Rouxbe Announces Availability of Two New Foundational Culinary Courses

September 25, 2021 by evebushman

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA (PRWEB) – Rouxbe, the leading online culinary school, today announced the launch of two stand-alone courses now available — The Cook’s Roadmap and Plant-Based Cooking: An Introduction. Both courses focus on foundational techniques ranging from knife skills to core cooking methods, and are geared to individuals at all levels who want to expand their culinary skills.

“Whether the pandemic forced them into their kitchens or they’ve enjoyed cooking for decades, many home cooks want to take their skills to the next level, or are even considering a career in the culinary space, ” said Ken Rubin, Chief Culinary Officer at Rouxbe. “Both of these courses are great introductions to an elevated level of cooking as they provide fundamental skills and knowledge that make creating menus and meals both less stressful and more delicious.”

The Cook’s Roadmap course provides a framework for thinking about cooking food, modeled after the thought process of real professional chefs. This top-down approach helps students not only understand the landscape of cooking, but breaks cooking down into clear, conceptual pieces that can be mixed and matched to better understand, refine or create new dishes. Lessons in this course include knife skills, salads and salad dressings, rice/grains, wheat/gluten, pasta and both dry and wet cooking methods.

Plant-Based Cooking: An Introduction will arm students with the tools needed to live and eat a plant-strong diet, and how to begin integrating more plant-based ingredients into their daily lives. This course will also teach students about steaming, sweating, sautéing, braising, how to make salads, how to cook grains, legumes and so much more.

Both courses are recognized as approved programs by the American Culinary Federation and World Association of Chef Societies. Cooks Roadmap also provides transferable credits from the American Council on Education and both provide CEHs from Association of Nutrition and Foodservice Professionals.

To register for these courses, or the full offerings from Rouxbe please visit https://rouxbe.com/individual-training/

About Rouxbe
Rouxbe, the world’s leading online culinary school, was founded in 2005 to train people of all abilities to become better, more confident — even healthier — cooks in kitchens around the world. With high definition videos, world-class instructors, peer support and interactive assignments, Rouxbe has set the bar as the new standard in culinary education, providing certificate-level instruction not only to quality restaurants and hospitality organizations but also to serious home cooks and career changers. Rouxbe’s revolutionary online platform delivers cutting edge e-learning solutions that drive and measure learning outcomes and engagement while providing effective, lower-cost alternatives for training professional cooks. Rouxbe programs are also recognized by both the American Culinary Federation Education Foundation and by WorldChefs as approved training programs. For more information, please visit http://www.rouxbe.com.

MASTERS OF TASTE RETURNS – The Fifth Annual Masters of Taste Returns Sunday April 3, 2022

September 1, 2021 by evebushman

Los Angeles, CA – Come celebrate and be part of the fifth annual Masters of Taste, as L.A.’s premier outdoor, luxury food and beverage festival returns and will be taking place on Sunday, April 3^rd, 2022, from 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm on the field of the Iconic Pasadena Rose Bowl with 100% of the proceeds going directly to benefit Union Station Homeless Services!

Chef Vanda Asapahu, Photo credit: Masters of Taste

Masters of Taste is introducing Chef Vanda Asapahu as Host Chef of Masters of Taste 2022 which also happens to mark the 5^th Anniversary of this celebrated event which had to be canceled in 2020 due to the Pandemic. Masters of Taste 2022 Culinary Master and Host Chef Vanda Asapahu is the chef and owner of Ayara Thai Cuisine and she has participated since its inception in April 2016. Asapahu went to college at UCLA and to graduate school at Yale, then she spent four years living, traveling, and working her way through Thailand before returning home to Los Angeles. During Asapahu’s stay in her native country, she took extensive notes, which included absorbing Bangkok’s street food scene and reviving old family recipes. After cooking with relatives and eating her way through the streets and countryside, Asapahu brought back these treasured old recipes and new flavors to share at Ayara Thai. While her mother Anna Asapahu still helms the family kitchen, Asapahu is the vanguard, taking up the torch of her family’s culinary tradition at Ayara Thai Cuisine, and in May of 2019 Ayara Thai Cuisine was named one of MICHELIN Guide California’s 2019 Bib Gourmands.

