ECW Private Chef

winter in four parts...

2012-01-23T16:37:00.000-08:00

... celery root soup, crisp pancetta, fried sage ...

... little gem salad, beets, tangerines, mint, toasted pepitas ...

... crisp duck confit, du puy lentils, braised savoy cabbage, black pepper gastrique ...

... olive oil/almond/citrus cake, crème fraîche, candied mandarinquats ...

contrast

2012-01-22T10:32:00.000-08:00

I really do love cooking in the cold weather months...braising, roasting, caramelizing, slow long cooking...

But as individual dishes need contrast, so too does the meal...

This salad was the perfect way to refresh the taste buds between a bowl of creamy, warm celery root soup and a plate of crispy duck confit with lentils and cabbage. Most often I would write a menu that progresses from salad to soup to main course, but I didn't want to go back-to-back with two fairly rich dishes.

The crunchy, salty roasted pepitas made for a nice contrast both in texture and flavor within the dish itself.

Every ingredient in this salad was excellent, but the show stopper was without a doubt these tangerines! Firm and sweet, but with great acid.

... the gems ...

I removed the larger leaves from the outside and relegated them to sandwich duty. I like the inner light green/yellow leaves for this salad.

... the toasted pepitas ...

A key ingredient in the Mexican dish mole, these are great on their own. I always buy nuts and seeds raw and toast them myself. Put them in a dry sauté pan and roast them in a 400 degree oven until they are slightly crunchy and take on a little color. As with all nuts/seeds, a little color means flavor, a little too much color means bitter. Hit them with a bit of good olive oil and kosher salt when they come out of the oven...delicious. Make sure you toast some extra because they are great snacking on their own.

... the beets ...

These great beets were simply roasted in a hot oven with olive oil, a little water, salt and pepper (covered)...then peeled, cut into wedges and tossed with their own vinaigrette.

... the mint ...

feel free to use a lot in this salad...and whole leaves are great!

... the tangerines ...

Oh...my...the...tangerines! You can cut them into segments or "supremes", but I like to first cut off pieces of the fruit almost like you would cutting around the core of an apple. From there, I just cut slices against the direction of the membrane that separates each section...you can see what I mean if you look at the slices of tangerine in the salad above. I like the way it looks and the way it eats. For larger citrus like grapefruits I tend to cut out the individual segments.

... the vinaigrettes ...

I hadn't planned on using two different vinaigrettes for one salad, but I happened to have some blood oranges on hand. I made a meyer lemon vinaigrette for the salad, and dressed the beets separately in a blood orange vinaigrette.

my first PORCHETTA...

2012-01-15T19:36:00.000-08:00

So I usually don't like to type anything in all caps {it's like yelling}, but in this case I felt it was warranted...PORCHETTA!!! (so there you are...bold, underlined, italicized and all caps...can you tell I'm happy with the way this turned out?)

It is something I have always wanted to make, but most of the time I am cooking for groups of about 8-10 people. Since a traditional porchetta is made using a whole pig it would have been a bit much.

I have also seen versions that wrap a pork belly around a couple of boneless pork loins which I think is a nice idea...but still quite a large roast.

Recently I found a blog while I was researching various ways of cooking prime rib and stumbled on this post for an all-belly porchetta...now we're talkin'. There's a lot of great detail there, so I won't repeat, but just give some of my observations now that I have made it for myself (and some friends)...

Here is mine all tied up and ready to go. I seasoned and tied it 2 days prior to cooking. He said to tie the roast starting on the outside, working in. I would have been inclined to do the opposite, but he was right...just look at how uniform it turned out! I did change the seasonings from his version. For years I have used a mixture of spices based on a braised pork belly recipe from the Café Boulud Cookbook. My mix is as follows: fennel, coriander, cumin, peppercorns, bay leaf, cinnamon, allspice, star anise, cloves, dried chiles & garlic. Oh, and salt, plenty of salt. While that seems like a lot of flavors going on, they really do mellow out over the long slow cooking (and it's fun listening to people trying to guess what the spices are).

On day 2 I followed his advice of rubbing the skin with a mixture of salt and baking soda. As he explains this changes the PH of the meat/skin which allows it to get ~~very~~ VERY crispy.

Another step from his method is to blast it at 500 degrees at the end to crispy it up. The roast already seemed very crisp so I decided to skip that step. It turned out that while the skin was crispy it wasn't the right kind of crispy and was frankly difficult to eat. Because I had cut the roast in 2 (it was otherwise too long) I decided to give the second half that blast to finish it off. That was the ticket...the right kind of crispy...it literally shatters when you bite it!

