Great Taste Magazine

BLT Steak
8720 West Sunset Boulevard,
CA-90069
949 295 0506
www.e2hospitality.com/blt-steak/

CuisineType : Steak

Chef Josh Gil of BLT Steak is hosting a delicious five course dinner at BLT Steak with special guest Baptiste Cuvelier, owner of Leoville Poyferre in Bordeaux and Bodega Cuvelier Los Andes in Argentina.

$115 per person.

Call 949 295 0506 for reservations.

Dinner starts at 7pm.

BLT Steak, 8720 West Sunset Boulevard, W-Hollywood, CA 90069.

Steak Tartare – Hand Cut Filet, Sauce Gribiche, Radish Salad, Grilled Bread

Weiser Farms Celeriac Soup, Brussels Sprout Leaves, Bacon, Sherry Gastrique

Sonoma Duroc Pork Belly with Date Puree, Arkansas Black Apple, Gloria's Snap Peas

Washugyu Beef Coulotte Boulangere Fingerling Potatoes, Maggie's Tatsoi, Red Wine, Horseradish

Flourless Chocolate Cake

Pistachio, Coffee Ice Cream, Orange Glass

Beef Palace
18381 Goldenwest St (So. of Ellis),
CA-92648
714-328-8661
www.waggintrails.org

CuisineType : BBQ

Waggin' Trails – a non profit rescue transit bus operated by "A Leg Up" Pet Rescue is saving the lives of hundreds of shelter animals each month by delivering them to areas with less impacted shelters who have adorptive families waiting to provide forever homes for these pets. In an effort to continue this operation, partner vineyards, wineries, restaurantrs, supermarkets, retailers and hotels have generously assisted the group in presenting fabulous annual events in So. Cal as well as the Bay area. The Annual Pups N Pinot (www.pupsnpinot.com ) and the new www.waggintrails.org fund these efforts. Rescue Roundup is the more family friendly event featuring pony rides, outdoor BBQ, wine tasting from the areas finest vintners, VIP Reception Area, crafts, Laker Girls, fabulous silent auction, live band, line dancing lessons and free souvenirs. Family package plans start at $60 & tickets are only $25 per adult in advance and for this all – inclusive price you can't find a better value.

Crowne Plaza Hotel
12021 Harbor Blvd
Garden Grove, CA 92840
714-867-5555

ACF / OECA & ACF/ CCAC

2012 Chef of the Year Awards & Valentine Day Sweet Heart Dinner Dance

Sunday, February 12, 2012 – 6:00pm at Crowne Plaza Hotel
12021 Harbor Blvd, Garden Grove

Reception

Butler Passed Hors d’Oeuvres & No Host Bar

Appetizer Salad

Gourmet Greens with Pomegranate Dressing and Roasted Quail with Molasses Reduction, Toasted Macadamian Nuts, Tomato and Goat Cheese. (Served with White Wine)

Intermezzo

Cantaloupe Sorbet with Berries

Entrée

Beef Medallions with Croquette Potatoes, Petit Vegetables and Cabernet Wine Sauce. (Served with Red Wine)

Dessert

Sweet Sampling Platter – Coffee & Hot Tea Service

Donation: Junior & Seniors $45.00, Others, 50.00 all inclusive. Call Terri at (714) 960-0534 for tickets.

2087 Broadway,
CO-81507
970-628-8003
www.girlscoutsofcolorado.org

CuisineType : Fine Dining, Winery, Other

Indulge in a journey of eight cleverly crafted SAVORY appetizers created with the Girl Scout's world famous cookies prepared by the Grand Valley's most talented chefs. Each custom creation will be expertly paired with a Colorado wine or specialty cocktail courtesy of Crossroads Wine & Spirits' Sommelier, Monty Haltiner.

2012 marks the 100th anniversary of Girl Scouts and this signature event raises the necessary funds to provide Girl Scouting to girls in Western Colorado, building girls of courage, confidence and character who make the world a better place.Enjoy great food, great wine for a great cause. What a fabulous experience for adults to enjoy Girl Scout cookies in a whole new way. Tickets are only $35. You can obtain them by calling 970-242-4461 or email cindi.graves@gscolorado.org.

