Edible Santa Barbara Winter 2012

edible

Santa Barbara

Celebrating the Local Food and Wine Culture of Santa Barbara County

COOKS ISSUE

SATURDAYS

Downtown Santa Barbara

Corner of Santa Barbara & Cota Street

8:30am – 1:00pm

SUNDAYS

Camino Real Marketplace

In Goleta at Storke & Hollister

10:00am – 2:00pm

TUESDAYS

Old Town Santa Barbara

500 & 600 Blocks of State Street 3:00pm – 6:30pm

WEDNESDAYS

Solvang Village

Copenhagen Drive & 1st Street 2:30pm – 6:00pm

THURSDAYS

Camino Real Marketplace In Goleta at Storke & Hollister

3:00pm – 6:00pm Carpinteria

800 Block of Linden Avenue 3:00pm – 6:00pm

FRIDAYS

Montecito

100 & 1200 Block of Coast Village Road 8:00am – 11:15am

facebook.com/SBFarmersMarket

Alfredo Puente Market Manager

“The

Original Essential Oil Towelette” Pure Fresh Fabulous

Locally Owned and Operated Since 1997

All natural towelette in lavender, lemon, orange, peppermint, eucalyptus. Cleanse hands and kill germs. Toss them in your purse, backpack, briefcase, car, wallet, or gym bag to enjoy their germkilling, mood-lifting, fabulousness everywhere you go!

Order Online at: www.herbanessentials.com

Find us at: Drishti • Montecito Yoga • Prana • Sage Center for Health

• San Ysidro Pharmacy • Skin Dance • Skin Deep

• Santa Barbara Yoga Center • Whole Foods Santa Barbara

Enjoy Award Winning Service & Cuisine with Casual Elegance

Peppermint oil is invigorating and energizing. Some of the many uses for our peppermint towelettes: inhale aroma to clear the mind and combat mental fatigue; rub on upset tummies to dispel nausea; press on pulse points and breathe in aroma to relieve motion sickness; and tuck in car air conditioner vents to clean air and pep up the driver.

From the grill, from the sea, from the garden join us for Northern and Southern regional Italian cuisine using local ingredients in our family’s trattoria.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT D

It may not seem very revolutionary that a food magazine is devoting an issue to cooks and especially to cooking. We feature recipes and profiles of cooks on a regular basis in the pages of our magazine, and we will continue to do so. But this winter we wanted to call extra attention to the people who cook and to celebrate the act, the wonderful art of cooking.

I suppose this is partly because I love to cook. And I love to read about chefs and home cooks—what drives them and what inspires them. It is also because cooking just might be the most important part of the local food movement.

When I interviewed Michael Pollan for our Winter 2010 issue, he said “The more I work on these issues having to do with our whole food system, the more I realize that our problem is a cooking problem.” He went on to say that encouraging local agriculture and tackling the problems of obesity and chronic diseases are both linked to getting people back to the kitchen and back to cooking.

Think about it: We could have organic farms all over Santa Barbara County, and we could have farm stands and beautiful local produce readily available to every man, woman and child. But it wouldn’t be very sustainable if people didn’t buy it and cook with it. And as long as people are buying highly processed foods—everything from fast food to TV dinners—we are going to continue to see the chronic health problems rising.

According to the Santa Barbara County Health Department, over a third of our local fifth, seventh and ninth graders in 2010 were overweight or obese. Nearly two‐thirds of local children ate fast food one or more times per week, and 83.5% of teens ate fast food at least once per week. I’d like to see those fastfood meals replaced with home-cooked meals like hearty minestrone and roast chicken, which can be made inexpensively, quickly and by cooks at any level of experience. We have recipes for those dishes and quite a few more in this issue.

We often say “vote with your fork”; perhaps our message this issue is “vote with your whisk, your spatula, your cast-iron skillet.” Let’s celebrate the chefs in our community who start with the raw ingredients and turn them into something that brings us pleasure and good health. And let’s celebrate our friends and family members who cook—the seasoned accomplished ones and the ones who are just learning.

Let’s make cooking and learning to cook from scratch a priority—something we share with our family and friends. Teach a child to cook or teach a friend to cook. The next meal that comes out of your kitchen is the next step toward changing the world.

Krista Harris, Editor

Stay Connected

Read more and subscribe to our email newsletter at EdibleSantaBarbara.com We love to hear from our readers. Please email us at info@ediblesantabarbara.com

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Edible Communities

PUBLISHERS

Steven Brown & Krista Harris

EDITOR

Krista Harris

RECIPE EDITOR

Nancy Oster

COPY EDITOR

Doug Adrianson

DESIGNER

Steven Brown

PHOTO STYLIST

Andrea Loeffler

WEB DESIGN

Mary Ogle

Contributors

Pascale Beale

Joan S. Bolton

Fran Collin

Erin Feinblatt

Tenley Fohl

Helena Hill

Jill Johnson

Jennifer LeMay

Nancy Oster

Alan Rockefeller

John Salvador

Marne Setton

Carole Topalian

Contact Us info@ediblesantabarbara.com

Advertising Inquiries ads@ediblesantabarbara.com

Edible Santa Barbara® is published quarterly and distributed throughout Santa Barbara County. Subscription rate is $28 annually. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be used without written permission from the publisher. Publisher expressly disclaims all liability for any occurrence which may arise as a consequence of the use of any information or recipes. Every effort is made to avoid errors, misspellings and omissions. If, however, an error comes to your attention please accept our sincere apologies and notify us. Thank you.

© 2012 edible Santa Barbara

photo

Tom Allen

Notables edible

Do It Yourself

Valley Brewers Homebrew and Winemaking Supply Ever thought about brewing your own beer? Making your own wine? How about making cheese? Everything you need to get started can now be found locally. Valley Brewers, located in Solvang, is perfect for DIY types. Get your supplies or get your questions answered. It’s all here—beer kits, brewing ingredients, bottling equipment, wine kits, books, hops and cheese cultures. Owners Chris Kelly and Sandy Harrison are on hand to answer questions and give advice, and they often have demonstrations of making wine, beer and cheese. In addition, homebrew meetings are held the second Friday of every month.

Valley Brewers: 515 Fourth Pl., Solvang; 805 325-6320; ValleyBrewers.com and check their Facebook page at ValleyBrewersSYV for events.

Premium Shoes for Creative Culinary Professionals

Mozo Shoes by Deckers

These high-performance shoes are not just endorsed by professional chefs, but in some cases designed by the likes of Marcus Samuelsson, chef/owner of Red Rooster in Harlem; Aarón Sánchez, chef/owner of Centrico, co-star of “Heat Seekers” and “Chopped”; Cat Cora, “Iron Chef America”; and Chris Cosentino, chef/owner of Incanto in San Francisco. The shoes are made for long hours of standing and the demands of a busy kitchen—with extremely slip resistant soles and protection in the toe cap. The designs for both men and women range from classic to irreverent and humorous (bacon and egg shoes, anyone?) to downright edgy and hip—Aarón Sánchez’s Red Skull design. We think they are also perfect for the home kitchen or around town.

The Mozo line of shoes is a brand within Deckers Outdoor Corporation, headquartered in Goleta, and they are available through distributors nationwide and online. MozoShoes.com

Multi-Purpose Cooking Tool

WhackerSpoon

When you need to whack something in the kitchen this ergonomically designed and well-balanced tool will do it with ease. It’s great for pounding meat to an even thickness for cutlets or giving a quick blow to a clove of garlic to release it from its skin, and yet it can also be used as a spoon. Designed by Santa Barbara resident Bob Evans, the tool is hand-cast using foodgrade aluminum and beautifully burnished. A collectable for your kitchen.

For more information and to order online, visit WhackerSpoon.com

BBQ Bootcamp

At the Alisal Guest Ranch and Resort

Aspiring grill masters and barbecue aficionados can immerse themselves in the food, the lore and the technique of our local Santa Maria-style barbecue at this workshop and retreat at Alisal Guest Ranch. And who better to learn from than Alisal’s executive chef Pascal Godé and the legendary grill master and Hitching Post II owner, Frank Ostini? With hands-on opportunities and demonstrations these two will cover everything from how to start a fire to the artistry of spice blending. The four days and three nights include winemaker and brew master dinners, a morning horseback ride to their historic old adobe for a campfire breakfast, and best of all you leave with the knowledge and recipe book to take your grilling skills to new heights.

The next BBQ Bootcamp will be March 21–24, 2013. For more information contact Alisal Guest Ranch at 805 688-6411. Alisal.com

vertical TASTING

Ocean Ranch Organics Multi-Grain Granolas

The Urban Dictionary defines granola as an adjective used to describe people who are environmentally and socially aware, i.e. tree-hugger, and with an organic and natural emphasis on what they eat and consume. Well, our granola friends are completely enamored with Ocean Ranch Organics, which has an innovative line of granolas created by caterer Kim Redman in Carpinteria. Kim came up with a perfect combination of flavor and healthy ingredients in order to satisfy some of her athlete clients. She uses organic and natural ingredients, and the granola is made in small batches. Each unique flavor will have its fans and followers.

Meyer Lemon Blue

This is the addiction-forming gateway flavor. Meyer lemons are not often found in granola, let alone any other type of cereal. But this sweeter variety of lemon is a perfect match with the blueberries. The quinoa, flaxseed and hemp give it added nutrition. It’s granola that you want to wake up with every morning. Try it with homemade yogurt or simply in a bowl with some organic milk.

Cooking with Preserves

Hilltop Canyon Farms and Mama’s Preserves

Here are some locally made preserves that you are going to want to cook with this winter. Duo Catering creates delicious Moroccan-inspired preserved lemons in salt for Hilltop Canyon Farm. You can use them anywhere you’d use lemon zest or lemon juice. You rinse the lemons before using and scrape out the pulp. The peel can be sliced into thin strips or finely diced. But use sparingly—a little goes a long way. It’s the perfect ingredient for couscous, tagine chicken or stews. It also adds a bright and exotic note to salad dressings, sauces and sautéed vegetables.

We are huge fans of Mama’s Preserves and are now fairly well obsessed with their Jalapeño Guava Jam. It has just the right level of spice balanced with the slightly tart sweet flavor of the guava. It’s delicious served with roast lamb or simply spread on sandwiches. You can also use it in baking as a jam filling for cookies with a slight kick.

Hilltop Canyon Farm and Mama’s Preserves can be found at our local farmers markets. Mama’s Preserves can also be ordered at MamasPreserves.com

Honey Sesame

The combination of honey and sesame seeds has been a healthy culinary pairing since ancient times. This is their original variety, and you can’t go wrong pairing this with fruit for a daily breakfast. The sweetness of the honey is balanced with a little sea salt. Try eating it alone straight out of the bag to appreciate its complex flavor.

Oaxacan Chocolate

Chocolate lovers, rejoice! We can now get our daily fix in a delicious and nutritious medium. This granola is also packed with pumpkin seeds, peanuts and spices. The little bit of dark chocolate makes it perfect. Mornings couldn’t get much better than if you paired this with a cup of hot chocolate. And this could definitely be your secret ingredient in granola cookies.

Cranberry Orange

Dried sweet-tart cranberries along with orange and toasted almonds make this flavor another one of our favorites. It is handy to keep a bag of it by your desk or in your backpack for a healthy, quick snack—whether you’re updating your website or hiking the trails this winter. We also like it used in a dessert parfait—layers of frozen yogurt with fresh fruit and granola sprinkled on top. We have run out of room, but we must point out that Ocean Ranch Organics also makes a delicious Pomegranate flavor. You can find Ocean Ranch Organics at many natural foods stores throughout Santa Barbara County, and more information can be found at OceanRanchOrganics.com

in Season

Apples

(harvested July–Oct)

Artichokes

Arugula

Avocados

Bay leaf

Beans, dried

Beets

Bok choy

Broccoli

Brussels sprouts

Cabbage

Carrots

Cauliflower

Celery

Chard

Cherimoya

Chiles (various)

Cilantro

Dandelion

Dill

Fennel

Grapefruit

Kale

Kiwi

Leeks

Lemons

Lettuce

Limes

Mustard greens

Onions, green bunching

Oranges, blood Oranges, navel

Oranges, Valencia

Parsley

Peas, snap Radishes

Rosemary

Sage

Spinach

Sprouts and legumes

Squash, summer

Strawberries

Tangerines/Mandarins

Tomatoes, hothouse Turnips

Available Year-Round

Almonds (harvested Aug/Sept)

Dates (harvested Sept/Oct)

Garlic (harvested May/June)

Onions, bulb (harvested May/June)

Pistachios (harvested Sept/Oct)

Potatoes (harvested May/June)

Raisins (harvested Sept/Oct)

Squash, winter (harvested July/Oct)

Walnuts (harvested Sept/Oct)

Yams/Sweet Potatoes (harvested Aug/Sept)

Fresh Flowers

Potted Plants/Herbs

Regional Dairy (raw milk, artisanal goat- and cow-milk cheeses, butters, curds, yogurts and spreads)

Local Honey

Locally Produced Breads, Pies and Preserves (bread produced from wheat grown locally; pies and preserves)

Local Meat

(antibiotic-free chicken, rabbit, goat, grass-fed/hormone-free beef and pork)

Local Seafood

Many types of local seafood are available year-round, but here is a list of some that will be in season this winter: anchovy, black cod, California halibut, California spiny lobster, prawns, rock crab, rockfish, sardine, squid, urchin

Recipes seasonal Back to Basics Cooking

2

for 1

Make one meal that can easily turn into two. Here are a couple of tried-and-true basic recipes that pay it forward, along with some classic side dishes that everyone should be making more often.

Winter Minestrone

This is a hearty winter version of our favorite Italian vegetable soup that will provide you with enough leftovers to make Ribollita soup the next day. Feel free to make substitutions based on what you find at the market. The table at right will give you some possible suggestions. This soup can easily be made vegetarian or vegan, simply leave out the sausage and the optional topping of Parmesan cheese.

Makes 4 servings, plus leftovers

1 cup dried white beans

Olive oil

A couple 3-ounce sausages, sliced, optional

1 medium onion, chopped

3 medium-sized carrots, chopped

2 stalks of celery, chopped

1 garlic clove, chopped

4–5 small to medium red or yellow potatoes, peeled and chopped into small cubes

1 bunch kale, stems removed, leaves thinly sliced

6 cups of water or vegetable stock

1 teaspoon Herbes de Provence

1 tablespoon coarse sea salt or kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Some grated Parmesan cheese, optional

Crusty French or Italian bread, for serving

Rinse the beans in cold water. Put them in a large pot and cover with water. Bring just to a boil and then remove from heat. Cover and let sit for one hour.

Drain and discard cooking water. Return them to the pot, add water to cover and simmer for 1 hour or until tender. Drain and set aside.

In a large soup pot sauté the sausage over medium heat until lightly browned. Add a few tablespoons of olive oil to the pot and sauté the shallots, carrots, celery and garlic over medium heat for 5–8 minutes or until tender and translucent.

Add the potatoes along with the kale, the water or broth and the reserved beans, herbs, salt and pepper. Stir to mix everything evenly.

Cover and bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and cook for 35–45 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Taste and add additional salt and pepper if needed. Serve topped with the Parmesan cheese and a drizzle of olive oil along with some good, crusty French or Italian bread.

The next night, you can turn minestrone into an even heartier soup, almost a stew—called Ribollita, which means reboiled in Italian. The bread will be very soft and essentially thicken the soup.

