Gerry Furth-Sides Archives - Page 50 of 82

Clorder Presents at Western FoodService & Hospitality Expo 2018

October 11, 2018 Comments Off

(Gerry Furth-Sides) Clorder founder-partners, Sri Sambangi, and Satish Varma were presenters by invitation at the 2018 Western FoodService & Hospitality Expo in Los Angeles. The event was part of the expanded educational program with more in-depth panel presentations.

The Western Foodservice & Hospitality Expo was also newly co-located with Coffee Fest and Healthy Food Expo West this season at the Los Angeles Convention Center. The tradeshow and conference was geared toward providing 9,000+ industry professionals with access to the hottest menu trends, state of the art design and decor, a renowned education program, special events, and 450+ of the leading vendors and purveyors dedicated to serving the restaurant & foodservice community.

“Sorting out the CURRENT players in the current online-delivery Game and How to Make the Most of it as a sought-after customer or restaurant owner was the title of the Clorder founder-partners talk to explain how they develop technology and connect it to their platform that offers vertical marketing and connecting delivery partners to restaurants to small as well as large companies.

Sri Sambangi and Satish Varma explained how the “necessary evil” of online ordering can be a benefit to a restaurant once they understand the evolving history of “pick up and delivery” and how they can plug into the high tech portion to brand themselves and increase business. Clorder is the five-year-old “David” of the tech world and has outshined they are large, national competitors.

The partners briefly explained the history of online ordering and identified companies in this field that stand out with the newest streamlining technology and shrewd marking moves, such as Expo partner, ORDERMARK, which used a recent development that enables restaurants to trace all of their different delivery orders from different company on one tablet. They explained how a restaurant can benefit from CLORDER, which has the latest technology and works to benefit individual restaurants rather than being an aggregating system provider that serves more as a yellow pages to consumers.

Sri has 20 years of experience in building SAAS applications and also cloud solution provider for Amazon, Microsoft. He closely worked with Corner Stone On Demand (CSOD) founders to build the human capital management products and extensively contributed to build the technology from startup phase to a public company. His MS in Software Architecture was earned at BITS, Pilani, a BS in Computer Science and Engineering from Andhra University. He is also Certified Project Management Professional and Scrum Master.

Mr. Varma’s experience includes positions at Firebrand Wireless, B3 Communications, LLC, where he was a co-founder of the company, and Red Bend Software. He planned and managed the roll out of new mobile devices, with annual revenues in the range of $100M to $250M, and carrier branded services globally. Most recently he built a market for next generation BYOD solution based on Mobile Virtualization.

Satish holds an M.B.A. from The Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, an M.S. in Software Systems from Birla Institute of Technology & Science, India, and a B.S. in Electronics and Communications Engineering from Andhra University, India.

In addiiton to new and classic ethnic foods, the topics Health, sustainability, pitching the media and celebrity chef appearances continued to be featured as important themes of the 2018 show. “Fit Foodie” Mareya Ibrahim led a complimentary Power up Yoga class. Pitch the Press – one-hour event to experience presentations from a specially selected group of the most intriguing new products, services, and trends. Andy Harris moderated the PR Bootcamp for Restaurants: In Memory of Fifi Chao, beloved restaurant critic and food writer for the OC Business Journal.

The tradeshow and conference started in 1936 are managed by Clarion UX www.clarionux.com and sponsored by the California Restaurant Association www.calrest.org. For more information, visit www.westernfoodexpo.com. The 2018 event co-located with Coffee Fest and Healthy Food Expo West, and attendees included access to all three events.

How Pasta Begins Planet Healing in the Dazzling “Living in the Future’s Past”

October 9, 2018 Comments Off

Jeff Bridges produced award-winning documentary, “Living in the Future’s Past” Susan Kucera filmed, directed and edited brings a new — and very gently persuasive – perspective on the healing of our planet “being Human for our challenging times and asks the question, “what kind of future would you like to see?” and explores how we can each contribute towards shaping that future. It offers the challenge of each individual doing one thing, or more, no matter now small to get the planet to a safer place as an answer of how are we going to go about getting there.

Susan Kucera and Jeff Bridges – a destined and perfect collaboration “Organic,” Susan call it.

This very gentle reminder is all the more time this week because of The world’s leading climate scientists have warned there are only a dozen years for global warming to be kept to a maximum of 1.5C, beyond which even half a degree will significantly worsen the risks of drought, floods, extreme heat and poverty for hundreds of millions of people.

The authors of the landmark report by the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released on Monday say urgent and unprecedented changes are needed to reach the target, which they say is affordable and feasible although it lies at the most ambitious end of the Paris agreement pledge to keep temperatures between 1.5C and 2C.

Vision Films and Trafalgar Releasing Tickets are on sale now for the screening in select theaters, and for the special exclusive onscreen with Bridges and the filmmakers following the film. For up-to-date information and details, please visit the film website: www.livinginthefuturespast.com.

Bridges examining a fossil that reminds him of the age and connections of the planet

“Living in the Future’s Past” takes a look ‘under the hood of humanity’ beyond politics and borders to explore what it means to be human in these challenging times,” according to the filmmakers. It very carefully and cordially traces the needs of a man during evolution as the same motivation for survival needs were partially transformed into commercial “wants.”

To say that Susan Kucera’s photography is a dazzling tour de force of original thinking underplays the startling beauty of her work. Academy Award winner, Jeff Bridges narrates the story told by scientists, profound thinkers and a miraculous visual array of Earth’s living creatures that gradually reveal eye-opening concepts about ourselves and our past, providing fresh insights into our subconscious motivations and their unintended consequences.

