WE’RE IN THE NEWS!
By JESSICA YADEGARAN | jyadegaran@bayareanewsgroup.com and LINDA ZAVORAL | lzavoral@bayareanewsgroup.com | Bay Area News Group
November 29, 2020 at 6:50 a.m.
When it comes to holiday gatherings, there will be no turkey feast for 40 this year. No elaborate cookie exchanges or lavish office parties with big, communal eggnog.
Yes, 2020 will be the strangest holiday season ever. But last we checked, merriment is not a numbers game; it’s a state of mind. And with a little help from some of the Bay Area’s up and coming caterers, even the tiniest gathering can be a brilliant success.
San Francisco chef and caterer Andrea Lawson Gray began getting requests for tiny parties just a few months into the pandemic: a 50th birthday with the social bubble, an anniversary celebration for two. She quickly learned how to downscale once-typical wedding receptions or tech company soirees and make them safe and socially distanced for these times.
“We’ll be doing a lot of holiday parties outside with heaters this year,” says Gray, who is the co-founder of Private Chefs of the SF Bay Area, a collective of nine chefs who specialize in 31 types of cuisine and have a combined 70-plus years of experience in restaurants, including several with Michelin nods. “We’re not doing buffets or shared plates, of course.”
What they are doing — and with great success — are small plates, passed appetizers and portioned mains that dazzle just as much as that centerpiece bird. “You can do duck, which is ideal for two people, or goose,” Gray says. Crab or lobster always feel decadent and are the holiday go-to for many families. More…
A serial entrepreneur at heart, Chef Andrea was part of the now-defunct Kitchit, an on-demand private chef startup. When that failed, she saw her fellow colleagues, all extremely talented chefs and suddenly without the steady stream of clients that Kitchit had provided, and had a vision for something different. A co-op of sorts, with shared costs, shared values and shared talents. Thus Private Chefs of the SF Bay was born, an extremely high-end personal chef brand that brings fine dining to you, whether it be an executive luncheon, a special treat in your home, or just a way to take your California vacation to the next level.
Chef Andrea first owned an ad agency and then discovered her love for cooking, spiraling those marketing talents into this wild ride of a career that has led her to dominate the personal chef industry—which is saying quite a lot, considering the talent in the bay area. We sat down for a scrumptious meal with Andrea to chat about everything from the unique funding for the business, how to work as a collective, and the importance of keeping your standards (and pricing) high.
RECIPES FROM PRIVATE CHEFS OF THE SF BAY
The following recipes have been developed by various chefs in our collective; many incorporate the ingredients from our Marketing Partners. These partnerships provide a unique way for you to experience some of the best small producers and purveyors in the Bay Area. Check back, our list is always growing….
You are welcome to request that the chef who created the recipe include it as part of a customized menu for your next dinner party
Truffled Cheddar Queso Fundido with Mushrooms
Recipe by Chef Andrea Lawson Gray
A California twist on a Mexican classic using Fiscalini Farmstead’s Truffle Cheddar Cheese, this recipe for Mexico’s take on cheese fondue is great served with baguette slices or warm tortillas.
For recipe, follow this link.
Fiscalini Farmstead’s Truffle Cheddar is made by adding real truffle paste to our Farmhouse Cheddar. Truffles are highly prized by chefs and foodies and this cheese is exquisite. Produced with culinary application in mind, our Truffle Cheddar has a sensational taste and beautiful black speckled coloring. This semi-hard cheese is made from pasteurized cow’s milk and handcrafted into 40-pound blocks.
Dandelion Chocolate
Almond Figs,
Chocolate Labne Crémeux/Port Sauce
Recipe By Chef Rose Johnson
California figs and almonds combined with exquisite Dandelion Chocolate’s Kokoa Kamili, Tanzania Chef’s Chocolate and an unusual chocolate/yogurt-based cream sauce make this delectable dessert some much more than the sum of it’s parts.
For recipe, follow this link.
“At Dandelion, we believe great chocolate starts with the bean. Because we only use two ingredients to make our chocolate—cocoa beans and organic cane sugar...”
