SoCal Restaurant Show

Chef George Geary’s latest is Citrus Illustrated, a brightly illustrated guide to all things citrus! “Learn about these beautiful and practical fruits, why to cherish them, and how to put them to good use, including 35 sensational recipes.” “From the ubiquitous navel orange to the lesser-known Fukushu kumquat to the straight-up-funky Buddha’s hand citron, citrus comes in many forms. Knowing exactly how and when to best harness their bright essences can be a challenge—until now. This handy little cookbook offers a fascinating exploration of over 25 citrus varieties and their many uses, from enriching simple dishes to the oils of the peel and juice of the fruit. Featuring 35 sweet and savory recipes that will help you use up a bumper crop or make the most of the brightest fruits of the season.”

Chef George Geary joins us to “Squeeze the Day!” This is his 17th cookbook.

George is generously sharing his recipe for Shrimp, Grapefruit and Avocado Salad from Citrus Illustrated. It was a big hit at the food media presentation he conducted at Melissa’s exhibition & research kitchen a few weeks ago.

Chef George Geary’s latest is Citrus Illustrated, a brightly illustrated guide to all things citrus! “Learn about these beautiful and practical fruits, why to cherish them, and how to put them to good use, including 35 sensational recipes.”

“From the ubiquitous navel orange to the lesser-known Fukushu kumquat to the straight-up-funky Buddha’s hand citron, citrus comes in many forms. Knowing exactly how and when to best harness their bright essences can be a challenge—until now. This handy little cookbook offers a fascinating exploration of over 25 citrus varieties and their many uses, from enriching simple dishes to the oils of the peel and juice of the fruit.”

“Charming citrus-bright illustrations throughout make this resource guide—also packed with historical background on each fruit, attributes, nutritional and health benefits, availability, and more—an inspiring gift for home cooks and bakers, fruit lovers, and anyone interested in maximizing their use and enjoyment of luscious citrus fruits.”

Chef George Geary stays with us sharing more on Citrus Illustrated. This is his 17th cookbook.

George is generously sharing his recipe for Shrimp, Grapefruit and Avocado Salad from Citrus Illustrated. It was a big hit at the food media presentation he conducted at Melissa’s exhibition & research kitchen a few weeks ago. It’s posted in the Recipes area of The SoCal Restaurant Show’s Website.

“Founded in 2024, “The Festival of Undiscovered Grapes” is a one-of-a-kind tasting event dedicated to celebrating the diversity of California wine through its lesser-known grape varieties. Featuring 60+ producers and more than 100 unique grapes, the festival is a destination for wine lovers eager to explore beyond the familiar. It returns on Saturday, March 28th to Mica Studios in the Arts District of Downtown Los Angeles.” VIP access is at Noon and General Admission starts at 2:00 p.m.

The Festival was previously known as “Festival of Forgotten Grapes.” “While ‘forgotten’ captured the idea of overlooked varieties, ‘undiscovered’ better expresses the excitement of uncovering something new,” says festival founder Allison Levine, a wine writer, educator, event planner, and longtime advocate for diversity in wine. “These wines aren't just relics of the past; they are vibrant, relevant, and full of potential. Our goal is to introduce people to what's possible beyond the usual handful of California varieties.”

“With more than 100 grape varieties grown in California, only nine account for 93% of plantings. The festival brings attention to the remaining 7%: grapes such as Teroldego, Cinsault, Marsanne, Semillon, and dozens more, each with a compelling story and growing momentum among adventurous winemakers.”

“One of the unique features of the festival is its mix-and-match retail experience. Attendees can build their own custom orders, selecting individual bottles from multiple producers, with no minimums, and have them delivered directly to their door for one flat-rate fee. It is a seamless way to support small wineries and continue the discovery after the event.”

Founder Allison Levine joins us pulling the cork on all that is “The Festival of Undiscovered Grapes.”

“Founded in 2024, “The Festival of Undiscovered Grapes” is a one-of-a-kind tasting event dedicated to celebrating the diversity of California wine through its lesser-known grape varieties. Featuring 60+ producers and more than 100 unique grapes, the festival is a destination for wine lovers eager to explore beyond the familiar. It returns on Saturday, March 28th to Mica Studios in the Arts District of Downtown Los Angeles.” VIP access starts at Noon and General Admission follows at 2:00 p.m.

Hitching Post Wines in Buellton is one of the participants in “The Festival of Undiscovered Grapes.” Weston Hartley, the Co-Winemaker (representing the 2nd generation of Family-ownership) is our guest.

“Led by Frank Ostini (owner of the Hitching Post 2 Restaurant) and Gray Hartley, Hitching Post Wines has passed its 40th vintage in its ongoing quest to create the finest wines possible of Santa Barbara County. The emphasis is to make intriguing, age-worthy Pinot Noirs featuring Santa Barbara County’s two iconic appellations, the Santa Maria Valley and the Sta. Rita Hills. However, other lesser-known varieties such as Chenin Blanc and Valdiguie have also caught their attention.”

