Come one, come all to the Fairmont Newport Beach for the Golden Foodie Awards...if you can manage to snatch a golden ticket before the rest of Orange County's finest does. I kid you not - the tickets sold faster than gourmet hotcakes (red velvet with maybe a dusting of gold leaf? drizzled with chipotle maple syrup from a single tree in Vancouver tended to by a 100 year old man perhaps?) this year due to the immense buzz that last year's Golden Foodies generated. "Food's Highest Honor" that night seemed just to be in the presence of the great Orange County restaurants nominated for a 2013 award, waiting for the possibility of touching a curvaceous Golden Foodie statuette if a member of your table won. We were thrilled at the event last year but this year, the special honor of being a nominee seemed to heighten the experience. That plus this year didn't seem so lonely as more and more familiar faces came across our way than last; that's what a year of eating in Orange County does, I suppose!


Hundreds walked the (now) golden carpet, getting pictures snapped of them by the paparazzi of the evening. If you weren't a nominee, chances were that you were in support of a nominee or a part of the industry. If not, we hope you had a blast anyhow. How could you fail to have a good time with all of the wonderful restaurants presenting samples and free-flowing drinks? We caught up with Melissa's Produce, just about the most well-known of produce companies; more than a handful of the nominated restaurants are avid users of the produce and proud of it too. We can't even name how many boast their usage of Melissa's Produce, and even the Golden Foodie Awards had caught onto them. Other sponsors of the evening included Hawaiian Springs Water, Chambord, Patron Tequila, Ritual Brewing, Kean Coffee, and Sadie Rose Baking Co. As guests mingled with each other, they anticipated the arrivals of celebrity guests such as Vicki Gunvalson ("The Real Housewives of Orange County"), Wing Lam (Wahoo's Fish Taco), and Duff Goldman (Charm City Cakes).


Not ones to be star-struck, we ended up spending the start of our evening indulging in petite-but-flavor-packed foods such as filet mignon, lamb, pork belly sliders, ceviche, and so much more. The people we were most excited to see found us first - Jun and Hiro Noguchi of Sushi Noguchi! Why the joy, you ask? We were absolutely, undeniably rooting for them for Best Sushi in Orange County as we firmly believe in their restaurant and its fare. It's the underdogs that need to be recognized at awards like these, and we were glad to walk around the booths with them for some time. Cocktails that evening came around provided by sponsors Chambord and Patron but there were also wines by La Crema and Jackson Estates.


Excitement and anticipation filled the gorgeous outdoor patio air in the hour and a half prior to entering the ballroom for the actual awards ceremony. Rather than getting too antsy waiting for the recognition portion to start, we made the rounds to meet the chefs being nominated that evening. Ceviche was a popular theme that evening as many restaurants showed off their fare in such fresh manner. Others opted for bold savoriness, cooking up items such as chorizo tacos, Australian skirt steak, and even "Blue Balls" of veal.


Not every presenter outside during the cocktail hour was a nominee however. Some restaurants brought along their pet projects that were soon to open. What a perfect opportunity for marketing an up and coming restaurant! We saw our favorite Lucca Cafe showcasing a menu item for both itself and its future restaurant Provenance. Similar in style due to Chef Cathy's signature flavor profiles, the sliders presented different spins on the same menu item and convinced us even more that the new restaurant would be an absolute treat. There was even SOL Cocina's solita present, eagerly showing off and in wait for an opening in the next few weeks.


It seemed like it would take a while for the doors to finally open to let guests in (the sun had gone down!) but eventually they opened wide to reveal the bold ceiling-tall letters spelling "GFA" on the backdrop. Each table was decorated with beautiful and bountiful desserts of various sponsors including our favorite chocolatier, Valenza Chocolatier. Our hilarious hostess, comedian Frances Dilorinzo, kept all of the audience entertained between announcements and clips; this year, the Golden Foodie Awards committee created comedic clips of nominees/chefs' "interviews" where ridiculous answers were said to give the audience quite the laugh.


Another glorious event, this year's Golden Foodie Awards felt much larger than last year's; perhaps it was all of the familiar faces we now saw or it was the abundance of joy in a room. The key moment for us that night was the heart-wrenching (okay I admit - I cried for them) and tearful speech Chef Hiro gave (while Jun cried to the side of him) about how thankful they both were to be recognized for their craft. We were even more surprised when my name was mentioned in the thank yous. No, Jun, thank YOU for bringing great food to Orange County - everyone may be turning the food scene around but we still have improvements to make in this food industry here. The Golden Foodie Awards is a step in that direction. Other favorite wins of ours include Slapfish, Lucca Cafe, Blackmarket Bakery, Mick's Karma Bar, and Hopscotch. Congratulations to everyone! Just being a nominee is an honor in itself. Great job to the OC Restaurant Association, especially Pam and Tricia for putting on another phenomenal event.

