Reaching For Stars!

Imagine tasting the creations of sixteen of the top chefs of Santa Barbara in one evening--this is your chance. The foodie event of the season has to be the "Reaching The Stars' dinner organized by Chef Vincent Van Hecke of the Montecito Valley Club (and teacher extraordinaire at the SBCC School Of Culinary Arts). Here's the stellar line up of Chefs:

John Downey--Downey's
Brandon Hughes--bouchon
John Petitt--Seagrass
Jeff Magown--Winecask
Don Skipworthy (see my post on Chef Skip)--Private Chef
Mari Bartoli--Private Chef
Randy Bublitz--SBCC School Of Culinary Arts
Christine Dahl-Hutchings--Christine Dahl Pastries
Michael Hutchings--Michael's Catering
John Trotta--San Ysidro Ranch
Eric Widmer--La Cumbre Country Club
Brian Parks--Canary Hotel
James Sly--Sly's
Alex Castillo--El Paseo Restaurant
Vincent Van Hecke--The Valley Club of Montecito and SBCC
Tickets are $175 for dinner paired with fine wine. Call the YMCA at 569-1103 and ask for Lynn to purchase tickets. Proceeds benefit Noah's Anchorage which houses and counsels at risk youth.
I found out about it in the Food and Home magazine--here is a link to an article about the event in the Independent. Read my post on the menu and event.

Post Zinfandel Weekend and School Of Culinary Arts

Last weekend at ZAP, someone told me it is the single largest wine event in the world with 9,000 attendees.

I don't know how to verify that, but I can tell you that the Saturday event had a convention-like hum during the press/trade hours, but when the Zinfandel afficionados were let in there was a roar and din for the rest of the afternoon that made it impossible to hear anyone who wasn't shouting in your ear. It was crazy! But fun! Zinfandel has grown up and is a far cry from the insipid factory produced white Zinfandel that gave the grape a bad name. Now small-lot, Estate winemakers with vineyards in prime Sonoma, Napa, Lodi and Mendocino real estate are making wonderful, complex, jammy, structured wines.

Saturday I was working the Touring and Tasting table giving away magazines,
so only had the chance to scurry off and have a few sips, but was impressed, especially with all the Seghesio Zins: the 2008 Sonoma, the 2007 Old Vine and the 2007 Cortina, Dry Creek Valley. Many of the best Zins came from the Dry Creek appellation (just north of the Russian River), like the 2006 Dry Creek Old Vine (their 2007 Heritage and 2007 Summer's Ranch also good). Speaking of Old Vine, I wonder if that may be one reason some Zins are so delicious. Zinfandel has been planted in California for almost 200 years and not only are there very old vines yielding highly extracted wines but Zinfandel has become identified so much with California that some call it "America's vine and wine".  A benefit for those of us watching our budgets is that the Zin price points are lower than Cab, and an extra benefit (or so I experienced) is that the Zin "audience" seems to be friendly and unpretentious. Anyway, I hope to be at ZAP again next year!

On another note, I'm taking cooking classes at the School of Culinary Arts at Santa Barbara City College. I'm not taking the full course, but petitioned to take the Modern Food: Design, Style, Theory with Vincent Van Hecke, chef at the Valley Club of Montecito. Each week we cook dishes from a different country. Next week is Spain and Portugal, so I came up with my version of the favorite empanada with a sauce that's essentially a thick gazpacho with Manchego cheese:

