Now an appetizing preview of this Saturday’s sinfully tempting 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 always here with you live every Saturday with a fresh show.

Eat Like Walt: The Wonderful World of Disney Food is a culinary tour of the original Disneyland park’s six lands packaged in an impressive coffee table-volume. Every attraction has a story, and so do many of the menu items. Disneyland’s food transports us as much as it satiates us, or as Walt declared, “The food is as fabulous as the fun, too.” We’ll meet author Marcy Carriker Smothers.

Los Olivos’ The Bear and Star, serving “Refined Ranch Cuisine” inspired by the Parker family at the eponymous Fess Parker Inn, continues their collaborative Chef’s Table Dinners with Chef Neal Fraser of Los Angeles’ Redbird on Sunday, February 25, 2018. The five-course tasting dinner championing Southern California restaurant talent, staged in the state-of-the-art Chef’s Room, blends products raised on the Parker ranch with inspiration from Los Angeles County. The Bear and Star’s Chef/Partner John Cox joins us with the enticing preview.

Chef/Proprietor Neal Fraser of Redbird then joins us to discuss the intimate Chef’s Table Dinner at Los Olivos’ The Bear and Star on Sunday, February 25th. Chef/Owner Neal Fraser and Owner/Operator Amy Knoll Fraser’s flagship restaurant Redbird features Modern American cuisine that is refined yet approachable and highlights the multi-cultural influences of Fraser’s native city – Los Angeles.

Our always informed Co-Host, Chef Andrew Gruel, encores with his “Ask the Chef” series. The New York Times had a thought-provoking piece by food journalist Karen Stabiner on the front page of their dedicated Food Section this week on February 14th. The issue contained in “What to do When Laptops & Silence Take Over Your Café” is how does a café that wants to maintain a lively atmosphere handle customers who hang out there all day on their laptops (while buying little food & beverages) and use the establishment as their office. Chef Andrew weighs in on the debate.

New 2018 “Take Amtrak to Solvang” offer nets savings and specials at Hotels, Restaurants, Wine-Tasting, Museums and activities.

Our always informed Co-Host, Chef Andrew Gruel, encores with his “Ask the Chef” series. What’s the future of home-delivery meal kits like Blue Apron? Even the supermarkets are offering their own labels of these fresh, and ready-to-cook at home meal kits. Are they even a good deal for the money?

Chef Andrew weighs in. He certainly supports any honest effort that encourages people to cook together at home.

Restaurateur Michael McCarty of Michael’s Santa Monica fame has been a larger-than-life fixture on the local dining scene (Manhattan, too) since 1979. He is a legendary discoverer of youthful culinary talent. In the summer of 2016 Michael reinvented Michael’s Santa Monica once again with the arrival of a hot young chef, Miles Thompson.

When Chef & Restaurateur Michael McCarty opened the landmark Michael’s in Santa Monica back in 1979 I’m not sure he even suspected that he would become one of the pioneers of what is known as California cuisine along with Alice Waters and Wolfgang Puck. He pioneered having museum quality art on the restaurant’s wall with not a hint of pretention. A Michael’s in New York came on the scene about a decade later serving breakfast, lunch & dinner to the media elite.

Michael is also known for mentoring rising, young culinary talent. This distinguished alumni club includes Jonathan Waxman, Nancy Silverton, Mark Peel, Ken Frank, and Sang Yoon.

McCarty still can be seen at The Santa Monica Farmers Market on Wednesday mornings with his culinary team. When he’s home in Santa Monica he’s at the restaurant nightly still touching tables and welcoming guests.

We’ll chat with Michael about the diminishing influence of high-profile restaurant critics over the years as well as Chef Miles’ new Winter Happy Hour menu. (Think pork ribs with Calabrian chili red hot and a daily cocktail special for $1.79.) How valuable is restaurant criticism to an established restaurant?

Sima Cohen is a celebrity trainer, nutritionist, wellness expert, and life coach with more than twenty years’ experience. In her life journey she learned the important elements that govern and Add Newinfluence health and happiness. Her new book is Sima’s Healthy Indulgence – 100 Revampred, Guilt-Free Recipes to Transform Your Life.

