Local Chef Offers a Taste of Paradise
a profile of "The Irreverent Chef," Liana Turner
| | Puerto Vallarta's Irreverent Chef - Liana Turner | 
| | Paradise Bakery & Catering is located at Sierra Aconcagua 299, Prolongacion Brasil, Colonia Lazaro Cardenas, Puerto Vallarta. For more information, call (322) 222-5133 or visit VallartaCatering.com. | | |
Liana Turner, the chef and owner at Paradise Bakery & Catering, home of the "Best Cinnamon Rolls in Vallarta," and some of the finest catering anywhere, is also an accomplished writer whose weekly column, The Irreverent Chef, has been delighting readers in local print publications since 2005.
Raised in the Northwest U.S., in Seattle and the San Juan Islands, and having spent a short and dry couple of years in the desert of Eastern Washington State, Liana has worked in a variety of jobs on three continents, most of them having to do with food, wine or boats.
She has been a hotel restaurant chef, a salmon slimer, a winery Public Relations Manager, an ad salesperson and designer, a "pilebuck" on a pile driving barge, a tugboat cook in Alaska, a salmon, halibut and dogfish fisherwoman, a guest house manager, restaurant owner, a chef on the Antarctic ice, dishwasher, bartender, luxury yacht chef, a comedy writer, photographer, and a few other things along the way.
The proud mother of daughter Maia, son John, a really unruly adopted dog and three terrified cats, Liana has been living in the Puerto Vallarta area and concentrating on cooking up some of the best and most creative food in town for the last thirteen years.
In January of 2003, Liana opened Paradise Bakery & Catering on the south side of Vallarta, serving delicious sandwiches, salads, main dishes, yummy sweet treats and her famous cinnamon rolls, and providing full service catering to all kinds of special events in Puerto Vallarta and the Banderas Bay area.
In June of 2008, Liana moved Paradise Bakery & Catering to a new location in Colonia Lazaro Cardenas. She is very excited about her new storefront and invites everyone to stop by and say hello, try a free sample of just about anything you like and take home food for later, or sit at a cozy café table and enjoy a cup of Seattle style coffee.
Today, Liana continues to write her informative and entertaining weekly column, The Irreverent Chef, which can now be found on BanderasNews. As a long-time resident and one of the city's best known chefs, Liana can answer all of your questions about food, drink, home matters and living in Puerto Vallarta, so if there's something you'd like to know, please write to her at lianasea(at)msn.com.
The Irreverent Chef: Thanksgiving
 Liana Turner
I have always felt protective about Thanksgiving... the dinner part of it, I mean. An American Thanksgiving dinner is a grand tradition, with turkey as the center and mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, yams and pumpkin pie rounding out the rest of the dinner.
Irreverent Chef: Differences, Continued
 Liana Turner
Last week I wrote about some differences between the land of my birth (Seattle) and my chosen home (Puerto Vallarta). The differences are many, and still on my mind as I wind down from the family-intensive wedding week/vacation in Seattle.
Irreverent Chef: Saludos Desde Seattle
 Liana Turne
This week I am writing from the lovely city of Seattle. Things are different here than they are in Vallarta, and the differences become even more noticeable when one spends considerable time away, like I have...
The Irreverent Chef: Fried Green Potatoes
 Liana Turner
I always thought that because potatoes are a member of the nightshade family, that any green parts of the tuber (that's the potato) or plant were extremely poisonous. I had read and heard it so many times, I just assumed that it was true...
Random Observations and Reviewing the Reviewers
 Liana Turner
My vote for the best food reviewer in Puerto Vallarta results in a tie. They work hard but are not payed for what they are doing. Both of these fine gentlemen keep us informed about the best places to eat as a labor of love, not as a commercial enterprise.
The Irreverent Chef: Things to Bring From the "Old Country"
 Liana Turner
I haven't been to the U.S. lately, and it seems like the longer I stay here, the less I miss from North of the Border. Now that I am planning a trip, though, my mind constantly wanders onto the same subject... What should I bring back?