CHICKEN EMPANADAS WITH MANCHEGO-TOMATO DIPPING SAUCE:
Dough:
1 /12 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
 1  egg, stirred, in two parts
1/8 cup ice water
3/4  Tbsp. white vinegar
Sift flour with salt into a large bowl, then quickly cut in the butter until the lumps are the size of peas. Use a pastry blender or two dinner knives-- with one in each hand and the knives crossed in the middle of their blades, cut the butter by closing the blades together so they act like a pair of scissors. Whisk together 1/2 the egg, water, and vinegar in a separate bowl. Add to flour mixture, stirring with fork until just incorporated. Avoid overmixing or being slow and letting the butter melt, otherwise the dough will be tough and not flaky. With floured hands, gather the dough together into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour along with the bowl containing the rest of the egg.
Filling:
1 half chicken breast with rib and skin
1 bay leaf
1 baking potato, quartered
3 Tbsp. olive oil
3 Tbsp. minced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbsp. cumin
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
Put potato, chicken and bay leaf into pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook until chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken and put it in a bowl inside a larger bowl of ice to cool the chicken so you can remove the meat. Chop into 1" pieces. When the potatoes are just done (don't overcook), remove them to a bowl to cool inside the ice bowl. When cool, remove the peel and cut into 1" cubes. In a pan, saute the onions until translucent. Mix the chicken, potatoes, onion mixture, garlic, and cumin in a bowl. Taste and add the salt and pepper to taste. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Take the dough and egg out of the refrigerator and divide the dough in two. Roll out each part of the dough into a long oval on a floured board. Mound half of the chicken mixture on one half of the dough, dip a finger in water and run it around the edge of the dough, then fold the empty side over the chicken mixture and press the edges together. Poke the empanada with the end of a sharp knife to make holes where steam will escape. Repeat for the other empanada and brush the remaining egg on the tops. Put the empanadas on a cookie sheet lined with a sheet of parchment paper in the oven and cook 35 minutes or until golden brown.
Optional Manchego-Tomato Dipping Sauce:
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. chopped onion
1 clove garlic
2 roma tomatoes
1/2 red bell pepper
1/2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1/4 lemon
2 Tbsp. parsley leaves
1/4 tsp. salt
dash pepper
1/2 cup finely grated Manchego
Mix all the ingredients, except the parsley and Manchego cheese, in a blender on "liquefy" until smooth. Add the parsley and pulse until it is cut into small bits but not blended completely--you will see flecks of the green parsley. Use a spatula to transfer into a saucepan and add the Manchego. Heat over medium flame until warm and serve with the empanadas along with the French-oaked 2007 Greenwood Ridge Chardonnay. Serves 2.

CULINARY ARTS CLASS WEEK #1: This week was our first class cooking in the School of Culinary Arts commercial kitchen and I have to say I was nervous! I'm used to cooking in my kitchen alone with ample time; the class is run like "Top Chef" where each team cooks three recipes in an alloted amount of time and is judged by the class. Luckily Chef Van Hecke gave me a break since I didn't know where anything was or how to fit in--I was an extra member for one of the teams and had to make something supplemental to the three dishes, which were a Scottish pastie (last week's region was the British Isles), cod cakes and scones. My team made some lovely pasties with flaky crust that I garnished with a parsley/tomato relish (more on this later),  scones that Jesse plated beautifully with a spiced tea and my pineapple/raisin compote, and cod cakes with aioli. When I first started, I let my nervousness get the best of me, at one point, I looked down at my cutting board which was a mess of parsley and tomato for the garnish. Chef looked over my should just at that moment and pointedly asked how I was doing. "I've gotten off on the wrong foot", I gasped. "Well, we learn from our mistakes." he replied and it prompted me to take a deep breath, say my prayers and get myself organized.  Fortunately, the class liked what I prepared, so I felt like I'd passed the initial test, though I still managed to do something dumb out of ignorance. Not knowing the protocol for washing dishes, I put a dirty dish with food scraps into the rinse basin and was reprimanded by one of the students, and rightly so, for as I realized, with thirteen cooks running around a kitchen with hot pots, sharing the equipment and facilities under time constraint, anyone getting in the way or messing up the system takes away from the efficiency of everyone else. There's plenty of opportunity for me to make a mistake in the future, so I'm determined to think things through in the future and remember mise en place: to get all my ingredients assembled and prepped before starting to cook so my workspace can be clean and neat. Anyway, the class is nerve-wracking but exhilarating. I definitely feel in my element being with others who are crazy about good food. Yesterday morning my daughter found me at the computer looking at pictures of food. She rolled her teenage eyes at me and said "Mom, only YOU would be looking at food at 6 in the morning." I haven't been able to confirm this yet as I don't really know the other students in my class, but I'm sure there are kindred spirits who are thinking about and researching food in their free time as well!