BREADBAR Century City
10520 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90067,
CA-90067
310-277-3770
www.commongrains.com

CuisineType : Japanese

WHAT: Artisan soba makers Sonoko Sakai and Mutsuko Soma will host a pop-up soba restaurant and sake bar featuring freshly stoned and milled handcrafted soba prepared with a choice of traditional or modern ingredients and garnishes and specialty grilled onigiri.

COST: Menu items range from $11-16

WHEN: Tuesday, January 10, 2012 – Sunday, January 22, 2012, from 5-10 p.m. nightly

RESERVATIONS: Seating is limited. Reservations are recommended and can be made by calling BREADBAR Century City at 310.277.3770

Long Beach Convention Center
300 East Ocean Boulevard,
CA-90802
203-878-2577
www.latravelshow.com

The 7th Annual Los Angeles Travel & Adventure ShowTM Packs Heat with an International Fiery Foods ChallengeNew demos and competitions at the Culinary Stage announced Any travel experience would be far from complete without exploring the destination’s cuisine. Accordingly, the Los Angeles Travel & Adventure Show TM, taking place at the Long Beach Convention Center on January 14-15, will feature delicious, interactive demonstrations at the Culinary Stage. The International Fiery Foods Challenge invites guests to take their taste buds to the limit, sampling mouth-watering recipes from around the world. Guests can also participate in a high-stakes cooking competition and learn travel tips for foodies.

The International Fiery Foods Challenge brings together local chefs representing destinations found at the show. From familiar cuisine to the exotic, all dishes will have a delightful kick. The demonstrated foods are Frikadelle (a sort of German meatball), Spicy Tequila Marinated Prawns, Rendang Padang (Indonesian Caramelized Beef Curry), and Medjool Dates with chorizo, mascarpone and Tunisian harissa (a chili sauce). Participating chefs are Kai Loebach of CurryWurst, Amir Thomas of Duo Dishes, SriAdriani 'Jenny' Martono of Indonesia Tourism, and Tracey Augustine of Cashmere Bites. After tasting, guests can vote for their favorites and take home the recipes to recreate them.

The Mark DeCarlo Interactive Cooking Class and Competition will follow the Fiery Foods Challenge. Three lucky audience members will be picked from a drawing to prove their kitchen skills right on the spot, recreating a dish of Mark’s choosing. The audience will vote for the best cook, who will win an all-inclusive Yucatan vacation. The Culinary Stage has good eats for Sunday’s show-goers as well. The Taiwan Tourism Bureau will hold a “Taiwan Popcorn Chicken” demonstration with Chef Frances Lee of the Mighty Boba Truck. Then, Ventura based Chef Jason Collis will host “Farm to Table—Luscious Lemon and Avocado Taste Sensations from 120-year-old, Sustainable Limoneira Ranch.” And, see a top Herradura Tequila ambassador demonstrate Tequila pairing tips. Following this demo, attendees can meet the brand ambassador and taste samples at the Herradura Tequila bar next to the Los Angeles magazine booth. Also not to be missed is “Travel for Foodies – Tips, Trends, and Tools for the Culinary Traveler,” with food and travel experts Michael Cervin, Linda Kissam, Dr. Kathy Gruver, and Chef Allan Cragg.

In addition, the Los Angeles Travel & Adventure Show will feature talks by some of the world’s most beloved travel personalities, including Samantha Brown, Andrew Zimmern, Peter Greenberg, Pauline Frommer, Mark DeCarlo, and Patricia Schultz. Attendees can enjoy cultural performances and participate in a variety of activities including scuba lessons from Beadiver.com, a 25’ rock climbing wall, zip line, and children’s activities area. The five-acre show floor will be packed with more than 400 destinations, tour operators and travel professionals providing one-on-one consultations on visiting destinations as near as Catalina Island and as far as Indonesia.

