Gerry Furth-Sides Archives - Page 16 of 82

Eat Crazy Clean & Good with the LOW-CARB MEDITERRANEAN COOKBOOK

March 18, 2022 Comments Off

(Gerry Furth-Sides) The Mediterranean way of eating has always been so appealing because of its bold, hearty inviting flavors that put you right into that sunny, breezy climate. And this includes me.

So I was eager to try Michelle Dudash’s new cookbook, The Low-Carb Mediterranean Cookbook. We already knew the Clean Eating Kitchen cookbook writer is a master at simple, plant-focused recipes for lifelong health.

Clean Eating Kitchen: The Low-Carb Mediterranean Cookbook adds the benefits of a more focused Mediterranean diet with fewer carbs. It satisfies any paleo food lover’s cravings because it is higher in protein and good fats. This is true even though it is designed to satisfy a plant- and seafood-based regimen with the same goals.

**Seafood Stew with Tomatoes and White Wine in the The Low-Carb Mediterranean Cookbook by Michelle Dudash, R.D.N.** made at home

**Seafood Stew with Tomatoes and White Wine in the The Low-Carb Mediterranean Cookbook by Michelle Dudash, R.D.N.**

This book includes the healthiest, most crave-worthy ingredients and flavors of the Mediterranean diet that are sure to induce wanderlust, including:

Greek Spinach Pie with Almond Flour Crust
Lebanese Meat Pies with Ground Beef and Lemon
Chickpea Vegetable Stew with Turmeric and Cumin
Lentil Fattoush Salad with Caramelized Red Onions
Sheet Pan Pork Tenderloin with Grapes, Walnuts, and Blue Cheese
Moroccan-Spiced Lamb Chops with Mint
Chicken Gyro Lettuce Wraps
Shrimp with Zoodles and Fresh Tomato Sauce

Wispy Pan-fried Zucchini has a name you can’t ignore in Michelle Dudash’s new cookbook, **The Low-Carb Mediterranean Cookbook**.

Wispy Pan-fried Zucchini with the same glowing colors from Michelle Dudash’s new cookbook, **The Low-Carb Mediterranean Cookbook**

Michelle Dudash, RDN, is an award-winning registered dietitian nutritionist, Cordon Bleu-certified chef, founder of Dash Dinners Spice Kits, and a television personality. She is the author of the top-selling cookbook Clean Eating for Busy Families, now in its revised and expanded edition.

Michelle loves to share her recipes on television and is a regular contributor to the nationally syndicated The List show on ABC and NBC affiliate channels across the country. Michelle has also appeared on The Rachael Ray Show, The Doctors, The Chew, FOX and Friends, Cheddar TV, and Cavuto.

Michelle’s recipes and articles have appeared in Food Network, mindbodygreen, Men’s Journal, Diabetic Living, EatingWell, Shape, SELF, and Better Homes and Gardens. She is frequently quoted in publications such as O, The Oprah Magazine, Women’s Health, The Washington Post, WebMD, Forbes, Today, Bon Appetit, Prevention, Family Circle, Woman’s Day, Everyday Health, and Women’s World.

Ummm! Garcia de La Cruz – Spain’s Best Virgin Olive Oil and Food Company”

March 16, 2022 Comments Off

(Gerry Furth-Sides) Smita Vasant defines savoring the taste of the wonderful dishes celebrating all the wonderful things about Garcia de la Cruz virgin olive oil, not only recognized as Spain’s best olive oil but Spain’s best food company. And well it should. It enhances while they are being prepared and it the best finishing oil.

Smita understands why we have praised García de la Cruz to the skies. The historic company, run by women for generations, offers , a range of organic extra virgin olive oils from the wonderful everyday practically priced oil to down to exquisite finishing and flavor-infused oils. They enhance every recipe, such as Chef Katie Chin’s hearty Spanish meat balls described below.

**Smita Vasant** of Saffron Spot and Kitchen Queens at the 150th birthday party of Garcia de la Cruz Olive Oil

The taste of García de la Cruz is delicate, refined and hearty. The health benefits add a whole layer of benefits to support the choice.

Olive oil could help prevent cardiovascular disease and assists in the regulation of cholesterol levels due to its high monounsaturated fat content. It has been shown to reduce LDL (“bad”cholesterol) levels. Here’s why:

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil contains vitamin D, which protect bones by stimulating absorption of calcium, helping to regulate the levels of calcium and phosphorus in the blood. Vitamin A in olive oil could contribute to the maintenance of soft and bony tissue.
• Olive Oil has antioxidant properties thanks to its contribution of vitamin E and polyphenols.
• EVOO is one of nature’s best beauty secrets due to its anti-aging properties that protect and soothe the skin.

Tapas from Spain at the **Garcia de la Cruz Olive Oil** 150th Birthday Party!

Our was the favorite Dry Cured Iberico de Bellota Chorizo made from 100% pure ibérico pork. It is unabashedly described as “delicious fat meat” on the box. Grass and acorn fed “de bellota”, the cured Iberico is free range, hormone & antibiotic free, 100% natural (no GMOs).

The sumptuous free range pork product arrives from Spain and USDA approved. it is artisanal and traceable from farm to table. It is made with the best quality salt, Spanish paprika and other spices.

It is also available on Amazon.

A favorite Dry Cured Iberico de Bellota Chorizo made from 100% pure ibérico pork is a gift celebrating the 150th anniversary of Garcia de la Cruz olive oil.

Chef Katie Chin’s Spanish meatballs were inspired by a tapas food stall that impressed her while visiting Spain with family. Spanish touches include Chorizo in the meatballs, smoked paprika infused sauce and organic plus extra virgin olive oil from García de la Cruz in both the meatballs and the sauce.

