Chef Marcel Vigneron's Dragon Breath

Chef Marcel Vigneron has dragon's breath! Not BAD breath, dragon's breath: a white stream of smoke is streaming from his nostrils and mouth. The occasion is the first Guest Chef Dinner at JUSTIN Vineyards & Winery in Paso Robles. Chef Vigneron, who wowed us with his molecular gastronomy on Bravo's cooking show Top Chef is proving to me that my mouth won't be "burned" by eating the crispy wild rice and sugar appetizers rolled in liquid nitrogen. Instead I experienced a light shock of coldness, the crisp taste of sugar, then "smoke" streamed from my nose.

Molecular gastronomy is fun! It is the marriage of science and food creating novel forms and textures, such as beet foam, spherical noodles, or powdered olive oil. You can trace its origins to the Hungarian physicist Nicholas Kurti and French physical chemist Harvé This who held "Molecular and Physical Gastronomy" meetings with chefs to demonstrate new techniques like making meringue in a vacuum chamber. Ferran Adrià gained worldwide fame from his molecular gastronomy at El Bulli, said to be the best restaurant in the world before it closed in 2011.

After appetizers that included mini "ice cream cones" filled with goat cheese and grapes, bitty potatoes that looked liked rocks with dill crème fraiche, oysters with foam and the aromatic 2011 JUSTIN Chardonnay, JUSTIN founder Justin Baldwin invited the guests into the cavernous 30,000 sq. ft. barrel room, made intimate and romantic with candles, for the gourmet meal. He introduced each course with an explanation of the pairing, saying "what we are striving to make here are food friendly wines."  JUSTIN brought worldwide recognition to the Paso Robles viticultural region in 2000 when their Bordeaux blend ISOSCELES was named one of the top 10 wines in the world by Wine Spectator. They have consistently garnered top ratings and praise for their wines, including Wine Enthusiast's "Top Cabernet and Blended Wine Producers List" for seven years running and their tasting room has been my favorite in Paso Robles, both for their terrific wines and for the friendly staff.

The dinner benefited Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution Day.

Jamie Oliver is the intrepid Brit leading the charge to change school lunch programs and how we cook in our kitchens, saying "For the first time in history, being overweight is killing more people than being underweight, and at least 2.8 million adults around the world die each year as a result of being overweight or obese…We need to become a conscious community and understand the food choices we make on a daily basis, which includes making food fresh from scratch and avoiding junk food." Food Revolution events were held in 660 cities in 63 countries on May 19th to improve the way we eat and combat obesity. Learn how to cook seasonally with locally sourced organic food! It's better for you and your family and better for our planet.

We enjoyed the 2011 JUSTIN Sauvignon Blanc with a light, slightly foamed, chilled pea soup with vanilla cured salmon and a tangy pickled radish. Compressed cucumber gave he dish texture and Meyer Lemon Puree added a bright note. The luscious 2009 JUSTIN Reserve Tempranillo was paired with steamed halibut and Portuguese sausage cooked in "Crazy Water": an Italian broth. "Acqua Pazza" is traditionally made from cherry tomatoes, water (sometimes seawater), salt, olive oil and sometimes the seeds, stems and pomace left after pressing grapes for wine.

JUSTIN's flagship wine, the ISOSCELES was paired with slow roasted veal, not something I normally eat, but it was fantastic. The au jus, made with ISOSCELES, was irresistible, deep, rich and complex. The flavor-infused morels were out-of-this-world fantastic. Dessert, served with the 2010 JUSTIN OBTUSE, was a flourless hazelnut chocolate cake with a coconut espuma. Espuma is a molecular gastronomy technique where a natural ingredient (like coconut milk) is mixed with a stabilizing agent such as agar or lecithin, then extruded through a whipped cream canister charged with nitrous oxide. The result was a purely flavored foam of coconut with a slight crust. The creamy pudding of roasted banana and peanut butter had a wonderful texture and pronounced flavor of ripe banana.

My friend who accompanied me to the dinner is a vegetarian and she was accommodated by the chefs with a special vegetarian option. Her second course was a delicious risotto that had a foam incorporated into it and had baby carrots as a side. Her third course was a riff on the classic Northern Italian dish of asparagus and egg that had the warm morels that were also part of our veal dish. The egg was obviously farm-fresh with a deep orange yolk cooked au point.

Not only were the food and wine top-notch, but JUSTIN accomplished something that is not easy to do: to create an evening that was elegant and sophisticated, yet warm and familial. The fabulous food and wine, the personal touch of the founder, the friendliness of the staff, and the impressive setting created a magical evening. As we walked away from the convivial lights of the winery, the night sky was inky black and thick with stars. Our only regret after a perfect evening was that we were not one of the fortunate guests who had booked a stay in one of JUSTIN's luxury suites and would not be having breakfast there as the morning sun brightened the surrounding vineyards.

