recently i got to go on a winter wonderland adventure in yosemite. i had never been before, and to be honest was not even sure exactly where it was (even when i was there), but i will go back for sure.
the ahwahnee hotel in the valley of the park is full of history and is a beautiful and charming place to stay. every january they host various chefs from all over the country for a series of events called ‘chefs holidays’. somehow i was lucky enough to be one of these chefs this year. go hang in one of the most beautiful spots in the country and all the ‘work’ i have to do is a cooking demo (which i love doing anyway)? would have been tough to pass up.
my sous chef, dave, tagged along as usual which turned out to be a very good thing. i did not really do my homework before flying out there so the fact that we had to drive through a blizzard in the mountains and chains were required was a bit of a surprise. luckily we did not actually have to put the chains on but it was nice to have a dude around just in case.
the event began with a meet and greet with the chefs. a little wine, some tasty snacks, and we got to go up on a balcony and chat a bit about what we were going to be preparing. i felt very important. the mc for the series was sara moulton from gourmet magazine, a magazine that i and many others miss. other chefs for the event were brad farmerie from public in nyc and paul virant from vie just outside of chicago. i had met brad once before and have had the pleasure of eating (and drinking) at public and his second restaurant, double crown, a few times. but it was great to get to know him better and to learn more about his cooking style. we both talked about layers of flavor for most of our demos and how important it is to reach every part of the palate. and though his dry sense of humor may have gone unnoticed by some during his demo, dave and i were very entertained.
was also awesome that paul was at the event. we have done a couple of dinners together lately and it is always fun to hang with him and awesome to hear him talk about food. he has such a respect for supporting local and direct products and is happy to share sources and techniques. he mentioned that he just started working on a cook book focusing on his preserving and pickling methods which i am psyched to see.
in the spirit of local and sustainable, dave and i decided to start my demo with a snow cocktail. when we were out hiking by the waterfall we realized that we should celebrate the blizzard, and bring back memories of our snoopy snow cone machines, with a grown up twist. just make sure you use nice fresh snow that the animals have not used as an outhouse.
2 cups ruby red grapefruit juice
1/4 cup sugar
a couple slices of fresh ginger
8 leaves basil, torn
4 ounces makers mark
splash of cava or prosecco
bring juice, sugar, ginger and basil to a boil. turn off heat and let infuse until liquid reaches room temperature. put in the refrigerator until well chilled. strain the juice and mix in makers mark. pour over a glass of snow (or ice if nature is not agreeing) and top with a bit of bubbles. enjoy!
may have been a little early for some, but i think 10am is a great time for a cocktail.
i decided i wanted to chat a bit about condiments. and my love of them. i always say that there are a lot of foods that i eat just so i can have the condiments that go with them. baked potato so i get sour cream. bagel for cream cheese. and anything dippable for ranch. i must say the hotel had some really tasty fries and ranch dressing which i enjoyed after my demo.
i made a couple of sauces that can be served with all different meats and fishes. one is a salted caramel which is inspired by a classic vietnamese sauce. it is great over a grilled steak or drizzled on some sautéed scallops.
salted caramel
1 cup sherry vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1 dried thai chili
pinch of peppercorns
2 T heavy cream
1 t fish sauce
1/2 t soy sauce
1/2 t Dijon
salt to taste
bring vinegar, sugar, chili and peppers to a boil in a non-reactive pot. reduce by half or until syrupy. whisk in all of the other ingredients and let simmer for five more minutes. add in enough salt to bring out the flavors. strain and serve.
i also made one of my favorite nut butters, cilantro-pistachio. i started making a lot of nut butters over the past few months. nuts are full of protein and healthy fats, and mixed with some fresh herbs and a bit of miso and spice, and you have a great topping for burgers, chicken, fish… whatever you are in the mood for.
after brad’s amazing dinner we got to hang with chef percy and his crew and a bunch of other fun folks from the resort. for some reason the sharpie marker came out and the drawing began… i guess since i forgot my camera it is a nice way to remember all of the fun. but think i should stick to cooking.
thanks to kathy for inviting me out, and thank you to everyone who joined us at the event. hope to see you again next year!
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