34 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY january 16-22, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com Pasta is simple. That’s what makes it so comforting. Fettuccine alfredo and cacio e pepe—the latter essentially pasta, cheese and pepper—are pretty basic staples in Italian cuisine. Macaroni and cheese is an American favorite. All of the above have been enjoyed by most readers at some time in their lives. Ashley Wolff, owner of Jeju Kitchen at Carmel Burger Bar, is about 17-percent Italian—a fact she learned only in recent years. Growing up, she thought she was half-Korean and half-Colombian until her family began doing DNA testing. But making pasta dishes came naturally to her at an early age. “I used that as my reasoning,” says Wolff. “I’ve always been good at making pasta. Even my mom said that growing up.” These revelations were all she needed to elevate those classic Italian favorites on her menu—already a combination of culinary traditions—with a twirl of umami flavor from her Korean roots. At Jeju, these carbohydrate-loaded dreams come to life in the form of the creamy miso cacio e pepe, the chili crunch alfredo and the kimchi mac ‘n’ cheese. Creamy miso cacio e pepe is a best-seller at her restaurant. Wolff attributes not only the savor of miso compound butter, but also the shape of the malfadine pasta used in the dish for its popularity. It’s a plate that is memorable not only in taste, but also for its appetizing visual appeal—something that Wolff is very attuned to. “I love food porn,” Wolff says, laughing. “All my friends know, camera eats first.” Its appeal makes her guard the recipe. On the other hand, the kimchi mac and cheese is self-explanatory. It mutes an unforgettable orange color reminiscent of Kraft blue boxes you may have enjoyed as a kid. For Wolff, evoking those kinds of memories seems to be the goal, since her recipes are partly inspired by interesting food trends that try elevating cheap meals. The other part of her inspiration behind her creations stems from when she was younger, helping her mom prepare her meals. “My mom was a stay-at-home mom the majority of my life,” Wolff says. “Everything I have now is just an expansion of what I learned growing up.” Though Wolff has received no formal culinary training and does not consider herself a chef, she understands that developing memorable food comes with balancing the pillars of flavor: salt, fat and acid. This aptitude is how the chili crunch alfredo achieves something unique. “Everyone’s had mac and cheese and everyone’s had alfredo,” says Wolff. “Halfway through you tap out because it’s the same flavor in your mouth. When you add [acidity] to that dish you continue to want to eat it.” But simplicity takes second chair to intentionality in the chili alfredo. Sand City-based Bigoli noodles are glazed in creamy butter and parmesan sauce. Chili oil is drizzled on rather than mixed in. It hits the palate first, sending your senses scattering for a moment while at the same time cutting the initial richness of the sauce, before it all calms down again. The secret, this time, is in the chili oil. First course Dabs of chili oil spark traditional pasta dishes like fettuccine alfredo. It doesn’t take much to offset the creamy richness. Tequila Sunset…Shearwater Tavern is putting on its first courtyard party of 2025 on Thursday, Jan. 16 from 6-9pm. Enjoy tacos from Shearwater Tavern’s new executive chef, Jae Moon, tequila from Lalo Blanco Tequila, and tunes under the stars. There will also be wine from Wente Vineyards and fire pits to keep you cozy. Food and drink for purchase. Then on Sunday, Jan. 19, Shearwater serves brunch with a side of smooth jazz from Leon Joyce Jr. 3665 Rio Road, Carmel. 624-1841, shearwatertavern.com. Girl Power…Dawn’s Dream Winery is adding bingo night to Pizza Friday on Jan. 17 from 5-7pm to benefit Girls Inc. of the Central Coast. They are asking for a $5 donation for each bingo card, so play your heart out while having wine and pizza. There will be prizes and sweet treats to make this already awesome evening even better. 7th and San Carlos, Carmel. 659-2649, dawnsdreamwinery.com. Local Love…Lalla Oceanside is showing the locals some love with a 15-percent discount off of meals and drinks when you stop by Monday through Thursday, now through the end of March. Be sure to take advantage of this opportunity to enjoy food, drinks and views during the shoulder season for tourism. 654 Cannery Row, Monterey. 324-0891, lallagrill.com. Art’ful Dodger…Word is that the annual Artichoke Festival will be a little closer to Castroville for 2025, at the Sheriff Posse grounds in Salinas. For the past several years, what had been known as the Castroville Artichoke Festival had been held at the Monterey County Fair & Event Center in Monterey. The event takes place June 14-15. plan ahead…Tickets are on sale now for two destination events and two wine dinners. The Big Sur Foragers Festival takes place Jan. 24-26 at various locations: 667-2580, bigsurforagersfestival.org. The star-studded Pebble Beach Food & Wine festival runs April 10-13, pebblebeachfoodandwine.com. Frank Family Vineyards hosts a wine dinner at Chart House at 7pm Thursday, Jan. 30 with a five-course meal, for $149 at 444 Cannery Row, Monterey; 372-3362, chart-house.com. And La Playa Hotel is putting on an all organic and biodynamic four-course wine dinner on Thursday, Jan. 30 from 6-9pm for $198, Camino Real at 8th, Carmel; (800) 582-8900, laplayahotel.com. By Jacqueline Weixel morsels eatanddrink@montereycountynow.com “When you add acidity to that dish, you want to eat it.” Eat + DrinK Daniel Dreifuss Savor Bomb A simple chili oil at Jeju Kitchen adds umami and heat to a creamy Italian favorite. By Sloan Campi Jeju Kitchen Chili Oil Makes just over 1/2 cup Ingredients 1/2 cup oil (vegetable, grapeseed, or any neutral flavor oil) 6-8 cloves fresh garlic, minced 2 tbsp red chili flakes 2 tbsp dried minced garlic 2 tbsp dried chopped onion 2 tsp sugar 1 tsp sesame seeds 1 tsp kosher salt 1 tsp smoked paprika 1 tsp cayenne (optional) 2 tsp soy sauce (or to taste) Preparation Combine all ingredients in a single container. Seal and refrigerate. Allow the ingredients to infuse the oil. Strain if desired, but best if not strained.
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