July 2007

If you stay all the way through the credits, you'll find me in the Ratatouille "special thanks to" section. What a thrill! My name in lights … and on a great movie. The famous name (Thomas Keller, of French Laundry fame) gets the press of course, but I know my role was pivotal, helping all the animators understand with their own hands and minds, what they had to animate. I truly think Ratatouille will be food for thought for the many kids who see it, and resonate strongly with the adults too. It makes me think of WHY I cook and teach -- the passion I know I bring to it, the joy of combining flavors and communicating through food -- it validates that this is art, and makes me wonder … am I then an artist? I have not thought of myself in those terms before. Teacher, chef, bumbling experimenter maybe -- but artist?. Ratatouille is great movie, one for the ages. I hope you agree. I know you agree that having one's hands and mind work together, and learning to cook using both at the same time, is much more effective than watching the food channel … or you wouldn't be getting my newsletter, coming to classes and having fun in my kitchen.

I recently donated use of the kitchen and my time for an evening, to Students Rising Above, which auctioned off an event with Nicole Plue, the pastry chef from Redd in Yountville (if you happen to be going that way, don't miss this restaurant), and Burke Owens, associate wine director at COPIA, for a dessert/dessert wine pairing. Nicole demonstrated four fabulous desserts, Burke poured half a dozen great dessert wines, and lectured on their provenance, and I helped and did the dishes, and learned a few good tricks. What fun! The group that purchased the auction item got a deal, too, all for a great cause.

June was a very busy month, with many team building and "reward" groups, lots of catering, lots of great classes. July slows a bit for me, but that means there are dates available for your event, should you want to have one. Here's a note from John Lin, who brought in a Smith Barney "client appreciation" group:

I just wanted to say 'thank you' to you and your staff for such a wonderful evening. Our clients really enjoyed themselves. We appreciate how smoothly everything went and look forward to our next event with you."

If you're thinking it's time to reward the group you work with, come to Paulding & Company for the event.

Classes

Knife Sharpening class in June was well attended, and we've had people who couldn't make it clamoring for another date. So the next knife sharpening class will be Monday evening, August 6th. This is two packed hours of learning, where you get to gain the skill to keep your own kitchen knives sharp, working with a Master sharpener, Eric E. Weiss. The class is a bargain -- $65 for the instruction and a stone and oil all your own. Register now to insure a spot in this great class!

Linda Carucci and Cindy Race are planning a great learning experience in their week-long summer cooking school sessions. There is still space available in the August sessions (starting July 30th), so if you are interested, be sure to book soon. Don't miss the opportunity to work with dynamic duo!

Our wonderful Southern Italian cooking instructor, Rosetta Costantino, will hold one July class -- A Taste of Calabria, her home region. The menu centers around zucchini, and there is still some space in the class. If you haven't taken one of Rosetta's classes, they are always lively and delicious.

I have a big, wonderful group attending my Basic Cooking classes this summer. Dates have been announced for the 6-week fall session, which starts Wednesday, September 12th at the kitchen. You have to register through Piedmont Adult School, and they have a system that only allows registration after a certain date; look for more information in the August newsletter. I have also put a "Thanksgiving Dress Rehearsal" dinner class on the schedule through Piedmont; it's a bit early to talk about Thanksgiving, but it will be Saturday, October 27th. If you've always been intimidated by making this wonderful feast, keep the date in mind.

Not Cooking Dinner

Confession: Sometimes, I just don't feel like cooking. Especially when I've been working hard, and need some relaxation. And often my family and I seek out reasonably priced, high quality ethnic restaurants, both for the flavors and the price. Sometimes, like now, I discover a real gem (or a few of them) and feel like sharing.

My latest finds started with an article in Edible East Bay. They reviewed San Maru, a Korean restaurant on Telegraph at 43rd. St. in Oakland, in glowing terms. There are so many Korean restaurants in that area, I was ready to take their recommendation rather than blindly guessing which were good. What I found was a restaurant every bit as good as promised. The room is very pleasant, with bright, white walls and an eclectic collection of art. The tables are well-spaced, and the servers look wonderful, all wearing simple classical Korean garb. The menu has all the usual dishes you'd find in a Korean restaurant, bul gogi, seafood sautés, and also some interesting additions like black goat stew. Their tofu soup is outstanding, and their grilled items are as good as I've had. One thing I adore about Korean food is the panchan -- the little dishes of tasty and varied treats, kim chi and little dried fish, pickled sprouts and spiced crispy daikon radish, that are brought to the table before the meal. These little treats are always fresh and vibrant, and at San Maru, if you finish them all, you get refills of any that you request. And, after you've eaten you meal, they bring a little cup of a sweet, cinnamon-flavored drink with a few pine nuts and bits of red date -- a digestive, dessert and refresher all wrapped up in one. Prices are reasonable but not inexpensive, and (oh, joy!) they have a parking lot.

One day, thinking I'd take a friend to lunch at San Maru, I discovered that they are closed Tuesdays. Hmm … what to do? We walked one block down the street, past a tempting Japanese restaurant and settled in at Kang Nam Pho restaurant on Telegraph and 44th St. The food was wonderful. If you've never tried it, Pho, (pronounced 'feh'), is the national dish of Viet Nam, a hearty scent-laden beef broth, subtly spiced and filled with meats and rice noodles, and served with a big plate of fresh herbs, jalapeno pepper slices, lime and bean sprouts to add to your taste. Getting the small-sized combo bowl, I found myself with more than I could eat of this satisfying meal. The restaurant is bright and tastefully decorated, with white walls and artwork, a very pleasant place to sit. An interesting twist, different from any other Pho place I've been to -- they serve Korean barley tea instead of Oolong, and brought little plates of panchan while we waited -- just kim chee and daikon, but a refreshing if odd surprise. My family loves to have Pho for lunch, so this has become our regular place. Not only is the food good, but like San Maru, there is a parking lot, making it an easy destination.

