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7. Photo Galleries: Latest Photos from Recent Tastings
Check out our latest photo galleries from the Bay Area, including Manresa, Orson, Wood Tavern, Commis, Aziza, Range, Absinthe Brasserie, Meritage at the Claremont Hotel, Bar Jules, Madera, and many more.
http://www.starchefs.com/cook/photo-gallery
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8. Featured Cookbook: Edible: A Celebration of Local Foods
Tracey Ryder and Carole Topalian
Wiley
May 2010
Tracey Ryder and Carole Topalian started Edible Communities, Inc. in 2002 as a way to connect regional food magazines across the country in celebration and support of local, artisan, and farm-fresh foods. With Edible, they bring the bold, flavorful mosaic of regional American cuisine to cookbook form. The first part of the book introduces the standouts in local cuisine for six distinct American regions, from farmers and fishermen to ranchers and gardeners, all influential and impassioned leaders in wholesome hometown and sustainable food. The second part explores the flavor of those regions, with seasonally organized recipes that exhibit not only local character but the traditions of culinary excellence that pervade the country. Recipes like "Collard Tops with Parmigiano" and "Grilled Quail with Hazelnuts, Apricot Curry Sauce, and Wild Huckleberry Coulis" make a strong case for the flavorful vitality-and bright future-of local, homegrown American cuisine.
http://www.starchefs.com/cook/cookbooks/e
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10. Featured Chef to Know: James Syhabout of Commis - San Francisco, CA
Commis
3859 Piedmont Avenue
Oakland, CA 94611
(510) 653-3902
RESTAURANT FACTS
Seats: 31
Weeknight Covers: 45-50
Weekend Covers: 50-52
Check Average (w/ wine): $88
Check Average (w/out wine): $59
Tasting Menu: Yes (w/out wine) $110-120 (w/ wine) $179-$195
Kitchen Staff: 5
CHEF FACTS
Cuisine: Modern American
Born: 1979
Began Career: 1995
Grad Year: 1999
Stages: England: The Fat Duck; Spain: Mugaritz, el Bulli
Work History: Los Gatos, CA: Manresa; Spain: el Bulli, Alkimia; San Francisco, CA: Coi, PlumpJack Café
Mentor(s): My mother, David Kinch
Awards: 2008 James Beard Foundation Rising Star Nominee; 2007 StarChefs.com Rising Star Chef San Francisco; 2007 San Francisco Chronicle Rising Star Chef; 2007 San Francisco Magazine Rising Star Chef
Notable Dishes: Roasted Sweetbread with Mustard Chlorophyll; Tempered Foie with Dates, Sweet Vermouth and Hazelnuts
FAST FACTS
Restaurant Recs: The Taco Truck on 23rd Ave; Jai Yun in Chinatown; Jojo in the East Bay
Kitchen Tool(s): Spoons - they are like an appendage of my hand
Interview Question: We ask a prospective employee what cuisine they would focus on if they had their own restaurant. We also ask what their favorite restaurant is and what's the best dish they've ever had in their life.
Flavor Combo(s): I love anise and licorice flavors mixed with acidic ingredients. And butter offsets spice well.
Fave Cookbook(s): On Food and Cooking by Harold McGee; In Search of Perfection by Heston Blumenthal
Chef to Cook for You: If it was my final meal it would have to be my mom
Culinary Travel: I like to go to Japan because they have such a love for food. It's all so pure. They're obsessive about the quality of ingredients, they pay incredibly close attention to detail, and they're really delicate in their approach.
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11. Recipe for Coconut Water Tapioca with Caramelized Pineapple and Coconut Sorbet from Chef Chucky Dugo of The Slanted Door - San Francisco, CA
Adapted by StarChefs.com
April 2010
Yield: 10 Servings
INGREDIENTS
Coconut Sorbet:
¾ cup glucose
1½ cups simple syrup
Zest of 1 lime
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
¾ cup lime juice
2 13½-ounce cans Chaokoh coconut milk
Tapioca:
2½ quarts fresh young Thai coconut water, strained
1½ cups small tapioca pearls
3 quarts water
Caramelized Pineapple:
½ cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon high quality sherry vinegar
1 vanilla bean, scraped, pod reserved
1 large organic pineapple, peeled, cut into 1-inch cubes
METHOD
For the Sorbet:
Mix and dissolve the glucose and simple syrup in a saucepan over medium-high heat. While the mixture heats, use a mortar and pestle or cutting board to combine the lime zest and sugar to form a paste. Once the glucose and simple syrup are thoroughly mixed, remove from heat and add the lime zest paste, lime juice, and coconut milk. Freeze this mixture in an ice cream machine according to manufacturer's instructions. Allow the sorbet to freeze and ripen overnight.
For the Tapioca:
In a large, heavy-bottom pot, bring the coconut water to a boil. Once boiling, whisk in ½ cup of the tapioca pearls and immediately turn heat to lowest setting. Stir periodically to break up clumps on the bottom of the pot. When the pearls are translucent, cool to room temperature and reserve. In another large, heavy-bottomed pot, bring the water to a boil. Once boiling, add the remaining cup of tapioca pearls and immediately turn heat to the lowest setting. Once the pearls are cooked, strain them in a fine mesh sieve and run them under cold water. When cooled, add these pearls to coconut tapioca and refrigerate. Use fresh coconut water to thin out the tapioca if stored overnight.
For the Caramelized Pineapple:
In a sauté pan large enough hold the pineapple in 1 layer, mix together the brown sugar, sherry vinegar, scraped vanilla seeds, and vanilla bean pod. Put this mixture over medium-high heat and stir to melt together. Add the pineapple and turn the heat to low, slowly turning and caramelizing pineapple before the liquid dries out to prevent scorching. When pineapple is golden brown around the edges, pour it onto a half sheet pan to cool to room temperature. Reserve.
To Assemble and Serve:
Scoop the coconut tapioca into 10 serving bowls. Top this with a spoonful of the caramelized pineapple cubes and a scoop of coconut sorbet.
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