Makes 4 servings

Leftover soup

Leftover bread

Some grated Parmesan cheese, optional Olive oil

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

The next night add several slices of diced day-old bread to the soup and bring the soup to a boil in a large soup pot. It will be very thick. Serve with a generous drizzle of olive oil on top of each serving and some additional grated Parmesan cheese and freshly ground pepper.

Ribollita

purple carrots

onions leeks shallots

carrots parsnips

potatoes turnips celery root

kale beet greens chard

Recipes seasonal

Back to Basics Cooking

Roast Chicken

This is a high-heat method of roasting a chicken that cooks the bird quickly but keeps it surprisingly moist and delicious. Don’t take it out of the oven too early based on the dark color of the skin; test with an instant-read thermometer. And don’t forget to save the leftover meat and bones for the next day’s Chicken Noodle Soup on page 20.

Makes 2–4 servings, plus leftovers

1 whole farm-raised chicken (3–4 pounds), wing tips removed

Salt

Pepper

Butter

Sprig of fresh rosemary

1 lemon, cut in half

Rub chicken with salt and let it come to room temperature. Preheat oven to 500°.

Place in a roasting pan and add a few pats of butter on top and stuff the cavity with the rosemary and lemon halves. If you like, you can tie the legs together or truss with some string. Add a little more salt and pepper on top so it is amply coated.

Put in the oven breast up and legs first. Roast for approximately 50 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165° and the juices run clear. Take out of the oven, place the chicken on a carving board and let it rest for 10–15 minutes. Carve the chicken and place all pieces on a serving platter. Drizzle with any pan juices and serve. Save any leftover pieces and the carcass for the Chicken Noodle Soup recipe on page 20.

MENU SUGGESTIONS

WITH ROAST CHICKEN

SUPER EASY:

Roast some potatoes, root vegetables and Brussels sprouts along with the chicken and you have an easy one-dish meal.

WHEN YOU HAVE A LITTLE MORE TIME:

Start with a green salad for a first course and then serve the chicken with Classic Mashed Potatoes and Roasted Brussels Sprouts (recipes on pages 18–19). Homemade or locally made bread or biscuits would add the perfect touch.

FOR DESSERT

SUPER EASY:

For a simple dessert, slice an apple or a ripe pear and serve with a little cheese and a drizzle of honey.

WHEN YOU HAVE A LITTLE MORE TIME:

You can’t go wrong with an Apple Crisp for dessert (see recipe on page 19).

And it’s even better served with a little vanilla ice cream, homemade or locally made.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Inspired by a dish from the wonderful restaurant BO Beau’s in San Diego, our take on this dish calls for roasting the Brussels sprouts, so it’s easy to make next to a roast chicken.

Makes 2–4 servings

1 pound Brussels sprouts, trimmed and cut in half

Olive oil

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1 ⁄4 pound pancetta, diced

1 ⁄ 2 cup balsamic vinegar

1 ⁄ 2 cup port wine

Parmesan cheese, in thin shavings to garnish

Place a shallow roasting pan or rimmed baking sheet in the oven and preheat the oven to 500°.

Toss the Brussels sprouts in a large bowl with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Make sure all the pieces are coated with the olive oil and the seasonings are evenly distributed.

When the oven is up to temperature, carefully add the Brussels sprouts to the hot pan, spreading them out into one layer. Roast for about 15 minutes and then stir the mixture and continue roasting another 15–20 minutes or until they are browned and a bit crispy. While they are cooking, sauté the pancetta in a skillet until crispy and browned; remove and drain on a paper towel. Heat the balsamic vinegar and the port wine in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook until reduced to a thick syrup, approximately 15 minutes.

When the Brussels sprouts come out of the oven, place on a platter and sprinkle with the pancetta and the Parmesan cheese and then drizzle with the balsamic syrup.

AlAmo PintAdo RoAd, SolvAng

Classic Mashed Potatoes

Simple, perfect mashed potatoes. You can make them 20–30 minutes ahead of time and keep them warm in a dish set over a pot of hot water.

Makes 4 servings

1 to 11 ⁄ 2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and quartered

Butter or olive oil

Whole milk

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Place the potatoes in a large pot, cover with water, add salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes or until the potatoes are very tender. Drain and place into a large bowl with a couple tablespoons of butter and/or olive oil and a generous splash of whole milk. Mash with a hand potato masher until smooth, adding a little more milk if needed. Alternately, for very smooth mashed potatoes, put the potato pieces into a ricer and press into the bowl, then add the milk and butter and stir until well combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Apple Crisp

You can also easily substitute pears for the apples.

Makes 6–8 servings

6–8 apples, such as Pink Lady or any flavorful variety, about 2 pounds, peeled and sliced into bite-size pieces

1 small orange or tangerine, optional

1 cup unbleached or white whole-wheat flour

1 ⁄ 2 cup natural, organic granulated sugar

1 ⁄ 2 cup rolled oats or polenta

3 ⁄4 cup walnuts or almonds, finely chopped

1 ⁄4 teaspoon of cinnamon

1 ⁄4 teaspoon sea salt

1 stick butter, cold, cut in small pieces

Preheat oven to 400°. Place the apple pieces in a lightly buttered baking dish, approximately 9 by 12 inches. Add the zest of the orange or tangerine to the apples and a squeeze of the juice, if desired. Combine the flour, sugar, oats or polenta, nuts, cinnamon and salt and butter in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until just crumbly. Alternately, combine the dry ingredients in a bowl and use a knife or pastry cutter to incorporate the butter until it resembles coarse meal.

Spread the mixture evenly over the apples and top with an additional sprinkling of cinnamon. Bake for 30–40 minutes, or until the topping is browned and bubbling. The apples should be tender when pierced with a small sharp knife. Serve warm with homemade or locally made vanilla ice cream or gelato.

S ustainable, P ersonable , and with a L ong H eritage We are also open to the public 10am–4pm everyday. Come visit and meet us.

Eric Mohseni, Winemaker (left) and Ruben Camacho, Vineyard Foreman

Chicken Noodle Soup

This classic soup is not just for comforting the sick. When you keep a couple quarts of it in your freezer, it will be your quick go-to supper all winter. Serve with some toasted bread. And if you are serving it to those who are sick, a little chopped fresh garlic added at the end will have them feeling better in no time.

Makes 4 servings

FOR STOCK

1 leftover chicken carcass, broken up into a couple pieces

1 onion, quartered, or leeks

1–2 cloves of garlic, quartered

1 carrot, cut into several pieces

1 celery stalk, cut into several pieces

A couple sprigs of fresh parsley and/or thyme and/or a bay leaf

Some peppercorns or ground pepper

FOR SOUP

1 tablespoon butter

1 shallot or small onion, finely chopped

2 celery stalks, finely chopped

2 carrots, sliced

A couple sprigs of fresh thyme, stems removed

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Chicken stock

4–6 ounces wide egg noodles

Reserved leftover chicken meat, removed from the bones

Chicken Noodle Soup (continued)

Handful of parsley, chopped 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped, optional

TO MAKE THE STOCK

In a large stockpot add the chicken carcass and the rest of the broth ingredients and cover with water (approximately 2 quarts).

Cook on high until you begin to see bubbles, and then lower heat and gently simmer for 1–2 hours, or longer if you have time. Remove the large pieces of bone and discard, then strain through a fine-mesh strainer over a large container. At this point you can use it to make the soup or store in the refrigerator for a few days or in the freezer for a few months.

TO MAKE THE SOUP

In a large Dutch oven or soup pot, melt the butter and sauté the onion, celery, carrot and thyme leaves until the onions are just barely translucent. Season with salt and pepper.

Add stock and bring to a simmer and cook until vegetables are soft. Add the egg noodles and chicken and cook another 5–10 minutes or until noodles are tender.

Add the parsley, test for seasoning and then serve with a little chopped fresh garlic if desired. Or you can cool it and store in single-serving-size containers in your freezer.

Happy Mollusk Day.

Ken Jacobsen, Michelle Martinich, Jeff DeVine, and Laurie Leighty

Salcido

Chuck Place Photography©

edible Books

The Passionate Vegetable

by Suzanne Landry

Ilove the hearty and sweet flavors of fall and winter vegetables. Our yearly tradition is a trek to a local farm to select a variety of winter squash—from Hubbard to pumpkin and Hokkaido to Acorn and everything in between, including some gourds. With our mild winters here in California, my squash last months.

Wild squash developed in Central America and has been consumed for over 10,000 years. Winter squash is a relative of both the melon and the cucumber.

Deep colors are your first and best clue to nutrient-rich vegetables. Most yellow and orange vegetables, including

Recipe

Acorn Squash Stuffed with Rice Pilaf

This will stuff three squash, or two with leftover rice to serve as a side dish for another meal.

Makes 4 servings

1 ⁄4 cup wild rice

2 cups water

3 ⁄4 cup brown rice

11 ⁄ 2 cups water

1 ⁄ 8 teaspoon sea salt

3 large Acorn squash

2 tablespoons expeller-pressed oil

1 ⁄ 2 cup small onion, minced

1 stalk celery, chopped

4 ounces fresh shiitake or regular mushrooms, chopped

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 ⁄4 teaspoon thyme

1 ⁄4 teaspoon sage

1 ⁄ 2 cup sunflower seeds, roasted

1 ⁄4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Optional: Muenster or soy cheese, sliced in strips, 2 strips for each squash half

Preheat oven to 350°. Measure wild rice, rinse thoroughly and drain. Cook wild rice in small pot with 2 cups water for 55 minutes or until the rice “splits” and opens. In another pot, place brown rice, 11 2 cups water and salt. Cover, bring to boil, reduce heat to low and cook for 40 minutes.

Meanwhile, cut Acorn squash in half lengthwise, and scoop out seeds and stringy pulp. Place squash face down in baking pan. Add 1 4 inch of water to prevent sticking. Cover with foil. Bake 30 minutes or until squash is a little tender. Do not overcook, or squash will not hold the stuffing. When squash comes out of oven, place sunflower seeds on cookie sheet and roast 3–5 minutes or until they start to turn a golden brown.

Preheat oil in large fry pan and add onion; sauté for 3 minutes. Add celery and mushrooms to onions and continue to sauté for 3 more minutes.

Add cooked rice, soy sauce, thyme, sage, sunflower seeds, and parsley. Toss well. Cover and simmer for 5 more minutes. Fill each squash half with rice mixture, mounding on top. Crisscross 2 pieces of cheese on top of the rice. Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes to melt cheese.

Reprinted with permission from The Passionate Vegetable by Suzanne Landry, copyright © 2012. Published by Health Inspired Publishing.

JOSHUA SHAUB

edible Books

Your Primal Body

by Mikki Reilly

Scientists give us plenty of evidence that mimicking our ancestors’ diet is the best way to be healthy and lean, based on studies of the human genome. Since the Human Genome Project was completed in 2003, approximately 25,000 genes have been identified in the human body, and a wealth of information has become available about how nutrition impacts our genes at the cellular level to create health or disease.

Recipe

Here is the “paleo,” or pre-agricultural, version of a burger and fries.

The growing science of nutrigenomics, a new discipline that studies the relationship between nutrition, genetics and health, is a direct result of this project. Nutrigenomics is based on the simple premise that dietary chemicals affect the expression of genes—for health, fat loss and longevity.

There are many examples of how diet and genes have evolved together. When our ancestors migrated out of sub-Saharan Africa 65,000 years ago and began to populate southern Asia, China, Java and later Europe, they met varying environmental conditions. Subgroups that formed on different continents around the globe adapted to these different dietary and environmental conditions, creating certain gene variants.

For example, if your earliest ancestors are from northern Europe, you can probably digest milk products with little difficulty. In most humans, a gene for lactose tolerance switches off once a person is weaned from mothers’ milk, making it difficult to digest milk products. But a mutation occurred in the DNA of an isolated population of northern Europeans about 10,000 years ago, creating an adaptive tolerance for milk. As a result, descendants from this region can tolerate dairy today, whereas many of those who evolved in Asian regions cannot.

Of course, most of our genes are very old and evolved over the long period of time when we lived as hunter-gatherers. Studies by geneticists reveal that the DNA of all modern humans can be traced to a single female ancestor who lived in Africa about 140,000 years ago and a male ancestor who also lived in Africa 60,000 years ago.

Lamb Burgers

Makes 3 servings

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon dried thyme

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 pound ground lamb

1 tablespoon coconut oil

Add the cumin, thyme, salt and pepper to the ground lamb. Form three or four patties. Coat a ribbed cast-iron pan with coconut oil. Grill the patties for 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Serve.

Kale Chips

Makes 4 servings

1 bunch kale, ribs removed

1 tablespoon olive oil

Salt to taste

Preheat oven to 350°. Chop the kale into bite-size pieces. Drizzle with the olive oil. Place the kale on a cookie sheet and bake for about 15 minutes, or until crisp. Sprinkle with the salt and serve.

Reprinted with permission from Your Primal Body by Mikki Reilly, copyright © 2012. Published by Da Capo Press Lifelong Books, a member of the Perseus Books Group. PerseusBooksGroup.com

LINDA BLUE

Local Pairings

Wine and Beer in Santa Barbara County

From the Sideways effect on the local wine industry to the modestly but steadily increasing number of microbreweries, Santa Barbara County might be one of the easiest places to pair local food with local beverages. Here are some ideas for local beverages that we think you will enjoy pairing with meals this winter.

A Toast to the Most

For the holidays or for those occasions when only a sparkling wine will do, Santa Barbara County will not let you down.

A sparkling wine can only be called Champagne if it’s produced from wines grown in, well, naturally Champagne, France. But here in Santa Barbara County, delicious bubbly wines are holding their own.

A couple you must try: Riverbench Winery’s 2010 Cork Jumper Banc de Blancs and Flying Goat Cellars’ Goat Bubbles Rosé.

Ciao Bella Santa Barbara

With our Mediterranean climate and plethora of Italian restaurants, it seems only fitting that winemakers would start making Italian varietal wines. And Italian wines pair so well with all the delicious hearty foods of winter.

Palmina Winery, Mosby Wines, Tessa Marie, Tre Anelli Wines, Stolpman Vineyards and Cent’ Anni Vineyards are just some of the wines you’ll now find in Santa Barbara County to fulfill your longing for Italia.

The Classics: Chardonnay and Pinot Noir

Whether you blame it on the movie Sideways or whether you realize that these Burgundian varietals never go out of style, it’s hard to avoid these two wines in Santa Barbara County. And why would you want to?

Foxen’s 2011 Bien Nacido Vineyard (Block UU) Chardonnay and Alma Rosa’s 2010 La Encantada Vineyard Pinot Noir (Clone 667) are two such beloved classics.

Happy Hoppies

There are beer lovers and then there are IPA lovers. You know who you are, you’re the ones who know what the initials IPA stand for (India Pale Ale, for those of us who didn’t know).

When you are craving hops, try Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co.’s Hoppy Poppy IPA, Firestone Union Jack IPA and Hollister Brewing Company’s Hippie Kicker IPA.

Refill Those Growlers

One of the very great things about local beer is the way you can take home a half gallon jug of it in a snazzy reusable container called a growler. Once you buy the initial growler, refills are less expensive, too.

In Santa Barbara County, pick up a growler at any of the following: Telegraph Brewing Co., Hollister Brewing Co., Firestone Walker Brewing, Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co., Santa Barbara Brewing, Solvang Brewing Co., The Brewhouse and Island Brewing Co.

