Monthly Archives: September 2009

Bountiful Brunch at Cetrella

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Brunch is made for steak and egg.

Who among us doesn’t need to get away for a spell?

‘Course, with the economy being what it is, most of us can’t afford to get away very far these days. For those of us in the Bay Area, a quick jaunt to the coastal town of Half Moon Bay can provide the perfect dose of R&R. Especially if it includes bubbly mimosas.

Cetrella restaurant may not have an ocean view, but it’s close enough to enjoy the salty, whooshing breezes.

After closing for the winter, the restaurant reopened in May with a new executive chef, Sylvain Montassier, who cooked at Michelin-starred restaurants in Europe and at Boulevard in San Francisco.

Wood beams and roaring fireplaces give the restaurant a cozy warmth. At brunch, you can order either a la carte or enjoy a $35 “full brunch.” The latter comes with endless refills of mimosas, juice, and coffee. You also get pastries, and your choice of one of five entrees.

From the looks of other tables when my hubby and I were invited to the restaurant, the full brunch is definitely the more popular way to go. And that’s just what we opted for.

Hooray for buttery pastries.

Strong cups of coffee and those festive mimosas arrived immediately, along with a flaky croissant and a pain au chocolat. There’s also a big basket of wonderfully chewy sourdough that you won’t be able to keep your hands off of.

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All that Jazz (Apples)

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Have a slice. Go on. You can.

Delicate, vibrant berries and juicy, plump stone fruit steal the thunder in summer.

So much so that we almost forget how delightful biting into a crisp, wine-y apple can be.

I was reminded of that when a 40-pound box of Jazz apples arrived with a big clunk on my doorstep as a sample.

Who needs to go to the gym, when wrestling this heavy crate into the house was exercise enough for the ol’ biceps? My neighbors loved me for sharing the wealth. After all, who can resist a sweet-tart apple that squirts juice from the first snappy bite?

Jazz apples are available year-round. A cross between the tart Braeburn and sweet Royal Gala varieties, Jazz apples are grown in New Zealand during our spring and summer, and in Washington state during fall and winter. You can find them in both organic and non-organic versions at Safeway, Whole Foods, Mollie Stone’s, and many other grocery stores.

Jazz apples that make your appetite sing.

I enjoyed many a Jazz apple just out of hand. But I also set some aside to make a most wonderful apple cake. The recipe, “Babette Friedman’s Apple Cake,” was published last year in the New York Times.

It was my friend, Marvin, who first brought this recipe to my attention. As a food writer at the San Jose Mercury News, I used to fondly refer to Marvin as my “Number One Fan in Southern California,” because each and every week, he would go online to read the food section diligently. Invariably, he’d send me an email afterward to let me know how much he enjoyed a particular story. He’d also send me links to other recipes he had tried and loved. A movie buff, who is retired from that Tinsel Town industry, he would send me recommendations for obscure, interesting foreign flicks, as well. And when my parents passed away, it was Marvin who sent me some of the most thoughtful and touching words of comfort.

So when Marvin sent me this apple cake recipe, I knew it as worth trying. Marvin doesn’t like baked goods that are too sweet, especially ones with fruit. Instead, he likes the true flavor of the fruit to shine through.

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Do You Dream Of Becoming a Chef, Vintner, Fisherman, Or…?

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Bendistillery's vodka infusion. (Photo courtesy of Greg Robeson)

Then, you might just get a boost to help that dream come true.

The Oregon Travel Commission is hosting a contest to give away seven “cuisinternships” (that’s culinary internships to those in the know). Yes, seven winners will be selected to spend one all-expense-paid week shadowing an expert in his or her preferred culinary craft. The internships up for grabs are:

