Happy Memorial Day Weekend. Enjoy, relax and be safe.

Now an enticing preview of this Saturday’s big Memorial Day Weekend 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, upon careful reflection, that’s probably a pretty good thing… Keep in mind we’re here with you live every Saturday morning, including Holiday Weekends, with a fresh show.

Chef Vincent Nattress grew up on Whidbey Island, WA and departed. In 2015 Vincent realized his dream of returning to Whidbey with his wife, Tyla, and creating a culinary destination there, Orchard Kitchen. It’s a teaching kitchen, destination restaurant and a five-acre organic farm in Langley, WA. We’re pulling Chef Vincent away from a cooking class for a brief chat.

Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry campaign invites Los Angeles residents to sip and sample the area’s most celebrated culinary creations to help kids in need at this year’s Taste of the Nation for No Kid Hungry on June 3. Hosted at Culver City’s Media Park, the annual tasting event will feature gourmet cuisine and libations crafted by the city’s top chefs, sommeliers, and mixologists as they unite to raise funds to ensure all children in America have access to the healthy food they need, every day. One-hundred-percent of proceeds from the event benefit No Kid Hungry’s work to end childhood hunger in America. “Top Chef” alum Chef Dakota Weiss (Sweetfin Poke) is the local Chef Chair. She joins us with the delectable details.

If you have diabetes, knowing which foods to eat is a bit of a tricky business. That’s why the American Diabetes Association wrote Quick Diabetic Recipes For Dummies®—to answer all your food-related questions. It offers more than 100 tasty, nutritious, and easy-to-prepare recipes to keep you satisfied and healthy for life. Chef Amy Riolo, a best-selling cookbook author, edited the book and created the recipes and is the National Spokesperson for it with the American Diabetes Association. Amy is our guest.

Centrally located on Whidbey Island, WA in Coupeville, the Oystercatcher has proudly served simple, good, food for more than 18 years. Chef Tyler Hansen (3rd chef/proprietor) and his team create a harmonious and authentic farm-to-table menu to showcase all of what the island, and the region has to offer. They even make the extraordinary effort to bake all the breads used in the restaurant. Chef Tyler is about to go into his lunch service so he’d breaking away to chat with us.

If you have diabetes, knowing which foods to eat is a bit of a tricky business. That’s why the American Diabetes Association wrote Quick Diabetic Recipes For Dummies®—to answer all your food-related questions. It offers more than 100 tasty, nutritious, and easy-to-prepare recipes to keep you satisfied and healthy for life.

Chef Amy Riolo, a best-selling cookbook author and past guest with The Ultimate Mediterranean Diet Cookbook, edited the book and is the National Spokesperson for it with the American Diabetes Association. Amy is our guest.

Quick Diabetic Recipes For Dummies is the perfect guide to help you start making healthier food choices and cooking delicious diabetes-friendly recipes at home. It provides expert tips on the types of food you should keep stocked in your kitchen, advice on healthy cooking techniques, ways to lower fat, and, most importantly, information on what to eat with diabetes.

There is a companion Cheat Sheet that goes along with the book. Go to the Dummies site and type Quick Diabetic Recipes For Dummies Cheat Sheet in the Search box.

Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry campaign invites Los Angeles residents to sip and sample the area’s most celebrated culinary creations to help kids in need at this year’s Taste of the Nation for No Kid Hungry on June 3. Hosted at Culver City’s Media Park, the annual tasting event will feature gourmet cuisine and libations crafted by the city’s top chefs, sommeliers, and mixologists as they unite to raise funds to ensure all children in America have access to the healthy food they need, every day. One-hundred-percent of proceeds from the event benefit No Kid Hungry’s work to end childhood hunger in America.

One in six children in America struggles with hunger, including more than 1.8 million kids in California. No Kid Hungry is ending childhood hunger nationwide by ensuring that kids start the day with a nutritious breakfast and families learn the skills they need to shop and cook on a budget. Since the campaign’s launch, No Kid Hungry and its partners have connected kids struggling with hunger to more than 775 million meals.

In 2017, Los Angeles’ Taste of the Nation for No Kid Hungry raised enough to connect hungry kids in need up to 1 million healthy meals. Local beneficiaries include California Association of Food Banks, California Food Policy Advocates, Los Angeles Regional Food Bank and West Side Food Bank.