The 2012 Los Angeles Travel & Adventure Show’sTM Presenting Sponsor is the Taiwan Tourism Bureau. Supporting Sponsors include Air Berlin/Visit Berlin, Guam Visitors Bureau, Indonesia Tourism, Turkish Culture and Tourism Office. Los Angeles Magazine, NBC4 LA, Los Angeles Consortium of Online Travel (LACOT), Press-Telegram, KABC-AM and KLOS-FM are the flagship Media Sponsors. The event, produced by Unicomm, LLC, will take place at the Long Beach Convention Center Saturday, January 14th and Sunday, January 15th, 2012, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; travel trade may enter the show on Saturday, January 14th at 9:30am for an advance preview or attend during regular show hours. Tickets are $12 at the door or $9 online in advance with Promo Code: LAPR; children age 16 and below admitted free with paid adult. Ticket purchase information, a current schedule of speakers and more details are available at www.latravelshow.com.

Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar
455 Newport Center Drive,
CA-92660
949-720-9633
www.flemingssteakhouse.com/locations/ca/newport-beach?utm_source=innovyx&utm_medium=email&utm_content=FWN01&utm_campaign=FWN

CuisineType : Steak, Winery

On Saturday, November 19th, SoCo Certified Farmers’ Market will host its Farm to Food Truck Challenge II. The event is a farmers’ market inspired cooking competition pitting top Gourmet Food Truck chefs against each other to create the best dish using locally grown farm fresh ingredients. Over 15 gourmet food trucks will be hosted during the weekly farmers’ market from 9am-2pm with selected trucks competing.

The event is a Food Network TV Show “Chopped”-style competition. Food truck chefs will have only 60 minutes to shop the farmers’ market for its pre-determined seasonal ingredients and then whip up a culinary masterpiece. The dish will be served to a panel of top foodie judges to be judged on creativity, taste and presentation. The winner will be crowned the ‘Top Chop’ Truck!

The Challenge kicks off at 12pm, judging begins at 1pm and the Winner announced at 1:30pm. The festivities will also feature live music, kid-friendly activities and plenty of free parking. The event is held in conjunction with the SoCo Certified Farmers’ Market, which is held every Saturday at South Coast Collection (“SoCo”) (the 3300 block of Hyland Ave) in Costa Mesa from 9am-2pm.

Our first Farm to Food Truck Challenge witnessed Bacon Mania being crowned ‘Top Chop’ Truck. The event had over 3,500 people in attendance with over 20 farmers’ market foodies, bloggers, photographers and volunteers capturing all the action.

SoCo Certified Farmers’ Market is held every Saturday at South Coast Collection (3315 Hyland Avenue, Costa Mesa) from 9am-2pm and features the best fruits and vegetables that California farmers’ have to offer along with a rotation of top gourmet food trucks and other traditional farmer market fare. For more info, please visit: www.socoFM.com

CuisineType : Food Trucks

An event for the one percent—with room for the other 99. This is an evening of FIVE c’s: caviar, charity, cuisine, champagne, and classical music, a multi-course repast prepared by one of the world’s top chefs interspersed with live musical performances as well as education. A caviar lover’s paradise, the event benefits The Harold Robinson Foundation. It also features exotic foods guest will simply NOT be able to find ANYWHERE else, including: a smoked alligator, an actual sturgeon from which Osetra caviar is harvested, and a giant Alaskan smoked salmon.

The meal will be helmed by Marcel Vigneron, considered one of the country’s top chefs and among its foremost exponents of “molecular gastronomy.” Vigneron was the second-season runner-up on Top Chef. Vigneron, who’s worked alongside chefs ranging from Joel Robuchon to Michael Mina, got his own show on the SyFy Channel this year called Marcel's Quantum Kitchen.

The Harold Robinson Foundation, based in Los Angeles, is dedicated to enriching the lives of inner city and underprivileged children by providing them the means, free of costs, to attend a safe, nurturing and non-competitive camp environment where they will experience nature and participate in diverse recreational programs designed to strengthen confidence and independence, build character and develop leadership skills.

Address available upon credentialed RSVP
CA-90077
310-285-5321
bit.ly/t1qtmm

CuisineType : Fine Dining, Seafood

The Ultimate Food Fight: Whole Foods Market Chefs Fight to “Stuff This!”

Series of cook-offs challenge chefs to create the ultimate holiday stuffing dish with an Orange County twist to support OC Food Bank!

