food and home spring magic

30 East Ortega Street • Santa Barbara • 805.963.1012 • www.SeagrassRestaurant.comNow Introducing our 3-Course Market Menu featuring The Finest Offerings from the Daily Market Sunday thr

L ocaLLy owned since 1980

101 E Cabrillo Blvd

Santa Barbara 805-966-2112

230 Stearns Wharf Santa Barbara 805-966-6676

We’ve installed thousands of home entertainment systems, from state of the art full room theaters to compact limited space systems We take real pride in what we do, it’s just one of the reasons we’ve been in business for over 20 years We offer the most

prestigious brands in the business Our highly trained staff will walk you through

choosing the right components, making sure you get just what you need So give

us a call, or drop by and find out why Mission Audio Video is the last name in

A U D I O / V I D E O

T E C H N O LO GY + P E R F O R M A N C E + S E R V I C E

Showroom open Tuesday thru Saturday missionaudiovideo.com 1910 De La Vina at Pedregosa, Santa Barbara 805.682.7575

WE KNOW HOME ENTERTAINMENT FROM

A TO Z AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN.

AMX Anthem B&W Crestron

DirecTV Furman Lexicon Linn Hi-Fi

Marantz Mark Levinson Meridian Mitsubishi

Monster Cable Niles Audio Paradigm Pioneer Elite

Revel Rotel Salamander Samsung Sennheiser

Snell Sonance Sonos Stewart Filmscreen

“I choose Craig over several other bidders because he impressed me with the design creativity,

vision for the space, technical competence, and business integrity I was looking for The

finished result is beautiful and impresses everyone who visits Five years later I remain

convinced I made the right choice.” Paul Regulinski

tri valley pool & spa inc.

“a Better Way to BUilD”

30 East Ortega Street • Santa Barbara • 805.963.1012 • www.SeagrassRestaurant.com

Now Introducing our 3-Course Market Menu

featuring

The Finest Offerings from the Daily Market

Sunday through Thursday $35

Prepared with the Best Sustainable Ingredients

Discover the New Seagrass

f o o d & h o m e 7

w w w f o o d – h o m e c o m 52 40 32 O N T H E C O V E R Since ancient times skewered foods rock 32

P R I VAT E D I N I N G Get a Room! 40

D E PA R T M E N T S Firsts 11

in Class with Justin west 14

Dining with Diane anD Pete 16

what’s new with seaFooD at whole FooDs? 20

sPring Foraging toP three “PiCks” 22

toP Cellars 24

Cooking at home 26

Venues & PriVate Dining 48

the home Front 50

U P G R A D E S The Luxury of Sleep 52

days of modeRN 54

Airdream 56

FooD anD home (ISSN# 1533-693X) is published quarterly by metro Inc and single copies are provided to selected homeowners free of charge Unless otherwise noted, all photographs, artwork, and designs printed in food & home are the sole property of metro Inc and may not be duplicated or reprinted without metro Inc.’s express written permission FooD & home and metro Inc are not liable for typographical or production errors or the accuracy of information provided by advertisers Readers should verify advertised information with the advertisers FooD & home and metro Inc reserve the right

to refuse any advertising FooD & home® is a registered trademark

of metro, Inc Copyright © 2009 All inquiries may be sent to: metro media Services, P.o Box 20025, Santa Barbara, CA 93120, or call (805) 563-6780 fax: (805) 563-6790, or e-mail: info@food-home.com Unless otherwise noted, all photographs, artwork, and designs printed in food

& home are the sole property of metro Inc and may not be duplicated

or reprinted without metro Inc.’s express written permission food & home and metro Inc are not liable for typographical or production errors or the accuracy of information provided by advertisers Readers should verify advertised information with the advertisers.

ContaCt InformatIon

P.o Box 20025, Santa Barbara, CA 93120(805) 563-6780, (805) 563-6790 fAX, sales@food–home.com

P ublIsher & P resIdent

P hotograPhy

Bill Boyd michael Brown eliot Crowley mehosh dziadzio Lindsey eltinge Leslie holtzman Ashley Renée Shelly Vinson

The bed of your dreams.

HÄSTENS OF SANTA BARBARA

909 DE LA VINA STREETTel: 805-965-0174, Fax: 805-965-0178www.SantaBarbaraHastens.com

Hästens Naturally

Queen size

$5,750.00

Hästens Anatomical Sleeping Pillow

PORTOFINO LOEWEN WINDOW CENTER OF SANTA BARBARA

322 East Cota Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101

P 805.966.4263 Santa Barabara • Monterey • San Francisco

www.portofinodoors.com

For more information on beautiful Coastal Douglas Fir, Mahogany and FSC certified windows and doors from Loewen contact:

Discover the world’s most inspiring windows and doors at www.loewen.com

Design Create Inspire

bouchon santa barbara

california wine country cuisine

“Best Restaurants for Wine Lovers”

-Wine Spectator Magazine (2001-2008)

“The food and service are impccable, and

an experienced staff stands ready to help

coordinate by-the-glass wines for each course.”

-Frommer’s Guide ‘Best Restaurants of California’ 2005

“Smitten surveyors swear this classy Cal-French in

Santa Barbara exceeds expectations with a seasonal

menu of Wine Country Cuisine backed by an

exceptional cellar stocked with boutique bottles you’d

be hard-pressed to find anywhere else Intimate French

country setting with garden terrace and knowledgeable

service make this delightful place one of the top

dining experiences in town.”