Wine on Tap, Too

Not to be left out, wine has made an appearance in growlers, refillable bottles and on tap. Go to Palmina Winery, Carr Winery or Municipal Winemakers to get a refillable container of wine. And when patrons of the Wine Cask order wine by the glass, it all comes from a great selection of wine on tap. All local all the time.

EDIBLE GARDEN

Cooking from Your Windowsill

by Joan S. Bolton

How to improve on the delicious aroma of a savory sauce or simmering soup wafting through the house on a cold, drizzly day? With a pinch of fresh herbs and seasonings, of course.

Your winter garden may be slumbering outdoors. But that doesn’t mean you have to give up growing. Tend a few herbs on a sunny windowsill and you’ll be able to infuse fresh flavors in your fixings throughout the shortest days of the year.

Getting Started

To successfully grow herbs indoors you must have light, and lots of it. Most herbs need at least six to eight hours of daily direct sunlight—or very bright indirect light—to thrive and produce oils. Your best bet is a south- or southwest-facing window. Hold your hand above the sill. If your hand casts a defined shadow, your herbs should be OK.

Otherwise, set up supplemental lighting. A dedicated grow light system consisting of a stand and one or more highefficiency fluorescent bulbs starts at about $100. Or buy a couple of inexpensive clamp-on aluminum reflectors from a hardware store, then fit them with compact fluorescent bulbs.

Place the reflectors four to six inches from the plants. If the leaves begin to crisp up, move the lights a few inches away. If the plants stretch toward the lights, move them closer.

Also, artificial light is not as intense as natural sunlight. Put the lights on a timer and run them 12 to 16 hours a day.

Without a greenhouse, it’s difficult to start herb seed indoors, especially in winter. Instead, buy organically grown seedlings, then transplant them to containers at least six inches wide.

Good drainage is key. Use fresh potting soil—not dirt from the garden, which may be heavy and drain poorly. Herbs prefer soil that stays crumbly, even when you squeeze it when it’s wet. Consider adding perlite or vermiculite, or blend regular potting soil with a cactus and succulent mix.

Terra cotta pots breathe, which helps reduce the threat of fungal diseases. But with good air circulation, other decorative containers are fine, too. Just be sure to plant each type of herb in its own pot, as container-grown herbs typically don’t like to share precious soil with roots of other herbs. For instance, you can cluster several parsley plants. But don’t combine oregano with chives with mint.

Choose Wisely

Indoors or out, herbs grow at a leisurely pace during winter. It takes longer for them to build up their volatile oils and their yields are not likely to be as abundant. That said, the following eight should do well.

Bay (Lauris nobilis) grows slowly. Fortunately, most recipes require only a few leaves. Fresh bay leaves are mild; their potency picks up a few weeks after harvest.

Chives (Allium schoenoprasum) grow from tiny bulbs packed tightly together. They need less light than most herbs indoors, and prefer their soil a little moister.

Lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) is a giant among herbs, reaching up to six feet tall in the garden. Indoors, that height is not likely. However, still plant your lemongrass in a larger pot, up to 16 inches in diameter.

Mint (Mentha) is invasive in the garden and should be kept solo indoors as well, to prevent it from overrunning unsuspecting companions. Spearmint (Mentha spicata) complements meat, vegetables, fruit and chocolate, while peppermint (Mentha x piperita) is more intensely flavored and is infused to make tea.

Parsley (Petroselinum hortense) does not need as much light. But it grows slowly. Plant several to yield more than a few sprigs.

Oregano (Origanum vulgare) craves as much light as you can provide. Another invasive, it’s best grown alone.

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) loves dry soil and sun. An upright-growing type—rather than a trailing variety—will conserve space. You can often find cute topiaries trained as Christmas trees over the holidays.

Thyme (Thymus) also covets light. Fresh thyme is sweeter and less bitter than dried thyme, and comes in flavors ranging from hints of lemon to mint to caraway to oregano.

Although pictured in the opening photo, note the conspicuous absence of basil on the list. A heat and sun-loving annual herb, it’s best in the summer garden. In addition, dill and cilantro send down deep tap roots that are difficult to keep going in all but the largest pots outdoors, much less inside. And while it’s just about unstoppable in the garden, culinary sage turns into a balky wimp indoors.

Ongoing Care

Exercise restraint when watering. Wait until the top half inch or more of soil is dry, then put the plants in a sink and run tepid water over the soil—not on the leaves—for a few minutes. Let the pots drain. Fifteen to 30 minutes later, water again, then let them drain again. Don’t leave standing water in the saucers. Constant wet at your herbs’ roots can lead to rot. Also don’t instantly water if a few leaves turn yellow. Yellowing often indicates overwatering, so check the soil first.

Pinch the leaves regularly and snip any emerging flower buds. Harvesting the leaves will help keep your herbs bushy and promote new growth. But don’t trim more than a third at a time unless you’re willing to risk losing the entire plant.

After the first of the year, apply a liquid fertilizer. Diluted fish emulsion is often recommended, although its powerful odor can be overwhelming indoors. Alternatives include kelp and other products low in phosphorous, which will boost your herbs’ all-important foliage, rather than flowers.

Joan S. Bolton is a freelance writer, garden coach and garden designer who confesses to a lifelong love affair with plants. She and her husband, Tom, maintain avocado, citrus and fruit trees and grow vegetables and herbs yearround. SantaBarbaraGardens.com.

Chris Burroughs Real Men Cook

by Marne Setton

PHOTOGRAPHY BY STEVEN BROWN

Chris Burroughs may be the quintessential Californian: open-minded, warm-hearted and simultaneously relaxed and venturesome. His impeccable and very California pedigree includes an adolescence spent surfing in Manhattan Beach, years studying poetry with the second-ever graduating class at UC Santa Cruz in the early ’70s, a stint apple-harvesting on an organic farm in Mendocino, and many years as the alwayssmiling and quasi-famous front man in Alma Rosa Winery’s tasting room in Buellton.

He’s also the winningest cook at Real Men Cook, a yearly allmale competition for amateur chefs in the Santa Ynez Valley. If you can take the event’s judges at their word, and I think you can, this is proof-positive that Chris Burroughs is one of the better home cooks in the area.

“My mom was a great cook, a gourmet,” he told me the day I met him in Alma Rosa’s charming and funky tasting room off of Santa Rosa Road. As Cat Stevens played in the background and an early fall storm dropped light rain on the vineyards outside, he described the dish his half-Italian mother made for special occasions.

once you can make a roux, you can make anything.”

The early exposure to authentic home-cooked meals helped Chris develop a palate and a facility with ingredients and techniques. While at college in Santa Cruz, he converted an unused room into an improvised kitchen because, as he says, “I wasn’t too stoked with dorm food.” Rather than Salisbury steak and creamed corn, Chris’s lucky roommates were treated to sanddabs, which he dipped in flour and fried in butter. His abilities in the kitchen helped ease the load of coursework too: He once fermented a batch of something called zucchini wine to satisfy a philosophy credit.

I asked him if he wanted to be a chef when he grew up and Chris confessed that he wanted to be a cowboy.

Chris has an enviable bon vivant approach to cooking. He doesn’t rely on strict adherence to recipes, but rather has developed a solid set of skills and techniques that guide him intuitively to the right ingredients, to a dollop of this, a sprig of that. I watched him plate his shrimp escoveitch, a Jamaican-inflected ceviche, at this year’s Real Men Cook competition while he told me about his morning preparing for the competition.

“She made bracciole for every birthday, but mom called it meatloaf. It was years before I realized the thing that everyone else called meatloaf was very different!” Mrs. Burroughs’ traditional bracciole was a roulade of ground beef and sausage, wrapped around a filling of spinach and raisins and baked in a tomato sauce. Chris says it was so good that it gave rise to the family’s use of the term “birthday good.”

I asked him if he wanted to be a chef when he grew up and Chris confessed that he wanted to be a cowboy. This is selfevident. Standing behind the tasting room counter, he wears a battered white Stetson and a leather vest and he’s dripping in turquoise jewelry. He looks part cowboy, part philosopher and quite familiar. Chris has a cameo in Alexander Payne’s film Sideways, which I’ve seen about a million times.

The music playing in the tasting room switches over to an extended groove, the first track on a CD Chris recorded with an old high school friend. When I prod him about his favorite cuisines to dabble in he tells me that Italian, of course, comes easily for him, as do Cajun and Creole. “Once you understand the holy trinity,” said Chris—bell peppers, onions and celery are a trio of aromatics that are the basis of Louisiana cooking—“and

“I’m calling it the blender’s revenge.” Laughing, he tells a small gathered audience that while he was making the guacamole sauce, the blender’s gasket broke and pale green viscous goo seeped all over his kitchen. But the resulting unexpected trip to the hardware store for a new gasket paid off: Chris won the gold in the seafood entrée category. Despite or maybe because of the morning’s ordeal, his escoveitch was wonderful and refined: shrimp sautéed in olive oil then left to marinate overnight in a blend of jalapeño, pasilla and Anaheim chiles; allspice; cumin; paprika and vinegar. He served the lot up on a bed of shredded Romaine, which was topped with the remade avocado sauce—half avocado, half sour cream with lime and cilantro added for kick.

Poet, surfer, songwriter, philosopher, cowboy, oenophile, onetime actor and, I have recently come to learn, one truly excellent cook, Chris embodies the happy, generous spirit of the Golden State more than anyone I’ve met in a while. And though his tenure at Alma Rosa has recently drawn to a close, he tells me he eagerly awaits life’s next adventure. And I believe him.

Marne

Setton is a freelance food writer based on the Central Coast. Before her recent move back to her home state, she was an editor at Saveur magazine in New York.

Brenda Simon Culinary Art Fit for a Museum

by Jill Johnson

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ERIN FEINBLATT

Layering flavors like paint, a cook can tease and educate palates of diners the same way a skilled painter can draw the eyes into appreciating small details of an artwork. It takes a confident culinary artist to offer up edible art pieces in an actual art museum, and Brenda Simon of the Museum Café at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art does just that.

Brenda’s interest in cooking began early on with the usual teenage jobs in the food industry: an ice cream place here and a seafood joint there. However, she gained enormous experience of the business aspect of the industry when she was employed in the corporate headquarters of McDonald’s. Learning the numbers game by day, she explored the fun and creative aspects of food by throwing themed parties at night and on weekends. The menu she created for these fetes quickly earned her a reputation as someone whose events you absolutely could not miss.

Birthdays can be lifechanging occasions and gifts given often alter the life path of those who receive them. Such was the case for Brenda when her friends cobbled some money together and presented her with a “cooking class” gift certificate to the acclaimed California Culinary Academy (CCA) in San Francisco. She flew out from the East Coast and quickly decided that she wanted more than just a class. She knew that food was her passion, her destiny, and she promptly enrolled as a full-time student, finding jobs in local restaurants to fund her future.

restaurants in a number of countries, including a stint in London where she worked at the critically acclaimed River Café. It was there that Brenda learned the importance of tweaking menus to accommodate the seasons and working with what was available locally.

“Sourcing, sourcing, sourcing.” She learned to use the bounty of local Santa Barbara produce by her time spent at the Los Olivos Café, the Biltmore, the San Ysidro Ranch and as private chef to Michael Jackson and John Cleese. She also indulged her competitive spirit by winning Albertson’s Sizzling Santa Barbara Super Chef Cook-Off and by being involved behind the scenes of celeb-chef Bobby Flay’s reality show “America’s Next Great Restaurant.”

She learned to use the bounty of local Santa Barbara produce by her time spent at the Los Olivos Café, the Biltmore, the San Ysidro Ranch and as private chef to Michael Jackson and John Cleese.

Brenda was presented four years ago with an opportunity to convert the little restaurant space in the Santa Barbara Museum of Art into a “destination restaurant.” Never shying away from a challenge, she accepted with gusto. Her globe-trotting palate and fun artistic flair pair well with the worldly works of art displayed in the museum. Her dishes mirror the various artists and exhibits in taste and sobriquet, such as the Remington Sweet and Smoky Baby Back Ribs (after the legendary Western artist) and the Brett Weston Black and White Bean and Nut Loaf (after the famed photographer).

While at CCA, Brenda learned to really embrace her competitive side, winning numerous student competitions. “Growing up, I had really mean brothers. They took everything I had. I had to be tough and competitive.”

One of the competitions she entered, and won, involved pairing Portuguese wines with an original dish. The prize was a cooking work/study experience at the Pousada de EstremozRainha Santa Isabel, a castle in Portugal near the Spanish border. It was during this time that she fell in love with the culture of relaxed siesta time dining and the flavors and the art of tapas.

After graduating from CCA with honors, she decided to again travel and hone her skills and palate in a variety of

“I can get really creative with the new artwork,” she says with a smile. But, of course, like the museum’s permanent collection, continued mainstays on the café’s menu are Brenda’s beloved tapas and Manchego.

The Museum of Art recently changed hours, staying open until 8pm on Thursday nights, allowing her to expand into offering dinner fare. She has created special small plates with beer and wine pairings she is calling “Arts to Crave from Plate to Plate,” and crave them you will. She foresees the museum and the café becoming destinations for a little late-night combination of cuisine and culture, with smattering of coffee thrown in.

Jill Johnson is an artistic soul with an inquisitive mind and a hearty appetite for life ... and food. You can find her musings on spilled milk and cookie crumblings at her blog, cookiesinheaven.blogspot.com.

Jaime Herrera An Academic Challenge

by Helena Hill

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ERIN FEINBLATT

Jaime Herrera, executive chef for Residential Dining Services at the University of California at Santa Barbara, has a monumental job every day of the year: to serve an average of 10,000 meals to intelligent and hungry students and staff. But not only that; he is also committed to providing delicious food that is local and sustainably produced. Daunting indeed.

Feeding students, many of whom have healthy and sophisticated tastes in food, while remaining within budget constraints, is challenging. But Chef Herrera has definitely risen to the occasion. I first met him at a Santa Barbara Culinary Arts dinner last year, where Dining Services had been asked to produce a dinner highlighting their locavore philosophy. Many of the suppliers were there, and they served up an incredible menu that included many of the items regularly available at the dining commons: organic beef sliders from local ranches; locally caught halibut and black cod; and local, organic fresh vegetables and salads.

2005 with a campus-wide effort to increase sustainability. Professor David Cleveland’s environmental studies classes started asking questions about food purchases in the Dining Commons. This led to developing purchasing goals with an emphasis on increasing local and organic foods. With help from local food distributors, Harvest Santa Barbara and The Berryman, they found they were able to purchase produce from farms close by. And now approximately 70% of total produce purchases are locally grown, and almost a third are pesticide-free or organic. They also only use seafood recommended on the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch list.

Now approximately 70% of total produce purchases are locally grown, and almost a third are pesticide-free or organic.

Some weeks following the dinner I interviewed Chef Herrera, and I was not surprised to hear that he developed a passion for using fresh, local ingredients early in his career. He grew up in Seattle and after earning his culinary arts degree from South Seattle Community College he worked for a Seattle catering company whose owners had parents with an herb farm.

“Every summer, when I worked for the catering company, we were getting truckloads of herbs and fresh vegetables so we made dishes out of those items,” he said. “We were encouraged to go into the cooler and use the items we had on hand.”

He later worked as associate manager and chef for Dining Services at Washington State University. And then he came to UCSB in 2009. As the first executive chef of Dining Services he oversees the four residential dining halls on campus: De La Guerra, Portola, Carrillo and Ortega. He also has the good fortune of working with Bonnie Crouse, assistant director of Residential Dining Services, who has the monumental job of overseeing the purchasing of food and equipment and of budget management for the dining commons.

