The Dish on the 2019 Newport Beach Film Festival Culinary Film Series

From serious gourmands to casual foodies, the 20th annual Newport Beach Film Festival (April 25 – May 2) is set to satisfy lovers of epicurean cinema in big way. The Culinary Film Series will showcase nine films that celebrate world-renowned chefs, the art of gastronomy, international food culture, sustainable farming, the craft of winemaking and…

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Avocado Deviled Eggs

I’ve found there are several distinct signs of happiness: spontaneous smiling, a sudden and unexplained tolerance for traffic on the PCH, and an empty fridge because to be honest, you’re way too happy to bother filling it. Cue a truly happy me when a friend of mine sends me this text at 6 o’clock on a Sunday: “Wine and cheese at…

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Rainy Day Pasta

Rainy days call for hearty dishes … like this pasta with ingredients sourced from the Newport Beach Farmers’ Market.

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Exploring the Wonders of Tuna Salad

A light and easy recipe for tuna salad, with many ingredients sourced from the local Newport Beach Farmers’ Market.

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Say Goodbye To These Three Newport Beach Restaurants

Whether the lease was up and the place didn’t want to renew or business was just slooooow, these Newport Beach restaurants are no more:

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A Toast to French Toast

Today I want to talk eggs. Why? Because there are eggs that are eggs and then there are eggs that are EGGS. The ones sold by Divine Harvest Family Farms at the Newport Beach Farmers’ Market on Sundays are undeniably the latter. They’re EGGS. Delicate rounds of gooey goodness, sent into the world from the…

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Chef Chat with a Napa Valley Culinary Master

It’s not every day you can ask one of the most renowned chefs in Napa Valley absolutely anything, but along came this article, and that’s exactly what I got to do.   Victor Scargle, a California native, is currently the culinary director at Boisset Collection, France’s third-largest wine group and the biggest wine producer in Burgundy. Though he calls Northern California home,…

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Sick Soup Cures All

In case you’re wondering, I’m sick. (Yes, I’m sure you woke up this morning and thought, “How is Melissa feeling today?”) Anyway, in the spirit of turning the bad to good, this ickiness at the very least presents the ideal opportunity for today’s “Make Your Market,” in which I will share an amazing soup I…

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In Defense of the Carrot Greens

Look, I know I’m biased. I just finished this dish not more than fifteen minutes ago. Heck, I’ve still got a small piece of carrot green stuck on my thumb as I type this very word. And these. OK, it’s gone. STILL. The meal—seasoned avocado on sautéed carrot greens and onions with soft-boiled eggs—was delicious.…

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Make Your Market: Mint Tea

OK folks, let’s try something a little different for this week’s episode of “Make Your Market,” the most exciting farm-to-table, farmers’ market culinary series to ever hit Balboa Peninsula (and beyond). Today I want to talk tea. “But really, Melissa?” You might ask, because you’re used to fun recipes you can eat for dinner that…

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