“I have had the pleasure of participating in Masters of Taste since its inaugural year,” states Asapahu. “As a proud UCLA alum (Go Bruins!), I’d give anything for the opportunity to cook, eat and dance on the field of the Rose Bowl. 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 Taste 2019 was a sold-out event that attracted over 3,000 guests and garnered media attention all throughout Southern California and beyond. The fifth annual Masters of Taste 2022 is also expected to bring over 3,000 food and beverage enthusiasts together for one afternoon to celebrate this exhilarating festival, which will include the finest fare from over 100 Culinary Masters and restaurants, delectable sweets prepared by L.A.’s top Sweet Masters, top Beverage Masters who will be featuring signature handcrafted cocktail tastings from over 25 spirit brands and bars, a premier 50-Yard-Line Cocktail Bar featuring top Mixologists from four of L.A.’s most distinguished drinking destinations, select wineries, local craft breweries, cold-pressed juices, cold brew coffee, live entertainment and much, much more.

100% of the proceeds from Masters of Taste 2022 will directly benefit Union Station Homeless Services, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to helping men, women and children experiencing homelessness, rebuild their lives. Union Station is part of a premier group of human services agencies in L.A. County that are leading the way to end homelessness in our community. Union Station offers an array of services including street outreach, meals, shelter, housing, case management and career development. In the last four years Masters of Taste has raised over $2 Million in support of Union Station’s life-saving programs.

Mark your calendars and save-the-date for the return of the fifth annual Masters of Taste 2022!

Ticket Information: Masters of Taste 2022 will take place on Sunday, April 3^rd, 2022, and this is a 21+ event. 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 will go on sale Sunday, August 1^st, 2021. For more information on Masters of Taste 2022, please visit www.MastersofTasteLA.com.

Masters of Taste

Pasadena Rose Bowl

1001 Rose Bowl Drive, Pasadena, CA 91103

T: 626.791.6677

E: info@MastersofTasteLA.com

www.MastersofTasteLA.com

“How to Stuff in Italian” – a collection of family recipes passed down through a long line of Sicilian cooks

July 27, 2021 by evebushman

MEADVILLE, PA. (PRWEB) – “How to Stuff in Italian”: a delicious collection of family recipes. “How to Stuff in Italian” is the creation of published author S. Gary Polozola, a native of Baton Rouge who currently resides in Arlington, TX with wife, Kathy. Polozola earned a Juris Doctorate degree from Texas A&M School of Law and an MBA from Southeastern Louisiana University. The author recently retired from practicing immigration law in the Dallas/Fort Worth area.

Photo credit: Wallpaper Top Free

Polozola shares, “One of six children born and raised in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, S. Gary Polozola grew up with an appreciation of his faith, family, and food all wrapped in a Sicilian tradition. In the years before his recent retirement from the practice of Immigration Law, he began researching his ancestry which now numbers over 70,000 relatives back to the 1200s. Along the way, he amassed a large trove of family photographs, documents, and recipes. Reviewing the recipes, he noted that the most common thread was that of dishes that were not only uncomplicated but stuffed something—an eggplant, a noodle, a steak, seafood, and just about anything that could hold a filling, even dessert. So after culling through the hundreds of family recipes, he selected the ones he liked the most, and this cookbook, How to Stuff in Italian, was born.”

Published by Christian Faith Publishing, S. Gary Polozola’s new book is the result of years of family research and a passion for cooking.

The author shares a diverse collection of favorite family recipes for readers to enjoy with their loved ones.

View a synopsis of “How to Stuff in Italian” on YouTube.

Consumers can purchase “How to Stuff in Italian” at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble.

Tasting Abasolo Ancestral Corn Whisky and Nixta Licor de Elote

May 14, 2021 by evebushman

Well this was a first for me. I had the opportunity to try the first 100% Mexican Corn Whisky and a Mexican Corn Liqueur, along with a kit to make my own corn tortillas. Why? Because the corn used to make the whisky is normally used for corn tortillas! The samples of both Abasolo Ancestral Corn Whisky and Nixta Licor de Elote would come with a cast iron tortilla press, Masa Harina corn flour and Mexican seas salt. Ed would make the tortillas later for dinner, and I would return the favor by sharing the whisky before that!

The Invitation and Details

I wanted to invite you to a special tasting with Abasolo Ancestral Corn Whisky – the first 100% Mexican corn whisky…we wanted to take the opportunity to introduce you to authentic Mexican culture and traditions, namely nixtamalization…

Launched a year ago, Abasolo is made with non-GMO Cacahuazintle corn and the 4,000-year-old Mesoamerican cooking technique nixtamalization to unlock the full flavors of the grain. Traditionally used in Mexican staples like tortillas, Abasolo is the first spirit to use nixtamalization in its production process. To give a first-hand look, and taste, we’d love to send you a kit with samples of Abasolo and ingredients to make your own corn tortillas, including cast iron tortilla press, Masa Harina corn flour, Mexican sea salt, and of course, Abasolo Ancestral Corn Whisky.

