I just bought 10 pounds of the largest chanterelles I've ever seen. It has been a slow mushroom season due to the drought. These came from Santa Barbara County. The best way to enjoy them is a simple sauté of mushrooms with a touch of garlic and shallots.
When I first came to Santa Barbara in 1981, almost nobody was harvesting wild mushrooms. A woodland sprite of 80 something names Francis Dwight introduced me to the local cantherellus californicus and the rest is culinary history. I harvested and brokered some 6 tons in the 1983-84 season and in 1984 escorted Julia Child on a chanterelle foray in the local oak woods.
I have added a few more recipes for the Gerd Jordano episode of The Inn Crowd. The sauce vierge was originally from chef Michele Guérard. *Michel Guérard (born 27 March 1933 in Vétheuil, Val-d'Oise) is a French chef, author, one of the founders of nouvelle cuisine, and the inventor of cuisine minceur. The sauce originally had fresh black truffles and is great when budget permits. It works well with many seafood items such as salmon, scallops, swordfish, sea bass and the like.
*Wikipedia
The melba sauce, invented by Chef Escoffier, was named after the opera singer Nellie Melba ( as was Melba toast). It is a versatile sauce used in many pastry presentations. I make it in batches and freeze it for future use.
Craig Case, host of The Inn Crowd, welcomes Gerd Jordano to the kitchen at the Crossroads Estate in the picturesque Santa Ynez Valley. Foley Food and Wine Society is our host and provides wines from their vast portfolio. Gerd is active in philantropy in the community and is the wife of Pete Jordano. The Jordano's are celebrating 100 years of their namesake company, Jodano's. Jordano's is a food and beverage distribution company based in Santa Barbara, California. Gerd brings her charm and love of food to this episode of The Inn Crowd.
From the Jordao's web page: "The Mission of Jordano's Inc. is to be the premier marketer and supplier of food, beverages, and culinary equipment in the Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, and Ventura County area. We work to achieve this mission by building long-term relationships with the people who can make it a reality. For Our Customers: We will offer a complete line of the highest quality products supported by the most professional sales and service team in the Tri-Counties. For Our Employees: We will provide a safe and positive working environment with open communication and opportunities for growth and financial gain. For Our Stockholders: We will maximize company value through profitable growth and stable long-term return on their investment. For Our Suppliers: We will provide a mutually beneficial level of marketing and support and a commitment to maintaining the quality and integrity of their products. For Our Community: We will act as a responsible corporate citizen and support local programs through contributions of time and resources.
Pride, Respect, and Integrity are our Core Values: in our people and will work diligently to ensure that these values are upheld in the way we conduct our business."
Official "Tasters"
I selected a few of my California-French classics from my restaurant era at Michael's Waterside. The first course features an avocado terrine that when cut looks like Italian marble. I liken it to a French version of guacamole. A salmon course follows with fussy vegetable pearls cut with a mini melon baller and is set on a spinach nest. The dessert course is like a baked Alaska except there is no cake or ice cream and is served cold with fresh fruits.
Put on your apron, grab your food processor and hang on to your whisk. We have 30 episodes coming to you this year. I'll provide the recipes, the rest is up to you. See you in the kitchen.
Tastefully,
Chef Michael Hutchings
Young Lettuces and Avocado Terrine
Avocado Terrine
Salmon Escalope on Vegetable Pearls
Baked Meringe and Fresh Fruits
"Tasting"
All recipes copyright 2015 Michael Hutchings, All Rights Reserved
Photo Credits William Conlin YTS Video Productions
We have guests visiting from Wisconsin this evening so we went to the wharf in Santa Barbara. I had a nice conversation with a lobster-crab fisherman. He was quite happy to give us a bunch of the local crab and we're having a little crab boil with local beef, morel mushrooms and an array of vegetables from the local farmers market. The fisherman was unable to sell the crabs he gave us as they had only one claw. There is a practice now of removing one claw and returning them to the ocean. This is common practice in the Gulf but the crab is less desirable for foreign (Chinese) markets. The reason being is that the easy, tasty meat is in the claws.
We are catering an event for UCSB Arts and Lectures. Ina Garten is the star this evening. We did a menu based on her recipes posted on the Food Network channel.
Craig Case, host of The Inn Crowd, welcomes Adrian Spence to the kitchen at the Crossroads Estate in the picturesque Santa Ynez Valley. Foley Food and Wine Society is our host and provides wines from their vast portfolio. Adrian Spence is the musical director of the Camarata Pacifica as well as a superb flutist. Adrian brings tales and legends of Ireland and a little history to this episode. YTS Digital Films produced and directed and produced this show.