Curious as to who else won? We had "live streamed" it via Facebook fan page and Twitter that night which you can still find or you can take a look at the listings below. Perhaps you should make a trip to one of the restaurants, and make it a date! I'm sure they would love that. Without further ado, here are those nominees with winners in bold:


Our heartfelt thanks go to everyone who voted for me as Best OC Food Writer. It was a humbling experience that night to hear firsthand from those who did cast their votes on why they did. We do put forth a lot of effort to keep our readers informed (both visually and in writing) about the restaurants in Orange County, food-oriented events, and cooking tips/recipes. Food is one of my greatest curiosities, and I seek to continue our journey making much ado about fooding. I am grateful for the support and for the amazing passion behind everyone's work; I only seek to write the truth about your restaurants so in reality, you make my job easy! As for next year, perhaps we'll return as nominees again!

Photography by Duc Duong. Additional photos can be found on Facebook.

I got a message yesterday from Jun of Sushi Noguchi, our favorite sushi place, saying congratulations. Congratulations for what, I thought? Then I realized that the latest Golden Foodie Awards email had just come out. Because of everyone's fantastic support, I was nominated for the "Best OC Food Writer" award! Other nominees include Anita Lau and Cathy Thomas. I am so thankful for all of your votes, and we won't know who the winner is until the actual awards ceremony on September 29th. I'm just grateful for making it onto the nominee list, especially among the caliber of the other nominees. We're going to have a blast there!


Thank you for everyone who voted during the nomination period. We were so happy to see a lot of our favorite restaurants on the nominees list as well including Sushi Noguchi. The event was great last year with plenty of fun and familiar faces but after a year of more exploration among the OC foodies, we are sure to have a lot more of people to cheer with.


So I suppose the next step is to wait until the 29th to see the results. In the meanwhile, let's celebrate while we can. Much Ado About Fooding has nearly 1,000 fans on Facebook now too! The good news keeps rolling in. Be on the lookout for an announcement on the fan page - once we hit 1,000 fans, we'll host a celebratory event that we'd love our supporters to come out to. Thank you once again for enjoying our work, writing, and photography. We'll keep doing what we love doing and hoping that we're able to help everyone out. Don't hesitate to get in touch if you want us to explore something for you and "report back"!

For a full list of the nominees for 2013, please visit http://www.goldenfoodieawards.com/page/2013-nominees.

It was hard to believe that the most recent chef demo we attended was the last of the Golden Chef series for the Golden Foodie Awards 2013. There had been three before it featuring Golden Foodie Award winners and nominees. This event time, we were graced by the presence and expertise of Chef Louie Jocson from Red Table in Huntington Beach who prepared "Shrimp & Pearls" for the audience. Chef Charlie Plummer, Sommelier with the Jackson Family Estate Wines, was once again the lively, crowd-pumping host, and the venue for this demo was again the Sub-Zero and Wolf Show Room in Costa Mesa.


As always at these events, we had plates of fresh fruit by Melissa's Produce, artisan bread by Sadie Rose, toffee by Addington Toffee, and wine by La Crema out for nibbling on while the demonstration went on. Charlie began with introductions of Chef Louie Jocson, sous chef Gonzalo (aka Pumba!), and helper Christina from the Arts Institute. Chef Louie is the creator and executive chef of Red Table in Huntington Harbor who created it with memories of good times with friends in mind; they would gather together to do the core things to de-stress in life - Relax, Eat, and Drink around the table. It became obvious to the chef that his place would have to be called RED Table then. Filipino with a Hawaiian background, Chef Louie has been in the kitchen since he was young. In a household with four other brothers and nary a sister in sight, the culinary chores of the household fell upon each of the siblings; though they hated it then, it became obvious that this exposure blossomed into his passion.

"Fresh is best."

Red Table recently celebrated its second anniversary on July 25th but prior to that, Chef Louie had been involved with start ups to full blown restaurants. Trained at the Culinary Institute of America in San Francisco, he finally put together his home-style restaurant which is designed to be just like coming to a person's house for dinner - no hostess in the front, sitting wherever wanted, and no signage all over the walls. It is formed to be welcoming and reminiscent of a familiar environment filled with plenty of great food. We took a look at his work station which focused on fresh herbs in water glasses and stock made from fresh produce for the mirepoix & shrimp shells for the base. Fantastic.