This is the first half and, although it was delicious, everyone unanimously pushed the skin to the side of their plates. When the second half of the roast was finished everyone was breaking off pieces of the crispy skin with ooohs and aaahs!

{there is no picture of the second half as it was devoured so quickly!}

While this dish does take some time and patience, I highly recommend giving it a try. Pork belly really is a cheap cut of meat and is loaded with flavor.

a client photo shoot

2011-10-03T20:56:00.000-07:00

A client of mine recently asked if I would provide food for a photo shoot he was doing to update the website for his property. You can see this amazing property at his website.

I had cooked at the Ranch multiple times in the past and had a pretty good idea what he was looking for. Since I knew the food would be a supporting character to the architecture shoot, I decided to go for large shapes and big splashes of color. The shoot was in late May and the markets were just brimming with color!

Here is the great kitchen in the main house...

The covered patio that leads out to the pool area...

Have a seat, lunch is served!

The photography was done by the uber talented, crazy cool and ridiculously calm Cesar Rubio...go take a look at his gorgeous work.

He was so great about letting me hang out for the day (after my part was done), ask questions, and even help out a bit with the shoot. I definitely have a new appreciation for architecture photography!

summer's here and the time is right...

2011-07-18T15:07:00.000-07:00

Berries are one of the many great things about Summer! And here is my take on a classic dessert...summer berry pudding.

Most recipes call for cooking the fruit or some of the fruit. I like to skip the cooking so that I can keep the flavor of the berries as fresh and lively as possible.

Here, I've cut up the strawberries and added them to the blueberries, blackberries and raspberries. I then tossed them with some sugar, lemon juice and a few sprigs of fresh lemon verbena (fresh mint would work equally well). The amount of each is basically up to you, but you do need enough sugar to help the berries release much of their juice and enough lemon juice to balance out that sweet. Let the berries macerate for about an hour, stirring them up occasionally. (remove the verbena before moving on)

Here I have cut most of the crust off some light and airy pain de mie, but I have also used brioche. I would say the amount of the bread I added was about 3/4 the volume of the berries I had. I suggest starting with about 1/2 the volume and stir it in every 5-10 minutes and really let the bread soak up the syrup created by the berries. Add more bread as needed until the mixture is thick enough that it will hold together (this part is tricky...it will all make more sense the second time you make this)

Still soaking...

Here you can see how the mixture has changed. The blackberries and raspberries break down and join the bread to become the mortar and the strawberries and blueberries act as the bricks. I lined a loaf pan with plastic and pressed the mixture in tightly to make sure there were no air pockets. I folded the plastic back over the top and weighted it down for a full day in the refrigerator. I used a brick wrapped in tin foil...but you can use whatever happens to fit your pan.

The next day, carefully pull out the plastic wrapped pudding. Wrap it in an additional few layers of wrap. The pudding is barely being held together by the bread, so the additional wrap will hold it together as you make slices. A super sharp knife is a must...a long thin slicer being the best choice. You can place the slice on a plate, then carefully remove the plastic and there you have it...I like mine with a dollop of just slightly sweetened and whipped crème fraîche!

Try this soon before all of the berries are gone...

Crazy for Citrus!!!

2011-02-21T13:31:00.000-08:00

I've been buying citrus from Desantis Farms for years now but I guess I never really realized just how many varieties they grow (though I knew it was a lot!). I asked Rosa Desantis how many they grow and even she did not know, so maybe it is more than a lot.

I was curious both as a chef and as a photographer, so my last trip to the market, I picked up two of everything they were selling that day. The colors and the flavors are simply amazing!

Here are the 20 varieties I got that day (and it is but a fraction of what they sell...there will be other later ripening varieties in the weeks to come). I had a hard time trying to decide on their arrangement, but finally put them in order of relative size, from kumquat all the way up to the mighty pomelo...

kumquat

These can be eaten as is, though it is an acquired taste...or one of those love-it-or-hate-it kind of ingredients (I'm firmly in the 'love' category). It can be sliced thin to go into salads, but my favorite is to candy them in a light syrup. I've used them this way with duck confit, foie gras and as a garnish to citrus based desserts.

limequat

This one has huge pucker factor and really does taste like a lime with more interesting flavors. Personally, I would probably candy this one as well.

mandarinquat

This might just be my favorite new-to-me discovery. The flavor is all mandarine, but with a bracing acidity. I think this could work sliced thin and sparingly in certain salads, but I think it would make an amazing marmalade!

rangpur lime

Looking at this, you could be fooled...it looks very sweet, like a mandarine, but it is definitely all lime. It is super high in acid with a VERY unique flavor.

