The Great Pepper Cookbook by Melissa’s Produce + Margarita Chile-Cheesecake Bars Recipe

Joe and Sharon Hernandez founded Melissa’s Produce using their experience in the produce industry. It started small – a small, rented produce warehouse lunchroom with three telephones and four chairs. In a few short years, the company would grow to occupy a newly renovated and expanded 280,000 square foot office, warehouse complex, and state-of-the-art CCOF/QAI Certified Organic Packing Facility. In Melissa's/World Variety Produce, Inc. warehouse, one is sure to find the freshest fruits and vegetables - quality products with exceptional value and first-class service. Melissa's/World Variety Produce, Inc. is currently the largest distributor of specialty produce in the United States.

Melissa’s Produce is also all-knowing about “the pepper”. And what better way to celebrate this sometimes “hot little number” than with a cookbook! The Great Pepper Cookbook acts as a primer of all varieties of peppers, both fresh and dried. There are beautiful color images of all varieties peppers, recipes and includes the “dreaded” Scoville chart heat rating. 150 delicious recipes will take you from appetizer to dessert (I’m serious, chile peppers in dessert!) Put down those jalapenos and take a walk on the wild side!

In the Appetizers, Snacks, and Drinks section, Crab-Stuffed Cucumber Cups are a party pleaser. Here are some added tips to help you during prep:

• First, roast an ear of corn in the oven, 350 degrees for 30 minutes so it will be ready for the crab filling.
• For the cucumber cups, after removing the middle of each cucumber and salting them, put the cucumber cups opening side down on paper towels. The salt will start to leach the water out from the cucumbers. It will save you from excess dabbing later in the process when adding the crab filling.
• I could not find Manzano (or manzana) peppers in my local area so I substituted habanero peppers. I didn’t want to shock my guests with the spiciness of the pepper so I diced up two habaneros and it was perfect. The roasting process actually makes the pepper a little sweeter. The cream cheese and sour cream act as a cooling agent if you happen to get a large piece of habanero in your serving.
• I substituted crab claw meat instead of the lump meat. Smart & Final sells the perfect size can for the recipe in the refrigerated section. It is much cheaper than the lump crab meat and it tastes great too.

 

To read more, see slideshow, and get the recipe for Margarita Chile-Cheesecake Bars, please visit: http://www.examiner.com/review/the-great-pepper-cookbook-margarita-chile-cheesecake-bars-recipe

Review: Tequila Partida Blanco + Partida Margarita Recipe

Tequila Partida all starts with blue agave grown near a dormant volcano in Tequila Valley. The process is one of patience as la piña ripens and matures over 7 to 10 years. They use state-of-the-art stainless steel ovens to bake their agave, creating a smoother, cleaner agave flavor. The tequila is aged in one-pass Jack Daniel’s American Oak barrels.

Tequila Partida Blanco, on its own, has a floral aromatic that is recognizable for any tequila. Citrus and tropical fruit flavors are crisp as they hit the palate. It is strong yet very smooth. The color is perfectly clean and clear. Thumbs up!

To read more and see margarita recipe, please visit: http://www.examiner.com/review/review-tequila-partida-blanco-partida-margarita-recipe

Dami Sushi & Izakaya now open in Buena Park, CA

Wikipedia defines izakaya as “’I’ (to stay) and ‘sakaya’ (sake shop) – a sake shop that allows customer to sit on the premises and drink.” If you’re going to stay and drink, you’ll need some food too. In Japan, yakitori or kushiyaki (both words used for “grilled skewered meat”) is the food of choice. Since old times, yakitori was made with the lesser desirable parts of the animal – intestines, heart, liver, stomach, etc. Nowadays, you’ll find chicken breast and filet mignon. There is artistry to making the skewers. The meat is dressed and artfully skewered, basted with a sauce or just salted, and then grilled over hot coals.

Thomas Shin and Sylvia Lee wanted to bring authentic Japanese cuisine, craft sake, draft beers, and people together in a trendy and casual atmosphere. On March 28, 2014, they opened Dami Sushi & Izakaya http://eatdami.com/   in Buena Park’s new Village Circle on Beach shopping center. The shopping center is similar to Diamond Jamboree in Irvine – lots of Asian restaurants and shops. The restaurant space is cozy with booths, tables, and sushi bar. The menu was created by Executive Chef Jun Kim and Executive Sushi Chef John Yoon, along with culinary experts Chef Yoshihiro Matsumoto (owner and head chef of Sakura House in Marina Del Rey) and Joanne Chung (international menu consultant and food stylist).

Miso soup is a traditional Japanese soup with clear stock called dashi. Miso paste is mixed in with green onions, seaweed, and cubes of tofu. Dami’s version is served traditional-style in a chawan. I would add a couple more cubes of tofu for texture, but the flavor is on par. Thumbs up!

