Swirling Dervish, a trip through wine and cheese...

What was I thinking? Non- Stop food frenzy...


a Glamorous Open House, a Guest Chef Catered Luncheon for 24, a Spring Release at Nickel and Nickel and a Chef Demonstration at The California Artisan Cheese Festival. In four days. In a row.


Thursday:
I get so lost in the joy of what I do, I sometimes loose myself...
BTW: Thanks for all of the birthday wishes, my Facebook was blowing up for days, wow.

 My culinary madness began on Thursday at another gorgeous open house at 40 Sunny Oaks in San Rafael. Built by Dave Denham, the house rocked a light filled kitchen with a Viking Range, microwave and wall ovens, yay me! What a joy to cook there. I do not need to tell you that appliances like that make all the difference, do I ? I served tiny shrimp salads, spring vegetable quesadillas, a fresh soup and more.
Note: all my disposables are compostable. Please make the switch yourself, no more single use plastic, ok?


Friday: Another "Virgin" Kitchen,  we were very gentle...

This was my third kitchen warm up in a year. I am trusted, they know I am drawn to every kitchen I can find...I love kitchens so much, I am honored by the task. I was the first guest Chef at the Fork Culinary Center at Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese! I met legendary diary mom and pop, Dean and Bob Giacomini and had the pleasure of cooking side by side with sister Karen and cousin Kevin. We worked like crazy to produce the menu I posted in the last blog and the famous...Point Reyes Original Blue Ice Cream with Balsamic Glazed Strawberries! It was a revelation! I am not kidding. It is sooo good...

Here we see Kevin and Karen, my new friends dishing, styling and prepping.











LOOK AT THAT SETTING! The guests were on a tour as part of the California Artisan Cheese Festival. How cool is that? Here they are clapping , honoring our hard work. Jill G. is in the background, beyond her is the spectacular bay and ridges of this remarkable place. California, knows how to party.

 Saturday: Nickel and Wined...Swirling in Oakville


As if that wasn't enough, the next day I was invited by by master viticulturist Aaron Fishleder to attend the exclusive Spring Release Celebration at Nickel and Nickel! My wine savvy girl Christmas (hippy parents)  and I met, swirled and conquered. We had a ball. Aaron's job seems incredible to me, he is in charge of vineyard management and grower relations. The more I know about the wine industry, the more complex it seems; weather, water, pests, oh my!  And growers, they seem even harder to  manage than chefs, if you can believe that.

Christmas and I watched all three of Chef Trevor Eliason's excellent coking demonstrations. His parings were perfect. Nickel and Nickel specializes in 100% varietal, single vineyard wines, no blending. Pretty incredible. Some of the parings that really threw me down the stairs were the 2007 Dyer Vineyard Syrah, Carneros, Napa Valley with a Moroccan Lamb Meatball and the wine Aaron was pouring, 2007 Darien Vineyard Syrah, Russian River Valley, Sonoma with Cola Braised Pork Shoulder Canapes with Mole. Syrah!Syrah!Syrah!
http://www.nickelandnickel.com/

Here, Chef Trevor is making his Bay Scallop, Yuzu and Mustard Ceviche served on a great house made sesame cracker, seen in  the foreground of this photo. Yuzu is a Japanese citrus, the juice is available bottled. I do not know many chefs who do not have it on hand. Secret cheffy trick...

Are we there yet? Sunday, Cooking Demo, where am I?

I picked up my pals, Chef Ron Duben and Fresh Starts Cooking School volunteers Brett and Aaron and we did a great cooking demonstration at the Cheese Festival then hit the tent for tastes and networking with my cheese pals. These are the people you want to know... we really enjoyed ourselves. Brett swooned over the Mt. Tam ( Cheese) ice cream, Ron loved the Point Reyes Blue Ice cream. Me, I was excited to see the fun new Laura Chenel Blossoms, the famous goat cheese surrounding a center of sweet and savory flavor. Very innovative. http://www.laurachenel.com/newsroom.html#article02

 I am not pushing them away in this picture, they are holding me up!
Welly, well. Crazy, right? Although, what an incredible adventure.
This week, no rest, lots to do and then...next up, April 8, 9 and 10th my 2nd annual pilgrimage to the ultimate, the chef-tastic, Pebble Beach Food and Wine;Cora, Ripert, Chiarello, Puck, Reddingtion, Tramanto and of course the King, himself! I swoon.
http://www.pebblebeachfoodandwine.com/