page mandarin

These are so great, not just because their flavor is amazing, but they are easy to peel and seedless...YUM!!

seville orange

This is the quintessential fruit for making marmalade. It is very high in acid and has a bitter rind. There are few culinary applications where 'bitter' is a desired trait, but marmalade is a key exception!

moro blood orange

That beautiful color is not the only reason to get some of these...they are also very tasty. It's tough to compare this to anything else...not much acid...don't wear white!

satsuma mandarin

Another great fruit for simply peeling and eating. This has a nice balance of sweetness and acidity, making it great for both savory and sweet applications.

pink lemon

Very much a lemon, but with a more floral flavor and aroma...beautiful color.

lemon

Not much to say...high acid, great lemon flavor...

meyer lemon

A cross of a lemon and a mandarin, this one has become very well known and hugely popular. As a lemon it is unique in that it is low enough in acid to be eaten as-is. I love it as a salad dressing, squeezed over some fish and it has so many uses for desserts!

sweet lime

The name pretty much says it all here. It tastes just as you would imagine something called a 'sweet lime' to taste...I bet this would make a great sorbet!

bergamot

If you're an earl grey tea drinker, you'll be familiar with this one. It is very tart with amazing aroma...cut off a little zest, bend it in half and squeeze...smells so good (and familiar)...

clemenvilla

WOW...this one gets 'best-in-show' for me! It has a great mix of sweet to acid. it is very much a large clementine in its flavor and appearance...sooooo delicious!

tarocco blood orange

This is one of my absolute favorites! The flavor is very much like a cara cara orange, but somehow different. The bonus with the tarocco is its amazing appearance...very summer-of-love tie-dyed kinda feel.

cara cara orange

This one used to be hard to find outside of the farmers market, now it can be found even in large chain grocery stores. The color of the flesh is a bit navel orange meets pink grapefruit and the flavor is sweet with little acid...great for peeling and eating.

navel orange

You know this one...these are so sweet and great for peel-and-eat!

cocktail grapefruit

Though loaded with seeds, this has great flavor. I would describe it as a cross (both in flavor & appearance) between a navel orange and a good white flesh grapefruit...this would be great for juice.

pink grapefruit

This one has a huge amount of acid...you've got to be a grapefruit fanatic for this one. Though it looks like a 'ruby red' it is far from that sweet.

pomelo (melo gold)

This has a nice flavor, much closer to a ruby red grapefruit. The flesh is very firm...you could almost cut it into dice and it would probably keep its shape. As you can see there is a huge amount of pith, but the flavor is worth all of the trimming.

Well, I thought I knew my citrus varieties pretty well, but I'm really glad I went through this exercise. I learned some new things and it's given me some great new ideas for my winter/spring menus!

Enjoy these while they are around and go visit Rosa & Mateo at the Marin Farmers Market on Thursdays and Sundays...

Great Stocks...a cold weather staple

2010-12-06T21:13:00.000-08:00

Stocks have so many uses in the fall and winter, that I make sure I always have some on hand.

Here I've made two very similar, yet very different chicken stocks. The first a basic stock with good flavor and rich in gelatin. Then a second one made from the first stock using roasted bones. In the restaurant I referred to this second stock as double dark chicken, or 'dbl dk chix'.

Rather than list a recipe with specific amounts, a quick understanding of proportions will get you on your way. The starting point should be your stockpot...get twice as many bones as will fill that stockpot about 3/4 full...

Now for the aromatic vegetables that will flavor the stock. Unlike baking, no exact measurements are needed here. The total amount of the vegetables should be about 1/3 the volume of the bones. A good rule of thumb for the mix is about 50% onions, 25% carrots and 25% celery. If I happen to have some fresh fennel around or some parsley stems, I’ll throw those in as well.

The size that you cut the vegetables does matter and here is why. You want them to release all of their flavor into the stock, but you don’t want them to cook so long they fall apart, clouding the stock. So the longer a stock will simmer, the larger you will want to keep the vegetables. For the chicken stock, I cut onions in quarters, and the carrots and celery in about 4 inch lengths.

For the first stock...

Pour enough cold water over the bones in the stockpot to just cover and slowly bring to a simmer...adjust the heat so it never boils...just bubbles occasionally. Logic would dictate that starting with hot water would give you a head start on the cooking, but it will result in a cloudy result, so avoid the temptation.

