Geraldine Gilliland is a well-known and long-time restaurateur and philanthropist in Santa Monica. Her proprieties on Main Street are Lula Cocina Mexicana and Finn McCool’s Irish Pub. She has a long tradition of generously giving back to the community.

She is also a long-time resident of Malibu and dedicated to animal rescue with Chiquita’s Friends. All of the proceeds from the Lula Cocina Cookbook benefit Chiquita’s Friends.

The tragic Woolsey fire necessitated her hurried evacuation from her new Cornell Sanctuary in Agoura on Thursday night, November 8th with 26 of her rescue dogs. Just imagine the task of getting all these senior and challenged animals with special needs gently coaxed into travel kennels and loading them onto a van and truck in the dark for transport.

As of the broadcast Geraldine still had not been able to get back home to either her Malibu ranch or the Cornell Sanctuary. Sadly the recently restored caretaker’s cottage at the Sanctuary was completely destroyed including all the caretaker’s belongings.

Gerri will bring us up-to-date on a very difficult week and how we can help. A contribution of any amount to Chiquita’s Friends at this challenging time would be greatly appreciated.

 

It’s the best in premium wines priced at a value for your Holiday Table and gifting with our resident wine authority Kyle Meyer of Santa Ana’s Wine Exchange. This is Part 2 of his special Holiday 2018 report.

First it’s a recap of what varietals really work on the Thanksgiving table. Unfortunately it’s just not the time for rich, buttery California Chardonnays or tannic Cabernet Sauvignons. Bubbly works surprisingly well throughout the feast as well as Oregon Pinot Noirs.

There is more depth to Italian Lambrusco from Emily-Romagna than you probably are aware of.

Kyle’s pick is Cleto Chiarli Lambrusco di Sobrara Vecchia Modena Premium Secco 2016. It’s a drier style. Priced at a surprising $15.00!

“93 Points! Very fine texture to this Lambrusco with sliced watermelon, apple and hints of raspberry. Medium body, dry and delicious fruit. Bright acidity. Goes with everything. Served chilled. Drink now. – James Suckling”

Chef / Proprietor Ross Pangilinan (Mix Mix Kitchen Bar, Santa Ana) launched Terrace by Mix Mix in South Coast Plaza in late September. Located on level 3 of the Crate and Barrel / Macy’s Home Store Wing, TERRACE by Mix Mix concentrates on well-priced, market-driven small plates.

The cuisine showcases Pangilinan’s eclectic style, which is influenced by French, Italian, and modern Filipino flavors, as well as his refined technique. An approachable wine list offers varietals by the glass and bottle as well as rotating craft beers.

True to its name, the restaurant features full-service evening dining (and Weekend Brunch) in a beautifully designed covered terrace off the west end of Bridge of Gardens. A small wine bar, additional seating, an open kitchen and a counter offering a weekday lunch quick-service menu is inside.

Pangilinan opened his first restaurant, Mix Mix Kitchen Bar, in downtown Santa Ana in 2016. The name “Mix Mix” is inspired by the English translation of the Filipino dessert Halo-Halo and is also a play on Pangilinan’s culinary style and Filipino-American identity. The restaurant has been an unqualified success since opening, garnering accolades as best new restaurant from Orange Coast Magazine and earning the chef critical praise. Chef Ross was honored as “Rising Star Chef of The Year” at the 2018 Golden Foodie Awards.

Pangilinan’s culinary journey began upon graduating from Le Cordon Bleu in Pasadena. He traveled to France to work in the Michelin-starred Les Trois Marches in Versailles. Back in the U.S., he was hired as sous chef to open the critically acclaimed, fine dining Sinatra restaurant at Wynn Las Vegas. Returning to Southern California, Pangilinan worked as sous chef at the Patina flagship and became a protégé of founder chef Joachim Splichal. The Patina Group recognized his talent and named him executive chef at Leatherby’s Cafe Rouge, which is part of South Coast Plaza’s fine dining collection.

Chef Ross pops out of the kitchen for a chat.

Award-winning author Dorie Greenspan is the recipient of five prestigious James Beard Foundation Awards for her writing. Her newest title (her baker’s dozen effort) is Everyday Dorie – The Way I Cook. It’s her most personal work to date and an incredible friend for the challenged home cook.

In her latest cookbook Dorie’s legion of loyal fans can find the irresistible food she turns to for weekday and weekend meals. These are the meals she makes for friends in Paris, where she has lived for part of the year for more than twenty years, and the ones she prepares in her small New York City kitchen and her rural Connecticut home.