**Chef Katie Chin’s** genuinely Spanish meatballs recipe made with **Garcia de la Cruz** olive oil are on p. 71 of her **Global Family Cookbook**

Spanish Meatballs celebrating “A Taste of Spain,” in KATIE CHIN’S GLOBAL FAMILY COOKBOOK

Celebrate by entering the contest for a remarkable array of gifts:

Please find more details at:. //shop.garciadelacruzoliveoil.com/.

We Love You 150 Years Worth, Women Founded, Garcia de la Cruz!

March 15, 2022 Comments Off

Celebrating 150, five generations of Garcia de La Cruz

(Gerry Furth-Sides) Happy 150th birthday, Garcia de la Cruz! For the family’s women dominated story, please read below. Meanwhile, let’s have a piece of these dramatic cakes from Jenefer Taylor of Malibu! Jenefer’s cakes to a 150th anniversary and Taste of Spain celebration hosted by the Spanish olive oil company García de la Cruz, which produces the oil she uses.

They are both made with García de la Cruz extra virgin Olive oil. A representative of the American Heart Association noted that olive oil has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and is certified as a heart healthy food by the AHA.

Jenefer Taylor (right) baked these cakes with Garcia de la Cruz extra virgin olive oi.

Garcia de la Cruz extra virgin olive oil made them healthy already and she uses only organic ingredients. Taylor made a gluten-free chocolate cake is rich with natural ingredients and dense.

Jenefer’s cakes for the 150th anniversary and Taste of Spain celebration was by the Spanish olive oil company García de la Cruz, which produces the oil she uses.

Her vegan white cake was dense and lemony. jenefer flavored it with lemons from her garden. And both cakes were dramatically decorated with her garden-fresh flowers. “I love to bring nature inside,” she said.

More of her cakes are showcased on her website, //www.bluemmalibu.com. Directions to make a cake are also on the website. Garcia de la Cruz is also currently sponsoring a contest that includes among the prizes a Bluem Malibu olive oil cake kit with dry ingredients. It includes baking instructions and fresh flowers for decorating.

Malibu-based baker Jenefer Taylor, who made them, uses only organic ingredients, including extra virgin olive oil. This makes her cakes really healthy, because olive oil has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and is certified as a heart healthy food by the American Heart Association.

The white cake is flavored with lemons from her garden, and both cakes show her taste for garden-fresh decorations. “I love to bring nature inside,” she said.

Other prizes include Melissa’s Produce, Thermomix USA and Chef Katie Chin, plus a year’s supply of organic extra virgin olive oil from García de la Cruz.

For information on how to enter, go to the Amazing Giveaway Alert posts on the García de la Cruz Olive Oil Facebook and Instagram pages. The contest continues through March 31.

The Garcia de la Cruz company was founded in 1872 when Federico Serrano Fernandez-Negrete and his wife Adelaida Fernandez-Cuella inherited a grinding mill. The history of this family business began with the purchase of 300 hectares of land in an area known as “El Cerillo”, which they planted with olive trees.

In a country marked by poverty and in which the role of the woman was relegated to the home and domestic chores, Adelaida Fernandez-Cuella took the brave decision to put herself at the head of the business while her husband, a lawyer, dedicated himself to his profession and to the public administration. (See top photo right)

It was in that primitive grinding mil, – with its mule driven stone, a beam press, ceramic decanters, the harvest in the storehouse – that production of olive oil began in home industry style.

The five generations of Garcia de la Cruz

Of the three children in the marriage, it was daughter Guadalupe Serrano Fernandez-Cuellar who took charge of the family business. On the death of her husband in 1931, she took over the management of all the family properties. The situation for the family was affected by the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War in 1936.

After the war shutdown, Adela Aguilar Serrano, daughter of Guadalupe, restarted the grinding mill in 1945 and, in 1950, they modernized the system of production.

Adela Aguilar Serrano married Francisco Garcia de la Cruz. They had twin sons, born in 1933, Manuel and Francisco, who took over the company in 1975.

Demand grew and with it the need to expand the business, and in 1980 the grinding mill was moved from the centre of the town to its present site at 23 Reyes Catolicos Street. By 1998, the year in which Francisco Garcia de la Cruz retired, thousands of olive trees had been planted which guaranteed the finest quality olive, harvested with care and attention, for the olive oil production.

With the arrival of the new century, Fernando and Eusebio Garcia de la Cruz, the fifth generation of the family, took charge of the business.

With over 145 years experience in the business, Aceites García de la Cruz, has the capacity to export to over 40 countries across the five continents. USA, Japan, China, Italy and France are its main markets.

Celebrate this anniversary by entering the contest with a wide array of prizes:

Masters of Taste 2022 Preview Promises!

March 13, 2022 Comments Off

(Gerry Furth-Sides) The invite that arrives this year signaled the transition of lockdown to a party!

The invite two years after the last preview party to the **Masters of Taste 2022** preview party!

The festive and fun 5^thAnniversary Masters of Taste preview promises the L.A.’s premier outdoor, luxury food and beverage festival will be the welcome back public event after two years. The Sunday,April 3^rd, 2022, from 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm takes place on the field of the iconic Pasadena Rose Bowl!

VIP tickets are already sold out for the Masters of Taste 2022

The food at the preview, in the locker room of the historic Rose Bowl. In the locker room! (due to threat of rain). This is the ultimate behind-the-scenes experience and you get the same exhilarating feeling at the Masters of Taste event itself.

Love at first bite: Agnes Restaurant & Cheesery’s the Cornbread Cupcakes with almond, chicken liver mousse, luxando cherries and chive sprinkles are alone worth coming to the **Masters of Taste 2022**! “That’s why I am the head cheese! says Agnes.

Horrible glare lights, a camera in a hurry and the most refined, decadent cornbread cupcakes in the world by Agnes Restaurant & Cheesery at the **Masters of Taste 2022** preview party!