As it slowly comes to a simmer, both fat and foam will rise to the surface. Skim this away as it collects. Simmer the bones for about 45 minutes to an hour (continuing to clean the surface) then add the vegetables. Continue to simmer until the bones fall apart easily. Chicken stock only needs to cook about 2-3 hours, after that you are simply cooking away those fresh flavors. Strain the stock through a fine mesh strainer and discard all of the bones and vegetables. Let the stock sit a few minutes, then skim off any remaining fat. Cool the stock quickly and store in the refrigerator, or go directly to making the second stock.

For the second stock...

Roast the second half of the bones in the oven until they are very well browned, making sure not to let any pieces get too dark. Once browned, remove them from the oven. If any of the bones happen to get to dark, just remove those portions. Just a small piece of bone blackened in the oven can impart its bitterness on your entire batch of stock. After adding the bones to the pot, pour off any excess fat from the roasting pan, then scrape all of the crusty brown bits from the bottom into the stock pot. These bits are culinary gold and your stock will suffer without them...don’t let them get away. Alternatively, you can put the pan on a medium flame, add some of the stock and simmer slowly to dissolve the bits stuck to the bottom. Add all of this to the stockpot with the bones and the 1st stock you made. Give this one about a 1/2 hour head start, then add the vegetables and cook for another hour to hour and a half. There will be much less cleaning to do as this stock cooks, but it should be tended to, nonetheless.

Again, strain the stock, skim any remaining fat and cool and store as quickly as possible.

Now take advantage of the fact that you have some great stock(s) at your disposal. Make some soup, or better yet...braise something!

Fresh Flavors of Summer

2010-07-05T13:44:00.000-07:00

Cooking can be defined as:

"the act of preparing something (as food) by the application of heat"

(the Collaborative International Dictionary of English)

So I guess, then, that much of Summertime "cooking" isn't really cooking at all...a case in point...

A few simple ingredients can be coaxed into a tasty and satisfying dish without ever going near the stove...and isn't that great when it's over 90 or 100 degrees!

Here I started with a few tomatoes, one summer squash, some basil all from the garden as well as lemon vinaigrette and some burrata left from a small event I did over the weekend.

I like the results of treating squash this way...I slice it thin on a mandoline, lay it out flat and sprinkle on a small amount of kosher salt and wait about 15 minutes. As it sits, the salt draws moisture from the squash that beads up on its surface...simply press paper towels onto the squash to remove it. This accomplishes a few things...it seasons the squash all the way through, it gives it a pleasing texture that bends rather than snaps and it also concentrates the flavor by removing water. This purging technique is an important step to some other preparations as well such as making pickles, raita (cucumber/yogurt sauce from India), eggplant (where it also extracts some of the inherent bitterness) etc...

The rest of this salad is simple...season everything (don't add any additonal salt to the squash) individually and assemble.

...the few early offerings from the garden...

...use a mandoline to slice the squash thinly and evenly...most professional cooks have a Benriner which is more practical and affordable than the larger more expensive French metal types...

...it doesn't take much salt do draw out a lot of moisture, and since the slices are so thin, any more than this would just amount to salty squash...no good...

...don't forget to season everything...here the cut tomatoes get salt, pepper and some good extra virgin olive oil...for this dish I prefer a fruitier version...nothing assertively peppery...

...the burrata gets the same salt/pepper/evoo treatment (be sure to remove the cheese from the refrigerator about 20 minutes before serving to allow it to come to room temperature), then the assembled salad is drizzled with the lemon vinaigrette...

Now THAT is Summer on a plate!

Syrupy Goodness

2010-07-03T22:48:00.000-07:00

I've been experimenting lately with desserts. At the restaurant, there was the pastry chef, but now that I am out on my own, I'm working on my repertoire. (I was lucky enough to have chef Yulanda Santos with me when I was at Calistoga Ranch...she is now pastry chef at Dry Creek Kitchen in Healdsburg, CA...if you find yourself there, check out her desserts...they are as beautiful as they are delicious)

Here is a great technique that is equally at home in savory dishes (think foie gras, roast pork, duck confit...you get the idea) but here . . . a couple of sweet examples.

The basic technique flows like this...

make a caramel
add vinegar and reduce a bit to a syrup
add spices, steep, remove
add fruit and cook

Now, here are my variations for two fruits...

For the rhubarb, I made enough syrup so that the pieces could swim in it. I cooked them on a super low flame, basically just wilting them, allowing them to cool in the syrup. You can see how well they hold their shape. As far as the spices, I used cinnamon stick, allspice and a cardomom pod. For vinegar I used champagne vinegar.

I served the rhubarb with these "baby cakes" from Julia Child's "Baking with Julia".

