Page 578 – Sonoma Magazine

Making Peace with Whole Foods Butchers

March 2011

By biteclub

Just say no.

For years, those three little words neatly summarized my feelings about Whole Foods, and made for a Flintstones-sized bone of contention between me and every food-snob I came across; where my friends and family chomped at the bit to feel good about parting with their paychecks, I saw only a business model predicated on sloughing-off expensive products of inconsistent quality, remarkably mediocre prepared foods, and egregiously priced dry goods encased in very clever branding.

But a certain reader, in response to last week’s column on Costco beef, explained that Whole Foods in Santa Rosa sources 100% grass-fed, certified-organic beef from ranchers right here in the County, so I decided to update some of my facts and figures:

That’s the tag line from their website, and you know what? They’re talking the talk and walking the walk. I’ve been cooking my ass off with Whole Foods’ beef all week – top sirloin, short ribs, and chuck, ground for steak tartare and burgers; stew meat for Marcella Hazan’s beautiful Stew with Red Wine and Vegetables – and from what I’ve seen, I gotta say, it surely doesn’t suck.

Now, before you think I’ve gone soft, let’s be clear: I’d still rather stub my pinkie toe than eat off their steam tables, and I still think you may qualify for County services if you buy their paper towels or laundry detergent. But their beef, while not cheap, is fair for what it is, because what it is is damned good, with a clear provenance from farm to table, an unequivocal insistence on quality, and, no mean feat, properly executed butchery – I know that sounds hyped up, but trust me, I wouldn’t be serving the kids this steak tartare with a Hello Kitty fork if I didn’t believe it:I’m signing off with a shout-out to the butchers, not only because they’re so essential to the quality and safety of ground meat, but because the Whole Foods crew actually know what they’re doing, right down to the sanitation of their grinders and what the cattle eat in winter, and Whole Foods butchery has been something of a bugaboo for me in the past – at the Tribeca location that we used to live near, they were downright incompetent, equally incapable of filleting salmon as trimming a veal chops, even refusing even to grind meat to order. But that’s all different now, at least at the Coddingtown branch, and they deserve credit for getting it right.

St. Patrick’s Day 2011 | Santa Rosa & Sonoma County

March 2011

By biteclub

St. Patrick’s Day, let’s be honest, isn’t a food holiday I look forward to with glee. Overly salty corned beef, boiled cabbage and mealy potatoes? Yuck.

Which is why BiteClub is pointing you to restaurants turning tradition pub grub on its ear. From buttermilk battered smelt to rabbit stew, Lagunitas cupcakes and green gnocchi, we’ve got the hookup for March 17.

Okay, and some of the more traditional fare (which I’m sure is better than my my sorry attempts) and plenty of options should you choose to drink your dinner. O’Tasty!

Restaurants
Glen Ellen Inn will be serving a romantic St. Patrick’s Day feast for both lunch and dinner on March 17, 2011. The eating o’ the green will start with Early Spring Asparagus Soup topped with Creme Fraiche ($7.95), and continue with Spicy Grilled Sausage on Corned Beef Hash, with Truffle Fries ($15.95), and finish with House Made Lemon Verbena Sorbet ($6.95). Heck with the pints, why not raise a Green Glen Ellen Melon Martini instead. Secret cottage rooms for the O’romantic and McTuckered available at $139 plus tax. 13670 Arnold Drive, Glen Ellen. Lunch 11:30-4; Dinner 5:30-9

Irish Pubs
Why are all those Irish eyes a-smilin? It’s almost St. Patrick’s Day, the one holiday each year where drinking, pinching and a wee bit o’ hijinks are the order of the day. Taps turn green, beef gets corned and everyone’s a McSomeone on Thursday, March 17th this year. BiteClub leads you to your own pot of gold, or at least mug of beer, at the end of the rainbow.

Murphy’s Irish Pub: You can take the high road or the low road, but all roads lead to Sonoma when it comes to annual St. Paddy’s parties. Just off the town square, this pub has one of the rip-roarin-est parties in the county, with plenty of Emerald Isle brews, whiskeys and cock o’tails. 464 First St. East, Sonoma, 935-0660.