“With Frank Ostini as Chef Winemaker since its inception, these are food-friendly, handcrafted wines of balance and finesse that express the essence of the great vineyards of the Santa Barbara region. Moving forward, the next generation of Hartleys – Emily (DTC Manager) and Weston (Winemaker) – have joined the team and are doing much of the heavy lifting at Hitching Post Wines.”

Valdiguie is their favorite “Undiscovered” wine grape and will be their featured wine at The Festival. “It’s Racy. Defined as: (of a wine, flavor, etc.) having a characteristic quality to a high degree.”

“Slice Out Hunger is hosting a Pizza Expo Tailgate Party on Monday, March 23rd in Las Vegas as a special public event to kick off Pizza Expo 2026. This event grants guests access (in two sessions) to over two-dozen world-famous pizza makers from all over the globe and 75 minutes of unlimited slices per session.” Session 1 is 4 to 5:15 p.m. and Session 2 is then 5:30 p.m. to 6:45 p.m.

The festival location is Third Street (Downtown Las Vegas) in front of Pizza Rock Downtown, 201 N 3rd St, Las Vegas, NV 89101

“The “Who” is Pizza Rock's Tony Gemigniani, Metro Pizza's John Arena, Slice Out Hunger’s Scott Wiener (“The Pizza Show”), and over two dozen local and nationally acclaimed pizza makers including World Pizza Champions and past Pizza Expo winners.”

“The annual International Pizza Expo conference and trade show transforms Las Vegas into the world’s pizza capital but the public rarely gets a glimpse. This year they will be adding a new twist to the event; each of the stations will be honoring a different Woman Who Made Pizza History in celebration of Women’s History Month. All of the pizzaioli stationed together will be collaborating to make their own unique specialty pie that pays homage to a woman who altered the course of pizza history.”

“One hundred percent of proceeds are donated to Slice Out Hunger, a national pizza industry charity that helps with local hunger efforts in cities across the country.”

Founder Scott Wiener joins us with pizza peel at the ready.

“Like most sourdough, San Diego-based Leaven Foods (NEXTY Award-winner at the recent Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim) origin story began during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, when lockdown ended, the founders' (two scientists who are bakers) once-coddled starter was neglected. Enter Leaven Foods, a shelf-stable sourdough starter made from non-GMO wild yeast and beneficial bacteria. This innovative powder eliminates the need for feeding or maintenance and makes baking sourdough accessible for home cooks of all abilities.”

“The advantages of sourdough are well known: great flavor, naturally long shelf life, and better-for-you bread. Until now, these benefits have been locked behind maintaining a starter that is extremely difficult to scale for producers and time consuming, expensive and wasteful for home bakers,” says Cameron Martino, CEO of Leaven Foods. “Instant Sourdough is revolutionary as it delivers true sourdough fermentation that eliminates starter hassles. It makes real sourdough more affordable and accessible.”

Founder and CEO Cameron Martino joins us in the rise.

“Like most sourdough, San Diego-based Leaven Foods (NEXTY Award-winner at the recent Natural Products Expo West) origin story began during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, when lockdown ended, the founders' (two scientists who are bakers) once-coddled starter was neglected. Enter Leaven Foods, a shelf-stable sourdough starter made from non-GMO wild yeast and beneficial bacteria. This innovative powder eliminates the need for feeding or maintenance and makes baking sourdough accessible for home cooks of all abilities.”

“Founder Cameron Martino is a scientist, entrepreneur, and microbial product innovator with a deep passion for modernizing the microbial products that play an essential but often overlooked role across food, health, and agriculture. Over the course of his career, he has helped build and commercialize some of the most innovative microbial products across instrumentation, agriculture, animal health, and food.”

Leaven Foods’ Founder and CEO, Cameron Martino, stays with us.

Anne Marie Panoringan is Culture OC’s well-informed food columnist. She reports industry news, current events and trends. Anne Marie also contributes regularly to Eater Los Angeles, LAist, TASTE and a host of other well-respected and noteworthy publications. Anne Marie joins us in-studio to discuss her work as Food Columnist for Culture OC and highlight her current column. Of course, more tasty Orange County morsels will be part of the conversation including a recent column highlighting the good news of four high profile restaurants in Orange County expanding.

“Not unlike the European wine model where it is common practice to concentrate on and produce wine from one varietal, JL Wood has mandated that it make only Chardonnay. It has done so since 2020, producing less than 3,000 cases a year, when it began making its own Chardonnay. Its 125-acre JL Wood Ranch Vineyard in the Chardonnay-centric AVA of Arroyo Seco in Monterey County, has for almost 25 years, been selling its grapes to other producers. So, why only Chardonnay? The reasons, explained by owner Paul Morrison, are numerous. “There are few specialists in Chardonay in California,” he offers. “Secondly, we have great clones: 4 and 17. It’s ideal for our soils. Third, to jump into Pinot Noir, for instance, and do it very well, would be difficult. Plus, there were already a lot of folks doing it in the adjacent Santa Lucia AVA. Chardonnay has the benefit of being popular and large wineries have historically bought rather than grown Chardonnay for their own programs.”” Paul Morisson joins us to pull the cork on all that is JL Wood wines.