For the cherries, I made just enough of the syrup to coat the bottom of the pan, and cooked them over a higher flame, giving them a gentle, occasional toss. As they cook, they add to the syrup by releasing their own natural juice. Fresh cherries like these only need a couple of minutes...they will continue to soften as they cool, so err on the short side. As for spices, I think the cherries stand up to a more assertive mix and I went with cinnamon stick, allspice, cloves, star anise (VERY little) and black peppercorns. I used red wine vinegar.

I served these cherries with panna cotta...I love Suzanne Goin's creme fraiche version from "Sunday Suppers at Lucques"

So obviously there are many variations on this idea as different fruits come into season. Just think about how the spices and vinegars work with the fruit you are using (and the dish overall). Also think about the balance of sugar to vinegar. While a more acidic treatment might marry well with a fatty pork chop, it might be out of place in a dessert. You could be tempted to omit the vinegar entirely for a dessert, but that can leave the dish cloyingly sweet...cooking is all about balance.

Soon santa rosa plums will be in the markets and I think I'll try those with lemon verbeena and champagne vinegar.

Here's to Fast Food!!

2010-06-30T14:16:00.000-07:00

Like anyone, I don’t always want to spend a lot of time cooking for myself, but I do want to eat meals that taste great. I go through food phases...and right now I’ve just fallen into another farro kick.

I’ll boil up a big batch of farro, give it a little salt, pepper and olive oil and keep it in the fridge...when it gets low, I boil up another batch and this continues for a few weeks until I’ve had my fill...

It takes some time to cook (a good hour long simmer usually does the trick), but once it is in the fridge, it has you eating a healthy meal in as little as 10-15 minutes.

Today, I had just one summer squash and one padron pepper from my garden...add in a little farro and I had myself a great lunch.

Here’s what I did:

Slice up the squash and the pepper and saute in some olive oil (and a little salt and pepper) until both are tender, tear the blossom from the squash into strips and add them to the pan along with some rough torn fresh basil. Give the pan a quick toss and add in the pre-cooked farro and let it warm through slightly and check for seasoning. Off the heat, add a small squeeze of fresh lemon...this really wakes up all the flavors!

There are endless possibilities and it is a great way to use up what you happen to have hanging out in the fridge (or the garden).

Experiment with your own combinations and enjoy Summer's bounty!!!

A Simple Treatment For Some Amazing Carrots...

2010-05-14T21:39:00.000-07:00

I picked up these carrots at the farmer's market on Thursday. I've got no events this weekend but it had been a while since I played with some food and the camera at the same time...

No peeling needed...a good scrub, a rinse and a pat dry...

The parsley and the thyme were clipped from my new garden (more on that soon).

After nothing more than salt, pepper, thyme and olive oil they are ready for the pan.

...like candy...

My Ad in Edible Marin & Wine Country Magazine

2010-03-06T12:51:00.000-08:00

I just picked up the Spring issue of Edible Marin & Wine Country Magazine and it is beautiful! It has me excited about all of those great ingredients that have started trickling into the markets. Some things have begun, such as asparagus, spring garlic & strawberries, while others are enticingly close (think english peas & fava beans).

I chose this publication in which to place my first advertisement and I could not be happier with how it turned out. The magazine and the way I cook and shop could not be more in tandem and I fully expect it to help me reach the audience I am after.

Here is the ad:

If you are not familiar with this magazine (or any of the Edible Communities publications) do yourself a favor and add it to your reading list.

Edible Marin & Wine Country was started by Gibson Thomas who I have gotten to know a bit through the process of getting the ad ready for the magazine. She is very talented, very driven and very supportive of community, its artisans and the relationships that help connect them.

You can help support what she is doing by becoming a regular reader of the magazine and help the cause (and your own well-being) by supporting your local farmers markets and the hard working folks who sell their fruits, vegetables, meats, cheeses, dairy, breads, crafts and so much more.

See you at the market!

Sara Remington's Lecture at CCSF

2010-02-12T23:12:00.000-08:00

Since I first discovered Sara's incredible work close to a year ago I have made it my personal mission to meet her and talk to her about her images and experiences as a photographer.

Knowing how busy she keeps herself, in an industry where many very talented photographers are struggling to find work, it was that much more special that I was able to attend her lecture at the City College Of San Francisco this past Monday. (Special thanks to Marshall Berman, whose class she was speaking to, for extending the invite!)

I had so many questions to ask her, a few of which were answered through the course of her lecture, and a few more that I asked directly. I'll admit holding a few back in hopes that we will soon get the chance to get together at her beautiful studio and talk some more.

You should NEED to go visit her website and take a look at her beautiful photographs.

Are you still here? Go...seriously, I'll wait...