Filmmaker Susan Kucera (left)

The film shows how no one can predict how major changes might emerge from the spontaneous actions of the many – using the example of the iPhone that transformed communication in less than a decade. It demonstrates how energy takes many forms as it moves through and animates everything. How, as we come to understand our true connection to all there is, we will need to redefine our expectations, not as what we will lose, but what we might gain by preparing for something different.

“Living In The Future’s Past” a stunningly a beautifully photographed tour de force produced and presented by Academy Award Winner, Jeff Bridges who explores who we are, where we come from, how we think and why we do the things we do. Bridges share the screen with profound thinkers, scientists, and a dazzling array of the Earth s creatures to reveal profound concepts about ourselves and our future in ways that have never been presented quite like this on film before.

The after-party of a special screening with the international cast – a roomful of cordial geniuses

The impressive storytellers of profound thinkers include scientist and astronaut, Piers Sellers; Being Ecological author, Timothy Morton; physicist Leonard Mlodinow, author of Elastic: Flexible Thinking In a Time of Change; former NATO Supreme Allied Commander General Wesley Clark, and author Daniel Goleman of Emotional Intelligence among many other startling experts and profound thinkers.

Living in the Future’s Past looks under the hood of humanity,” incorporating elements of evolution, neuropsychology, emergence, ecology and energy into a paradigm shift in the way we think about environmental challenges.

The impressive original music score is by Bridges collaborator, Keefus Ciancia (Lady Killers, Thunderbird, Sleeping Tapes) with additional music by composer Bob Holroyd and award-winning sound designer Ken Polk.

At a special screening, when Bridges asked how each person could contribute, he answered,” anything, a small thing to start. Try not using a plastic straw.” While he himself carried around a pasta straw, and regularly appears on talk shows one, the Western Hospitality Expo this year featured alternatives to plastic straws. Meanwhile, several laws are going into effect regarding the use of plastic straws in restaurants – higher end restaurants will not offer the plastic; fast food chains (the most widespread offenders) are still distributing them.

New Compostable Straws from REPURPOSE 100%, bendy straws that are ban-approved. Strong and durable, BPA-free, chlorine-free, and nontoxic.

Sea Straws” Made using reef-friendly alternatives to plastic using lightweight, corrosion resistant, reusable aluminumsea-straw.com

Perhaps the best way is not to use straws at all. When I wrote a booklet on skin care for a prominent cosmetic surgeon he advised never to use straws because they were the biggest contributor to the demise of skin!

Gelato’s Biggest International Festival Returns to America

October 9, 2018 Comments Off

(Gerry Furth-Sides, event photos are courtesy of the event producer) When Gelato’s biggest international celebration is back in America, returning to its success and will make stop in California at La Cumbre Plaza, 121 S Hope Ave, Santa Barbara, CA 93105, October 13-14. The Gelato Festival America is here to spread awareness of real Italian artisanal gelato through a contest in which gelato artisans and chefs will compete with original gelato flavors they have created for the event. All the competing flavors at the Santa Barbara stage will be dairy-free, and traditional flavors with dairy will be also available for tasting at the PreGel stand, one of the festival’s sponsors. gelatofestivalamerica.com

The ticket is an all-access pass to all of the activities and reserved events of Gelato Festival America 2018, listed below.

Attend the Gelato School, where award-winning gelato artisans and experts will share what it takes to be a gelato chef and professional
Participate in the Gelato Eating Contest, where the five people to eat five cups of gelato the fastest will win a gallon of gelato
Serve on the Kid’s Jury, where children have the opportunity to question the chefs and vote for their favorite flavor.

Tickets are $30 for adults, $25 for seniors (65+), $15 for kids(3 to 12 years old), and free for children under two years old. Those who purchase tickets for the Gelato Festival online in advance receive a discounted price: $25 for adults, $20 for seniors and $10 for kids(must show ID at the gate!).

Presale tickets can be found online at gelatofestivalamerica.com/ticket and on Eventbrite. Tickets will be sold at each venue as well. Festival hours: Saturday 12-8 PM, Sunday 12-7 PM.

Over the next three years, the winners of each stage of Gelato Festival America will compete for one of the three best American gelato chefs. The Three, along with 36 chefs from all over the world will vie for the title of World Champion in the Gelato Festival World Masters Final in Italy in 2021.

Last year, 50 gelato makers competed with unique gelato flavors to produce over 13,500 pounds of gelato to the delight of over 40,000 visitors and 150 gelato professionals who were present at the Festival in 2017. With the growth of Gelato Festival America, over 100,000 people are expected to attend the 2018 edition.

This year, the Festival already toured seven cities in the US including Jersey City, New Jersey; Chicago, Illinois; Washington, DC, and Dallas, Texas.

The upcoming schedule includes:

October 20-21 — Scottsdale, AZ, Kierland Common, 15205 N Kierland Blvd Suite 150, Scottsdale, AZ 85254

October 27-28 — Tucson, AZ, La Encantada, 2905 E Skyline Dr, Tucson, AZ 85718

This year the festival will feature a new Mobile Laboratory called “Buontalenti America.” Daniele Palazzoni describes it as “the world largest frozen dessert laboratory on wheels, bigger than its European tour counterpart.” “Buontalenti America” is a 38 foot Gooseneck expandable trailer, 800-square feet fully opened, and equipped with the best and most innovative machines provided by Carpigiani. Cameras and screens live to stream the production of gelato as seen through large windows. All the flavors will be made fresh daily, on site, in every city. It can produce 6000 pounds of gelato per day and accommodate eight chefs in action at the same time.”