The Tasting

The Whisky

Sweet roasted corn, butter toffee, brown butter, kettle corn, roasted Brazil nut, cream, vanilla bean all on the nose, for the taste I got a rich warm mouthfeel of those same corn notes, lots of vanilla and nuts with salted butter on the finish. If it wasn’t for the corn notes in the aromas and flavors, I would’ve assumed that the spirit was a single malt scotch whisky. Very interesting. I will keep what I have left of the sample to share in a blind tasting and see what another person may think.

The Liqueur

Familiar with lots of flavored liqueur from anise, to ginger to raspberry and more, but never one with corn. This time the nose delivered a lot of buttered popcorn, fresh churned butter, dried earth, vanilla ice cream and flan. Again, pretty interesting. When I tasted it, I could see having it with (or poured over) vanilla ice cream or flan, with yummy flavors that reminded me of sweet creamed corn, grilled Elote street corn, butter toffee peanuts and white chocolate or Macadamia nut cookies.

About Abasolo Whisky

Abasolo El Whisky de Mexico is crafted and distilled from the finest, non-GMO, Cacahuazintle corn which has been cultivated over generations by local farmers for its distinct, extraordinary flavor. Tasting notes include rich and smooth with deep, intriguing notes of roasted grain, vanilla, and honey that are unlike any other. Learn more about the Ancestral Corn Whisky Brand, by visiting abasolowhisky.com or follow us on Instagram @abasolowhisky

About Nixta Licor De Elote

To create Nixta, the best tender corn of the season is macerated in an exquisite corn distillate and sweetened with clarified sweet wort—both produced from ancestral cacahuazintle grown near our distillery at a height of more than 7,000 feet above sea level. Pure cacahuazintle corn is used in two different stages of development: Cacahuazintle sweet corn is macerated and prepared to extract all its delicate flavor. And ripe, cacahuazintle kernels are nixtamalized to produce a sweet wort and alcohol. Together, these ingredients make Nixta Licor de Elote into a flavorful, versatile liqueur that is true to its origin. Visit https://www.nixtalicor.com or find on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nixtalicor/

Eve Bushman has a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET), a “certification in first globally-recognized course” as an American Wine Specialist ® from the North American Sommelier Association (NASA), Level 1 Sake Award from WSET, was the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video (over 16k views), authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and has served as a judge for the Long Beach Grand Cru and the Global Wine Awards. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits.

The 1st Annual Women in Food and Farming Festival Kicks Off in New York’s Hudson Valley May 8-9

April 28, 2021 by evebushman

STONE RIDGE, N.Y. (PRWEB) – On May 8th and 9th, 2021 (Mother’s Day Weekend), EscapeMaker.com will present the 1st Annual Women in Food and Farming Festival at Stone Ridge Orchard in the Hudson Valley of New York State – 2 hours outside of New York City in Ulster County.

The 2-day-long hybrid live/virtual event will honor women-owned farms, businesses, and entrepreneurs in the food and craft beverage industries. The May 8th live farmers market will host dozens of vendors with products ranging from cakes and cookies to fresh veggies to honey and hot sauce to teas, hard ciders and spirits – all locally sourced and produced and for sale to the public. There will also be a craft beverage tent for on-site beverage purchases.

Mask wearing is required, and although the live farmers market will take place on the expansive 115-acre farm and orchard, attendance will be capped and procedures in place to adhere to all COVID-19 safety protocols and social distancing.

Additionally, for those not able to attend in person, there will be a virtual experience on May 9 of over 25 online tours, demos, and educational presentations on various topics for the public and trade by industry professionals, including Food Network television personalities Chef Maneet Chauhan (“Chopped” judge and Culinary Institute of America alumnus) and Chef Judy Joo, (the host of “Korean Foods Made Simple” and Iron Chef UK). Other presenters of note include the prolific author and activist and former presidential candidate Marianne Williamson on “Food & Connection.”