When clients said they had a sweet tooth, or they were hungry for their latest diet’s “no-no food” and wanted to eat without the guilt that came with it, something immediately clicked in Sima’s mind, and she knew that she had to create a perfect, life-changing meal plan for them. This book is the ultimate guide to guiltless freedom that you can celebrate every day, without any depriving, compromising, counting calories, or measuring body fat!

She perfected her method to help people from all walks of life discover these elements that pave the way for achieving sustainable health and happiness in life: self, sweat, and substance. Her expertise in nutrition (substance) and fitness (sweat) has helped thousands of overweight individuals achieve ideal weight—the culinary part of that work resulted in the creation of this book.

Sima resides in Los Angeles, California, with her daughter Kayla.

Sima Cohen is a celebrity trainer, nutritionist, wellness expert, and life coach with more than twenty years’ experience. In her life journey she learned the important elements that govern and influence health and happiness. Her new book is Sima’s Healthy Indulgence – 100 Revampred, Guilt-Free Recipes to Transform Your Life.

Sima’s definition of transformation is not about obsessing over the numbers on a scale—it is all about something that blossoms from within you, out from your very pores, that ends with a lustrous glow that shows all over your transformed self. It’s not just about eating good food and feeding your hungry belly, it’s about discovering who you are, and transforming your body and life from the inside out.

After two decades, countless hours, thousands of clients, and customized food and detox plans, it was a no-brainer to understand that everybody—no matter their age or social status—wants their cake, and to eat it too. This book will transform how you think, what you eat, and the way you live. Losing weight is just the cherry on top of the sugar-free sundae.

We’re hanging out in the kitchen with Sima.

…And Sima enjoyed hanging out with us so much, she’s graciously allowed us to giveaway THREE copies of her new book, Sima’s Healthy Indulgence – 100 Revampred, Guilt-Free Recipes to Transform Your Life. Just enter using the form below and don’t forget to earn additional entries if you like our Facebook and Twitter feeds! Contest ends on Friday, February 16 at midmight.

Win Sima’s Healthy Indulgence

The globetrotting Chef Bernard Guillas is the long-time, beloved Executive Chef of the La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club and The Marine Room (oceanfront) in La Jolla. He’s also San Diego’s energetic culinary ambassador to the World. He just back from the 10th Annual Cayman Cookout with Le Bernardin’s Eric Ripert.

Since 1941, one symbol has stood for the most exquisite dining experience in San Diego. The Seahorse symbol of The Marine Room.

“During this time, The Marine Room has earned countless accolades. Renown critics have described its privileged setting on La Jolla’s finest beach and the thrill of being “eye-level” with the crashing surf at high tide. The culinary artistry of Executive Chef Bernard Guillas and Chef de Cuisine Ron Oliver has been called “world-class” for its devotion to fresh seafood, seasonal variety, hand-selected local ingredients and award-winning desserts. Others have defined the experience as “sophistication with a sense of delight.” But our greatest satisfaction comes simply from serving our guests – who come to celebrate the joy of life with good company, a perfectly-prepared meal, and a golden Pacific sunset to call their own.”

We’re long overdue for a chat with Chef Bernard. He also generously shares the La Jolla & San Diego restaurants he personally recommends.

Baker and restaurateur Tarit Tanjasari closed his popular Crema Café in Seal Beach late last year for a total remodel. It originally launched on Main St. in 2006. It feels more open now as the wall between the Bakery & Café was removed.

“The Crema Cafe is a European-inspired restaurant and bakery in beautiful downtown Seal Beach, California. We serve breakfast and lunch 7 days a week. Our menu offers classic favorites and delicious new alternatives. From our famous sweet and savory crepes to our tempting pastries, hearty sandwiches and fresh salads, we offer a variety of great breakfast and lunch choices.”