Seared In The Dragon's Breath

I survived the Dragon once! Part of me thought I'd never want to be sweating in front of it again, but the School of Culinary Arts at Santa Barbara City College has started taking sign ups for fall classes and a yearning arises in the other part of me to face the Dragon again. When I took the Modern Food: Design, Style, Theory class under Chef Vincent van Hecke last year, in the center of the largest commercial kitchen was what I call the Dragon: three stoves side by side, each with six burners, flanked by four ovens and topped with an open salamander. The cumulative heat emitted was like a dragon’s breath and somehow, though we changed teams each week, I always ended up at the counter opposite the Dragon, sweating under my crisp white chef’s coat. Unlike the tight, blue flames of my Viking, the Dragon has long, licking flames and when one is shoulder to shoulder trying to stir pots on the back burner, it is a world away from cooking leisurely in one’s own home.

I need Culinary Fundamentals and Pastry to complete my Personal Chef certificate, but may not get either class since I'm relegated to second place priority in registration. Priority goes to the young people in their last year, working towards the full culinary degree and just about ready to go out in the world to wow diners with their creations. Many are already working in kitchens and for caterers, armed with knife skills and naïveté. I hate to think that, especially in this economy, many will end up in the thankless jobs of fry and prep cooks--but let's hope they find their dreams. It can be done! The son of my awesome acupuncturist at Shiatsu Rincon started his own restaurant in the little burg of McArthur. John's son serves up fine cuisine like Spicy Tuna Tartare with pickled veggies and wasabi cream or 8 Piece Cali roll stacked and layered with spicy tuna and chipotle-baked shrimp, with spicy Chinese mustard, black sesame seeds, and sriracha (I had to look that last item up: sriracha is a Thai hot sauce made from chili, garlic, sugar, salt and vinegar). The restaurant is successful because the small town of just 399 persons is at the crossroads between Mt. Shasta, Mt. Lassen and Fall River Mills (travel guide here) and--well--just look at the food! But, for most culinary graduates, their own restaurant is going to be hard to achieve, though the myth of 90% of restaurants failing has pretty much been debunked. After a study by Ohio State University, the rate is thought to be more like 26%, comparable to any small business. In any event, Crumb's is thriving and the next time we're in Redding, I'm definitely taking a trip to see the lava tubes and to try their sushi rolls on the way. I 'borrowed' the images to the right from their Facebook page.

Unfortunately, the Culinary Arts program attrition rate is fairly high, I was told by students that last year's graduating class only comprised about a fourth of the students that began the course together. Some students need to work in addition to attending school, so have to extend their school time to meet their requirements, but many drop out. I asked one of the students why and she replied, “Because they think it’s all Top Chef”.  It's exciting to be in the seemingly chaotic kitchen with a dozen cooks scurrying from stove to cold storage to sink to deep fryer to station, making a snap decision on how to put a “spin” on your dish to make it stand out, the adrenaline-pumping last minutes of plating before time runs out, and the thrill of winning a medal. The part students don't see on "Top Chef" is what they don't like about classes--the massive cleanup of an unbelievable mound of pots, pans and utensils from the sautéing, braising, mincing and baking, greasy floors that need to be cleaned and sanitized, quite a bit of written homework and the many hazards: wickedly sharp knives, the slippery floor, and scalding pots. One learns to listen for “Hot pot! Behind!” or “Knife!” and give way or you get burned or cut, sometimes badly.

