EVENTS, THE KARMA OF HELPING HANDS

A Video & Photo Album, as well as Menus and Recipes

Public events may just be the best definition of instant karma there is.

You give, and then receive. As in more customers coming to your restaurant.

The phrase most often used was “Think of the exposure.” Not a nice word for me.  I preferred “promotion.”

Even more pleasurable when for a charitable cause.

DINNER AT PARKWAY GRILL PASADENA, CALIFORNIA

Photo Credit Hector Sandoval @sandovalmedia

I had known Gregg Smith since the heyday of the new restaurants opening in Los Angeles, the days of the new Michael’s, Trumps, and Spago on Sunset.

Owner Gregg Smith & I in November 2018

So, when he called with an invitation to cook at his new to me Parkway Grill, I arrived at his front door.

STARS IN SAN FRANCISCO AT FOREIGN CINEMA

April 2018 & Again November 2023

I was privileged and excited to accept the invitation (twice) to recreate my San Francisco restaurant Stars at San Francisco’s Foreign Cinema by its fabulous owner/operators, Gayle Pirie and John Clark.

I had known them since Zuni Café days, where I stopped by four times a week.

November, 2023

Filmed and Edited by ATTILA FILM HOUSE @

https://www.attilafilmhouse.com/

Portabella mushroom with celery root and tarragon broth.

Pear, Pear, Pear:  poached pear, pear syrup, white pear brandy.

PEBBLE BEACH FOOD AND WINE, PEBBLE BEACH, CALIFORNIA

Another invitation to cook for a benefit that I always answer eagerly is one from my great friend Dorothy Maras, the genius behind herding and coordinating over a hundred chefs.

No mean feat.

And an honor to cook with two ex-Stars employees, Mark & Clark now restaurant owners on their own.

The flower is hyssop.

COCOS KITCHEN, PUERTO VALLARTA, MEXICO

Soon after moving from Cabo San Lucas to PV, we met up again with the fabulous Coco, to cook at her restaurant, Coco’s Kitchen, Coco’s Grill at Night.

THE SEPTEMBER 2018 SACRAMENTO TOWER BRIDGE DINNER, SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA

What can I say.

Invited to cook for 800 people, served family style, outdoors on a bridge in Sacramento was a challenge I could not resist.

Proceeds from the event raise money to help the children of farmworkers navigate their first year of college at Sacramento State. 

Sturgeon Brine

We had 20 two-pound filets of fresh sturgeon, so these quantities are large.

1 Cup Juniper Berries

1 Cup Yellow Mustard Seed

1 Cup Coriander

10 Pcs Clove

1 Cup Black Peppercorns

1 Cup Garlic Cloves

2 Bunch Sage

1 Bunch      Rosemary

10 Each       Bay Leaves

5 Qts            Salt

6 Cup           Sugar

3 Gal            Water

5 Gal           Ice Water

Place all ingredients into cheese cloth, and then into 3 Gallons of Water.

Bring to boil then low simmer for 15 minutes.

Place 5 gallon iced water into hot liquid. Whisk well.

When the bring is cold, cover the fish for 12-24 hours depending on thickness of fish.

Remoulade Sauce

1 Cup Mild garlic mayonnaise

2 tsp Horseradish (non-creamed)

2 Hardboiled eggs, peeled, chopped coarsely

Very lightly flavored garlic mayonnaise made with champagne vinegar instead of lemon juice.

We added some red beet juice for drama.

Tomatoes Confit

This was done with 5 pounds of Early Girl tomatoes

1 Tbl            Kosher salt

3 sprigs        Basil with stem

4 each          Fresh bay l eaves

½ Tsp          Fennel seeds

3 pcs.           Orange peel

31/2 cups     Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Core, blanch and peel the tomatoes.

Sprinkle 1 tsp salt, basil leaves, orange peel, fennel seeds on the bottom of an oven pan.

Place tomatoes stem side up on and sprinkle with remaining 2 tsps salt. Allow to sit for 30 minutes.

Sandwich bay leaves in-between tomatoes and pour olive oil into the pan making sure to fill up the divots left from coring tomatoes.

Cover with foil and roast at 325 degrees with low convection for 40 minutes or until you see tiny bubbles beginning to come to the surface.

Remove foil and set aside to cool down in the oil.

WITH PBS & A MOVEABLE FEAST EPISODE IN MERIDA, YUCATAN

Pelon (Yucatan hairless) suckling pig cooked as cochinita pibil. Dig in with warm tortillas, and sighing, know what the invincible armor of pleasure is.

Thank you for reading Out of the Oven. If you upgrade for the whole experience, and pay $5 a month or $50 a year, you will receive at least weekly publications, as well as menus, recipes, videos of me cooking, and full access to archives. Below you’ll find more events and content as well as recipes for Spiced Lamb Shoulder & a Cucumber Mezcal Shooter.