To read more and see slideshow, please visit: http://www.examiner.com/review/dami-sushi-izakaya-now-open-buena-park-ca

FIG & OLIVE highlights Southern California’s seasons in Newport Beach, CA

Laurent Halasz grew up in Mougins, in the South of France. Mougins is also known for the annual event called “Les Étoiles de Mougins”, an international gastronomical gathering of the world’s leading chefs. Together with his mother, Francine, the “Cuisine of the Sun” inspired them to create the foundation of FIG & OLIVE. Executive Chef Pascal Lorange continues the philosophy to create inspirational dishes combining Southern California’s freshest seasonal foods and the cuisine from the Riviera and Coastal regions of the South of France, Italy, and Spain. Olive oils are integral part of the dishes at FIG & OLIVE, using in place of butter. The cuisine also inspired the elegant coastal décor of limestone stucco walls, terra-cotta ceiling, green rosemary, olive trees, and a wall of illuminated bottles of olive oil next to the open kitchen.

Burrata, Tomato, Herbs, Balsamic Crostini has beautiful, sweet, juicy tomato paired well with creamy burrata. The herby balsamic on the toast adds a refreshing flavor to the combination. Thumbs up, way up!

To read more and see slideshow, please visit: http://www.examiner.com/review/fig-olive-highlights-southern-california-s-seasons-newport-beach-ca

Rance’s Chicago Pizza feeds your craving in Costa Mesa, CA

The idea started years ago when Rance Ruiz visited his older sister in Chicago, IL and fell in love with the Chicago stuffed pizza. Stuffed pizza is a thin layer of house-made dough pressed into a 2-inch deep-dish pan. The pie is filled with cheeses and ingredients and topped with a thin layer of dough. It is covered with sauce and baked until golden brown and the fillings are bubbling hot. At the age of 18, Rance made his first pie in his parents’ kitchen. In September 2013, Chef Rance began sharing his beautifully crafted Chicago-style pizzas with Orange County with the opening of Rance’s Chicago Pizza. This is a scratch kitchen, meaning that all items from the sauces to dressings to dough are all made from scratch.

Spinach & Artichoke Dip is jalapenos, bacon, and spices blended together with savory cheeses. The jalapeno adds a refreshing zing, not too spicy, to the creamy, gooey cheese. The artichoke flavor is really great but, sadly, the spinach flavor disappeared. The green spinach adds a nice color contrast. I love the bacon, adding a salty, smoky flavor to the mix. Thumbs up!

Bruschetta is topped with freshly diced tomatoes, sliced red onion, a hint of garlic pesto, sprinkled with French feta cheese, and dressed with house-made balsamic vinaigrette. It could use more punch from the garlic pesto as it is too mellow. The feta and onions brightened up the flavor a little. The tomato was piled a little too high making it very hard to eat.

Garlic Cheese Sticks are house-baked dough with an herb and garlic blend, topped with mozzarella and served with marinara sauce on the side. The bread is garlicky, buttery, and crispy which pairs well with the sweet marinara sauce for dipping. Thumbs up!

House Salad is leafy mixed spring greens, red onions, mushrooms, diced tomatoes, covered with shredded mozzarella cheese, and served with your choice of house-made dressing. My favorite dressing with this salad is the house-made Ranch. It tastes like homemade and is very creamy. The herbs from the dressing complement the ingredients in the salad. Thumbs up, way up!

Veggified (Thin Pizza) is topped with artichoke hearts, black olives, green peppers, mushrooms, and onions. I found this pizza to be a bit bland. The crust is actually the star as it had more flavor that the actual toppings. A sprinkle of garlic salt or dried basil & oregano might punch up this pizza.

Spicy Hawaiian (Thin Pizza) is topped with Canadian bacon, pineapple, and jalapenos. The sauce is good, not too heavy. The crust has a great flavor and texture (like a good loaf of sourdough bread, crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside) and doesn’t overpower the toppings and sauce. Canadian bacon and pineapple are always a good combination and the jalapenos kick it up a notch. Thumbs up, way up!

Rance’s Favorite (Pan Pizza) contains meatballs, bacon, and jalapenos. The meatballs were a little bland. Bacon was visible but undetected on the palate. It was definitely missing something, maybe some salt. The jalapenos helped a little, but it still needed something to bring the meat flavor forward.

Tomato Basil (Pan Pizza) is a delicate blend of crumbled feta and mozzarella cheese topped with thinly sliced fresh tomatoes and fresh basil. This pizza is light and refreshing. It’s really cheesy (in a good way) and the feta adds a salty flavor note. Thumbs up, way up!

If you’re craving Chicago deep-dish pizza, look no further. Rance’s Chicago Pizza is ready to feed that craving.

Atmosphere: 4 out of 5 stars

Décor: 4 out of 5 stars

Service: 5 out of 5 stars

Food: 4 out of 5 stars

For more information:
Rance’s Chicago Pizza

1420 Baker St Ste B

Costa Mesa, CA 92626

714.708.2143
Hours: Sunday through Thursday from 11am to 9pm, Friday and Saturday from 11am to 10pm