JUSTIN is the only winery in the Central Coast to have a full-time chef creating in-house wine pairing recipes. Executive Chef Will Torres creates locally sourced cuisine in the Restaurant at JUSTIN and works with guest chefs in the winery's series of dinners. Past celebrity chefs include the “Iron Chef America” winner Chef Kent Rathbun and James Beard Award-winner Chef Barbara Lynch.

Fresh Local and Sustainable

As a child, I coveted the processed foods other kids had at their homes. I wanted the boxed macaroni and cheese, the Koolaid, the canned Campbell's soups. My mother bought fresh produce and meats and cooked--and expected us to cook--from scratch. Now, of course, I'm grateful for the good start she gave us toward a lifetime of healthy eating. Society has caught up with the philosophy of eating local, sustainable and organic (when possible) food made from fresh, seasonal ingredients with even golf courses--the last bastion of traditional grill food like burgers--starting to offer veggie burgers and salads with nary a trace of iceberg lettuce.

Touring and Tasting and Buttonwood Farm Winery were among the many local businesses donating products (in our case--wine!) and time to the Santa Barbara Culinary dinner last night benefiting the Julia Child Scholarship for students at the SBCC School of Culinary Arts. Santa Barbara Culinary is a group of culinary professionals--caterers, restauranteurs, farmers, etc. and food afficionados who meet monthly for a wonderful dinner created around a theme. This month's theme was local bounty sourced from local and sustainable food producers. Bonnie Crouse has the monumental job of overseeing all procurement of food, equipment and supplies and budget management for the University of California at Santa Barbara, so last night's gala event must have been a walk in the park! More than a decade ago, Bonnie started bringing the locavore philosophy to the University--working to support local farmers, ranchers and fishermen (and women) by buying locally, with the added benefit of improving the freshness of the ingredients used for student and faculty.

We feasted on olives and cheeses from Olivos Del Mar, beef sliders and BBQ organic chicken from DeyDey's Best Beef Ever, halibut with miso ginger marinade and black cod with arugula pesto from Santa Barbara Fish Market, grilled asparagus and legume and fresh vegetable salad from Farmer Direct Produce, organic salad from Shepherd Farms, and luscious berries with Champagne-honey sabayon from The Berry Man who also donated this amazing gift basket won by raffle. UCSB Executive Chef Jaime Herrera and his team created a culinary tour de force with the fresh produce, meat and seafood.

Touring and Tasting poured Rack & Riddle Brut sparkling wine for a starter and Becky, the new marketing manager at Buttonwood Farm Winery, brought four of their lovely wines: two Sauvignon Blanc, a Malbec and a Cabernet Franc. I loved the 2010 Zingy--100% Sauvignon Blanc that was hand-harvested and slow, cold fermented, yielding a crisp, bright wine with citrus and peach flavors. The 2010 Signature Blend Sauvignon Blanc was blended with aromatic Semillon. Malo-lactic fermentation gives it a creamy texture and, though the citrus is still evident, tropical flavors of guava and passionfruit are predominant. Anyone who finds Argentinian Malbec too rugged will love the Buttonwood 2009 Malbec which has a velvety texture. It's still a bold wine with structure and jammy flavors, but without any rough edges. My favorite was the 2008 Cabernet Franc. The vintage notes remind us that 2008 was an odd year for weather with the coldest spring in 25 years. Their crop was less than half the normal volume, but the smaller quantity was carefully hand-harvested and field sorted. Cabernet Franc is one of the grapes used to blend traditional Bordeaux and has a medium body and aromatic nose. The Buttonwood Cabernet Franc was well-balanced with a minerally touch to the mix of fruit flavors.

Buttonwood Farm Winery fit perfectly into the evening's theme of local and sustainable as the founder, Betty Williams, was a proponent of organic farming long before it became fashionable. Buttonwood continues to be a careful steward of their land, using organic techniques and tending the vineyards by hand. Buttonwood also produces more than wine: peach salsa, Cabernet chocolate sauce, olive oil, Sauvignon Blanc jelly and other delectable items. The Buttonwood Farm is a destination--not just a tasting room. I missed their farm tours during April's Earth Month On the Farm, but I see they have a Crawfish Boil coming up on May 19th -- crawfish + Buttonwood wines = a winning combination!