Gabi James’ Albondigas lush Chimayo at the **Masters of Taste 2022** preview party

Gretchen’s festive southern Jambalaya from Georgia’s Restaurant at the **Masters of Taste 2022** preview

Cru winery’s 2017 Vineyard (@cruwinery) Montage Pinot Noir Noodle, is a natural pairing with Ayara Thai’s (@ayarathai) Chef Vanda Asaphahu’s Boat Beef Noodle Soup

Masters of Taste is introducing Chef Vanda Asapahu as it’s first-ever female Host Chef of Masters of Taste, which also happens to mark the 5^th Anniversary of this celebrated event. This year, Masters of Taste falls in April, during which Thai New Year, Songkran, is also celebrated. Chef Vanda has invited 3 other L.A. Thai restaurants, to participate in the SongkranThai SELECT Pavilion, a celebration spanning the Rose Bowl’s end zone.

**Masters of Taste** 2022 happy media, here Jose Martinez of LA

The special pavilion will feature traditional Thai sundry general store and Songkran festival. As a culinary challenge, each Thai restaurant will prepare a dish, dessert, and/or cocktail using a common paste, sahm kler (which translates to “3 buddies”), and comprises white peppercorn, garlic, and cilantro root. This aromatic mixture is used in a variety of Thai dishes and is quite possibly the reason why Thai food is so special.

100% of the proceeds from Masters of Taste 2022 will directly benefit Union Station Homeless Services, a nonprofit organization committed to providing permanent solutions to end homelessness and rebuild lives. Headquartered in Pasadena, CA, Union Station has served the community for nearly 50 years. Today it is the San Gabriel Valley’s largest social service agency assisting homeless and very low-income adults and families.

Cheers! **Masters of Taste** has raised over $2 Million in support of Union Station Homeless Services life-saving programs.

Union Station Homeless Services’ mission is guided by the belief that everyone deserves a life of dignity and a place to call home. In the last four years Masters of Taste has raised over $2 Million in support of Union Station Homeless Services life-saving programs.

VIP tickets are sold out. It was so touching to hear the Mission representative tell the story of how he thought to give the event a chance five years ago as an alternative to the more tried-and-true methods of fundraising. And how phenomenal it was to see the successful response.

And to go from **Master’s of Taste Preview Party 2022** is everyone’s regional favorite: a Brownie, this one from Bertha Mae’s Brownies with Sea Salt & Caramel

This year Masters of Taste 2022 will partner with Careers Through Culinary Arts Program, Los Angeles (C-CAP LA) to bring high school volunteer assistance at the event. Named a National Apprenticeship Program by the U.S. Department of Labor in 2021 , he non-profit Careers through Culinary Arts Program (C-CAP) provides culinary, job, and life skills to over 20,000 middle-and-high school students in seven regions across the United States: New York City, Newark, Philadelphia and Camden, Chicago, Los Angeles, Washington D.C.,Maryland,Northern Virginia, and Arizona, including 7 Navajo Reservation schools.

The **Careers through Culinary Arts Program (C-CAP**) team headed up by Gail Carney, Lisa Fontanesi and Lori Wessell are professional-level volunteers at the Masters of Taste 2022

Masters of Taste Celebrates Ethnic Fare “Live” in 2022!

March 13, 2022 Comments Off

(Gerry Furth-Sides) “They had me” at the Rose Bowl Event site. “They had me” at the free parking. And that’s even before reading the Masters of Taste 2022 of over 3,000 food and beverage enthusiasts together for one afternoon. This exhilarating festival 100- plus Culinary Masters and restaurants, along with a huge variety sweets prepared by L.A.’s top Sweet Masters and Beverage Masters.

We are at the Rose Bowl! Masters of Taste 2022 coming up

The very top Beverage Masters Vendors will be featuring signature handcrafted cocktail tastings from over 25 spirit brands and bars, along with select wineries, local craft breweries, cold-pressed juices, cold brew coffee, live entertainment.

We are at the Rose Bowl arriving in the tunnel! ! Masters of Taste 2022 coming up

The most amazing thing about Masters of Taste is that 100% of the proceeds go directly to benefit Union Station Homeless Services and not many food festivals can say that. Union Station Homeless Services is committed to ending homelessness in Los Angeles.”

Masters of Taste2022 will take place on Sunday, April 3^rd, 2022. A VIP Power Hour will be held from 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm and General Admission will be from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm. Tickets to this event are only available for guests 21+ and over. For more information on Masters of Taste 2022 or to book your tickets directly, please visit//mastersoftastela.com/tickets/.

Down the stairs in the Rose Bowl ! Masters of Taste 2022 coming up

You are able to check out the individual restaurants by pressing on their website below:

The A-List of eateries at Masters of Taste 2022

Ayara Thai 2022 Host Chef Vanda Asapahu – Westchester 786 Degrees Chef Ali Haider – Pasadena, Sun Valley 1212 Santa Monica Chef Luca Maita – Santa Monica Agnes Restaurant and Cheesery Chef Thomas Kalb – Pasadena Alexander’s SteakhouseChef Richard Archuleta – PasadenaArth Bar + KitchenChef Sagar Ghosh – Culver City Bone KettleChef Erwin Tjahyadi – PasadenaCelestino RistoranteChef Calogero Drago – Pasadena Champion’s CURRY Chef Yoya Takahashi – Downtown, Los Angeles Drago Centro Chef Celestino Drago – Downtown, Los Angeles Five 55 Chef Austin Lee – Monterey Park Gabi James arah Gabriele & Adam Aros Redondo Beach Georgia’s Restaurant Nika Shoemaker-Machado – Anaheim, Long Beach

Georgia’s Restaurant ***Nika Shoemaker-Mac***

Gracias Madre Chef Justin Haefler – West Hollywood, Newport Beach Granville Mark Dix – Studio City, Burbank, West Hollywood, Pasadena Gus’s World-Famous Fried Chicken – Burbank, Long Beach, Los Angeles