The focus on using more local and organic foods started in

“As a chef I’m always looking for high-quality products that give the best results to an end product of a dish. I always look for items that are in season. And it goes hand in hand that using local sustainable produce and making a connection with the local farmers, knowing how they grow their food and how they care for it, gives a deep respect for the food. So I handle it with greater respect.”

I ate lunch at one of the dining commons on a recent Thursday and would happily return for an organic, grass-fed burger served with a salad of local, organic greens and French fries made from local potatoes. Signs by the salad bar clearly marked which items were organic, locally grown, vegan, low-fat or dairy-free. Once a month one of the dining commons serves only meat-free menus for a program called Green Mondays. And to find out which foods are in season, Jaime has developed a seasonal produce chart, detailing month by month which foods are grown locally and served in the Dining Commons.

A lot of progress has been made in university dining services since my days of living in a dorm at the University of Pennsylvania. Dorm food then was judged by its quantity, not its quality. I wish Jaime at been at Penn when I was a student. But I am grateful he’s here at UCSB now. I wonder if the students are aware of just how good they have it?

Helena Hill is a former teacher and administrator turned writer, watercolorist and organic gardener. She writes, paints, gardens and keeps a small flock of chickens in Santa Barbara.

Laura Waters Baking for a Cause

by Nancy Oster

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ERIN FEINBLATT

“Ilove to cook, but most of all I love to serve,” says Laura Waters. Laura is SweetHearts Bakery’s founder and chief baker. On that note, we planned an evening of baking together at her commercial kitchen space in Goleta.

I wanted to find out more about what inspired her to open a baking business here in Santa Barbara that raises money for children in Rwanda. All the net profits from her baked goods go to help orphan children who beg for food on the streets during the day and sleep under bridges at night in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda.

We met at the kitchen and got to work. As I formed heartshaped cookies with Laura’s Orange Coconut Carob Chip dough, Laura began mixing together the batter for her Lemon Ricotta mini heart cakes. Talking over the sound of the refrigerator compressors and the convection oven, Laura took me on a journey to Rwanda.

It was March 2011. Joanna, a young Rwandan girl, was graduating from Sonrise High School in Musanze, Rwanda. Laura had helped to sponsor Joanna’s education through the Mustard Seed Project, headquartered in Ambridge, Pennsylvania. Laura’s flight from Los Angeles landed in Belgium, where she met other project donors and flew to Rwanda.

However, the most compelling experience came when Laura helped serve meals to almost 100 street children who gather three times a week in a courtyard in Kigali for a meal, a bath and a little attention. The Association for the Assistance of Children is run by Pastor Deo Gashagaza and his wife, Christine. Meals are cooked by volunteers over a fire pit just off the courtyard. Each child gets a traditional Rwandan meal, which consists of rice, potatoes, goat meat, beans and a green vegetable. A little money in Rwanda goes a long way: This meal costs about $1.75 per child.

All the net profits from her baked goods go to help orphan children who beg for food on the streets during the day and sleep under bridges at night in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda.

Personally experiencing many Rwandan hugs from the kids in the courtyard, Laura felt motivated to increase her sponsorships and develop a plan to help provide support for these homeless children. On her return to Santa Barbara, Laura decided to draw on her own cooking skills to do this. Noting that many people in our community are looking for baked goods that meet special dietary needs, she set out to develop a line of gluten-free, wheat-free, sugarfree, dairy-free and vegan baked goods. Then she enrolled in the Women’s Economic Ventures (WEV) program to refine her business plan.

Thirty-eight students were graduating. Many had been in the original fourth grade class when the school first opened. The school was built in 2004 as a Mustard Seed project. Laura saw first-hand the impact of charitable contributions like hers. Many of the children at this school are orphans, given a hand up through sponsorships, and they are now headed for college and skilled jobs.

During her 11 days in Rwanda she met up with Nancy Strachan from Rwandan HUGS, a faith-based organization that empowers Rwandans with business and educational development projects. Nancy has formed women’s collectives, bringing them sewing machines and teaching them jewelry making. Together Laura and Nancy distributed over 50 goats (in the rain) to Rwandan families for milk and fertilizer production. They also visited inmates at a women’s prison.

Our final job in the kitchen that evening was to package, seal and label our cooled cookies and cakes. Small hearts on each label indicate if the product is gluten free, sugar free, vegan, etc.

Laura’s vision for the future is to increase the number of meals available to the children per week and the number of children served. Her longer-term goal is to raise the money to support construction of a permanent building where the street children can come for safety, shelter and education.

Laura currently takes individual orders by phone and through her website. She also sells at local festivals and through local businesses such as Lazy Acres, Mesa Produce, Plow to Porch, Coffee Collaborative and Educated Carwash.

Nancy Oster briefly had her own vegan and not-so-vegan baking business. “Gluten-free baking is a special art,” she says, taking another bite of Laura’s Red Velvet Mini Cake.

Chef Michael Hutchings Modern Classic

by Jennifer LeMay

PHOTOGRAPHY BY FRAN COLLIN

When asked about local and sustainable food, Chef Michael Hutchings points out that he has been engaged in both since he started in Santa Barbara 30 years ago. The regionalism that permeates French cooking evolved from the availability of local products, and Chef Michael’s cooking is very much in the modern French style.

One of his favorite ingredients these days is abalone from the local farm Cultured Abalone, and it’s been a huge hit. He says, “It’s a great product, and a sustainable, clean food. The water going out of the facility is as clean as the water going in.” The abalones are small, and perfect as appetizers or small bites at a multi-course meal. His new abalone dish with red wine sauce received rave reviews from attendees at the lecture and demonstration series at the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum, held in October as part of the epicure.sb month-long food fest.

Chef Michael’s modern California-French cuisine developed over time, from his early years in Europe where he worked at a number of restaurants, essentially getting his “PhD” in the culinary arts. He learned the methodologies, taste profiles and flavor sensibilities that continue to inform his cooking.

Chef Michael likes to experiment and is inspired by ingredients, an approach that resonates with the Nouvelle Cuisine style of cooking. He also derives inspiration from his extensive library.

“I have many books, some going back to the 1800s,” he says. He explained that Fernand Point (considered by many to be the father of modern French cuisine) trained a number of chefs who went on to greatness, including the Brothers Troigros, whose book is also in his collection. He spent time with the brothers in Roanne, enjoyed lunches at their restaurant, and found them “warm, friendly, sharing, with nothing held back.” The Nouvelle Cuisine style that they championed broke with tradition, focusing on ingredient-driven and simplified dishes.

Chef Michael also refers to his Modernist Cuisine book and other contemporary materials for ideas. He appreciates many new techniques, but stays true to the taste traditions that have served him well.

Chef Michael also refers to his Modernist Cuisine book and other contemporary materials for ideas. He appreciates many new techniques, but stays true to the taste traditions that have served him well, acknowledging that some popular new techniques don’t honor the flavor sensibilities that he finds essential to good cooking. He believes that over time, dishes that are viable will become part of the canon, and notes that “when Nouvelle Cuisine first came around, there were excesses then, too.”

This doesn’t keep him from reminiscing about his even earlier days, when he started out in food service learning how to cook at Disneyland—first by making sandwiches and then as executive chef, taught by Master Chef Rudolph Stoy, at the park’s exclusive Club 33. He also worked as a sous-chef for James Sly in Los Angeles, who was an inspiration for making the journey to Europe as he had done so himself. When Chef Michael returned to the States, he worked for Paul Vercammen at the Olive Mill Bistro for three years before opening his own restaurant in Santa Barbara.

Michael’s Waterside opened in 1984 near the bird refuge (where Stella Mare’s is now). To this day, Chef Michael says, “People share their fond memories of engagements, anniversaries and events” at the celebrated restaurant. This was around the same time that he got to know Julia Child and the two appeared together on her show “Dinner with Julia,” hunting for chanterelle mushrooms on a ranch in the local foothills. This new (at the time) local, sustainable ingredient became a permanent part of his repertoire.

These days, Chef Michael is busy as ever with his catering business, serving his acclaimed cuisine to gatherings large and small. His wife, Christina Dahl, is a renowned pastry chef specializing in visually stunning wedding and special occasion cakes, and classic pastries. The two have been referred to as “The first culinary couple of Santa Barbara (savory + sweet).”

Like the best chefs throughout history, Chef Michael is generous and enjoys sharing both his cuisine and passion for food. While sometimes catering at venues in faraway places, he can often be found serving at community events, celebrations and fundraisers, as he has for many years—local and sustainable in every sense.

Jennifer LeMay is a designer and artist who appreciates great local food. Her business, J. LeMay Studios, provides communication and design services. Visit JLeMay.com.

On a Dream and a Shoestring Giannfranco’s Trattoria

by Nancy Oster

PHOTOGRAPHY

BY

FRAN COLLIN

Giovanni Sherwyn (center) with his mother Anna (left) and father Franco (right). The name of their restaurant, Giannfranco’s Trattoria, is a combination of their names—Giovanni, Anna and Franco. Opposite page: a bowl of cioppino.

On an unseasonably hot day in October I’m driving to Carpinteria to interview chef Giovanni Sherwyn, a 1997 graduate of the Santa Barbara City College School of Culinary Arts and owner of Giannfranco’s Trattoria. My plan is to have lunch, then introduce myself. I’m just hoping they have air conditioning.

It turns out they have something much better: a patio shaded with red and green market umbrellas. Giovanni greets me at the door and takes me out to a small table by the fountain, “the best table,” he tells me. I agree, the fountain is a much more natural way to cool the air, and I get to watch small finches fly in for a quick, refreshing bath. A few minutes later Giovanni’s mother, Anna, greets me and tells me about today’s specials. She leaves to get me some homemade ice tea.

Giovanni’s father, Franco, returns with the tall, chilled glass of tea. It’s 2pm and the patio is buzzing with diners. Many have finished their meals and are enjoying a break before heading back into the heat of the day.

I order guanciale from the pasta section of the menu—a spicy homemade basil tomato sauce flavored with rendered pork jowl. Giovanni later tells me he learned to make guanciale from his mother and grandmother.

As I sip my tea I note brilliant blooms of orange hibiscus and crimson bougainvillea at the edge of the patio. I see the silhouette of a sparrow dancing on top of an umbrella near the stately ficus tree on the upper patio. The small bird appears on a branch and looks over at our tables, probably anticipating leftover crumbs from the bread I’m dipping in spicy olive oil.

My pasta arrives; the flavors are fresh and distinctive. It disappears far too quickly but the layered balance of flavor lingers, and I finish with a sense of deep satisfaction. I pay my bill and let Anna know that I am here for the interview.

I sit near Giovanni at the front door as he says goodbye to each diner and locks up to begin preparations for dinner. Then we head back to the upper patio. Anna and Franco join us. Quickly caught up in storytelling and laughter, I feel the warm embrace of this family and understand why diners come back again and again.

“This was my son’s dream,” Anna tells me. As a kid, Giovanni enjoyed sautéing steaks, roasting chicken, grilling stuffed pork chops and experimenting in the kitchen. Anna was a Los Angeles Superior Court interpreter and Franco worked in real estate in Los Angeles and Thousand Oaks. Back then none of them would have believed that someday they would be living Giovanni’s dream.

In high school Giovanni went to work at a local bank. He worked his way up from bank teller to assistant manager by the time he was 25. But what he really loved to do was cook. He says, “I wanted to be involved in cooking but I didn’t know how to get there.” He started looking at cooking schools and saving the money to go to one.

He chose the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco. But when he arrived he discovered living in San Francisco was expensive and the intensive culinary hours didn’t allow him time to work to cover his additional expenses. Then a friend told him about the culinary arts program at Santa Barbara City College. After an interview with John Dunn, the founder/director of the program, Giovanni moved back to Thousand Oaks and enrolled at SBCC.

For the next two years Giovanni commuted daily to SBCC. The program began early in the morning and tardiness was not acceptable. At the end of four semesters, 16 students out of the original 125 graduated.

Giovanni says, “I learned discipline and street smarts from John Dunn.” By the end of the first semester, each student had to know the name of every student in the program—a lesson Giovanni brings to his restaurant, learning the names of his customers. Giovanni not only learned to cook, cut meat and clean fish at SBCC, he also learned staff management, inventory control and other important restaurant management skills he uses today.

At left: Giovanni prepares cioppino.

He did his internship in banquet catering at the Hyatt in Thousand Oaks. There he learned to process large quantities of food efficiently. Good thing, because at Giannfranco’s he sometimes prepares 200 meals in one night.

After graduating Giovanni spent eight years as a full-time personal chef to one family. “I really honed my skills while working for them,” he says. “I had to be creative. You can’t just cook the same thing every night.” But he knew that eventually he wanted his own restaurant.

Anna says, “We looked at lots of small restaurants for sale in our area, but Giovanni wanted something north of Thousand Oaks.” Then one night on the Internet he found a restaurant listing in Carpinteria. He asked Anna and Franco to go to see it the next day while he was at work.” Anna says, “The moment I walked in, I fell in love with it. I called and said ‘Gio, this is the place! If you want it I will give them a deposit right now.’”

Giovanni had $15,000 and a dream.

“We did everything ourselves,” he says, “the drywall, the painting, the tile.”

Giovanni wanted the design to be clean and elegant with an American Italian feel.

“I wanted it to be a place the ‘rat pack’ would come to eat.”

They drove to Hollywood to buy the posters for the walls and framed them themselves at Aaron Brothers. Anna designed the patio. She wanted it to be simple, restful and inviting… to feel like her home.

By November 2006 they had a restaurant. Appropriately, the name Giannfranco is a combination of their names— Giovanni, Anna and Franco. As I listen to their stories I realize that the success of Giannfranco’s rests on three important pillars: attention to the quality of the food, a warm

hospitable atmosphere and their word-of-mouth reputation. The food is bought and prepared fresh each day. Sauces and dressings are all made from scratch by a small but efficient kitchen crew of five who have been with them since the day they opened. Every meal is prepared when it is ordered, which may take a little longer but, Franco says, “when our patrons taste their food, they understand the difference.” If you sit at the bar, you can watch the chefs in action, making homemade lobsterfilled ravioli, plating braised short ribs or adding a final touch of truffle oil to the Piccolino pasta.

Anna oversees the serving staff of four servers and two bussers. She says, “I tell them when a guest walks in the door, they should be greeted.” She encourages her servers to help their guests enjoy the moment and to make their dining experiences exceptional. Giannfranco’s has been a huge success since the day they took down the white paper covering the windows and saw 150 people lined up in the rain, waiting to come in.

Giovanni says, “The three of us work it, we don’t just own it—we cry it and we sweat it.” He adds, “It feels almost like it’s a dream … like I’ll wake up back in Thousand Oaks working at the bank.”

“Please don’t wake up,” I tell him. “I’m enjoying this dream.” And so are a lot of other folks.

Nancy Oster thinks she was born with a silver pasta fork in her mouth, that’s how much she enjoys good pasta. Fortunately there are many items on the Giannfranco’s menu she still needs to try. Her 4-year-old granddaughter Saraphina gives two forks up (one for each hand) to the Chocolate Truffle Cake dessert. Look for both of them at a lunchtime table near the fountain.

A plate of ravioli in sage butter sauce.