You're welcome! (thanks for coming back...wasn't sure you would...)

Sara is not just a food photographer, but shoots travel and lifestyle as well. She has some great work on her blog from trips she took to Argentina and to Calabria, Italy (both current book projects).

I have spent so much time in the year since leaving the commercial kitchen looking at food photography. Having looked at so many sites and in so many magazines, I've yet to find any work that inspires as much as hers. I don't know how to describe it other than saying her images still have their soul intact. There are so many "pretty pictures" out there...so many technically great photos, but many just don't tell a story.

In the same way that I love cookbooks that are more than just about the food itself, I love photography that gives you the sense of a place and the culture that supports a cuisine.

My Beloved Knives, Part 6

2010-02-03T00:57:00.001-08:00

Forschner

(6 inch boning & formerly 6 inch boning)

These Swiss made knives are without a doubt the most bang-for-the-buck knives in my kit. They are very well made and, at about 20 bucks each, a real bargain. I really do love to butcher, and these knives make the job a joy. They've helped me break down maybe fifty whole lamb, literally thousands of chickens and countless other ducks, rabbits, quail and the like. If you happen to be a vegetarian do not read the previous sentence...see, I'm a compassionate guy. My meat fabrication teacher at the CIA used a knife that looked like the one on the bottom in the picture above but the blade had been worn down even thinner. I remember wondering how that could possibly happen...how could a knife get used so much (and resharpened...or should I say re-shape-ened?)...to get that thin...and of what use is it then? I have two more of these knives that are worn to degrees between these two, so I guess I no longer wonder how a knife can get so worn. This instructor was a true character...tons of energy...he spent many years working as a cutter in a Hormel plant and was also an umpire for Major League Baseball...a fairly common combination of jobs, I'm sure you would agree.

My Beloved Knives, Part 5

2010-02-01T07:03:00.000-08:00

MAC

(8 1/2 inch chef's & 3 1/4 inch paring)

These are my favorite and most used knives. These great Japanese knives are light, thin, and nimble...and "relatively" inexpensive. I used to be able to get the chef's knife for about $90...now they are closer to $150. To some of you this may not fit into the admittedly stretched category of inexpensive, but they are an absolute dream to use, hold an edge very well and will last a long time. I used to think I loved the larger, thicker, heavier German knives but once I got used to the "mighty MAC" there was no looking back. Now when I go back and cut something like carrots with the Friedr. Dick knife it feels more like splitting wood with an axe. It cuts the first third of the way, then just splits the rest of the vegetable before the blade has a chance to slice. No nice smooth cut, just splintered shards. The MAC, on the other hand just feels like it is gliding through. My first MAC was a gift from a chef I was working for who always seemed to hate my "big klunky German knives".

There is no right or wrong, here...use what you like. To me it is a bit like golf clubs or skis...such a personal choice. Ultimately, it's about the end result. Do your golf clubs help you enjoy the game and shoot better scores? Do your ski boots hug your feet just so after hours on the mountain? Does your knife fit YOUR hand comfortably and help you get the results you are after?

My Beloved Knives, Part 4

2010-01-30T00:53:00.000-08:00

Gustav Emil Ern

(9 1/2 inch blade)

This knife was a leave behind by a former roommate and co-worker (he stole from me while we lived together, so don't think too poorly of me for not tracking him down to make sure he gets it back). When I found it in a random box in the garage it looked like something I probably should have just thrown away. Every square inch of the metal was pure rust! It felt hefty and well made in my hand so I figured it worth taking a chance on and I brought it to my "knife doctor". He did the most amazing job in bringing it back to life and, in doing so, revealed that amazing stamped logo. I love this knife's character and it's what I use for hacking up bones (oops, that makes it sound like I'm coughing up bones...maybe whacking is the better word) to make stocks and sauces. If you look closely, you can see some pretty significant nicks in the blade. Poor guy, his last job was chopping up some very sturdy venison bones while I was still chef at Calistoga Ranch. I have since relegated him to more suitable bone chopping jobs such as fish frames, chicken, duck, and rabbit bones, to name a few.

My Beloved Knives, Part 3

2010-01-28T20:50:00.000-08:00

Friedr. Dick

(8 1/2 inch blade)

Ok, so it's not the most macho chef thing to have your name engraved on your knives, but let me explain. This is one of my culinary school issue knives, the same one everyone at the school has...need I say more? This is a heavy, thick, sturdy German knife. No longer my style (...future post...) but it still gets some use in my kitchen. This one comes out when I need to halve a large winter squash (if you've ever tried cutting a kabocha, you will know what I mean) or filet a whole salmon where my more delicate Japanese knife might get dinged. When my family and I were in Venice one of the vendors at the Rialto Market was using a saw very much like this one...

to cut these kabochas (photo credit to my sister, Robin...go Robs!)...

