Chapter 1--The French Connection
One cannot write about chefs and food without writing about French cooking and France. The country's traditions of first learning the basics of classical techniques, then evolving them to include neighboring countries, help make French cuisine unique...
My love affair with French food began long before Julia Child introduced me to cooking la cuisine bourgeoisie-high quality country home cooking. After a job assignment in Switzerland, I spent a sublime September in Paris with my old friend, Catherine. Since we were poor students, we lived on the Rive Gauche (now the fashionable Left Bank) with other impoverished souls.
Each day, we would wander from shop to shop, picking the crustiest bread, freshest cheeses and ripest fruit. To this day, I still shop like the French. With my market basket in hand, I head to small shops and open markets in Montecito and Santa Barbara, sometimes running into my heroine, Julia...
French Cooking With a Light Approach--Herve Laurent
Several years ago, while Brenda was living in London, we decided to try French cooking with a British accent. We attended an all-day cooking class at the creme de la creme of all cooking schools, Le Cordon Bleu. To our delight, the London branch conducts its classes in English.
Intoxicating aromas of garlic and leeks, sounds of slapping salmon and the sight of shiny blue mussels surrounded us. Chef Herve Laurent presided over fourteen students and what seemed like more than fourteen pots and pans to create culinary magic. In his vintage French style, he lectured, "Method and excellence are paramount," but he simultaneously stressed flexibility. "Learn the classic way, then improvise," was the way he put it. The chef's humor was half the fun of learning classical French cooking. We watched him perform delicate surgery on the cap of a mushroom with a small paring knife, and then plunge broccoli flowers into hot, then ice cold water to achieve a brilliant green crunch. He showed us a technique for whisking with the wrist and then repeated the mushroom-mussel rule: "Don't wash mushrooms and don't soak mussels."
Of course Chef Herve managed to do four things at the same time with ease and assistance from his sous chef of the day, Binny Huffman. Classical recipes were adapted to modern cooking methods including the microwave oven...
Recipes included in France: Salmon Almond Crust & Pistou Sauce, Tourte Provencale with Candied Lime Zest, Marinated Vegetables & Cream Cheese Terrine & Mixed Salad with Fresh Herbs, Crepe Suzette with Pumpkin & Orange Flavor, Coq Au Vin with "Grandmother's Garnish," Milk Soup of Brenton, Eggs a la Brest, and Chestnut Soup.
Chapter 10-California Cutting Edge Cuisine
Santa Barbara, the American Riviera with Tangerine Sunsets
It hardly seems fair that some places are so richly blessed with natural resources! Its sun-kissed hillsides, green grasses along fields and orchards, and Pacific Ocean breezes, all make Santa Barbara County unique in California. Orchids and avocados grow best in its fertile fields, while grapes find perfect ripening in the County's warm sun and cool valleys.
Well known chefs have come to the Santa Barbara area for its vibrant culinary and cultural delights. Some live in the small friendly city of Santa Barbara, but many have chosen quaint nearby villages that feature food from slower times. The local farmer's market is well known and offers fresh produce to over 300 restaurants, both within and outside of the county.
Numerous celebrities have homes in Santa Barbara. Recently, I chatted with Julia Child, while we were both shopping at the farmer's market.
The Santa Barbara area is becoming known for more than just food. This year, the New York Times favorably compared wines from the nearby Santa Ynez Valley to their more famous northern counterparts from Napa and Sonoma.
No wonder Santa Barbara is fondly referred to as the American Riviera. Several years ago, I joined Maralyn and her daughter, Lindsay and granddaughter, Alecia, there for a weekend stay. But now, for me, it's home.
Recently, Pete and I sipped Pisco Sours at an al fresco patio party in Santa Barbara. Since it was a chilly night. Sue Kasmar, a specialist in the art of travel, treated us to a tantalizing warm up called Pisco Sours. The tasty mixture of sweet tangerine and tart lime is a perfect cocktail for your next sunset soiree...
Recipes included in California: Pisco Sours, Stacky's Chili, Salsa Cruda, Chicken with Figs & Madeira Wine Sauce, Insalata Caprese, Orecchiette Con Scampi Pasta, Swordfish with Tomato Basil, Chilean Sea Bass, Mandarin & Blackberry Parfait with Chocolate Crunch, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Secret Ingredient Barbecued Baby Back Ribs and Melon Smoothies.
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