9 west victoria street santa barbara, california 805.730.1160

bouchonsantabarbara.com

Fresh Produce & Meats from Local Farms & Ranches Over 50 Local Wines by the Glass Private Dining Facilities

in the Corkroom

f o o d & h o m e 1 1

w w w f o o d – h o m e c o m

The Classics

F I R S T S

(continued)

Sly’s takes their cocktails very seriously…

with a twist This reflects owner James Sly,

an impeccable, expert chef —who sports a whimsically twirled mustache

This Carpinteria eatery is his take on the classic traits of Santa francisco restaurants like the Tadich and John’s Grill, of “maltese falcon” fame Sam Spade himself would

recognize many of the

cock-tails available here, but there’s

nothing old fashioned about the

drink menu—other than the

cocktail of that name

In fact, Sly and his staff are

drink detectives, hunting down

original recipes for their vintage

libations “We’re not inventing

new drinks here,” says Barman

Chris Chinn “We’re trying to

fix drinks that may have been

done wrong all these years.”

“he’s our ‘Cocktail

me-chanic,’” jokes manager mandy

huffaker “Sly’s bar reflects

the philosophy of the kitchen,”

she adds “consistently making

drinks in the classic way, in a

classic setting, using high

qual-ity ingredients.”

Take a Zombie (or take

two, but only that; there’s a

lim-it of two) Sly’s makes their own

falernum, a syrup of toasted

al-mond, ginger and lime, which

is a key Zombie ingredient It

is joined by five rums, several

fruity juices and some secret

in-gredients, and served in a tall,

ceramic fu manchu “tiki mug.”

Their marvelous mai Tai

comes in a shorter, more easter

Island-like mug, and Sly’s

mos-cow mule arrives in a

tradition-al copper cup, keeping cold the

delicious concoction of vodka,

lime and ginger beer

Sly’s also makes their own

bitters, used in their

manhat-tan, and their own tonic water

But for the circa 1830 Sazerac, a

heavenly blend of absinthe and

rye, they use Peychaud’s Bitters

direct from New orleans

Ask for the “special cocktail

menu,” created for december

5 (Prohibition’s end), for even

more variety The oddly named

Corpse Reviver #2 turned out

to be a delicate blend of gin,

Patron Citronge, Lillet Blanc,

fresh lemon and the anise

li-queur Ricard Pastis

Chinn proudly points out

that Planters Punch was

in-vented 100 years ago—to the

day—that Sly’s opened (August

8, 1808) It packs a punch as

powerful now as it did then.—

By Julia McHugh Photo by

El-iot Cowley.

Street talking Brew

Brian Thompson left the hustle and hype of

Wall Street to brew beer And not just any beer, but beer that he feels passionate about perfect-ing and sharing He abandoned New York for California six years ago and nestled into Santa Barbara’s eclectic Funk Zone community to introduce Telegraph Brewing Company and tasting room to the local palate “I left Wall Street just when all the fun started,” he says, tongue in cheek Thompson chose to name his successful micro-brewery and distribution company after the San Francisco street where

he first home-brewed beer as a hobby, ing his special blends with friends, as he does

shar-to this day A bit of a technology and hisshar-tory buff, Thompson embraced the idea of captur-ing a piece of California history by naming his brewery after an invention that helped to create modern California and brought people together from the East to the West Coast

From his small and personalized ery, Thompson and his team use mostly local-

brew-ly grown ingredients to create a number of unique and satisfying ale varieties, including his top three favorite seasonal blends—Tele-graph’s flagship California Ale, the dark and rich Oatmeal Stout, and the elusive Gypsy Ale (made with fresh plums & wild yeast) When not faithful to his own brews, Thompson can

be found enjoying the Bay area native beer Anchorsteam, an old friend that inspired his creative journey Not one to play partial to ales, Thompson concocted a special label Pilsner for Fiesta in honor of Mexico’s rich tradition in Pilsner beers In celebration of this past holiday season and Telegraph Brewing Company’s five-year anniversary, Thompson created a batch of full-bodied Winter Ale, based on the recipe for Mexican hot chocolate

Telegraph Brewing Company is Santa Barbara’s only microbrewery that sells its beer off site, stocking the shelves of many local

markets, including Whole Foods Market and Tri County Produce, and gracing the beverage menu of several local restaurants Telegraph beer is handcrafted and poured into gener-ous 750 ml corked bottles and shipped to San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego

To imbibe of the latest blends and meet the people behind the beer, you can pull up a chair at the tasting room on Thursdays from 4-6pm, Fridays 4-8pm, or Saturdays 2-6pm Cheers! —Sunny Petersen

Telegraph Brewing Company 416 North Salsipuedes Street (next to Carr Winery) Santa Barbara, CA 93103 (805) 963-5018 telegraph- brewing.com Photo By Shelly Vinson

F I R S T S

Winter Is here

With the march publication of A Menu for All Seasons: Winter, local chef Pascal Beale

completes her celebration of cuisine keyed to the evolving calendar drawing on her french heritage and her english childhood, Beale has created menus that recall the good stews, hearty soups, and aromatic puddings that warmed her youth To those she’s added fresh, seasonal ingredients from the mediterranean and temperate California, so that her cuisine reflects a fusion of culinary cultures, incorporating not only european and American influences but also merging the spices of North Africa with herb blends from Asia

highlighting Beale’s eight menus—from appetizers to entrees and desserts—are updated classics like herb-stuffed roast chicken and lamb tagine as well as surprises like halibut za’atar with red quinoa herb salad and tea-infused winter fruit with marmalade shortbread As Beale notes in her Introduction,

“drawing inspiration from the local farmers and eating food so freshly harvested brings new meaning to creating seasonal foods.”

