A "Little Star" with a Mighty Beacon; Moonlighting with Restaurant Osteria Stellina

In addition to my culinary adventures with Standards of Excellence Appliances, I also moonlight as a "Chef Wrangler" for several cooking schools. After over twelve years of working in various cooking school settings, I have never lost the excitement of cooking side by side with local and national celebrated chefs during classes and events. I vividly remember when I first moved to California and began to learn about cooking schools, I used to think, "You mean that is a JOB, an actual job that you can get paid for? Really?" It was hard for me to comprehend. Now, fast forward almost 15 years and I have had that very "job" for over a decade and it always feels fresh and new. The overjoyed guests, the luscious food and the energy of each chef always combine for unpredictable excitement. Each chef is so very different and our goal is to surprise them with so much support that they can sail through each class focusing on cooking, teaching and bringing forth their unique culinary brilliance.

Chef Christian working with Chef Jacques of FSCS

Speaking of brilliance, last week's cooking class featured Chef Christian Caiazzo of Osteria Stellina  located in the tiny, but mighty town of Point Reyes, CA. "Stellina" means little star in Italian, which is so fitting for this destination restaurant. 

Food critic, Michael Bauer from the San Francisco Chronicle helped put Stellina on the map by adding it to his "2009 Top New Restaurant" list and his "A Dozen Dishes I Crave"  list for the Tomales Cove Mussels. 

Primal Cuts Cook Book

Stellina continues to receive several top reviews including one from the New York Times and Chef Christian's recipes appear in the new cook book, “Primal Cuts, Cooking with America’s Best Butchers” by Marissa Guggiana. Not too shabby, considering that Stellina is far off the beaten path in the Wild West town of Point Reyes Station, about 35 miles from San Francisco! 

Personally, I dream about the Oyster Pizza I had there as a guest of the fabulous Maureen Fitzgerald and the renowned Giacomini family from Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese. He is still going strong in 2011, with his "Point Reyes Italian" comfort food, elevated by a deep commitment to very local ingredients that only this unparalleled location could provide such as fish, oysters and mussels, artisan breads and cheeses, organic produce, wild mushrooms and so much more.

Chef Christian Caiazzo was sensational. Cooking with him reminded me of working with Chef Michael Chiarello, who is a very physical and passionate cook and also a strong proponent of Italian home-style cooking. Chef Chiarello talked about "climbing up on the stove", in other words really committing to cooking in a very visceral way. 

Chef Christian moved, cooked and taught in a very determined manner, I really had to dig into my "line cook" days to keep up. We were cooking up Dungeness Crab Bisque, Garlic Sautéed Kale, Braised Goat Shoulder with Creamy Polenta and a Grilled Escarole Salad with Persimmons and Goat Cheese. Everything was super fresh and from scratch, showcasing the magnificent local ingredients such as Marin Sun Farms Goat and Redwood Hill Chevre. The full menu was also prepared by Chef Jacques Kirk and his team of students from our Fresh Starts Culinary Academy. Our 65 guests swooned as course after course appeared.

Happy guests, great dishes!

Here is Chef Caiazzo’s Beef Stew Recipe, also a Michael Bauer favorite. It is very similar to his Braised Goat Shoulder dish of which there is not a recipe yet available. 

FSCS Students serving the bisque

This class and dinner supported the culinary job training program and homeless services at Homeward Bound of Marin. We all left with full hearts and bellies, fed not only by Chef Caiazzo's passionate cooking but also by the warm feeling of giving back to the community. 

I imagined chef Christian driving back in the dark, on the same road that brings you past George Lucas' Big Rock and Skywalker Ranches, through the majestic redwood forest, past rolling horse pastures, alongside beef and goat ranches, organic produce and dairy farms and artisan cheese makers and always ends with a smile as you reach your remarkable destination, tiny Point Reyes Station, one of the mightiest culinary small towns in the world. If you set your sights on the glow of Osteria Stellina, even in the dark, you, like Chef Caiazzo will certainly find your way “home”. 

a pause for applause, “and the crowd went wild!

“ Hi All, It is not often that I do events like the one last night and come away with such a good feeling.

You guys really have it together and I am proud to be a small part in what you are trying to accomplish.