Hot and Tasty

As the Culinary Institute of America's wine book Exploring Wine states, "The dedicated farmers and producers of Santa Barbara County set a high benchmark for California wines". Indeed they do! The comedy "Sideways" may have helped bring recognition to the area, but it has been the quality of the wines that have piqued the interest of the wine writers, like Robert Parker, Jr. who said, "No viticultural region in America has demonstrated as much progress in quality and potential for greatness as the Central Coast, with its Rhône varietals, and the Santa Barbara region, where the Burgundian varietals Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are planted in its cooler climates." He predicts our wine "will rule America". Wow. But, our wineries weren't polishing up their "I am king of the world" speeches over the weekend, they were pouring wine at the Santa Barbara County Vintner's Association Festival--the highlight of their four-day spring celebration of Santa Barbara wines.


Unfortunately, the capricious weather gave us a mini-heat wave and the gorgeous blue sky drove the sunlight unrelentingly on our heads. So, I ended up drinking water rather than wine as my baked tongue couldn't evaluate the wines and everything tasted "cooked" to my overheated palate. The exception was Palmina's Barbera. I have my own theory (unsubstantiated other than personal observation) that while other reds start to turn the day after being opened, Barbera stays fresh and sometimes even gets better after three days in an open bottle. Once again, the sturdy Italian varietal showed its mettle by holding up and tasting delicious, even in oven-like conditions. Summation: the next time I'm invited to a BYOB in the desert--I'll bring a Barbera.

I spent the afternoon stuffing myself with all the tasty tidbits being given out by local restaurants, like the calamari salad from Root 246 and luscious meatballs from Trattoria Grappolo and people-watching, which is always a fun activity at any wine tasting. There are some who come to sip wines, some who come to guzzle, some dressed to the nines and looking for singles, some just to have a nice day outdoors with friends, then this group looking like lions in a National Geographic photo, draped on the oak tree seeking shade.

Santa Barbara -- Reaching For Stars

Once again, Chef Vincent Vanhecke did an amazing job putting together the fabulous 5-course dinner for the "Reaching For Stars" benefit for the Youth and Family Services YMCA. The Youth and Family Services runs four programs: Outreach to homeless youths--providing a sleeping bag and rain-wear, food for the hungry, a professional who cares, and a bus ticket home; the Isla Vista Teen Center--a drop-in center away from gangs, alcohol and drugs; My Home at Artisan Court--transitional housing and counseling services to youth ages 18-21 who age out of foster care and are facing homelessness; and Noah's Anchorage--a shelter for foster children, runaway and homeless youth ages 10-17.

Once again, (read the post) we were seated at the table with the keynote speaker, a lovely and friendly young girl who plans on attending Cal State Northridge and going into public relations. She was scribbling notes for her speech during the meal and started off speaking bravely about the challenges of growing up without a family to support and encourage her, how it felt to be the only one at school without a stable home, and how she asked only for a miniature Christmas tree when she moved into the Family Services housing at the holidays because it was something she hadn't had...and then she broke down. Many of us in the audience were in tears also. It's heart-rending to hear the stories of the kids that have had foster families that were only in it for the money, of abusive homes they had to escape, of living without a roof over their heads. It's a wonderful thing that the YMCA and the Santa Barbara Housing Authority plus generous donors have created services to help these kids that otherwise would truly be alone.

Also commendable are the chefs, particularly Chef Vanhecke, who donated their expertise to help raise money for these services. This year, there were even more top chefs, compared with two years ago (read about the 2010 Reaching For Stars dinner) and the students from the School of Culinary Arts at SBCC had a bigger role to play. I talked a bit with Chef Vanhecke after the dinner and he said that the students helped prepare some of the components and created the luscious appetizers that were served at the beginning of the evening when we had the chance to play some casino style games. I mistakenly left my iphone at home, so had to borrow a phone. These poor quality photos don't do justice to the food.

Appetizers: Vincent Vanhecke (The Valley Club of Montecito),  Randy Bublitz, Stephane Rapp and students (School of Culinary Arts SBCC)

Gary and Paul (right) Arganbright, President Touring & Tasting

First Course: Alessandro Cartumini (Four Seasons Biltmore), Charlie Rushton (Four Seasons Biltmore), Michael Blackwell (Montecito Country Club)

House Cured Duck Prosciutto with a Citrus Watercress Salad
Royal Trumpet Mushroom Salad with Celery, San Joaquin Gold, Walnut Vinaigrette
Cold Smoked Duck Breast
Won Ton Cup, Goat Cheese Cream, Roasted Yellow Beets, Micro Greens, Basil Oil,
Fleur De Sel, Kalamata Olives