Friar Tuck’s Pub: Let the bromance flow as costumed bagpipers belt out Danny Boy and other Irish tunes throughout the day, green beer flows and hundreds of pounds of corned beef steam at this Cotati pub. Because if you can endure all that without an “I love you man,” there isn’t an ounce of Irish in ya. $10 for the corned beef dinner buffet, noon to 9pm. 8201 Old Redwood Hwy, Cotati, 792.9847

Nutty Irishman: Each St. Patrick’s Day, the shamrock-hat and beer-goggle crowd overrun this usually-quiet local bar to the bemusement of regulars. Not that they’re not glad to see you. The bar puts out a spread of green beer and corned beef and cabbage for everybody, because, as one staffer says, “We’re all Irish here.” 995 Piner Rd., Santa Rosa, 544-1447.

Maguire’s Pub: The former Finbar Devine’s Irish Pub has been revamped and reborn as, well, another Irish pub. After dark, the scene is more bar than restaurant, but fans say the burgers are solid as well as the fish and chips. 145 Kentucky St., Petaluma, 762-9800.

Ruth McGowan’s Brewpub: Up in Cloverdale, the always lively Ruth McGowan’s celebrates its eighth anniversary with happy hour specials all day, corned beef and cabbage, Green Hornet Emerald Ale and McGowan’s Irish Stout. 131 E First St., Cloverdale, 894-9610.

Stout Brothers: This cozy faux-tiqued public house will still be packed to the rafters with whiskey and beer-drinking revelers on St. Pats. Fish and chips are still solid contenders here, as are its signature macaroni and cheeses (chicken bacon is tops). 527 4th Street, Santa
Rosa, 636-0240.

Spoonbar: Mixologist Scott Beattie will share the bar with legend Bartender Fred Dagnino from the San Francisco Institution, Buena Vista Cafe, Chef Rudy Mihal will prepare corn beef and hash sliders and an entertainment surprise will go on at 9 p.m. Bar hours are 5-11 p.m. 219 Healdsburg Ave., Healdsburg, 433-7222.

Jackson’s Bar & Oven: Irish…pizza? This irreverent pie is topped with corned beef, cabbage and potatoes. 135 Fourth St., Santa Rosa, 545-6900.

French Garden: It’s Irish luck times two. If it’s a bit ‘o fancy you’re after, the restaurant will serve a three-course prix fixe menu throughout the weekend including a salad culled from the FG grams, rabbit stew or spinach gnocchi and lemon verbena creme brulee. In the bistro, grab a more casual “Menage A Trois”, Beer Battered Fish and Chips Three Ways — buttermilk battered local smelt, Guiness battered black cod, cornmeal battered local oysters and a mint julep or Guiness for $17. Thursday through Sunday, 8050 Bodega Ave., Sebastopol, 824-2030.

Sift’s Stud Muffin: Lagunitas beer cupcake, salted caramel frosting and spicy brown sugar bacon on top. Beer cupcake, okay. Salted caramel frosting, addictive. Sift Cupcakery in Cotati, SR and Napa.

Henweigh Cafe: Shepherd’s pie with ground beef and lamb, fresh peas, carrots and corn topped with Colcannon mashed potatoes — potatoes so good there’s a song about them. Owner Dennis Kelly sends along a comment from a recent customer: “Those Shepherds ate pretty well.” On St. Patty’s they’ll also have Guiness stout beef stew. McYum.4550 Gravenstein Highway North, Sebastopol, 829-7500.

Pearson and Co: Bring your Irish home with a takeaway meal of Corned Beef and cabbage, baked salmon with fennel and leeks with lime dill cream sauce; bubbles and squeak (mashed potatoes with carrots and peas), spring asparagus, Irish soda bread with clove and currants, or a Bailey’s Chocolate Irish Cream pie. Orders must be received by 3pm Tuesday.

Casino Bar and Grill: Chef Mark cooks up lentil soup with pork belly, Dungeness crab toast with lemon mayo and butter lettuce, corned beef brisket, cabbage and spring veggies. 17000 Bodega Highway, Bodega, 876-3185.

Breakaway Cafe: Black Velvet cocktail (Guiness and Kenwood Brut), sweet pea and mint soup, traditional corned beef and cabbage with boiled veggies, strawberry rhubarb compote with vanilla ice cream, $18. 19101 Sonoma Highway, Sonoma, 996-5949.

