“Chef Michael Solomonov and Steven Cook, co-owners of CookNSolo Restaurants, have redefined Israeli cuisine in the U.S. and beyond. With five James Beard Awards, including Zahav’s “Outstanding Restaurant” accolade in 2019, they are celebrated for honoring Israel’s diverse culinary traditions through innovative flavors and vibrant settings. Their Philadelphia-based group includes beloved concepts like Dizengoff, Goldie, K'Far, and Laser Wolf, with recent expansions in New York and, now, Miami’s 1 Hotel South Beach with AVIV. Through their acclaimed cookbooks and the launch of Zahav Restaurant Recipe Hummus (Zahav Foods) at Whole Foods, they continue to share their signature approach to Israeli flavors with a nationwide audience.” Mike Solomonov takes a break from his busy kitchens to join us. “The fourth annual Long Beach Cambodian Restaurant Week returns May 17-24, 2026. The event is organized by United Cambodian Community (UCC) of Long Beach, a California registered 501(c)3 non-profit. May is Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month. Long Beach Cambodian Restaurant Week is a medium to bring everyone to the table, from all walks of life, to showcase the city's delicious Cambodian food scene. The eight- day event also seeks to highlight Cambodian-owned food businesses as well as Cambodian chefs and bartenders. Long Beach is home to the largest community of Cambodians outside of the country itself, many refugees settling in Long Beach after escaping the Khmer Rouge regime genocide of the late 1970s.” Long Beach’s Shlap Muan (a founding restaurant of LB Cambodian Restaurant Week) is one of the participating establishments. “Shlap Muan (Khmer for chicken wings) is a love and hate child between proprietors Hawk Tea and his wife, Sophia. It started out as a sandwich shop, but more importantly as a way for Sophia and Hawk to get away from the corporate grind.” Locations in Long Beach and a newly debuted location in Monrovia. Also they serve every Sunday at Smorgsburg L.A. in Downtown Los Angeles. The Wing Man himself, Hawk Tea, joins us. “Master Baker Chef Alex Peña preserves generations of Mexican Pan Dulce techniques in the groundbreaking cookbook, The Mexican Bakery. "Some of the best conversations of my life happened over the bakery bench," says Master Baker Chef Alex Peña, recalling the rhythm of work at his family's Cypress Park bakery, La Morenita. "It was a harmony of hands and hearts, built around old-world dough. For generations, the techniques behind authentic Mexican pan dulce have been passed down at those benches, with closely guarded regional recipes perfected by bakers who traveled north from Central America, gathering knowledge at bakeries throughout Mexico. These itinerant bakers became deeply polished in their craft, but their expertise remained unwritten, preserved only through demonstration and years of apprenticeship. Until now. In The Mexican Bakery, Chef Alex has created the industry's first comprehensive guide to Mexican pan dulce and its evolution in North America. This 333-page cookbook captures over 50 traditional recipes spanning the five categories of pan dulce that have been the backbone of Mexican bakeries.” Chef Alex puts down his whisk to join us. We have a 90-minute show so Chef Andrew Guel will be back with us next week with his always anticipated “Ask the Chef” segments. We’re talking about the California mussel contamination scare and revisiting the escalating credit card fees for (already squeezed) restaurants. All of this and heaping helpings of extra deliciousness on this week’s not-to-miss show!