Chefs will go through a rigorous selection process to compete in each city with a unique flavor specifically conceived for Gelato Festival America. The winners will then compete for the selection of the three best American gelato chefs who will be part of the 36 chefs from all over the world, who will vie for the title of World Champion in the Gelato Festival World Masters Final in Italy in 2021.

Chefs who wish to compete can ubmit an application at gelatofestivalamerica.com/BE_FAMOUS, or write to team@gelatofestivalamerica.comfor a chance to be selected.

“After the huge success all over Europe, and our first edition of the Gelato Festival in the USA in 2017, we realize that Americans really do love artisanal gelato and artisanal frozen desserts compared to industrial products,” expressed Daniele Palazzoni, General Manager of Gelato Festival America. “It is our goal to spread the culture of artisan Italian gelato and make certain that every American gets to taste the true one.

I myself was astonished at a recent event experience to see how different an artisan gelato can be. GROM gelato, best outside of Italy, remains so authentic that even their website is in Italian only. Even the water is from Italy. (GROM is not part of the festival)

How Spice Island’s New Line Inspires Global Cooking

October 2, 2018 Comments Off

Our Norwegian herring, baby and champagne grape, gorgonzola, micro green salad with Spice Island Hickory Smoke Salt

(Gerry Furth-Sides) International spices have come mainstream. Just one glance at a supermarket spice shelf today reads light years away from even a year ago. Spice Island’s New Line of Seasonings Inspire Global Cooking with product plus a website filled with details and recipes, and most of the sources. It goes along with the wonderful current trend of local ingredients and international seasonings.

Spice Islands Telecherry Black Peppercorn (grinder), vintage Old Hickory Smoked Salt, Harissa, Chipotle Chili (grinder)

Spice Islands Pure Mediterranean Sea Salt

Spice Islands Old Hickory Smoked Salt adds just the right note to a Fried Chicken Salad with hard boiled egg, grated parmesan, and croutons

Spice Islands® Old Hickory Smoked Salt is designed to add the flavor spark of an outdoor grill to savory dishes prepared in the kitchen. We welcome back this seasoning, so famous in San Francisco and hard to find till now.

Fun Fact: Smoked salt dates back to the eighth and ninth centuries when Vikings evaporated seawater over wood fires, producing a salt imbued with a deep, smoky flavor.

Spice Islands Old Hickory Smoked Salt adds fresh highlight to the Smoked herring, baby heirloom tomatoes, grilled Brussel sprouts, mushroom and olive salad on mixed greens.

Spice Islands Old Hickory Smoked Salt adds a final outdoor grill spark to a Sun basket ribeye steak dish that already has raw ingredients delivered to the door

We loved making Hangtown Fry for Sunday brunch with Old Hickory Smoked Salt, which we couldn’t find until now. //localfoodeater.com/placerville-california-celebrates-hangtown-fry-food-history/

Spice Islands Old Hickory Smoked Salt deepens the flavors of the eggs and oysters in Hangtown Fry

Harissa is another spice we have recently have come to know, which become the darling of the culinary world. Let’s see how well Spice Islands does in its description: “Rich with notes of chiles, coriander, cumin, garlic and lemon, harissa enhances food with a complex flavor and mild kick. Very much like sriracha, it is used in stews, soups, pasta, and couscous, and rubbed on a variety of meats including goat and lamb.” … …Just as the flavor of sriracha maintains a severely loyal fan base, so too, does the bright and spicy harissa. The North African spice is a staple in Tunisia, Libya, and Algeria, and is widely used in Morocco, many European countries and in a variety of Middle Eastern dishes.” Excellent!

Harissa paste and peppers

Fun Fact: The cuisine of North Africa is known as Maghreb cuisine, which includes the countries of Algeria, Libya, Morocco, and Tunisia. And within that cuisine, harissa is often described as “The National Condiment of Tunisia.” Yes, this is true although usually inaccurately described in other ways. Dishes that are enhanced with Harissa include:

Harissa restaurant’s cheeseburger with harissa aioli (made with olive oil, not mayo)

Spice Islands Harissa kicks up an Original Tunisian Sandwich

A Tunisian couscous is identified by the harissa flavorings

Ground Chipotle Chile. Ground Chipotle Chile brightens Hispanic and Latin dishes. To create the perfect chipotle chile, you actually start with a jalapeño. Once the jalapeño is ripened, it’s smoke-dried, transforming it into a chipotle. Chipotles have the same intense kick as jalapeños but with a deep and smoky flavor. Spice Islands® chipotle chile seasoning adds sweet red peppers, onion, garlic, sea salt and other spices for a potent kick of heat. The convenient grinder cap can be easily adjusted so that the grind moves from a table-ready fine to a more coarse setting for cooking.

Fun Fact: Chipotle chiles are 10 times hotter than ancho chiles. But about 5 times milder than a habanero.

The world’s most popular and frequently traded spice, black pepper is prized for its hot, biting flavor and pungent aroma. Spice Islands® sources their rich tellicherry black peppercorns from India’s Malabar region, where the fruit is still picked by hand. Large and uniformly sized, they’re noted for their superior aroma and robust flavor.

