When it came time to interview someone aboard another luxe lonchera, Anne Eng's Panfiniti reminded me of a concept my friend would talk about opening if she could. Wrapping our digits around grilled bread and melty fillings is a menu we can all relate to. We also related to Anne's first name. . . .
What are six words that describe your food?
Fresh, appealing, appetizing, flavorful, scrumptious, comforting.
What are eight words that describe you?
Fun, outgoing, friendly, caring, organized, ambitious, assertive, passionate.
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Your best recent food find:
Pavlova from Extraordinary Desserts in San Diego — I can't resist a good dessert. It not only is so beautifully presented with fresh berry sauces and flower petals, but it is also delicious with the custard in the middle.
Most undervalued ingredient:
Porcini mushrooms have such awesome flavor; not enough chefs use them.
Rules of conduct in your kitchen:
Keep our work areas clean and neat and have fun!
One food you detest:
The smell and the taste of black licorice just doesn't agree with me.
One food you can't live without:
Eggplant is so good, especially when it soaks up all the sauces that's cooked with it.
Culinarily speaking, Orange County has the best:
Farmers' markets full of fresh fruits and vegetables. SoCo in Costa Mesa is my favorite.
What fast food do you admit to eating?
Chick-Fil-A's mini chicken biscuits for breakfast are small, so I can control my portions, but then I always end up eating more than a couple.
Best culinary tip for the home cook:
Have fun and don't be afraid to change up a recipe.
After-work hangout:
Gotta have a Tapioca Express after sweating in the food truck without air conditioning.
Favorite celebrity chef:
Iron Chef Morimoto is so creative. I love watching all the different dishes he comes up with. It's also fun trying to figure out what he's saying.
Celebrity chef who should shut up:
They are all different in their own ways.
Favorite music to cook by:
Contemporary pop.
Best food city in America:
Seattle, Washington, is where I grew up, and it has the freshest seafood.
What you'd like to see more of in Orange County from a culinary standpoint:
More mom-and-pop restaurants, such as Antonucci's in Mission Viejo.
What you'd like to see less of in Orange County, from a culinary standpoint:
Fewer franchise restaurants.
Favorite cookbooks:
I love baking. There's a pastry shop in Seattle named Macrina Bakery & Cafe. The owner, Leslie Mackie, has a cookbook by the same name, and it's one of my favorites.
When you're not in the kitchen cooking, what are you doing?
Being a mom to my three kids, hanging out with friends, and hopefully some exercising.
Weirdest thing you've ever eaten:
Cooked ginseng root. It tasted so nasty!
You're making breakfast. What are you having?
Steel-cut oatmeal with brown sugar and hazelnut creamer.
You're at the market. What do you buy two of?
Ice cream. I have a terrible sweet tooth, and who can resist a good ice cream? Especially spumoni or pistachio almond from Dreyer's.
Weirdest customer request (and did you do it?):
A roasted turkey panini without the bread. We put all the ingredients together and the sauce on the side.
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A contributing writer for OC Weekly, Anne Marie freelances for multiple online and print publications, and guest judges for culinary competitions. A Bay Area transplant, she graduated with a degree in Hospitality Management from Cal Poly Pomona. Find her on Instagram as brekkiefan.