Under the leadership of Adrian Spence, Camerata Pacifica has become one of the most notable chamber music organizations in the country, distinctive not only for its exceptional artistic quality, but also for its dynamic sense of community. Spence carefully selected the group’s exceptional international artists over the course of many seasons, giving them the rehearsal and performance environment necessary to form an ensemble unique in style and sensibility. The bond between the artists is clear, as is theirs with the audience. The Los Angeles Times recently highlighted the emphasis of Spence’s work: “What was out of the ordinary was the wildly enthusiastic response that each work received. Whatever it’s doing, Camerata Pacifica seems to be cultivating a passionate audience – and that’s good news.”
Photo A. De Jesus
The menu was based on my interpretation of some classical Irish dishes. I took the colcannon potato and have turned it into a sauce for a whiskey marinated salmon, The main course is an updated version of Irish Stew that using components of the dish in new ways. The dessert combines Bailey's Irish Cream with chocolate and caramel with fresh raspberries, caramel and raspberry sauces.
Put on your apron, grab your food processor and hang on to your whisk. We have 30 episodes coming to you this year. I'll provide the recipes, the rest is up to you. See you in the kitchen.
Tastefully,
Chef Michael Hutchings
Salmon "Colcannon: Photo W. Conlin
"Irish Stew" Photo W. Conlin
Camarata Chocolate Bar Photo W. Conlin
All recipes copyright 2015 Michael Hutchings, All Rights Reserved
We are catering an event for UCSB Arts and Lectures. Ina Garten is the star this evening. We did a menu based on her recipes posted on the Food Network channel.
I'm doing a advanced pastry class at the local city college on Monday evenings and we're doing apple desserts apple Tart Tatin, Dutch apple pie and flat apple tart.
I made a late night delivery for private aviation catering. There are over 250 private jets here in Monterey for the AT&T ProAm golf tournament. I am helping Chef Kurt Grasing, chef-owner of Grasings in Carmel, California. THis is a specilized niche in catering and requires both culinary craft as well as great timing.
I am in Monterey helping my friend Kurt Grasing cater to some 80 private jests. There's a big proam golf tournament this weekend. I have spent 4 hours getting one order ready for IBM. Chef Michael
Craig Case, Michael Hutchings, Father Larry Gosselin
Photo W. Conlin
Craig Case, host of The Inn Crowd, welcomes Father Larry Gosselin to the kitchen at the Crossroads Estate in the picturesque Santa Ynez Valley. Father Larry is an associate pastor at the Old Santa Barbara Mission. The Santa Barbara Mission was established on the Feast of Saint Barbara, December 4, 1786 and was the tenth of twenty-one California Missions to be founded by the Spanish Franciscans.
Old Santa Barbara Mission Photo Wikipedia
More than 200 years later, the Mission continues to be the chief cultural and historic landmark in the city of Santa Barbara. Home to a community of Franciscan friars, the Mission also has a retreat center with guest rooms, conference rooms, and a fully equipped commercial kitchen and dining room; a beautiful church with a large and active parish ; a museum and gift shop; a cemetery and mausoleum; and ten acres of beautifully landscaped gardens. The Mission's commanding position and grand proportions, graceful lines and soft, blending colors all reinforce her title, "Queen of the Missions."
The menu was based on some of my classic recipes from Michael's Waterside restaurant (1984-1993). We begin with a house made spinach tagliatelle pasta tossed in a basil pesto cream with prosciutto, pine nuts, sun dried tomatoes and parmesan. This dish was named in honor of a very dear patron, John Huganin. John was a dear, affable stock broker from Montecito. He had this appetizer almost every time he dined at Michael's Waterside. Finally one day I mentioned that the dish was renamed in his honor.
Canard (dusk) Juliette is a Roux classic. In their version, the duck is served in two stages. First the breast is served on the light side of medium with a julienne of leeks and carrots with an orange scented duck jus. In Roux's version the legs were served as a second course, cooked crispy, and garnished with a salad of curly endive. My version uses only the duck breast.
The apple tart Tatin in my most favored dessert. It is on my "last meal" list. I have three different methods of preparing the dish. The classic is to place butter and sugar in a pan and add apples, lost of peeled, cored apples. The cooking process and slow as more apples are pushed into the pan until you have an almost solid puck of caramelized apples that are then topped with a circle of puff pastry and baked in the oven. In all, it takes about 1 hour to cook this version. The "Tatin Minute" is the method I used for this menu. Butter and sugar are place in a heavy bottom saute pan, apples are peeled, halved and cored then set round side down in the pan, some water added and the heat turned up to caramelize the sugar and brown the apples. Finally the puff pastry lid is placed on top and it is baked about 15-20 minutes until the pastry is crisp. The last method from pastry Chef Christine Dahl. CHef Dahl makes a caramel sauce, peels, halves, cores and slices the apple. Caramel is placed in and individual mold, topped with apples and a puff pastry lid and baked. All three are delicious! Click hear for the history of the tart Tatin: "Tart des Demoiselles Tatin."