Spice Islands adjustable Tellicherry Black Pepper grinder enlightens dishes at the table or pots in the kitchen

The convenient grinder cap adjusts the grind from coarse to fine with an easy push or pull. A full description of the peppercorns is on the back of the bottle.

Fun Fact: Today, pepper is a common sight on tables all over the world. But a few thousand years ago, it was considered so precious that it was traded ounce for ounce for gold and welcomed as payment for rent and taxes.

Spice Islands Tellicherry Black Pepper heats up a grilled beef, sweet onion, and sun-dried tomato salad

Neela Paniz’s famous The Bombay Cafe cookbook, as every Indian recipe book calls for the finest Black Peppercorn

And we conclude this tour with pure Spice Islands All Natural Fine Grind Sea Salt. It is gathered in pans from the low waters of the Mediterranean and evaporated in the warm sun and gentle breezes for a fine grind. This makes the pure, all-natural salt flavorful without being overpowering in order to transform and draw out the flavors.

Fun Fact: Salt’s purity and simplicity have been appreciated by many throughout the years, including Greek philosopher and mathematician Pythagoras, who said, “Salt is born of the purest of parents: the sun and the sea.”

Spice Islands Fine Mediterranean sea walt and a dash of Tellicherry Black Peppercorns – “gold” in a dish

As moderator of the Western Expo panel on international spices presented to professional chefs and intense foodies, I was happy to introduce the topic of where to find the best spices. Spice Islands was listed as one of these sources on all the event program announcements.

World travelers, chefs, authors, and speakers: Robert Danny (Southeast Asia); Bernard Guillas (French); Linda Civitello (author, Baking Powder Wars)

The audience at the spice panel presentation filled with passionate home cooks and professional chefs

French Sitram Puts American Chefs Under Pressure

October 2, 2018 Comments Off

(Gerry Furth-Sides) Sitram USA is as passionate as the French in love can be for their contemporary store-top pressure cookers. That’s love convinced me to start using it as a pressure cooker instead of as the beautiful stainless steel thick-clad based stockpot I love that is also perfect for regular cooking. Jill Nussinow author of the Vegan Under Pressure (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2016) cookbook and the Sitram importers do all they can to guide you in using it.

Specifically, pressure cookers: pots with an airtight gasket lid that prevent steam from escaping, which allows pressure to build up inside the pot to cook food faster. Pressure cookers work by increasing atmospheric pressure to increase the boiling point of water from 212 degrees all the way up to 250.

Since the food is cooking in hotter water than would otherwise be possible, and water is so dense, it cooks food faster than any method other than direct heat grilling or deep frying, and renders dried beans or tough cuts of meat into soft, silky proteins in minutes.

So now I’m convinced that these modern SITRAM pressure cookers deliver purer flavors, texture, and color in addition to cutting down meal prep by 70%.

It all started with their culinary educator Jill Nussinow does a hands-on tasting and culinary demos enticingly called, “Pressure Cooking Techniques with a French Twist,” with Sitram’s most popular (heavy duty and heavy) model, the Sitra Pro. Both are kitchen treasures.

What makes it more fun is that Jill could be a Frances Sternhagen double (the phenomenal actress who played Bunny MacDougal (Charlotte’s mother-in-law).

The terms, “gourmet pressure cooking techniques and culinary insights” are aimed at new audiences who may have once saw the bobbling potential time bomb on their moms or grandmoms classic cooker, and perhaps saw it explode (as Steven Colbert, uncharacteristically, mean-spiritedly, mocked a pressure cooker on his recent TV show his).

So this translates into “how not to hurt yourself using this intricate piece of equipment.” And the phrase, “Pressure cooking is safe, healthy and fast,” translates into “if you know what you’re doing” and practice.

A SITRAM PRESSURE COOKER demo at Melissa’sProduce headquarters

Modern technology has made pressure cooking safely. Sitra Pro features a single hand open/close glide system and a pressure release valve on the top of the pot. This specific pressure cooker is used at the International Culinary Center in New York City; featured in the technology department.

Jill Nussinow author of the Vegan Under Pressure (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2016) cookbook, comes heavily credentialed. A Registered Dietitian with a Master’s Degree in Nutrition and Dietetics, her specialty since 1985 is healthful, seasonal and organically grown foods.

Jill Nussinow shows how to use the SiTRAM PRO safely at Melissa’s Produce demo

SITRAM Cookware has been manufactured in Saint – Benoît-du-Sault, France since 1960. The Sitram commercial cookware lines are the professional choice of influential chefs, hospitality and catering circles around the world. As the pioneer of pressure cooking, SITRAM launched the first pressure cooker in 1963. Catering collections are curated from regions in France that is known for world-class cooking. SITRAM collaborates with master chefs, manufacturing experts and designers to produce high-quality products.

The SITRAM importer checks and advises at the hands-on demo

Timing is everything. The current craze for the electric instant pot adds digital settings and a cord to the concept. For me this means higher electric bill (not using a counter oven cut my bill by 1/4) And A lot of different ways turn a market around for a product, whether it is new or a new version of an established one.

As a paleo, I was not as much interested in how fast legumes and grains were cooked – literally the difference between minutes or hours. However, when I mentioned that the shopping I was doing for pressure cooking at Sprouts recently, the young Hispanic checker brightened up and told me, “my mother loves her pressure cooker. She cooks all her beans in it.”