Dawn Peters

A Pastry Chef with a Garden… and Chickens

by John Salvador

PHOTOGRAPHY BY

TENLEY FOHL

Dawn Peters holding Millie, her first (and favorite) chicken.

Avid gardeners are not easily deterred in the pursuit of a thriving garden. Life gives you rocky soil? Raised beds! And since the Santa Ynez Valley is wine country, the vegetable enthusiast will eventually succumb to the urge to grow grapes. But for the truly adventurous, farm animals beckon.

So it’s no surprise that Dawn Peters, pastry chef and owner of Decadence Fine Cakes & Confections and certified green thumb, has begun raising chickens. She has always lived life with an adventurous spirit. What is surprising, or at least intriguing, is the long journey she has taken to become the premier pastry chef for elegant wedding cakes in the Valley.

Dawn Peters grew up in Carbondale, Pennsylvania. While she had no aspirations at a young age to become a baker, her sweet tooth led her to help out in the kitchen when her grandmother was baking. By the age of 6, Dawn had become quite proficient with a hand mixer (remember those?), but the transition to the more modern electric kind did not go smoothly. Once, while she was standing on a chair so she could use an electric mixer, Dawn’s long hair got caught in the beaters. Only the speed of a grandmother seeing a grandchild in danger saved Dawn from losing all her hair.

When Dawn enrolled at the State University of New York’s College of Environmental Science and Forestry at age 16, she was the youngest in her class. Since she was too young to party, for fun she would cook and bake for her six housemates. Dawn’s housemates would bring her ingredients from the local co-op to

experiment with and she ended up cooking her way through The Fanny Farmer Baking Book that she received as a Christmas gift.

Despite working as a forester, Dawn knew she wanted to be a chef. So in 1995, she enrolled in the California Culinary Academy. While taking classes, she worked as a relief cook at a San Francisco homeless shelter and interned at Sur La Table, where she assisted guest chefs like Martin Yan and Santa Cruz baker Joe Ortiz.

It was at Sur La Table that Dawn first met Santa Barbara’s favorite food authority, Julia Child. Julia offered Dawn simple advice on her budding culinary career: Be helpful. Dawn soon crossed paths with Julia again on a radio talk show promoting Julia’s latest cookbook at the time, Baking with Julia. This time

Julia imparted more career wisdom: Only apply at the very best places, learn everything you can, and after two years, move on.

While at culinary school, Dawn recognized the many benefits of working for high-end hotels: the opportunity to bake bread, make breakfast pastries and wedding cakes, do chocolate work and gain experience with plated desserts. So Dawn moved to Arizona to work at The Phoenician and The Boulders Resort, a five-diamond golf resort. Then she moved back to California to work at the San Ysidro Ranch and the Alisal Guest Ranch and Resort.

It was during Dawn’s time at Alisal Ranch that a colleague from the Santa Barbara Culinary Arts Guild, pastry chef Christine Dahl, planted the seed in her head to make wedding cakes in the Santa Ynez Valley. Dawn learned about Women’s Economic Ventures (WEV) and took a course that she says gave her the tools to succeed in business. More than 10 years later, who’s to argue? To show her appreciation, Dawn continues to do fundraising for WEV as well as provide inspirational talks to new enrollees.

Dawn’s first entrepreneurial effort was a trade with the Santa Ynez Inn, where she worked as the relief breakfast chef in exchange for a kitchen where she could make wedding cakes. Ultimately, Dawn’s business outgrew the space. After a few years in larger kitchens in Solvang and Los Alamos, she moved her bakery to her current location on Industrial Way in Buellton near Jeff Olsson’s New West Catering kitchen, Figueroa Mountain Brewery and Avant. (This small area is slowly becoming an epicenter of culinary delights in the Valley.)

With her husband, Todd, she took an old warehouse space and installed the electricity and plumbing needed to convert it

Tools of the trade in Dawn’s commercial kitchen.

Dawn adds pomegranate seeds to her Coconut Lime Pudding cake.

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into a professional working kitchen. Along with her new kitchen, Dawn also built a tasting room for couples to ponder flavor profiles and discuss wedding cake designs.

Wedding cakes are a large part of Dawn’s business but she also makes specialty cakes for birthdays and baby showers as well as desserts and breads for local caterers. Dawn’s latest culinary venture is to develop cookies that can be paired with wine. She also makes blueberry jams and preserves for Restoration Oaks and cookies and scones for Bell Street Farms Eatery & Market in Los Alamos. And she is always willing to lend a helping hand to local restaurateurs. Clark Staub, owner of Full of Life Flatbread, enlisted Dawn to help fine-tune some dessert menu staples like their Los Alamos S’more with Chocolate Espresso Cookies. Clark raves, “Dawn is an incredible talent and we are so happy to have her expertise to tap into!”

While she finds baking all-organic to be prohibitively expensive, most of the flours Dawn bakes with are organic. She uses Euro-style butter for its enhanced flavor and richness. Always willing to follow the latest trends, she finds herself baking more and more gluten-free cakes these days. However, while she uses gluten-free ingredients like brown rice flour and tapioca starch, hers is not a gluten-free kitchen. She also makes kosher cakes and dairy-free cakes. And the fruit preserves that layer her multi-tiered wedding cakes are made from scratch using fresh fruit. Dawn buys her fruit from local growers, including berries from Morrell Farms, peaches from Buttonwood Farms and apples from Ditmar’s.

Dawn spends Sundays in her garden with her husband. In addition to growing edibles for the family table like tomatoes, lettuces, onions and pumpkins, they grow lavender, roses, grapes (for the leaves) and olives (for the branches), all of which are used as wedding cake adornments. And they compost egg shells and fruit scraps from her business. She sublets part of her kitchen to Jimenez Family Farms for the production of Marcie’s Pies, so she composts their fruit scraps as well. Cake scraps—the bits and pieces left over when Dawn shapes her wedding cakes— get sent home to feed her chickens.

Oh, yes, the chickens. She currently has five, a combination of Black Austrolopes and Blue Andalusians. Their names are Millie, Mollie, LuLu, Fluff and Xena, the warrior chicken. (Don’t tell Xena but it’s Fluff who’s the true warrior.) Why chickens? Dawn uses their eggs for her business, but she is also harboring a latent desire of one day being a farmer. She bought the chickens from a local farm supply store, and she has a chicken coop that can eventually hold 18–20 chickens.

A current harvest of a half dozen eggs a day may someday reach a level—with the addition of more chickens—that will supply all her business needs. And she composts the poop, or as she likes to say, “scoop the poop from the coop.”

Any concerns about her two cats getting along with this pet poultry? None at all, says Dawn, who notes that the cats follow the chickens around the yard. “It’s like television for cats.”

John Salvador is a CIA graduate who worked behind the stoves of professional kitchens for five years. He currently writes about the local food scene.

Coconut Lime Pudding Cake

4 tablespoons butter

11 ⁄ 2 cups sugar

1 ⁄ 8 teaspoon salt

2 limes, zested

6 large egg yolks

1 ⁄ 2 cup cake flour

3 ounces lime juice, fresh squeezed

7 ounces coconut milk

7 ounces half and half

1 teaspoon coconut extract

6 large egg whites

Whipped cream, toasted coconut and fresh fruit

Preheat oven to 325°. Measure all ingredients and bring to room temperature. Using a mixer with paddle attachment, cream butter, sugar, salt and lime zest until soft and creamy. Add egg yolks one at a time. Scrape down bowl frequently and cream until all ingredients are incorporated. Add cake flour and mix until just combined. While mixing on low, slowly pour in lime juice, then coconut milk, then half and half and coconut extract until incorporated. In a separate bowl, whip egg whites until medium peak. Fold whipped egg whites into cake batter.

Pour batter into a 10-inch round springform pan. Place cake pan inside 12-inch cake pan and fill the larger pan with warm tap water to form a water bath. Bake in water bath for approximately 25 minutes or until cake is light brown on top and an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool at room temperature; then chill cake in refrigerator for 3 hours. Run a knife along the edge of the pan. Place a cake platter on top of the cake pan. Flip cake onto platter. Carefully remove cake pan sides and top. Garnish with whipped cream, fresh fruit and toasted coconut.

Variations: For Lime Pudding Cake, use 14 ounces of whole milk and omit coconut milk, coconut extract, and half and half. For Lemon Pudding Cake, substitute lemons (zest and juice) for limes.

12-7,

Edulis Fungi

Edible Mushrooms

by Jennifer LeMay

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ALAN ROCKEFELLER

When the rainy season begins in Santa Barbara, people start looking forward to bundling up, hiking alongside flowing creeks, lighting the fireplace and, of course… enjoying mushrooms. A growing number of local and seasonal eaters get very excited when fresh chanterelles start appearing at the farmers markets and on restaurant menus. Adventurous souls take to the hills to hunt their own—keeping an eye on their favorite spots and hoping for enough rain to saturate the ground, followed by cloudy days that help keep the soil moist.

Above: The chanterelles in our region are Cantharellus californicus and are native to California.

Mushrooms are by nature mysterious, growing underground and in dark places, and they are not always easy to identify. Most mycophobia (fear of mushrooms) is probably attributable to accounts of poisonous mushrooms being mistaken for their edible look-alikes. Not to mention, the word “fungus” is usually a reliable conversation stopper at any gathering.

Nevertheless, many of us find them too good to pass up. These days it’s easy to find safe mushrooms to eat and the benefits, both nutritional and gastronomical, are worth the effort.

Distinct flavors emanate from each type of mushroom and some are more sought after than others (the aroma/ flavor of truffles have made them ounce-for-ounce the most expensive food in the world). Mushrooms are generally known for having an umami taste, recognized as one of the five basic tastes, described as “meaty” with a hint of savoriness. They have also been, and continue to be, used medicinally in many parts of the world.

It’s important to know that most edible mushrooms we’re familiar with are either saprophytic, which can be easily cultivated, or mycorrhizal, which cannot. Saprophytes decompose dead organic material to absorb nutrients, and are the original recyclers (along with bacteria) found in all ecosystems. They can be cultivated using appropriate organic material and water and are often grown in mushroom farms under highly controlled conditions. These include white button, cremini and portobello (which, incidentally, are all the same species of mushroom), oyster, shiitake, enoki and others. The yeasts and molds used to make beer, wine and cheese are also saprophytic.

than thumb-size. Hunting for mushrooms with knowledge and care is part of the culture, which includes respecting private property.

Among the most coveted mycorrhizal mushrooms are chanterelles, porcini and truffles. Many attempts to cultivate them have failed, or have had limited success, as in the case of truffles. Bob Cummings, mycologist and biology professor at Santa Barbara City College, says, “It’s possible, but tricky. One would need to grow the host trees and inoculate the roots with the right mycelium and hope the symbiosis establishes. Chanterelles have been grown somewhat successfully in Scandinavia on the roots of potted pines. Truffles are being grown successfully now. I’ve tasted Garland Truffles from North Carolina and they are the real deal—Perigord black truffles.”

After filming a segment in which they cooked the mushrooms, Julia reportedly said, “Now there’s a blow to fungophobia.”

He goes on to say that the investment of time, materials and expertise in growing mycorrhizal mushrooms commercially makes the cost-toearnings ratio very steep. He hopes a commercial culture will exist some day (referred to by some mycophiles as “the holy grail”), but in the meantime, a large and thriving cottage industry exists worldwide in mushroom hunting for the commercial market.

Mycophagy (myco=fungus, phagy=eating)

Mycorrhizal fungi, on the other hand, have a symbiotic relationship with trees, shrubs and other plants, breaking down nutrients in the soil and feeding them to the roots in a form they can easily assimilate. In return, the tree provides the fungi with carbohydrates created via photosynthesis. The “body” of a mycorrhizal fungus is an underground thread-like mycelial mat that (especially in old growth forests) connects the roots of all the trees. The largest single organism in the world is a fungus living in the Blue Mountains of eastern Oregon. It covers 2,200 acres and is at least 2,400 years old.The “fruits” are the mushrooms that crop up season after season.

In Santa Barbara County, chanterelles have a relationship with live oak trees. So picking all of the mushrooms in one area will not decrease yields; however, raking, digging up or over-trampling the soil will, by damaging the underlying mycelium. Chanterelle pickers are also encouraged to use the rule of thumb: to not pick any specimens that are smaller

This year I attended March Mushroom Madness, presented by Santa Barbara Culinary Arts at Santa Barbara City College. With sea lions barking in the distance, a friendly gathering of foodies enjoyed appetizers to start the evening and an entertaining slideshow by professor Bob Cummings that illuminated the wonders (and horrors) of the mushroom world. We learned about Amanita ocreata (the destroying angel) and Amanita phalloides (the death cap), the symptoms of amatoxin poisoning (gastrointestinal pain, liver necrosis and high probability of death without treatment). Afterward, dinner was served and it was time to eat some incredible mushroom dishes!

At the Mushroom Madness event, Bob introduced me to chef Michael Hutchings, who is well known not only for his cuisine and storied career in Santa Barbara that spans many years, but also for his mushroom hunting forays with Julia Child. The two appeared in a segment for the PBS show “Dinner at Julia’s” in 1984, picking chanterelles locally during one of the best mushroom seasons on record. After filming a segment in which they cooked the mushrooms, Julia reportedly said, “Now there’s a blow to fungophobia.”

This marked the beginning of the local chanterelle rush, as literally tons of them were brought to market across the globe within a few months. Chef Michael says that the chanterelle crop two winters ago rivaled that in 1984, and

market and fisherman’s market. She likes her mushrooms prepared in an omelet made with farm-fresh eggs.

No Old, Bold Mushroom Hunters

When it comes to interest in mushrooms, culinary and otherwise, fans of fungi make up a worldwide club that is large, varied and well organized. I learned this, and so much more, from a book called Mycophilia: Revelations from the Weird World of Mushrooms by Eugenia Bone. Part memoir, part science and anthropology, the book is a highly entertaining look at mushrooms and the complex Kingdom of Fungi and its enormous impact on our daily lives. The author takes us on her educational journey, attends gatherings around the country held by mycological societies, and she befriends legendary rock stars of the mushroom world, who share their vast knowledge through presentations and forays in the field.

that he was eating chanterelles in almost every meal for a while, including stroganoff, sausage ragouts, omelets, prime steak and polenta.

“Their apricot overtones and crunchy texture transform any dish they’re used in.” He also likes to prepare chanterelles Bordelaise style, sautéed with some chopped shallots, finished with parsley and a little lemon.

The chanterelles in our region are Cantharellus californicus, native to California, and much larger than the chanterelles that Chef Michael first hunted during the years he lived in France. Recently declared a distinct species in a scientific paper (Arora & Dunham, 2008), the mushroom is yellow-orange, funnel-shaped and has a pileus (cap) that is three to 12 inches wide or greater, with ridges, or false gills, that run down along the stipe (stem). They live in association with live oak trees and grow indeterminately, unlike most mushrooms (including other species of chanterelles), getting larger over the weeks or months if conditions are right.

Chef Jeff Olsson of New West Catering is also a mushroom enthusiast. He bought around 2,000 pounds of chanterelles last winter, which lasted him almost a year. He roasts and then freezes them for use in some of his mouthwatering recipes, such as quesadillas with chopped, roasted chanterelles, caramelized onions, Manchego cheese, fresh thyme and truffle oil, with honey drizzled over the top.

Jeff also uses chanterelles in his “soup of Santa Rita Hills,” made with truffle essence and smoked chili oil. Also a fan of porcini, which are more prevalent farther north, he uses porcini in a classic sauce with pancetta, peas, heavy cream and Parmesan, to go over pasta or fish.