Put on your apron, grab your food processor and hang on to your whisk. We have 30 episodes coming to you this year. I'll provide the recipes, the rest is up to you. See you in the kitchen.
Tastefully,
Chef Michael Hutchings
Pasta Huganin Photo W. Conlin
Duck Breast Juliette Photo W. Conlin
Tart Tatin Minute Photo W. Conlin
All recipes Copyright Michael Hutchings 2015 All Rights Reserved
Thanks to the crew at YTS for the directing, filming filming and editing The Inn Crowd.
It is a delight to be noticed for doing something you love to do. Next week, Chef Sly of Sly's in Carpinteria, CA will be a guest on the show. Food with be tossed, fried, filleted and flambéd in the old style.
Join Host Craig Case and myself Saturday evenings at 6:30 on the local ABC affiliate station KEY channel 3 or on the web at The Santa Barbara News Press.
Special thanks to our production company, YTS Video Productions and William Conlin for the photographs.
Chefs Sly and Hutchings, Craig Case PhotoW. Conlin
Craig Case of The Inn Crowd welcomes Chef James Sly, owner of Sly's restaurant in Carpinteria, CA. This is chef Sly's second appearance onThe Inn Crowd and we are delighted to have him once again on the show. Chef Sly brings his wit and culinary wisdom to The Inn Crowdkitchen.
The menu prepared for this show evokes the fabled Chez Carey restaurant where Chefs Sly and Hutchings met in 1974.
The "Chez" was noted for the old school table-side service with the European classic such as Chateaubriand for two, Dover Sole Meunière, and flaming Crêpe desserts all accompanied by strolling musicians while ladies were pampered with red velvet footstools.
Guests at the Chez Carey included a who’s who of California celebrities, including President Richard Nixon, who dined there on occasion while at the "Western Whitehouse" in nearby San Clemente.
The easy-to-follow recipes for the delicious items prepared on this show are featured toward the end of our blog entry. We’ve included a scan of a Chez Cary menu from the era when Chefs James and Michael worked there - enjoy the prices if nothing else! We’ve also included links to some of our earlier shows on The Inn Crowd.
Like to watch a terrific cooking show featuring local celebrities?
Join Host Craig Case and myself Saturday evenings at 6:30 on the local ABC affiliate station KEYT channel 3.
Special thanks to our production company, YTS Video Productions and William Conlin for the photographs, and for an amazing job shooting and editing the footage to make our show that much better.
Tastefully,
Chef Michael
Sly’s restaurant in Carpinteria, California, features seafood, USDA prime steaks, and classic cocktails. Friendly, professional service, white tablecloth fine dining, a more casual lounge, and truly great food. Extensive list of French and Californian wines, both bottles and by the glass. Scampi, fresh Abalone, Dover Sole, Californian Sand Dabs. Nightly Blue Plate and other specials. Home-made bread and pastries. Everything from a great burger on up.
Sly’s offers a wide selection of fishes, seafood, aged hand-cut USDA prime steaks and local vegetables. Live lobster, oysters, and shellfish share the limelight with Dover sole, sand dabs, and abalone. Sly’s is more than just a little of Chef James Sly’s 40 years of experience in kitchens around the world. Sly’s offers many, daily, fresh and local specials — in a historic building in one of the Central Coast’s finest restaurants. From the crusty bread and rolls, to finely crafted desserts, your food is made at Sly’s.
With extensive wines by the glass, Sly’s offers an extraordinary wine list of local, California, and French wines, including a reserve list of rare and notable wines. The bar focuses on classic cocktails, fresh juices, quality liquor, homemade tonic, and talented bartenders. The comfortable dining room features shiny varnished Douglas Fir, exposed yellow brick, glassed-in wine room, white tablecloths, and a fine collection of photographs by the world-famous Jesse Alexander.
Table-side Caesar Salad Photo W. Conlin
Dover Sole
All recipes copyright Michael Hutchings, all rights reserved
Crossroads Estate, St. Ynez Valley Photo M. Hutchings
Back before the dawn of the revolution, the food revolution in the 1970s that is, the only foie gras was in cans. It usually came from Strasbourg and had a token amount of truffles and tasted more of liverwurst than the delicate, fresh foie gras we have available today.
Chef Sly has two dishes featuring the foie gras. One is a small slice sautéed and served on brioche toast. The other is a very tradition Tournedos Rossini (after the composer).