Hank’s Chef Isaias Peña – Pacific Palisades Holy Basil Chef Wedchayan “Deau” Arpapornnopparat & Tongkamal “Joy” Yuon – Downtown, Los Angeles Iron Teapot Dim Sum & Bar Sally Chan – Los Angeles Kye’s Feel Good Food Jeanne Cheng – Santa Monica La Bohéme Chef Atsushi Kenjo – West Hollywood Little Llama Peruvian Tacos Chef Jean Valcarcel – Downtown, Los Angeles Lunasia Chef Lee Han Fu – Pasadena, Alhambra, Cerritos Luv2Eat Thai Bistro Chef Somruthai “Fern” Kaewtathip & Chef Noree “Pla” Burapapituk – Los Angeles Mercado Chef Jose Acevedo – Hollywood, Los Angeles, Manhattan Beach, Pasadena, Santa Monica Mi Piace Chef Gille Saulnier – Pasadena Open Face Food Shop Chef Lene Houck – West Adams, Los Angeles

Otus Thai Kitchen & Coffee Chef June Intrachat – West Hollywood Pez Cantina Chef Bret Thompson – Downtown, Los Angeles Poppy + Rose and Poppy & Seed Chef Michael Reed – Downtown, Los Angeles, Anaheim Qué Padre Chef Isaias Peña – Pacific Palisades Ramen Tatsunoya Chef Ryuta Kajiwara – Pasadena, Silver Lake Ruam Mitr Kwanklao Disbanchong & Benchawan Phoungtai – Los AngelesSantuari Chef Seth Greenberg – Toluca Lake Stand-Up Burgers Chef Kajsa Alger – Berkeley, Los AngelesTaishi Hainan Chicken Chef Theo Shio – Redondo Beach, Long BeachThe Colony Club and SO.PA Chef Michael Hung – Palm Springs The Raymond 1886 Chef Gabriel Cappelli – Pasadena

True Food KitchenChef Stephanie Nguyen – PasadenaVegan Sunday Supper Richard Klein – Los AngelesWe Olive Ervin Galvan – Pasadena World EmpanadasChef Matthew Hirtz – Burbank Yardbird Chef Eduardo Osorio – Los AngelesY uca’s RestaurantS ocorro “Mama Yuca’s” Herrera – Pasadena

Food Trucks: KabobaholicAli Pooya – Los Angeles, Orange CountyOkamoto Kitchen Gerald Abraham – Los AngelesThe Tropic TruckLauren Saravia – Los Angeles VCHOS Wendy Centeno – Los Angeles Wings N Waffles Jontae Vinson – Los Angeles, Orange County

Sweet Masters: A select group of Los Angeles Top Sweet Masters will showcase an assortment of delectable desserts such as Bertha Mae’s Brownies, unique Indian treats from Banana Leaf, handcrafted pudding from Better Together Sweets, custom cakes and desserts from Butter Cake Shoppe, French macarons and gourmet cookies from Etoile Filante Patisserie, deliciously scrumptious scratch baked custom cakes and cupcakes fromFantasy Frostings, Lark Cake Shop, Chocolatier Mignon Chocolate, Nomad Ice Pops, homemade premium sorbets from Pop’s Artisinal Creamery, Nothing Bundt Cakes, and more.

Bars & Spirits: 2022 Masters of Taste Platinum Sponsor Beam Suntory will be premiering their House of Suntory Tiny House on the 50 Yard Line along with a Maker’s Mark Lounge, and more. Some of L.A.’s top bartenders and cocktail bars will be creating first-rate craft cocktails, including Maxwell Reis ofGracias Madre and Miguel Perez of 1886 Bar at The Raymond.

Top brands showcasing their finest spirits at Masters of Taste will include American Born Whiskey, Dulce Vida Tequila, High Road Spirits serving Lucky Dog Sake Juice Boxes, Knox & Dobson, Krafted Spirits, Nosotros Tequila & Mezcal, Pomp & Whimsy, Smoke Lab Vodka, Ventura Spirits, Veso Aperitifs, Wild Roots Organic Vodka, Xoloitzcuintle Tequila, and Woodford Reserve will be exclusively featured in the Rose Bowl Court of Champions.

Wineries and Sake: A specially curated collection of Wine Masters will be showcasing their finest varietals including premium boutique winery Ascension Cellars, CRŪ Winery,Ferguson Family Wines, Golden Star Vineyards & Winery, Hitching Post Winery, Kikusi Brewery (Sake), Obvious Wines, Anderson Valley’s Navarro Vineyards, Seisyu Akagisan Sake,Tobias Glen Vineyard, and more.

Non-Alcoholic Beverages: A variety of premium non-alcoholic Beverage Masters will also be on hand for those who wish to hydrate, caffeinate or regenerate, such as Yerba Mate from Erva Brew Co., Humm Kombucha, distilled and elegantly blended non-alcoholic beverages from Optimist Drinks, boba milk tea from Sunright Tea Studio and Bearology, natural ginger beer from TrueRoots Brewing Co., handcrafted beverage starters from The Base Co., and more.

Snowy Cabin Cookbook Works All Year!

March 10, 2022 Comments Off

**The SNOWY CABIN COOKBOOK** in season. Surprise! All these photos were taken in April

(Gerry Furth-Sides) Good news: The Snowy Cabin Cookbook is still in season! For us that lasted into April (my dad’s birthday) and we always spent it skiing in the rocky mountains. These days the extreme urban weather patterns means March temps that dip down into the low 40’s in LA.

Co-authors, Marnie Hanel and Jen Stevenson, are as entertaining as the old SNL pair of Delicious Dining. he Delicious Dish sketch, about an NPR show hosted by Margaret Jo McCollen (Ana Gasteyer) and co-hosted by Teri Rialto (Molly Shannon) is hilarious. Two women host a show in deadpan fashion, where they discuss eating and making food and are amused easily by simple puns.

