SoCal Restaurant Show Andrew Harris and Andrew Gruel

We’re now catching up with Head Chef for Team USA 2025, Stefani De Palma, and her Commis, Bradley Waddle on the culinary road to Lyon, France in January 2025 to compete in the Bocuse d’Or International Culinary Competition. For the first time, the Americas Selection Event will be held in the United States in the always vibrant New Orleans. On June 12-13, 2024, 9 countries will compete, with the top 5 teams earning a spot for the Bocuse d’Or Finals in Lyon in January 2025. The competing countries are: Argentina, Bolivia, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Guatemala, Mexico, United States and Venezuela. 

“The second annual Long Beach Cambodian Restaurant Week  returns June 2 to 9, 2024.  The 2024 event and future events are now owned/organized by United Cambodian Community (UCC) of Long Beach, a California registered 501(c)3 non-profit. Long Beach Cambodian Restaurant Week is an avenue to bring everyone to the table, from all walks of life, to showcase the city's delicious and diverse Cambodian food scene. The eight-day event also seeks to highlight Cambodian-owned food businesses as well as Cambodian chefs and bartenders.” CaliTea, California’s first brewed-to-order Boba Milk Tea and Organic Beverages purveyor is one of the participating restaurants in Long Beach Cambodian Restaurant Week. Sopheap Diggs, a partner, is our guest with a with a thirst-quenching preview.
It’s time for our next seasonal report on the very best in fruits and veggies and new products from our resident “Prince of Produce,” Robert Schueller of Melissa’s World Variety Produce. Melissa’s is expanding their distinctive specialty pineapple portfolio with the introduction of the “Precious Honeyglow®. Melissa’s and Del Monte join forces in an exclusive collaboration to introduce the newest member of the Honeyglow® Family: Precious Honeyglow®, a MINI pineapple packing the same punch of ultra-sweet golden flavor as Honeyglow® in a charmingly petite size. This exclusive treat starts with unique growing conditions and slow ripening on the stem for peak sweetness.” Also discussing Pinkglow Pineapples, Heavenly Villiago Marzano Tomatoes, Pink Elephasnt Mangos, Tree Ripen Mangos (best and peak of the season currently), Harry’s Berries Strawberries and Finger Limes.
 “Greater Palm Springs Restaurant Week is set to dazzle food enthusiasts once again from May 31 to June 9, 2024. The annual culinary event features more than 70 participating restaurants, with options including prix fixe menus and exclusive special offers only available during Restaurant Week. Diners can embark on a culinary journey through the diverse flavors of Greater Palm Springs, from Michelin-recommended restaurants to farm-to-table gems. 
Book your reservations today! $1 ($2.50 for Rancho Mirage restaurants) for every reservation booked through the Visit Greater Palm Springs Website will be donated to FIND Food Bank, the area’s regional food bank.” https://www.visitgreaterpalmsprings.com/restaurant-week/
Davis Meyer, Vice President of Government and Industry Relations for Visit Greater Palm Springs, joins us with all the mouthwatering details.
Our own Chef Andrew Gruel, the menu-maker behind the full-service Calico Fish House (in the Sunset Beach area of Huntington Beach) provides another timely and informative “Ask the Chef” segment where he responds to listeners’ thoughtful inquiries. Think there is nothing new when it comes to cutting the conventional sandwich using two slices of almost square bread ? Creating a spirited controversy via social media is the “Duff Cut.” The idea is to provide a better balance of crust and filling in each bite. Chef Andrew tried this with a grilled cheese sandwich served at Calico Fish House and shares the surprising intense guest reaction.
(Rescheduled from May 25th.)
All of this and heaping helpings of extra deliciousness...

We’re now catching up with Head Chef for Team USA 2025, Stefani De Palma and her Commis, Bradley Waddle on the culinary road to Lyon, France in January 2025 to compete in the Bocuse d’Or International Culinary Competition.
“For the first time, the Americas Selection Event will be held in the United States in the dining mecca of New Orleans. On June 12-13, 2024, 9 countries will compete, with the top 5 teams earning a spot for the Bocuse d’Or Finals in Lyon in January 2025. The competing countries are: Argentina, Bolivia, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Guatemala, Mexico, United States and Venezuela 
 
Over a period of 5 hours and 30 minutes, each team will create two presentations:
Theme on a Platter using Wild Boar and for the side dish, Alligator Sausage and GritsTheme on a Plate using regional seafood ingredients: white shrimp, jumbo lump crab meat, and Murder Point oysters
“Team USA has won first place at the Americas Selection Events in 2018 and 2022. In 2018, Team USA Head Chef Matthew Kirkley and Commis Mimi Chen, won first place at the Americas Event in Mexico City and in 2022, Team USA Head Chef Jeffery Hayashi and Commis Franco Fugel won gold at the event in Santiago, Chile.” 
The Honorary President for the Competition is New Orleans-based Chef Emeril Lagasse.
Since we last visited with Team USA 2025 Sebastian Gibrand (a previous Bocuse d’Or competitor for Sweden who earned Bocuse Siver in 2019) has been added as Head Coach. Chef Devin Knell has moved up to Team President.
Let’s cheer on Team USA 2025 in New Orleans as Head Chef Stefani De Palma and her Commis, Bradley Waddle join us. Travel opportunities for foodies to view the Americas Competition are available.