A Menu for All Seasons: Winter ($29.95, m27 editions, 2011) and Pascale Beale’s other titles are available online at www.

mckcuisine.com, and locally at Chaucer’s Books, The Book den, C’est Cheese, Renaud’s Patisserie, Tecolote Book Shop and

many local wineries m27 editions is a Santa Barbara-based publisher (www.media27.com).

f o o d & h o m e 1 3

w w w f o o d – h o m e c o m

Shortly after taking my seat at Louie’s California

Bistro, I notice the waitress delivering a

birth-day salad, complete with burning candle, and smile

my own lunch is about to get quite a bit hotter than

usual

Instead of a standby salad, I boldly order the

pi-quant, Latin-influenced entrée that has been a

favor-ite on Louie’s menu for nearly a quarter of a century:

Stuffed Anaheim Chiles

They come graciously served as a steaming

kalei-doscope of vivid green chiles topped with fresh

cilan-tro, red tomatoes and a dazzling orange-tinged chevre

sauce Both chiles are filled to bursting with a tangy

mixture of rice and vegetables, including tomatoes,

onions, bell peppers, mushrooms, cilantro, artichoke

hearts and a touch of jalapeño

With the first bite, I experience a surprisingly

har-monious mélange of subtle flavors The chile itself is

mild, the stuffing is zesty but not fiery, leaving only a

bearable smolder on the back of my tongue The gentle

cheese sauce finishes it all off with a cool, nearly sweet

top note

Louie’s owners since 2004, Anne Rizzoli and Trey

Brooks, suggest pairing the chile with a Qupe Viognier

chardonnay from their extensive wine list, “but really,

you can drink anything with it,” Anne says

Savoring the last of my meal, I consider never

or-dering a lunchtime salad again.—Teri Brier Photo By

Shelly Vinson.

This popular selection is only available during

lunch-time, Mon through Fri from 11:30am to 2:00pm

Lou-ie’s California Bistro is located on the ground floor of

the Upham Hotel at 1404 De La Vina Street Visit www.

louiessb.com or call 805-963-7003

A Symphony of Flavors

UPSTAIRS

at pierre lafond/wendy foster

516 san ysidro road

(805) 565-1503

mon – sun 9 to 8 www.upstairsatpierrelafond.com

F I R S T S

In Class with Justin West

I am no domestic goddess I’ve hired maids to clean and my

most impressive concoction involves canned cream of

mush-room soup But even I found myself mesmerized by a cooking

class at Restaurant Julienne After one evening, I knew how

to filet a halibut, create pasta from scratch and dig for

chanter-elles—at least in theory

Owners Justin and Emma West launched their

thrice-monthly themed cooking seminars in January “We wanted to

share our extensive knowledge of sustainable local food,

sea-sonal menus and ‘Market Bistro’ cuisine with the Santa

Bar-bara community,” says Justin

“These classes let you focus on the ‘magic’ of cooking

ver-sus getting your hands dirty,” remarks Graciela, who returned a

second time with her husband Although not a hands-on

work-shop, participants in the three-hour experience are encouraged

to take a closer peek at whatever’s cooking

For $100 per person, each session includes tastings, wine

pairings and recipes with detailed instructions and an

engag-ing demonstration by chef Justin His runnengag-ing commentary tains such sage advice as: “Don’t let the food take over YOU need to be in control and make it do what you want.”

con-Christopher, who attended the first class, says, “My wife and I loved Justin’s vertically integrated talk, discussing his relationships with farmers, fishmongers and even how he for-ages for wild mushrooms.”

Meanwhile, Ken admires the way the young chef “strikes a great balance between showing details and being expedient, with creative techniques and a fun, engaging style.”

The Wests say they intend these classes to appeal to a wide range of culinary enthusiasts David, another participant, observes that “more advanced cooks will enjoy interacting with

a successful chef in real time, while a less active foodie can

simply watch, eat and enjoy the process.” –By Teri Brier Photos

by Ashley Rene For upcoming dates, check Julienne’s calendar at www.res- taurantjulienne.com or call 805-845-6488

1404 De La Vina Street (Inside the Upham Hotel) (805) 963-7003

Private Parties Banquets Local Wines by the Glass

C A L I F O R N I A B I S T R O

Housed in Santa Barbara’s “upscale” Upham Hotel, a “quiet” Victorian with “lots of history”, this “hidden gem” offers “creative”, “up-to-date” Californian cuisine and “spot on” service in a “bistro”-like space with “wooden floors” and a “nice porch”; a few find the menu “limited”, but “excellent specials”, a “choice” selection of wines and

“romantic” ambiance contribute to a “wonderful dining experience.”

—Zagat 2008Louie’s, located inside the 130-year-old Hotel Upham, reflects the charm and tradition of its location, with a jazzy, comfortable feel all its own A small but well-stocked wine bar is at the entry, and guests are served extra ordi-nary fresh seafood, pastas, filet mignon and a changing menu of specialties There are cozy tables and booths

inside or on an old-fashioned heated verandah outside

Lunch: Mon-Fri 11:30am - 2pm Wine & BeerDinner: Sun-Thur 6 – 9 pm Casual DressFri & Sat 6 - 10 pm Visa, MC, Amex Accepted

Food Decor Service Cost

F I R S T S

To those unfamiliar with the culinary world

of micro-events and private chefs, Roberto

Cortez may not be a household name But to

chefs across the world who study both the

art and science of creating masterpieces

with food, and to those who are fortunate to

employ a personal chef, Cortez is indeed a

champion Known to those in his trade as

the “boutique private chef” Cortez

continu-ally raises the bar in private entertaining,

focusing on small, luxurious dinners for 2 to

10 people.