Local changemaker speakers include renowned cidermaker and Breezy Hill Orchard farmer, Elizabeth Ryan with a “Hard Cider Tour,” leading entrepreneur Liz Neumark of Great Performances and the Sylvia Center with a “Farm-to-Fork Tour of Katchkie Farm,” and author and expert reporter Amy Wu on the latest in “Women in AgTech.”

Presented by EscapeMaker and Fulton Stall Market, the farmers market and the virtual event is sponsored by The New York Cider Association, Cabot Creamery, Hudson Valley Farmhouse Cider, SnapDragon & RubyFrost Apples, The Diamond Mills Hotel Saugerties, Doorstep Market, VisitIthaca.com, and SullivanCatskills.com, with media partners like Heritage Radio, Edible Hudson Valley and Edible Manhattan.

The event encourages women consumers and entrepreneurs from across the food and farming industries, hospitality service members, chefs, restaurateurs, winemakers, craft beverage producers, local agritourism destinations, and lodging operators to attend, shop, taste, learn and participate – either in person or virtually. A portion of ticket proceeds benefits the Food Bank of the Hudson Valley.

“Now more than ever in this COVID age, women are being forced to leave the workforce in droves. Local food systems are breaking down, and local agritourism is suffering. We’ve got to dig deeper to find solutions, says Caylin Sanders, President of EscapeMaker.com. “A dream of mine for many years, this event will have a live farmers market at the beautiful Stone Ridge Orchard for shoppers to make conscious buying decisions to support women – the perfect fertile ground for new tastes, trends, and new local culinary trip ideas. Plus, it will also virtually bring together women online from all sectors within the industry to empower and inspire each other.”

Women vendors, farmers, producers, and speakers will be featured in two ways:

Saturday, May 8: LIVE OUTDOOR NEW YORK STATE FARMERS MARKET:

Local foods and beverages from women producers and farmers will be for sale to the public, and prize raffles will be held from 11am-4pm at Stone Ridge Orchard. Attendees will receive a to-go swag bag of local products to eat separately at socially distanced picnic tables or 10ft field pods. They can also get info about local agritourism farm escapes and farm-table restaurants, wine, distillery, and cidery trails. Social distancing protocols will allow consumers to watch demos and browse and shop for gifts. Entrepreneurs can gather info about MWBE certification, training, grants, and funding opportunities to either start-up or grow their businesses. A brief kick-off introduction will highlight the importance of celebrating women in business and creating opportunities for growth in the agriculture, food and craft beverage, and agritourism sectors.

Sunday, May 9: ONLINE VIRTUAL EVENT – ON-DEMAND:

The virtual event will offer tours, online presentations and workshops of interest to the public and also budding entrepreneurs. Topics to include –

Cooking demos
Farm tours
Food justice and policy
Craft beverage trends
Food and connection
Holistic nutrition
Foraging
Farming in the COVID age
Social media tips for food businesses
Adding glamping to a farm
Women cookbook authors
Women chef and farmer spotlights

“Women empowerment is a priority at Fulton Stall Market, where our goal is 80% of products from women farmers and producers,” says Bob Lewis, FSM’s Public Market Advisor and co-founder of New York City’s Greenmarket, 45 years ago. We’re excited to have the chance to honor their accomplishments during this event, inspire the next generation, and foster the upstate-downstate local food system connection.”

TICKETS: A portion of ticket proceeds benefits the Food Bank of the Hudson Valley.

Students 21 and Under: FREE on May 8 only
ALL-ACCESS PASS: $25 and includes live market access and a swag bag of samples on May 8 and virtual event access on May 9. The first 100 registrants will get a free gift box of cheese from Cabot Creamery delivered to their doors.
VIP PASS: $75 and includes live market access and a swag bag of samples and an exclusive live orchard walk and talk with Stone Ridge Orchard farmer Elizabeth Ryan and cider tasting flight under a 300-year old oak tree on May 8, plus virtual event access on May 9.

A portion of the proceeds benefits the Food Bank of the Hudson Valley. For tickets and info on the live farmers market and virtual events on May 8-9, visit http://www.womennourish.com.

Tuscan Extra Virgin Olive Oil Piro. Conquers Palates Around The World and Wins First Prize at the Prestigious “Flos Olei”

April 11, 2021 by evebushman

MIAMI (PRWEB) – Extra Virgin Olive Oil Piro. was recently awarded the highest distinction in the prestigious international extra virgin olive oil guide Flos Olei (http://www.flosolei.com) considered the most respected authority in premium extra-virgin olive oils around the globe. The 2021 edition of Flos Olei, which covers 500 best extra-virgin olive oils from 54 countries on the ﬁve continents, listed the high antioxidant extra virgin olive oil Piro. as “Best of” the category blended, medium-fruity, extra virgin olive oil.