This is not at all to say that the IACP Award–winning duo is anything but serious. Their presentations are playful. The work is serious. The techniques and recipes work. Artist Monica Dorazewski painted the hearty, appealing dishes in watercolor.

**The Snowy Cabin Cookbook** co-authors, Marnie Hanel and Jen Stevenson

The Snowy Cabin Cookbook has interesting and easy-to-prepare themed menus. The list ranges from snacks to pass the time during “hibernation” and a snowed-in dinner party to a hearty breakfast before a long day of skiing, sledding, or ice-skating.

Soups such as Lemony Lentil Soup and Off-Piste Orangettes drew us in as soon as we opened the book. But once we saw the authors demonstrating how to carve up a squash on their lively video, it was Roasted Kabocha Squash Soup for us.

**The Snowy Cabin Cookbook** co-authors, Marnie Hanel and Jen Stevenson and our own version of attacking a squash

Apple, nutmeg and bacon distinguish *The Snowy Cabin Cookbook* recipe for Roasted Kabocha Squash Soup

We also tried The Snowy Cabin Cookbook recipe for delicious Roasted Kabocha Squash Soup in a couple of variations. Melissa’s Produce Organic Butternut Squash (Courge Musgee) was also delicious and has a slightly deeper flavor. Squash is so versatile and as a root vegetable stays usable for a long time.

We also tried the recipe with Melissa’s Produce Organic Butternut Squash (Courge Musgee) which has a slightly deeper flavor

*The Snowy Cabin Cookbook* recipe for delicious Roasted Kabocha Squash Soup. We added corn to this version.

*The Snowy Cabin Cookbook* recipe for delicious Roasted Kabocha Squash Soup, here with the bacon, chives and clotted cream ready to go

Cocktails and desserts are included in the book, such as Blood Orange Negroni alongside Almond Tangerine Trifle. And there are fun and games that you would expect in such a book

The endlessly creative authors of The Snowy Cabin Cookbook don’t disappoint when it comes to an entertaining book for bedside or fireplace reading. They offer 99 Ways to Use a Mug (think sleigh valet tip jar), a flowchart on how to find the right winter lodging for anyone, and tips on how to build a better snowperson—and when the cabin fever sets in, readers can turn to Reindeer Games for entertaining ways to pass the time.

Chapters and Recipes include:

Slope Snacks: Whip up Foolproof Fondue; Five-Spiced Candied Cahews; Sambal Spiced Chicken Wings with Yuzu Yogurt Dip; Sausage Rolls with Sultana-Pear Chutney

Sides and Salads: Pair your favorite roast or hearty veggies with Carrot Kohlrabi Slaw with Ginger-Sesame Dressing; Warm Cabbage and Butternut Squash Salad; Coal-Baked Sweet Potatoes with Whisky Butter

Mains : Go All out with Root Vegetable, Red Chard, Rosemary Galette; One Pan Sausages with Roasted Grapes and Shallots; Slow-Roasted Salmon with Burst Tomatoes and Broccolini

Desserts: End on a sweet note with PBJ Skillet Brownie Sunday; Calvados Apple Cake with Cinnamon Crème Fraiche; or six sweets made from Freshly Fallen Snow

Fortifications: Toast to the season with a Cranberry Margarita; Grapefruit Rosemary Spritzer; Blood Orange Negroni

Morning Meal: Start your day right with Pumpkin Ginger Waffles with Cider Syrup; Buckwheat Thyme Biscuits with Shitake Gravy; Corn Cakes with Brown Sugar-Blueberry compote
Plus six themed dinner party ideas complete with full menus and dessert and cocktails pairings

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:Marnie Hanel is the coauthor of The Snowy Cabin Cookbook; Summer: A Cookbook; The Campout Cookbook; and The Picnic, winner of the 2016 IACP Award for Best General Cookbook. Hanel is a journalist who writes about the wild, wonderful way we live. Her essays and articles have been published by The New York Times Magazine, Food & Wine, and Vanity Fair. She lives in Portland, Oregon.Jen Stevenson is the coauthor of The Snowy Cabin Cookbook; Summer: A Cookbook; The Campout Cookbook; and The Picnic, winner of the 2016 IACP Award for Best General Cookbook. Stevenson eats and tells on her Portland food blog, Under the Table with Jen, and is the author of Portland’s 100 Best Places to Stuff Your Faces. She lives in Portland, Oregon.

What’s Better than the Best (Bolognese)Pappardelle ?

February 26, 2022 Comments Off

Restaurant Manager Miguel Morales and server, Derek, artfully dishing up **Pappardelle** at The Restaurant at Mr. C’s in Beverly Hills

(Gerry Furth-Sides) What could possibly be better than my favorite, the best Pappardelle draped in classic Bolognese sauce? Let me tell you about four possibilities traveling from north to the south of Italy and you decide.

First is learning the secret, changing ground beef recipe of the ethereal pappardelle pasta ribbons with Bolognese from the chef (The Restaurant at Mr. C’s). Second is going into the kitchen for a peek at how the lamb sugo version of pappardelle is prepared (Marino Ristorante). Third is Pappardelle with Wild Boar at Sor Tino. And the fourth is having a professional chef prepare a box for you to put together at home with turkey or veggie sauce (Gourmet Pasta Kit).

Fresh pappardelle may have fluted edges and are up to an inch wide. Dried egg versions that originate in the region of Tuscany have straight sides. Tagliatelle, (Emilio-Romano and Marche regions) a narrower version of Pappardelle and used for lighter sauces (see below) is similar to but a tiny bit thinner than (Roman) fettuccine.

Beef Bolognese Pappardelle at The Restaurant at Mr. C’s

Executive Chef Max Farina, brought over from northern Italy to oversee the kitchen, prepares traditional Italian cuisine. His perfectly seasoned Pappardelle Bolognese is so refined it is a perfect match with the usual light as air, pink bellini sauce, also known as vodka sauce.