To give us all a special treat and prevent our grumbling stomachs from drowning out the sounds of his voice during the demo, Chef Louie specially prepared his poke dish for the audience to share. It was chopped to perfection and contained a stunning (but brief) kick of spice. As we ate that bit of seafood, we learned how he picks his seafood of choice for the dish: Black Tiger Shrimp. By the way, that is my favorite shrimp, and I was glad to see that we would all be partaking in its succulence. These ones from Thailand were U8-10 (meaning 8-10 units per pound which he explained to the audience). He showed guests how exactly to pick out the freshest and best shrimp (crimson legs, dark black stripes, shell-on, and clean smell), how to save their thick shells to make stock, and how to clean them out before cooking. These were grilled after being marinated (garlic, shallot, salt, pepper, dried oregano, Italian parsley, chili flakes, and olive oil) to partial doneness (if no grill is available, he recommends a grilled pan) and finished off in the convection oven similar to how a steak would be done.


For once, we got to see host Charlie in action as Chef Louie invited him to assist in the cooking. During this interaction, we learned that the simplest meals will make chef happy, especially ones that his wife prepares. A rotisserie chicken is no match for him ("I will eat the whole chicken.") but don't give him peanut butter - that's the only dislike so far! After they brought the oil to its smoke point, diced tomatoes were added to slow heat and provide moisture before basil, chives, parsley, and parcooked chopped shrimp were added in. Chef's main tip for the night was to layer flavors and seasonings during cooking so that you are seasoning at the beginning, middle, and end. The "pearls" for this dish were Israeli couscous, and the style was risotto-like.


As we got closer to the finish, Charlie asked a bit about Chef Louie's stance on the "unhealthy" foods in cooking, particularly MSG which is still prevalent in Asian restaurants. His response to that specific additive? "I grew up on MSG. That's how I'm so well-preserved!" Then he, of course, proceeded to finish off the risotto with his cooking companion - "This is about taste, and butter is my friend." We sure got to taste what that addition was like, and there were no complaints anywhere! To beautifully plate his dish, Chef Louie added colorful droplets of herb oil and roasted red pepper oil before graceful lines of balsamic reduction were laid around the pearls. Basil microgreens topped the beautifully slightly-charred shrimp, and everything was finished with an homage to his Hawaiian side: Kauai red clay sea salt and black lava sea salt.


Charlie was on hand to guide guests into pairing this dish at home if they so desired to try making it. For its light body and mouthwatering traits, a Pinot Gris was selected. For the citrus notes best complementing seafood, a Sauvignon Blanc was picked. Both were chosen for their compatibility with the whole dish based on weight, acid, salt, and intensity. It was an informative, brief tutorial into the world of wine-pairing, and I'm sure the guests appreciated the tips! We found the dish to be not just gorgeous to look at but to taste as well. The shrimp had been cooked to the perfect texture, and the seasoned pearls lent a fine, fresh finish to the meal. More reason, aside from the Chef's amicable nature itself, to visit Red Table in Huntington Harbor! Our thanks to the crew for having us and for putting on a great show.


Photography by Duc Duong. More pictures available on Facebook here.

"We're not trying to reinvent the wheel. We're just trying to get people the flavors of northern Italy - cooking from the home, cooking from the heart." - Chef De Cuisine Christian De La Vara, Brunos Trattoria

On June 26, 2013, the Golden Foodie Awards association hosted another Golden Chef Series Demonstration at the Sub-zero and Wolf Showroom in Costa Mesa, this time featuring Chef Christian De La Vara of Brunos Trattoria. Up for nomination for Best New Restaurant for the 2013 Golden Foodie Awards after 8-9 months of being open, Brunos Trattoria is located in downtown Brea at 210 W. Birch St and features homestyle Italian cuisine. Their goal in bringing the classic dishes is "to provide a relaxing dining atmosphere with soul-satisfying fare." We were in for a treat that night for his instruction and to taste his creation.


It is always a joy when these events are hosted by emcee Charlie Plummer, Sommelier with Jackson Family Estates Winery, who kept the live audience engaged and laughing. As Chef Christian was preparing his meal, guests were able to enjoy fresh produce by Melissa's, artisan bread by Sadie Rose, Addington Toffee, Cabot Cheese, and wine by La Crema. We learned about the chef's training in Pasadena after having grown up in the San Gabriel Valley and how the restaurant is associated with Cha Cha's in Brea as well. Did you know that Chef Christian's first restaurant venture, Bistro Pasqual, was with his wife when he was just 25 years of age? Brunos is now his place of culinary residence though, and they have been quite popular in their short operating period. The restaurant's philosophy that governs the ingredients results in nearly homemade everything from the pasta (nearly all of them) to the sauces to the stocks. They also try to capitalize on the seasonality of ingredients for freshness and on using authentic imports (when needed) such as their cheeses.