“In three years we have received 17 international awards”- explain Piro.’s producers Daniele Lepori and Romain Piro. “In 2020, our premium brand Olio Piro. has won gold medals at the New York, Tokyo, London and Dubai competitions. These awards have made us understand that our products are much loved abroad”.

Piro. is produced in South West Tuscany, on the volcanic soil of Monte Amiata, in the uncontaminated region of Maremma. Created in 2018, the premium blend Piro has received numerous international awards, conquering the palates of the most famous judges and olive oil sommeliers around the world. “In this complicated and difficult year, adds Daniele winning this award at Flos Olei fills us with joy. We are passionate about quality, and this award crowns a lot of efforts.”

Extra Virgin Olive Oil Piro, Harvest 2020 Taster’s Notes:
Piro.’s aroma is redolent of fresh herbs followed by the scent of green almond. On the palate, notes of grass and tomato leaf with hints of black pepper. “This year, our very talented producers crafted a magnificent, robust oil, both complex and balanced”- Marie-Charlotte Piro, Piro.’s distributor.

Due to its exceptional phenolic content, Piro. is perfectly adapted for cooking at medium and medium/high temperatures, and for poaching and roasting, as recently featured and chosen by the Wall Street Journal as the best cooking olive oil. Piro. also is widely appreciated as a finishing oil on soups and stews, grilled vegetables, meats and fish, and crudités Piro. is imported fresh from Tuscany; each bottle is best before 18 months after harvest date, which is always handwritten on each bottle.

About Piro.
http://www.olio-piro.com
Produced by Romain Piro and Daniele Lepori at the award winning oil mill Anteata Frantoio of Montegiovi, in the municipality of Castel del Piano, Piro. is a premium 100% Italian blend coming from the 2,000 Olivastra Seggianese trees of Podere Anteata and from other local tree varieties including Leccino, Moraiolo and Frantoiano.

15th Annual Kosher Food and Wine Experience 2021 Goes Virtual- LiveCast Sunday, FEB 21

February 3, 2021 by evebushman

New York, NY – With sold-to-capacity crowds, the annual Kosher Food and Wine Experience (KFWE) is undisputedly among the hottest tickets in the kosher culinary world. These massive events in New York, California, Israel, Miami, and London attract thousands of restaurateurs, chefs, caterers, and foodies who wait all year to sample the latest and greatest in fine kosher wines and creative cuisine.

Fans of the expo will be thrilled to know that social distancing won’t spoil the party this year. In fact, those coveted tickets won’t be needed when the 15^th annual Kosher Food and Wine Experience goes virtual on Sunday, February 21 at 5:30 p.m. Eastern time.

All are welcome to sip and savor with the pros during this free livecast, presented by Royal Wine Corp. Program highlights include guided wine tastings with Jay Buchsbaum, VP of Marketing and Wine Education for Royal Wine; Erik Segelbaum, Food & Wine Magazine’s 2019 Sommelier of the Year; wine blogger Gabriel Geller, Royal Wine’s director of PR; and others.

“We spent quite a bit of time behind the scenes trying to figure out how to safely bring this experience to people while still capturing the essence of the show,” noted Buchsbaum. “Yes, things will be a little different this year, but the virtual format creates new opportunities. For instance, the more intimate setting means we can do a deeper dive into the wines, wineries, and winemaking process.”

Another innovative twist is the Official KFWE Tasting Kit, which will allow home viewers to sample wines with the experts. Each kit includes 100mL samples of 25 featured wines – each enough for 2-3 pours – from some of the world’s most prestigious wineries. Kits also include a tasting guide, recipe cards, and shopping lists so guests can cook along too. Available for $250 (plus processing and shipping fees), tasting kits can be ordered through www.TheKFWE.com. Order by February 12 to ensure delivery in time for the event. Must be at least 21 years old to purchase.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a KFWE without the food. Celebrity chef, restauranteur, and James Beard Award winner Michael Solomonov will be on hand along with Chef Gabe Garcia of Tierra Sur and personalities from Kosher.com, the leading website for all things kosher. Viewers can watch their demonstrations and cook along in real-time. Detailed recipe cards with shopping lists and prep instructions will be available for download ahead of time.

