Category Archives: Chefs

A Unique Cookbook That Celebrates Women Around the Globe and A Special Event

Eggplant curry from a very special cookbook.

Eggplant curry from a very special cookbook.

 

Did you know that 70 percent of those living on less than $1 a day are female?

Women also are disproportionately affected by war. We’ve all read the horrific stories of women in conflict-torn countries who have been raped, who have lost their husbands, forced from their homes and are left the sole providers for their family.

Zainab Salbi set out to help when she founded Women for Women International in 1993. The organization helps women rebuild their lives. It now operates in eight countries: Afghanistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Iraq, Kosovo, Nigeria, Rwanda and Sudan.

ShareCookbook

Now comes a remarkable cookbook, “Share: The Cookbook That Celebrates Our Common Humanity” (Kyle). The book, of which I received a review copy, features a collection of recipes from celebrities involved in humanitarian issues, including Paul McCartney, Peter Gabriel, Emma Thompson, Desmond Tutu, Mia Farrow, Ashley Judd, Nelson Mandella, America Ferrera and Christiane Amanpour. The book also includes recipes by renowned chefs who have taken up the cause, including Alice Waters, Jesse Ziff Cool, Greg Higgins, Jamie Oliver, Susan Spicer and Rene Redzepi. Moreover, 16 recipes and stories are included from women in these strife-torn countries, whom the organization has helped.

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Join Me Every Sunday in August At Santana Row For the Chef Sessions

SantanaRowChefSessions

Where’s the perfect place to spend a Sunday morning in summery August?

At Santana Row in San Jose, of course, where I’ll be hosting a different chef cooking demo every Sunday that month, 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m..

The free demo will be outdoors under the sunshine at Santana Row Park and  include plenty of tastes to rev up the appetite.

Each Sunday will feature a different chef from one of the restaurants at Santana Row.

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New Oakville Grocery Sammies, Santana Row To Welcome A New Restaurant, and More

The new Cuban sandwich at Oakville Grocery. (Photo courtesy of the store.)

The new Cuban sandwich at Oakville Grocery. (Photo courtesy of the store.)

New Sandwiches Galore At Oakville Grocery

Oakville Grocery, the 130-year-old landmark Wine Country gourmet store has rolled out a delicious new sandwich menu created by Chef Jason Rose.

Look for the Oakville Muffaletta ($13), a ciabatta piled with Toscano salami, sopressata, ham, provolone, and pickled pepper relish; the Cuban ($13), a torpedo roll stuffed with slow-cooked pork shoulder, ham, yellow mustard, pickles, Swiss cheese, and aioli; and the Quinoa Falafel ($9.50), spinach lavash rolled up around spicy hummus, harissa Greek yogurt, grilled eggplant, cucumber and pickles.

Each day, a special tartine ($10) also is featured, along with a waffle sandwich ($7) of ham and Swiss cheese.

The muffaletta. (Photo courtesy of Oakville Grocery.)

The muffaletta. (Photo courtesy of Oakville Grocery.)

With two locations — the original in Oakville and the other in Healdsburg — it’s a perfect place to pick up a quick lunch after cycling or touring wineries.

Get Ready for a Taste of Brazil at Santana Row

Fogo de Chao, a Brazilian steakhouse, will be opening in San Jose’s Santana Row in early 2014.

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At Howie’s, It’s All About the Crust

Meatballs at Howie's Artisan Pizzeria in Palo Alto.

Meatballs at Howie’s Artisan Pizzeria in Palo Alto.

Howard Bulka is one of those chefs who will get fixated on something, then research and tweak it to death until it’s just right.

Such was the case when he decided to trade decades of preparing fancy, fine-dining, prixe-fixe menus for pizza instead.

Howie’s Artisan Pizza opened in Palo Alto’s Town & Country Village four years ago. Crowds have been lining up ever since for the pizzas, constructed with a bread flour-dough, which takes two days to mix and proof before being turned into pies that are baked in a gas-fired brick oven at 600 degrees for 5-6 minutes.

These are multi-dimensional crusts with puffy edges of air holes that provide chew and crunch, and centers that get thinner and crisper.

The whimsical art work on the walls.

The whimsical art work on the walls.

The dining room.

The dining room.

Recently, I was invited in as a guest of the restaurant. We started with the Chinese Chicken Salad ($10). The generous-sized salad is more than enough for two to share. A mountain of chopped romaine is tossed with cucumber, green onions, peanuts, cilantro, chicken chunks, crispy won ton strips and a creamy, mustardy dressing. It’s almost like an Asian version of a chopped salad.

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From Haute Cuisine to Coastal Farm Cuisine — Meet Chef Amy Glaze

Chef Amy Glaze teaching young students how to cook.

Chef Amy Glaze teaching young students how to cook.

 

She’s cooked on the line at some of the most demanding and exacting restaurants in the world, including Guy Savoy in Paris and Le Bernardin in New York.

Now, Chef Amy Glaze is back in the Bay Area, cooking with a much different crowd — 12- to 14-year-olds, whose parents are struggling farm workers, who have no idea of her illustrious background.

Since its inception two years ago, Glaze has overseen the pioneering “Edible After School” program, Pescadero’s first after-school cooking class for kids. Its aim is to not only teach fundamental cooking skills, but to help strengthen English and math literacy.

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