Do we all miss Sorento Grill in Laguna Beach? Well I can honestly say that its usurper 370 Common is one of my favorite restaurants in Laguna. They have an extensive menu of small starter dishes that are really all full of flavor and provide many different selections that are fun to share with a group of people. 

Their burger is outstanding and of course you have to get the egg on top. The pasta is excellent, and the brussel sprouts and cauliflower will blow your socks off. 

It is so much fun to sit at the counter and watch the chefs do their thing while you sip on a healthy pour. My favorite thing on the menu, which is not offered all the time, is called Sending the Chef To Cooking School. When it's on the menu, trust me. You have to try it out. 

The owner, Ryan Adams, did me a huge favor two years ago. As we all know, fois gras is illegal in California. I decided the day before it became a law, I was going to give a send off fois gras party. So I contacted Ryan, and he ordered three fois gras lobes. He was so amazing, had me back in the kitchen when I picked them up, and put me through a mini-cooking class on how to braise and sear the fois gras. It turned out delicious, my guests were amazed, and I have remained a fan of Adams and his staff ever since. 

An added bonus... They are open on Mondays! Try to sit downstairs. As I said, the counter is my favorite. It's loud, the acoustics are a little noisy, but it is fun and delicious.

FMI: http://www.370common.com/
370 Common is located at 370 Glenneyre Street in Laguna Beach, CA

Talk about a crowd pleaser.  I decided to make my famous sliders for a gathering I had with my healthy bar method girlfriends. However they had no reservations about chowing down on these delectable appetizers. 
The secret behind their incredible flavor is the caramelized onions.    

This sauce recipe is so easy. Use a mandolin slicer to thinly slice the onions. Cook in butter on medium until the onions start to turn brown and get really soft.  Add a hint of salt and brown sugar and continue cooking until flavors mix.  This can be made in advance and can be reheated before you serve them. Cook patties normally, set up your sliders, and place the caramelized onions on top before topping them off with a bun.

I served this crowd pleaser at my recent Bar Method Party and decided it would be great to share this delicious and easy recipe. They can be made early in the day, kept in the refrigerator, and served on a decorative platter.

2 Whole Chicken Breasts (4 Halves), skinned and boned
2 Cups Half and Half
1 1/2 Cups Hellman's Mayonnaise
3 Tablespoons Mango Chutney
2 Tablespoons Dry Sherry
1 Tablespoon Sherry Vinegar
2 Tablespoons plus 1 Teaspoon Curry Powder
1 Teaspoon Tumeric
2 Cups Salted Roasted Peanuts, finely chopped
Chopped Fresh Coriander (garnish)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the chicken breasts in a shallow baking dish just large enough to hold them.
Pour the half and half over them and bake for 30 minutes. Let cool and cut into 1 inch cubes.
Process the mayonnaise, chutney, sherry, vinegar, curry powder, and turmeric in a blender or food processor fitted with a steel blade until blended.
Dip the chicken pieces into the curry mayonnaise and then roll in the chopped peanuts. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Serve each piece on a skewer (you could do huge skewers like I did and later have a sword fight with them) and garnish with coriander.

Stuffed New Potatoes are a real crowd pleaser AND can be made a couple days in advanced! Actually, they are much better if you make them ahead of time since it gives the flavors a chance to enhance.

Stuffed New Potatoes
30 New Potatoes 
1 lb. cooked bacon and chopped 
½ cup chopped scallions 
½ cup chopped cilantro 
10 ounces low fat sour cream 
1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese 
2 tsp. tobacco 
1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce 
Salt and pepper to taste 

Bake olive oil and pepper drenched potatoes in 350 oven for 1 hour or until a fork slides in easily. Let cool, slice in half, and scoop out potatoes center.

In the meantime, let your bacon sizzle...

Then mix all the other ingredients, and store in Tupperware.

To heat, bring oven to 350 degrees an hour before serving to take the chill off. Bake until heated through for 30 minutes, cool slightly, and garnish with herbs.

From the moment that I stepped foot into this family run Mexican restaurant in the OC Mix, I knew this was a winner. Silvia and Carlos Salgado were born into a culinary family and have launch this "Best New Restaurant" off of a food truck they started in 2011. Silvia is the organized friendly woman who takes all the reservations and Carlos seems to be the creator of the most innovative menus and mixing of flavors that I have seen in a long time. He is not your typical snooty chef. He is warm, charming, and got cajones in the kitchen.

Lunch is killer. Their ceasar salad I crave daily and their tacos have sneaky flavors in them like cumquats, chills, and pickled onions that make for that added difference that makes this restaurant award winning. 

Since lunch was a hit, so we decided to have a group of friends test it out for a birthday dinner. For dinner they serve a four course $52 prix-fixe menu with adjoining wine pairings for $26. 

One of the treats on the menu includes Chorizo con Papas, a vegetarian dish made with shiitake mushrooms, however you swear you are eating chorizo. 

Try this one on for size: Aguachile. It is made up of blood and chocolate clams, serrano, kumquats, and Baja olive oil. It sounds bizarre, but it is truly my new favorite pick for SoCal Mexican food.

Lunch is far more casual and you can order à la carte off the menu. Get ready for a meal of a lifetime when you try this place out for dinner. They are also open for Sunday brunch.

FMI: http://tacomaria.com

This particular recipe I would like to share with you came from Toscana Saporita Cooking School outside of Lucca, Italy. I was lucky enough to go to the school during truffle season. I even got to go truffle hunting with a pack of dogs (and some canines too). 

Cheese Tortellini with Burnt Brown Butter and Truffles
16 oz. Tortellini Stuffed with Cheese, Pancetta and Cheese, or Spinach and Cheese
Half a Stick of Butter
2 Tablespoons Shaved Truffles
Parmesan to taste
Rosemary or Sage to taste

First, bring four cups of water in a pot to a rolling boil. Add your tortellini and cook to al dente.
Drain and transfer the tortellinis to a serving plate.
Take your half a stick of butter and boil it until the milk solids are gone and the butter turns to a rich dark brown.
At that point, add your rosemary or sage to the sauce. Cook no more than 30 seconds to one minute.
Pour the rich sauce over the tortellini, add your shaved parmesan and truffles on top of the plate.
And voila! You have a delicious entrée or side dish.

Note: Truffle season is around late Summer for black truffles and Fall for white truffles. However you can often find them available throughout the year in specialty stores.