“Not unlike the European wine model where it is common practice to concentrate on and produce wine from one varietal, JL Wood has mandated that it make only Chardonnay. It has done so since 2020, producing less than 3,000 cases a year, when it began making its own Chardonnay. Its 125-acre JL Wood Ranch Vineyard in the Chardonnay-centric AVA of Arroyo Seco in Monterey County, has for almost 25 years, been selling its grapes to other producers. So, why only Chardonnay? The reasons, explained by owner Paul Morrison, are numerous. “There are few specialists in Chardonay in California,” he offers. “Secondly, we have great clones: 4 and 17. It’s ideal for our soils. Third, to jump into Pinot Noir, for instance, and do it very well, would be difficult. Plus, there were already a lot of folks doing it in the adjacent Santa Lucia AVA. Chardonnay has the benefit of being popular and large wineries have historically bought rather than grown Chardonnay for their own programs.”” Paul Morisson joins us to pull the cork on all that is JL Wood wines.

“Introducing Good Karma Dark Chocolate produced here in Los Angeles. Finally, a healthy food that tastes delicious. Learn from Co-Founder Matthew Jonas about the health benefits and super nutrients found in minimally processed Dark Chocolate and Brewing Cacao.

Good Karma Co-Founder, Matthew Jonas, joins us to talk about their 3 distinct Organic Dark Chocolates, from India, Columbia and Madagascar. Each bar begins with hand roasting of the beans to optimize the naturally occurring personality of the bean and the region where it is grown followed by stone grinding for up to 30 hours to create smooth rich, chocolate liquor. Finally, the liquor is tempered and molded to create delicious tasting bars that each showcases the natural flavors of the beans. Good Karma also produces a 100% Brewing Cacao, a potent morning beverage that delivers all the energy without the jitters, tastes delicious and feeds your body with super nutrients.”

For our concluding segment at 11:45 a.m. our own Chef Andrew Gruel, the menu-maker behind the full-service Calico Fish House (located in the Sunset Beach area of Huntington Beach) provides another timely and informative “Ask the Chef” segment where he responds to listeners’ thoughtful inquiries. Chef Andrew continues with his guide to setting up a basic “Cooking Toolkit.” He assures that if you build this home pantry you’ll never panic about Dinner again…

Anne Marie Panoringan is Culture OC’s well-informed food columnist. She reports industry news, current events and trends. Anne Marie also contributes regularly to Eater Los Angeles, LAist, TASTE and a host of other well-respected and noteworthy publications. Anne Marie joins us in-studio to discuss her work as Food Columnist for Culture OC and highlight her current column. Of course, more tasty Orange County morsels will be part of the conversation including a recent column highlighting the good news of four high profile restaurants in Orange County expanding.

“Not unlike the European wine model where it is common practice to concentrate on and produce wine from one varietal, JL Wood has mandated that it make only Chardonnay. It has done so since 2020, producing less than 3,000 cases a year, when it began making its own Chardonnay. Its 125-acre JL Wood Ranch Vineyard in the Chardonnay-centric AVA of Arroyo Seco in Monterey County, has for almost 25 years, been selling its grapes to other producers. So, why only Chardonnay? The reasons, explained by owner Paul Morrison, are numerous. “There are few specialists in Chardonay in California,” he offers. “Secondly, we have great clones: 4 and 17. It’s ideal for our soils. Third, to jump into Pinot Noir, for instance, and do it very well, would be difficult. Plus, there were already a lot of folks doing it in the adjacent Santa Lucia AVA. Chardonnay has the benefit of being popular and large wineries have historically bought rather than grown Chardonnay for their own programs.”” Paul Morisson joins us to pull the cork on all that is JL Wood wines.

“Introducing Good Karma Dark Chocolate produced here in Los Angeles. Finally, a healthy food that tastes delicious. Learn from Co-Founder Matthew Jonas about the health benefits and super nutrients found in minimally processed Dark Chocolate and Brewing Cacao.

Good Karma Co-Founder, Matthew Jonas, joins us to talk about their 3 distinct Organic Dark Chocolates, from India, Columbia and Madagascar. Each bar begins with hand roasting of the beans to optimize the naturally occurring personality of the bean and the region where it is grown followed by stone grinding for up to 30 hours to create smooth rich, chocolate liquor. Finally, the liquor is tempered and molded to create delicious tasting bars that each showcases the natural flavors of the beans. Good Karma also produces a 100% Brewing Cacao, a potent morning beverage that delivers all the energy without the jitters, tastes delicious and feeds your body with super nutrients.”

For our concluding segment at 11:45 a.m. our own Chef Andrew Gruel, the menu-maker behind the full-service Calico Fish House (located in the Sunset Beach area of Huntington Beach) provides another timely and informative “Ask the Chef” segment where he responds to listeners’ thoughtful inquiries. Chef Andrew continues with his guide to setting up a basic “Cooking Toolkit.” He assures that if you build this home pantry you’ll never panic about Dinner again…

All of this and heaping helpings of extra deliciousness on this week’s not-to-miss show!