Scrumptious Events

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starchefs

For a delicious time, head to one of these upcoming fun events:

* 22nd Annual Star Chefs & Vintners Gala: Chef Nancy Oakes of Boulevard in San Francisco once again is spearheading this gala that benefits Meals on Wheels of San Francisco, which provides meals to homebound seniors. The May 17 benefit at Fort Mason in San Francisco features more than 70 of the Bay Area’s best chefs, including Charles Phan of the Slanted Door in San Francisco, Mourad Lahlou of Aziza in San Francisco, and Christopher Kostow of the Restaurant at Meadowood in St. Helena.

Participating vintners include Pride Mountain Vineyards, Duckhorn Vineyards, and Vineyard 29. Mixologists from the Alembic and Absinthe will be concocting one-of-a-kind cocktails.

Silent and live auction items will include the rarest of wines, and dinner at a private estate in Pebble Beach.

Individual tickets start at $400. For more information, call (415) 920-1111 ext. 281.

Chef Tom Colicchio coming to San Francisco. (Photo courtesy of Williams-Sonoma)

* Panini tasting with Tom Colicchio: The head honcho “Top Chef” judge will be at Williams-Sonoma’s Union Square store, 340 Post St. in San Francisco, 5 p.m. April 15. Nosh on sandwiches as Colicchio signs his new book, “wichcraft.” For more information, call (415) 362-9450.

* Farm to Table at Nick’s Cove: Executive Chef Adam Mali will create a five-course dinner April 16 at the Tomales Bay restaurant, featuring ingredients from its on-site garden, Drake’s Bay oysters, and Drake’s Bay Family Farms.

Price is $65 per person. A portion of the proceeds will benefit Marin Organic, an association of organic producers. Those who want to spend the night in the cottages can take advantage of a special rate of $100 off luxury waterfront ones or $50 off water view ones.

* ”Take Our Sons and Daughters to Work Day” Deal: To support that national day on April 23, parents who dine at McCormick & Kuleto’s Seafood Restaurant in San Francisco and Spenger’s Fresh Fish Grotto in Berkeley will receive a free lunch entree and beverage for their children.

* Taste of Tamales by the Bay: Enjoy a variety of tamales, both sweet and savory, at the third annual event, noon to 4:30 p.m. April 26 at Fort Mason Center in San Francisco. See tamale-making demonstrations, and enjoy margaritas, as well as heirloom beans from Rancho Gordo.

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A New Way to Dice and Julienne

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Peter Hertzmann demonstrates a very cool new way to dice an onion.

Palo Alto cooking instructor Peter Hertzmann was kind enough to invite me to be a guest at his recent knife skills class at Sur La Table in Los Gatos. You may recognize his name from his regular comments posted on my FoodGal blog.

Admittedly, my brunoise may not be the world’s most perfect looking, but I know my way comfortably around a chopping board and chef’s knife. Even though Hertzmann is the author of “Knife Skills Illustrated: A User’s Manual” (W.W. Norton & Company), I did wonder just a tad how much new information I would pick up from the class.

The answer? A whole heck of a lot.

Just as my pilates instructor often points out to me that I have a bad habit of standing with one hip higher than the other, Hertzmann quickly noticed that I don’t always stand facing the chopping board straight on. Yes, another odd quirk, probably because I’m so used to talking to people while I cook that I naturally turn my body toward them.

Among his other tips to the class: Avoid making a banging noise when the knife blade forcibly hits the chopping board. In other words, don’t wield your knife like an axe against your vegetables. Use a quieter sawing motion instead.

But what I will forever be indebted to Hertzmann most for is showing me an ingenuous way to dice an onion and to julienne a carrot more quickly. Here’s how to do it. We’ll start with the onion first. (By the way, in the top photo, those are Hertzmann’s hands. In the next photos below, the hands belong to my husband, aka Meat Boy.)

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Masala Shrimp — My New Favorite Weeknight Recipe

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Naan is a great way to scoop up this zesty, spicy Masala shrimp.

Crunchy, fresh shrimp with the heat of cayenne and earthiness of turmeric. Sauteed for a few minutes in a pan, then garnished with cilantro, chopped avocado, and a squirt of lime.

It’s really supposed to be an appetizer. But I’m here to tell you it makes one great entree alongside Trader Joe’s tender naan.

This recipe for Masala Shrimp is by the Bay Area’s Niloufer Ichaporia King, and excerpted from her book, “My Bombay Kitchen” (University of California Press).

You’ll also find it in the new cookbook, “The Flavors of Asia” (DK Publishing), a compendium of pan-Asian recipes inspired by the Worlds of Flavors conferences at the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in St. Helena, where King was a speaker and presenter.

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