Amateur Chefs’ Recipes for Success

Amateur chefs from Orange County took the second and third prizes Friday in the Tony Roma consumer recipe contest for “The Best Homemade Barbecue Sauce in Southern California.” Competing at Tony Roma’s in Universal City with eight other amateur chefs, William K. Smith of Westminster came in second and will receive a weekend for two in San Francisco. His recipe:

Take 2 medium-sized onions, finely chopped; 1 clove garlic, finely chopped; 1/4 cup vegetable oil; 2 tablespoons chili powder; 2 cups ketchup; 1 cup cider or white vinegar; 1/2 cup lemon juice; 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce; 1/3 cup brown sugar, firmly packed; 2 tablespoons prepared mustard; 1 tablespoon crushed celery seeds; 2 teaspoons crushed cumin seeds; and 2 tablespoons butter or margarine. Saute the onions and garlic in oil in a large saucepan for about 10 minutes, until they are golden and tender. Stir in the chili powder and cook for one minute. Add all the remaining ingredients except the butter, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, stirring often. Then stir in the butter. Yield: About a quart.

Linda Keyes of Santa Ana won third prize, a weekend for two at La Quinta Golf and Tennis Resort. Her recipe:

Take 1/4 cup cooking oil; 2 tablespoons dark sesame oil; 1 2/3 cups hoisin sauce; 2/3 cup plum sauce; 1/2 cup oyster sauce; 1/2 cup dark (heavy) soy sauce; 1/2 cup honey; 1/2 cup dry sherry; 4 teaspoons hot Chinese chili paste (less if you want a milder taste); 1 teaspoon finely minced fresh ginger root; 4 tablespoons finely minced fresh garlic; and 1/2 cup finely chopped macadamia nuts. Blend all the ingredients thoroughly and keep the sauce in the refrigerator for 24 hours before serving it. Yield: One quart.

The big winner was Marjorie Ohrnstein of Los Angeles, who gets five days in Hawaii for two. Her recipe:

Take 1/4 cup oil; 3 cups chopped onions; 1 cup chopped bell pepper; 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley; 2 cups dry white wine; 3 tablespoons vinegar; 1 tablespoon minced garlic; 2 cups tomato sauce; 2 dashes hot sauce; ground cayenne pepper to taste; 1/4 cup honey; 2 tablespoons lemon juice; 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce; 1/2 teaspoon crushed dry mint; 1 tablespoon liquid smoke; salt to taste. Heat the oil in large sauce pan and saute the onions, bell pepper and parsley until the onions are clear. Add the wine, vinegar, garlic, tomato sauce, hot sauce, cayenne, honey, and lemon juice and simmer on low heat for one hour. Then add the Worcestershire, dry mint and liquid smoke. Stir well, cover and simmer for one hour. Salt to taste. Sauce may be thinned with a little water. Yield: One quart. Stores well in the refrigerator for two weeks.

For more than 25 years, we’ve known that paddle-wheel boat berthed in Newport Harbor by the PCH bridge as the Reuben E. Lee. No more. It’s now Charley Brown’s. They’ve spiffed up the interior (though they’ve kept the old riverboat decor) and the menu is new, with the accent on prime rib, steaks, fresh fish, salads and pasta. Unlike other Charley Brown’s, this one’s open continuously from 11:30 a.m. Mondays through Saturdays, serving lunch till 4 p.m. and dinner from 4 to 10 on weeknights, till 11 Fridays and Saturdays. Lunches are $5.95 to $9.95, dinners $10.95 to $19.95. Sunday champagne brunch ($16.95) from 10 to 3 is a buffet that includes fresh seafood; Sunday dinner is from 4 to 10. 151 E. Coast Highway. (714) 650-5790.

The new spring menu at the Pavilion in the Four Seasons Hotel at Fashion Island highlights such appetizers as lobster won-tons with ginger dipping sauce, and herb linguine with smoked duck and back bacon. Main courses include a pan-roasted free range veal chop with crimini mushrooms, and grilled prawns on miniature bow-tie pasta with wild mushrooms and oven-dried tomatoes. A la carte entrees: $24 to $31. Chef Bill Bracken has starred a number of dishes to denote their reduced caloric, cholesterol, sodium and fat levels. 690 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach. (714) 759-0808.

Michael Leach, who sold the Quiet Woman in Corona del Mar two years ago, will open Lagoon in Dana Point at the end this month , at 24501 del Prado, the former site of Napoleon. The decor will be tropical, with bamboo, rattan, grass cloth and fish tanks, and the menu will include mesquite-broiled fresh fish, lamb, veal and beef with some South Seas touches. A la carte entrees: $15 to $22. Lagoon will be open for dinner every night but Monday; plans to serve brunch and lunch are in the works. (714) 240-7944.