Line-Up for November,14th

On November 14th Celebrity Chefs Tour will be back!



We will keep you up-to-date and let you know who the chefs for this event are and what other specials await you.
Our "A Thanksgiving to Remember" event will start with a demo by Pacifica Culinaria and you will have the chance to win a great raffle prize!

Pacifica Culinaria is a premier gourmet food manufacturer specializing in avocado oils for cooking.
Avocado oil is supposed to be healthier than the often used olive oil.
They offer ten varieties of flavor infused avocado oils including award-winning Blood Orange as well as Key Lime, Coastal Lemon and savory infusions such as Toasted Onion and Roasted Garlic. Their balsamic and champagne vinegars are legendary and have unique flavors such as Pear Pomegranate and Dark Sweet Cherry.

For more information about Pacifica Culinaria and their products click here.

But what's already for sure: This is gonna be a perfect start into another fabulous event!

How did it go? Part 2.

Last week we covered mixologist Garth Flood and his Old Fashion Bourbon, and Todd Allison’s appetizing risotto.  This week, we finish reviewing meal’s main course and desserts. 

The main course of the day was a stuffed pork belly dish by Richard Sweeney.  Rich started his demonstration with cooking the stuffing for his pork belly.  He shows the audiences the different ingredients, including his favorite, oil from cooking bacon.  He then tucks the stuffing in the middle of a piece of pork belly, which Rich was more than happy to educate us on how to get your best piece of meat.  After tying down the meat, chilling, cooking under low heat, then roasting it afterwards, you should get this golden brown stuffed piece of meat.  Watching him cook was one thing, but tasting it was another.  The meat and stuffing was great together.  The gravy that complements the dish soften the stuffing and melts in with the pork belly.  Collard Greens on the side lessen the heavy dish and calms the palate; a perfect dish for the holiday seasons. 

For dessert, there were not one, but three unique cupcake creations by Stefanie Gaxiola.  With Halloween on the horizon, all her cupcakes were infused with the holiday’s theme.  Stefanie shared her culinary history and got the audience a hands-on experience with making the cupcakes.  Needless to say, the audience took up her challenge.  All three cupcake recipes and all the other chef’s recipes are available at celebritychefstour.com. 

That’s not all though.  Besides the four celebrity chefs that showed up, a guest chef from Venissimo Cheese introduced us to various cheeses, their unique characteristics, and the different ways they are served.  This knowledge was perfect, seeing how everyone there loves to host their own house parties.  World Market even show up to teach some holiday decoration tips, and best of all, gave out a very generous gift bag full of World Market goodies.

If you missed out last time on all this food, tips and goodies, we’re having it again on Nov. 14.  Four new chefs will come and share a little of their culinary expertise and how you can apply it to your holiday parties.  Tickets are available here

Review

Chido Eats - a Blog in search of the best food-experience in San Diego has published a review on the first Celebrity Chefs Tour Event.  The event turned out very well for our chefs, and a promising show for our upcoming chefs on Nov. 14. as they tackle the Thanksgiving theme.

...read the review here!

How did it go? Part 1.

When you get a chef who starts talking about patenting the phrase “concentrated yum yums,” and the audiences all start cracking up, you know it’s an entertaining event. “Concentrated yum yums” of course, was how Chef Richard Sweeney referred to the oil produced from bacon fat, as he adds the ingredient into his Bacon-Sage Cornbread Stuffing mixture. It was delicious.

Richard Sweeney is only one of the four celebrity chefs who did a demonstration of their culinary skills and provide vast knowledge in what they were cooking. Mixologist Garth Flood educated us on the nature of Bourbons and the history of Margaritas. He showed how to make an Old Fashion Bourbon, an after party Tequilla, and an unique Hot Whiskey drink. Definitely not something you see everyday.

Todd Allison talked a little bit about all his past experience that led him to where he is today. A lot of Chef Allison’s great dishes were a result of the Farmer’s Market’s fresh ingredients. Everyone attended had a taste of his Butternut Squash and Rock Shrimp Risotto, which are some dishes that he doesn’t even serve on the regular Anthology menu. The Butternut Squash has a little crunch, but was tender enough to melt in your mouth. Topped with some cheese on top and some savory greens on the side, the dish has a great presentation as well as taste. The risotto was cooked perfectly with the unsalted butter for twenty minutes, to get that nice texture a good risotto should have. The risotto was mixed with some diced onions and rock shrimps, and undoubtedly the best risotto I have ever had.

That’s not all of course. In Part 2, I will tell you about our two other celebrity chefs’s dishes, as well as some surprise guests who showed up. Stay tuned!

And for Desserts...

Ending the list of the celebrity chefs coming to the Celebrity Chef Tour it’s Stefanie Gaxiola for desserts. Stefanie Gaxiola, or better known as “Red Velvet Stefanie”, is most widely recognized for her Red Velvet Cheesecake Cupcake. Her specialties wow’d even the judges of the Food Network cupcake competition “Cupcake Wars,” and ended up being the Finalist..