Based in Santa Barbara, Cortez travels

the world practicing his talents and

prepar-ing his food for such clients as Microsoft

bil-lionaire Paul Allen, actress Melanie Griffith,

rock star Mick Jagger and comedian Eddie

Murphy A typical dinner for Cortez features

8 to 14 courses and takes 3 to 4 days to plan

and prepare “It’s what I like to call a chef

tasting,” says Cortez

Cortez has trained and studied savory

cuisine at Lake Cordon Bleu in Paris

and regional cuisine from Italy, Spain,

Switzerland, Mexico as well as the sushi

Academy in Los Angeles His talents as a

pastry chef are also well known and he has studied pastries at Bellouet Conseil and Ritz Escoffier in Paris.

Cortez says he got his unique niche for micro events 15 years ago because that’s the type of dinner a private personal chef normally prepares “Most personal chef dinners are small With small events there

is always the desire to push the “detail”

element as it becomes to make it more focused in every course.” And the details are what he says takes days to plan and execute A dinner with caviar, foie gras, and Amedei Chocolate will be much more expensive than say a dinner that is a veg- etarian style tasting Generally, the dinners run between $150 and $300 per person not including staff charges Cortez personally shops for produce at local farmers markets but shops the entire country when looking for special meats Cortez also consults on the menu items of local restaurants (Blue Agave, among others) as a hobby and for fun.

For more information on Roberto and Cortez and his micro event services go to www.robertocortez.com.

dining with diane and Pete

Private dinner parties have always been a popular way to entertain, but you

either have to invite enough guests to spark the interest of a traditional caterer, or you have to do all the work yourself So when longtime food

enthusiast and event planner Diana Cuttrell approached renowned Chef Pete

Clements to combine their talents two years ago, forming what is now called Dining with Di, it was a match made in heaven Both are longtime residents of

Santa Barbara and bring over 50 years combined experience in the catering and event planning industry

The duo has quickly gained a reputation for excellence and creativity and has definitely found a niche when it comes to intimate dining and private events one of their favorite regular events is their cooking demonstrations and classes

held monthly at Casa Las olas (Cuttrell’s house) labeled The Seasonal Series

“Pete really shines in this element,” says Cuttrell “The classes are selling out regularly and everyone gets a chance to sample and learn about some really great food The events are casual and might start out as cooking demonstrations, but they always turn into fun dinner parties.”

The menus are seasonal and personally researched by Clements and Cuttrell Cuttrell says that most all their menus are a blending of experience and personal travels throughout the region “We have enough fresh material to

last for years,” says Clements “It will never be boring.”—RB

For more information on the cooking classes, menu items or catering services, visit their website at www.diningwithdi.com

The “Detail” Chef: Roberto Cortez

LUNCH | DINNER | COCKTAILS | PRIVATE DINING

OLIOELIMONE COM | 11 West Victoria Street, Santa Barbara | 805.899.2699 | oliopizzeria.com

Food & Home 1/3 page — 4.875” x 4.875”

for 28 years

EXPERIENCE + FRESH LOCAL INGREDIENTS = AWARD WINNING DINING

Dinner Tuesday – Sunday from 5:30 • Reservations: 966.5006

1305 State Street • Santa Barbara, CA • www.downeyssb.com

28 POINTS FOOD

27 POINTS SERVICE

2010

dinner from the sea

for an impressive twist on fish kebabs, this is sure to

delight and oh so easy The marinade is tried and true—you’ll receive many compliments, I promise!

for this recipe, I cruised down to the Santa

Barbara Fish Market where general manager miguel

helped navigate me in the right direction he had quite a few suggestions and, after much deliberation,

I decided on the local white seabass, Scottish salmon, and wild fijian ahi miguel’s advice was spot on—the texture of the grilled fish was firm yet incredibly

tender and the flavor was simply divine Photo and text

by Barbara Alsworth Fabian.

SkewereD FiSh wiTh CiTruS MarinaDe

8 oz each ahi, salmon and seabass fillets Garlic pepper to taste

4 oz olive oil

3 oz fresh tangerine juice

1 oz white wine of choice

3 Tb fresh rosemary, coarsely chopped

3 Tb fresh cilantro or Italian parsley, chopped

3 large garlic cloves, crushed Cut all fillets into 1-1/2 inch thick slices Thread 2 skewers (approx 2” apart) through ahi, salmon and seabass Repeat until all fish is skewered Place fish

in a shallow dish and dust with garlic pepper mix together olive oil and all remaining ingredients Pour over fish, cover and refrigerate 30-45 minutes Grill on high heat (400° - 500°) 4-5 minutes per side (or until preferred doneness is reached)

F I R S T S

Chill-ax!Straight from the beaches of Southern California comes

a new beverage with a name that only

a surfer could have conceived: JUST

CHILL “If there’s one thing surfers

know how to do, it’s chill,” says Max Baumann, the 21 year old surfer and CEO of The Chill Group, Inc “We’re hoping Just Chill will calm all of those

“jitter juice” junkies down a few notches, and get people to smile at each other again.” A lightly-carbonated, tasty bev- erage that features seven essential vitamins and minerals, gingko, ginseng, and L-theanine, with only 12g of sugar and 50 calories per can Whole Foods Market is now stocking Just Chill, which is regularly selling out its shelf space.

d e s s e r t b y c a n d l e l i g h t s i m p l i c i t y i s t h e u l t i m a t e s o p h i s t i c a t i o n

w

www.hobnobsb.com 21 west victoria street santa barbara ca 93101 805 564 7100

remember back when life was easy I want to wear jeans and hear

I want to look good

Not sure if I want a stiff

drink or I want something salty maybe sweet.

I crave.

