The Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel is honoring the avocado during June.
The fruit will be featured in menu items, spa treatments and cooking classes.
The Bar at the Ritz plans to serve a Flaming Avocado Daiquiri, which sounds like it would perk up anyone’s day: cane rum, lime juice, lemon juice, fresh avocado, five dashes of Tabasco and garnished with a lemon wedge.
Avocado oil has been used for years by spa therapists. It is said to invoke a silky-soft texture for the skin because of its superior absorption. Avocado oil comes from the seed, but the fruit also is filled with vitamins such as C, E and B6, which may reduce wrinkles, moisturize, cleanse, exfoliate and enrich the skin.
A 90-minute avocado facial with fresh avocado puree is $185 at the Ritz-Carlton Spa during June.
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The Bar at the Ritz-Carlton: serving the Flaming Avocado Daiquiri during June |
Meanwhile, the hotel is set to again present its Summer Cooking with the Masters series of classes. All classes begin at 10 a.m. and are $100 each. A four-course lunch in Restaurant 162′ is included.
On Saturday, June 10, it’s the Avocado Cooking Class. Highlights include chilled avocado and coconut soup, plus a seafood medley with kaffir lime-infused avocado oil presented by Dee Nguyen, executive sous chef of the hotel.
Striped bass, heirloom tomato and pickled plum salad with avocado puree and pumpkin seed vinaigrette will be demonstrated by chef Joel Harrington of Restaurant 162′.
Blackened tuna steak with avocado and cucumber tartar sauce and siracha vinaigrette will be taught by Matthew Sisson, chef de cuisine of the Club Grill & Bar. Pastry chef Jeff Lehued will teach us how to make avocado-mascarpone ice cream, which he’ll serve on a Grand Marnier citrus fruit salad.
On Saturday, July 8, the hotel’s Barbecue Cooking Class features the quartet of chefs making satay grilled over a charcoal hibachi. Other food to be cooked: barbecue of maple-glazed Scottish salmon with white corn puree, radicchio and chipotle sauce; smoked tri-tip steak with ranch style baked beans and beer-battered Texas sweet onion rings. Dessert is grilled pineapple served with pomegranate molasses and vanilla bean ice cream.
Chocolate Cooking is at the Saturday, August 5 class. Highlights include seared scallops with curried sticky rice and condiments of lemon cream and sweet soy-chocolate caramel.
Call (949) 240-5008 to make reservations for the classes. The Ritz is at One Ritz-Carlton Drive, Dana Point.
Kiwi Power
Hi-Time Wine Cellars in Costa Mesa is probably the best-known wine shop in Orange County.
Renowned for the breadth and depth of its wines from all regions of the world, the shop’s wine-tasting events and knowledgeable staff help everyone select wines spanning all price ranges.
Hi-Time holds many events at its store. But I want to alert you to a special offsite event that’s coming up: The Center Club New Zealand Wine and Food Tasting on Sunday, June 11.
This is a rare opportunity to sample the very best from New Zealand at the Center Club. Wines from about 40 producers and negotiants will be poured. Reservations are required by June 5.
New Zealand’s brilliant white wines and sumptuous reds are being hailed as food matches extraordinaire. Lamb, carpaccio of emu and Tasmanian crab cakes are among the delicacies to be tasted at the event.
There is a dress code: business casual attire is appropriate,no denim, shorts, tee-shirts or tennis shoes. There will be complimentary valet parking.
The event is set to run from 2 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Price is $65 per person.
Center Club: 650 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa. For reservations, call Patty Quick at (800) 331-3005 or e-mail patty@hitimewine.net.
Club Culinaire
The association of French Chefs in Southern California has a grand picnic, Summer in the Park with Club Culinaire, in June every year.
The public can attend if you’ve got someone like me to let you in on the secret. The trick is to get your tickets now, before it’s sold out.
The food is prepared by a passel of the most famous French chefs in Orange and Los Angeles counties.
The picnic takes place Sunday, June 11, at the Crystal Springs picnic area of Griffith Park, 4730 Crystal Springs Drive, in Los Angeles. The event starts at 11:30 a.m. Games include petanque, soccer, volleyball and badminton.
Tickets are $40 for adult members of Club Culinaire, $45 for adult nonmembers and $20 for kids 12 to 21. Kids under 12 are free when accompanied by a paid adult.
To buy tickets, call Kora at (949) 295-0506. Remember: No tickets will be sold at the site. For more information, go to www.clubculinaire.org.
Bye-Bye Back Bay Rowing
South Coast Plaza was young when Back Bay Rowing and Running Club opened in 1979 near the Jewel Court.
Longevity through consistently good food and friendly and efficient service was the result. Sadly, the run has ended. The Rosoff family, founders of the restaurant, has decided that it’s time to let the location go.
Siblings Willie and Jenny Rosoff also own Village Green Foods in Irvine, which supplies restaurants and caterers with custom food products, so they are still in the business.
Many of us will miss the awesome meatloaf, the amazing salad bar, the authentic Oriental chicken salad, the unique burritos and the homey and nostalgic desserts.