Mac’s Deli: I’m a huge fan of their ever-tasty Reuben, piles of corned beef, sauerkraut and Thousand Island dressing. Just consider it an Irish dinner on rye.630 4th Street, Santa Rosa, 545-3785.

Traditional Fare:
Quincy’s Pub and Cafe: Corned beef and cabbage and homemade Irish stew from 9:30am to 6:30pm St. Patty’s Day, 6590 Commerce Blvd, Rohnert Park, 585-1079.

Brown St. Grill: Corned beef and cabbage all week starting today, $9.95. Cooked with love by Done by a septuagenarian chef Roger Boileau, a former Marty’s Top of the Hill toque. 100 Brown St., #150, in Sebastopol, 824-4400.

Cafe Europe: Corned beef and cabbage for lunch and dinner on St. Patrick’s Day. 104 Calistoga Road, Santa Rosa, 538-5255.

DIY St. Patty’s
David Little of Little Organic Farms will be at The Seed Bank in Petaluma to help home gardeners learn his dry-farming techniques for this mainstay of the Irish Pantry. 7-8:30pm. 199 Petaluma Blvd. North, Petaluma.

Staying home? Check out Michele Anna Jordan’s tasty tips for corned beef and cabbage on her blog.

Did we miss a restaurant you love? Tell us below!!!

Medlock Ames, Gleason Ranch featured in April F+W

March 2011

By biteclub

Medlock Ames is wine nirvana: Funky Bell Mountain winery, Medlock Ames gets a huge shout out in the April 2011 issue of Food and Wine Magazine.

Also featured, Gleason Ranch, the scrappy, family-run producer of locally-coveted chicken, pork and lamb. A deliciously cooked cut of their spring lamb is featured on the April cover. Also getting their 15 minutes: Bellwether farms, Laloo’s, and Bear Republic.

Meanwhile, in case you missed it, Barndiva recently got big love from Chelsea Handler who visited the restaurant for Sunday brunch recently. She gushed about it on the show, giving a “shout-out” to Lukka Feldman, the restaurant’s manager.

My Favorite Black Bean Soup, in 30 Minutes or Less

March 2011

By biteclub

Inasmuch as complex events can be said to have their roots in a single moment, I credit my first attempt at this delicious soup – an assignment for my Fundamentals of Stocks, Soups, and Sauces course at the ICE Culinary Institute some 10 years ago – with much of what I’ve produced in the kitchen ever since. I might as well call it my Butterfly Effect Soup:

I think the dish is so successful because it manages to strike a balance between the dense and satisfying texture of pureed beans, the heat of fresh chilies, the sweet fragrance of of onions and garlic, and the nutty tang of dry sherry, and because it tastes like it should take far longer to make than it actually does, with a depth of flavor that belies the simplicity of its construction.

An Irish Guards uniform tunic and other Irish-themed decorations stand above the beer tap during a football game between the Miami Dolphins and Atlanta Falcons at Friar Tucks Pub in Cotati, California on Thursday, August 25, 2016. (Alvin Jornada / The Press Democrat) So please, make this soup, and tell me if it inspires new and unpredictable trajectories for you as well, a desire to bounce around your kitchen like that clever-looking Lorenz Attractor over at the right. (You can get an intuitive sense of this concept, what mathematicians call the “sensitivity to initial conditions”, by watching the evolution of this fractal – just click New Start Point on this page. It’s pretty cool.)

Oh -And I haven’t even mentioned how healthy it is!

Black Bean Soup (Adapted from Chef/Instructor Gerri Sarnataro)
The real deal starts by soaking dried beans the night before an uses a ham bone and bacon lardons in the mirepoix and home-made veal stock for the liquid. It is, to be sure, better like that. But this version is vastly easier, healthier, and doesn’t offend my wife’s vegetarian sensibilities. Cornbread would make an ideal accompaniment, as would an ice cold Mexican beer.