I crave something

new

h c o m e t o i n d u l g e o b n o b

h a m o d e r n t a v e r n o b n o b

h a m o d e r n t a v e r n o b n o b

21 west victoria santa barbara, ca 93101 805.564.7100 hobnobsb.com

“This bistro shines with gourmet food

at everyday prices and remains an absolute must in SB for creative fare, illuminating wines; charming decor,

a satisfyingly buzzy ambiance and exceptional service which keeps it

a favorite with the locals.”

Zagat Survey

1325 State Street Next to the Arlington Theatre Open Daily 966-9676 www.opalrestaurantandbar.com

Eclectic California Cuisine

Award-Winning Wine list

Full Bar * Martini Menu

Private Banquet Room with Custom Menus Catering * Take-out

f o o d & h o m e 1 9

w w w f o o d – h o m e c o m

Whole foods market has long been

known for its attention to detail and loyalty to sustainable food products and services In September, Wfm became the first national grocer to provide a comprehensive, science-based sustainability rating system for wild caught seafood In partnership with blue ocean Institute and monterey Bay aquarium, whole foods market now features a seafood rank-ing system with three ratings… green, yellow and red This system is intended to make it easier for shoppers to make informed choices at the sea-food case Green or best choice ratings indicate

a species is relatively abundant and is caught in environmentally friendly ways Yellow or good al-ternative ratings mean some concerns exist with the species status or catch methods and of course read would mean to avoid because the species is suffering from overfishing or the current fishing methods harm other marine life or habitats By earth day 2013, Wfm will have discontinued selling any seafood from red rated fisheries

And what about farm raised seafood? Wfm requires third-party audits and traceability from

hatchery to market, and prohibits the use of tibiotics, added growth hormones, added preser-vatives like sulfites and phosphates, genetically modified seafood and land animal byproducts in feed farmed seafood brands are required to car-

an-ry the responsibly farmed logo to indicate seafood meets the higher standard managers say they are more than happy to answer questions from customers who want to learn about where their seafood comes from and help them make the best choice possible And when you make your choice the market will gladly marinate or even grill your fish at no charge while you finish your shopping

—Josh Richards Photo by Shelly Vinson.

F I R S T S

Color coded shopping

Whole Foods Market Seafood team leader Mike bradberry

2 TB 365™ extra Virgin olive oil

2 shallots, minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 Serrano chili, seeds & ribs removed, minced

1 ½ tsp 365™ organic Cane Sugar

2 TB 365™ organic Soy Sauce

1 TB red wine vinegar Pulp from 10 finger limes

1 TB organic cilantro, chopped

2 TB organic chives, chopped

12 raw oysters, shucked (from hope Ranch, Santa Barbara mariculture)

Pinch of sea salt

2 Cups of Kosher Salt or ice (optional)

for the vinaigrette: heat the eVo in a sauté pan over medium heat

Add the shallots, garlic & Serrano chili, and sauté until the shallots are softened, about

2 minutes

Add the sugar, soy sauce, red wine egar, and then stir until the sugar dissolves Remove from heat and stir in the finger lime pulp, cilantro and chives

Let cool to room temperature Rinse the oysters under cold water and then shuck, leaving the flesh in half the shell Arrange the oysters on a bed of Kosher Salt or ice Spoon the vinaigrette over each oyster, sprinkle with sea salt

hoPe ranCh oysters wIth fInger lIme VInaIgrette

(Serves 2-4)

Charbroiled Ox T-Bone Steak Grilled Ringneck Pheasant Breast Wild Caribou Charbroiled Sea Bass

Audrey Ovington • Proprietor Since 1941

One Hundred

Years

Just 20 Minutes Away

■ Gourmet Bar-B-Que for 50 to 300 People

■ Private Banquet Rooms

■ Large and small groups

Call for information on leasing entire property

for corporate or private function

Diana MacFarlane

diana.macfarlane@onqfinancial.com p: 805.259.3141 | f: 805.259.4278

1111 Chapala Street, Suite 100 Santa Barbara, CA 93101

CAMINO REAL MARKETPLACE

In Goleta at Storke & Hollister

10:00AM–2PM (YEAR ROUND)

t U e S d A Y S

OLD TOWN SANTA BARBARA

500 & 600 Blocks of State St.

1100 & 1200 Block of Coast Village Rd

8AM–11:15AM (YEAR ROUND)

S A t U r d A Y S

DOWNTOWN

SANTA BARBARA

Corner of Santa Barbara & Cota Streets

8:30AM–12:30PM (YEAR ROUND)

F riends • F lowers • F ood • F un

8 m arkets 6 days a w eek

r ain or s hine

Spring Foraging Top Three “Picks”

By Laura Kirkley

Massachu-setts where spring meant you could finally get outside, the snow was gone and things were growing My son James and I would go foraging for what nature was providing - fiddleheads We didn’t have to go far for the fiddleheads, which grew in abundance on our property, however, so did the skunk cabbage We would return to the house ill smelling but laden with fiddleheads It was worth it! We’d have

to work hard for the asparagus but we could muster up enough for a meal or two We began our arugula education when we arrived in California, James, at thirteen, didn’t like the peppery taste However, he had read somewhere that a child’s taste buds change every seven years Needless to say with this knowledge he pronounced arugula delicious on his fourteenth birthday

Arugula (a.k.a Rocket, Roquette, Eruca Sativa) is a cool-weather crop Long days and

warm weather make it bolt, or flower, and bring an unpleasantly bitter flavor to the leaves Wild arugula is foraged in spring and again the fall It is rich in vitamin C and potassium