Eggs: Out of the Chicken Into the Fridge?
 Liana Turner
Eggs are an amazing food. They can be eaten about 4000 or so different ways, in liquid or solid form, or something in between. As a chef I love eggs, as long as I don't think too much about what they really are, or where they really come from...
Irreverent Chef: Movies for Foodies
 Liana Turner
Movie reviewing is not normally my 'thing,' so I won't be starting now. I would, however, like to share with you some of the most memorable movies that are about food, centered around food, or at least have food in them.
Beans, Beans, the Magical Fruit...
 Liana Turner
I've never been fond of beans. They just don't seem to be very interesting, or maybe it's the color. Whatever it is, I'm trying to get over it. Let's face it, beans are good food, good nutrition, inexpensive, and an excellent source of protein.
Plan Now for Your Holiday Events in Puerto Vallarta
 Liana Turner
Now is the time to plan for your holiday events in Puerto Vallarta, especially the big ones, like Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Eve. Many caterers, venues and equipment rental places will be booked in advance - so start planning NOW!
Irreverent Chef: Manifold Destiny Cuisine
 Liana Turner
Yes, you can cook on your car engine. This is something many people have heard of, but few have actually tried. I don't know why it isn't more popular. I can tell you from personal experience that it really does work.
The Irreverent Chef: "No Cook" Cooking
 Liana Turner
It's summer. It's hot and steamy. Standing in front of a flaming stove doesn't seem very appealing. The thought of turning on an oven gives some of us nervous fits. Luckily, there are many things we can prepare without creating extra heat in the kitchen.
Irreverent Chef: Get To Know Your Pila
 Liana Turner
As a long-time resident and one of Vallarta's best known chefs, Liana Turner knows all about living in Mexico. This week, she answers a question that most Gringos who live here want to know: 'What is that strange cement sink-like thing in my house?'
The Irreverent Chef: Lettuce... Iceberg is IN Again
 Liana Turner
I have to admit right now that I have been a lettuce snob. I have turned up my nose at iceberg, curly leaf, and even on occasion, romaine. We all have stages that we go through, and one of mine was the "baby mix" stage.
Irreverent Chef: Eat the Rainbow - Put Some Color in Your Life!
 Liana Turner
When it comes to a healthy diet, it's really more important what you DO eat than what you don't. Eat the rainbow. Blueberries, apples, green lettuce, yellow bananas, orange oranges, red plums, yellow peppers, crimson raspberries... you get the idea.
The Irreverent Chef: Summertime... and the Livin' Is Easy?
 Liana Turner
I still love summer in Puerto Vallarta, but for those of us who live here year-round, summertime in paradise can be difficult. But, where there are problems, there are solutions. Here are a few ideas to help pick us up and keep us cool.
The Irreverent Chef: Party Time!
 Liana Turner
I like birthdays. They celebrate life, friends and survival. With my 50th birthday approaching quickly, I decided that I should do something. Some birthdays I don't mind letting pass quietly, but the "milestones" warrant some kind of festivities...
The Irreverent Chef: Chihuahua Cheese Comes From Where?
 Liana Turner
For many years I have been thinking that Chihuahua cheese had to be made in Chihuahua, Mexico, but after a quick perusal in one local supermarket, I found that's not the case. Read on to learn more - and for a quick and easy Old Fashioned Egg Salad recipe.
The Irreverent Chef: Anatomy of a Sandwich
 Liana Turner
Some people think you can slap a few things between two pieces of bread, and call it a sandwich. There is a certain order and technique required for making the perfect sandwich, and if the rules are followed, the results will prove it.
PV's Irreverent Chef Makes Some Moves
Liana Turner
I'm Back! ...and so pleased to be beginning this new version of my old column here at BanderasNews. I am also happy to announce the opening of Paradise Bakery and Catering's new location. We are really excited to finally have a storefront again.
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