Culinary Arts

MTV Casting For Its Own Food Reality Show

It can be argued that MTV's The Real World started the whole put-strangers-together-in-a-house-and-see-what-happens gimmick of just about every reality show we see today, including Bravo's Top Chef. Now MTV is casting for its own food show, where, wait for it, they'll have strangers living in a hous ... More >>

It's OC Fair Entry Time!

So you think your apple pie can beat mine? You'd be right--mine, though famous in my family, was a purple ribbon winner ("Participant") last year. Still, come compete against me and Gustavo's chica Delilah in the jam category, or see if you can best Calendar Editor Erin Dewitt's scones.

Thinking of Going To Culinary School? Read This First: Advice From Actual Chefs.

Photo by Laila DerakhshanianRyan Carson of AnQi​AP recently did a story on how more culinary schools like are getting sued by students who graduate from these for-profit programs only to land low-paying jobs and face a mountain of debt. The former students allege that they were misled by recruiter ... More >>

Slideshow: Jelly Shot Test Kitchen

Jelly Shot Test KitchenRainbow Cherry Jigglers!​Sisters Amy and Michelle have created one of the most fun recipe blogs we've come across yet: the Jelly Shot Test Kitchen... Amy creates these neat gelatin concoctions while Michelle shoots the gorgeous photographs. So what's a Jelly Shot? Think of a ... More >>

ABC Cake Decorating: Your Base of Cakes

ProfessorSalt.comYou gotta have ❤​Let's say you somehow got talked into baking the cake for your little niece's birthday party. You were thinking of a Betty Crocker box, and icing from the supermarket. Then you find out Niece would just adore you if you'd bake a cake in the shape of a certain Di ... More >>

Vartan Abgaryan to Head to L.A.'s Test Kitchen

​Chef Vartan Abgaryan of A Restaurant in Newport Beach will take up residence at Test Kitchen L.A. on Saturday, September 4.Test Kitchen L.A. is a dedicated space in West L.A. where chefs can take up residence for one day or several, testing new recipes on diners who are not friends, family or bus ... More >>

Buen Provecho

MOLAA

SideDoor Is Gastro-Sensational

May all of OC's many, many gastropubs-to-be follow this Corona del Mar highlight's lead

The Worst Show on Food Network

Food Network​Food Network, Food Network, Food Network, you have really lost your way.You used to teach people how to cook; there were interesting shows like the Two Fat Ladies. Even Good Eats, the best show ever on the network, has lowered its standards and got the preachy diet message going.You'v ... More >>

On the Line: Marque Hernandez of "The Worst Cooks In America"

Courtesy of Food Network​Normally our On the Line feature runs on Tuesdays and features a professional chef whose cooking has captivated the hearts of Orange Countians. We ask a series of not-very-serious questions and publish the results.Well, for this extra edition of On the Line, which we're pu ... More >>

Chimayo at The Beach Will Close This Week; Bought Out By Duke's

​Frankly, I've lost track of how many times Chimayo in Huntington Beach has see-sawed from being Chimayo to become Savannah at the Beach and back to Chimayo again when Culinary Adventures (its parent company) went through some management changes.Well, I'm sort of both glad and sad to say that the ... More >>

A Tribute to Keith Floyd, the Original Celebrity Chef

​The culinary world is in mourning today for Keith Floyd. "Keith who?," you may ask. Floyd was a legend across the pond, a true "bon viveur", and an inspiration to many of today's chefs. The TV presenter and food personality (in the true sense of the word) died of a heart attack yesterday aged 65, ... More >>

Mouthwatering Demos at South Coast Plaza For OC Restaurant Week

​A dozen of the county's top chefs, all from restaurants participating in Orange County Restaurant Week, will be showcasing their skills at Bloomingdale's Home Store from September 5 to 19. Sadly, due to health codes, no sampling is allowed (boo, hiss!), but you can at least get to see the culinar ... More >>

From "French 75" to "75 Laguna Beach" to "French 75" Again

Culinary Adventures​In keeping with theme of everything old is new again (remember this post about Savannah at the Beach becoming Chimayo again?), it was announced last week that Culinary Adventures, that restaurant empire that once had four French 75's in its repertoire, has bought the once indep ... More >>

Frank Bruni, NY Times Food Critic, on Nightline Tonight: Reveals Problem With Bulimia

Food bloggers, food critics, foodies, restaurant owners might want to tune in to Nightline tonight.NY Times food critic, Frank Bruni, will be interviewed to talk about his struggles with food and share stories about his days as the man who instilled fear in the hearts of all restaurateurs in Manhatt ... More >>