We’re now continuing the catch-up conversation with Head Chef for Team USA 2025, Stefani De Palma and her Commis, Bradley Waddle on the culinary road to Lyon, France in January 2025 to compete in the Bocuse d’Or International Culinary Competition.
“For the first time, the Americas Selection Event will be held in the United States in New Orleans. On June 12-13, 2024, 9 countries will compete, with the top 5 teams earning a spot for the Bocuse d’Or Finals in Lyon in January 2025. The competing countries are: Argentina, Bolivia, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Guatemala, Mexico, United States and Venezuela.” 
 
Over a period of 5 hours and 30 minutes, each team will create two presentations:
Theme on a Platter using Wild Boar and for the side dish, Alligator Sausage and GritsTheme on a Plate using regional seafood ingredients: white shrimp, jumbo lump crab meat, and Murder Point oysters
“Team USA has won first place at the Americas Selection Events in 2018 and 2022. In 2018, Team USA Head Chef Matthew Kirkley and Commis Mimi Chen, won first place at the Americas Event in Mexico City and in 2022, Team USA Head Chef Jeffery Hayashi and Commis Franco Fugel won gold at the event in Santiago, Chile.”  
The Honorary President for the Competition is none other than new Orleans-based Celebrity Chef Emeril Lagasse.
Let’s cheer on Team USA 2025 in New Orleans as Head Chef Stefani De Palma and her Commis, Bradley Waddle join us. Travel opportunities for foodies to view the Americas Competition are available.

The second annual Long Beach Cambodian Restaurant Week  returns June 2 to 9, 2024.  “The 2024 event and future events are now owned/organized by United Cambodian Community (UCC) of Long Beach, a California registered 501(c)3 non-profit. The 2023 inaugural event was organized by non-profit Long Beach Food & Beverage, who transitioned the event to UCC earlier this month for the token amount of $1, and will remain involved in 2024 to insure a smooth transition.”
“Long Beach Cambodian Restaurant Week is an avenue to bring everyone to the table, from all walks of life, to showcase the city's delicious and diverse Cambodian food scene. The eight-day event also seeks to highlight Cambodian-owned food businesses as well as Cambodian chefs and bartenders.”
"We are excited to take the reins of Cambodian Restaurant Week beginning this year, and owning this successful brand!" stated Susana Sngiem, Executive Director at UCC. “This will again give our local Cambodian community the opportunity to share our culture and cuisine with all food lovers in Long Beach and encourage them to try something they may not have experienced before."
“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. The city's own "Cambodia Town" is a bustling collection of eateries, shops and retailers.”
CaliTea, California’s first brewed-to-order Boba Milk Tea and Organic Beverages purveyor is one of the participating restaurants in Long Beach Cambodian Restaurant Week. Sopheap Diggs, a partner, is our guest with a with a thirst-quenching preview.

It’s time for our next seasonal report on the very best in fruits and veggies and new products from our resident “Prince of Produce,” Robert Schueller of Melissa’s World Variety Produce.
Melissa’s is expanding their distinctive pineapple portfolio with the introduction of the “Precious Honeyglow®. Melissa’s and Del Monte join forces in an exclusive collaboration to introduce the newest member of the Honeyglow® Family: Precious Honeyglow®, a MINI pineapple packing the same punch of ultra-sweet golden flavor as Honeyglow® in a charmingly petite size. This exclusive treat starts with unique growing conditions and slow ripening on the stem for peak sweetness.”
Also discussed in this segment are the popular Pinkglow® Pineapples from Del Monte.
Robert Schueller is our always knowledgeable authority with a basket of Harry’s Berries at the ready.

It’s time for our next seasonal report on the very best in fruits and veggies and new products from our resident “Prince of Produce,” Robert Schueller of Melissa’s World Variety Produce.
“Feast your eyes on the newly arrived Pink Elephant Mango, a tropical showstopper from Vietnam with naturally light pink skin. This mango is gigantic (weighing up to 2 pounds!), with smooth, buttery orange flesh surrounding a remarkably thin seed, leaving you with more delicious mango to enjoy.”
“Air-freighted from Vietnam's Mekong Delta region, the Pink Elephant Mango offers an extra sweet taste with almost no acidity. It’s best enjoyed fresh on fruit platters where you can admire its pink skin. In Vietnam, mango is sometimes served with salt, sugar and chile powder, sweet fish sauce (nước chấm), or served over sticky rice for dessert.”
Also highlighted in this segment’s produce basket are Heavenly Villiago Marzano Tomatoes, Tree Ripen Mangos (best and peak of the season right now), Harry’s Berries Strawberries from Oxnard and Finger Limes. 
Robert Schueller continues as our always knowledgeable authority with a basket of (soon to disappear until next year) juicy Ojai Pixie Tangerines at the ready.