After trying all this good food in a one block area, I knew I had to go to Kansai, the Japanese restaurant sitting between the other two (also with it's own parking lot!). Fate dictated that this experiment take place on Memorial day, as we had visiting family that wanted Japanese food, and many restaurants were closed for the holiday.

Chef/owner Tomo-san was very gracious, and suggested we just let him pick things for us. We set a price -- $30 per person in this case, and sat back. The menu was overwhelming -- three pages just for the rolls they offered, many of them named things like Corinne, Big Joe and the like, one obviously for the customer who said "hey, Tomo-san, can you make me a roll with tempura shrimp inside, and a mixture of cream cheese and parmesan on top? No kidding, this turned out to be excellent.

Our chef's choice meal began, after the usual soup, generous salad, and bowl of soy beans in the pod, with a plate of 8 lovely slices of Yellowtail, swimming in a very tasty, light soy-based sauce, topped with tobiko and a thin sliver of jalapeno pepper. Once we'd finished it, we were presented a second luxurious plate: a big rounded mound of spicy tuna in the middle surrounded by a cool yogurty sauce, slightly sweet, with slices of avocado, in turn surrounded by four porcelain spoons mounded high with snow crab, glistening with gold leaf on top, and each on with a different color tobiko -- red, green, black and tangerine.

At this point I was full, to tell the truth, and felt I'd already gotten my money's worth. But gazing over to the sushi bar, we saw Tomo-san building us a bridge -- a big bamboo one, styled after the kind you'd find in a Japanese garden. At the base on both sides were steps for rolls, (including the parmesan one I mentioned). We also had multiple varieties of nigiri sushi with yellowtail, salmon, tuna and more, plus sashimi of raw scallop, ebi (raw shrimp), yellowtail, tuna, salmon and halibut. Decorated with the flamboyant-looking fried shrimp heads, edible orchids, and pickled ginger stems, this was a feast large enough to feed 8 hungry people. Not wanting to insult our gracious host, we somehow managed to eat every delicious bite. Along with a bottle of excellent dry chilled saki, of course. I'm immensely grateful for my kids' large appetites.

We were in for yet another treat. Tomo-san brought us a plate with four small slivers of green tea cheesecake, and four shot glasses of frozen mango mousse for dessert.

We've only eaten at Kansai once so far, but we will go back, most likely after fasting all day. They offer a kaiseki dinner option too -- this is the exquisite composed small dish dinner (here's Wikipedia's description: "In kaiseki, only fresh seasonal ingredients are used, prepared in ways that aim to enhance their flavor. Exquisite care is taken in selecting ingredients and types of food, and finished dishes are carefully presented on serving ware that is chosen to enhance the appearance and seasonal theme of the meal. Dishes are beautifully arranged and garnished, often with real leaves and flowers, as well as edible garnishes designed to resemble natural plants and animals. The serving ware and garnishes are as much a part of the kaiseki experience as the food; some might argue that the aesthetic experience of seeing the food is more important than the physical experience of eating it, though of course both aspects are important."

You have to order kaiseki meals in advance. Tomo-san suggests doing so at least 3 days ahead, and scheduling your meal for Wednesday-Friday, so he can order the fish straight from Japan. I am sure his expert hand will make this a memorable feast. I can't wait!

San Maru
4315 Telegraph Ave.
Oakland, CA 94609
510-653-3366
11 AM -11 PM, closed Tuesday

Kang Nam Pho
4419 Telegraph Ave
 Oakland, CA 94609
(510) 985-0900
10 AM-10 PM daily

Kansai Sushi
4345 Telegraph Ave
Oakland, CA 94609
www.kansaisushi.com
510-658-7273
Lunch Monday – Friday, 11:30-2:30 PM
Dinner Mon-Thur 5:00 PM-midnight, Fri-Sat 5 PM – 2 AM, Sun 5 PM -10 PM

Recipe of the Month: Pavlova

It's a bumper crop year for summer fruit, and the question of what do I want to buy, rapidly turns into what can I bear to leave behind. If I get boysenberries, strawberries, blueberries, cherries, peaches, apricots, nectarines, etc., can I use them all before they spoil? I always end up bringing home too much, and looking for inventive ways to showcase the gorgeous fruit.

When you start with such gems, there is little need for complex recipes. Here's one that has several advantages. It's easy to make, you can do most of it in advance, and it tastes sublime. It's named in honor of a visit by the Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova, who visited both Australia or New Zealand around 1926. Both countries claim the dessert as their own, but the version in this month's recipe is from the Edmonds Cookery Book, NZ, which itself has been around for a long time -- my 2001 copy is the 49th printing, and the book jacket claims 3,000,000 copies have been sold. No doubt there is one in every home in New Zealand.

I've found Pavlova listed on some restaurant menus where there are expert pastry chefs in residence, but none of their versions compares to this one. The airy meringue base (what better to honor a ballerina?) melts in your mouth, a fleeting, ethereal beauty in itself. Top it with a generous amount of whipped cream and fruit just before you serve it, to preserve it's delicate texture.

See the recipe for Pavlova »