Anaheim White House Pays Delicious Homage to Julia Child

Brasserie Pascal isn't the only restaurant with a Julie & Julia culinary tie-in. The Anaheim White House is another contender, running a month-long promo featuring dishes from MtAoFC (if you have to ask what that is, you haven't read the book or seen the film). Available until the end of the mon ... More >>

On the Line: Vincent Muraco of Zimzala

​When he enrolled at the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco at the tender age of 17, Vincent Muraco was its youngest student ever. Since then, his culinary career has taken him to the Park Hyatts in that city and in LA, as well as Vix in Miami. Muraco is now Executive Chef at Zimzala, th ... More >>

New York Magazine Blogger Rips Off OC Weekly Contributor

Lin, at left, with his alter ego... Whenever food critics, whether in newspapers or blogs, argue about who first wrote about a restaurant or rail against those who followed their "discovery," I remember the The Simpsons episode when Gabbo knocks Krusty off the air. Gabbo makes a crank phone cal ... More >>

Cooking for a Cause

Orange County Wine and Food Center

Bravo! Top Chef Season Six Shuts Out OC Stars

The new lineup for Bravo's hit show--which kicks off on August 26 and is filmed in Vegas--has just been announced, and there's not a single SoCal (let alone OC) chef on the list. UPDATE: OK, there's Michael Voltaggio, although, weirdly, Bravo's own press info has him cooking both in LA and in Pa ... More >>

One Of The World's Best Chefs Coming Our Way?

Heston Blumenthal, chef-owner of The Fat Duck in Bray, England, Tweeted on Saturday that he's thinking of opening a restaurant in the US.The restaurant hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons in March this year, when around 400 diners became ill after eating there, as we reported. But it's bette ... More >>

This Sunday: Tustin Street Fair & Chili Cook-Off

Perhaps the greatest South Park episode ever made is "Scott Tenorman Must Die." If you've seen it, then you know where I'm going with this. Yes. I am making the connection between Cartman's Chili Con Carnival with this Sunday's Tustin Street Fair & Chili Cook-Off. Seriously, if you haven't, ... More >>

This Week In Food

This week in SAFII:There was plenty of good news, in terms of appointments (Craig Strong as Executive Chef of Studio, at the Montage Laguna Beach), openings (a froyo shop--natch--a gelato shop attached to a Thai restaurant (of course!!) and a sparkly Vietnamese) and resurrections (Carl's Jr's Portob ... More >>

Finally, Studio At Montage Laguna Beach Names New Executive Chef

Following a lengthy countrywide search, the Montage has announced Craig Strong as Executive Chef of Studio, replacing James Boyce, who left earlier this year.Strong, until yesterday Chef de Cuisine at The Langham, Huntington Hotel & Spa (formerly Ritz-Carlton) in Pasadena, was a semifinalist for ... More >>

To Do Tonight - 5/6

Robert Kapilow's What Makes It Great? Series: Beethoven, 7:30 p.m.Kapilow introduces composers, unravels the beauty of their music and helps listeners approach and appreciate the works in new ways. First, the conductor/composer takes apart a musical composition and explores it with the audience. Ne ... More >>

Cooking for a Cause

Orange County Wine and Food Center

L.A. Weekly Starts Their Own Food Blog

Our sister paper, L.A. Weekly, debuted their very own food blog last week. Called Squid Ink, it features the return on Ask Mr. Gold, where resident Pulitzer-prize winning critic, Jonathan Gold, reprises his popular food advice column.We welcome the esteemed Mr. Gold and crew to the food bloggin ... More >>

French 75 in Fashion Island Sold Off

The blood-letting at the once mighty Culinary Adventures continues. March 31st was the last supper for Savannah in Costa Mesa. Now, according to The Daily Pilot, the restaurant group has sold off their French 75 at Fashion Island to a "well known Orange County restaurateur". The article continues ... More >>

Nancy Silverton's Seasonal Sprouts Recipe

I eat Brussels sprouts precisely once a year. On December 25, to be exact. I know they're good for me, with their fancy schmancy vitamin A, vitamin C, folic acid, fiber and sinigrin (the last two are believed to protect against colon cancer).But, yet, despite their impressive credentials, I could ta ... More >>

F&*k!! The Credit Crunch Hits Gordon Ramsay

It's been a difficult time recently for British celebrity chefs. First, eateries owned by Antony Worrall Thompson and Tom Aikens hit money trouble. Then last week it was reported that Heston Blumenthal's famed Fat Duck restaurant has had to close because hundreds of diners became ill after eating th ... More >>