“The recipes, most of which are simple, none of which needs skills beyond basic, turn out food that’s comforting, satisfying and inviting,” she says.

“Whenever I’m cooking, I like to sneak in a little surprise. I love it when there’s something unexpected in a dish, especially when it’s in one we know well.”—From the Introduction

“Greenspan prides herself on being a practical cook. She prefers to use common ingredients found in supermarkets, farmers’ markets, and her pantry and fridge. Often her fresh touches come from the way she appropriates what she has on hand to create a new dish, like Pasta with Cabbage, Winter Squash, and Walnuts, which gets a pert burst from dried cranberries and a splash of cider vinegar.”

Dorie was recently in Los Angeles on her national book tour and the “SoCal Restaurant Show” was fortunate enough to spend an afternoon with Dorie at her Media Reception at Melissa’s. The Melissa’s team of chefs prepared a representative assortment of 9 dishes from the book (from Ricotta Spoonable to Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies) and Dorie demonstrated some recipes including Sweet and Smoky Roasted Carrots which will be on her Thanksgiving Table.

“These days I have only one rule : There must be dessert! Please follow it.” – Dorie Greenspan. We wholeheartedly agree…

We’re in the home kitchen with Dorie.

The Fields LA, a stylized urban culinary destination featuring award-winning chefs and restaurants, is located adjacent to LAFC’s Banc of California Stadium in Exposition Park adjacent to the L.A. Memorial Coliseum. A three-floor space, the dining complex houses separate concepts to provide distinct dining experiences.

The Fields LA (ground level) consists of nine different food vendors serving a variety of regional American and international cuisines along with an outdoor patio for craft beer and cocktails. On The Fields LA menu are C.J Boyd’s Fried Chicken (Tim Hollingsworth,) Akko Port (Middle Eastern,) Ms. Chi (Chinese from Shirley Chung,) Barbara Jean (Soul Food,) Coni’ Seafood (Nayarit-style), Burritos La Palma, Al Pastor (Street Style Tacos,) Piccolio Antico Pizzeria Focacceria (Chad Colby) and Sweet & Savory. There is also a full-service bar inside with craft cocktails with recipes prepared by celebrity mixologists.

The Fields LA’s Executive Chef, Michael Teich, and Connie Cossio of Coni’ Seafood (L.A.’s First Family of Mexican Seafood) are our guests.

Chef Dean Thomas is the well-traveled and personable Innkeeper (along with his wife, Nicole) of the Inn at Europa Village located on a hill adjacent to Temecula’s Europa Village Winery. The panoramic views of the Temecula Valley from the property are very special. He has even cooked Spanish paella with Celebrity Chef Jose Andres at a charity benefit in the Cayman Islands.

The long-in-the-works Groundbreaking for Europa Village’s Spanish winery, restaurant and casitas (Bolero) took place earlier in the month. Chef Dean artfully prepared an abundant table of Spanish cheeses and proper accompaniments as well as two giant pans (imported from Spain) of incredibly tasty paella for the hungry VIPs. Looking at a debut date of early 2020 for Bolero.

Chef Dean will provide all the scrumptious details of what the future holds.

If you’re looking for perhaps the best in “hassle free” Thanksgiving cooking tips please listen to these informative podcast segments from earlier in the month with practical advice from our own Chef Andrew Gruel and The Meatheads from West Coast Prime Meats, Terry and Jay.

Chef Andrew Gruel’s Chef’s Tips for Stress-Free Holiday Entertaining, Part 1

Chef Andrew Gruel’s Chef’s Tips for Stress-Free Holiday Entertaining, Part 2

The Meatheads Thanksgiving Cooking Tips and Recipes

Now a provocative preview of this Saturday’s incredibly appetizing show. It’s not, with profuse apologies, for dieters. If we’re successful we will always leave you incredibly hungry and thirsty. In our case, and upon careful reflection, that’s probably a pretty good thing…

Chef Dean Thomas is the well-traveled and personable Innkeeper (along with his wife, Nicole) of the Inn at Europa Village located on a hill adjacent to Temecula’s Europa Village Winery. The long-in-the-works Groundbreaking for Europa Village’s Spanish winery, restaurant and casitas (Bolero) took place earlier in the month. Chef Dean will provide all the scrumptious details of what the future holds.

The Fields LA, a stylized urban culinary destination featuring award-winning chefs and restaurants, is located adjacent to LAFC’s Banc of California Stadium in Exposition Park next to the L.A. Memorial Coliseum. A three-floor space, the dining complex houses separate concepts to provide distinct dining experiences. The Fields LA (ground level) consists of nine different food vendors serving a variety of regional American and international cuisines along with an outdoor patio for craft beer and cocktails. The Fields LA’s Executive Chef, Michael Teich, and Connie Cossio of Coni’ Seafood (L.A.’s First Family of Mexican Seafood) are our guests.