Anyway, I need the Pastry class to learn how to make cakes--the one thing besides candymaking that I've never done well. Part of the problem is that I don't eat cake and candy now,  but even when I did my cake making was abysmal. I made a layer cake in college for my dad in an ancient oven in my little student rental. The racks were listing to one side, but I figured since the batter was not spilling over the side of the pan, it would be ok (remember the prefrontal cortex is not fully developed until about age 26). Not surprisingly, the cake sections were wedge shaped, but hey, they fit together to make a rectangle, so I iced and decorated the cake and no one could tell from the outside that they weren't perfect. Until I went back into the kitchen to bring out dessert and the top layer had slid off onto the floor. At least we could eat the bottom layer--my daughter's first birthday cake was worse. I was so intent on feeding her organic, healthy food that I made a sugarless carrot cake with fruit juice sweetened icing. I tried to make the cake in a pan shaped as a "1", but the cake stuck to the pan and ended up as an elongated lump. The icing didn't set up and was a runny mess. I swear the thing looked just like biscuits and gravy. When my one-year-old daughter saw it, she refused to eat any. We gamely to swallow our servings, but cake and icing without sugar is like an omelet without eggs--not good!

Try this refreshing dessert from Greenwood Ridge,  perfect after a fish course or a dessert in itself. Follow it with a glass of Greenwood Ridge Vineyards Pinot Noir.

Pinot Noir Pomegranate Sorbet:
Serves 6
Equipment: Measuring cup and spoons, strainer, stainless steel bowl, whisk, saucepan, shallow pan and food processor (or ice cream maker), one 2 quart plastic container with a lid.

1 cup Greenwood Ridge Vineyards Pinot Noir
1 cup pomegranate juice (strained)
2 cups water
3 Tbs. granulated sugar
1/2 cup grapefruit juice (strained)
Combine 1/2 cup of water and sugar in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and cool to room temperature. Mix together the Pinot Noir, pomegranate juice, grapefruit juice and remaining water. Add the sugar syrup and mix well. Freeze in a shallow pan until solid. Empty the frozen mixture into the food processor. Process on pulse just until the texture is consistent, then freeze again in a covered plastic container. If you have an ice cream maker, follow the manufacturer's directions for sorbet then transfer to a plastic container. If kept airtight and frozen, the sorbet will last for 3 to 4 days.

Miraflores Zin and bouchon santa barbara

"When I see people relaxed, chatting, enjoying a great meal, that's when I'm happy", says Mitchell Sjerven, proprietor of bouchon santa barbara. He has been in the restaurant business all his life, first in the kitchen after he fudged on his age to begin working at 15, and later, in the front of the house, working his way up to manager and earning a degree from UCSB in International Relations on the way. After managing several restaurants, he started bouchon santa barbara, then opened Seagrass and more recently partnered in the re-opening of the venerable Wine Cask. Mitchell would like to erase the term "fine dining" from bouchon because it represents a stuffiness and pretense that goes against the convivial, relaxed atmosphere that he wants to create. He thinks times have changed and people are looking for a chance to unwind and feel at home when they dine out. He works hard to provide a welcoming environment, which is reflected in the top marks bouchon receives in sites like Yelp where customers extol his exemplary customer service. We're here for a specially prepared five course meal, thanks to his hospitality and our amazing Culinary Arts teacher Chef Vincent Van Hecke, who has been bringing his fourth  semester students here for a dozen years or more to celebrate their graduation. We were treated to an hour of personal time, hearing the ins and outs of setting up and running a restaurant. Some of the students hope to open their own one day, so it's a terrific opportunity to learn about the business from a very successful proprietor. Then Chef Brandon Hughes (a SBCC Culinary Arts graduate!) prepared a lavish meal. Bouchon sources locally, using fresh farmer's market produce, locally harvested seafood, locally raised meat and poultry and California wine, most from our own Santa Barbara county's Santa Ynez and Ojai.