“Just as Erik Segelbaum and Michael Solomonov are respected and admired in the global mainstream wine and culinary world,” noted Royal Wine’s Gabe Geller, “kosher and Israeli wines deserve the same indiscriminating quality and appreciation. KFWE was created to spread that message far and wide. So even though we are presenting on a smaller physical scale this year, KFWE 2021 will drive that message home to more people than ever.”

This year’s event focuses on the following releases – all of which are kosher for Passover:

Carmel Signature Mediterranean 2017

Barkan Special Reserve Winemaker’s Choice Cabernet Sauvignon 2018

Shiloh Secret Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2017

Jezreel Valley Argaman 2017

Binyamina The Chosen Diamond 2017

Gush Etzion Winery Blessed Valley Chardonnay 2019

Tulip Black Tulip 2017

Netofa Dor 2017

Flam Noble 2017

Tabor Malkiya Cabernet Sauvignon 2016

Psagot Peak 2017

Teperberg Essence Malbec 2016

Hagafen Estate Bottled Coombsville Napa Valley Dry White Riesling 2018

Covenant Red C 2017

Herzog Variations Be-leaf Cabernet Sauvignon 2019

Herzog Generation IX Stags Leap District Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2018

Chateau Leoville Poyferre Saint-Julien 2017

Chateau de Santenay Les Bois de l’Alier Mercurey 2019

Château Guiraud 1er Cru Sauternes 2019

Chateau Giscours Margaux 2017

Chateau Montviel Pomerol 2018

Capcanes Flor de Primavera Peraj Ha’abib Montsant 2017

Elvi Wines Herenza Rioja Reserva 2014

Terra di Seta Chianti Classico Riserva 2016

Sforno Gran Reserva Red Blend Mendoza 2020

For more information on KFWE 2021, to register, or to purchase the Official KFWE 2021 Wine Tasting Kit, visit www.TheKFWE.com. Participants will receive a viewing link for the livecast along with recipes, shopping lists, and a sneak peek at featured wines.

About Royal Wine/Kedem

Since 1948, Royal Wine Corp., also known as Kedem, has been owned and operated in the United States by the Herzog family, whose winemaking roots date back eight generations to 19th century Czechoslovakia.

Today Royal Wine’s portfolio of domestic and international wines range from traditional wine producing regions of France, Italy, and Spain, as well as Israel, New Zealand, and Argentina. Additionally, Royal Wine Corp.’s spirit and liqueur portfolio offer some of the most sought after scotches, bourbons, tequilas and vodkas as well as hard to find specialty items such as flavored brandies and liqueurs.

The company owns and operates the Kedem Winery in upstate New York, as well as Herzog Wine Cellars in Oxnard, California, a state-of-the-art-facility featuring guided wine tours, a fully staffed modern tasting room, gift shop and catering facilities. Additionally, the winery houses the award-winning restaurant Tierra Sur, serving the finest Mediterranean inspired contemporary Californian Cuisine. Follow Royal Wine on Face Book.com/RoyalWineCorp/, and instagram.com/royalwinecorp/, and twitter.com/royalwinecorp

Chef Celestino Drago Officially Welcomes Legendary Restaurateur Piero Selvaggio as Managing Partner at Drago Centro!

September 5, 2020 by evebushman

Downtown Los Angeles, CA – For over forty years, Restaurateur Piero Selvaggio (Valentino, Valentino Restaurant Group) and Restaurateur/Chef Celestino Drago of the famed Drago Brothers have been close friends, colleagues, and competitors in the thriving Los Angeles dining scene. Now, their longstanding relationship transcends to a proprietary level as Chef Celestino Drago officially welcomes Piero Selvaggio to Drago Centro as New Managing Partner!

Piero Selvaggio (left) with Chef Celestino Drago (right). Photo Credit: Courtesy of Drago Centro

Originally from Sicily, both Piero and Celestino met over forty years ago in Los Angeles when Celestino first came to the states. Piero opened the renowned Valentino, the flagship restaurant in his Valentino Restaurant Group in Santa Monica in 1972. Valentino was widely regarded as one of the finest Italian restaurants in the U.S. and credited with introducing Angelenos to true Italian food, fresh ingredients and new products. Also, introducing a new wave of Italian Chefs that in time built world-wide reputations on the their own. Piero went on to build a multimillion-dollar restaurant empire garnering numerous James Beard Foundation awards for its wine list and service, along with critical acclaim for its food, wine, and service by top national publications including Wine Spectator, Bon Appétit, Gourmet, Food & Wine, local Los Angeles press. with more along the way. In 2018, after forty-five plus years, he decided to retire and close Valentino to look for new challenges. Piero met again with Celestino and started considering Drago Centro as the perfect venue for a new chapter.

