25TH ANNUAL CHEFS’ HOLIDAYS BLEND FOODIES, FRIENDS AND FINE CHEFS
Ann Parker
SantaCruzSentinel.com
January 20, 2010
It’s a winning recipe. Take a generous handful of some of America’s most talented and engaging chefs. Stir in a hundred or so enthusiastic foodies. Let the mixture rise in one of the most spectacular winter settings in the world.
The delicious result: Chefs’ Holidays, a series of tasty three-day events hosted annually at the historic Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite National Park.
This year marks the 25th anniversary of Chefs’ Holidays, with eight sessions held between Jan. 10 and Feb. 4. I attended the first session with chefs David Kinch of Manresa in Los Gatos, Cal Stamenov of Bermardus Lodge in Carmel Valley and Matt Bolton from Pacific’s Edge, Carmel.
Participants attend interactive cooking demonstrations by culinary luminaries, sample recipes, tour the hotel’s 6,500-square-foot kitchen and schmooze with the chefs. The last evening of each session, a five-course dinner with wine pairings, is hosted in the magnificent Ahwahnee dining room.
The series’ two dozen chefs from across America reflect a wide range of culinary interests, from artisan cheeses to cutting-edge cuisine; Session Six features three contestants from the popular Bravo “Top Chef” television series: Carla Hall, Ariane Duarte and Ryan Scott.
The Ahwahnee: A savory setting
Martha Miller remembers all 25 Chefs’ Holidays. Ahwahnee special events coordinator and our official greeter, she’s dwarfed by one of the hotel’s immense fireplaces while delivering tidbits of
information about the stunning National Historic Landmark.
Built in 1927, the Ahwahnee combines grand scale with rustic elegance and Native American motifs, inside and out. It has hosted numerous celebrities, including U.S. presidents; when Queen Elizabeth and her retinue occupied the entire hotel in 1983, Miller oversaw her stay.
Chefs’ Holidays Coordinator Kathy Langley has worked with the event since its 1985 inception, taking charge as coordinator in 2001.
“We’re so excited about the 25th anniversary,” says Langley, who’s already considering next year’s chefs.
Cooking demonstrations take place in the Great Lounge, a massive stone room that inspired scenes in the film “The Shining.” There’s not a bad seat in the house: comfortable chairs are arranged for best visibility of the prep and cooking area, reflected by a huge horizontal mirror.
Throughout the event, attendees swapped Chefs’ Holiday stories, food ideas and restaurant tips. More than half are returning participants, mostly from California, says Langley. “But one woman comes every year from Dallas.”
Watsonville residents Lauren and Will Farr have attended nine times.
“We save for this “” it’s my Christmas and birthday,” Lauren beams. Will adds, “The food, the setting and the people are fantastic. I’d highly recommend it.”
Delicious demos
Session One’s cooking demonstrations began with Cal Stamenov, chef and culinary director of Bernardus Lodge in Carmel Valley, who prepared Day Boat Scallops with Chestnut Puree and Roasted Beets, as well as Carmelized Crepes with Pistachio Tuile and Creme Brulee.
Later, Executive Sous Chef Matt Bolton from Pacific’s Edge in Carmel created Butternut Squash Risotto with Big Sur Chanterelles, plus Duck Rillette with Organic Greens and Sherry-Shallot Vinaigrette.
The following day, David Kinch, chef/owner of Manresa in Los Gatos and a Santa Cruz resident, prepared Beef and Oyster Tartare and a Creamy Mushroom and Black Truffles Soup.
Each chef urged using all five senses in cooking — from choosing the freshest-looking produce to hearing the right sizzle. We learned about Sonoma’s Pekin ducks from Chef Bolton, who spoke poetically of layering a dish’s foundation with seasoning.
Chef Stamenov praised sweeter, later-harvested olive oil and warned against too-rigid, “Mercedes emblem” plating. First-time presenter Chef Kinch related his “rule of thumb” “” “salt very little and salt often” “” and gave a quick discourse on umami, the “fifth flavor.”
After each demonstration, moderated by Izabela Wojcik from the James Beard Foundation, we tasted samples of one featured dish. Stamenov’s crepes charmed and surprised, crisp tuille a distinct counterpoint to velvety creme brulee filling.