An amuse bouche of ahi tuna and avocado dressed with ponzu sauce was followed by a first course of pan-seared sweetbreads or escargot with artichokes in a red wine reduction. The escargot were meaty and tender, nothing like the rubbery, garlic-y discs served in some places. Wine pairing: 2008 Peter Bruce Sauvignon Blanc and 2008 Cold Heaven Viognier which is aromatic and not too sweet, a good match for the escargot. The main course was tangerine-seared sea scallops with Ridgeback shrimp risotto plated with a lovely tarragon creme or a Kurobuta pork chop, nicely cooked and finished with a delicious Dijon emulsion. Wine pairing: 2006 Consilience Pinot Noir and the fruit-forward 2008 Beckman "Cuvee Le Bec", a well-balanced Rhone Ranger. The meal was capped with a chocolate molten lava cake with Brazilian coffee ice cream and bananas brûlée with white chocolate brownie, candied pistachios and strawberry ice cream. A big thanks from all of us!
MIRAFLORES WINES:

On a sunny afternoon, we had the chance to sit out on the deck with friends and try some wines from Miraflores for the Touring & Tasting wine clubs. In the Sierra foothills, Miraflores creates handcrafted, artisanal, small-lot wines--Zinfandel, Syrah, Petite Sirah, Barbera, Viognier, Pinot Grigio, Muscat Canelli, Rosé and dessert wines. We tasted the 2007 Syrah, 2007 Zinfandel, 2009 Viognier and 2009 Rosé with this week's wine pairing recipe--the blackened salmon. I made the avocado and grapefruit salad with citrus dressing from the 4/14/10 post to accompany the salmon and a friend brought a rice, mushroom and Parmesan bake. We loved the wines, especially the Syrah (the 2005 received 92 points from Wine Enthusiast) and the Zinfandel--a smooth Zin redolent of blackberry, with the spicy, jammy intensity of the varietal and luscious and silky in the mouth. The Zin will be in upcoming Touring & Tasting wine clubs--take a look at their wine club specials this month and try this wine!

BLACKENED SALMON SALAD:

1 tsp. fennel seed
1 tsp. cumin seed
1 Tbsp. thyme
1 Tbsp. oregano
1 Tbsp. tarragon
1 Tbsp. paprika
1 tsp. turmeric
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. white pepper
1/4 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. powdered ginger
7 Tbsp. butter, in two parts
1 lb. wildcaught salmon fillet
1 quart salad greens of your choice, for example 2 cups arugula and 2 cups lettuce, chopped into bite-sized pieces
Vinagrette or Italian dressing to taste
Grind the fennel and cumin seed together, then grind in the rest of the spices. Put into a shallow bowl to be used later to coat the fish. Melt 3 Tbsp. of the butter in a shallow bowl. Pat the salmon dry with paper towels and slice into four equal strips. Dip each piece in the butter on all sides except the skin side, then into the bowl with the spices, coating all of the fish surface not covered with skin. Put the remaining 4 Tbsp. of butter into a heavy frying pan; a cast iron pan is best, and turn the heat on medium high. As soon as the butter melts, place the fillets in it skin-side up. Pour the remaining butter from the shallow dish over the top. Let the fish sizzle in the butter to cook until almost done through--adjust the heat so the butter doesn't burn. It should take just about 3 minutes for the fish to cook almost all the way through. Carefully turn with a spatula and cook skin-side down for another minute. Serve immediately by peeling off the skin and topping your salad with the salmon slices. Serves 4.

Visual pleasure! ... beautiful food shots

LAST WEEK CULINARY CLASS:
Whew! Finals are over and I'm free for the summer. Thanks to our teacher Chef Vincent van Hecke, who besides being a great instructor, also takes beautiful food shots. Here's a sample of his food photography of our "Modern Food: Style/Design/Theory" class:

This week's wine pairing recipe:

Give your pocketbook a break this week! Save money on wine with our half price wine sale  and with this week's wine pairing recipe. Tofu has 11 grams of protein per half cup serving but costs only around 40¢ per serving. Plus it's calcium-rich!