4 cans black beans, with their packing liquids (preferably unseasoned)
1 bouquet garni (optional)
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 fresh chili peppers, such as Serrano or Jalapeno, seeded and minced (more or less to taste for heat)
1 onion, diced
0.5C dry sherry or madeira (adjust to taste)
Salt & Pepper, to taste
Mexican Crema and lots of chopped cilantro, to garnish

Sautee the onions, garlic, and chilies in a little oil until they’re soft and fragrant
Empty the beans and their liquids into the pot and add just enough water (or stock) to cover; if you’re using a bouquet garni, add it now.
Bring to a low boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 10-30 minutes.
Use a slotted spoon and reserve a cup of the beans and puree the rest of the soup with an immersion blender, or in batches a blender (be careful!). Return the beans and puree to the pot.
Add the sherry, tasting as you go, and simmer for another 5 minutes to cook out the alcohol. Adjust seasoning.
Whisk in a handful (to taste) of the cilantro just before serving and garnish each bowl with crema and more cilantro on top. (For the animal lovers out there, smoky bacon lardons in the bottom of the bowl make for an astoundingly good touch – cook them first, reserving, and use the bacon fat to sautee the veggies.)

[Photo credits: Wikipedia]

Agave Mexican Restaurant | Healdsburg

March 2011

By biteclub

Agave Mexican Restaurant and Tequila Bar in Healdsburg, Wednesday, October 10, 2012. (Crista Jeremiason / The Press Democrat)

Agave Fresh Mexican in Healdsburg — Diaz’ mother making mole in the restaurant kitchen

Oaxacan mole negro isn’t a dish made in an afternoon. With a laundry list of some 30 ingredients — most of which require separate roasting or blanching or toasting — it’s a labor of love passed down through generations of Oaxacan women.

Like any great regional recipe,s this inky, chocolate and cinnamon-infused chile sauce has quirks peculiar to each of its creators, but shares a common heritage and foundational ingredients. Ancho and guajillos chiles, Mexican chocolate and cinnamon, stale bread, tomatillos, plantain, oregano, raisins, pumpkin and sesame seeds, garlic, onions, cloves, avocado leaves and lard are traditional. But improvisation and secret ingredients, of course, give the mole life: Sweet bread or animal crackers instead of stale bread, a ripe banana instead of the plantain, the addition of corn tortillas. Not surprisingly, it’s a rare find at local taquerias despite the preponderance of great Oaxacan cooks in Sonoma County. Why? This is labor-intensive celebration food that’s more easily served from a can than slaved over for days. And that’s what makes Healdsburg’s Agave Mexican Restaurant such a find.

Each day, owner Octavio Diaz’s mother is in the kitchen making mole negro by hand with Oaxacan ingredients he brings from their homeland several times a year. Chocolate. Spices. Chiles. “Every day is a celebration,” says Octavio.

The hotel and restaurant management graduate and chef has spent much of his life in the United States, working his way up the food ladder. His goal: To bring the flavors of his native homeland to his new homeland.

At Agave, the mole (pronounced mo-lay) negro is poured over a chicken breast, puddles and spreads across the plate like a chocolate mudslide. It’s exotic, rich, earthy, and unmistakable. The absence of a single ingredient will alter it entirely and you can clearly taste the passion behind it. (Frankly, it’s hard not to think of Laura Esquivel’s sensuous Like Water for Chocolate, when eating it).

Along with mole negro, Diaz and his family serve up a number of other traditional dishes: Molotes (fried masa stuffed with potato, chorizo and herbs); tamale de mole (a homemade masa tamale stuffed with shredded chicken and steamed in a banana leaf); Chiles Rellenos (a green chili stuffed with chicken and plump raisins and fried) and Tlayuda, a giant corn tostada from Mexico that’s topped with beans, cabbage, queso fresco and meat, kind of like a Mexican pizza. Just want simple taqueria fare? The restaurant also serves fajitas, enchiladas, carnets, flautas, burritos and the usual suspects with aplomb.

But really, wouldn’t you rather celebrate?

Rick Bayless’ is legendary for his mole.

Agave Fresh Mexican, 1063 Vine St., Healdsburg, 433-2411.

Mole negro is just one of Oaxaca’s legendary “Seven Moles. Want to learn more? Diary of a Foodie/Gourmet has an incredible video about the process here, along with a recipe.

Blue Label Cafe

March 2011

By biteclub

Blue Label at the Belvedere, the wildly popular new restaurant run by the former Humble Pie crew, is adding breakfast to their lineup.