“Our artisan bakery offers a full range of fresh-baked goods. We use the finest ingredients like real butter and wholesome grains. Our assortment of handcrafted breads includes our signature 7-grain Crema Multigrain bread, sourdough and raisin pecan. See our schedule for a complete list of available daily breads. You can also indulge your sweet tooth with our enticing array of cookies, muffins, scones, sweet croissants and macarons, baked to perfection.”

“We invite you to dine al fresco on our airy patio or in our cozy interior. Our patio is pet-friendly, so feel free to bring man’s best friend along, too (please make sure Fido is on a leash).”

We’re on the rise with Tarit.

The late Chef Paul Bocuse (Lyon, France) had a profound impact on creating and inspiring the ment’or BKB Foundation. Always a friend of the USA, he fortunately lived long enough to see his dream of Team USA winning the Gold at the 2017 Bocuse d’Or International Culinary Competition. He even flies the American Flag at his flagship restaurant in Lyon. Young remembers the celebrated “Chef Paul.”

The ment’or BKB Foundation oversees, and funds, the USA’s participation in the biannual Bocuse d’Or International Culinary Competition. Inspired by Team USA’s unprecedented Gold Statue at the Bocuse last year ment’or is now funding, and building, a dedicated training kitchen for Bocuse d’Or Team USA located at the Culinary Institute of America at Copia’s campus in Napa. Scheduled to open in Spring 2018 ment’or’s hope is that this kitchen will become a permanent home for the Team.

The targeted fundraising goal is to raise $250,000.

The new space will replicate the kitchen at the Bocuse d’Or, so that Team USA can practice to compete as they would on the actual competition day. Most importantly, the kitchen will be outfitted with the necessary equipment to ensure that Team USA can continue to succeed on this international culinary stage. In addition, guests will be able to visit the training space to see the physical platters, tools. Photos, and memorabilia encompassing Team USA’s storied history and growing legacy.

Ment’or BKB’s Executive Director Young Yun provides the details.

Program Note : On Saturday, February 17th we follow Ducks Hockey at the special time of 3 to 5:00 p.m. Don’t keep it a secret.

Now an enticing preview of this Saturday’s crave-worthy 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 always here with you live every Saturday with a fresh show.

The ment’or BKB Foundation oversees, and funds, the USA’s participation in the biannual Bocuse d’Or International Culinary Competition. Inspired by Team USA’s unprecedented Gold Statue at the Bocuse last year ment’or is now funding, and building, a dedicated training kitchen for Bocuse d’Or Team USA located at the Culinary Institute of America at Copia’s campus in Napa. Executive Director Young Yun provides the details.

Baker and restaurateur Tarit Tanjasiri closed his popular Crema Café in Seal Beach late last year for a total remodel. It originally launched on Main St. in 2006. It feels more open now as the wall between the Bakery & Café was removed. We’re on the rise with Tarit.

The globetrotting Chef Bernard Guillas is the long-time, beloved Executive Chef of the La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club and The Marine Room (oceanfront) in La Jolla. He’s also San Diego’s energetic culinary ambassador to the World. He just back from the 10th Annual Cayman Cookout with Le Bernardin’s Eric Ripert. We’re long overdue for a chat with Chef Bernard.

Sima Cohen is a celebrity trainer, nutritionist, wellness expert, and life coach with more than twenty years’ experience. Her new book is Sima’s Healthy Indulgence – 100 Revampred, Guilt-Free Recipes to Transform Your Life. This book is perhaps the ultimate guide to guiltless freedom that you can celebrate every day, without any depriving, compromising, counting calories, or measuring body fat! We’ll meet Sima.

Restaurateur Michael McCarty of Michael’s Santa Monica fame has been a larger-than-life fixture on the local dining scene (Manhattan, too) since 1979. He is a legendary discoverer (and developer) of youthful culinary talent.

Our always informed Co-Host, Chef Andrew Gruel, encores with his “Ask the Chef” series. Don’t be scared about the possibilities of cooking a whole fish. It’s all about the flavor. There is an abundance of flavor locked in the skin and bone. Think of the fish body as the cooking vessel.

Chef Andrew shares the basic secrets of creating the magic.