Charity Auction Dinner

When faced with an Auction theme "An Evening in Paris" to benefit a local church/school, I thought, "What if my friend Chef Dave Cruz came down from Napa (California) to cook dinner?" Called up another friend, who has a great house for entertaining, and asked if she'd like to co-host a dinner with me. Neither of us knew the full extent of what we were getting ourselves into. It was a lot of work, but worth it.

Photo: François Mori/AP Photo

Part of the fun, and issue, was the theme for the dinner: Marie Antoinette's Petit Trianon. My wedding china is based on the Loire Valley, which is considered France's valley of kings, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Palace of Versailles isn't too far away, so Marie's Petit Trianon was an ideal theme for the dinner in mind. Queen casual.

The co-host and I mixed and mingled our china, silverware and glass sets. Each of six courses had their own setting. This caused hundreds of pieces that needed washing, so I wouldn't necessarily recommend going this route again. Instead, rent the place settings, go with fewer courses or hire help.

First course: crudités vegetables with 'green goddess' dressing. Also, an Asian-dressed watermelon and shrimp appetizer were served in the bar area with the co-host's grandmother's china. Two French Champagnes were served: Henriot Rose Champagne along with H. Goutorbe Rose Champagne. The guests liked the fruitier H. Goutorbe better. 

The second course was served at the table. Chef prepared a beet, leek, frisée and hazelnut salad. Edible flowers were gathered from the co-host's garden. This was paired with a mixed drink the co-host's husband devised that we called "Cheers to 1774," the year Marie Antoinette was gifted Le Petit Trianon by her husband.

Third course was sea bass wrapped in a French Prosciutto-style ham on top of yellow corn and red pepper. This was paired with a Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire Valley: Comte LaFond 2013 Sancerre. My favorite food and wine pairing of the evening, the balance and acid of the wine complimented the sea bass so nicely.

Our entree for the evening was Rib Eye beef, with potatoes, asparagus and mushrooms. Coupled with a Cabernet Franc from the Loire Valley: Domaine Grosbois Chinon 2011 Gabare. The beef melted in one's mouth, the chef was magic.

For the cheese course we served the co-host's 2009 Chateau Rieussec Sauternes with Roquefort, and a triple creme cheese called Pierre Robert Rouzaire. While shopping for the cheese, we were told that it's becoming increasingly difficult to acquire French cheese in the US. I loved this food and wine pairing, but most guests were becoming quite full. The antique Canton Famille Rose porcelain plates from china added to the luxury of the evening.

I made a lemon basil palate cleanser from lemons and basil from the co-host's garden.

Finally, the sixth course of dessert was strawberries, crunch and coconut ice cream. The co-host made chocolate truffles, which the guests thoroughly enjoyed. We served percolated coffee or Tea Forte to the 10 guests and 5 hosts. The chef, who'd been working from 8:00am to 10:00pm (plus 2 hours of driving on both ends), gave a few words; then we drove the sated guests home with "Queen's Honey" soap and a breakfast bread to enjoy the next morning, Father's Day. We succeeded in doing a modern version of a dinner Marie Antoinette would have at her private Petit Trianon.

Napkins that matched the wedding china were made on a sewing machine 

especially for the occasion. Wrapped soap became place cards.

Brix Restaurant

Talk about blessings in disguise. Our friends wanted to take my husband out for his birthday and suggested Bottega in Yountville. I contacted an acquaintance, James Darden, on Facebook to ask him if he could help us obtain a reservation, as he works there. Instead of responding, "sorry, can't help you," he simply 'unfriended' me. This seemed a rude thing to do, as the friend hosting us said, "Food is only as good as the people."

Lucky, lucky us, our chef friend Dave Cruz [who’s currently working as the Head Chef at Brix Restaurant located at 7377 St. Helena Hwy in Napa, CA  94558, just north of Yountville--(707) 944-2749] was excited to host us for dinner. It was easy for us to obtain reservations on opentable.com, for the time we wished. When we arrived Saturday evening we had a lovely table on the corner of the patio. The wedding in the distance looked ideal and beautiful; the weather perfect.