Celestino has also created a restaurant empire of his own featuring IL Pastaio, Celestino Ristorante, Drago Bakery, Drago Ristorante, Drago Catering & Special Events, and for the past eleven years, Drago Centro has been Downtown L.A.’s premier dining destination for fans of an authentic Italian experience with a modern and innovative edge. “When I first arrived in Los Angeles there was nothing else like Valentino in Santa Monica (and Rex Il Ristorante in Downtown L.A.), and I always looked up to Piero as a mentor,” says Celestino. “Piero helped me out with many of my early ventures and being that we are both from Sicily, we have always had a special respect for one another.”

Over the years Piero and Celestino have remained very close and have done many events together. Both men have also dedicated their legacies to promoting modern Italian cooking with fine ingredients, so it is no surprise that these to celebrated restaurateurs would finally come together. Says Celestino, “When Piero decided to retire, we just kept talking. You can never really retire from this business, so the conversation just kept going.” And, the timing could not be more serendipitous as Celestino just Reopened Drago Centro while introducing a stunning New Outdoor Dining Patio, New Summer Menu, Takeout, Delivery, Curbside Pickup, and now the exciting celebratory new partnership between Chef Celestino Drago and the maestro himself, Piero Selvaggio!

These two new partners are today’s most exclusive package. Says Piero, “I am very excited to bring Drago Centro to the next level in time. Celestino and I understand each other completely and we are focusing on the future of dining in Los Angeles. I feel the stamina of this new project and I am excited for all of the new things we are going to do together now and in the future.”

As Angelenos are able to take advantage of L.A.’s great summer weather, Piero and Celestino have created a magical al fresco dining experience featuring a New Summer Menu on their New Outdoor Dining Patio. The tables for dining are spaciously and safely placed all throughout this stunning outdoor atrium surrounded by luscious greenery, verdant olive trees, and a resplendently calming water feature, where the pair await to take each guest on an extraordinary journey as they sip and savor under the stars.

Both Piero and Celestino know all too well that a memorable dining experience must be perfectly paired, so guests can expect great wine experiences featuring Drago Centro’s award-winning Wine List, and much more. “I am very excited to welcome Piero to Drago Centro. He is a longtime friend and we are going to have fun together,” states Celestino.

Benvenuti!

Drago Centro will be open for Outdoor Patio Dining, Takeout, Delivery, and Curbside Pickup every Monday through Saturday from 5:00 pm to 10:00 pm. For more information or to make a reservation, please visit www.DragoCentro.com or call Drago Centro directly at 213.228.8998.

Social Media: Please follow Drago Centro on Facebook @DragoCentro and Instagram @DragoCentro

Drago Centro

525 South Flower Street

Los Angeles, CA 90071

T: 213.228.8998

www.DragoCentro.com

Vintage Eve Circa Jan 2018, “Wine 101: The Demise of the Dinner Party”

August 25, 2020 by evebushman

Cruising a foodie group on Facebook one member’s query kind of stuck out in my mind. It was something like, “Does anyone do dinner parties anymore?” About half of the comments, if not more, said no. Due to pets, small dining spaces, children, busy schedules and a lack of ideas.

Bushman Kitchen – overlooking our Napa Valley vineyard (We wish!)

That lack of ideas on what to do for a dinner party got my mind racing. I never run out of ideas. Granted we have a kitchen made for entertaining, and a home that has managed events for up to 75 people, but the size of our kitchen isn’t where our dinner party ideas stem from.

It stems from our interests not only in food preparation and presentation, but also with the wine and/or spirits we want to serve to complement our meals.

If we go back a few decades we began as young married couples often do: experimenting in the kitchen. I happened to share my kitchen with a firefighter that was used to cooking for a dozen or more crew members. Hence, we always had too much. (Truth be told this is still a problem!) We had pals that lived close by that were more than willing to come up for a ready made meal, bring wine, and our Thursday Night Dinners began.

Every other week we walked over to see the Andrews, and they came over to our house on the weeks when it was our turn. Eventually other friends got wind of our dinners and they grew – with more couples and more wine than we really wanted to partake in on a week night.