Starting on March 28, they’ll open a morning cafe featuring both sit-down and takeaway items including poached eggs and cheese grits, breakfast burritos, stuffed fresh toast, homemade muffins, bacon(!) cinnamon rolls, coffee cake, bagels and, wait for it…fresh donuts on Monday mornings. The start of your week just got a whole lot brighter. Oh, and did we mention espresso and coffee? Yeah, that too. Stay tuned for more details later this month.

Oh, and did we mention they’re doing bar bites (Wednesday through Friday) downstairs too? Sweet.

Top 10 Happy Hours | Sonoma County

March 2011

By biteclub

When the going gets tough, the tough start a happy hour.

Once the sole refuge of sports bars and low-brow eateries, Happy Hour has gone mainstream. Looking to draw in diners, higher end restaurants are embracing the idea of offering up deep discounts on food and cocktails between 3 and 6pm, then hoping you’ll stick around for dinner later.

It’s an age-old ploy to get you in the door, but many upscale eateries suffering from continued economic doldrums are getting a much-needed boost from the early evening crowd. Because whether you’re a bargain-hunter looking for a right-priced meal or just an after-worker hanging with friends, these top-notch happy hours are tasty treats for wallet and palate.

Stark’s Steakhouse: There’s no denying that Stark’s is the Grand Pubah when it comes to Santa Rosa’s happy hour scene. Packed to the gills most nights, It’s the perfect storm of top-notch bites well under $5, well crafted drinks and a clubby, steakhouse atmosphere. Rather than trotting out nuked chicken strips and Bud lights, they roll out inspired tapas and sides from their steakhouse menu — tuna tartar taco, meatloaf sliders and truffle fries for $1.50; trio tip banh mi, $2; potato skin fondue, sweet chili chicken wings and buttermilk onion rings for $3.50. Plus a $2 Beefeater martini (Wed/Thurs/Sat), $2.50 Stark’s Pale ale, $4 selected wines, and a couple of $5 cocktails. Chances are you’ll move on to undeniable sippers like the $10 Starkarita, but hey, think of all the money you saved at Happy Hour. Monday through Saturday 3-6pm. 521 Adams St., Santa Rosa, 546-5100.

New! Rendez Vous Bistro: Happy Hour is Twice as Nice during the Deju Vu Happy Hour Times Two, a twice daily reason to celebrate. One of the few spots for late night eats, the bar bites menu features truffled pommes fries, a petite tuna tartar, crisp polenta fries, battered lobster borchettes, shimp coctail and chef’s sliders. House champagne is $4, well cocktails $3 and beers on tap for $3. Plus, a nifty specialty cocktail menu with gimlets, mojitos, bourbon drinks, dessert cocktails and margaritas from $7 to $9. Sunday through Thursday 3-6pm and 9-12am; Friday and Saturday, 3-6pm, 10pm to 2am. 614 4th Street, Santa Rosa, 526-7700.

Front Room at John Ash & Co: Sink into a leather seat and nibble on tasty small plates while kicking back well-crafted cocktails. Here, you can steer clear of the Jersey shore crowd, rubbing elbows with the hotel’s chic clientele, politicos and pinstriped professionals. Wednesdays’s “Crush the Rush” includes complimentary appetizers from 5:30-6:30pm along with $2 off all cocktails, $4 wine/beer/weekly cocktail and their tasty happy hour bites menu (many under $5). Friday’s smoked prime rib and Sunday you can build your own burger and fries for $10. 4-6pm Monday, Tuesday and Thursday; until 6:30pm Wednesday and from 3-6pm Friday through Sunday. 4330 Barnes Road, Santa Rosa, 527-7687.

Jackson’s Bar and Oven: Happy hour stretches from 3-6pm Monday through Friday and on weekends from noon to 6pm with $2 Jacksons Pale Ale, $4 on selected wines, $5 well drinks and their specialty cocktail, orange fennel drops (a new take on the cosmo). Half off buffalo wings and truffle parmesan or chipotle fries. $5 sliders or tacos on weekdays. On the weekend, $6 Bloody Marys. 135 Fourth St., Santa Rosa, 545-6900.