Asparagus Although asparagus’s peak season is considered to run from April to May,

in warmer climates, the green spears can appear as early as February Note that thickness

in no way indicates tenderness Tenderness is related to how the plant is grown and how soon it is eaten after harvest, not the spear size In addition to being easy to prepare—as-paragus packs a whopping 114% of recommended daily allowance (RDA) per 1 cup serving

of vitamin K, which is important for bone health, and nearly 66% RDA of foliate, which helps maintain a healthy cardiovascular system

Fiddleheads (a.k.a Fiddlehead Greens, Fiddlehead Ferns) are available in early

spring Not only good for adding a touch of whimsy to floral arrangements, fiddleheads tually taste quite similar to asparagus and offer many of the same health benefits Specifi-cally, the ferns are an excellent source of vitamin A, which is important for eye health, and a good source of vitamin C, making them a popular choice for warding off scurvy! In addition, the ferns provide some fiber and are also rich in iron, potassium, niacin, riboflavin, magne-sium, and phosphorous Foraging for fiddleheads is a favorite spring activity in many areas where they grow If you’re not a forager, fiddleheads can be found in the spring at farmers

ac-markets or grocery stores.—Laura Kirkley is the owner of IL Fustino located at 3401 State St

805-845-3521.

F I R S T S

Arugula, Roasted Tomatoes, Fennel

& Fresh Mozzarella Salad

“The taste of a dish for which you need ive oil will be as good or as ordinary as the oil you use A sublime one can lift even modest ingredients to eminent heights of flavor; a dreary oil will pull the best ingre-dients down to its own level.” Marcella Ha-zan, cookbook author & food writer ½ pound grape or cherry tomatoes

2 bulbs fennel, cut in half, cores/stems removed, and shaved extremely thin ½ lb baby arugula

½ lb fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced ½ inch thick

½ cup il Fustino Frantoio Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Salt & freshly ground pepper Additional il Fustino EVOO for dressing Parmesan cheese, shaved for dressing Lemon Wedges for dressing

Tomatoes: Preheat oven to 350 degrees Drizzle tomatoes with il Fustino EVOO, salt

& pepper—toss to coat and turn onto low foil lined pan Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes Remove from oven and al-low to cool

shal-Salad: In large salad bowl toss together: arugula, fennel, Mozzarella cheese and tomatoes Plate salad, dress with il Fus-tino EVOO, pinch of salt and grind of fresh pepper Garnish with Parmesan cheese and lemon wedge

f o o d & h o m e 2 3

w w w f o o d – h o m e c o m

805.965.7985 phone www.carrwinery.com

Winery & Tasting Room

Downtown Santa Barbara

Pinot Noir -Pinot Gris - Rose - Syrah - Grenache - Cabernet Franc ‘

El Chaparral De Vega Sindoa 2008 Grenache

Mage from vines 60 to 100 years

of age Exotically perfumed bouquet displays black raspberry, cherry compote, licorice and dark chocolate, plus a sexy floral overtone Finishes with strong clarity and mineral snap Year

in and out, this is a great value!

Available at the Winehound

Verdad

This wine is 75%

Tempranillo, 15% Syrah and 10% Grenache The Tempranillo was farmed organically at Ibarra-Young Vineyard

in Los Olivos

The Grenache was farmed biodynamically

at Purisima Mountain Vineyard in Los Olivos and the Syrah is from the Bien Nacido Vineyard

Tempranillo makes a bold, earthy, somewhat tannic wine with lots of chocolate and spice Available at the Wine Cask

Kunin Pape Star 2007

Seth Kunin’s specialty brand is a

combination of Grenache, Syrah and

Mourvedre which gives it the meaty

first sip and a rich, fruity finish you’re

looking for when dining on steak

a lingering finish Perfect with rack of lamb

Consilience Syrah 2006

This wine racked up votes from all angles

Catering chefs, private chefs, restaurant

owners and wine shops all gave a big

thumbs up as a perfect pair to any steak,

chop, rib or even Tri-Tip at your next BBQ

event The aromas are deep and very

concentrated, yet silky with black liquorice,

cherry tones and a long, smooth finish

that will put a smile on your face A great

deal, too! With a retail price point of under

$17, it just might be the best valued syrah

in the state If you can find a case, buy it!

by LyNETTE LA MERE

Pure Joy Catering Executive Chef

C O O K I N G AT H O M E

Bring that joie de vive from the outside world into the kitchen!

Spring into High Gear

Spring is the season when life blooms and love

is in the air With its endless passion and

pos-sibilities, nothing so emulates love as

cook-ing This is the time when we all deserve

to live a little and let our senses loose in the kitchen

Whether it’s a full family affair or a spectacular meal

for two, this is the time to smell, taste, touch, indulge

and share

The following are a sampling of recipes to help

bring that joie de vive from the outside world into the

kitchen

Grilled Vegetables

I use a cast iron grill pan with a lid They can be made

well in advance and held at room temperature.

2 carrots, sliced lengthwise

2 zucchini, sliced lengthwise

1 fat pinch of tarragon

2 T olive oil

juice of 1/4 lemon

salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Place veggies in a bowl and toss with oil and

season-ing heat grill pan over high heat and grill veggies till

seared lines appear on both sides, still crisp-tender

Pheasant with Fresh Mint

and Apricot Brandy Sauce

(Serves 2 and doubles easily)

Have all ingredients and the rest of the meal ready to

go before you start It should be the last thing you do

before eating.

To saute the pheasant breasts:

2 whole, de-boned pheasant breasts

4 ounces apricot brandy

2 dashes worcestershire sauce

2 apricots (fresh or canned)

room temperature, sliced

2 sprigs fresh mint, garnish

Saute the breasts Rub the breasts on both sides with

garlic, ground red chile and salt and pepper to taste

dust with flour heat a heavy skillet to nearly

smok-ing and add the oil and butter Saute the breasts until

barely done, remove and keep warm

(continued)

f o o d & h o m e 2 7

w w w f o o d – h o m e c o m

For your home For your life.