Chef Cruz sent out a wonderful selection that pleased our palates. It was beyond expectations, simply a relaxing, well decorated and manicured place to have a meal. A friend once commented that Brix was her parent's favorite place to eat, and they would go there each time they were in town. I don't have to wonder why anymore. Brix is sensational.

figs with manchego

polenta with pesto

pork belly

salmon tartar

prawns

sweet and sour chicken wings

flat bread

butter lettuce salad

panzenella

bronzino

halibut

beef short ribs

beef rib eye with smashed marble potatoes

apricot beignets and salted caramel ice cream bars

chocolate layer cake

Backyard Restaurant

A couple of weeks ago received a message that Dave Cruz would be cooking at his friend Dan Kedan's restaurant Backyard in Forestville, CA. We immediately made a reservation.

Walking up to the restaurant after a 9 mile jaunt across Santa Rosa, passing by Willowside Meat (the butcher), and a right-hand turn onto Hwy 116, things looked familiar. Nearly 15 years ago, my husband and I ate at this restaurant before it became Backyard this past November. On a drive back from the Mendicino Coast, it was a convenient stopping place. Hearing a bit about Backyard from Chef Dave Cruz, we wanted to try it, and now that we know it's exact location, we'll be back when we're headed to the Redwood Coast.

Arriving after a busy couple of weeks, and thankful for a holiday weekend, I ordered "Tim's Mocha," which was most enjoyable. I'd drive this way just for this coffee drink, told by friends that it had whipped cream within. It's nice to know this restaurant shops the way we do at home, including dairy from Strauss Family Creamery.

The night's menu, five-courses featuring the bounties of Northern California and guest chef Dave Cruz, began with a trio of Amuse bouche. The crostini with kimchi, bacon beignet and buttered radish were served on a hazelnut wood tray.

The kind chefs sent out a flatbread with miner's lettuce, onion and sausage for us to try.

To the table came a beet and wheat berry salad with a yogurt and mint sauce. The Sonora wheat berries were perfectly cooked and made one think of the fiber and nutrients that support good living.

Pasta being made earlier in the day, as posted on Backyard's Facebook page.

and the finished product: Tagliatelle with egg, king trumpet mushroom and parmesan

Wild Alaskan halibut with quinoa flavored with flavorful carrots. Another dish that makes one think of living well, in good harmony with the earth. A dish that shows good stewardship/husbandry of the soil, plants and animals. Wish the world's population could all eat like this, we would feel better in our 'environmental skin.'

Grilled beef with potatoes, black trumpet mushrooms, asparagus and garlic butter.

Three cheeses from Cowgirl Creamery: St. Pat's, Mt. Tam and Red Hawk with marmalade were sent from the kitchen with kindness.

Lemon posset with cherry, pistachio brittle and meringue. As possets should be, it was like a lemon soup (thickened liquid). The flavors were bright, and cherry rich.

The owners Dan Kedan and his wife (her birthday, no less), are sweet and passionate about their restaurant. It has to be a good feeling to get up, work hard and know that while reaping the reward of long work, one's doing no harm to the world one's children will grow. The feeling of the restaurant is definitely family and future oriented. What a nice place to happen upon on the way to or from the Mendecino Coast, or it could strike one's fancy enough to stay in West Sonoma County permanently.

New Orleans, LA

My husband's stepmom is Sicilian and brought the tradition of St. Joseph's Tables with her. Saw a couple of her tables in person, read some books, did some research and then made a couple of Tables myself. Used this year as an opportunity to visit New Orleans, LA, the place with the most St. Joseph's Tables in the U.S. (not to mention largest population of Sicilians outside of Sicily).

Oak Alley Plantation

It takes some doing getting from Northern California to New Orleans, it's not a simple process. Buy plane tickets during hurricane season for flights not during hurricane season for the best prices. Expect airplane delays. It's well worth a once-in-a-lifetime visit, though. My aunt has relatives who go quite often, and I personally couldn't do that.

Our March 15-19th trip could not have been better. The weather was perfect, in the low 70s; excitement for St. Patrick's Day; the Mardi Gras Indians out for Super Sunday; great development for the Super Bowl (still rebuilding after 2005's Hurricane Katrina); delicious seafood in season, etc., etc. not to mention the 100+ St. Joseph's Tables/Altars prepared. (Watching the local information station, one's under the impression there is always a weekend parade happening in New Orleans. It might be impossible to visit when "something's" not happening.)