Second Course: Micheal Hutchings (Micheals Catering),  James Sly (Sly's), Mossin Sugish (Blush)

Cultured Cocktail Abalone Baked with a Gremolata Butter
Salmon "Soufflé" Auberge de l'île
Cauliflower Horseradish Chaud-Froid, topped with a Paddle Fish Caviar

Entrée: Greg Murphy (bouchon), Brandon Hughes (Wine Cask), Charlie Fredericks and students (The Restaurant at SBCC)

Wagyu New York
Braised Short Ribs
Crispy Sweetbreads

Cheese Course: Don Skipworth. (Private Chef), Mari Bartoli (Private Chef), Brian Parks (Private Chef)

Salade Tropical
Chèvre Medallions with Orange and Cherimoya,
Hollandia Butter Lettuce and Lilikoi Citrus Dressing with Pistachio Garnis

Dessert Course: Christine Dahl (Christine Dahl Pastries),  Eric Widmer (La Cumbre Country Club), Jamie West (Private Chef)

 Warm Raspberry Phyllo Cheesecake Triangle
Chilled Raspberry Soufflé
Raspberry Tea Infused Chocolate Mousse Crunch Cake

Wines Donated by: Gainey, Cottonwood Canyon, Deep Sea, Fess Parker Winery, Jordano's, Lucas & Lewellen, Melville, Oreana, Roblar and Zaca Mesa.

When Bigger Is Better

Some people, including many connoisseurs more expert than I, hold the opinion that French wine is the most superior in the world --witness the astronomical $1,000 plus price per bottle for Grand Cru Bordeaux. But, while I appreciate the finesse and complexity of French Bordeaux and Rhone blends, I learned to love wine by drinking our California reds such as Napa Cabs, Russian River Pinots, Paso Robles Rhone Rangers, Santa Barbara Pinots and Syrahs.
IMHO, Old World French wine tends to be softer and earthier, whereas New World wines encompass a wider range of flavor and structure profiles and tend to be bolder. They can be "hot"--over 14% alcohol--and fruit-forward, with firm tannins--wines that make a confident statement, without going over the top. I will declare, (I assume the persona of Mae West when I say this): I like my red wine like I like my men--big, bold and hot!
The other evening, I made pasta all'uovo from scratch and a fully flavored marinara sauce with handfuls of fresh herbs from my garden and half a head of garlic. We needed a hearty red wine to pair with this meal, so we sampled three wines from the Touring & Tasting cellar: the 2008 Eberle Cote-du-Robles from Paso Robles, the 2007 Pietra Santa Zinfandel from the Cienega Valley 25 miles east of Monterey Bay, and the Argentinian 2010 Tinto Negro Malbec.
The Eberle Cote-du-Robles is the equivalent of the cultured, educated man who will wow you with his depth and intensity. He has tales to tell and universes to open to you. Be mesmerized as you enjoy a long, leisurely dinner of foods slow cooked with many flavors, like meat braised in wine or vegetable tagine spiced with curry. Slowly savor each delicious sip.
Malbec can be so tannic that it's like a mouthful of vine; but not the Tinto Negro Malbec--it is rich with fruit. The tasting notes for this wine says: "Surprising light for a Malbec, this wine is approachable and delicious". But, make no mistake, this is not a light wine. It is a muscular, proud Argentinian with flashing eyes that dare you to live life to the fullest. This Malbec will grip you with strong arms and whirl you around the dance floor with fearless tenderness. Serve with grilled steak--preferably on the wild, grassy hills of the Argentinian Pampas.
Zinfandel was long considered "America's vine and wine", a true American product. Zinfandel has concentrated flavors because the grapes ripen unevenly and are often berry selected for this reason. The "old vine" Zins have very low yields, leading to more extraction.  Because the fruit ripens fairly early and produces juice with high sugar levels, the alcohol content is often over 14%, sometimes over 15%. I love it because the deep fruit flavors of berries and plum are complemented with spicy and peppery notes. Zinfandel is like my California man, big, tall and self-assured. I see him golden from the sun, like a luscious grape ripened to perfection. He's not afraid to get his hands dirty with hard work, but the same strong hands have the gentleness to harvest a cornucopia of pleasures from the fertile soil. The Pietra Santa Zinfandel , handcrafted from estate grapes cultivated to express the land, was the perfect pairing for a meal made from a Southern California kitchen garden.

