Top Chefs Find Inspiration Close To Home
Celebrated chefs Wolfgang Puck, Nancy Silverton, Gerald Hirigoyen and Martin Yan are known and active the world over, but they all call California home. For their awardwinning restaurants, product lines, cookbooks and TV shows, they draw inspiration from the bountiful fresh ingredients the Golden State has to offer. “California is my favorite place in the world to cook,” said Puck. “The climate is such that we can get the best ingredients - the freshest produce, fish, nuts - with so much flavor.” It’s this same culinary opportunity that drew French-born Hirigoyen, the chef and owner of Piperade in San Francisco, to California. “The food revolution - knowing where food comes from, how nutritious it is, and supporting the people who grow it - was happening in California, so I came to progress, and with all we have available, continue to progress.” One California crop that has captured these chefs’ collective imagination of late? Pistachios. “I find their flavor and crunch irresistible and I love the color,” said L.A.-based chef Silverton. “It’s really easy to add pistachios to almost anything you make. Their flavor enhances other ingredients so well, but they can also be the star of a dish.” 36
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“The great thing about pistachios is they are just the right size, and they add flavor, color and texture to your dish, on top of all the nutritional benefits,” said Yan. Long a popular snack, the trend of using pistachios for cooking appears to be spreading beyond California. American Pistachio Growers, the trade organization of pistachio farmers in the western United States, reports the sale of pistachio kernels, or unshelled nuts, domestically has risen 14%, and represents 22% of all pistachio sales. Representatives cite the reason as a combination of the increase in people preparing meals at home since the outbreak of COVID-19, and the desire for healthy ingredients. Pistachios are nutrient-dense and high in protein. Earlier this year, pistachios earned the status of being a “complete protein,” making them popular among people following a plant-based diet. In July, a university study underscored the importance of pistachios as part of weight-loss programs. With the world’s top chefs adding more pistachio-inspired dishes to their menus, the little green nut is suddenly red hot. But don’t worry about there being a shortage. This year’s American pistachio harvest yielded a record-setting one billion pounds. (BPT)