Laurence Hauben, a food writer and a leader of Slow Food Santa Barbara, runs Market Forays, offering mushroom hunts, cooking classes and outings to our local farmers

Some mushroom hunters skip the festivals and forays and go out on their own. While chanterelles are the most popular and easiest to find in this area, other mushrooms include Boletus edulis (porcini), morels, candy caps and blewits.

Don Gillies, a medical doctor in Santa Barbara, has been hunting locally since the ’70s when he joined a small mushrooming club. “To be safe, you must learn about all kinds of mushrooms, not just the ones you’re looking for,” he advises. And of course, if you aren’t completely sure about what you’ve found, it’s best to err on the side of caution. As the saying goes, there are old mushroom hunters and bold mushroom hunters, but no old, bold mushroom hunters. Don appreciates the mushrooms for their culinary uses, but also for their beauty.

Local mushroom hunter Michael Schmitt was drawn to the woods after hearing stories from family members in Washington State who love to go out hunting and foraging for all kind of foods. He enjoys the sport, comparing hunting for mushrooms to fishing. When I mentioned that chanterelles were spotted on one of my favorite local trails, he said, “Oh yeah, once you spot something out there at least a couple hikers are not far away—and there you are, hunkered down in the poison oak, waiting for them to pass by.”

I met a man cruising down the trail last winter, holding a few chanterelles and a bolete, who told me that mushroom hunting is basically an Easter egg hunt for adults.

My expanded appreciation for mushrooms has led to a great anticipation for the next rainy season’s bounty, and learning more through classes and guided forays. Fortunately, the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden offers a Fungi of the Forest lecture in January with Bob Cummings. I will be there. In the meantime, please join me in doing a rain dance or two in hopes of a good season for our local edulis fungi.

Jennifer LeMay is a designer and artist who appreciates great local food. Her business, J. LeMay Studios, provides communication and design services. Visit JLeMay.com.

Cantharellus californicus, our native chanterelles, are often much larger than the chanterelles found in France.

Culinary Inspirations Remembering Geneviéve Fay

by Pascale Beale

Culinary inspirations and mentors come in all guises. Mine hailed from Normandy. Her name was Geneviéve Fay. She stood 5 feet 5 inches tall and was—until the last day of her life—always immaculate. With her jetblack hair elegantly coiffed, she personified elegance in the very French manner of her dress and etiquette, yet her sapphire-colored eyes often had a mischievous twinkle in them. She marshaled all those around her with an apparent ease that I always marveled at. She was my grandmother, and I adored her.

From her deft hands came the art of laying a beautiful table, an aperitif to tempt the palate, the ability to make guests feel at ease, and fragrant, sauce-rich meals that epitomized fine home cooking (more about that later).

Geneviéve Fay

Meals seemed to suddenly come together in her kitchen. She would often announce that dinner would be ready in 45 minutes, and I’d pop into her kitchen to see what she was making. Nothing would be cooking, not a pot on the stove? Ten minutes later, Vivaldi’s Four Seasons playing in the background, every single cupboard would be open (“so I can see everything I need,” she’d say), a battalion of pots bubbling and steaming away. Where had they been? How did she do that in so little time? The answer I soon came to learn was careful preparation of her ingredients earlier in the day—a classic mise en place, although she would never refer to it that way.

Born in the heartland of France’s luscious dairy farms, home to salty butter, crème fraiche and some decadent cheeses, her cuisine was classic French fare. My grandfather, on the other hand, came from Nice and the Cote d’Azur. His family’s culinary roots were firmly planted in the Mediterranean. My mother inherited and passed on the flavors of both cuisines. As a result, at home in London we ate an eclectic mix of Provençal-IndianClassic French-African dishes that ranged from dal, spiced plantain and onion tarts to canard à l’orange, gigot d’agneau and apple crumble—drawing upon the cultures that surrounded us there.

It was in this spicy melting pot that I learned to cook. My mother preferred the flavors of Provence and this was (and is) the food I felt at ease with, yet we would all yearn for Geneviéve’s classic dishes. Her lapin a la moutarde (see my article in the Fall 2011 issue for the recipe and the story behind it) was legendary in the family.

The journey to my grandparents’ home in the French Alps was a long one; some 1,100 kilometers separated us. I loved taking the overnight train from Paris, leaving from the imposing Gare de Lyon. You’d awaken the next morning to majestic alpine scenery unfolding before you as you listened to the clickety-clack of the train as it wove its way up the vertiginous valleys to the end of the line: Briançon—the highest “city” in Europe, situated at the confluence of four stunning valleys and just 11 kilometers from the Italian border.

My grandmother would always meet the train and on the drive home would describe what she was preparing for dinner. Our mouths would water. Could it be her quenelles à la crème, her roti de porc, escalopes à la crème or a tuite aux amandes? Reflecting back, our favorites all seemed to have lashings of crème fraiche and cheese in them, but she also made simple, light dishes such as steamed leeks with a vinaigrette, steamed courgettes with olive oil and grated Gruyere, a basket of crudités served with a plate of local charcuterie and a crisp green salad with chopped chives. If a meal necessitated a particular ingredient of Italian origin we would literally drive to Italy, up the stomach-churning mountain pass, to get it. The reward on the way back was the ultimate salty treat: skinny grissini (breadsticks), dotted with butter and wrapped with paper-thin slices of prosciutto. It was the only time we were allowed this tasty morsel.

My grandparents’ home was very formal. Even the simplest meal—al fresco on the terrace, for instance—would require a multitude of plates, glasses, silverware and platters for each dish. Yet I enjoyed the rituals that encompassed all her meals and the delicacy with which she orchestrated them. Even spending countless hours driving hither and yon for just such and such an ingredient was enjoyable, no doubt because it was just the two of us.

These memories weave a rich tapestry of family lore and have nourished and shaped my culinary journey. Her sensibilities have filtered their way into my daily life, and I treasure them.

A few years after Geneviéve died I was fortunate, very fortunate, to become friends with Julia Child. If my grandmother influenced the early flavors of my cooking, Julia inspired my desire to write about food. Her love of life, her curiosity and her enthusiasm were infectious. I realized as I spoke with her that she and Geneviéve had the same twinkle in their blue eyes. Julia had once said, “If you’re afraid of butter, use cream,” words my grandmother lived by. Bon appetit!

Pascale Beale grew up in England and France surrounded by a family that has always been passionate about food, wine and the arts. She was taught to cook by her French mother and grandmother. She is the author of A Menu for All Seasons—Spring, A Menu for All Seasons—Summer, A Menu for All Seasons—Fall and A Menu for All Seasons—Winter. Visit her website at PascalesKitchen.com.

Recipes

Gratin of Leeks with a Warm Vinaigrette

Makes 8 servings

Olive oil

8 leeks, outer leaves peeled away, root end trimmed and each leek cut into 1-inch pieces, using the white or light green part

Salt

Pepper

1 tablespoon pear champagne vinegar

Preheat the oven to 350°. Pour a little olive oil into a gratin or shallow baking dish. Stand all the leek pieces on end and pack them in so that they completely cover the bottom of the gratin dish. They should be tightly packed. Drizzle with a little olive oil, sprinkle with some salt and pepper and place in the center of the oven.

Bake for 20 minutes, then cover with foil and bake for another 20 minutes.

In a small bowl combine 3 tablespoons olive oil with 1 tablespoon vinegar. Whisk together and spoon over the hot leeks. Let stand for 5–10 minutes before serving.

Stuffed Provençal Leg of Lamb

Makes 10–14 servings

Olive oil

1 pound baby spinach

1 goat cheese log, approximately 6 ounces, cut up into small pieces

8–10 garlic cloves, peeled

Coarsely ground black pepper

1 whole leg of lamb, trimmed of all fat and butterflied but not tied

Sea salt

Herbes de Provence

10–12 Roma tomatoes, quartered

21 ⁄ 2 cups water or chicken stock

Red wine for deglazing the roasting pan

Preheat the oven to 425°.

In a large pan heat a tablespoon of olive oil. When hot, add the baby spinach and cook for 1–2 minutes, just until spinach is just wilted. Place spinach in a bowl with the goat cheese. Add a teaspoon of olive oil and 4 crushed cloves of garlic. Also add a good dose of ground black pepper. Mix all of the ingredients together to form a sort of paste. It will be sticky looking. (Continued on page 54)

Makes 8 servings

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup crème fraiche

1 cup whole milk

Pinch of ground nutmeg

Salt and pepper

2 cloves garlic

Butter for dish

pounds waxy potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced inch thick or less)

8 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 325°.

In a large bowl, mix the cream, crème fraiche, milk, nutmeg, salt and pepper.

Cut the garlic in half and rub the inside of a large baking dish with the garlic. Butter the baking dish so that it is well coated.

Line the bottom of the dish with a layer of the potatoes and sprinkle with some of the Gruyere. Dot the potatoes with a little butter. Repeat this: layer of potatoes covered with the Gruyere and dots of butter, until you use up all the potatoes. Pour cream mixture over the potatoes in the baking dish, making sure that they are almost completely submerged. Bake in the oven for 1 hour.

DECEMBER

WINTER EDIBLE EVENTS

FRIDAY DECEMBER 21

Speaker Series

6pm at Casa Dumetz, Los Alamos

“Words to Live By” Speaker Series with Theo Stephan of Global Gardens in Los Olivos. Talk about the local olive harvest and olive oil techniques with expert Theo Stephan. Wine by the glass or bottle will be available for purchase. 805 344-1900, CasaDuMetzwines.com

DECEMBER 25

Christmas Day

SATURDAY JANUARY 5

JANUARY 2013

THURSDAY JANUARY 24

Winemaker Duel Dinner

7pm at Los Olivos Cafe in Los Olivos

Join two local winemakers and enjoy a five-course meal prepared by Chef Chris Joslyn with “dueling” wines—one from each winemaker for each course. A unique opportunity to experience the various ways different varietals express themselves. $89. Contact Matt Williams at 805 688-7265 ext. 203 or email wine@BuySantaBarbaraWine.com

DECEMBER 8–16

Hanukkah

JANUARY 20 THROUGH JANUARY 26

Old Town Market

Wine Tasting

5–8:30pm at Old Town Market, 405 E. Clark Ave., Orcutt

Sample your favorite wine or even meet the winemaker at these wine tastings, which take place every Saturday night. 805 937-5619; OldTownMarket.net

Santa Ynez Valley Restaurant Week

Restaurants throughout the Santa Ynez Valley are offering special three-course tasting menus for the price of $20.12 (excluding tax, tip & beverages).

Restaurants include: Avant, Bell Street, Los Olivos Wine Merchant & Café, Root 246, Dos Carlitos and many others. Go to VisittheSantaYnezYalley.com/ RestaurantWeek for details.

JANUARY 24 THROUGH FEBRUARY 3

Santa Barbara International Film Festival

Visit SBIFF.org for a complete listing of screenings and special events.

WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 12

Paella Night

Cava Restaurant & Bar, Montecito

A weekly (every Wednesday) event. A 3-course Spanish dinner is offered and includes a glass of house-made Sangria or Segura Viudas Brut Cava and live flamenco guitar. $35. For reservations call 805 895-3395.

MONDAY DECEMBER 31

2nd Annual Black & Blue Ball

7:30pm at Avant in Buellton

Celebrate New Years Eve in blue jeans and/or black tie at Avant with a fivecourse meal (wines included), live music, dancing and a Champagne toast. $100, reservations required. Call 805 686-4742 for more information or reservations.

JANUARY 30 THROUGH FEBRUARY 24

Food Confessions Rubicon Theatre, 1006 E. Main St., Ventura

Looking for the perfect recipe for laughter? Food Confessions is a delicious, hilarious and original new play written by Santa Barbara resident Nancy Nufer. It combines a large helping of food, a dash of family and a whole lot of crazy. 805 667-2900; RubiconTheatre.org

FEBRUARY

FEBRUARY 15 THROUGH FEBRUARY 18

A Wine Fantasy in February

Santa Ynez Valley

This February passport event is an opportunity to become more familiar with some of your favorite Valley wineries. Take a self-guided tour to each winery, taste premium Santa Ynez Valley wines in the members’ intimate wine tasting rooms and enjoy complimentary hors d’oeuvres throughout the day. SantaYnezWineCountry.com

MARCH

WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 6

International Wine Region

Education Night: Rhone

6–7pm at Los Olivos Café in Los Olivos Sample vintages that highlight the terroir, climate and varieties of the Rhone region with sommelier Matt Williams. Includes light hors d’oeuvres. $25. Reservations suggested, contact Matt Williams at 805 688-7265 ext. 203 or wine@BuySantaBarbaraWine.com

MARCH 2–3

13th Annual World of Pinot Noir

The Cliffs Resort in Shell Beach

Bringing extraordinary Pinot Noir producers from around the globe together with Pinot Noir enthusiasts for a weekend celebration and education.

To purchase tickets for the tastings, seminars and dinners, go to WorldofPinotNoir.com

THURSDAY FEBRUARY 21

Open Bottle Night

6pm at Los Olivos Café in Los Olivos

Participating guests will bring their own bottle of wine ($30 and up from the Santa Ynez Valley) to share with other guests (no corkage fee). A three-course menu will be prepared by Chef Chris Joslyn. $29 (not including tax & gratuity). Reservations required. Contact Matt Williams at 805 688-7265 ext. 203 or wine@BuySantaBarbaraWine.com

FEBRUARY

14

Valentine’s Day

SUNDAY FEBRUARY 24

Bacara Rolls Out the Red Carpet for the Oscars

3–8pm at Bacara Resort & Spa

An evening of glitz and glamour, this event includes a red carpet moment, movie popcorn, candy and a comfortable seat in their 211-seat screening room. The “Best Dressed” winner will enjoy a two-night stay at the resort and dinner for two at Miró. Limited space, please RSVP to RSVP@BacaraResort.com.

MARCH 13–17

Taste of Solvang

Since 1993 Solvang has celebrated its rich culinary and cultural heritage with the Taste of Solvang Food & Wine Festival featuring local desserts, delicacies, wines and live entertainment. Advance ticket purchases are highly recommended and can be made online at SolvangUSA.com or call 800 719-9106 to purchase by phone.

MARCH

16–17

Edible Institute

Mar Monte Hotel, Santa Barbara

Edible Communities presents Edible Institute—a weekend of talks, presentations, workshops and local food & wine tastings by some of the local food movement’s most influential thinkers, writers and producers. Keynote speaker: Marian Nestle. Visit EdibleInstitute.com for more details.

WEDNESDAY MARCH 6

Evening with the Winemaker

5–7pm at Los Olivos Café in Los Olivos

Meet Ernst Storm of Curtis & Storm Wines and Chuck Carlson of Carlson Wines and taste their lineup of exceptional wines. $25 (excluding tax) includes light hors d’oeuvres. Reservations suggested, contact Matt Williams at 805 688-7265 ext. 203 or email wine@BuySantaBarbaraWine.com

MARCH

21–24

BBQ Bootcamp

Alisal Guest Ranch and Resort

Become an expert at barbecue. This four day/three night “bootcamp” at Alisal includes workshops with executive chef Pascal Godé and Hitching Post II owner Frank Ostini on grilling methods and equipment, barbecue instruction, special dinners with local celebrity chefs and winemakers and much more. 805 688-6411. Alisal.com

Dining Guide edible

Santa Barbara County has its own unique food traditions—from Santa Maria barbecue to Santa Barbara spot prawns and the world-class local wines that accompany them—so we’d like to help you find some of the area restaurants that create the distinctively Santa Barbara dining experience. Restaurants are invited to advertise in this guide because of their emphasis on local, seasonal ingredients and their commitment to real food.