My Beloved Knives, Part 2

2010-01-26T15:10:00.000-08:00

J.A. Henckels

(6 inch blade)

When I first went to visit the Culinary Institute of America as a junior in high school I took a look around their bookstore (a school I would attend many years later after 8 years of cubicle hell working in the insurance industry). I remember a huge glass display case filled with different Henckels knives. I guess it made an impression since I bought this one soon after that trip. You may notice that the blade has taken on a bit of a concave shape...this is from the many times that I sharpened it on my whetstones...evidently with sub-par technique. Some chefs like to sharpen their own knives, some don't...I don't (though I used to).

My Beloved Knives, Part 1

2010-01-24T09:39:00.000-08:00

Like many chefs, I suspect, I've owned a great many knives over the years. Over this and the next handful of posts I will share with you some of my most significant.

Here, then, is my own culinary journey as told through my knives...

Sabatier

(current blade 1 15/16 inches)

(probable original blade 4 inches)

The first knife I ever owned, this has great sentimental value for me and I will have it forever...even once all of the metal is gone and it's just that beautiful wooden handle. I do have a few ideas on how to turn it into a VERY useful new tool for the kitchen, but that's a story for another day. As you can see, it is currently on life support, with more than half of its blade gone and its tip snapped off :-( When I was in junior high school I saw an advertisement in Bon Appetit Magazine for a set of these great looking, wood-handled Sabatier knives. To get you to try them the ad had a picture of this knife that you could mail away for at a price even my lawn mowing income could afford...$5.95. I eagerly clipped the ad and sent it in along with a check. Then, much like Ralphie Parker waiting for his Super Secret Society Decoder Ring, I waited patiently for it to arrive in the mail. In the earliest years of its life this knife's main vocation was making apple swans to decorate plates of hors doeuvres when my parents threw parties. In it's adult life, it helped make some great food in each and every restaurant in which I have worked.

A moment of silence, please . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Wine/Food Pairing with Ziata

2010-01-20T14:12:00.000-08:00

I recently met up with Karen Cakebread to taste one of my dishes with her amazing 2008 Ziata Pinot Noir. She had asked if I would like to contribute a recipe for her website and I jumped at the chance!

After reading through the winemaker's notes on the wine, I started working on a dish that I thought would match well. What I came up with was this dish of Wild Nettle Cannelloni with Roast Chicken, Chanterelles and Pancetta. I prepared the dish, Karen brought the wine and we both agreed the pasta, the wine and the cool weather all combined for a great experience.

Please give this recipe a try and definitely pick up a bottle of the Pinot Noir today!
(and a bottle of her equally delicious Sauvignon Blanc)

My Top 10 - Cookbooks

2009-12-10T10:13:00.000-08:00

Top ten lists are fun but hardly definitive. This stack of books might well look different 6 months from now. I shudder to think of what it might have looked like when I first started cooking!

So, maybe I should have titled this post "My Top 10 - Cookbooks (as of December 10, 2009, 10:13 am Pacific Standard Time)"

In no particular order (well, technically, ascending order of book height) here are some thoughts on why these books made this list...

The French Chef Cookbook (Julia Child)
I grew up watching Julia Child's "The French Chef" (in syndication...how old did you think I was, anyway?) every day after school. This book is a great companion to those memories and a great collection of the classics of French cooking.

Marcella's Italian Kitchen (Marcella Hazan)
This is simply great, down-home Italian cooking. This was one of my very first cookbooks I ever bought and it continues to be a go-to for ideas and reference. It strikes me as the kind of food you would have at someone's home in the Italian countryside, yet truly worthy of the best restaurant experience.

Sunday Suppers at Lucques (Suzanne Goin)
Ok, so I'm a little biased since I did my culinary externship at Lucques. Suzanne is a Chez Panisse alum and carries those sensibilities to the Nth degree. She runs her restaurant probably "greener" than any other and is an excellent example of the Chef/Farmer connection. The kitchen even separates vegetable compost that some of the farmers take with them when they make their deliveries. Her food has a natural, beautiful simplicity to it which comes through perfectly in this book. Excellent Photography!

The Naked Chef (Jamie Oliver)
This is the book I go to when I want inspiration for something to cook for myself at home...when I don't want alot of fuss but I do want alot of flavor.