Taste of the Nation for No Kid Hungry tickets are $110/adult and $25/child for General Admission. VIP tickets, including early access to the event and exclusive tastings, are available for $160. Executive Cabana packages, priced at $5,000, include 10 VIP tickets, a private cabana with seating for 10, and bottle and butler service. For additional information and to purchase tickets, please visit right here.

“Top Chef” Season 9 alum Chef Dakota Weiss (Sweetfin Poke) is the local Chef Chair. She joins us with all the delectable details.

Centrally located on Whidbey Island, WA in Coupeville, the Oystercatcher has proudly served simple, good, food for more than 18 years. Chef Tyler Hansen (3rd chef/proprietor) and his team create a harmonious and authentic farm-to-table menu to showcase all what the island, and the region has to offer. They even make the extraordinary effort to bake daily all the breads used in the restaurant. The bread is so popular that it’s sold to other Island restaurants and retail markets.

“Historically the island provided an abundance of food, with the prairie serving as a sacred place for those who lived there. We honor that tradition at the restaurant today working with the farmers who continue to keep that heritage alive on the island.”

“Creating the entire experience from scratch is what makes the restaurant tick. The first wheat fields on Whidbey were harvested in September to mill the local flour for the bread. Being involved with the growing process to the finished product on the plate is the passion that drives the kitchen.”

Chef Tyler is about to go into his lunch service so he’d breaking away to chat with us.

 

Temecula’s EcoCulture Farms’ mission is to use regenerative agricultural techniques in order to utilize and improve the productivity of the environment from which we draw our sustenance. They practice responsible land stewardship in order to harvest from and simultaneously improve our ecosystem.

One of their very satisfied restaurant accounts is Old Town Temecula’s revered E.A.T. Extraordinary Artisan Table and Chef Leah di Bernardo. E.A.T. sources produce and fresh eggs from EcoCulture Farms as well as other products.

“We strive to steward a highly functioning ecosystem in order to produce an abundance and variety of edible and salable products. Closing the waste stream, improving relationships with our local community, spreading knowledge and awareness around food and agriculture are central to the functioning of the farm. Each enterprise of the farm has the ability to stand alone, yet each play a pivotal role in each other’s functionality and efficiency. Our livestock, vegetable production, fruit tree cultivation, and soil building programs feed and support each other in a cohesive and harmonious manner.”

Cory Shallow, Co-owner & Farm Manager has all the 411 for us.

Chef Andrew Gruel the founder of The Slapfish Restaurant Group joins us with another installment of “Ask the Chef.”

When you’ve at your favorite fast casual or quick service restaurant are you faced with the dilemma of way too many choices as the line lengthens in back of you? Does it take 4 complicated steps to customize a simple salad? Are there dozens of possible adds? Is this a matter of having choices or utter confusion?

This discussion is inspired by Wall Street Journal’s Julie Jargon from her May 11th Page One piece, “Today’s Special: Way Too Many Options for One Sandwich – Restaurants are driving patrons down a rapid assembly line of possibilities.”

We’ll get Chef Andrew’s informed thoughts

 

Craft beers, gourmet chili and entertainment take center stage at the upcoming 10th Annual Pechanga Microbrew Fest & Chili Cookoff on Saturday, June 9th from Noon to 5 p.m. at Pechanga’s new Summit Event Center. Event proceeds benefit Habitat for Humanity Inland Valley Senior & Disabled Person Programs.

The “Toast of Menifee,” The Mason Jar Brewing Company (a discovery of ours from two years ago), is back in the Fest for the 3rd time. Brewmaster & Proprietor Robert Carter is our guest.

One of the smallest craft breweries participating in the Pechanga Microbrew Festival, Mason Jar Brewing, was founded in 2014. It’s the creation of the determined husband and wife team of Robert Carter and Grace Santiago. They transitioned into becoming a production brewery from their hobby as passionate and award-winning home-brewers.

The newest style that has gone year-round due to its popularity was originally created for Cinco De Mayo. It’s “They Call Me Roberto.” It’s a Baja-style lager with roasted jalapenos and lime zest. It’s crisp, light, and, of course, refreshing.