Award-winning author Dorie Greenspan is the recipient of five prestigious James Beard Foundation Awards for her writing. Her newest title (her baker’s dozen effort) is Everyday Dorie – The Way I Cook.

It’s her most personal work to date and an incredible friend for the challenged home cook. We’re in the home kitchen with Dorie.

Chef / Proprietor Ross Pangilinan (Mix Mix Kitchen Bar) launched Terrace by Mix Mix in South Coast Plaza in late September. Located on Level 3 of the Crate and Barrel /

Last month Portland-based boutique ice cream maker Salt & Straw opened their first location in Downtown Disney in Anaheim. It replaced a familiar, franchised premium ice cream scoop shop whose worldwide brand is owned by a giant, multinational food corporation.

In May 2001 Kim Malek and her cousin and head ice cream maker Tyler Malek started their own small business, Salt & Straw Ice Cream serving eight flavors from a humble cart in NE Portland. Today the company is the largest small batch ice cream company in the world numbering scoop shops in Portland, greater Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle and San Diego. Also unusually available in pints in New York City at Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group’s Daily Provisions.

“Our story is part luck, part strategy and part love (for ice cream, family, local foods, and other stuff we can’t mention here). I (Kim) have been wanting to open an ice cream scoop shop since 1996. I thought it would be nice to have a local spot where you could run into your neighbors, celebrate with your family, reward yourself…whatever! And I love exploring fun, interesting new flavors. After toiling away in safe mode working for several amazing Fortune 500 businesses, I moved back to Portland for love and found the window of opportunity and support that I’d been lacking to jump start my idea.”

“In the meantime, my cousin Tyler had been studying in China and traveling in Asia. He completed his business degree and had just announced to the family that he was going to enroll in Culinary School. I actually saw a posting on Facebook that he was considering moving to Portland and phoned him up…not even knowing about his plans! We traded stories and updated each other – coming to realize we are on similar paths by coincidence. Next thing I knew, I was getting reports from Tyler regarding ice cream tests he was running with his friends and family as tasters. He had a million ideas and wanted to join me in this crazy idea. How could I resist? He literally dropped what he was doing, loaded up his car and drove to Portland from Seattle to start work as our head ice cream maker the very next day. I would probably be somewhere rocking back and forth in a corner without him. He’s amazingly talented, super smart, hard-working, and quite possibly the nicest person ever.”

“We’re hoping to create the kind of company that’s fun to support, work for, and partner with. We’re about building strong local community – both in the neighborhoods where we do business and by purchasing as many local products as possible (to keep our money in Oregon and help create stronger local economies).”

Co-Founder Kim Malek is our guest.

The Holidays are fast approaching and it’s time for the return of our Meatheads (Terry and Jay) from West Coast Prime Meats with more practical advice on stress-free Holiday entertaining. The Meatheads are both serious home cooks so they really know the territory.

Jay shares his perfected Family recipe for Dry-Aged Pork Rib Roast with Apple – Mustard Glaze. Jay happily cooks with is wife, Tawnya, on weekends.

Terry is talking turkey…On his Holiday menu is a clever Turkey Roulade and his version of Osso Bucco using Turkey instead of Veal.

Terry Hanks and Jay Henderson (The Meatheads) join us.

Aboard a luxury cruise ship dining is a paramount part of the guest experience. The person responsible for overseeing the guest dining experience in all the dining rooms aboard ship is the Maitre d’Hotel.

On Princess Cruises’ Ruby Princess that individual is the charming Giorgio Pisano, a 42-year veteran of Princess. It’s a tough assignment with 3,000 guests to pamper in all the dining areas for every voyage. He graciously presides over very special occasion celebrations in the guests’ lives including milestone birthdays, anniversaries, renewal of vows and honeymoons.

Giorgio was born in a beautiful, small village in the South of Italy, Pizzo Calabro. His first posting with Princess was on the Island Princess (original) in 1976 as a Buffet Steward. He spent his vacations working in hotels in and around Italy. His eagerness for learning and achievement helped him move very quickly through the ranks until he was appointed to the position of Maitre d’Hotel in 1992.

Giorgio was elected to launch the largest ship in the world in 1995, the Sun Princess, making him the youngest Maitre d’Hotel on the biggest ship in the world at the time.

Giorgio takes a break from turnaround on the Ruby Princess at the Port of Los Angeles to join us.