YumSugar

Dark Dining with Tazo and Jardiniere

YumSugar — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 06:29:51 -0700

I recently attended a Dark Dining - which was actually a blindfolded dining - event at Jardiniere. It was put on by Tazo Tea as part of their Tazo Taste Infusion events. The events are being held in three cities - San Francisco, Seattle, and Denver - and encourage you to celebrate the artistry and craftsmanship that go into fine food. I'd recommend looking into it, as there are some interesting things going on. Luckily I was invited to their dark dining event, and am happy to report back. The tea was infused into each dish and drink, and the pairings were fantastic. I managed to take a bunch of pictures while blindfolded - I held my camera out and let it do the work. To see how the event went, click the "Start" button.

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Traci Des Jardins on Being a More Savvy Home Cook

partysugar — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 10:15:59 -0700

I had the chance to speak with one of San Francisco's most prominent female chefs, Traci Des Jardins. You may be familiar with her, thanks to an appearance on the Food Network's Next Iron Chef competition. Now Des Jardins is happy to be out of the spotlight, "I don't like being that recognizable," and back in the kitchen. Her elegant eatery, Jardiniere, recently launched a Monday night themed price-fixe dinner and she's working on a signature restaurant at Tahoe's NorthStar resort, which will be mountainesque with a casual feel (think wood tables), great service, and sophisticated food.

Des Jardins believes the key to restaurant success during a tough economy is to "control costs and be really financially savvy." We talked about how this concept can translate to the everyday kitchen. To find out what she had to say and check out her advice for being a better home cook, read more.

According to Des Jardins, being a clever cook is not about having the latest gadgets. It's about properly stocking your kitchen with the components to make a meal. Items she recommends having on hand are salt, olive oil, capers, anchovies, and tomato sauce. Here are her tips for being a more practical home chef:

Go to smaller farmers markets and speak with the farmers. You don't always have to purchase organic to get fruit and vegetables that are pesticide free.
Go to the farmers market when it's closing down. You'll see more deals that way. None of the farmers want to carry their produce home with them, so they may be willing to bargain or cut costs.
Select lesser cuts of meat and consume less meat. In general, vegetarian cooking is cheaper.
Cook your kids' favorite foods in batches and freeze them.
Skip the boxed macaroni and cheese and Stove Top stuffing and stock your pantry instead, with the fixings for burritos (tortillas, canned beans, rice) and pasta.
Fill your freezer with ingredients that can be used to make quick meals like frozen peas and fresh bread.
If you are going to splurge on one cooking item, make it olive oil. Since it's the foundation of so many dishes, purchase a high-quality oil that will enhance and enrich the overall flavor of the dish.

What do you think of Des Jardins's tips?

Source

You Ready For The Next Iron Chef?

YumSugar — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 07:58:38 -0700

Somewhere along the line, Food Network changed its programming from cooking to reality tv. If you don't believe me, then just check out the new ~~publicity stunt~~ show that's premiering on October 7th. The show is called "The Next Iron Chef" and they're looking for, well, the next Iron Chef - as in someone to join Flay, Batali, Cora and Morimoto. However unlike the Next Food Network Star, the contestants actually represent some of the nations hottest culinary talents. Bob Tuschman (Food Network's Senior VP of Programming and Production) says:

"In our quest, we are looking for an individual to complement the current group and bring a unique blend of innovation, creativity and passion to the show."

The show will be hosted by Alton Brown (who I hope will be less pissy than he was on NFNS), and will be judged by Michael Ruhlman (James Beard Foundation Award-winning author, cookbook author and food writer), Andrew Knowlton (Restaurant Editor of Bon Appetit magazine) and Donatella Arpaia (restaurateur and owner of acclaimed New York City restaurants davidburke&donatella and Anthos).

To see who the eight competitors are, read more

John Besh (New Orleans, LA) Executive Chef, Restaurant August, Besh Steak, Luke and La Provence
Chris Cosentino (San Francisco, CA) Executive Chef, Incanto
Jill Davie (Santa Monica, CA) Executive Chef, JOSIE
Traci Des Jardins (San Francisco, CA) Executive Chef & Co-Owner, Jardiniere, Mijita and Acme Chophouse
Gavin Kaysen (San Diego, CA) Chef de Cuisine, El Bizcocho at the Rancho Bernardo Inn
Morou Ouattara (Washington, DC) Executive Chef & Owner, Farrah Olivia
Aaron Sanchez (New York, NY) Executive Chef & Owner, Centrico and Paladar
Michael Symon (Cleveland, OH) Executive Chef & Owner, Lola and Lolita

I don't know about you guys, but this is one reality cooking show that I'm actually interested in.

Source: PR Newswire