Mountain Views News          Saturday, March 22, 2014

FOOD & DRINKMountain Views-News Saturday, March 22, 2014 
6 FOOD & DRINKMountain Views-News Saturday, March 22, 2014 
6 
Hey Foods Peeps, love the Pinot Noir, I want to 
invite you to this really cool event.
Dozens of the finest wines from California, 
Oregon and Australia will be paired with 
Cheese & Charcuterie by Claud & Co. and other small bites by Noor. Live music will be compliments 
of iconic jazz musician, Michael Lington. This event begins at 12:00 PM for VIP and at 2:00 PM for 
general admission guests, and will continue until 5:00 PM.
If you’ve had a chance to come to the Pinotfest at the Altadena Country Club in the past then you 
know how enjoyable this event is, and if you haven’t, come out this year and see what a great time it is! 
Claud & Co provides full service catering with a distinctive flare, for parties, receptions, corporate 
events and extraordinary intimate dinners. They 
serve in the Pasadena, San Gabriel and greater 
Los Angeles area. Claud & Co takes pride in 
hearing their clients’ needs and working closely 
with them to ensure complete satisfaction. From 
menu to décor, they strive to make each event an 
occasion to be coveted by guests and hosts, alike. 
Noor is a boutique event space situated in historic 
downtown Pasadena. Their mission is to earn the 
trust of their Clients by producing consistent 
and flawless events. Readers of Pasadena Weekly 
have affirmed their mission by voting Noor“Best 
of Pasadena”3 years and were voted as Pasadena 
Magazine’s “City Best-Top Venue”in 2012.Noor 
features two gorgeous indoor ballrooms along 
with a stunning outdoor space. 

TABLE FOR TWO by Peter Dills 
thechefknows@yahoo.com 
Michael Lington, the saxophonist have done extended stints as a special guest with musical superstars, 
including Barry Manilow, Bobby Caldwell, Randy Crawford and Michael Bolton. On his tour, he 
played more than 300 shows in over 50 countries. Lington’s most recent album Pure was released 
February 14, 2012 by Trippin N’ Rhythm distributed by Red/Sony. His previous CD “Heat” reached 
#4 on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz Sales Chart. 

Hathaway-Sycamores Child and Family Services provides an array of services to over 8,500 children and 
families annually through a network of facilities in greater Los Angeles. Services include: a residential 
treatment center for youth ages 9 through 18; foster care and adoption services; a nonpublic school; 
school-based and outpatient mental health services; in-home counseling services; a transitional living 
program for teens; a family resource center; and a grief and loss center for children. You can find out 
more by clicking on www.hathaway-sycamores.org 

PCDA improves the lives of children and young adults who have autism or other developmental 
challenges, through leadership in family-centered, multidisciplinary services and professional 
training. Learn more here: www.pasadenachilddevelopment.org 

WHAT: Morgan Stanley and Claud & Co Presents Pasadena Grand PinotFest 
WHEN: Sunday, March 30th, 12-5pm 
WHERE: NOOR Pasadena, 260 E. Colorado, Pasadena 91101 
HOW: Tickets can be purchased at www.pasadenagrandpinotfest.com 

Tickets are $115.00 for general admission and $165.00 for VIP 
VIP gets you an all “exclusive” pass to the event including a pre-reception to taste and enjoy the finest 
wines before the general admission, full access to the outside patio and preferred area to hear jazz 
musician Michael Lington perform and a “Meet and Greet” afterwards. VIP starts at 12 pm while 
General Admission starts at 2 pm. Tickets come with a goodie bag stuffed with gift items, special 
offers and a specially etched wine glass compliments of Morgan Stanley. \ 
Saturday at 12 Noon I will be hosting my own wine tasting at Vons on Colorado. Coppola has given 
me a few of their best wines to sample. Please come by for this free event. March 29th 

Email me at thechefknows@yahoo.com wth any questions 

SAVOR THE FLAVOR


YOUR AD COULD BE HERE!
Call Patricia at 626-818-2698 Today!
Savor the Flavor Has the Solution for 
• If build-up does occur, scrub with lemon 
juice. 

Caring for all your Wood & Bamboo 

• If lemon juice doesn’t remove build-up of 
Serving Pieces! 

sticky oils, scour with medium-grit sandpaper, 

then re-season the bowl with mineral oil. 

Oil natural wood utensils on a regular basis. We 

Cutting boards should be cleaned thoroughly 

recommend it monthly or even more frequently.

after use. 

We recommend mineral oil. 

• Note also, boards should never be used 
interchangeably with uncooked meat 
• Food grade mineral oil is tasteless and 
(including poultry and fish) and other foods 

odorless. 

(like bread, salads, etc.). This is important in 

order to avoid possible cross contamination 

• It does not get sticky and does not become 
from pathogens found in uncooked meat 

rancid with time. 

products. 