Tempting Tempranillo--A Blind Tasting

Paul, Touring & Tasting president (left), and Dorothy Schuler

Paul Arganbright, Touring & Tasting president, and I attended the Santa Barbara chapter of the American Wine Society (AWS) last week. The AWS includes wine lovers from novice to expert, amateur and professional winemakers, and people in all aspects of the wine trade. This meeting was a blind tasting of five Tempranillos--two from Spain, one from Argentina, and two from the USA--and featured Dorothy Schuler, president of the Tempranillo Advocates Produces and Amigos Society (TAPAS) and winemaker at Bodegas Paso Robles.

Tempranillo grapes have a thick skin which contribute tannins and color, but little acidity--something that can be rectified when they are grown in areas where the nighttime temperatures plunge, like Paso Robles. Tempranillo doesn't oxidize quickly, so it ages well. It's a refined wine, especially compared to other ones made from hot climate  grapes, and goes well with one of the main ingredients in Spanish food: olive oil.

Embarrassingly, I did not guess one wine's origin correctly. Fittingly, as he selects all the wines for our wine clubs, Paul not only correctly identified each wine's origin, but also determined that the two American wines were from Paso Robles and probably from Bodegas Paso Robles--which they were. A win for Paul!

We nibbled on crisp cucumber topped with beets (my favorite!), Manchego cheese in olive oil, endive stuffed with herbed grain, cucumber shots, and other treats. I believe this was the fifth meeting of the newly formed Santa Barbara chapter. Join here

Wesley and Donna Anderegg--ceramic artists and winemakers

by Wesley Anderegg

Cindy with a work of culinary art

Here's a great food/wine pairing: a young, light bodied Pinot Noir served with three-cheese quesadillas, corn salsa and spicy red pepper sauce--here shown by artist and friend Cindy Hoffman. We had this lunch in the adobe house of Wesley and Donna Anderegg: ceramic artists who also happen to be gourmet cooks and home winemakers. They produce around two barrels of Pinot on their farm which is in the windswept rolling hills of the Sta. Rita AVA, wine that is not for sale, but for personal consumption. The lunch was just one of the delights of a ceramic workshop in their huge, light-filled studio. Wesley's work is in numerous museums around the country; he makes sometimes whimsical, sometimes macabre but always visually arresting sculptures and paintings. Donna throws, paints and carves beautiful dinnerware.

Wesley and his charmingly helpful daughter Izzy showed us how he hollows out the basic head and body forms, then adds the features and appendages. He uses his own blend of clay that is low fire, but smooth, without the rough grog often found in earthenware clays. He blends it to be very moist; the clay is supple and smooth to the touch--easy to mold but requiring some delicacy in the handling. He formed this hand in just a couple of minutes, deftly adding the details like knuckle wrinkles and finger nails--he made it look so easy!

Before the workshop, he had made a delicious apple galette and we had the lunch described above, with the Anderegg Pinot Noir. We had the chance to pet their goats, marvel at the rambling adobe house and breathe the fresh spring air blowing across the verdant hills.

The Sta. Rita AVA is unique in the transverse (meaning east-to-west, rather than north-south) mountain ranges that funnel ocean air into the sunny interior of Santa Barbara County. Locals call it the "maritime throat" as it blows cooling fog, combining with the rocky soil to make perfect conditions for growing Pinot Noir, as evidenced by the high scores and acclaim won by many wineries such as Sanford, Longoria and Sea Smoke.

One of the pioneers in viticulture was Richard Sanford who planted the first Pinot Noir vineyard in the area in 1970. Armed with a degree in Geography, he researched land and climate across the state and discovered the Santa Rita Hills had similar terroir as Burgundy, France. He and his wife founded the eponymous winery and produced award-winning wines for 27 years before leaving Sanford to their partners and creating Alma Rosa winery in the same AVA. The Sanfords were instrumental in establishing the tiny (about 100 acre) AVA. Current majority partners in Sanford Winery, Anthony Terlato and his sons Bill and John, continue the legacy of producing highly-rated wines: Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, in addition to Pinot Noir. Sanford Winery is on the picturesque Santa Rita Hills wine trail. Stop in and taste wines in their showcase tasting room and winery, built mostly from recycled materials, including 15,000 handmade adobe bricks.

Wesley Demo

You may wonder why the proper name for the AVA is "Sta. Rita" instead of "Santa Rita" when the location is the Santa Rita Hills. This came about because a Chilean wine producer, Viña Santa Rita, which has been making wine in that country for 130 years, filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Treasury (which overses the Bureau of Tobacco, Alcohol, Firearms and Explosives, and threatened to sue any winery that used the Santa Rita name. Richard Sanford met with the Chilean producer and was able to work out a compromise. The abbreviation "Sta." is historically accurate, since it was used for Mexican land grants in California's early years.