The duck rillette created by Bolton was both delicate and full-flavored, begging for pinot noir pairing. And Kinch’s earthy but sophisticated cream soup, studded with wild mushroom and truffle bits, created a lavishly lingering impression.
The kitchen, from inside out
One of the most popular parts of each session, says Langley, is the kitchen tour. Led by Martha Miller, our 10-person tour dodged bustling kitchen staff as she pointed out the 38-foot ceilings, a gargantuan dishwasher and two original icebox doors.
Ahwahnee Executive Chef Percy Whatley, a semi-finalist in the 2010 prestigious Bocuse d’Or USA competition, joined us to explain his favorite area, the spacious bakeshop.
Each session ends with a formal five-course dinner. Ours was unusual in that each guest chef cooked one course, plus a course by Chef Whatley and dessert by Ahwahnee’s pastry chef, Paul Padua.
“We wanted to do something special for our 25th year,” says Langley.
And special it was.
Sipping beautifully matched wines with each course, we began with Whatley’s succulently cool Wild-Caught Yellowtail Crudo and progressed to velvety, perfectly seared Diver Scallops by Chef Stamenov. Kinch’s flavor-forward Breast of Squab and ingenious stuffed cabbage came next, followed by Bolton’s handsome Venison Chop with Big Sur chanterelles. Dessert, Padua’s Fruit Cache, showcased layered green apple bocage and praline cream.
The dazzling beauty of Yosemite in winter, Ahwahnee’s comfy luxury and friendly staff, the many outstanding dishes we learned about and tasted, our talented and spirited chefs: all the ingredients meshed. It was a feast in every sense, for all the senses.
These recipes were demonstrated at the Ahwahnee Lodge. More recipes from the chefs can be found on our Web site at http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/
This recipe for caramelized crepes stuffed with creme brulee, strawberries and covered by a pistachio tuile is from Chef Cal Stamenov of Bernardus Lodge in Carmel Valley.
Caramelized CrEpes
Crepes
Yields 16 crepes
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 1/3 cups milk, at room temperature
2 eggs
2 ozs. unsalted butter
From the crepe batter, mix the flour and sugar in a large bowl. Whisk in about 1/3 cup of milk or enough to make a thick, smooth paste. Gradually whisk in the remaining milk. Whisk in the eggs and stir until smooth. Strain through a fine sieve if any lumps remain. Let rest at room temperature for at least 1 hour.
Melt the butter in a 6 or 7-inch crepe pan or nonstick skillet. Pour into a small glass and let cool to tepid. Spoon off the surface foam. Whisk 1 tablespoon of the butter into the batter.
Heat the crepe pan over medium-high heat. Remove from heat and brush lightly with melted butter. Working quickly, ladle about 3 tablespoons of batter into the corner of the pan. Tilt the pan until the bottom is covered with a thin layer of batter; pour any excess batter back into the bowl.
Return the crepe pan to medium-high heat. Cook several seconds or until the bottom is brown, releasing the crepe from the pan with a small metal spatula. Flip the crepe or turn it over using the a spatula. Cook until the second side is brown. Slide out into a plate. Repeat with the remaining batter, stacking the crepes. Stir the batter occasionally and brush the pan with butter between every 1 or 2 crepes as necessary.
Creme Brulee
Yields 2½ cups
½ cup milk
2 cups heavy cream
½ cup sugar
1-2 vanilla beans, slit lengthwise
9 room temperature eggs “” blended with fork
Place the milk, cream and sugar in a heavy medium saucepan. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla beans into the milk mixture. Add the beans and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Remove from heat and let beans steep for at least 1 hour or until the mixture cools to room temperature. Discard beans.
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
Whisk the egg yolks into the cooled custard mixture. Strain through a fine sieve into a 9×13-inch baking dish. Place the baking dish in a large baking pan. Pour enough water into the large pan to come ¾ of the way up the sides of the baking dish. Bake until the custard is set and knife inserted into the center comes out dry, about 45 minutes to an hour. Remove the baking dish from the water bath. Cool, cover and refrigerate until 15 minutes before assembling the crepes.
Pistachio Lace Tuiles
yields 6 dozen tuiles
3 ozs. unsalted butter
1¼ cups shelled pistachios
7/8 cup 3/4 cup plus 2 Tbsps. sugar
¼ cup orange juice
2 Tbsps. Grand Marnier or other orange liquor
For the cookie dough, melt the butter and cool until tepid or barely warm to the touch, for about 40 minutes.