Jack and Tony’s: Daily from 4-6pm, half off tap & well, plus half off all full-sized appetizers, including dishes like three cheese mac, shrimp ceviche tostada, deviled eggs and chilled oysters on the half-shell. 115 Fourth St., Santa Rosa, 523-0492.

Chinois Asian Bistro: This pan-Asian sleeper in Windsor has amazing $5 Asian tapas from 5-6;30pm MOnday through Friday including crispy taro and sweet potato fries with Japanese mayo, Panko prawns, tori prata (Indian bread with curry sauce), spring rolls, lumpia, pork she mai and coconut prawns. Soju cocktails are also just $5 and along with $4 beers.8710 Old Redwood Hwy, Windsor, 838-4667.

Tasting Tuesdays at Willi’s Wine Bar: Not to be confused with Rohnert Park’s Tasty Tuesday food truck lineup, Willi’s Winebar is offering Tasting Tuesdays from 4-5pm. It’s a stellar deal: Top notch local winemakers pour several tastes of their wine and the kitchen whips up small bites from the menu for just $10. Plus, you get first dibs on the coveted outdoor patio. So, there’s that. Reservations are a good idea, since word has gotten out. Upcoming winemakers include Ramey, Benovia and Jus Soli. 4404 Old Redwood Highway, Santa Rosa, 526-3096.

Central Market: An amazing deal from one of Sonoma County’s best chefs, Tony Najiola. But it’s literally an hour, so you can’t dawdle. And chances are you’ll want to stay for dinner. $1 oysters, $5 wines, $3 beers and free pizza at bar Monday through Thursday from 5:30 to 6:30pm, Sunday 5-6pm. 42 Petaluma Blvd., Petaluma, 778-9900.

Thirsty Thursdays at Vintner’s Square: Ray D’Argenzio’s “urban winery village” is an evolving vision for a one-stop food food and wine experience within the city of Santa Rosa. Already, he’s brought together his own winery, along with premium micro-wineries Sheldon and MJ Lords along with pinot heavy-weight Krutz Family Cellars. On Thursdays from 4 to 8pm, local food trucks like Street Eatz drop by, $5 per glass wines and live music. 1301 Cleveland Avenue, Santa Rosa.

Spoonbar: This ultra luxe hotel bar isn’t the spot for .99 hot wings or light beer, but you will find some tasty pre-dinner deals. Small bites — spicy lamb meatballs, marinated quail eggs, crispy stuffed olives — come four for $12 on Chef Rudy Mihal’s Mediterranean-inspired menu. Top local winemakers’ wines on tap are a great value, as are mixologist Scott Beattie’s haute Mai Tai, Dark ‘n Stormy and Daiqueri by the pitcher. 219 Healdsburg Ave., Healdsburg, 433-7222.

More spots to get your happy hour on…
PizzaVino 707: Happy Hour 4-6pm daily. Bar snacks $3. 6948 Sebastopol Ave., Sebastopol, 829-9500.
El Coqui: Half off of appetizers and $3 draft beers Monday through Friday from 3-6pm. 400 Mendocino Avenue Santa Rosa, 542-8868.
Bistro 29: Wednesday and Friday from 5 to 6pm with a special menu and $10 any 750ml bottle of wine. 620 5th Street, Santa Rosa, 546-2929.
Legends Benett Valley: Hang with the swingers at Santa Rosa’s chummy golf course bar and grill. $5 happy hour appetizers (taquitos, sliders, nachos, pizza). Drink specials. 3328 Yulupa Valley Ave., Santa Rosa, 523-4111.

Did we miss your fave? Add it below!

Fat Tuesday in Sonoma County 2011

March 2011

By biteclub

How did Fat Tuesday sneak up on me? Maybe it was all the lardo still slogging its way through my arteries after Sunday’s pork-fest. Either way, I flaked. One of my compatriots, did not, however.

Here are a few locals doing Mardi Gras inspired events I snagged off Facebook…methinks a visit to Rosso may be in order.

Noon Concert at HopMonk/Sebastopol: Celebrate fat Tuesday with a Free Krush Lunchtime Set with the Southern Blues/Rock sounds of the North Mississippi Allstars! You won’t be able to sit still. The guys will play a short set featuring some of your favorites plus music from their latest release, “Keys To The Kingdom.” All ages, doors open at 11:30. Free.