• The USDA recommends that you wash 
• It does not stain wood. 
wooden cutting boards and utensils used with 

uncooked meat products (including fish and 

• It does not harden and keeps the wood 
poultry) with hot, soapy water, then rinse and 

pliable enough and clean enough for use in 

dry. 

all kinds of food preparation. 

• Before first use, make sure your cutting 
board is well oiled. 
• Pastry boards shouldn’t be oiled, as they’re 
always used dry. 
If a wood board or bowl is well maintained (washed 
with no soaking nor dishwasher after use and dried 

Rub oil with a cloth or paper towel in 

immediately, kept oiled, not subjected to unusual 

generous amounts, until it no longer 

temperatures), it is simply not likely to warp or 

absorbs. 

crack. If a well maintained board cracks, it will 
“most likely” be due to a manufacturing defect, and 

• The wood and the oil should be at room 
it would more than likely be a split along a glue line. 

temperature before starting. 

A dry wooden board or bowl that has NOT 

• For very dry utensils, you should repeat 
been maintained will eventually crack along the 

the process after 6-8 hours, and again, if 

grain of the wood. If subjected to the dishwasher 

necessary, until the oil is no longer being 

and other temperature extremes, it might also 

absorbed after that time. 

crack at the glue joints by weakened glue bonds. 

• Then use a cloth or paper towel to wipe off 
The glue joints are supposed to create a stronger 

any excess oil that remains on the surface.

bond than the wood fibers. Manufacturer defects 

Wash your properly oiled wooden utensils 

are often caused by things like too little glue, too 

without worry. 

tight clamping, unclamping too soon, the improper 
mating of joints, and even the wood’s moisture 

• Do not soak wood utensils soak, and do 
content as it was being glued. 

not put them in a dishwasher. 
Reminder... When you notice the wooden 

• Keep food from drying hard by cleaning 
becoming dry (it will lighten in color), it›s time 

utensils right away. 

to re-oil. Better yet, just make it a point to re-
oil on a regular basis. That old wood spoon from 

• Most utensils can simply be wiped clean 
grandma will then last you just about forever, or 

with a cloth or paper towel. Use soap and 

until it wears out, whichever comes first. 

hot water for spoons, spatulas, and other 

utensils that come in contact with raw foods, 

Wood Finishing

like meat and egg products. 

What if you want a hard finish on your wooden 
counter or butcher block? 

• For wood pastry boards, use a nylon or 
metal scraper to remove stuck-on dough.
• A hard finish of a food-safe lacquer or 
If you used soap, you might need to re-

varnish means no more oiling. 

oil after drying. Soap removes oils, and 

• But you can’t use it as a cutting surface, as 
should only be used when necessary, such 

sharp objects scar the finish. 

as with utensils that come in contact with 

• And always use a trivet under hot or cold 
potentially hazard-posing raw foods. Other 

dishes. 

times, rub with a lemon wedge after drying. 
The best food-safe lacquer is shellac. In flake 

Towel dry wooden boards and utensils 

form, it is free of water, wax and preservatives, 

thoroughly after washing.

and can easily be mixed as needed. It is easy to 

• Wood dries faster than plastic, and will thus 
apply, protects well against moisture, and makes a 

be less likely to harbor bacteria on its surface. 

wonderful shiny surface. Small blemishes can be 

• Quickly drying keeps water from soaking 
easily repaired, however heat spots and alcohol 

into and damaging the board, especially if it’s 

spills are damaging and require work to fix. 

in need of a good coating of oil.

Rub a wedge of lemon on the wood to help 

The best food-safe varnish is natural tung oil. It 

keep it free from bacteria and other germs. 

is easy to apply, protects well against moisture, 

Makes it smell good, too.

blemishes can be easily repaired, and lasts much 

Store in a dry location, at room temperature, 

longer than shellac. It takes more coats than 

away from hot, cold and humid areas. 

shellac, and more work to get a shiny surface, 

• Excessive heat dries the surface oil, and 
a longer drying time, and is more expensive. 

causes warping, splitting, and cracking. 

• Extreme cold temperatures are very dry, 
Other food-safe lacquers and varnishes 

draw the moisture from the wood, and cause 

are available commercially, and should be 

warping, splitting, and cracking. 

matched to the type of food and degree of food 

• Moisture that stays on wood causes it to split 
preparation to be done on the surface area. 

from expansion. 

• Never subject wooden utensils to 
Always read the labels and follow the 

temperature extremes. Like us, wood needs a 

manufacturer’s instructions for best results. 

bit of time to warm up when coming in from 

(Excerpt from http://www.fantes.com/wood


the cold, and it doesn’t like touching very hot 

care.html)

pots, either. 

AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE AT SAVOR 
THE FLAVOR 

Salad bowls can just be wiped clean and dry 

with a paper towel. 

• Avoid build-up of vegetable oil and intense 
flavors by keeping bowls clean and coated with 
mineral oil.