As a paleo, I am interested in this modern classic pressure cooker’s capability to not only deliver meals 70% faster than traditional cooking methods, but the SITRAM capability to deliver the very essence of flavor, texture, and color with each meal. When I inquired, Jill pointed out that difference between steaming and cooking vegetables in the pressure cooker could immediately be seen by looking at the opaque water in the regular steamer after cooking to see that some of the nutrients are left in it.

Corned beef, asparagus, carrots cooked in the SITRAM without using the pressure elements

My procrastinator Corned beef – from the freezer – pressure cooked to perfection in this untouched picture. It tasted seasoned but it did not taste salty.

In the photo above, the wonderful sweet onion went into the pressure cooker with the corned beef

Still a fan of roasting, I have yet to perfect onions in the pressure cooker

Pressure cooked Brussel Sprouts look more intensely green are moister and not visible are all the nutrients still left in

The Sitra Pro pressure cooker was most remarkable in making cakes, such as the gorgeous, moist and intensely chocolate flavored cake Jill baked for the demo. Jill notes in the cookbook that since it’s also (amazingly) gluten-free with almond flour, the batter is “not likely to get tough.” And it can be frozen.

Finally, the good news for someone like me whose favorite place is not in front of a stove watching a pot, I found myself paying close attention to the working parts of the pressure cooker – as any cook is supposed to do. Using it is as exciting, I would imagine as a researcher and film historian, as the first light bulbs and appliances. I’m hooked. I liken it also to learning to drive a stick shift and not “stripping the gears”. Once you know how it becomes second nature.

For more information, please see www.sitram.fr. Questions will readily be answered at “sav@sitram.fr.”

First Seasonal Pumpkin Goes Nuts: Best Invention Since Sliced Bread

October 1, 2018 Comments Off

(Gerry Furth-Sides) We were hooked on Honey Roasted Peanut Butter at the first spoonful. So this pumpkin product is our favorite among the fanatical rush to use this fall, seasonal culinary darling. Blending Pumpkin Spice and Pumpkin Flakes brings out a remarkable Pumpkin Pie flavor. It is holiday-worthy whether spread on bread, crisp, straight on a spoon or oatmeal. For recipes and more information, please see the website at bnutty.com/steel-cut-oatmeal.

Fresh, gourmet peanut butter comes in 10 different blended varieties. Peanut butter is already a wonderful protein source without carbohydrates, high fructose corn syrup, artificial flavors, fillers or coloring. All varieties are gluten-free. Yes, there are sugars because the peanuts are honey roasted, and there are corn flour and cornstarch.

bNUTTY’s gourmet Peanut butter with pretzels & white chocolate is holiday perfect

The PBJ plays an important part in American agricultural history. Legendary, influential innovator, George Washington Carver, helped develop peanut butter as part of his major achievement of developing crop-rotation. After earning his master’s degree at Iowa Agricultural College (Iowa State University) in 1897, Carver was brought into Tuskegee Institute as director of agriculture, where he developed a nitrate-enriched legume and cotton crop rotation system. There, Carver found 325 uses for the excess crop material after rotation — such as peanut oil — which contributed to developments of the delicious sandwich spread, peanut butter.

For more details on George Washington Carver’s life, please see his bio at www.invent.org/honor/inductees/inductee-detail/?IID=30 .

Peanut butter was originally paired with savories, such as celery or toasted crackers until 1896 when Good Housekeeping Magazine suggested home-ground peanut butter spread on bread. At the turn of the century when the price of peanut butter dropped and became even more popular in the 1920s when sugar was added and it appealed more to children. By World War II, both peanut butter and jelly were found on US soldiers’ military ration list.

A peanut butter and jelly, white bread sandwich contains 403 calories. While roughly 50% of the calories are from fat, most of them come from heart-healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.

Julia Davis Chandler first referenced the now beloved peanut butter and jelly sandwich in 1901 using white bread, and the invention of sliced bread in the 1920s helped evolve the elite sandwich into an everyday staple.

These days there are heavenly, lower calorie alternatives, such as a Norwegian crisp that can be spread with bNUTTY pumpkin peanut butter and St. Dalfours apricot spread, sweetened with grape juice instead of sugar. Better yet, we prefer our peanut butter Greek-style and pure– right on a beautiful large spoon.

This was even before we learned about the fascinating story behind the company. As the founder tells the story, the enterprise originated with a parent-teacher relationship chaperoning a student sailing adventure that quickly developed into a friendship for life with altruism at the core, leading to the group making handmade peanut butter in different flavors to the delight of friend, family and co-workers. It found a niche with their children and for school fundraising that lead to an entire company branch. bNUTTY sells 8 ounce jars to organizations at a discounted price and allow each group the freedom to choose their own retail price.

She added, “This is addicting!” made us determined to develop new flavors. And the new ones are cutting edge and terrific.

The 13th Food Event 2018 at EXCLUSIVE Private Site

September 28, 2018 Comments Off

(Gerry Furth-Sides. Note, in a computer crash I lost my Semler Ranch photos) For years I’ve answered questions about where to eat by suggesting samplings first at special select events such as the Los Angeles magazine’s The Food Event 2018: Its 13th Annual Epicurean Extravaganza.

To purchase tickets and for more information, please visit //www.lamag.com/thefoodevent2018.

This fittingly Coastal California Cuisine Day, Sunday, October 21st, 2:00 – 5:00 p.m., is even more exceptional because it takes place at the exclusive Semler Family Ranch, Saddlerock (host partner). I only found out the ranch was private when I took my family to their wine tasting room one year only to learn it was independent, across the road. On TOP of this, the leisurely day of meeting Celebrity Chefs and watching them in demos, plus enjoying samplings from a curated list of the most innovative and best LA Restaurants, Wine, Beer and Spirits — ensures walking around time in between each.