Creating a gourmet stuffing out of thin air would be far too easy for these expert chefs! Each contestant will be given the same basic stuffing recipe, but must incorporate a selection of secret, non-traditional local and seasonal ingredients, from seafood to artisan cheese, to put a fresh, local twist on their recipe. Customers and viewers alike will learn simple tips from Whole Foods Market chefs to create the ultimate holiday stuffing that captures the unique taste of Orange County. The chefs will fight to accumulate points from one cook-off to the next, vying to win the ultimate bragging rights just in time for Thanksgiving, and the right to feature their recipe in Whole Foods Market stores.

Judges for the Orange County event will include: · Nancy Luna, Orange County Register· Marian Bacol-Uba, food blogger aka ‘Marian the Foodie’· Nathan Coulon, True Food Kitchen In the spirit of giving, admission for shoppers to witness the cook-off will be two shelf stable food items benefiting the OC Food Bank.

WHEN: Wednesday, November 9 from 6:30-8pm

WHERE: Whole Foods Market Huntington Beach,7881 Edinger Avenue, Huntington Beach, CA 92647

Whole Foods Market
7881 Edinger Ave,
CA-92647
(657) 200-4200
www.wholefoodsmarket.com/huntingtonbeach

True Food Kitchen
251 Newport Center Drive,
California-92660
(480) 751-2176
www.truefoodkitchen.com

CuisineType : American

World-renowned health leader Dr. Andrew Weil and Brand Chef Michael Stebner, co-creators of the True Food Kitchen menu, will share the stage at the upcoming True Food Kitchen Cooking Demo and Presentation.

Dr. Weil will speak about Veganism and Vegetarianism, and the positive impact these lifestyles can have on one’s health and well-being. Chef Stebner will demonstrate True Food Kitchen’s new fall appetizer, Roasted Beets and Mozzarella in Agrodolce, and will present a variety of vegan and vegetarian food and beverages that will be served buffet-style.

Menu includes:

- Apple Carrot Ginger Tonic

- Herb Hummus with Crudité

- Shiitake Mushroom Lettuce Cups

- Roasted Beets and Mozzarella in Agrodolce

- Roasted Eggplant Pizza

- Tuscan Kale Salad

- Andy’s Favorite “TLT” with Veganaise

- Butternut Squash Pie with Coconut Whipped Cream

Cost $45, space is limited only 50 spots available.

Must RSVP and prepayment is required.

Fast Forward Events

Del Mar Fairgrounds
2260 Jimmy Durante Boulevard, Del Mar,
California-92014
www.thegourmetexpo.com

CuisineType : American

Indulge your inner gourmand with The Gourmet Experience, a cooking and entertaining showcase that features over 250 exhibitors showcasing the best in appliances, culinary solutions, travel and home products, and specialty food.

Held October 8-9, 2011 the event features 10 specialty pavilions highlighting the latest epicurean trends, including:• That’s the Spirit! Beer, Wine & Spirit Pavilion• Bounty of the County• Sweet Discoveries• Olive Oil Tasting Pavilion• Cheeses of the World• Charcuterie Pavilion• Spice Alley• Culinary Solutions Center• Grilling & Outdoor Entertaining• Kids Cook! Activity Center.

In two action-filled days, you can: test out new products for your kitchen, get up close culinary instruction from some of San Diego’s most celebrated chefs, sip luxury wines and spirits, taste California and domestic olive oils and cheeses, and much, much more!

Single day passes for The Gourmet Experience are $25 in advance and $30 at the door; weekend passes are $40 in advance and $45 at the door. Children 12 years of age and under are admitted free.

Vacation with me on Oceania’s new Luxury Ship, The Marina (launching in January 2011!) with Fabulous Food, designed by Jacques Pepin, Oceania’s Culinary Director.

You’ll experience a Private “Chef Jamie Cooking Class”, an Exclusive Five-Course Wine Dinner, a Food & Wine Pairing Seminar and more. And, the free airfare means big savings!

I love Italy in the Fall, when there are less tourists and the cities are more comfortable to explore. We depart on October 11th, 2011 for a 10-Day Voyage from Venice to Rome…Come immerse yourself in the Italian lifestyle!

I hope to see you on board

For details: http://www.foodandwinetrails.com/index.php?id=184
Or Call 800-367-5348