CONSUMED with Jaime Lewis

Nancy Ulloa, winemaker and owner, Ulloa Cellars, Paso Robles, California

Nancy Ulloa is a Mexican immigrant, the first person in her family to attend and graduate from college, a survivor of domestic abuse, and, in her own words, a “butterfly” who has discovered her most engaged and abundant self in the winemaking community. She talks here about her first vintage of Gruner Veltliner, the intimidation and empowerment of being able to choose when to pick, her interest in obscure white varietals and how they absolutely belong on the table with Mexican food.

Website: ulloacellars.com

Instagram: @ulloacellars.com

Full of Life Flatbread, Clark Staub, chef and restaurateur, Los Alamos

Clark Staub had a completely different life before establishing Full of Life Flatbread in Los Alamos nearly two decades ago. He worked from being a humble record store clerk to becoming the Vice President of Marketing at Capitol Records — plus there was a stint in Vermont working for Burton Snowboards. But he was always really into bread, which led him to start his own place in the little-known town on California’s Central Coast. Since then, Los Alamos has become a top-flight culinary destination, with a population of just 1,600 and 12 restaurants, if you count the Subway inside the gas station. Clark talks about snowboarding, cookbooks, and Radiohead, as well as letting go of good ideas.

Note: the book Clark named his restaurant after is called Full of Life by John Fante.

Instagram: @fulloflifefoods

Website: fulloflifefoods.com

Mike Gin and Andrew Gin, authors, ”The Mee Heng Low Gin Family Cookbook,” San Luis Obispo

Few restaurants hold the hearts of Central Coast locals like Mee Heng Low, the chop suey restaurant on Palm Street, owned and operated by the Gin Family for over 40 years and still in operation under Chef Paul Kwong. As a young boy growing up in his parents’ restaurant, Mike Gin saw it all up close, and in adulthood he chose to write a family cookbook of original MHL recipes. The first edition sold out quickly, so he teamed up with his nephew, Andrew Gin, to produce a new edition with Andrew’s photography and a fresh look. Mike and Andrew stopped by to talk SLO history, Chinatown, and the Gin family’s famous Black Bean Spare Ribs recipe.

Instagram: @mhlcookbook

Website: mhlcookbook.com

Penni Monroe and Morgan Monroe, owners, Hush Harbor Bakery, Atascadero

The Monroe family owns and operates Hush Harbor Bakery in Atascadero, California, including father Donnie, mother Penni, and daughter Morgan. Penni and Donnie worked in aerospace engineering in Southern California before taking an early “retirement” to start a bakery on the Central Coast. In time, their daughter Morgan would start working at the bakery, too. Penni and Morgan discuss their love of music (Morgan is a phenomenal singer for the The Monroe), the origins of the Hush Harbor name, and beautiful, beautiful sourdough bread.

Note that the book Penni references in our conversation is called The Shaping of Black America by Lerone Bennett.

Website: hushharborartisanbakery.com

Travis Watson, chef, Hotel Californian, Santa Barbara

Chef Travis Watson has worked all over the world, most recently as executive chef at the Hotel Californian in Santa Barbara’s Funk Zone, built in the 1920s and recently — spectacularly! — renovated. We talked about how he honed his effortlessly artful style, his dedication to sustainability, savory marshmallows, and the haunted Stanley Hotel in Colorado.

Instagram: @hotelcalifornian

Website: hotelcalifornian.com

Susan Feniger and Liz Lachman, celebrity chef and filmmaker, Los Angeles

Susan Feniger is known from over 300 episodes of the Food Network’s Too Hot Tamales along with her business and creative partner Mary Sue Miliken, and their restaurants Border Grill and Socalo in Los Angeles and Border Grill in Las Vegas. She is the co-author of six cookbooks and was recently honored by the Julia Child Foundation, and is in the permanent collection of the Smithsonian Museum. Her spouse, Liz Lachman, is an Emmy- and Golden Reel award-winning independent filmmaker whose latest short film, PIN-UP, is a psychological drama that has won 30 festival awards. Susan and Liz talk about their 25 years together, Midwestern accents, arepas, music, and the ways that success has or hasn’t changed them.

Instagram: @susanfeniger

Instagram: @lizlachman

Abe and Courtney Stevens, distillers and owners, Humboldt Distillery, Fortuna

Humboldt Distillery owners Abe and Courtney Stevens weren’t always into distilling. Abe started as a biochemist and Courtney studied English, but their paths brought them to Humboldt , where Abe’s family has lived for five generations. Humboldt Distillery is best known for its organic vodka, which is the best-selling organic vodka in California. We talked about clean water, poker tournaments, and hemp-infused vodka, which can be a delicious substitute for gin. To prove it, Abe and Courtney have provided the recipe for a Hemp Highball using their “Humboldt’s Finest” vodka.

Hemp Highball Cocktail

• 1.5 oz Humboldt's Finest Hemp-Infused Vodka

• 1 oz jasmine simple syrup

• 0.5 oz fresh lemon juice

• Soda water

• 2 cucumber slices

• Highball Glass

To make jasmine syrup: Brew a strong jasmine green tea and dissolve 1 part sugar in 1 part hot tea. Allow to cool.

Add vodka, syrup, lemon juice, and 1 cucumber slice to a cocktail shaker with ice and shake until chilled.

Strain into a highball glass over fresh ice. Top with soda water. Garnish with remaining cucumber slice and serve.

 

Instagram: @humboldtdistillery

Website: humboldtdistillery.com

Zachary Ahrenholtz, chef, Golden Gate Saloon & Holbrooke Hotel, Grass Valley

I travel to Gold Country to meet Zachary Ahrenholtz, the executive chef at the Holbrooke Hotel and Golden Gate Saloon. These are the oldest continuously operating hotel and oldest watering hole in California, respectively, and they were recently renovated and polished to a shine. Zach talked with me about smoking meats and how they influence the new Golden Gate Saloon menu, as well as the phenomenon of the Midwest’s pork tenderloin sandwich.

Instagram: @holbrookehotel

Website: holbrooke.com

Ashley Chaney, food podcaster, ”Dear Food,” Los Angeles

Ashley Chaney is a successful voiceover artist and red carpet host who recently launched a project that’s close to her heart: a food podcast. “Dear Food” inquires into the lives of those who love to cook, eat, and talk about food. Ashley shared the origins of her interest in the project, how she years for the tri-tip sandwich at Firestone Grill in San Luis Obispo (where she studied journalism in college), and the foibles of working with celebrities.

Instagram: @dearfoodpodcast

Website: ashleychaney.com/dearfood

Nicky Giusto, baker and miller, Central Milling, Petaluma

Nicky is a fourth-generation miller and bread baker with Central Milling in Petaluma, and a descendent of the famed Giusto’s Flour company in South San Francisco. We discussed what it’s like working for a 150-year-old family company, the COVID home sourdough phenomenon, and baking on Team USA for the Coupe du Monde de la Boulangerie.

Instagram: @centralmilling

Website: centralmilling.com