Disney's California Food & Wine Festival

Think I'm done talking about food festivals and restaurant weeks? Not yet. Disney wants to play too!  They're holding their event at California Adventure from April 24th to June 7th.  The festival, in their words, will "showcase California's rich fusion of flavors." There will be free cooking d ... More >>

Top Chef Drama Continues After Credits Roll

If you don't already know (WARNING: SPOILER) on the Top Chef finale the other night; Hosea won. Stefan got his comeuppance.  But the real story that evening and the morning after was how Carla lost. Blame was put squarely on the shoulders of her sous chef, past TC contestant and Jennifer Anist ... More >>

Classy Stuff--This Time At Charlie Palmer, Bloomie's

OK, so Marché Moderne's cooking classes are all booked up - as I noted last week. But if you're quick off the mark you can sign up for one of the "kitchen technique" classes at Charlie Palmer at Bloomingdale's, South Coast Plaza. According to our sources, they're likely to sell out very quickly.Run ... More >>

Free O.C. Chef Demos at Bloomingdale's SCP

Hopefully you remember that the first ever Orange County Restaurant Week is going to happen soon (February 22-28). To remind you, and to get things off to a tantalizing start, some of the chefs from the restaurants involved will be doing free cooking demos at Bloomingdale's Home Store at South Co ... More >>

Eating Food with a James Beard Award Winner

One of the pleasures of belonging to Village Voice Media is that the company hosts the best roster of food critics in the country--but you don't have to believe my boosterism? Who's the only food critic ever to win a Pulitzer Prize? Jonathan Gold of LA Weekly. Who's going to be releasing a memoir of ... More >>

Jonathan Gold, His Brother and Whale Meat

Here's an interesting story by the LA Times about our sister paper's venerated and Pulitzer Prize-winning food critic, his meal of whale on a trip to South Korea, and what his brother Mark, a marine scientist and president of Heal the Bay thinks about it.

Robert Rodriguez: Movie Maker & Home Cook

What can't this guy do? The producer, director, writer, composer, editor of Sin City, Desperado, and Planet Terror has made two cooking shorts, produced as extras for his DVDs. There are only two of these "Ten Minute Cooking School" segments in existence, at least on YouTube. On the first -- cr ... More >>

Forbes DOESN'T Mention O.C. as an Up-And-Coming Food Capital

I can't say I'm surprised. Besides, list like these are subjective, as all lists are. But this one, is especially so. A panel of four, consisting of "Food & Wine Restaurant Editor Kate Krader; Anya Fernald, executive director of Slow Food Nation; and Erik Wolf, president of the International Culi ... More >>

Food Critic Elmer Dills Dies

TV food critic Elmer Dills, who was a regular on KABC's Eyewitness News, passed away yesterday at 82. Read the story on KABC's own website.

To Do This Weekend 8/22-8/24

Debra's Girls Present: Going Green Theme Party, Friday 7 p.m. Long Beach's favorite gay bar pitches in to help the environment. Ripples 5101 E. Ocean Blvd. Long Beach, CA 562-433-0357 Hootie & The Blowfish, Friday 8 p.m. Hold My Hand! House of Blues 1530 S. Disneyland Dr. Anaheim, CA 714-778-2583 ... More >>

Last Time We Praise the Register

Back in October, we wondered out loud what was happening to the Orange County Register's once-vaunted food section. Today, further bad news: the wine column penned by Register investigative reporter Chris Knap is no more. But in ending his 12-year run, Chris couldn't help but take a swipe at me and ... More >>

Food for Thought

Basic Cooking Skills

Why is the Register Slowly Killing Its Food Section?

Just a year ago, the Orange County Register's food section was amongst the best in California, with multiple recipes and general features, food reviews published on Thursdays and Fridays, an end-of-the-week dining guide and a "Wine of the Week" column by longtime Register investigative reporter Chri ... More >>

Natural Wonders

Four chefs — and one agricultural commissioner — on why they go green

A Christmas Story

Diego Velasco at Williams-Sonoma

Plop, Plop, Fizz, Fizz

Belmont Shore Chili Cook-Off

As Raw As She Wants to Be

Sushi chef Lisa Chung picks your poison

The Curtain Strikes Back

Meson G Shows LA How We Do it in the Culinary OC

Sushi Pig

The Cutting Board Is Sacred

Everything I ever needed to know about the Japanese I learned watching Iron Chef