed containment with good feed conversion ratios in an environmentally sound manner,” Gruel said.

The Aquarium fully supports farmed Atlantic salmon from both closed and open containment systems.

Feed conversion is the amount of feed in pounds it takes to produce a pound of fish.

For example, “Current ratios are 2.4 pounds of small fish to make 1 pound of farmed salmon as opposed to wild where it is 10 pounds of small fish to make 1 pound of salmon,” Gruel explained. Farmed clams, mussels and oysters in contrast need none. He listed catfish, tilapia, clams, oysters and mussels as other positive examples of farmed fish or aquaculture.

Gruel continued by noting that about 40% of the wild salmon and white sea bass are ranched. “Eggs are cultured in a hatchery and given feed to gain size and strength. Once large enough, they are released into the ocean to forage for food,” he said. Read more »

The trade turned out to sample a diverse selection of California Zinfandels.  Zinfandel, unlike most other varieties, does not have its roots in Europe. It began its own tradition in California back in the 1840s. Many of the growers and winemakers who have elevated Zinfandel to world class were represented at the Zinfandel Grand Tasting 2010 recently at the Island Hotel’s Palm Garden in Newport Beach.
Presented by Zinfandel Advocates & Producers (ZAP) and sponsored by Great Taste Magazine, wineries such as Cakebread Cellars, Dancing Bulls Wines and Alexander Valley Vineyards poured their wines. Regions included Paso Robles, Lodi County, Napa Valley, Sonoma and Mendocino each with their own personality.
The complementary trade tasting drew dozens of sommeliers, owners, beverage directors and chefs. For more information visit zinfandel.org.
Check out the pictures from the event

HIP Tasting
Haven Gastropub
Linda Mensinga – Special Report

Haven Gastropub in Orange was hopping at the recent HIP Tasting with about 65 guests. Chefs, GMs, F&B Managers and purveyors mingled over Perini wine and fabulous food provided by Chef Greg Daniels. Cabernet Crusted Escolar, Roasted Neck of Lamb and Brioche Bread Pudding with Salted Caramel Ice Cream were the highlights of the afternoon’s tasting.

Open just 7 months, the Gastropub has garnered great reviews and lots of attention including Best New Restaurant of 2009 by the Orange County Register and OC Weekly. Large picture windows in Old Orange just off the Circle, comfortable tables and friendly service create “home away from home…your own Haven.”

Special guest Joe Scognamillo of DiCarlo Seafood demo’d a selection of delectable oysters including French Kiss, Fanny Bay, Kumamoto and Marin Miyagi. The Organic Cellars poured Perinni Mila Bio Rosso to complement the Cabernet Crusted Escolar. Casa Al Vento Gaiole accompanied the Haven Sliders.

Event sponsored by FreshPoint Produce, Long Beach Seafood, White Apron Meats and Great Taste Magazine.

Check out the great pics