South County

Backyard Bowls

Santa Barbara Locations:

331 Motor Way

805 845-5379

3849 State St., La Cumbre (next to Vons) 805 569-0011

Goleta Location:

5668 Calle Real 805 770-2730

BackyardBowls.com

Santa Barbara’s most innovative breakfast and lunch spot featuring Acai Bowls and smoothies. They also offer oatmeal, yogurt and more.

Bouchon

9 W. Victoria St.

Santa Barbara

805 730-1160

BouchonSantaBarbara.com

Bouchon sources all of its ingredients using an “asfresh-and-as-local-as-possible” approach. Experience fine dining, excellent regional wines and relaxed service in a warm, inviting ambience. Private dining in the Cork Room is available for groups of 10–20. Dinner nightly 5–10pm.

Cadiz

509 State St.

Santa Barbara 805 770-2760

CadizSB.com

Cadiz is a Southern Mediterranean restaurant and lounge serving fresh ingredients bought from local farmers markets by Executive Chef John Pettitt. Happy hour Tues–Fri 5–7pm; dinner Sun, Tues, Wed 5:30–9:30pm and Thur–Sat 5:30–10pm; late night dining Thur–Sat 10pm–midnight.

Carlitos Café y Cantina

1324 State St.

Santa Barbara 805 962-7117

Carlitos.com

Enjoy fresh Mexican cuisine across from the historic Arlington Theatre on State Street in a sun-filled patio while the beautiful dining room features lovely views and a Cantina stocked with 100% Blue Agave tequilas. Member Santa Barbara Sustainable Seafood Program. Open daily 11am–10pm.

Cava Restaurant & Bar

1212 Coast Village Rd. Montecito 805 969-8500

CavaRestaurant.com

Experience the bold flavors of superb Latin cuisine from Spain, Mexico and South America in a romantic setting in Montecito. Member Santa Barbara Sustainable Seafood Program. Open daily 11am–11pm, Sunday brunch 10am–3pm.

Coast Restaurant

31 W. Carrillo St.

Santa Barbara 805 879-9100

CanarySantaBarbara.com

Coast Restaurant and Bar offers savory, accessible comfort food in the heart of downtown Santa Barbara at the Canary Hotel. The food at Coast reflects Santa Barbara’s plentiful bounty of local seafood and farmers market produce. Restaurant serving 7am–10pm daily. Bar open daily until midnight.

Giannfranco’s Trattoria

666 Linden Ave. Carpinteria 805 684-0720

Giannfrancos.com

Experience authentic Italian regional cuisine at this family-owned and -operated trattoria in downtown Carpinteria. Chef Giovanni prepares each dish from the freshest local and imported foods to offer his creative take on Tuscan grill specialties. Weekday lunch served 11am–3pm. Weekend lunch served noon–3pm. Dinner served 5–9pm. Closed Tuesday.

Goodland Kitchen & Market

231 S. Magnolia Ave.

Old Town Goleta 805 845-4300

GoodlandKitchen.com

The Goodland Market is a grab-and-go eatery in Old Town Goleta, specializing in delicious, locally sourced and affordable meals. They prepare food in small batches and utilize produce from local farmers to provide an exceptional culinary experience. Mon–Fri 8am–2:30pm; Sat 8:30–2:30pm.

Miró

Bacara Resort & Spa

8301 Hollister Ave.

Goleta 805 968-0100

BacaraResort.com

Miró offers extraordinary New American cuisine and an interior inspired by the Spanish artist Miró and breathtaking views of the Pacific. Chef de Cuisine David Garwacki’s dishes are accented with unique international flavors. Miró Wine Cellar houses an extensive collection of wines spanning 13 countries and 75 international appellations.

Pizza Guru

3534 State St.

Santa Barbara 805 563-3250

PizzaGuru.com

Locally owned and operated, Pizza Guru serves traditional and eccentric gourmet pizzas, salads, panini and pastas made fresh daily from locally sourced, organic ingredients. They also specialize in vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free pizzas. Open Mon–Thurs 11am–9:30pm, Fri–Sun 11am–10pm.

Renaud’s Patisserie & Bistro

Loreto Plaza at 3315 State St.

Santa Barbara 805 569-2400

Arlington Plaza at 1324 State St.

Santa Barbara 805 892-2800

RenaudsBakery.com

Renaud’s is a bakery specializing in French pastries and French-style cakes, as well as a bistro offering an extensive menu for lunch and dinner. Arlington location open daily 7am–3pm; Loreto Plaza open Mon–Sat 7am–5pm, Sunday 7am–3pm.

Seagrass

30 E. Ortega St.

Santa Barbara 805 963-1012

SeagrassRestaurant.com

Seagrass offers a fresh Santa Barbara Coastal Cuisine fine dining experience, procuring the highest quality ingredients available and superior local bounty. Open Tues–Thu 5:30–9pm; Fri–Sat 5:30–10pm; Sun 5:30–9pm.

Silvergreens

791 Chapala St.

Santa Barbara 805 962-8500

900 Embarcadero del Mar

Isla Vista 805 961-1700

Silvergreens.com

Committed to sustainability and nutrition, Silvergreens offers a made-from-scratch menu with soups, salads and sandwiches using fresh, local ingredients. They are also Santa Barbara’s first Certififed Green Restaurant. Catering and School Lunch Program available.

Sly’s

686 Linden Ave.

Carpinteria 805 684-6666

SlysOnline.com

Sly’s is known for great food, with an emphasis on farmers market and local produce, great cocktails and great times in Carpinteria. Open Mon–Fri for lunch 11:30am–3pm, lounge menu weekdays 3–5pm, dinner Sun–Thur 5–9pm, Fri and Sat 5–10pm and weekend brunch & lunch Sat–Sun 9am–3pm.

Sojourner Café

134 E. Cañon Perdido St.

Santa Barbara 805 965-7922

SojournerCafe.com

The Sojourner has been serving unique dishes created with wholesome natural ingredients for over 30 years. They purchase organic produce from local growers, carry local wines and beers and are known for their innovative desserts. Serving lunch, dinner and weekend brunch. Open Sun–Wed 11am–10pm, Thurs–Sat 11am–11pm.

The Bistro

Bacara Resort & Spa

8301 Hollister Ave.

Goleta 805 968-0100

BacaraResort.com

The Bistro offers a casual and relaxed oceanside atmosphere with Mediterranean fusion cuisine that can be enjoyed indoors or al fresco. The Bistro provides exquisite cuisine while still catering to families.

The Wine Cask

813 Anacapa St.

Santa Barbara 805 966-9463

WineCask.com

The Wine Cask Restaurant offers fine dining in their exquisite Gold Room and the Wine Cask Bar Café offers casual dining in the courtyard, patio or by their cozy fireplace. Sample some of the finest wines of Santa Barbara County in their tasting room. Restaurant nightly from 5:30pm; bar and café Mon–Fri 11am–3pm, Sat–Sun 4–10pm; Tasting Room daily noon–6pm.

santa barbara

North County

Avant

35 Industrial Way

Buellton

805 686-9400

AvantWines.com

Avant offers seasonal full lunch and dinner menus; 52 wines available by the glass; winery tours and retail wine shop. Lunch daily 11am–3pm; dinner Sun–Thurs 5–9pm, Fri and Sun 5–10pm; Happy Hour Daily 3–5pm.

Bell Street Farm

Eatery & Market

406 Bell St.

Los Alamos

805 344-4609

BellStreetFarm.com

With farm-fresh cuisine and sophisticated yet comfortable design, Bell Street Farm offers a distinct environment to enjoy a meal, snack or a wine tasting. The market showcases picnic baskets and accessories for creating a portable meal, as well as gifts and merchandise from local artisans. Open Fri–Mon 10am–6pm.

Dos Carlitos Restaurant & Tequila Bar

3544 Sagunto St.

Santa Ynez

805 688-0033

DosCarlitosRestaurant.com

Dos Carlitos offers inspired Mexican and Latin cuisine handcrafted from the freshest ingredients to accompany its award-winning 100% Blue Agave margaritas. Dos Carlitos is a place to enjoy friends and family in a relaxed outdoor patio or casual indoor setting. Member Santa Barbara Sustainable Seafood Program. Open daily 11am–10pm.

Full of Life Flatbread

225 W. Bell St. Los Alamos 805 344-4400

FullofLifeFoods.com

On weekends Full of Life Flatbread converts their production flatbread bakery space into a restaurant and offers an extremely innovative menu based almost entirely on what is grown locally and in season. Open Thu–Sat 5–10pm, Sunday 4–8pm.

Los Olivos Wine Merchant & Café

2879 Grand Ave.

Los Olivos

805 688-7265

LosOlivosCafe.com

The Los Olivos Wine Merchant & Café brings together the best flavors of the Central Coast. Their awardwinning wine list offers over 500 wines, primarily from Central Coast winemakers, to enjoy with their fresh, seasonal and local cuisine, or to enjoy at home. Open for lunch and dinner daily 11:30am–8:30pm.

Root 246

420 Alisal Rd.

Solvang 805 686-8681

Root-246.com

Root 246 in Solvang offers a full menu of farm-to-table creations and one of the most extensive selections of local wine. The contemporary yet comfortable setting includes a main dining room, a “chefs room” for private dining, two lounges and an outdoor patio. Wed–Sun: bar opens at 4pm with dinner at 5pm.

Succulent Café & Trading Company

1555 Mission Drive

Solvang 805 691-9444

SucculentCafe.com

Succulent Café is a family-owned business specializing in handcrafted and artisan culinary goods. Featuring buttermilk biscuit sandwiches at breakfast, gourmet sandwiches and salads at lunch and unique local-centric plates at dinner. Lunch Wed–Sun 11am–3pm; breakfast Sat–Sun 9am–2pm; dinner Thu–Sat 6–9pm.

The Hitching Post II

406 E. Highway 246 Buellton 805 688-0676

HitchingPost2.com

From Santa Maria–style barbecue to more contemporary cuisine such as smoked duck breast, ostrich, homemade soups and outstanding pastries, The Hitching Post II also offers their own world-class Hartley Ostini Hitching Post Wines. Open daily except major holidays. Cocktails/wine tasting Mon–Fri at 4pm, Sat–Sun at 3pm. Dinners only Mon–Fri 5–9:30pm, Sat–Sun 4–9:30pm.

SANTA BARBARA

The Supper Club brings together a small group of people for prix fixe dinners at one of the restaurants in this guide.

Come to our next Supper Club

edible institute 2013

March 16 & 17

Santa Barbara, California

local food & wine tastings with some of the food movement’s most influential thinkers, writers, and producers.

Keynote Speaker:

Marian Nestle, Ph.D., M.P.H., is the Paulette Goddard Professor of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health at New York University. She is the author of numerous book and articles in professional publications.

Topics, Panels and Workshops:

• Food Safety

• Sustainable Meat

• Hacking the Food System

• Ocean Acidification

• Food Writing & Blogging

Edible Food & Drink Gala Celebrating the Best of Santa Barbara Local Food and Drink

For the latest information about the speakers, topics, conference details and how to purchase tickets, go to EdibleInstitute.com or scan the code below:

edible Source Guide

The Edible Source Guide is a compact listing of all of our advertisers with a description of what they do and the details of their businesses. Please visit these advertisers to pick up your free copy of Edible Santa Barbara and let them know how much you appreciate their support of Edible Santa Barbara. You can find this source guide online at EdibleSantaBarbara.com.

BREWERIES AND DISTILLERIES

Telegraph Brewing Company

Handcrafting unique American ales that embrace the heritage of California’s early brewing pioneers and use as many locally grown ingredients as possible. Visit the tasting room Thursday 4–6pm, Friday 4–8pm, Saturday 2–6pm. Telegraph beer is available at many restaurants and grocery stores in Santa Barbara County and throughout California. TelegraphBrewing.com

CATERERS AND CHEFS

New West Catering

Uniting the artistry of fine restaurant cuisine with the versatility of full-service catering, New West Catering is your unparalleled choice for special events in the Santa Barbara County wine country and beyond. 805 688-0991; NewWestCatering.com

Nimita’s Cuisine

Nimita Dhirajlal delights in sharing the art of Indian vegetarian cooking using organic, local ingredients. She offers classes, catering, weekly deliveries, as well as prepared foods such as curry, daal, chutney and raita. NimitasCuisine.com

COMMERCIAL KITCHEN SPACE

Goodland Kitchen

Goodland Kitchen, located in downtown Goleta, rents the use of its licensed and insured facility on an hourly basis to local food producers and re-packagers. It is also available as a teaching venue and for special event food processing. 805 845-4300; GoodlandKitchen.com

FARMERS MARKETS

Santa Barbara Certified Farmers Market

Eight markets, six days a week. See schedule on the inside front cover. 805 962-5354; SBFarmersMarket.org

FARMS AND RANCHES

Drake Family Farms

Making locally produced farmstead artisan goat cheese in Ontario, California. At Drake Family Farms every goat has a name and their goat cheeses are made on the farm with milk exclusively from the farm’s own animals. Available at local farmers markets and at DrakeFamilyFarms.com

Fat Uncle Farms

Fat Uncle Farms grows almonds in Wasco, just northwest of Bakersfield, and they sell fresh whole raw almonds as well as roasted and flavored almonds and many other almond products at the Saturday, Tuesday, Friday and Thursday farmers markets. 866 290-0219; FatUncleFarms.wordpress.com

Rancho San Julian Beef

Rancho San Julian Beef produces high quality beef from cattle raised humanely and healthfully on an agriculturally sustainable ranch in Santa Barbara County. Available at

the following farmers markets: Saturday in Santa Barbara 8:30am–12:30pm, Tuesday in Santa Barbara 3–6:30pm and Friday in Montecito 8–11:30am as well as at RSJBeef.com

The Cultured Abalone Farm

Make an impression this season with a baker’s dozen gift box of live, market-sized abalone, sustainably raised and harvested here in Goleta. $125 includes shipping within California. For more info or to place an order call 805 685-1956.