Think Like a Chef (Tom Colicchio)
(should I be capitalizing a book that is not capitalized?)
This is the #1 book that I recommend to the home cook wanting to learn technique and improve their cooking. Tom follows the technique approach rather than the recipe approach to creating dishes. This is not to say there are no recipes in the book...there are many great ones...but he gets you thinking like a chef, REALLY!

The Zuni Cafe Cookbook (Judy Rogers)
So many great recipes, but even more a book you can truly READ. She explains theory, tells stories and gets you excited to try new things all with a great writing style. It is worth getting the book just for her three page essay entitled "The Practice of Salting Early".

The Classic Food of Northern Italy (Anna Del Conte)
Michael Tusk first turned me on to this book over ten years ago when I was just getting my culinary feet wet at Oliveto Restaurant. One of the most influential times of my career, working at Oliveto showed me the true essence of Italian cooking. This book is no different. It is organized by region (which I love) and helps you understand why and how different cuisines and cultures developed. How food of the Alto Adige is essentially Austrian food. Why butter and fresh egg pastas are to the North of Italy what olive oil and dry (semolina) pastas are to the South.

The Good Cook & Foods of the World Series (Various Authors)
See what I did here? I snuck in an 11th book by including the Time/Life series of books. It was quite the epiphany when I discovered these books. I had seen them many times in my addictive trips to used bookstores, but chalked them up to oversimplified how-to books for the lay person written by people who knew nothing of the subject...until I finally picked one up. These books are the polar opposite of that assumption and a great addition to any cookbook collection. They are written by culinary LEGENDS! Richard Olney served as culinary consultant for the entire "The Good Cook" series. The "Foods of the World" series is written by such icons as Waverly Root, M.F.K. Fisher and Craig Claiborne. An added bonus is how cheap they can be had...I've paid as little as 50 cents each for some in my collection.

French Regional Cooking (Anne Willan)
This is very much the French counterpart to The Foods of Northern Italy for me. Written by an authority on the subject, it is also organized by region and imparts an understanding of the history and culture of the country's varied, yet cohesive cuisines. While I usually seek out true bargains in the cookbook sections of used bookstores, I made an exception for this one. It is out-of-print and hard to find and I paid a premium as I knew I might never find it again. While I said my Top 10 might likely change over time, this one takes permanent residence!

Culinaria Spain (Marion Trutter)
How beautifully put together this entire series of books is! This is the sole book on my list that might just as well have ended up on a list of Top 10 Coffee Table Books. I pick it up (lift with the legs...it's a hefty one!) as often to just look at the beautiful pictures as I do for culinary inspiration. If there is anything you want to know or see about the food of Spain you will find it in these pages.

Got some thoughts on some books you think should make the Top 10? I'd love to hear them...please leave me a comment!

Thanksgiving Originality?

2009-11-26T16:15:00.000-08:00

Well, at least they all aimed their turkeys in different directions!

Cooking/Photography Class with Lisa Wiseman

2009-10-20T15:11:00.000-07:00

My good friend Lisa and I have been batting around the idea of a sharing of talents for quite some time now. I am a chef by trade wanting to improve my photography and she is a photographer wanting to improve her cooking.

We finally were able to align our crazy schedules and make it happen. I went to the San Francisco Farmers Market to get all we would need then met up with her and her fiancee Josh to begin cooking. A quick photo/email from my phone assured Lisa that I had arrived at the market early enough to secure the amazing-and-much-sought-after Soul Food Farms chickens and eggs. Try them for yourself and you'll realize why it was such an important ingredient for the meal.

Lisa stealthily snapped some shots as we made our way through the preparations and wrote a nice post on the experience.

A friend of theirs joined us for dinner and Lisa and I finished the night with a lesson on flash photography...now its time to practice what I learned.

Birthday Shooting

2009-10-08T18:00:00.000-07:00

I just got an amazing new lens and had the perfect opportunity to take it for a test drive!

I got this Canon 70-200 2.8 IS lens and rented the 2X extender, making it a 400 mm lens. Well, technically more like a 640 mm lens with the Canon 30D that I shoot with.

I decided to try the lens out at the recent Presidents Cup Matches at Harding Park in San Francisco. For those non-golfers of you out there (imagine that on a food/photography related blog) the Presidents Cup is a competition between the 12 best US golfers against the 12 best International (minus Europe) golfers in a match play format. It is very much the same competition as the Ryder Cup where the US competes against Europe.

As I knew I would not be able to bring in camera gear on the competition days without press credentials, I decided to go on the first practice day (did I mention it also happened to be my birthday?).

It turned out to be the best weather of the entire competition and a whole lot of fun!

Here are a few of my favorite shots: