Chapter One: The Modern Local in Santa Ana, CA

When you watch someone work diligently through many ups & downs while chasing after their dreams and eventually see them get the recognition they so rightfully deserve, you can’t help but smile. Jason Montelibano, Executive Chef at Chapter One: The Modern Local is the kind of guy you want touching all over your food. Not in some perverse kind of way, but simply because Chef Montelibano has an affinity for putting together insanely delectable dishes using only the highest of quality ingredients. 

Whether your snacking on Chapter Ones delicious Salmon Croquettes, Scotch Eggs, Lamb & Gnocchi or sharing some Panna Cotta w/ homemade Boba, you wont be let down.

Located at 227 N. Broadway in Santa Ana, CA (714) 352-2225, Chapter One is housed in an ex book store, giving it that old world, nostalgic feel, while exuding a cool factor unseen in the OC area for quite some time. True Orange County has thousands of cool spots to hang out and people watch, but who wants to watch people when the food & drinks are so damn good?

When a staff can pull together too actually feel like they are family and your servers face is beaming with pride and joy as they place an exquisitely designed dish before you, you know you have made the right decision to call this your new local watering hole, speakeasy or after work debauchery starting point, whatever you may call it, this place couldn't be any “righter” with us.

Check out Chapter One: A Modern Local at www.ChapterOneTML.com or give em a call at (714) 352-2225 they are open daily until 2am & be sure to tell Chef Montelibano aka Big Chicken Wang, The Supreme Plate is proud of your continued success.

Edge of Belgravia Knives

Everyone loves fly looking cutlery, especially when it can be hung on the wall like a fine art piece to showcase ones fondness for their kitchen and all that it creates. Families that pass on recipes from generation to generation often also pass on heirloom like kitchen equipment because sometimes an old classic just out performs the latest greatest invention. 

Edge of Belgravia’s craftsmanship and bold eye for contemporary styling result in exceptionally well made knives that can and will endure the tests of time in the kitchen or workplace. With materials ranging from ceramic to Damascus steel these bold colored collections “fuse modern hues with maximum cutting efficiency” as they proudly put it, a statement we couldn’t agree more on. 

For more info check out www.edgeofbelgravia.co.uk

Food Networks "The Great Food Truck Race" Shines A Bright Light on Wild Idea Buffalo

RAPID CITY, S.D.—Wild Idea Buffalo (www.wildideabuffalo.com), the nation’s biggest e-retailer of 100% grassfed buffalo, will receive unprecedented attention Sun., Sept. 8 at 9 p.m. EDT/7 p.m. MDTwhen its award-winning cuts of meat will be featured on the Food Network.

The company derived its name from the “wild idea” of improving the Great Plains eco-system through grassland restoration and careful animal management. In addition, Wild Idea Buffalo is incredibly lean and low in calories, fat and cholesterol but high in Omega-3s. The animals are antibiotic and hormone free, non-confined, free-roaming and humanely, field-harvested.

Gluten Free Quick & Easy Pizza Recipe (For The Kids)

We here at The Supreme Plate are firm believers that eating delicious & healthy food is not a hard thing to do, especially when you have the desire to promote a wholesome lifestyle too your kids and those you have influence over. Sometimes all it takes to set things off on the right path is to have a bit of positive reinforcement and the right recipes to get you going.

Straight from LA-based Paolo Mascitti a celebrity trainer, lifestyle expert and founder of cibo verde, a meal delivery system that caters to customers’ body calculations to help them reach their weight goals comes this Gluten-Free Meat & Veggie Pizza recipe for an appetizing after school snack for the kids.

You can even let your kids bust out their inner Chef, by letting them make the pizza themselves with ingredients they love. What better way to find out what your child actually likes than by letting them experiment in the comforts of their own home.

(click read more for the Entire Recipe)

End of Summer Refreshment Recipes

I don't know about where you live, but where we are located these last few weeks of nothing but incredibly hot days and annoyingly hot nights have begun to take their toll on our abilities to withstand wanting an ice cold libation. Ok who are we lying too, we just were looking for a reason too try out some new recipes and with the last few days of Summer sitting before us and it being so hot as of late, how many more reasons do we truly need to do some out of the box drinking, I mean thinking.

As always enjoy these recipes, RESPONSIBLY.

Food Tattoos On The Move

Wednesday had us out and about in the greatest Farmers Market that exists, the original LA Brea Farmers Market on Fairfax, where because of the intense heat (which in LA is nothing in comparison to what you will find in the Inland Empire) we had to make a quick pit stop at our favorite ice cream spot, Bennetts. Struck up a quick convo with a young employee who had a fresh Ice Cream Cone tatted on his arm (much better than the one that adorns Gucci Mane’s or his two stupid fans who copied him faces) and for that he deserved some love on the site.

Should you ever be in the area make sure to stop by and either try the Lemon Sorbet or an authentic Root Beer Float, either way you can’t lose.

Food Inspired Art from a Legend... Nicer TATS Cru

Ok so this isnt about Food, but ya can't lie and say it isnt DOPE.

Much Respect to King Nicer & the entire TATS Cru, hands down the OG Mural Kings.

The National Food Holidays of September 2013

September is the month where many people begin to realize they haven’t spent enough time focusing on what needs to be done to prepare for the hectic last few months of the year that lie ahead. Yes indeed, many of us worked hard on our Summertime bodies so that we could “turn up” by the pool or at the beach (please let the term Turn Up disappear next year) but what the major holidays that now sit right around the corner that consume some of us for weeks ahead of time, putting menus together and figuring out who is going to have the best feast to partake in.

The decorations for Halloween, Thanksgiving & Christmas are in full force at just about every store you walk into and then before know it, its New Years and the routine starts all over again. This year we vowed to take a stand against the mundane routines that we fall victim too and are going about things a bit differently around these parts. Stay tuned to the site and see just how we spruce up the next few major holidays, The Supreme Plate style.

September is:

National Biscuit Month

                        Better Breakfast Month

National Chicken Month           

                        National Cholesterol Education Month

                        National Honey Month

                        National Organic Harvest Month

                        National Papaya Month

                        National Rice Month

The 1^st week of September is National Waffle Week

The 2^nd week of September is National Biscuit & Gravy Week

The 2^nd week of September is National Vegetarian Awareness Week

The 4^th week of September is National Wild Rice Week

September 1 National Cherry Popover Day

September 1 Wine Season Begins

September 1 Oyster Season Begins

September 2 National Blueberry Popsicle Day

September 3 National Welsh Rarebit Day

September 4 National Macadamia Nut Day

September 5 National Cheese Pizza Day

September 6 National Coffee Ice Cream Day

September 7 National Acorn Squash Day

September 8 National Date Nut Bread Day

September 9 Weinerschnitzel Day

September 10 TV Dinner Day

September 11 National Hot Cross Bun Day

September 12 National Chocolate Milkshake Day

September 13 National Peanut Day

September 13 National Pickle at Snack Time

September 14 National Cream Filled Donut Day

September 14 National Eat A Hoagie Day

September 15 National Linguini Day

September 16 National Guacamole Day

September 17 National Apple Dumpling Day

September 18 National Cheeseburger Day

September 19 National Butterscotch Pudding Day

September 20 National Rum Punch Day

September 21 National Banana Festival

September 21 National Pecan Cookie Day

September 22 National Ice Cream Cone Day

September 23 National White Chocolate Day

September 24 National Cherries Jubilee Day

September 25 National Food Service Employees Day

September 25 Crab Meat Newburg Day

September 26 National Pancake Day

September 27 National Chocolate Milk Day

September 27 National Corned Beef Hash Day

September 28 Strawberry Cream Pie Day

September 28 Drink Beer Day

September 29 National Coffee Day

September 30 National Hot Mulled Cider Day

Homemade Buttermilk Pancakes w/ Blueberry Maple Syrup

Homemade Buttermilk Pancakes w/ Blueberry Maple Syrup

Pancakes are just a part of life no child should go without, especially if you come from a family that has their own recipe that has been handed down from generation to generation. The powers of a properly made pancake are endless. Whether your having a few pancakes in the morning to start off your day or having some at the end of a long evening to soak up some of your alcohol, pancakes are without a doubt a great meal in and unto themselves.

Today (September 26^th) is National Pancake Day and we figured that everyone deserves to have a recipe that didn’t come off the back of a box in their arsenal. Now you can either try out our Vanilla Bean Blueberry Syrup which doesn’t take long to make at all and is delicious enough to bring you back for seconds and thirds or you can go it alone and stick to your store bought brand that won’t ruin anything, the choice is yours.

Regardless of what you put on your pancakes, take the time and enjoy making these with your

(Click Read More for the entire recipe)

The Supreme Plate Spicy & Crispy Shrimp

Ingredients:

For the Sauce -

½ cup mayonnaise

1 TBS plus 1tsp Asian chili sauce (such as sambal oelek)

2 TBS honey

Kosher salt

For the Shrimp -

Vegetable oil, for frying

2 large eggs

¾ cup all-purpose flour

½ cup cornstarch

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1 ¼ lb small / medium shrimp, (peeled and deveined)

Bibb or Hearts of Romaine lettuce leaves, for serving

Thinly sliced scallions, for garnish

Directions:

Make the sauce -  Mix the mayonnaise, chili sauce, honey, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon water in a large bowl; set aside.

Prepare the shrimp: Heat about 2 inches of vegetable oil in a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 350 degrees. 

Meanwhile, whisk the eggs in a shallow bowl.

Whisk the flour, cornstarch and 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper in another shallow bowl.

Working in batches, dredge the shrimp in the flour mixture, shaking off any excess, dip in the beaten 

eggs, then return to the flour mixture, turning to form a thick crust.

Fry the shrimp in the hot oil until lightly golden, 1 to 2 minutes, adjusting the heat as needed to maintain the oil temperature.

Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate with a slotted spoon.

Toss the shrimp with the prepared sauce.

Arrange the lettuce in a shallow serving bowl or on individual plates.