For our environment.

Southampton by Wood-Mode

1717 State Street Santa Barbara, CA 93101 805.682.4003

©2008 Wood-Mode, Inc.

3630 Sagunto Street Santa Ynez, CA 93460 805.686.1140

©2008 Wood-Mode, Inc

3630 Sagunto Street Santa Ynez, CA 93460 805.686.1140

Showroom locations:

www.thekitchencosb.com

For your home For your life.

For our environment.

Southampton by Wood-Mode.

1717 State Street Santa Barbara, CA 93101 805.682.4003

3630 Sagunto Street Santa Ynez, CA 93460 805.686.1140 Showroom locations:

www.thekitchencosb.com

1717 State Street Santa Barbara, CA 93101

805.682.4003 www.thekitchencosb.com

©2008 Wood-Mode, Inc.

OPEN: Every Day from 11:30am to close haPPy hOur from 4pm–7pm

6920 M arket P lace D rive • G oleta

To serve: Place breasts on warmed plates, spoon sauce between them and garnish with apricots and mint sprigs Serve with beaten potatoes, fanned, grilled vegetables and a tossed mesclun salad

Beaten Potatoes

(Serves 2)

These too can be made in advance and held in a small casserole dish in a 350 degree oven until ready to serve You can crank up the heat the last few minutes to get browned peaks on the top.

1lb russet potatoes, peeled coarsely, cubed 1/2 cube butter, melted

pinch of cayenne pepper pinch of nutmeg

14 oz can plum tomatoes (don’t drain) ,

coarsely chopped after in the pot

1/2 sliced red bell pepper

1 sliced yellow bell pepper Zest of half an orange 1/2 tsp each thyme, rosemary, fennel seeds, turmeric 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper or cayenne 1/2 cup kalamata olives

3 tbs minced fresh parsley

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees In a large saute pan (with a lid), cook the bacon Remove it and brown the chicken Remove the chicken from the pan and saute the onions When the onions are translucent, put all of the ingredients except the olives and parsley into the pot Bring to a boil with the chicken Cover and bake

C O O K I N G AT H O M E

(continued)

f o o d & h o m e 2 9

w w w f o o d – h o m e c o m

our farm-raised

seafood at whole foods market ®

No other grocery store or fish market works as hard as we do to help keep farmed seafood and the environment healthy This logo indicates that the fish or shrimp at Whole Foods Market® has been third-party verified to ensure that our strict standards are being met

3761 State Street & Hitchcock Way, Santa Barbara, CA 93105805.837.6959 wholefoodsmarket.com/santabarbara

C M Y CM MY CY CMY K

1WFM_SBfoodhome_Spring11.pdf 1 2/10/11 4:09 PM

in the preheated oven for 1 hour

Transfer the chicken pieces to a serving

platter, keep warm Skim the fat off of the

sauce Add the olives and parsley, boil and stir

five minutes Season with salt and freshly

ground pepper and pour over the chicken

Tapenade

Great with a champagne toast! This olive spread has

an incredible flavor, is very quick to make and holds

well several days Bring to room temperature before

1 tsp good olive oil

Process all except the oil, pulsing To incorporate: Add

oil through the feed tube while pulsing Serve with

baguette slices brushed with olive oil and toasted Can

be prepared ahead

Sensuous Warm Crab Salad

(Serves 2)

Two excellent wine choices to accompany this meal are

Gewurztraminer ‘01 or Muscadet Reserve ‘01 by

Cha-teau du Celera—both under $14.00 a bottle.

1 large head butter lettuce

1 large ripe avocado

1 large ripe, fragrant mango

1/2 red bell pepper

1/4 cup diced red onion

1 lb fresh crab meat

Lime Vinaigrette (recipe follows)

1 head Belgian endive

Advance preparation (up to 1 hour before serving):

Wash, pat or spin-dry the butter lettuce Separate the

endive spears discard any limp outer leaves, then

gently peel off the leaves (Cutting off 1/4 an inch

of the core end periodically will make this task a bit

easier Cut the red bell pepp er, mango and avocado

in to 1/2-inch chunks and place these into a bowl with

the torn lettuce and red onion Prepare the lime

vinai-grette and then pour it into a medium-sized saute pan

Set aside at room

temperature until ready to use

Ten minutes before serving: Set a small pot of

wa-ter to boil on the stove distribute the salad onto two

large plates Garnish with endive spears around the

outside flash-blanch your crab meat by plunging it in

to the boiling water for a slow count of 30, then

quick-ly strain it well At the same time, heat the vinaigrette

until you see the first few bubbles pop up, remove

from heat and toss in the hot crab Blend this mixture

and top the two salads with it Serve immediately

Mitchell Sjerven

The Mayor of Downtown Dining

his studies in international

law as an intern at the European

Parliament, Mitchell Sjerven had an epiphany: “I was working for a human rights lawyer from the UK and realized that most of the

law was centered on problems and conflicts and bad news… I realized my personality was better suited

to the good news industries That said, I’ve gained a lot of respect for those in the professions such as law.” Sjerven decided then and there that the restaurant industry was what made him happy, and for

dishwasher to line cook to host to head waiter The only thing he’s never been is a chef… then again, he’s hired dozens of them over the years Sjerven has conceptualized and opened four world-class restaurants in Santa Barbara and been a consultant to many more He’s served on numerous civic boards including three terms of three years each for the Convention Bureau, as president twice and marketing director once He was the restaurant liaison to the Greater Santa Barbara Lodging and Restaurant Association and served two terms as Commissioner for the Santa Barbara Events and Festivals Commission Some industry insiders refer to him

as the “Mayor of downtown dining,” indeed, a leader and a major advocate to the ever-growing Santa Barbara restaurant scene When he’s not working his typical 60-80 hour shift at his current restaurants, Wine Cask and Bouchon, you’ll most likely catch him kicked back in a comfortable chair with a glass of wine waxing eloquently about the industry he loves and where it is going

f o o d & h o m e 3 1

w w w f o o d – h o m e c o m

You’ve dined at restaurants all over the

globe What’s your favorite(s)?