St. Francis-Xavier in Metairie, LA's 2013 St. Joseph's Table

Altar bread in the shape of a crawfish

Altar bread in the shape of an alligator

Details of Fig Cookies, Egg Baskets (dough using fancy exacto-knife cuts)

Details of a take-home bag from a home celebrating their 25th St. Joseph Table

Obviously, we loved our trip. My husband said he'd visit again, while I have other places I'd like to see before traveling to NOLA again. Could not live there, but it was a spectacular place to visit with it's 300+ year history. For starters, there are an unreasonable amount of people who've died from brain cancer. Without any scientific proof, I concluded that it makes sense that pesticides and chemicals coming down the Mississippi River from the heartland of America cause this awful phenomenon. The shrimp in Louisiana was a revelation. Have never tasted such good shrimp, and suspect I never will. The people seem very honest, friendly and hardworking (there wasn't a time during our trip we felt threatened). Hope that we figure out a way to stop poisoning our fellow citizens at the end of the Mississippi River.

The Night the Lights Went Out

In the early afternoon on Thursday I glanced down at the San Jose Mercury and San Francisco Chronicle Newspapers that normally spread across the granite lunch counter at work. Spied the words "Ad Hoc" and "Cruz" and immediately welled up, my favorite chef is leaving my favorite restaurant--it's official.

Sure, I've hear people say that it wouldn't last forever. My brain has know for nearly a year, but my heart didn't believe it until I saw those words in black and white. 

Slight panic set in, sadness and happiness (after all the butterfly must be released). Husband is out of town for the week, should I go up tonight? I wondered. When I calmed a little, and read the fine print (Friday, February 1, 2013 is his last night), called my husband and determined we'd go on Sunday the 27th of January and on Chef Dave Cruz' last night Friday.

How do you send off such a person? Congratulate him, thank him, say we'll miss you, we love you, bravo, etc.? He's been with the Thomas Keller Restaurant Group for more than 8 years, over 6 of those at Ad Hoc restaurant, from it's inception through today. He's been the man, the soul of Ad Hoc.

My current plan is this: an orange grand marnier cake inspired from a book club cake I had this past Thursday and a Rum Cake out of the Bouchon Bakery Cookbook.

Oranges are "good fortune" when given for Lunar New Year (coming up on February 10, Year of the Snake), and thought that would make an appropriate symbol.

Orange Cake for Dave

1 pound of unsalted butter

2 3/4 cups sugar

orange zest from 8 oranges

2 cups almond flour

2 cups +3 Tbsp corn flour (this makes it very dense)

1 cup + 1 Tbsp flour

1 tsp. salt

2 cups + 3 Tbsp eggs (~11)

1/3 cup + 3 Tbsp Grand Marnier liquor

1 Tbsp vanilla extract

1 passion fruit, very ripe

3 Tbsp honey

Preheat oven to 350 F degrees. Butter a 15-cup capacity bundt pan. Refrigerate the pan and then sprinkle with sugar to coat.

Place all the flours and salt in a medium size bowl, use a whisk to break up any large clumps and to combine.

Cream the butter well, add the sugar and orange zest and mix for about 7 minutes until fluffy.

On low speed, add about 1/3 the eggs 1/3 cup of Grand Marnier and the vanilla and mix for about 30 seconds. Scrape down the bowl and add 1/2 the remaining eggs and mix for 10 seconds. Repeat with the last of the eggs. It's okay if the mixture looks broken.

On low speed, add the flour mixture slowly until just combined.

With a spatula, pour the batter into the prepared pan. Tap the bottom of the pan to distribute evenly, use a spoon to make a well all the way around the center, so that the cake rises evenly. Bake for 65-75 minutes until done. Let cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes and then spoon over the following:

Mix the remaining 3 Tbsp Grand Marnier with honey and the strained juice of the passion fruit in a microwave safe cup. Heat in the microwave for 1 minute, until the honey has melted into a liquid consistency. Stir well.

To Glaze the Cake: Spoon the icing over the top of the cake, letting it run down the sides. The cake is best made a day ahead.

Grand Marnier Icing:

1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 Tbsp Grand Marnier

1 Tbsp fresh squeezed orange juice