TOFU PAPRIKA WITH BUTTERY HUNGARIAN DUMPLINGS:
TOFU PAPRIKA:
1/2 cup minced onion
2 Tbsp. butter
1 clove garlic, smashed or minced
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 tsp. paprika
1 cup broth (vegetable or chicken)
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 tsp. flour
salt and white pepper
chopped parsley (optional)
1 cake firm tofu, cut into cubes (14 oz. container)
Saute' onion and garlic in butter until the onion is translucent. Add the paprika and tomato paste and cook another minute, stirring to mix. Stir in broth and bring to a boil. Mix the sour cream and flour in a separate bowl, then add to the sauce and cook for several minutes, stirring, until the sauce is thickened and smooth. Taste and add salt and white pepper if desired, to taste. Stir in the tofu and simmer for ten minutes or until the tofu is heated throughout. Spoon over dumplings and sprinkle with parsley if desired. Serves 4.
GALUSKA (HUNGARIAN DUMPLINGS):
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup water
3 tsp. salt + 2 Tbsp. salt
4 Tbsp. melted butter in two parts
Sift the flour and 3 tsp. salt together. In a separate bowl, mix 2 Tbsp. of the melted butter (at room temperature--not hot as it will cook the egg) and the egg. Mix in the water. Stir the dry ingredients into the liquid and mix until the dough just comes together. Do not beat or knead it. Set aside for one hour in a cool place, with a damp towel over the top of the bowl. Boil a large pot of water, salted with 2 Tbsp. of salt. With floured hands, pull off small pieces of dough--about the size of a nickel and drop into the boiling water. Cook until the dumplings rise to the top of the pot, about 10 - 15 minutes. Scoop out the dumplings as they are cooked and place them in a bowl with the remaining 2 Tbsp. of melted butter. Stir to coat the dumplings with butter and use as a base for the tofu paprika.

Enjoy this tofu dish with a glass of a white Rhone blend, such as the 2007 Edward Sellars Blanc du Rhone. 

Culinary Fundamentals--Week #1

I dusted off my chef's whites and dug out my checkered pants to start fall semester's Culinary Fundamentals at SBCC's School of Culinary Arts. I'm working my way backwards! I started with the most advanced class: Modern Food: Design, Style, Theory with Chef Vincent Van Hecke and am working now on the introductory classes, including this one taught by Chef Charles Fredricks. It's going to be a fun, educational class--last week we spent mostly working on our basic knife skills--cutting carrots into julienne strips and brunoise (here's a link to basic knife cuts) and learning a bit about Chef Fredericks and our fellow students. Chef Fredericks has an interesting story: he spent the first three years out of high school as a ski bum, then was spurred to attend college by his parents. He chose the Culinary Institute of America and after graduating, flew to Europe with $900 and his knife kit. He ended up working all over Europe for 18 months--a great encouragement to the new students who can see by his example one can make a living and travel the world with skill in the kitchen. He worked at Luxe in New York,  Auberge du Soleil in Napa and helped open Bouchon in Santa Barbara. He was also selected to be a dinner chef at the James Beard Foundation. As a chef, he worked on every continent, both as an ambassador for California cuisine and as a personal chef aboard a yacht. But, after his children were born, he wanted to find a way to spend more time with them, so turned to teaching and running a restaurant consulting business. Fortunate for us!

Had a wonderful stay and dinner at the Cliff House in Ventura. Here is my shaky iphone video of the tremendous view of the Pacific which pounds the breakwater less than forty yards from the inn and restaurant. My battery went out, so I have no photo of the seared ahi and wakame salad or Caesar with grilled shrimp, but they were lovely.