Thanks, and please thank again the chefs, cooks & volunteers who made it all happen.

See you in Pt. Reyes."

 Ciao. Chef Christian

Osteria Stellina Beef Stew by Chef Christian Caiazzo

{To download the recipe click here}

           

Osteria Stellina executive chef Christian Caiazzo recommends serving this with sides that will provide a foil for the stew's richness, like soft herb polenta or mashed potatoes and some sautéed, slightly bitter greens such as kale, chard or beet tops. (Recipe adapted from SF Chronicle)

• 3 pounds boneless beef or veal shoulder, cut into 1- to 1 1/2-inch cubes
•  Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 to 6 cups low-sodium beef or veal stock , or enough to almost cover the meat
• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
• 1 small pinch red pepper flakes
• 2 whole cloves
• 1 cinnamon stick, about 2 inches long
• 2 carrots (about 9 ounces), chopped into 3/4-inch pieces
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped into 3/4-inch pieces (about 2 cups)
• 4 celery stalks, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces (about 1 cup)
• 2 tablespoons chopped Italian flat leaf parsley
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves
• 1 tablespoon stemmed, coarsely chopped winter or summer savory (optional)
• 1 fresh bay leaf (or 2 dried bay leaves)
• 1 cup red wine (see Note)           

Serves 6 generously 

Instructions: 

1. Thirty minutes to one hour before cooking, season the cubed beef chunks very generously with salt and pepper. Let sit in a colander, pat dry with a paper towel just before cooking.

2. Preheat the oven to 450°( 425° Convection) . Place a large, heavy-bottom metal roasting pan in the oven for 5 minutes to preheat. Remove the pan from the oven and pour in the olive oil. Return the pan to the oven to heat the oil. As soon as the oil begins to smoke, remove again and add the meat. Shake the pan or use a wooden spoon to spread the meat out evenly. Return the pan to the oven to brown the meat, stirring every 5 minutes until the meat has a bit of color around the edges, about 20 to 30 minutes. Be careful not to over stir, stirring releases the meat's internal juices and if done too frequently it will inhibit the browning. Meanwhile, pour the stock into a large pot over low heat; adjust the heat as necessary to keep stock just below a boil.

3. Remove the pan of meat from the oven, but leave the oven on. Using a slotted spoon, remove the meat from the pan; set aside. Place the pan, with the drippings, on the stovetop over medium heat. Quickly add the garlic to the roasting pan and stir with a wooden spoon. Stir in the red pepper flakes, cloves and cinnamon stick. Stir and cook for a couple minutes, then add the carrots, onions and celery to the roasting pan. Cook and stir a few minutes to soften and slightly brown. Add 1 tablespoon parsley and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the thyme and 1 1/2 teaspoons savory, if using; continue cooking and stirring. When the vegetables soften and the onion starts to become translucent, about 4 to 5 minutes, add the bay leaf and the remaining parsley and savory. Pour in the wine, bring to a boil, and reduce to a simmer, stirring to incorporate all the solids and any brown bits of meat that have clung to the bottom of the pan. Simmer gently until the wine has reduced by at least half.

4. Put the beef chunks back in the pan and carefully pour enough hot beef or veal stock to almost cover the meat. Stir and return the pan to the oven. Once the stew begins to bubble, about 5 to 10 minutes, reduce oven temperature to 375°, which should keep the stew just below a simmer. Cook for approximately 1 1/2 hours, depending on the tenderness of the beef, stirring about half way through the cooking. Check to be sure that the liquid is slowly reducing and the meat is becoming tender. As the surface of the braising liquid forms a film, stir it back into the broth, which helps it thicken. Once the beef is fork-tender and the liquid has reduced by about half and has thickened (canned stock will not thicken as much as homemade stock), remove the stew from oven and let sit for 5 minutes. Adjust seasonings with salt and pepper, and serve.

Note: Use a wine that would be good enough to drink on its own.

Per serving: 527 calories, 49 g protein, 10 g carbohydrate, 28 g fat (10 g saturated), 151 mg cholesterol, 186 mg sodium, 2 g fiber.

http://www.standardsofexcellence.com/chefrachelleboucher/recipes/Osteria-Stellina-Beef-Stew-Chef Christian-Caiazzo.pdf