California Chefs

Delicious dishes from California chefs, including David Myers' summer melon soup with crab and Nancy Silverton's sautéed cauliflower frittata.

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Daikon-Papaya Summer Rolls with Minted Yogurt Sauce

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Douglas Keane says that these summer rolls, filled with tangy marinated daikon, cucumber and papaya, are the perfect way to jolt the palate before a rich meal that will likely include truffles and foie gras.

More Summer Hors D'Oeuvres

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Summer Melon Soup with Crab

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David Myers creates this silky-sweet soup with cantaloupe (a good source of vitamin C and beta-carotene), then adds mounds of crab (rich in zinc).

More Crab Dishes

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Fish Tacos with Creamy Lime Guacamole and Cabbage Slaw

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Fish tacos are a staple among California surfers but are often beer-battered and fried. Kerry Simon's healthier, grilled version enriches the guacamole with low-fat sour cream.

Amazing Seafood Recipes

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Pancetta-Wrapped Peaches with Basil and Aged Balsamic

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San Francisco chef Stuart Brioza sears sweet summer peaches in pancetta with fresh basil leaves for a crispy, juicy hors d'oeuvre. They would also be an unexpected addition to a frisée or baby escarole salad.

More Peach Recipes

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Lemon-Curd Cakes with Poppy Seeds

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"The lemon-poppy seed combo is classic," says Vinny Dotolo. "When I was a kid, I ate lemon-poppy seed muffins for breakfast and with ice cream for dessert." Now he turns the pairing into lovely cakes: They have a tender cakey layer on the bottom, a luscious curd-like layer on top and poppy-seed crème fraîche to finish the whole thing off.

More Excellent Desserts

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Kogi Dogs

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When Kogi's truck first Tweeted its stops, no one had heard of Korean short rib tacos. Now hundreds of people line up for them, and for kimchi hot dogs.

F&W's Grilling Guide

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Strip-Steak Sandwiches

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L.A. chef Suzanne Goin grew up on the healthy flavors of California cooking and embraces that style in her cooking.

More Sandwich Recipes

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Potato Pancakes with Smoked Salmon, Caviar and Dill Cream

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Although Wolfgang Puck is best known for putting smoked salmon, caviar and dill-flecked crème fraîche on his designer pizzas, he also loves this trio of toppings with his exceptionally crispy potato pancakes, a dish he makes frequently when cooking at home. All three garnishes are wonderfully decadent together; still, you can leave out the smoked salmon or the caviar.

Fast Hors D'Oeuvres

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Marinated Olives

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These spicy olives are infused with fennel, a favorite flavoring of chef Trey Foshee. "The licorice flavor always makes me hungry," he says.

Cocktail Party Recipes

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BLT Fried Egg-and-Cheese Sandwich

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Thomas Keller's scrumptious recipe combines three of the world's most popular sandwiches—bacon, lettuce and tomato; fried egg; and grilled cheese.

Hot Melted Sandwiches

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Prosciutto-Cheese Piadina and Butternut Squash Piadina

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Chef Nate Appleman cooks Piadina—the excellent flatbread sandwiches that he describes as "Italian quesadillas"—on his custom stone griddle. Appleman cooks the flaky dough until it's just crisp outside, then stuffs it with sumptuous combinations like tender roasted squash with pancetta, or prosciutto with stracchino cheese and peppery arugula.

Terrific Healthy Italian Recipes

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Crispy Vietnamese Crêpes with Shrimp, Pork and Bean Sprouts

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When Charles Phan samples banh xeo (a.k.a. "happy pancakes") at Vietnamese restaurants, he often finds that they aren't crisp enough. Phan thinks the perfect crêpe should be lacy thin and crackly crisp. After years of obsessive experimentation, he recommends refrigerating the batter overnight, so the starches have time to relax, then cooking the crêpes in a nonstick pan.

More Vietnamese Recipes

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Sautéed Cauliflower Frittata with Thyme

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This frittata includes sautéed cauliflower topped with homemade bread crumbs for a lovely bit of crunch. Nancy Silverton's trick for making small amounts of bread crumbs is to toast a slice of sourdough bread, rub it with a garlic clove and grind it in a mortar.

More Egg Recipes

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Broiled Ricotta with Olives and Sun-Dried-Tomato Relish

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Broiling ricotta intensifies its creaminess: It's ideal with both sweet and savory toppings. Here, Maria Helm Sinskey serves it on garlic toasts garnished with olives and a tangy sun-dried-tomato relish.

Cheese Recipes, Tips, and More

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Spanish Pork Burgers

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Sang Yoon, who makes some of America's best burgers, flavors his succulent pork patty with Spanish ingredients like piquillo peppers and serrano ham. "Spain," he says, "performs miracles with pork."

More Grilling Recipes and Tips

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California Chefs

1 of 15

Daikon-Papaya Summer Rolls with Minted Yogurt Sauce

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Summer Melon Soup with Crab

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Fish Tacos with Creamy Lime Guacamole and Cabbage Slaw

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Pancetta-Wrapped Peaches with Basil and Aged Balsamic

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Lemon-Curd Cakes with Poppy Seeds

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Kogi Dogs

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Strip-Steak Sandwiches

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Potato Pancakes with Smoked Salmon, Caviar and Dill Cream

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Marinated Olives

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BLT Fried Egg-and-Cheese Sandwich

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Prosciutto-Cheese Piadina and Butternut Squash Piadina

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Crispy Vietnamese Crêpes with Shrimp, Pork and Bean Sprouts

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Sautéed Cauliflower Frittata with Thyme

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Broiled Ricotta with Olives and Sun-Dried-Tomato Relish

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Spanish Pork Burgers

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