Costeaux Bakery: Costeaux welcomes guest Chef Rob Lippincott of Louisiana Legacy on Tues, March 8th from 7 am to 4 pm. Chef Rob will be serving up authentic Louisiana dishes including shrimp and grits for breakfast as well as seafood gumbo, crawfish etouffee and muffalatta. Costeaux also will begin offering their delicious hot cross buns that will be available through Easter Sunday. 417 Healdsburg Avenue, Healdsburg, 433-1913

Rosso Pizzeria: Shrimp and sausage with a stuffed crawfish gumbo all day. 53 Montgomery Drive, Santa Rosa.

Zin Restaurant: “Fresh Fish Gumbo, New Orleans Red Bean Cassoulet and French Market Beignets. All on dinner menu tonight.” 344 Center Street
Healdsburg, 473-0946

Oh! Late entry from Central Market in Petaluma: On Tuesday, March 8, 2011 please join us to celebrate Mardi Gras at Central Market. Being a New Orlean native, every year I miss the fun and debauchery of Mardi Gras. This year I decided we would do our best to at least mark the day with a fine New Orleans inspired special menu. I’m especially looking forward to making my grandmothers (Esthermae) recipe for chicken gumbo. We will also be listening to WWOZ radio live from New Orleans.We look forward to seeing you. This menu will be a la carte. CA crawfish – Louisiana Style; Panfried LA. Catfish topped with capers and lemon in brown butter; Fried oyster Po Boy sandwhich – our baguette with shredded cabbage and oysters in garlic butter and mayonnaise; Shrimp creole – stewed in a picante tomato sauce with the holy trinity
of vegetables; Esthermaes Chicken – anadouiille gumbo with okra; Blackened flatiron steak – chili hollandaise; Banana – pecan bread pudding with rum sauce. 42 Petaluma Blv., Petaluma, 778-9900.

McNear’s, Petaluma: Join us this Tuesday for a FREE Mardi Gras Party……..Live Music w/ Two Bands, Full Rum Bar with Classic New Orleans Cocktails, Gumbo, Gator Sliders and Much Much More! WINNING!!! 23 Petaluma Blvd. No., Petaluma, 765-2121.

Would You Pay $625 For A Cookbook?

March 2011

By biteclub

Apparently, quite a few of us would, because the cookbook in question – Modernist Cuisine, by Nathan Myhrvold, Chris Young, and Maxime Bilet – already sold out its initial printing, and it hasn’t even hit the shelves yet! Moreover, despite the fact that virtually nobody on Planet Earth has actually touched the 6-volume, 2400-page opus, it’s already been called “the most important cookbook ever”, inducted into the Cookbook Hall of Fame, and generated uncountable words in the foodie blogosphere, including tweets by Thomas Keller and just about every other important chef you can think of.

Unsurprisingly, the authors have their naysayers, most of whom argue that the project embodies the worst of foodie pretensions, but I don’t agree: first, because the thing wasn’t really written for you or me, it was written because the authors believed that the stuff between the covers needed writing-down; and second, whether or not the book even makes money is beside the point, because its main sponsor is Mr. Myhrvold, a former CTO of Microsoft, accomplished chef in his own right, and the sort of guy who could drop the GDP of a small Caribbean nation without noticing that his bank balance had fallen.

As I understand it, the tome is much less a cookbook than an attempt to codify everything we’ve learned in the culinary regime of cooks like Ferran Adria, Thomas Keller, and Heston Blumenthal. In many respects, Modernist Cuisine aims to be nothing less than the 200-year coda to Careme’s 1833 masterpiece, L’Art de la Cuisine Française, a book still broadly considered to be the first serious attempt at collecting the entire state of the culinary arts in one place, at one time.