Top with the shrimp and garnish with scallions.

ROTD: Steak Taco Salad

Going into the Fall / Winter seasons, after such a long hot & grueling Summer can be tough for many people. After months of starving ourselves to keep those beach and poolside bodies in shape (yeah right like we starve ever over here) it seems like the winter months hit us fast & hard with all of the fattening dishes we just love to eat.

Much like the animals we take care of, most of us start to put on that “Winter Coat” that we always find ourselves trying to frantically lose prior to Summers arrival next year.

This Steak Taco Salad recipe was taught to me (yes taught for I was not into salads at all prior to making a few very special friends) and has been track tested and proven time & time again at our various backyard BBQs & functions.  

Don’t let the list of ingredients scare you, most of these things you will most likely already have in your home. This light & healthy Salad pulls together quicker than you can imagine, once you have your taco bowl shells and grilled the steak, your in the final stretch of the race.

Full of great flavors, invigorating ingredients (nothing that will make you feel sluggish or in need of a nap after eating,) this hearty dish is the prefect way to say farewell to Summer and the ultimate way to welcome Fall.

Enjoy!

(for the entire recipe, click Read More)

Classic Recipe of The Day: Black Bean Hamburgers

Today is national Cheeseburger Day. We know that many people out there are cutting meat, especially red meat out of their diets and we didn’t want anyone to feel left out on such a glorious holiday. All across the Nation, the Hamburger is finding itself as the shining star on the menu once again and not much could please us more than that (ok some Peace on Earth might be nice, but we wont hold our breath.)

This recipe uses black beans instead of the typical beef or turkey and a few dashes of some good ol Tabasco to pull it together. Lately we have been omitting the Tabasco and using a really spicy island blend we found while traveling in St. Maarten so if you would like to really change up the flavors and spice levels of things, try out your favorite sauce and make this recipe your own, no one says these things are written in stone somewhere.

Enjoy National Cheeseburger Day!

Ingredients:

2 (14oz) Cans Black Beans (drained)

3 TBS Mayonnaise

1 tsp Kosher Salt

½ Cup Bread Crumbs (this recipe uses roasted garlic)

2 tsp Ground Cumin

½ tsp Smoked Paprika

1 tsp Cayenne pepper
2 TBS TABASCO, Original Red

¼ cup Finely Chopped Cilantro

3 TBS Vegetable Oil

4 Hamburger Buns (these are great on a toasted onion bun)

Sides usually include: Sour Cream, Salsa, Lettuce, Sliced Tomatoes & mustard

Directions:

Place One can of beans in a food processor with the mayo, bread crumbs, cumin, oregano, cayenne, TABASCO and Kosher salt.

Pulse a few times until a coarse puree forms.

Transfer the puree to a bowl and stir in the Cilantro and remaining can of beans.

Form mixture into 4 patties and place on a plate covered with saran wrap in the fridge for about 1 hour.

Heat vegetable oil in a heavy skillet over medium / high heat.

Cook the burgers until the outsides are browned, turning once about 5 - 8 mins total.

Garnish with whatever you like even double stack the patties and make it a black bean double double, animal style.

Serve on toasted buns.

As with all of our recipes, cooking times vary from kitchen to kitchen and person to person.
Our cooking time provided is merely a helpful hint.

Spicy Tomatillo Guacamole

Guacamole in Southern California can be found in thousands of places, so needless to say there are thousands upon thousands of variations that can turn up when thumbing thru recipes in a cookbook or online. This Spicy & Creamy Tomatillo Guacamole recipe incorporates the deep flavors of a few Tomatillos and the spice from 2 small peppers to bring about something different than your used too.

With today being National Guacamole Day (Sept. 16^th) and with the Sun shining as bright as it is, I do believe that today is the perfect day to fire up the grill, make a few bowls of this good green Guac and get our complete lounge on outback. 

Yeah we know that Summer is supposed to be over, but in our neck of the woods it has still been in the hundreds this entire week, so we are going to take advantage as best as we can.

Enjoy this with some good salty chips and strong drinks, its sure to soothe the soul in this insane heat-wave.

(click Read More for the entire recipe)

Spicy Corn Salsa

Heres a spicy corn salsa recipe that pulls together quickly & goes good with most grilled meats and fish, especially alongside a few strong drinks. With the heat still laying its mighty hand upon us across most of the Nation, there is still time to grill up something good and have a good time outside with your family & friends.

Enjoy.

(click read more for the entire recipe)

The Worlds Most Expensive Watermelon

Would you pay anywhere from $3,700 to $10,000 for a rare Densuke Watermelon? Grown only in Japan, these rare watermelons come with a solid black, very smooth skin are sold only via auction. Considering the fact that fresh fruit is really expensive in Japan, if these could be produced in the United States, would the price for them drop immensely? 

Normal watermelons sell for around $30 in Japan and the famous square watermelons can go for up to a few hundred dollars.

Even though this may sound like an insane amount of money to spend on some fruit, think about the fact that a Yubari Melon, once sold in Japan for $12,500.00 US.

Now that is some luxurious eating.