Husband and wife team, Robert Carter and Grace Santiago, are active and participating residents of Menifee, California. Robert, a home inspector/youth football coach and Grace a local Real Estate agent, have both found their true creative calling in brewing beer.

Cheers…

Long Beach’s Proper’s Pickles is an unlikely local gourmet specialty food product success story. The Noori Brothers (Bijan & Pejmon) are insurance brokers. Growing up their Family pickled all the extra veggies in their home kitchen. In early 2014 the Brothers perfected their recipes and starting selling at one Long Beach Farmers Markets. Today they are available at retail in Gelson’s and select Bristol Farms, and produce some 1,500 to 2,000 jars a month. We’re talking about the art of pickling with Pejmon Noori.

The two brothers had already been making pickles for a long time under the guidance of their father, who was known for pickling anything and everything. Bijan and Pejmon also have been known to venture into unknown pickling territory for a few of their best customers, including products like Pickled Sweet Maui Onion with Habanero. Even their Famous Mixed Jar uses Persian Cucumber as opposed to your traditional Pickling Cucumber.

“You will never see dry dill seed or pepper-flakes floating at the bottom of your jar, but you will see pieces of fresh dill and large cloves of fresh garlic. While most pickling companies think it is okay for their products to be kept on dry shelves for months at a time, Proper’s Pickle believes in cold storage only. Proper’s Pickle is also a very strong believer in using only natural ingredients so they can deliver the vegetables and peppers they use in their best form.”

“There is only one drawback to developing the crispiest, freshest-tasting pickles on the planet: Anyone who tries them will never again enjoy just any ole’ pickle. Anyone who has tasted a Proper’s Pickle will always crave something better. Because “We Make a Proper Pickle.””

Chefs’ Toys is no stranger to the listeners of the “SoCal Restaurant Show.” Starting with a passion for food, Chefs’ Toys began in 1988 (founded by Chef Steve Dickler) with a genuine desire to help other Chefs.

In 2003 foodservice equipment veteran Mike Krepistman folded his restaurant equipment supply firm into Chefs’ Toys and became a partner. From humble beginnings to a foodservice enterprise, Chefs’ Toys business philosophy has never wavered. Earlier this year TriMark acquired Chefs’ Toys.

“Chefs’ Toys is proud to offer time-tested and commercial kitchen approved products from the best manufacturers in the foodservice industry. We are constantly testing and searching for new products to serve our customers’ needs. You can feel confident that when you buy a product from Chefs’ Toys it has been vetted, tested, and will meet your expectations. Although our roots are firmly planted in Southern California, our customer base continues to expand nationally.”

“With the acquisition of a major restaurant design firm in 2015, Chefs’ Toys beefed up its talent pool for consulting and design. As a result, we offer complete design services for restaurants, commercial kitchens and bars. From front of house to the most complex kitchen design requirements, equipment installation, and foodservice supplies fulfillment, our staff provides turnkey solutions for the foodservice industry.”

We’ll get the update directly from principals Steve Dickler and Mike Krepistman.

Memorial Day weekend, Smorgasburg LA has teamed up with world renowned burger expert George Motz for its 2nd annual Burger Day on Sunday, May 27. Motz’s first burger popup at Smorgasburg LA this past December was such a success that he is headed back to the market for a second time, and this time with some of his most talented friends.

The Host of Travel Channel‘s Burger Land and author of Hamburger America: A State-By-State Guide to 200 Great Burger Joints has curated the best burgers from LA and beyond to popup at Smorgasburg LA for one day only from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Guests should expect burgers in the form of classic takes to mouthwatering modern renditions from six popup vendors, plus burger specials from Smorgasburg LA’s weekly vendors and more.

To add to the festivities Motz will be serving his famous Oklahoma Fried Onion Burger (a smashed patty with thin sliced sweet onion).

It’s definitely a two napkin affair!

Also more exciting news for burger lovers. There is a completely updated, revised and expanded 3rd Edition of Motz’s Hamburger America: A State-By-State Guide to 200 Great Burger Joints that is just out in paperback. Great addition to any culinary or travel home library.