many of the ‘top’ restaurants in the world—

french Laundry, Charlie Trotter’s and el Bulli—

make most ‘Best Restaurants’ list and collectively

serve as a sort of ‘foodie bucket list’ my favorite

restaurants, though, are those I really cannot

wait to return to… not necessarily because the

food was the greatest of all time, but rather that

they succeeded in creating an environment that

transports you to another place

Have you brought any of that experience

back to your own restaurants?

Absolutely Like any business owner, regardless of

profession, I am constantly looking at ways to be

better at what I do I see innovation everywhere

and never fail to bring back ideas on service

improvements, perhaps a detail that improves

some aspect of the dining experience or a manner

in which to present something classic in a new and

exciting way Some of my favorites over the years

include the guest check presenter at Gotham Bar

& Grill in NY, which was custom-printed and cut

on the inside for the insertion of the restaurant

business card and the guests credit card It also

doubles as a gift certificate and printed restaurant

recipe holder The offer of a lap blanket at a

restaurant in Portland and perhaps my all-time

favorite, the use of frosted glassware for sparkling

water and clear for still water so staff would never

pour the wrong water in the wrong glass

The hotel experience is another fertile

field for harvesting equally useful ideas on how

to improve service that easily transfer to the

restaurant level At Bouchon and Wine Cask we

refer to the level of service we strive to offer as

‘Concierge Level’ service What this means in

practice is that we are willing, and staff is enabled,

to exceed guest expectations when responding to

requests for information Questions about recipes

are met with printed copies and well-wishes on

the results, help on how to get from here-to-there

is provided in the form of printed directions and

queries about which wineries to visit are met

with a free copy of the Santa Barbara County

Vintner’s Association map with several circled

recommendations based on the wines they

enjoyed that evening in the restaurant

If you could open a restaurant in any

city in the world besides SB, where

would it be?

There are very few places that rival the unique

beauty and special character of Santa Barbara but

of those I’ve visited Sydney, Australia is at the

top While much bigger, Sydney still has a certain

charm even while providing all the trappings of a

big city Proximity to wine country and a

newly-discovered passion for exciting food make it

a sister city in my mind I could also see much

later in my career a small bistro in the South of

france—cliché, I know, but the simplicity of

ingredients while maintaining a reverence for

ingredients, a pace that matches my philosophy

on the enjoyment of food, the storied wine history

and the love of language all make it a popular

fantasy

What makes a great chef?

A truly great chef is one who can effectively communicate exactly what the processes are to achieve the standards that kitchen has set to the staff A far too common question in the restaurant business has always been ‘is the chef in tonight?’

If you are open for business there should be

no drop in quality based on who is on staff that night I love the respect Julia Child always paid the profession, correcting anyone that referred to her as ‘Chef’ by indicating she was not a ‘chef’ but rather a ‘cook’ “A chef” Julia would say “is someone who runs a professional kitchen and has

a staff to manage” This requires a firm grasp of the culinary techniques you expect your staff to employ and the patience to oversee, correct and nuture talent—not scream at your ‘underlings’, as portrayed often on ‘reality’ TV

What makes a great server?

easy Know when to be there and when to not Ultimately, the first job as a server is to read your guest and respond to their individual needs You have to be a chameleon Are they deep in conversation? Keep the interruptions

to a minimum and earn praise for unobtrusive service have they asked a litany of food and wine questions before even placing their order? Be the encyclopedia that can provide expert and accurate descriptions of the menu and wine list Start by introducing themselves and want to know ‘what you plan on doing with your life’? make new friends and enjoy the lovely comment card they leave on what a wonderful person you are

What makes a great wine?

In a word, balance Too much is never a good thing—think heavy-handed on the oak or over extracted fruit bomb—but less is not always more, either many in the industry now are influenced by the formidable power of the media

to shape purchasing decisions in a major way via the scoring systems that influence much of the general public This has many otherwise reasonable wine makers to follow the trends and scores, which swing like a pendulum over time, instead of letting the grapes speak to them one of my favorite phrases former Chef Charlie fredericks liked to use at Bouchon was ‘if you listen hard enough the food will tell you how to cook it.’ In this way wine making and cooking have a very strong bond—quality ingredients not over-handled melville wine maker Greg Brewer often refers to careful selection of perfect grapes and their subsequent handling as being the sushi chef who works with ‘toro’ or tuna belly: don’t drown it in soy and mask it with wasabi

In many countries gratuity is included in the price do you think the U.S is headed that way?Possibly, but I doubt it Some of the very high-end, consistently busy restaurants in the U.S have gone to a service charge instead of a standard gratuity, primarily to shrink the income gap between kitchen and service staff, but this is not a trend with legs yet Charlie Trotter’s began his eponymous Chicago restaurant with the belief that if all staff were earning the same, say,

$50,000/year that they’d work well as a team and

(continued on page 62)

For nearly 30 years Sjerven has been a driving force

to the Santa barbara dining culture

the shrimp and scallop

skewers at Opal

(Photo by ashley renée)

O N T H E C O V E R

Stick That!