It’s not every day that a local chef puts out a grilling book. And Michael Chiarello’s new “Live Fire” book is not just any cookbook. The large-format hardback feels more like an ode to the primeval flame than a cookbook, with an unfussy look and feel that makes you want to throw it in your backpack and head off to Montana for a fishing trip. (see page 120 for Dinner at the Lake) or head off to… Read More »
With the weather still hot and the evenings steamy, it’s a lovely time to think about eating an Asian salad for dinner. Chef Mei Ibach, who just got back from a two-week jaunt to Asia, shared this recipe from the Street Food class she is going to give this Saturday at Relish Culinary Adventures in Healdsburg. This salad is traditionally made using a large mortar and pestle to blend, thus softening the green papaya, tomato and marrying the… Read More »
Janelle Dietrick used to own a sweet, little cupcake bakery in Petaluma called Bijoux Cupcakes, where she came up with intriguing flavors like Hangover Helper, Breakfast at Tiffany’s and Easter Sunrise. Because so many women came into her shop and asked her what it was like to run it, Dietrick has written an ebook in the form of a one-year diary, “Diary of a Cupcake Shop: Expert Tips and Secret Recipes.” The book includes 60 of her… Read More »
Lately, I haven’t been doing much cooking at home. Maybe it’s the fact that my 50-year-old oven is on the blink and in the process of being fixed. Or maybe it’s just that I need of a break and want to get out and try some new restaurants. Coming to my rescue last month, some friends invited my husband and I to a cooking party at their home with instructor Mary Bergin, who has worked at restaurants such… Read More »
Chef Mateo Granados of Mateo’s Cocina Latina in Healdsburg will be doing a series of pop-up meals from Feb. 21 to 24 at the Design Hotels’ Papaya Project in Tulum. If you’ve been dreaming of a Caribbean getaway, here’s your chance. The Original Experience package includes a three-night stay at this rustic, bohemian resort, which is in keeping with the chef’s tradition of serving pop-up, Tendejon dinners in Sonoma County. The package includes lodging and daily breakfast,… Read More »
Chef Mei Ibach of Eight Cuisine & Wine in Sebastopol has been making lots of these Vietnamese crepes in the new year for her family and friends. The crepe batter is made with rice flour and coconut milk, so it is nice and light but filling enough for brunch or dinner. Feel free to substitute filling ingredients. For a slightly heavier crepe, use a blend of sausages, mushrooms and crabmeat. For a lighter crepe, throw in some sliced, seasonal veggies like… Read More »
As soon as the barometric pressure starts plummeting and the clouds scud across the sky, there’s only one thing to do: get out the braising pot and make a big batch of comfort food. You can always roast a chicken and recycle it into a chicken pot pie (using ready-made puff pastry, to save time). Or slow-cook a pork shoulder, then reinvent it as a yummy, pork hash the next day, and the next. But when I’m… Read More »
If you are freaking out about how to brine your turkey – and where to find a container big enough to hold the bird AND the water – this recipe will come to your rescue. It’s a dry-brined alternative from Rick Rodgers, author of “Thanksgiving 101,” which calls for a turkey-size oven bag , and that’s it. No sloshing, no dripping, no bags of ice to keep the whole thing cold in a cooler. Just slide the turkey into your… Read More »
Most people want to eat the same things on Thanksgiving. The kids clamor for the canned cranberry sauce. Aunt Hilda brings her green bean casserole made with mushroom soup. And Uncle Bert bakes up a sweet-as-corn-syrup pecan pie. My family comes from New England, where change does not come easily. Everyone vacations at the same lake every year, so when it comes to Thanksgiving, tradition reigns. Yet my brother , who just got back from a hunting trip… Read More »
Thomas Keller, chef/owner of the French Laundry and Bouchon in Yountville, has written best-selling cookbooks about these two restaurants that have come to define Wine Country dining. This month, he released another tasty tome, “Bouchon Bakery” (Artisan Books) highlighting the little bakery he opened next to his French bistro in July 2003. The chef not only wanted to bake his own bread but to create croissants, macarons, tarts and mille-feuilles for the enjoyment of all. “One of the… Read More »