On the menu for the evening was the Pappardelle Brunos ($16.95 - braised short rib ragu with wild mushrooms and housemade pasta), chosen for being the most popular pasta dish at the restaurant. Chef also highly recommended the fresh gnocchi, lasagna bolognese, and carbonara for anyone looking to visit Brunos anytime soon. When asked what other type of pasta would work well for this dish, penne was the choice. Another reason to showcase this recipe was for its relative ease to make at home - a good reason for all of the audience members to attend. As we watched him put together the dish, he talked about the power of a good satchet of herbs in any dish and how to cook pasta properly (in his way - boil salted water first before adding pasta and then cook until texture preference, not necessarily "al dente"). Chef Christian also spoke on how the best quality of olive oil should be used to finish a dish and not to cook with so that the flavors are at their peak when consumed.


The result was a beautiful, aromatic pasta dish with soft and succulent chuck boneless short rib. Of course in proper Italian fashion, wine pairings were in order and so Charlie chose two types - a Chianti Classico for its provincial Italian roots and ties to the dish in similar herb and terroir and a Pinot Noir for its versatility and complementary fruit notes. The guests were able to taste a bite as well, and seeing as pappardelle is my favorite pasta, I thoroughly enjoyed it. The wild mushrooms added a savory touch that married together the smoothness of the pasta with the heavy ragu well. A tip for those recreating the dish: the inside "ribs" of a mushroom cap will bleed out black and brown if you do not scrape them off with a spoon.

Want the recipe? Use 2 oz olive oil, 5 lbs. beef short ribs in 3"x2" pieces, 1 tbsp kosher salt, 1 tbsp black pepper, 3 whole garlic cloves, 1/4 cup diced celery, 1/4 cup diced carrot, 1/2 cup diced yellow onion, 3/4 cup Italian tomato paste, 1-2 sprigs fresh rosemary with 1 bay leaf in cheesecloth, 1 tsp dried oregano, 1 1/2 cups tomato sauce, 3 cups red Italian table wine, 3 1/2 cups chicken stock, and mushrooms of choice (in amount too).

• Season ribs with s+p and sear in braising pan until caramelized & dark brown all around. Remove from pan.
• Cook garlic, mirepoix, and satchet until translucent; add tomato paste for another 3 minutes.
• Deglaze with wine for 2 minutes before adding tomato sauce. Braise meat on low heat in sauce for 2-3 hours until fork tender.
• Break up meat and remove from pan. Save ragu  for pasta base - add mushrooms to it.
• Cook pasta and then add in short ribs and ragu for 3 minutes. Serve with fresh parsley, EVOO, and grated Parmesan.

In addition to the pasta dish were bites of the seasonal Torte (this time with blackberries) and the Budino al Caramello (caramel custard with hazelnut liqueur, caramelized sugar, honey, kosher salt, dark chocolate ganache, and hazelnut ganache) as served by Pastry Chef Stevie Sandoval and Chef Dylan. Both were excellent but the budino truly stood out; I can easily see it is the best-selling dessert and almost always ordered at every meal.


Another treat in store that night was a demonstration by Master Roaster Martin Diedrich of Kéan Coffee on how to pour the perfect cup of coffee. Of the only 3-4 Master Roasters in Southern California, we were honored to see one of them that night. However, it is without surprise that Martin was in the coffee business having grown up as a coffee farmboy with 150+ years of coffee growing on his mom's side and 100+ years on his dad's side.


The audience was taken through the full process of coffee from beginning to end during the demonstration. Martin had brought in his own young coffee tree to show guests what one would look like. Every table had a display of different stages of coffee so we cupped little coffee cherries in our hands, pushed out the fruit, and separate the "seeds"/beans to take a look. Light green beans were the next step and most definitely not yet edible (though the fruit meat is!). With quality roasting, we found ourselves face to face with the much more familiar coffee bean, dark and aromatic.


Each cup of coffee from these Guatemalan Atitlan beans produced a creamy, fruity taste with some hints of nuttiness. They were additionally paired with the Midas Tart of Blackmarket Bakery to round out the evening well. My thanks to everyone involved in making this happen for all of us eager to learn and to those who attended because profits from the event went to Share Our Strength! Don't miss the next event in the Golden Chef Series on July 31st!

Photography by Duc Duong. More photos to be available on Facebook.