Hamasaku’s Chef Yoya Takahashi who recently opened Umi by Hamasaku in El Segundo

The magnificent vineyard grounds, home to Malibu Family Wines, producers of Saddlerock and Semler wines, are spectacular, timeless and the California ideal, filled with the wonderful Semler family’s exuberance. The site looks out on a three-acre outdoor park-like setting with century-old oak and olive trees across from the 1500 vines. I dare anyone not to come out with a life memory. For starters, leisurely grazing zebras and other African wildlife watch you from behind whitewashed open fences as you drive up the last of the winding road to the front gate. And it only gets better from there.

Chef and Mrs. Ted Hopson of The Bellwether

Guest chef demos include David Kuo of Little Fatty; Manuela’s Kris Tominaga, Richard Blais of The Crack Shack and Scratch Bar’s lively and talented Phillip Frankland Lee.

The Crack Shack Chicken

Tastings include: Apollonias Pizzeria, Baby J’s, The Bellwether, Bone Kettle, Casa Vega, Cookie Dough Dreams, Dama, Eataly, The Exchange, Fat Dragon, Gabi James, The Gables, Gwen, Hamasaku, Hayden, Hip Hot, Kato, Little Ruby, Luv2eat, Ma’am Sir, Madre!, Makani, Malibu Café/Basement, Manuela, Michael’s Santa Monica, Mohawk Bend, Ronan, Salazar, Smitten Ice Cream, Sotto, The Sunset, Terranea, Tesse, Wilshire, Wolf, Wood & Water, Yardbird, 6th & La Brea

Terrannea Resort Oysters

Spirit samplings include: Ascension Cellars, Bai, Beekeeper Cellars (Ian Blackburn!), Bocanegra, Byron Blatty/Cavaletti, Cami Vineyards, Center of Effort, Château La Coste, Comstock Wines, Courvoisier, Don Francisco’s Coffee, Frei Brothers Sonoma Reserve, Gérard Bertrand, Golden Road Brewing, Hornitos, Kevita, Le Grand Courtâge, Malibu Family Wines, The Malibu Vineyard, Rancho Sisquoc, Sipsmith, Stella Artois, Talley Vineyards, WineSellars: Santa Julia

Second Generation Chef-owner Cristy Vega of Casa Vega

Casa Vega

Signature Casa Vega Ice Cream Churros

Tickets are $130 (admission includes all demonstrations, food, beverages, and parking fees). Online sales end on October 20 at 5pm.

As if an afternoon could be better, there is an After-Party for an additional $20 with Food Event ticket; guests receive entry to The Food Event after-party at Malibu Cafe at Calamigos Ranch (includes one complimentary glass of wine or specialty cocktail plus food samplings). The after-party package also includes valet parking at Calamigos Ranch, free shuttle from Calamigos Ranch to Saddlerock Ranch, and separate registration for immediate entrance.The Philanthropic Partner is the Kids Courage for 2018.

SPONSORS: Infiniti, Celebrity Cruises, Courvosier, Gearys, Hornitos, MedMen, San Luis Obispo, Sipsmith, SLO Wine Country, Stella Artois, Frei Brothers Sonoma Reserve, Laura’s Lean, The Broad Stage Bai, Don Francisco’s Coffee, Kevita

To purchase tickets and for more information, please visit www.lamag.com/thefoodevent2018. For press inquiries, please email Shannon Waterman at swaterman@lamag.com or call 323.801.0115.

The rich, fascinating history of the nearby Semler Family home at Saddlerock Ranch (www.malibufamilywines.com) begins over three centuries ago when the vast expanse of land surrounding the Santa Monica Mountains was once part of the original Spanish Land Grant. More recently, and that’s decades ago now, having yanked out 8,000 avocado trees on his 60-acre hilltop Malibu property, telecommunications ace/Semler Malibu Estate Wine and Saddlerock Vineyard owner, Ron Semler, replaced them with grapes. In return, he earned his own Malibu appellation with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Syrah.

Tami Semler explained that, “Semler is our 100% local estate grown while Saddlerock grapes are central coast.” And she maintained a decade ago in 2008 that Malibu will have its “Terroir, (that means “distinctive taste of the land all its own”) in ten years. We can’t wait to try it October 21.

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House of Blues Wins 2018 Anaheim Gardenwalk Chef Challenge

September 26, 2018 Comments Off

(Gerry Furth-Sides, all photos courtesy Nancy Newman Photography) The Anaheim GardenWalk hosted its second annual Chef Challenge Cook-off on Sunday, October 14th, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sponsored by DiningOut Magazine, top chefs from seven notable Orange County restaurants competed for best-in-show honors with their signature dishes. Local high school students carefully selected from culinary arts programs throughout Orange County assisted the chefs.

Chef from House of Blues and students from California Restaurant Association Foundation’s (CRAF) high school culinary arts program in Orange County that assisted him. (Nancy Newman Photography)

House of Blues won the competition as voted by the public who attended the event. Anaheim GardenWalk donated $3,000 to benefit the California Restaurant Association Foundation’s (CRAF) high school culinary arts program in Orange County. For information on this or future Anaheim GardenWalk events, visit //anaheimgardenwalk.com/events/.