  • Artisan Food Producer: Become a culinary artisan in Southern Oregon with chocolatier Jeff Shepherd of Lillie Belle Farms and cheese maker David Gremmels of Rogue Creamery.
  • Brew Master: Turn hops and grains into craft beer with brew master Jamie Emmerson of Hood River ‘s Full Sail Brewery.
  • Chef: Immerse yourself in Portland ‘s dynamic food scene working alongside Chef Gabe Rucker — one of Portland ‘s culinary provocateurs — learning how to turn out inventive, gourmet meals that delight diners at the award-winning Le Pigeon restaurant.
  • Rancher: Saddle up and herd cattle while learning sustainable ranching on two of Eastern Oregon ‘s Country Natural Beef ranches with the Pickard and Boyer families, who have been in the business for generations.
  • Fisherman: Head out to sea with charter boat skipper Lars Robison of Dockside Charters and learn the fine art of catching the Oregon Coast ‘s prized wild salmon and rockfish.
  • Winemaker: Walk the Willamette Valley vineyards of Penner-Ash Wine Cellars with renowned vintner Lynn Penner-Ash, learning the hands-on techniques involved in vineyard designate wine-making.
  • Distiller: Get an advanced degree in mixology and learn about Oregon ‘s booming craft spirits industry with distiller Jim Bendis of Central Oregon ‘s Bendistillery.

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Take Five With Michael Chiarello, On the Aftermath of “Top Chef Masters”

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Chef, cookbook author, and TV star, Michael Chiarello. (Photo courtesy of Bill Reitzel)

You know Michael Chiarello as the charming host of PBS and Fine Living cooking shows.

You know him for his gourmet products and coveted culinary accouterments sold at his NapaStyle stores.

You also know the Culinary Institute of America-grad as the founding chef of Tra Vigne restaurant in St. Helena, and now as the chef-owner of Bottega Napa Valley restaurant in Yountville.

And of course, you know him for how he managed to remain cool, calm, and collected on Bravo TV’s recent “Top Chef Masters” show even when former “Top Chef” contestant Dale Talde went ballistic after Chiarello addressed him as “young man.”

At a time when celeb chefs are easing out of the restaurant kitchen to spend more time in front of the camera, Chiarello is taking the opposite approach. A cooking-show star since the late 1990s, Chiarello decided last year at age 46 to step back into the rigors of a professional kitchen by opening Bottega, even though it had been about nine years since he last did so. Next fall, he’ll be bringing out a Bottega cookbook, too.

We chatted recently about why he dared to step back into the grueling restaurant ring, and of course, about how he felt about his portrayal on “Top Chef Masters.”

Shortribs at Bottega. (Photo courtesy of Phil Harvey)

Q: So, tell the truth; were you happy with the way you were represented on “Top Chef Masters”?

A: (laughs) I was happy with all the shows but one. It was certainly reality TV. No arguing that. When you shoot for 18 hours, and have 46 minutes of screen time, you have a lot of leeway. I’m 47 now. I’m exacting at Bottega, but I’m not a screamer. That doesn’t mean you’re not cooking hard, and that you’re not specific about what you like.

For a guy who has been on TV so much, I don’t watch a lot of it. I had seen one or two “Top Chef” episodes, but I didn’t really watch the show. I had to have them send me tapes to see. I got plenty of calls from the chef community after that show. They were like, ‘I hope that never happens to me!’

Q: I have to say, though, that it was refreshing that “Top Chef Masters” had none of the back-stabbing and sabotage of the regular “Top Chefs” show. Do you attribute that to the greater experience and maturity that you and the other master chefs have?

A: To be honest, I can’t say it’s necessarily a generational thing. They’re casting for a show for reality TV. It’s a producer’s job to create enough intrigue to keep you coming back to see what happens next week. What shocked them was that the public really found it refreshing to see the camaraderie and professionalism. Where I came from, there wasn’t back-stabbing in the kitchen. You were there to learn a style of cooking, and you enjoyed the camaraderie brought on by creating a single vision together.

I’m also friends with 18 of the 24 chefs who were on the show. I’ve known Rick Bayless for 20 years. He cooked a sweet-16 dinner for my daughter. I’ve known Hubert Keller even longer. He’s cooked date nights for my wife and I. And I’ve known Jonathan Waxman since I was 19.

Q: Which of your “Top Chef Masters” competitors would you most want to cook with regularly?

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Kara’s Cupcakes Take To the Road

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Kara's Cupcakes go mobile. (Photo courtesy of Kara's)

If you miss the debut this weekend of Kara’s Cupcakes‘ new van as it makes the rounds of the Eat Real Food Fest in Oakland, have no fear. You can still catch the sugar bomb on wheels at other locales in the future.

Yes, the San Francisco-based cupcakery is going the way of Korean taco trucks and salumi bicycles — announcing its Bay Area stops via Twitter.

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