Her love for Red Velvets doesn’t just end there

Stefanie even entered the Cheesecake Factory’s contest for the next cheesecake flavor. There were more than 10,000 entries all trying to add their flavor into the already glamorous roaster. Stefanie’s Red Velvet flavor won out and now has a cheesecake named after her. Now that’s true dedication to Red Velvet cakes.

You can see Stefanie cooking with Richard Sweeney here on CW6. Better yet, you can just see her in person this Sunday at Anthology. 2 for 1 tickets available for the Celebrity Chefs Tour going on this Sunday.
Only 25 available- Book Now.

Richard Sweeney - Entree

If you have ever watched the show "Top Chef" on Bravo, you might remember Richard Sweeney from season 5. From Bravo.com:

"Richard Sweeney grew up in food service. Richard Sweeney's father has served as a restaurant manager for years and his mother and stepfather have owned several bagel businesses in Long Island where Richard spent many summers during his youth. Richard Sweeney has been trained by world traveled chefs in classic French techniques and their modern applications. Richard Sweeney's motto in the kitchen is, "Keep it simple (stupid)" – and he likes to do just that by keeping his plates simple and infused with natural harmony versus chaotic noise. At Confidential, Richard Sweeney likes to "play" with his food through the small plates style of dining, which allows him to create many new dishes for his guests to combine."

Unfortunately, Richard's days on the reality culinary competition was short and bittersweet. His Banana S'more did not impress the Top Chef judges or the guest judges, The Foo Fighters. Nevertheless, Banana S'more is not something your average chef can make up on the spot.

Once worked as the Executive Sous Chef at Confidential Restaurant & Loft in the Gaslamp District of downtown San Diego, Richard now opened his own restaurant in Hillcrest, R-Gang Eatery. One of his favorite things to cook is a simple pasta dish of grilled/sautéed chicken breast, garlic, shallots, olive oil, fresh basil, and some crushed red pepper. Sounds simple, but maybe that is just his expert culinary skills talking. Check out Richard Sweeney and your other guest chefs during the Celebrity Chef Tour at Anthology this Sunday.

Chef Todd Allison

The next in the line up of celebrity chefs in the tour is Chef Todd Allison. Chef Todd Allison is the Executive Chef from the home venue of the Celebrity Chef Tour, Anthology. His French and Mediterranean style cuisine is sure to bring an unique taste to the appetizers this weekend.

But for him, it was a long way before he made it to the kitchens of Anthology. Todd started as a dishwasher at Café 1134 and Chez Loma and worked his way up to be lead cook in three short years. He then worked with Chef James Boyce at Mary Elaine’s at the Phoenician Resort. Mary Elaine soon evolved into the Five Star restaurant it is today. Todd Allison also worked in varies other kitchen, such as the Montage Resort and Bollinger’s in Laguna Beach, and the Checkers Resaurant in Los Angeles Hilton, all leading up to where he is now.

You can be sure he will be showcasing this favorite dishes inspired by his vast culinary experience. See Todd and all the other chefs on Sunday, October 17th, at Anthology from noon til 4 pm. Tickets are limited to 150.

Mixologist Garth Flood

Celebrity Chief Tour is just around the corner, we feel that you should get to know your celebrity chefs before indulging in their fine culinary delicacies. Our front liner Mixologist is Garth Flood.

Located in the East Village part of San Diego, you can find Garth bartending at the Cowboy Star cocktail bar. His ease, effortless attitude is just you need to relax from the strenuous week. His attitude is not just for show either. Garth was the winner in the Preiss Imports Cocktail Contest. Read all about it here

Intrigued yet? Come see Garth Flood mixing up his favorite cocktail drinks at the Celebrity Chefs Tour Sunday, October 17^th, Noon – 4 pm. Tickets are limited and are available here

Celebrity Chefs Tour on FOX 5

Check out Chef Todd Allison and Chef Richard Sweeney showcase their tantalizing dishes on FOX 5 news. You can watch the whole coverage here.

October 17th 2010

Celebrity Chefs Tours San Diego will be launching on October 17th at Anthology. This is an event you dont want to miss. 3 local chefs, along with a mixologist will tantalize your tastebuds with great food that you will be able to go personally cook.

Four chefs from around San Diego, including our own Todd Allison, will take part in this live cooking experience. Highlights of the afternoon include:

 Live Cooking Demonstrations
 Samples of all the chef dishes
 Special shopping opportunities
 A great bag of swag

PARTICIPATING CHEFS:

 Cocktail – Mixologist GARTH FLOOD from Cowboy Star
 Appetizer – Chef TODD ALLISON from Anthology
 Entrée – Chef RICHARD SWEENEY from R-Gang Eatery
 Dessert – Chef STEFANIE GAXIOLA from Red Velvet Stefanie

TICKET PRICES (not including service charge):

 Single tickets – $75 (can be purchased through our website)
 Double deal – $140 (can ONLY be purchased through the Box Office)
 Limited space available (First Floor Only)

Fall in Love...with cooking - with seasonal inspired recipes

Sunday, October 17th from Noon - 4 PM @ Anthology San Diego

an afternoon of Fall Food, Fun and Friends!