FOOD PRODUCTS

Full of Life Flatbread All Natural Pizza

Each of their frozen line of artisan flatbread pizzas is handmade by their bakers in small batches. Almost all of their ingredients are sourced local from growers and artisans, which reduces food-miles, helps the environment and ensures high quality. Available at grocery and natural food stores throughout the country. FullofLifeFoods.com

Green Star Coffee

Green Star Coffee sources only the finest Certified Organic Fair Trade coffees and teas from the premier growing regions around the world. GreenStarCoffee.com

Joëlle Olive Oil

Joëlle Olive Oil offers a full line of fresh, cold-pressed, extra-virgin olive oil estate grown in California. Award winning in international competitions, all of their oils are unfiltered, extra-virgin and date-stamped for year of production. JoelleOil.com

Ocean Ranch Organics

Granola handcrafted in small batches using organic and natural ingredients. High in protein, calcium, iron, fiber and Omega 3 oils. OceanRanchOrganics.com

Simply Pies

Simply Pies specializes in delicious organic pies, potpies, quiches and cheesecakes that are handcrafted with fresh, local organic ingredients. Vegan, gluten free and sugar free options. Open Tuesday–Friday 7:30am–5:30pm; Saturday 10am–5:30pm. 5392 Hollister Ave., Santa Barbara. 805 845-2200; Email: orders@simplypiessb.com; SimplyPiesSB.com

Vibrant Earth Juices

Vibrant Earth Juices are liquid nutrition from the ground up. Offering freshly pressed, raw, organic juices and juice cleanses. Please visit their newly opened juice bar inside Plow to Porch. VibrantEarthJuices.com

GROCERY STORES & PRODUCE DELIVERY

Isla Vista Food Co-op

A community-owned food co-op open to the public and highly regarded for its sustainable business practices and high-quality foods. Highlighting tri-county local, organic, fair-trade, farmer-owned, vegan, vegetarian, kosher, raw, gluten-free and all-around sustainable ways of being. Open daily 8am–10pm. 6575 Seville Rd., Isla Vista. 805 968-1401; IslaVistaFood.coop

GROCERY STORES & PRODUCE DELIVERY

Continued from page 61

Lazy Acres

Tecolote Book Shop

De Su Propia Cosecha Winery and Tasting Room

Now Open Fri–Sun: 11am–5pm

The Newest Tasting Room in the Lompoc Wine Ghetto 1501 E Chestnut Ct. Suite A “of one’s own harvest”

For more info contact Deanna at 805-345-9355

Mention this ad and get 2 for 1 tasting

Santa Barbara’s best source for wholesome, natural and organic foods and products with real people dedicated to providing unmatched personal service. Monday–Saturday, 7am–11pm, Sunday 7am–10pm. 302 Meigs Rd., Santa Barbara; 805 564-4410; LazyAcres.com

Los Olivos Grocery

Los Olivos Grocery offers a wide selection of local products, wines, beers and produce. Their delicatessen is a valley favorite, with a wide lunch menu. Breakfast is served on their enclosed patio. Friday, Saturday and Sunday, BBQ is offered. Open daily 7am–9pm; 2621 W. Highway 154, Santa Ynez; 805 688-5115; LosOlivosGrocery.com

New Frontiers Natural Marketplace

New Frontiers Natural Marketplace is a full service natural foods grocery store and deli. Located in Solvang at 1984 Old Mission Dr. (corner of Alamo Pintado and Mission Dr.); 805 693-1746; NewFrontiersMarket.com

Pacific Health Foods

Offering organic groceries, vitamins, a helpful staff and the best smoothies in town. Open Monday–Friday 9am–6pm; Saturday 10am–6pm. Located at 944 Linden Ave., Carpinteria; 805 684-2115; PacificHealthFood.com

Plow to Porch Organics

Local organic/pesticide free/chemical free and all natural produce delivery service and organic market. The market carries a wide array of seasonal and local produce, meat and food products and is located at 3204 State St., Santa Barbara. Open Monday–Friday 10am–7pm. 805 895-7171; PlowToPorch.com

Whole Foods Market

Founded in 1980 in Austin, Texas, Whole Foods Market, a leader in the natural and organic foods industry and America’s first national certified organic grocer, was named “America’s Healthiest Grocery Store” in 2008 by Health magazine. 3761 State St., Santa Barbara; 805 837-6959; WholeFoodsMarket.com

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

American Riviera Bank

Offering a local and sustainable approach to banking. The founders of American Riviera Bank are a carefully selected group of successful, prominent, experienced and influential community and business leaders who understand the unique needs of the Santa Barbara community. Monday–Thursday 8am–5pm, Friday 8am–6pm. 1033 Anacapa St., Santa Barbara; 805 965-5942. AmericanRivieraBank.com

Center for Sustainable Medicine

Specializing in nutrition, allergies, weight management, women’s health and preventative medicine. Dr. Andrea Seiffertt, DO, o steopathic physician, Board Certified in Internal Medicine, Certified Ayurvedic Practitioner. 805 245-4291; OnePlanetOneHealth.com

Integrative Medicine Center of Santa Barbara

The Integrative Medicine Center of Santa Barbara is a primary care medical clinic, balancing modern conventional medicine with alternative healing. Santa Barbara office: 601 E. Arrellaga Suite 101; 805 963-1824. IntegrativeMmedicineCenters.com

Nest

Nest is an integrative medicine spa combining the best of conventional and natural therapies. Dr. Kristi Wrightson ND, RD along with her staff of professionals offer services from preventative primary care to anti-aging treatments,

specializing in women's health and hormones, optimal weight control and detoxification. 523 Chapala St., #2, Santa Barbara; 805 770-2607

Rabobank

Rabobank is a valued financial partner for thousands of individuals, businesses, farmers and ranchers, food and agribusiness companies and other select institutions in many California communities, meeting the financial needs of local families, businesses and organizations with great banking products and personalized service. RabobankAmerica.com

Scent From Heaven

Amy Bacheller, M.Ed, NC, CMT is honored to offer classes, private consults and individual healing sessions in Santa Barbara as part of her Scent From Heaven holistic healing practice. Amy specializes in essential oils and raw foods. 415 450-5000; ScentFromHeaven-sb.com

RESTAURANTS

See our Edible Dining Guide on page 58.

SCHOOLS

Santa Barbara Montessori School

The main objective of the SB Montessori School is to provide a carefully planned, stimulating environment to help children develop the habits, attitudes and skills essential for a lifetime of creative thinking and learning. 7421 Mirano Dr.; 805 685-7600; SBMontessori.com

SPECIALTY RETAILERS & PRODUCTS

Chocolate Maya

Chocolate Maya scours the world for pure, luscious chocolates and offers incredible savory bars, truffles, bonbons and gift baskets as well as a wide choice of organic and fair trade chocolate products. Monday–Friday 10am–6pm, Saturday 10am–5pm, Sunday 10am–4pm. 15 W. Gutierrez St., Santa Barbara. 805 965-5956; ChocolateMaya.com

C’est Cheese

Your local source for the finest cheeses and artisanal foods. In addition to cheese, they offer a host of gourmet foods such as salamis, fine cured hams, olive oils and vinegars, wines, handmade chocolates, catering services, gift baskets and picnic coolers. Monday–Friday 10am–6pm. Saturday 8am–6pm. Closed Sundays. 825 Santa Barbara St., Santa Barbara. 805 965-0318; CestCheese.com

Garlic Gold

USDA certified organic, artisanal, gourmet line of handcrafted garlic condiments including oils, vinaigrettes and seasonings. Products sold at a variety of fine grocers and markets. 800 695-7673; GarlicGold.com

Grapeseed Company

The Grapeseed Company creates botanical spa and skin care products handcrafted from the byproduct of wine plus antioxidant-rich local and organic ingredients. Flagship store in downtown Santa Barbara: 201 W. Carrillo St.: open Monday–Saturday 10:30am–5:30pm. Warehouse store in Carpinteria: 4193 Carpinteria Ave #9: open Monday and Thursday–Saturday 10:30am–5:30pm. 805 456-3655; TheGrapeseedCompany.com

Herban Essentials

Herban Essentials uses the highest-quality, 100% pure, therapeutic-grade, steam-distilled or cold-pressed essential oils to make their line of essential oil towelettes, available in Orange, Lemon, Lavender, Peppermint, Eucalyptus, Pet and Yoga. HerbanEssentials.com

Here’s the Scoop

Here’s the Scoop offers the finest gelato and sorbet made fresh daily from local farms and farmers market fruit. They specialize in seasonal flavors as well as traditional Italian flavors. Monday–Thursday 1–9pm. Friday–Saturday 12–10pm and Sun 12–9pm. 1187 Coast Village Rd., Montecito. 805 969-7020; ScoopSB.com

Olive Hill Farm

Gus Sousoures has been making his olive oils for many years in the Santa Ynez Valley and now you can taste and buy them, along with other oils, vinegars and gourmet food products at his cozy store in Los Olivos. Open daily 11am–5:30pm. 2901 Grand Ave, Los Olivos; 805 693-0700; OliveHillFarm.com

Tecolote Bookstore

Tecolote Bookstore is an independent bookstore located in the upper village of Montecito at 1470 East Valley Rd.. Open Monday–Friday 10am–5:30pm, Saturday 10am5pm, closed Sundays. 805 969-4977

WINERIES AND WINE RETAILERS

Alma Rosa

With certified organic vineyards in the Sta. Rita Hills, Alma Rosa focuses on Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, as well as other food friendly wines with the high acid and extraordinary balance for which Richard Sanford’s wines have been known since 1976. Open 11am–4:30pm daily. 7250 Santa Rosa Rd., Buellton. 805 688-9090; AlmaRosaWinery.com

Au Bon Climat Tasting Room and the Jim Clendenen Wine Library

Celebrating 30 years of winemaking in Santa Barbara County, Au Bon Climat is world renowned for beautifully balanced and elegant Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The tasting room features a large selections of cellar aged library wines and Jim Clendenen’s eclectic smaller labels. Open daily noon–6pm; 813 Anacapa St., Santa Barbara, next to the Wine Cask. 805 845-8435; AuBonClimat.com

Avant

Avant is the tasting room for over 30 vintners producing their wine at the Terravant Wine Company’s state-of-the-art production facility. Open for tasting Monday, Thursday and Sunday 11am–9pm, Friday–Saturday 11am–11pm. 35 Industrial Way, Buellton. 805 686-9400; AvantWines.com

Buttonwood Farm Winery

In 1968 Betty Williams came to Buttonwood, creating a life that found expression through a connection with the land. The vineyard now has 33,000 vines with a mix of Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Marsanne, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Syrah. Visit the tasting room at 1500 Alamo Pintado Rd., Solvang. Open 11am–5pm daily. 805 688-3032; ButtonwoodWinery.com

Cambria Estate Winery

Farming for over 25 years, Cambria specializes in Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. They are committed to sustainable practices in both the vineyard and in the winery. Visit the tasting room 10am–5pm. 5475 Chardonnay Lane, Santa Maria; 805 938-7318; CambriaWines.com

Casa Dumetz

Making wine from their organic vineyard in Malibu and from the Tierra Alta vineyard in Santa Ynez. Visit Babi’s tasting room Thursday noon–7pm, Friday–Saturday 11am–7pm, Sunday 11am–6pm or by appointment. 448 Bell St., Los Alamos. 805 344-1900; CasaDumetzWines.com

De Su Propia Cosecha

De Su Propia Cosecha, which means ‘of one’s own harvest,’ has opened a tasting room at the Lompoc Wine Ghetto at 1501 E. Chestnut St., Suite A. Open Friday–Sunday 11am–5pm. 805 345-9355; DeSuPropiaCosecha.com

Cinque Stelle Winery

Cinque Stelle (“Five Stars” in Italian) is a family owned and operated winery. Stop by their tasting room to taste several varietals including Albarino, Pinot Grigio, Pinot Noir and Syrah, among others. 2445 Alamo Pintado Ave, Los Olivos; 805 688-4101. CinqueStelleWinery.com

Foxen Winery & Vineyard

Bill Wathen and Dick Doré have been making wine together since 1985, when they founded Foxen Winery & Vineyard at the historic Rancho Tinaquaic in northern Santa Barbara County. Visit the two tasting rooms at 7200 and 7600 Foxen Canyon Rd., Santa Maria. Open daily 11am–4pm. 805 937-4251; FoxenVineyard.com

Los Olivos Wine Merchant & Cafe

The Wine Merchant specializes in premium California wines with a focus on highlighting the Central Coast. They feature Bernat Wines, which are estate grown and made by owner Sam Marmorstein. In addition they carry a line of signature gourmet products. Open daily 11:30am–8:30pm. 2879 Grand Ave., Los Olivos. 805 688-7265; LosOlivosCafe.com

Qupé

For 30 years, Qupé has been dedicated to producing handcrafted Rhône varietals and Chardonnay from California’s Central Coast. Employing traditional winemaking techniques and biodynamic farming practices, Qupe’s wines are true to type and speak of their vineyard sources. Tasting room is open daily 11am–5pm. 2963 Grand Ave., Suite B, Los Olivos; 805 686-4200; Qupe.com

Riverbench Vineyard & Winery

Since 1973 Riverbench has produced some of Santa Barbara County’s finest Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes. With their initial harvest in 2006, they have now begun producing their own wines with winemaker Chuck Ortman. Tasting room is open 10am–4pm daily. 6020 Foxen Canyon Rd., Santa Maria. 805 937-8340; Riverbench.com

The Good Life

A craft beer and wine cellar featuring California craft beers and central coast wines. Open daily Sunday–Wednesday 12–9pm, Thursday–Saturday 12–11pm. 1672 Mission Dr. (Hwy 246) Solvang. TheGoodLifeCellar.com

The Hitching Post II

The Hitching Post II offers their own world-class Hartley Ostini Hitching Post Wines. Open daily except major holidays. Cocktails/wine tasting at 4pm, dinners only 5–9:30pm. 406 E. Highway 246, Buellton. 805 688-0676; HitchingPost2.com

The Winehound

The award-winning Winehound features the world’s best wines—from the everyday to a luxury cuvée—all top dogs, no mutts. Open 11am–7pm Monday through Saturday, noon–6pm Sunday. 1221 Chapala St., Santa Barbara. 805 845-5247; TheWinehound.com

Wine Cask Tasting Room

Wine Cask partner Doug Margerum has brought his wines to downtown Santa Barbara, including his Margerum Wine Company wines, Happy Canyon Vineyards wines and Cimarone/Three Creek Vineyards and CENT ’ANNI, as well as a selection of imported wines. Wine tasting is available from noon to 6pm every day. 813 Anacapa St., Santa Barbara; 805 966-9463; MargerumWineCompany.com

Zaca Mesa Winery & Vineyards

Zaca Mesa is a Santa Ynez Valley estate winery dedicated to Rhone varieties. Since 1972, they have handcrafted wines from grapes grown in their vineyards to express their distinct character and genuine quality. Open daily 10am–4pm. 6905 Foxen Canyon Rd., Los Olivos. 805 688-9339 ext. 308; ZacaMesa.com

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THE LAST BITE edible Santa Barbara

Eats Local in Italy

Last fall we took an intrepid group of 10 like-minded foodies for a culinary tour to Piemonte, Italy. Our intent was to learn more about the region’s local food and beverage traditions. We visited small family wineries and farms, toured craft breweries and ate consistently fabulous food. We were struck by the abundance of local and artisanal foods and beverages. But above all, it was the people that we met and

the experiences we had that touched our souls. We learned what it is like to eat local in Piemonte, and we came back to Santa Barbara all the richer for it.

You can read more about the trip in the blog entries at EdibleSantaBarbara.com under the Events section under Edible Tour.

At top: The stunning scenery in the Langhe region of Piemonte, Italy. Above from left: Craft brewery, Grado Plato’s Chocarrubica beer; Nebbiolo grapes growing in Barolo; Castello di Razzano in Monferrato; Sheep’s milk cheeses from the farm of Silvio Pistone; Truffle hunt with Giorgio Cardani and his dog, Zara.

Rancho San Julian Beef, Lompoc, CA

Cambria Estate Winery is a proud supporter of local purveyors such as Rancho San Julian of Lompoc. Elizabeth Poett, an 8th generation cattle rancher, and her family, raise cattle using sustainable grazing methods without the use of corn, hormones, or antibiotics.

As a Certified Sustainable winery, Cambria partners with others in the community to promote organic and sustainable farming. cambriawines.com

ELIZABETH POETT, RANCHER

©2012

Cambria Winery, Santa Maria, CA