He combined it with beef bolognese for us and, as common practice, used the fine cuts of meat left from the menu. It turns out credit goes to the chef’s special combination of beef ingredients, which we first with deeply flavored strip loin, brisket and tenderloin. .

Restaurant Manager, Miguel Morales, artfully serves us at **The Restaurant at Mr. C Beverly Hill**s

Mr. C’s Beverly Hills, Rest1224 Beverwil Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90035, (310) 277-2800 Website – //www.mrchotels.com/hotels/beverly-hills-los-angeles-ca/dining/

Marino ristorante Lamb Pappardelle

Marino ristorante pappardelle with meat sauce traditionally incorporates the flavors of beef, pork, and veal, simmered over three hours. The Neapolitan family recipe goes back generations.

**Lamb Pappardelle** at marino ristorante.

The current menu also features Lamb Pappardelle. The homemade pappardelle with Autonomy Farms braised lamb sugo ($28) . Sugo is a sauce made with just tomatoes, garlic, crushed red pepper, and basil. It is known to be super-quick to make. Americans would call it, ” marinara.”

At Marino sugo may have the same ingredients but it is simmered overnight until the lamb is so tender it can be made into niblets. We were so honored to visit the kitchen with Chef Cal, and try a taste of it. This is what makes the difference.

Chef-Partner, **Sal Marino** shows off his simmering lamb sauce at **marino ristorante**

www.marinorestaurant.net. marino Ristorante, 6001 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90038,(323) 466-881.

Pappardelle Cinghiale Wild Boar Ragu)

Pappardelle Cinghiale (Wild Boar Ragu) as Sor Tino and Caffe Roma conjures up feasts served in a forest. Its unctuous, rich, slightly tomatoey sauce includes large pieces of the Boar that had been cooked for hours in the sauce, is the equivalent of a rich man’s Bolognese,” is how our Italian-Ameican writer, Darien Morea, perfectly described it.

Pappardelle Cinghiale Wild Boar Ragu) is also served at Toscanova and Ago ristorantes, authentic Italian restaurants also owned by the master chef, Agostino Sciandri. We met this Tuscan chef at the Q for quality Awards honoring Los Angeles restaurants for maintaining high standards of authenticity.

Agostino Sciandri, chef-owner for whom Sor Tino is named

Sor Tino was the first to offer wild boar in Los Angeles in the early 1990’s. These days it is an Italian restaurant staple.

Owner-menu designer, Sciandri, adds “Not to name drop (but I will), I had first been introduced to this dish in a place that was once the home of the father of Leonardo di Vinci in the town of Vinci, Tuscany, and Sor Tino’s version was its equal in every way.”

Sor Tino, 908 Barrington Avenue, Brentwood, CA 90049. (310) 442-8466. (//(www.sortinorestaurant.com)

Pappardelle in Gourmet Pasta Kit at Home

Chef Cynthia Mamukari, founder-owner-chef of Taste & Company was the executive chef at the famous Joe Allen’s Restaurant in Los Angeles, after being recruited to work in their flagship New York and London restaurants. She was also the opening chef at Orso, an equally popular and more casual eatery both in West Hollywood and in Manhattan.

**Taste and Company gourmet Pasta Kit** (Photo courtesy Taste and Company)

The Taste & Company kit includes Cynthia’s freshest pappardelle with health-minded turkey or vegetarian sauce. Her research was exhaustive to find the best taste, one that will show off the sauce the best.

The kit has the most sophisticated, fresh ingredients still makes it fun to put together

Five Ridiculously Ethereal Ethnic Cakes – and Where to Find Them

February 16, 2022 Comments Off

(Gerry Furth-Sides) These ridiculously ethereal must-try cakes seem to have won over even the most die-hard, “no dessert diner.” You can include me, and a host of others in that statement because when you have a perfectly balanced meal, you don’t want to mar that perfect last bite.

Berry Chantilly Cake

This Whole Foods Market exclusive southern belle of a treat features layers of delicate vanilla cake, fluffy Chantilly cream frosting and fresh berries. It’s so irresistible, in fact, that people have been known to stand in line for it through power outages and impending natural disasters. Curious what the hype is all about? Read on for more delicious details about Berry Chantilly Cake.

This cake first made its debut 13 years ago at the Arabella Station store in New Orleans, where one of our talented Bakery team members formulated a recipe based on her grandmother’s original creation. It was an instant hit, and other stores picked up the recipe.

Two sizes of Berry Chantilly Cake Whole Foods Markets. Slices are sold out.

The cake is available in two sizes at Whole Foods Market for six or eight people. Slives are available if the cakes aren’t spoken for already. This rarely happens. I know. I tried the month of December.

//www.wholefoodsmarket.com/departments/bakery/berry-chantilly-cake

The Restaurant at Mr.C’s Merengue Cake

Restaurant Manager, Miguel Morales and server Derek made the lunch special. Service is attended to with old-school charm and aplomb. This makes the food and the dessert we came for taste even better.

We had spotted the Vanilla Meringue Layer Cake on a tray prepared for guests at a spirited 21st birthday party outside earlier in the year. Restaurant Manager, Morales, told us it is the “signature cake” of the hotel worldwide. We had come back and try it.

**Vanilla Meringue layer cake** at The Restaurant at Mr. C’s

Instagram – //www.instagram.com/mrchotels/

Facebook – //www.facebook.com/mrcbeverlyhills

Website – //www.mrchotels.com/hotels/beverly-hills-los-angeles-ca/dining/

Mr. C’s Beverly Hills, Rest1224 Beverwil Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90035, (310) 277-2800

Equally light and angelic is the chocolate cake at The Restaurant at Mr. C’s

Tres Leches Cake

Light, richer than rich Tres leches (three milks) is one of the most popular Mexican desserts, let alone cake.

On the ARO-LATIN menu is a light, most moist, tres leches cake, created by Candy Garcia Raina, co-owner of with husband, Karan.

