Sake To Us All

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sake.jpgDo you know your Junmai from your Nigori? You’ll get a better understanding of all types of sake at the 2008 Sake San Jose event, 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. May 22 in San Jose’s historic Japantown (Jackson Street between 4th and 7th streets).

Once again, dozens of Japantown merchants will be pouring samples of premium American and Japanese sakes. Some merchants will even be handing out little nibbles to enjoy with the sake.

Learn all about sake — rice wine that is actually more like beer in that it is brewed — while exploring one of the last remaining Japantowns in the United States.

Tickets are $35. To purchase, click here. Proceeds benefit Yu Ai Kai Senior Services programs in San Jose.

And for those whose whistles are already whetted, Junmai is sake made of rice, water, and a culture, with no other ingredients added; Nigori is unfiltered sake that has a milky look and often a slightly sweeter taste.

Strawberry Shortcakes For Breakfast

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Breakfast of champions

You only live once, so why not indulge? Especially since I’ve made this treat a little more virtuous.

Instead of the usual calorie-laden whipped cream filling, I’ve used thick, non-fat Greek yogurt in its place. Yes, the shortcakes still have some cream and butter in the dough. There’s not much getting around that. But yogurt is packed with active cultures that reportedly aid digestion and boost the immune system. And fresh fruit always does a body good. I’ve added just the tiniest drizzle of honey to mellow the tartness of the Greek yogurt. You also can stir in a tad with the sliced strawberries, if the fruit is not sweet enough.

Lastly, I’ve added a spoonful of diced crystallized ginger in with the strawberries. I could say I’ve added it for medicinal purposes. But those of you who know me too well will realize it’s there because I simply can’t get enough of its spicy sweet heat. For those of you who aren’t so partial to ginger, you can leave it out.

There you have it: fresh fruit, yogurt, and honey. That’s a pretty healthful breakfast. Throw in the biscuity shortcake and it’s still better for you than a lot of Sunday brunch fare.

So go ahead and enjoy one of these strawberry shortcakes for breakfast. Or anytime, in fact. The baked shortcakes can be frozen in a Zip-Lock bag, making it easy to serve one on short notice. Allow to thaw in the bag on the countertop for an hour, then warm shortcake in a 350-degree oven for about 15 minutes.

The shortcake recipe is from the June 2008 issue of Cuisine At Home magazine. The filling is my own simple concoction. Read more


Meet the Food Gal and Chef Charlie Ayers

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Yes, I’ll be doing my best impersonation of Charlie Rose when I moderate the May 19 Silicon Valley Commonwealth Club’s talk and book-signing event with Charlie Ayers, the former executive chef of Google.

Come join us for a fun evening with Ayers, who also used to cook for the Grateful Dead and Robin Williams. He will be signing copies of his first cookbook, “Food 2.0, Secrets From the Chef Who Fed Google”.

The 7 p.m. event is at Cubberley Community Theatre, 4000 Middlefield Road in Palo Alto. Tickets are $10 for members; $15 for non-members. For reservations, click here or call (800) 847-7730.

The chat also will be taped for airing at a future date on KLIV AM (1590), which generally airs Commonwealth Club events on Thursdays at 7 p.m. and 10 p.m.

Time Again For the Star Chefs & Vintners Gala

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Bay Area superstar chefs Nancy Oakes, Michael Mina, Traci des Jardins, Charles Phan, Douglas Keane, David Kinch, Chris Cosentino, Cal Stamenov, and Elizabeth Faulkner are among the culinary luminaries who will headline the 21st Annual Star Chefs & Vintners Gala, May 18 at Fort Mason’s Festival Pavillion in San Francisco.

The mega-event is a fund-raiser for Meals on Wheels of San Francisco, which provides meals and other support services to homebound seniors. Last year’s event raised a record $1 million.

The night begins with hors d’oeuvres and wines by dozens of wineries, including Beringer Vineyards, Chappellet Winery, Chiarello Family Vineyards, Dalla Valle Vineyards, and Robert Sinskey Vineyards. That will be followed by a three-course, sit-down dinner, with each course prepared by one of 24 different chefs.

Individual tickets are $400. To reserve, click here or call (415) 920-1111 ext. 221.

Courage Beyond Belief

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That’s what Chef Grant Achatz exhibted as he fought an unbelievable battle with tongue cancer.

The celebrated chef-proprieter of Alinea in Chicago and one of the true pioneers in this country of molecular gastronomy, Achatz not only fought for his life, but faced the devastating prospect of losing his ability to taste.

Achatz is nothing but a fighter. After all, as a young man, he so desperately wanted to work at the French Laundry in Yountville under the revered Thomas Keller that he sent Keller his resume — for 24 days straight — until Keller hired him. He ended up rising to sous chef, before leaving for Chicago to strike out on his own.

I’ve had the honor of interviewing him a couple times over the years, and there are few chefs as intelligent, articulate, and thought-provoking.

In this month’s New Yorker magazine, D.T. Max profiles Achatz, and tells how the rare cancer remained undiagnosed for more than a year until it grew so massive that Achatz could barely eat; how doctors told him his only option was to have his tongue cut out, a course of action Achatz refused; and how Achatz, the father of two young boys (one named Keller after his mentor), never stopped working through any of this.

It’s a lengthy story, but I promise you’ll read every word of it.

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