(Nancy Newman Photography)

Bubba Gump signature dish: Fire-Grilled Shrimp with oven-roasted fingerling potatoes, heirloom tomatoes, sautéed spinach, and lemon cream sauce (Nancy Newman Photography)

McCormick & Schmick’s Grille signature dish: Seared Sea Scallop with forbidden rice, burnt orange slaw, and a Peruvian pepper beurre blanc. (Nancy Newman Photography
)

Sample signature dishes best GardenWalk chef. Participants included House of Blues Anaheim, FiRE + iCE Interactive Grill + Bar, Grasslands Meat Market BBQ & Churrasco, California Pizza Kitchen, Bubba Gump Shrimp Co., McCormick & Schmick’s Grille, Roy’s Restaurant.

House of Blues Brunch

Signature Dishes Included:

Voodoo Shrimp – House of Blues Restaurant and Bar

Asian salad with chicken, cabbage, alfalfa sprouts, spinach, bean sprouts, green onion, and orange ginger sesame dressing – FiRE + iCE Interactive Grill + Bar

Picanha Churrasco and greens with oven-roasted potatoes – Grasslands Meat Market BBQ & Churrasco

Chicken Milanese – California Pizza Kitchen

Shrimp extravaganza with sautéed jumbo shrimp and lobster pepper butter sauce over garlic herb crostini – Bubba Gump Shrimp Co.

Yuzu Koshu Salmon Crunch Roll – Roy’s Restaurant

Seared sea scallop with forbidden rice, burnt orange slaw, and a Peruvian pepper beurre blanc – McCormick & Schmick’s Grille

The Chef Challenge, held at Anaheim GardenWalk on Sunday, Oct. 22, 2017

Additional family-friendly activities included live music, face painting, balloon twisting, henna tattoos, a photo booth and the center’s renowned “Art on the Walk” art exhibit.

WHEN: Sunday, October 14th, 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.
2 p.m. – Registration for Chef Challenge
2 p.m. – Art on the Walk and free family activities
3 p.m. – Chef Challenge begins
5:15 p.m. – Chef Challenge winner is announced

WHERE: Anaheim GardenWalk
Event Takes Place Property-Wide
400 West Disney Way
Anaheim, CA 92802
www.anaheimgardenwalk.com

Must-Try (Mexican-inspired) the NIXON CHOPS & WHISKEY in Whittier

September 26, 2018 Comments Off

the NIXON CHoPS & WHISKEY that adds up to much more than the sum of its many parts

(Gerry Furth-Sides) When I was invited to Whittier’s Uptown Whittier restaurant District, billed as the “new foodie hub of Southern California,” I was skeptical until I saw the name of Mexican-Japanese American Katsuji Tanabe as executive chef of the NIXON CHOPS & WHISKEY. The service, food and atmosphere all add up to a rich, memorable dining experience much more than the sum of its parts. Note: My respected friend Merrill Shindler’s opening menu account was very different.

Signature the NIXON CHoPS & WHISKEY bottled Habanero hot sauce, like the chef, is very spicy but its a warm heat not prickly

Previously restless and pretty much unappreciated for his novel Mexi-Kosher kitsch niche he created in Los Angeles almost a decade ago, ambitious Chef Tanabe has since earned a name for himself on national TV. It’s fitting that he has now found an appreciative home in Whittier, even if to keep up his national presence he is not always in it. His presence is still felt the moment you walk in the door and see his portrait and chef coats. Now that’s more like it.

The first thing you see entering the NIXON CHOPS & WHISKEY

Chef Katsuji Tanabe has partnered with Whittier based Inspired Dining Group, who transformed the long-running Seta restaurant in Uptown Whittier into a classic neighborhood steakhouse albeit “with a slight Mexican accent,” as it says in the notes, beautifully integrating “a few culinary flourishes from his travels around the globe”. The small-squarish restaurant corner dining room has a bar taking up back back, but it all works somehow, with with the buzz of guests of all ages wafting through the air an hour after it opens for dinner. Down a corridor, two more bar areas open to the street, with such a pleasant air that guests in them invited us to join them.

The old-fashioned oversized menu with a modern, clean format is divided into categories. We were offered a dish of each — all served with genuine, warm care and consideration — and such a sense of fun. A set of impressive steak knives takes center stage although we had so many extraordinary melt-in-your mouth meat dishes we never used them!

Mezcal is a specialty and after makking our usual inquiry about tobala mezcal and engaging manager Lucy smiled conspiratorially – “ah, I see you know your mezcal. Silver?” She brought out a bottle of one of her, and now my, favorites among the 200 whiskeys in the house, a SILVER MEZCAL ARTESANAL, the best. The agave type is a special San Dionisio Ocotepec blend of Tobala and Espadin, matured seven to ten years, from Oaxaca. Distilled twice in copper column, it is close to 42% alcohol by volume and has a smokey finish to the notes of grilled pineapple, papaya and mango with lingering floral notes to the taste.

Riazuleńo tobala Mezcal starts the evening at the NIXON CHOPS & WHISKEY

Bartender Greg’s updated lively, original Classic and Modern Classic Cocktails

The dining room bar, only one of three in the NIXON CHOPS & WHISKEY meandering space

Even in this new era of artisanal cocktails, Greg stands out. Drinks include The WHISKEY SOUR features Egg White to round out the edges of the Whiskey, Simple Syrup and Fresh Lemon. The LAST WORD features a springy Gin, Green Chartreuse, Luxard Maraschino Liqueur and Fresh Lime.

