Imagine returning to your hotel room and finding a letter which reads, “Hurricane Patricia is currently expected to make landfall near Puerto Vallarta sometime Friday afternoon. The safety and security of our guests and associates is a top priority. Out of abundance of caution, we are evacuating the hotel and relocating guests to Guadalajara Jalisco.” What started out as a normal press trip was quickly escalating into one of the most tense moments of my career. It was a wild couple of days and a birthday I will never forget.

Chef Rachel Haggstrom grew up on her family’s citrus grove in Temecula, California, and became fascinated by the farming process–from planting seeds to harvesting–and because of it, developed a passion for food and cooking with fresh produce.
That passion has served Haggstrom well throughout her culinary career, including The Dining Room at the Ritz-Carlton San Francisco, Wolfgang Puck’s Postrio at the Kimpton Hotel San Francisco, Thomas Keller’s Michelin three-star restaurant, The French Laundry in Napa, and St. Regis Monarch Beach.

You’ve got to love New Year’s resolutions. My special high protein, no carb diet was working so well. The morning was warm and sunny like most Newport Beach days, and my writing assignment took me to the home of a friend. Unfortunately, she happens to be one of the most talented bakers in Southern California. My diet and will power were being severely tested because I arrived to a table full of freshly-baked homemade scones, cookies, vegan truffles and freshly brewed coffee. My friend Elyssa was just doing what she does best…sharing her craft.

Chef David Martin is a chef’s chef. Helming the three kitchens at The Pacific Club, Newport’s luxurious members-only club, Martin not only understands the ever-changing food trends, but he makes it a point to never be trendy.
“It’s important to understand the trends and to grasp them so you can speak that language,” he says. “Since most of our members travel frequently to several different countries, they are acutely aware of all these new flavors. I want to adopt that in my cuisine. But you never want to be trendy.”
And forget about fusion food.

Chef Zov Karamardian’s passion for cooking began at a young age. When most girls start dabbling in fashion and makeup, Karamardian was glued to her television.
“Julia Child was my mentor,” she says. “Each day I would run home and watch her after school.”
As Karamardian became an adult, her passion for Julia Child did not wane. When the iconic chef embarked on a nationwide book tour, Karamardian took note.