If you’re still left wondering who the book was written for, the authors make an impassioned case that modernist techniques are relevant for home cooks as well as serious professionals, although they remain uncompromising in their approach, despite its inherent complexities. While I applaud their enthusiasm, and greatly respect their refusal to cut corners, I still suspect that 36-hour hamburger recipes and other feats of culinary wonder requiring medium-sized laboratories full of highly specialized equipment may not be for everyonene:

Finally, as to why the thing costs so damn much, the six-volume, 2,438-page set contains 3,126 photos on art-quality paper and a kitchen-proof plastic-coated manual, took a team of over 50 people more than five years to produce, and weighs more than my kindergartener. From the little I know about bricks-and-mortar publishing, the economic and logistical obstacles alone decry virtually every survival instinct of the industry, so I don’t necessarily object to the price per se. And I’d be disingenuous if I didn’t admit to an existential appreciation of the project – like a threatened species from some remote warren of the world that I’ll never visit, I still feel better just knowing that it’s there. But as to shelling out $625 for food porn, I’m just not sure…

Zazu wins Cochon 555 Napa

March 2011

By biteclub

duskieandjon — Duskie and John from Zazu with pig ear salumi

Duskie Estes and John Stewart of Sonoma County’s Zazu Restaurant + Farm, Bovolo and Black Pig Meat are now the official Prince and Princess of Pork.

On Sunday night, March 6, 2011, the porcine-loving chef couple took the win at Cochon 555 Napa after wowing participants and judges with dishes like pig heart pork bun, homemade mortadella, pig’s head cowboy beans, a chocolate bacon toffee pig lollipop, vinegar chicaronnes, bacon waffles and pineapple pork.

Take that, Alton Brown.

The national competition pitted five wine country chef teams against each other to creatively prepare one of five heritage breed pigs for a panel of 20 judges and more than 100 event participants. Competing against the popular Sonoma duo were teams from Yountville’s Ad Hoc, Plum in Oakland, Solbar in Calistoga and Oenotri in Napa.

Estes and Stewart were given their Red Wattle pig several days before the competition to prepare. Estes commented on her “Rookie of the Year” pork and pineapple dish, referring to her recent appearance on the Food Network’s Next Iron Chef. Off camera, Brown apparently called her a pig “rookie” after her quick-fire dish of pork and pineapple failed to impress the judges. This time, however, the dish won her pork gold and let the world know what we in Sonoma County have long celebrated.

Says Stewart of the win: “We take our fun seriously. We had a blast coming up with the menu with our team. And our pig was good lookin! We hung with our pigs for inspiration and guidance every morning. We are psyched to party pig in Aspen! “The Cochon 555 competition continues on its national tour until June, when it returns to San Francisco for a final stop before the Aspen Food + Wine Festival. Winners from each city will compete in a final pork-off in Aspen — which this year will include our own Duskie and John.

The idea behind the event is to help bring national attention to heritage breed pigs and raise money for responsible local family farms who continue to raise them. Pigs from last night’s event included the Red Wattle from Walnut Keep Farm, Mangalista from Suisun Valley Farm, Berkshire from Newman Farms, Yorkshire from Christian Brothers Ranch and Duroc/Berkshire from the always fascinating Mark Pasternak of Devil’s Gulch Ranch.

What else was on the menu?
– Crispy head to toe terrine, pork rind, corn dog, bahn mi and griebenshmalz filled pretzel from Brandon Sharp of Solbar
– Blood sausage inlaid with tongue and prunes, boudin blanc, pork rib, pot pie and bacon ice cream sandwiches from Dave Cruz of Ad Hoc
– Pate campagna, Boudin blanc, trotter and face porchetta, “Reuben and rye”, date cake with pork: Charlie Parker, Plum
– Blood sausage, pasta with blood sauce, boudin blanc, charcuterie, toast with lard, bacon shortbread, Curis Di Fede and tyler Rodde, Oenotri

Seen on the Scene:
– Hardy Wallace and the NPA crew
– Ziggy the Wine Gal
– Wine writer Leslie Sbrocco
– Chef Daniel Kedan, Peter Lowell’s (helping his former Ad Hoc crew)
– Doralice Handal, Cheese Shop of Healdsburg
– Chef Jeremy Fox, formerly of Ubuntu and Manresa (judge)
– Francis Ford Coppola (judge)
– Rancher Mark Pasternak (judge)
– Writer Michele Anna Jordan (judge)

BiteClub was one of the lucky folks to judge, but took her judging a bit too seriously and enthusiastically and is now suffering from what one writer referred to as “the meat sweats.” So you’ll forgive me if I duck out now and go eat a Saltine.

See all the images of the event. Click on a picture below…