Grind the pistachios and sugar in a food processor, pulsing on/off until the nuts are coarsely chopped. Blend the flour and the pistachio/sugar mixture using an electric mixer. Add the tepid butter, orange juice and Garn Marnier and mix just until evenly moistened. The dough will be wet and sticky. Spread the dough out into a 1-inch wide log on a sheet of plastic wrap. Using the wrap as an aid, roll the dough up in the plastic. Refrigerate or freeze until firm, for about 6 hours.
To bake, preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Slice the dough into 1/8-inch thick coins. Arrange on the prepared sheets, leaving 2 inches between the cookies. Bake the cookies until well browned, about 12 minutes. Let the cookies cool on parchment until firm enough to remove with a spatula. Cool completely or racks. Store in an airtight container.
Strawberry Sauce
1 basket strawberries “” cleaned and stemmed
½ cup sugar
Purée strawberries and sugar together in a blender. Strain through a fine sieve. Adjust sweetness if needed.
Assembly
Fill each crepe with a few spoonfuls of the creme brulee mixture. Roll each into a small parcel.
Place a spoonful of strawberry sauce in the center of the plate. Top with 2 rolled crepes. Place 1 pistachio tuile over the top of the crepes. Using a broiler or small torch, warm the cookie until it melts slightly over the crepes.
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Chef David Kinch prepared a Beef and Oyster Tartare using American Wagyu Beef Bavette similar to hangar, trimmed of all fat and cut into a fine dice and Pemaquid Oysters, shucked with juice reserved. You may substitute beef chuck or sirloin
Beef and Oyster Tartare
Dressing
Ketchup Heinz 125 gr.
Worcestershire 8 gr.
Cyrstal Hot Sauce 16 gr.
EVOO 80 gr. extra virgin olive oil
Lemon Juice 8 gr.
Orleans Mustard 35 gr. or substitute Dijon
Capers, chopped fine, to taste
Sea Salt, to taste
Italian Parsley, chopped, to taste
Horseradish Cream
Whipping Cream
Limes, for juice
Salt
Rice vinegar
Fresh horseradish root, or if in a jar, drained of the vinegar
Philadelphia brand Cream Cheese
1. Combine and whisk together the first six ingredients of the dressing. Set aside.
2. For the horseradish cream: beat the Cream Cheese in a mixer with the paddle attachment until it is light and soft. Season the cheese with lime juice salt and horseradish to taste. Add enough heavy cream to liquefy the cream cheese. Turn on the mixer on slow speed and beat the mixture into it slightly thickens to soft peak. Reserve and set aside.
3. Place approx. 2 oz. of beef per person in a bowl. Finely chop one oyster per person and its juice and add it to the beef. Season the beef with the dressing, adding your preferred amount. It is just about right when the beef holds it shape Add capers, salt and parsley to taste.
4. Mound the tartar into a decorative shape with two spoons. Mimic the same shape with the horseradish cream next to the beef.
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Chef Matt Bolton of Pacific’s Edge in Carmel offers this recipe for butternut squash prepared risotto style. You could substitute carrots, potato or cauliflower for the squash.
Butternut Squash Risotto & Big Sur Chanterelle
Butternut Squash Risotto
1 butternut squash, diced
1 med. yellow onion, diced
1 clove garlic, chopped
6 oz Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated
¼ lb. unsalted butter
1 qt. chicken stock
½ bunch parsley, chiffonade
Kosher salt and pepper
Melt butter in pot over medium high heat. Add onion and cook until translucent and soft. Add garlic and cook until golden. Add butternut squash. When squash is sizzling hot, add 1 ladle of chicken stock while stirring constantly. Reduce liquid, add more stock until squash is almost cooked through al dente. Finish with 2 Tbsps. butter, grated Parmesan and chiffonade parsley.
Big Sur Chanterelle
8 oz chanterelle, cleaned, stems removed
1 shallot
1 clove garlic
½ bunch thyme, picked
2 Tbsps. blended oil
1 Tbsp. butter
Kosher salt and pepper to taste
Heat saute pan over medium high. Add oil, chanterelles, Kosher salt and pepper. Once mushrooms have a glossy sheen about 1 minute, add butter thyme, garlic and shallot.
Serve risotto in warm bowls, with chanterelles and garnished with garden herbs.
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