AROLATIN,Co-owner, Candy Garcia Raina ‘s moist, *tres leches*

AROLATIN, 1019 Mission Street, S. Pasadena, CA 91030 (626) 799-9400. (//arolatin.com/). Order online for pickup or delivery below.

Tres Leches Cheesecake

The description, “Tres Leches Cheesecake,” at Chalio Mexican Restaurant , accurately describes this signature dessert there. The tall, round supremely moist tres leche cake made with three kinds of milk has stripes layers of sponge with cheesecake. Perfection.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is 66357044718__D1DF74F4-C5BA-496C-B509-3FB1B3CCFF53.jpeg — The homemade tres leches cake at Chalio restaurant

www. ChalioMexicanRestaurant. com, Chalio Restaurant, 760 S Atlantic Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90022

Gulab Jamun and Ras Malai Cake

Gulab Jamun is a classic, tried and true dessert at every Indian Restaurant. Banana Leaf is no exception. The elevated presentation here, however, adds to the intensity of its individual components . Here it is in a little black bowl on a banana leaf embellished by one single drop of cardamum

Gulab Jamun at Banana Leaf in Culver City

**Baker Vivek Kiran’s airy Gulab Jamun sponge at Banana Leaf Restaurant in Culver City**

The desserts require a special flour and a deft touch.

**Vivek Kiran’s** Gulab Jamun and Rasmalai sponges at Banana Leaf in Culver city

Banana Leaf, 10408 Venice Blvd Suite: B, Culver City, CA 90232, (SW corner of Venice & Motor),(310) 838-2130 (www.bananaleafla.com)

Chai Tea with cinnamon is perfect with any of the desserts

Lemon Hazelnut Torte

My heart belongs to this Lemon Hazelnut Torte that was once served at the Rose Cafe as a slice and then as a little round cake on its own. The baker once worked for the brilliant Amy Pressman in Pasadena.

Back on the Beach //www.backonthebeachcafe.com

Il Forno 2901 Ocean Park Blvd. Santa Monica, CA 90405. (310) 450-1241. //www.ilfornocaffe.com/

How to Do the Best Home Italian Holiday Feast – Anytime

February 15, 2022 Comments Off

(Gerry Furth-Sides) Two of the most respected chefs who have created food for the most beloved restaurants in Los Angeles are sharing their homemade dishes to eat at home.

Chef Cynthia Mamukari, founder-owner-chef of Taste & Company developed a pasta kit.

Restaurateur & Executive Chef Celestino Drago helped develop plant-based lasagna noodles for Vegan Sunday Supper’s Six-Layer Lasagna. Drago also offers their own phenomenal pasta out of their commissary.

Restaurateur & Executive Chef Celestino Drago and his family are beloved in Los Angeles and Pasadena for their restaurants, Drago Centro, IL Pastaio, Drago Bakery & Drago Restaurant Group).

The Taste & Company kit is filled with the freshest pasta and turkey or vegetarian sauce for the most health-minded customers. It ensures that kids who are eating and making the pasta know what it is supposed to taste like when it is “done right.” And adults will appreciate this quality as well.

Taste & Company‘s Chef Cynthia suggests her box specifically for: “When your family calls for a nice dinner of fresh semolina pasta and a homemade sauce. Easy to follow, explicit instructions are included to make the dish. It’s so easy, kids can prepare it

Just by adding wine or sparkling grape juice to the table , you have – presto- ” and would like, ” Italy in a box.” The

Taste & Company’s gourmet Pasta Kit serves 2, 4, 8 or 16 (Photo courtesy of **Taste & Company)**

Vegan Sunday Supper

Vegan Sunday Supper’s Six-Layer Lasagna (2-4 Servings $28.95 / 6-8 Servings $44.95) is a completely new take on the traditional sausage recipe made with sweet peppers and vegan cheeses, but there is a very special secret ingredient, Future Farms Sausage, which makes this Lasagna just as satisfying and delicious as a traditional meat Lasagna, without the meat! Vegan Sunday Supper also shares the love as 25% of all profits from Vegan Sunday Supper go directly toward benefitting and funding Support + Feed, a non-profit organization created during the pandemic by Maggie Baird (Actress, Voice Artist, Screenwriter), while fighting hunger and climate change one plant-based meal at a time.

Support + Feed’s focus is to have a footprint in cities across the country that are the most impacted by food insecurity and climate change. Support + Feed works tirelessly to nourish those in need by assisting local nonprofits with nourishing plant-based meals and informational resources on its nutritional benefits.

Vegan Sunday Supper’s new gourmet ready-to-bake 100% Plant-Based Six-Layer Lasagnas are now available for home delivery anywhere Nationwide, so celebrateValentine’s Day by visiting www.VeganSundaySupper.com now to help fight hunger and climate change one meal at a time.

**Vegan Sunday Supper Lasagna in its Box** (photo credit: Matt Villanueva)

Vegan Sunday Supper was created by Founder Richard Klein, a sought-after brand strategist, publisher, creative director and activist. After Klein transitioned to a plant-based diet 15 years ago, he found himself trying to recreate delicious vegan versions of the dishes he loved, including Lasagna.

Klein’s culinary dream team started with first-generation Italian American Chef Vincent Giovanni, the chef responsible for Laurel Hardware’s bona fide pizza program in West Hollywood.

Next, Klein and Giovanni turned to Los Angeles legend, Restaurateur & Executive Chef Celestino Drago (Drago Centro, IL Pastaio, Drago Bakery & Drago Restaurant Group), who became responsible for developing the finest and freshest plant-based lasagna noodles. Finally, to source the best vegan cheese, Celebrity Vegan Chef Angela Lowe (Angela Lowe Private Chef, Catering & Events, Premier Vegan Catering & Events), known for her innovative vegan cooking and her award-winning vegan cheeses.

