You may recall from a previous post that Chefs Toys hosted an event at Melissa’s Produce last month! I was so enamored of the company, I bravely asked if our Inland Empire Food Bloggers Group might have a tour of Chefs Toys newest location in Corona, Ca. After all, Corona is in the Inland Empire and our little group was in need of a fun foodie field trip! What better place to go, than restaurant supply store? Even the name is fun! Chefs Toys! And let me tell you, they have a LOT of fun toys! Their stores are all open to the public, so even folks who like fun and unique kitchen items, can shop to their hearts content! It’s also perfect for food bloggers looking for cute little dishes to showcase on our blogs! Just saying! Come on in and look around with us!
Chefs Toys stared as a part-time blade sharpening business, operated out of the back of a single pick up truck! Now, they have locations all over Southern California and offer a variety of different services, including restaurant design and support, supplies and so much more!
This is Donna from Dangerous Cupcake Designs! She found her happy place in the smallwares aisle! I can’t say I blame her. All those little dishes are so cute!
Natalie from The Devil Wears Parsley is currently remodeling her kitchen, so this gorgeous marble slab cutting board caught her eye. Ohhhh pretty!
Angel from Barrel Aged Vegetarian found cutting boards of all shapes, sizes and materials! Including this very cool one, shaped like our fabulous state and somehow matched his T-shirt. Hmmm…. I wonder if he did that on purpose? ;-)
I wasn’t lying when I said Chefs Toys has everything! Check out all the different pans! Much of what you’ll find here is durable enough to last in a professional kitchen, so you know it will be great in your home kitchen. Their staff has quite a few former chefs, so not only do you get great customer service, but they really know what they’re talking about if you have questions!
Anyone need a spatula? Burger flipper? Wooden spoon? Carving knives and forks? Sheet Pans? Cooling racks? Whisks? Chefs Toys has them!
Lest you forget this *is* a place for Chef’s, Chefs Toys does have all the huge stoves, mixers, display cases, refrigerators and cleaning supplies used in your favorite restaurants! It was fun to see all that equipment on display and pretend I would even know what to do with it! Ha! Those are some BIG mixers!!
Remember when I said a lot of their staff is comprised of former Chefs? Well, not only were we blessed enough to go take a tour of this facility, Chef Doug from the Melissa’s Produce event (Read all about that adventure HERE!) was kind enough to share his recipe for a delicious Crunchy Asian Vegetable Salad!
Mmmmm! Thanks Chef Doug! And thanks to Chefs Toys for the fun tour!
Crunchy Asian Vegetable Salad with a Ginger Cilantro Dressing
Ingredients
- 2 cups Napa Cabbage shredded thick
- 1/4 cup Red Cabbage shredded thin
- 1 head Baby Bok Choy cleaned and sliced thin
- 2 cups Mixed Baby Greens
- 1 cup Mini Bell Peppers cored and sliced into rings
- 1/4 cup Edamame cooked and shelled
- 1/2 cup Asian Pears peeled, cored, and julienned
- 1 small Carrot peeled and sliced
- 1/4 cup Cashews roasted and lightly chopped
- 1/2 cup Fried Won Ton Strips
- Ginger Cilantro Dressing
- 3 Tablespoons Garlic peeled
- 3 Tablespoons Ginger peeled and chopped small
- 1 small Egg
- 2 Tablespoons Peanut Butter
- 6 ounces Sweet Chili Sauce
- 2/3 cup Rice Vinegar
- 1/4 cup Soy Sauce
- 1/4 cup Sesame Oil
- 3 cups Canola Oil
- 1/4 of a bunch Cilantro de-stemmed and cleaned
- 1 Green Onions sliced into thin rings
- Salt & Pepper to taste
Instructions
- For the Salad:
- In a large mixing bowl, add first 8 ingredients (Napa Cabbage through the Carrot) and mix until combined.
- Add the dressing and toss well.
- Remove salad from bowl and place in a pile on a round plate.
- Sprinkle cashews over salad.
- Place fried won ton strips on top of salad and serve.
- For the Dressing:
- Combine the first 7 ingredients into a blender and blend until a smooth puree.
- While blender is still running, slowly add in the salad and sesame oil.
- Once all oil is incorporated to dressing, add in cilantro and blend until smooth. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper and remove from blender to serving vessel.
- Stir in the thinly sliced scallions and serve.