Fast forward to our third home in Awesometown. Our kitchen prep area is probably four or five times greater than the kitchen was in our starter home was. And now we knew that the kitchen was where the action was. Ed had become an excellent cook, as most fire fighters are, and I was happy to be his sous chef.

Now we plan monthly dinner parties, with a rotating set of pals (as we are all so busy everyone is not always free) and still enjoy the menu planning as well as pulling wines from our cellar to pair. Over the years I have also enjoyed hosting meetings for the different events I’m working on, as well as a monthly Brainstormer’s Group – and these are mostly potluck with some kind of wine or spirit tasting I throw in for fun.

These are the different ideas we’ve tried over the years:

We did a large wine event with five different tasting stations where guests moved from room to room, outside to inside, and returned to the kitchen for the final pairing.

Hosted a jam-making class!

The “Buck Bar” idea borrowed from Lesley and David Solmonson’s book “The Twelve Bottle Bar” where guests are prompted to replace the vodka in a Moscow Mule with rye, bourbon or scotch, and the lime with orange or lemon. Just crafting your own cocktail with all the bartender tools is fun!

Pot lucks with everyone bringing one of their prized homemade dishes – can’t ever go wrong with that.

Gin or vodka tastings – those are not so usual – after dining.

After dinner put on a movie like Ferris Bueller’s Day Off that you can talk over.

I’ve done chocolate tastings where I’ve guided guests to go from dark to light, with some wine and port as well, to see how the chocolate flavors develop and change when we study them.

An adult Pinata with tiny plastic booze bottles.

Make friends with restaurant owners – they make you want to up your game!

Play Apples to Apples, or any easy to play game for families, after dinner.

Single malt scotch tastings, with minor pairings like grilled sausage and Snicker bars!

Wine and Junk Food pairing. We like popcorn and sparkling wine and chocolate candy with Zinfandel – with a lot in between. You have to do some experimenting before you plan this one.

After a dinner: blind wine tastings, single varietal tastings, aroma lessons…

So if you were on the fence about planning a fun dinner party I hope this article helped to get your creative juices working. And if you need more assistance, or a really fun guest, you know where to find me!

Eve Bushman has a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET), a “certification in first globally-recognized course” as an American Wine Specialist ® from the North American Sommelier Association (NASA), Level 1 Sake Award from WSET, was the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video, authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and has served as a judge for the Long Beach Grand Cru. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits.

GiangisKitchen.com Launches New eBook “Back to Basics: Cooking 101 – A Beginner’s Guide to Cooking”

May 6, 2020 by evebushman

PHOENIX (PRWEB) – Anyone who wants cooking to be a creative and energizing experience — instead of a hard or stressful ordeal — can now get the guidance, answers and advice they need in a new eBook from award-winning recipe blog GiangisKitchen.com called “Back to Basics: Cooking 101 – A Beginner’s Guide to Cooking.”

The new eBook was written by Giangi Townsend, the worldwide popular cooking blogger behind GiangisKitchen.com’s, and includes chapters that cover:

Basic Kitchen Cleanliness and Cross-Contamination
Knives – Sharpening, Handling and So Much More
Cooking Tools and How to Use Them
Cooking Pans
Appliances Needed and Why
Recipes from Beginning to End
Burner Basics
Plating Your Recipe
Pantry: What You Should Always Have on Hand
Unless it is Otherwise Specified and Replacing Ingredients

There is also a special bonus chapter, in which Giangi shares some of her favorite all-time recipes.

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For a limited time to celebrate the launch, Back to Basics: Cooking 101 – A Beginner’s Guide to Cooking is available at a discounted price of $9.99 (regular price $14.99). Secure purchases can be made from: https://www.giangiskitchen.com/product/cooking-101. The eBook is available instantly in PDF format, and features multiple high-resolution photos and clear, easy-to-read formatting.

Access GiangisKitchen.com is free, and no sign-up is required. The website also features money-saving offers and coupons and is optimized for all screens including tablets and smartphones. Visitors can also subscribe to get a weekly recipe round-up delivered to their inbox.

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About GiangisKitchen.com

GiangisKitchen.com is a popular and award-winning blog that features simple, delicious, elegant and nutritious recipes, geared to everyone: working moms, dads, grandparents, empty nesters, teenagers, and anyone else with a desire to prepare a great evening meal for their family in just 30-45 minutes.