Michael Mina at Kapalua Wine & Food Festival

I am just back from the 34th annual  Kapalua Wine & Food Festival  which is the longest running food and wine festival of its kind not just in Maui, but in the country.   It started out as a wine only event but morphed over the years. Today food is a big part of it with celebrity chefs, classes and tasting events. I got a chance to attend a lunch cooking demo class with Chef and restaurateur Michael Mina and was pleased to see RN74 Executive Chef Adam Sobel acting as right hand man.  Michael Mina and Adam Sobel  Here are some learnings from the event-- - Mina said the biggest mistake home cooks make is not tasting or not knowing what you’re tasting for. Following a recipe is not enough, you must taste. Ingredients are not consistent, they are different all the time and you need to adjust your recipes.  - The four elements he considers most important? Acidity, spice, sweetness and richness, but not all dishes have all f......

Continue reading

Cauliflower with Chorizo, Tomatoes and Tahini Sauce Recipe

I love how sometimes seemingly random ingredients come together. This dish of roasted cauliflower and chorizo with fresh tomatoes and greens and tahini sauce was created based on what I had on hand. But it was really tasty and something I would make again. A lot of times when I interview chefs and cookbook authors, I ask how they come up with recipes. I have to admit, I don't usually get very satisfying answers. But recently I met cookbook author Anna Jones . Her book, A Modern Way to Eat has a really cool graphic to explain how she puts together dishes. It goes something like this: Hero Ingredient + How Shall I Cook it? + Supporting Role? + Add an Accent + Add a Flavor + Add an Herb + Add some Crunch + Season and Finish Her formula has a lot of components and is designed to add layers of flavor and texture to a dish. Do you have a formula that you use or can you deconstruct a dish according to elements? It's a fun exercise and can lead to some interesting......

Continue reading

Unforgettable: Bold Flavors from a Renegade Life

I'm a big fan of Paula Wolfert . She has an amazing talent for a kind of culinary cultural anthropology, exploring various cuisines, digging in deep, learning and documenting recipes like nobody's business. I have relished my time with her, especially at her home in Sonoma and subsequently in a class. I love hearing her stories, getting her career advice, not to mention having her cook for me. So I couldn't be more excited to learn of the plan to document her extraordinary life, along with some of her most important recipes. Leading the charge is former Food & Wine editor and cookbook author, Emily Thelin . The top team also includes photographer Eric Wolfinger and my friend, Andrea Nguyen who is acting as project manager. I was planning to run this interview with Andrea in hopes of encouraging you to support the project and help it to meet its goal. Fortunately the initial goal has been reached. Now it's time to s-t-r-e-t-c-h and make this project even more......

Continue reading

Interview with Hugh Acheson

Chef Hugh Acheson | Photo by Andrew Thomas Lee Chef Hugh Acheson released his third book,  The Broad Fork: Recipes for the Wide World of Vegetables and Fruits , last month, which I reviewed in a round up of Southern cookbooks  recently. It's an exciting cookbook with truly creative combination of ingredients and a focus on using vegetables you might just find at a farmers market or in a CSA box. We got a chance to meet and talk while he was in San Francisco just last week.  Where have you been eating in the Bay Area? Any standouts? Octavia , La Taqueria , Deli Board . For coffee-- Sightglass , Blue Bottle and Coffee Cultures. Up in Healdsburg-- Healdsburg Shed, Scopa , Dry Creek Kitchen . Hana  for sushi in Rohnert Park was phenomenal. I'm looking forward to checking out Souvla today.  What kinds of restaurants appeal to you the most?  I’m always looking for current and contemporary and "ethnic" food. When I travel it’s usually long day......

Continue reading