The Whiskey Sour and the Last Word at the NIXON CHOPS & WHISKEY

We could happily have chosen every dish on the menu and so picked the most unusual dishes — we loved each and recommend every one of them that did not exactly make a “balanced” meal. And with all of the food, really portioned for 3-4 rather than the two indicated, we were still satisfied without feeling stuffed.

From the CHILLED section: Tongue & Kamapachi Ceviche with Avocado, Pickled Tongue, Smokey Chipotle Broth. A surprising, seamless fit.

CHILLED: tongue & Kamapachi Ceviche at the NIXON CHOPS & WHISKEY

Ironically, much as Chef Tanabe made his mark with kosher, pork stars here along with beef. While we were waiting for two spectacular pork dishes, a server carved an Iberico ham in the middle of the room. Shavings gaily passed along to curious guests proved it as the world’s best.

“The best bacon I’ve ever had” Bacon, according to my dining companion, a noted catering chef and former Bon Appetit staffer. Key is the Maple Date “jam” and jolt of fermented, spicy veggies that dot the plate.

“best bacon in the world” Bacon at the NIXON CHOPS & WHISKEY

Lucy brings out the head-turner (no pun intended) Confit Half Pig Head for Two, which arrives intact at the table for presentation. The Head is taken back to the kitchen to be shaved up and crisped in the oven.

Lucy proudly brings out the Pork Confit at the NIXON CHOPS & WHISKEY

What is with the tortillas that come back with the classic pickled vegetables and Chimichurri accompaniments? They are crisp, yet buttery as brioche. True, even the next day.

From the LAND section: Ponzu Fried Chicken with Serranos, Habaneros, Lime and Cucumber peek out from under a mass of dill and mint with an added pop of fermented veggies alongside.

Ponzu Fried Chicken at the NIXON CHOPS & WHISKEY

Quirky, novelty dishes arrive in the COMFORT category sides, including Loaded Mash (potatoes with Bacon, Cotija, Sour Cream) and Fried Rice (chorizo, Diner, Scrambled Egg). SEAFOOD ENTREES, a steakhouse must, include Mexicanized Broiled Lobster with Chipotle butter, Ayocotoe Beans. Outrageous crowd pleaser desserts include Rainbow Tres Leches with Sweet Tears of Joy Ice Cream (commercial candy bits) and a KFC Bananas “on fire” with Bourbon and Brown sugar Caramel, Cinnamon Ice Cream.

Next time we’ll make a day of it.

Located in the Uptown Whittier Restaurant District
13033 Philadelphia St., Whittier, CA. 90601, Phone: 562-698-3355

Hours: Sunday Brunch: 11:00-3:00
Dinner: Tuesday – Thursday: 4:00 pm – 10:00 pm; Friday & Saturday: 4:00 pm – 11:00 pm; Sunday: 5:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Happy Hour: 4:00 – 7:00
El Speakeasy: Tuesday & Thursday: 5:00 pm – 10:00 pm, extended to 2:00 am on Friday & Saturday:

Americana Culinary Surprises in the Whittier Museum

September 26, 2018 Comments Off

The iconic Conrad image of Nixon – “I’m home” because one of my jobs at Newsweek magazine was to phone the lovely Robert Conrad weekly so he could describe his current cartoons to see if they were a fit NW’s need for rerun.

(Gerry Furth-Sides) Whittier was full of surprises, all good, starting with how easy it was to get there. The Whittier Museum was next on the list. Like many, I’m sure, after visiting for the day we also now understand that the Whittier museum is not the library is in Yorba Linda, birthplace of Nixon. Nixon did grow up in Whittier, went to college here and also had a law practice. (so did MFK Fisher, the legendary food writer as noted below)

Nixon Plaza, the building where Nixon first had his law practice. A plaque denotes this.

The Nixon family also had a restaurant here. Well preserved artifacts such as the menu and photos of it are representative of the kind of historic Americana artifacts are beautifully fit into displays.

First surprise was how easy it was to reach the town from LA. They parking spaces and no meters! The tree-lined streets are a lovely, green reminder of what the perfect small town can be like.

Our first welcome: no parking meters

The Whittier Museum’s permanent exhibit collection depicts many aspects of Whittier history, including agriculture, Quaker settlers, and Whittier College. The museum also highlights notable figures from the Whittier community, such as Richard Nixon and Pio Pico, the founder.

However, another addition is Mary Frances Kennedy Fisher the preeminent American food writer. She was a founder of the Napa Valley Wine Library. Over her lifetime she wrote 27 books, including a translation of The Physiology of Taste by Brillat-Savarin. In more than thirty books, M.F.K. Fisher forever changed the way Americans understood not only the art of eating but the art of living. Whether considering the oyster or describing how to cook a wolf, she addressed the universal needs “for food and security and love.”

A fun self-tour would be to find her old homes – just as you can with Julia Chilc in Pasadena. In 1912 after Mary’s father, Re, purchased a controlling interest in the Whittier News, he moved the family to Whittier, purchasing a house at 115 Painter Avenue. Seven years later , he purchased a large white house outside the city limits on South Painter Avenue. The house sat on thirteen acres, with an orange grove; it was referred to by the family as “The Ranch.”

The Library and Archives Department is open Tuesday through Friday from 9am to 4pm and Saturday from 1 to 4pm by appointment only. There is no charge for members of the public to use the Historical Society’s archives, but there may be reasonable charges for photocopies and reproductions. Depending on availability, our interns or staff may be able to conduct research for visitors. We realize now why the curator said, “we might as well let you in” because we had no appointment!