SF Chefs

"Don't judge a book by its cover," or so the old adage goes. After a recent revelation, I'm convinced the same should apply to vino: don't judge a wine by its stereotype.

I learned this thanks in part to a recent blind wine tasting organized by SF Chefs and hosted by Wine Spectator's Gwendolyn Osborn. The panel included some of the country's most esteemed wine experts: wine importer and Master Sommelier Jesse Becker, Master Sommelier and CIA wine instructor Christie Dufault, and A16 wine manager Nico Sciackitano.

I've always said I prefer white over red and Old World wine over New World varieties, but that notion was flipped on its head when I blind-tasted the 2006 Clarendon Hills Grenache ($36). From the minute this brick-red wine stained my wine glass, I had an affinity for it, despite not knowing what it was. I was drawn in by the layers of cherry vanilla, spice, and stewed fruit on the nose, then left mystified by a eucalyptus, cinnamon-like flavor on the palate. And despite the moderate amount of tannin in the wine, it lingered with a silky, acid-forward finish. "It reminds me of Big Red gum," one sommelier declared. He was spot on.

I was convinced the wine was an older Napa Zinfandel, and so were all the sommeliers, so we were shocked to discover this wine was from South Australia. It was just proof that wines never cease to surprise. What was the last wine to shock you?

Photo: Nicole Perry

There are a countless number of corn preparation ideas at the peak of the vegetable's season, but one of my preferred ways to eat the warm-weather vegetable standout is by giving its kernels a quick sauté with herbs and spices. Recently, I learned a new way of serving my favorite dish.

At this year's SF Chefs, chefs Laurence Jossel and Gonzalo Guzman of Nopalito offered charred corn with cotija in a minispoon of actual corn husk, tying the edges with another thin strip of husk. The result? An attractive, eco-friendly, fun way to eat corn that's not on the cob. Have you ever tried something similar?

Over the weekend at SF Chefs, I watched Italian stallion Cesare Casella (who flew in from New York for the occasion) demonstrate how to make the perfect pasta pomodoro. A native of Tuscany, Casella started by sautéing red onions and guanciale in a large pot. It seemed like there was nothing too special about his technique for cooking the classic Italian sauce, until he dumped the uncooked spaghetti into the bubbling tomato mixture!

In order for the pasta to really soak up the flavor of the tomatoes and aromatics, he recommends cooking it not in a pot of boiling water, but in the sauce itself. Thin the sauce with water and stir the pasta every now and then (like you would risotto) to ensure that it doesn't stick to the pan. Cook time for the spaghetti will take longer (about 15 minutes), but it's worth the effort. I tasted the finished pomodoro and it was amazing! Have you ever made pasta in the sauce rather than in boiling water?

Source: Flickr User citymama

The third annual SF Chefs, San Francisco's very own food festival, is taking place this weekend. We caught up with the mastermind behind SF Chefs, Andrew Freeman. Here's what the public relations authority did yesterday, Thursday, Aug. 4.

6:30 a.m.: I woke up and I have two little Yorkie princesses, Daisy and Tulep, so I had to take them out. We went for our morning walk and got our heads together about what was coming in the day ahead. I went back home and got them ready to be shipped to the dog sitter for the weekend.

9 a.m.: I got to the office and started making conference calls. I checked in with festival clients and was making sure everyone's ready for the big day.

10 a.m.: There was a walk through at the tents in Union Square. The key players were there: Dominic Phillips, the GGRA [Golden Gate Restaurant Association], all my team. Everyone has been absolutely incredible to work with! We walked around and went through where the ribbon cutting ceremony was happening. Basically where everything that is going to be going on for the weekend, we went over.

11:30 a.m.: I raced back to the office to do a conference call with Martin Yan and his team about the opening of his restaurant in early 2012.

Keep reading for the rest of Andrew's exciting day.

San Francisco food festival SF Chefs is in full effect! Yesterday I attended an interesting panel discussion in which many of the Bay Area's most successful restaurateurs talked about what it's like to open an eatery. It was fascinating to learn the things that a restaurateur has to consider. It's not just about finding the right chef; everything from the location to the lease of the building matters. If you've dreamed of opening a restaurant, read on to see what you should think about before you make the investment.

This country sees scores of large-scale culinary events and food festivals each week, and from Taste of the Nation to Slow Food Nation, Party and I are always there. But while a culinary extravaganza merely requires several hours of our time, it takes months or sometimes years to bring all the elements of a production together.

During SF Chefs. Food. Wine., I walked the tents with Dominic Phillips, the namesake of Dominic Phillips Event Marketing and the brainchild producer behind the soirée, to get an idea of all the unseen work that goes into such a large event. Get his surprising strategies for a successful big bash after the jump