The result is a 100% Plant-Based Lasagna with a new take on the traditional sausage recipe, with sweet peppers and vegan cheeses. The special secret ingredient, Pulled Oats was used to make the meatless, plant-based Lasagna just as satisfying as a traditional meat Lasagna. This Finnish innovation from Gold&Green Foods, is a tasty protein, made with just five simple plant-based ingredients: Oats, Yellow Peas, Fava Beans, gently pressed Rapeseed Oil and Salt. It absorbs flavors superbly and can be precisely spiced.

**Vegan Sunday Supper Lasagna being enjoyed** (photo credit: Matt Villanueva)

Drago Bakery Takeout

Owner and Executive Chef Celestino Drago’s special Takeout Menu at Drago Bakery in Culver City features is renowned freshly baked and freezable essentials for pick-up and home preparation. The kitchen already supplies a multitude of restaurants near and far, with the best pretzel buns on the planet (that were the hit at LA FARM).

Chef Drago and the Drago Bakery team will be offering the following Takeout Menu every Monday though Friday for pick-up from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm – Fresh Pasta Package ($55) which will include a choice of Lasagna Bolognese, Chicken and Mushroom Lasagna, or Vegetarian Lasagna that will serve up to 10 guests and be packaged cold. Main Proteinssuch as the Chicken Breast with Marsala and Mushrooms ($80), and a Beef Stew with Red Wine & Spices($95), will also be packed cold and serve up to 10 guests. Side Orders will feature 2-pound containers of Assorted Roasted Vegetables, Roasted Potatoes, and Brussels Sprouts with Ginger & Shallots ($18 each). Fresh Soupsinclude a choice of Minestrone, Pumpkin, and Lentil, packaged in 32-ounce deli-cups and offered cold or frozen ($12 each).

Drago Bakery offers Takeout Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm; 3828 Willat Avenue, Culver City, CA 90232 with drop in’s or phone orders 310.280.6004; www.DragoBakery.com

American Kettle Corn’s Startling Import History

February 15, 2022 Comments Off

(Gerry Furth-Sides) Kettle corn is an all-American favorite salty-sweet snack. It has an off-and-on history of being being a popular item sold at festivals, carnivals, and other events.

But the origins of flavored arrived from a surprising source. Let’s start with a timeline history of popcorn that you can read at //localfoodeater.com/best-american-pop-corn-holds-year-end-contest/

**Melissa’s Produce new Cupid’s Kettle Corn**

Kettle corn as a sweet treat dates all the way back to the 18th century. Surprisingly, this All-American based treat was first documented in Europe, not in the land where it originated.

European farmers would cook corn in large cast iron kettles over an open fire. Then, as now, the smell was tantalizing.

Both lard and sugar were added while the popcorn was cooking, which resulted in a sweet snack that was often eaten at the end of the day. It was discovered during this time that kettle popcorn had a good shelf life because of the sugar in the kettle corn.

German and European immigrants brought this sweet treat to America in the mid to late 1700s. In America, this snack was first referenced in the diaries of Dutch immigrants who settled in Pennsylvania. Kettle corn at this time was also made in Dutch ovens, in addition to cast iron kettles.

From the beginning to modern times, kettle corn was sold during festive events, such as fairs and festivals. Sometimes kettle corn was sweetened with honey rather than sugar.

In the early to mid 19th century, kettle corn was hugely popular in America. Over the next century, however it saw a lapse in widespread popularity.

Nevertheless, kettle corn made its comeback in the 2000s, particularly at historical reenactments of the Civil War and similar events.

Today, kettle corn is still in touch with its roots. The snack is sold during street fairs and festivals. Sometimes kettle corn is still made in the traditional way, with a cast iron kettle, but it can also be made in popcorn poppers or kettle-corn specific machines. Kettle corn in convenience stores, supermarkets, or online stores, like Popcorn for the People.

Sweetzer Gourmet Popcorn

One of the newest trends is themed kettle corn. And one of the best we have tasted is Sweetzer Gourmet Popcorn. Founder Michael Norr created it as part of his family and friends outdoor movie night that had transitioned during pandemic lockdown from years of indoor game night.

It seems to be destiny because Michael has no culinary eduction. He is a fifth grade teacher at West Hollywood Elementary School, where he’s taught for 19 years. So it was not a surprise that his first batch was, according to him, ” overly chewy and not all that tasty.”

As someone who works every day to inspire kids to set goals, then work tirelessly to achieve them, Michael knew “he had to try again.” And again. And again. And succeeded.

The popcorn comes in unusual but natural flavors. And all of them that we tried are delicious in the addictive popcorn. And yes, the name is after the street in West Hollywood.

Hatch Chili Pepper Corn

The wildly popular hatch chilis were the inspiration for Hatch Kettle Corn from Melissa’s Produce.

Melissa’s Produce Hatch Pepper Kettle Corn

Made with in-house Hatch Pepper Powder, salt, oregano, cumin and garlic.Hatch peppers add mild to hot heat to the popcorn, as well as a flavor distinct to this pepper. The comparison is apt of as with adding a fine mustard, hatch chilies enhance and bring out flavor.

Named after the original growing area in Hatch, New Mexico, authentic Hatch Peppers have become a Southwestern almost cult favorite. This variety, which grows in the Hatch Valley, just north of Las Cruces is arguably the most prized of all peppers. The valley, which stretches along the Rio Grande’s southern-most bend before crossing into Texas and Mexico, is covered with row after row of these green leafy pepper plants for most of the summer.

Popcorn itself is made from a specific variety of corn, or maize, that was first domesticated by Pre-Columbian indigenous peoples around 5000 B.C.E. Popcorn itself did not appear in America until the 1820s, when the snack began to be sold in the eastern US under the name Pearl or Nonpareil. It quickly spread to other regions and by 1848, the word “popcorn” was included in Bartlett’s Dictionary of Americanisms; the compendium claimed that the name came from the noise the corn made upon bursting open.

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Gerry Furth-Sides