Frog Hollow Farm Warm Spinach and Pear Salad
recipe by Chef Rose Johnson
A beautiful transition from summer to fall takes shape in this warm salad; braised pork belly adds a hint of umami, the Pear-Chevre Mousse adds elegance and texture!
Frog Hollow Farm is committed to sustainable practices. Sustainability is an important value that Farmer Al has embraced since choosing to go organic in 1989. They believe in sustainable labor practices. Many farms rely primarily on seasonal hires because they tend to their trees by hand and have a commercial kitchen on premises, they provide year-round employment.
Pomp & Whimsy
Poached Pears With Riesling and Thyme
by Chef Andrea Lawson Gray
The nuanced tones of Pomp and Whimsy Gin Liqueur transform a pear into an elegant yet simple dessert that looks as good as it tastes.
For recipe, follow this link.
(Photo by Bessie LaCap Photography, plate available through Piece of Clay)
Arugula Salad with
Pomp & Whimsy-infused Bruleé Ruby Red Grapefruit
recipe by chef andrea lawson gray
Pomp & Whimsy Gin Liqueur’s herbal notes and sweet side are the perfect foil the grapefruit’s acidic nature. Brulée the grapefruit to enhances flavors and give this salad an extra special look.
(Photo/Bessie LaCap Photography)
Seared Scallops in Brown Butter Pomp & Whimsy Pan Sauce
Recipe by Chef Rose Johnson
We love Pomp and Whimsy Gin Liqueur for it’s versatility. The select blend of 16 natural and whole ingredients, including juniper, coriander, angelica, grapefruit, bitter orange, cucumber, lychee, raspberry, lavender and jasmine pearls makes it a perfect way to highlight the sweetness of the scallops in this simple-to-make and outstanding dish.
(Photo/Bessie LaCap Photography)
POMP AND WHIMSY LACQUERED FOIE GRAS
Recipe by Chef Rose Johnson
The herbal notes and perfectly-balanced sweetness of Pomp and Whimsy Gin Liqueur are the perfect foil for the earthiness of foie gras.
See the recipe here!
((Photo/Bessie LaCap Photography), plate available through Piece of Clay)
churros & dipping chocolate
Recipe by Chef Josh Garcia
Dandelion Chocolate takes this Mexican classic to a whole new level. We’ve also included instructions for making your own churros at home:
(Photo by Adriana Almazan Lahl from Celebraciones Mexicanas: History, Traditions and Recipes, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED)
bacon-almond blue dates
Recipe by Chef Rose Johnson
These appetizers are Rock Stars! They are sweet, tangy, smoky, salty, crunchy, chewy – they have it all! Like all our chefs, Chef Rose uses local ingredients, like California almonds and, in this case Cofield Bodega Blue Cheese:
See the recipe here!
private chefs of the sf bay in the news
CALIFORNIA COOKBOOK: NORTHERN CALIFORNIA CHEFS WEIGH IN ON GOLDEN STATE FOODIE CULTURE
BY LAURIE HAYNES 06/13/2018
Always iconic while constantly evolving, Golden State cuisine embodies the spirit of discovery and an unrivaled agricultural foundation.
Within this limitless bounty, destination-defining chefs who share a passion for fresh ingredients, originality and diverse inspiration are playing a foundational role in making California a global food destination.
“California-style” cuisine is not limited to specific cooking techniques or methods but instead defined by shared values among chefs and served up in an endless array of sights, flavors and dishes.
Chef Tu David Phu of Oakland has worked in some of the nation’s top Michelin-starred restaurants, including Chez Panisse, Quince, Acquerello, Daniel Boulud, Breslin, Gotham Bar & Grill and Gramercy Tavern. He was a contestant on season 15 of Bravo’s "Top Chef" and named one of the San Francisco Chronicle’s 2017 "Rising Star Chefs." (Book Chef Tu).
Phu’s inspiration for Vietnamese-California cooking stems from his mother, an immigrant from the Vietnamese island of Phú Quốc, also famous as the birthplace of Asian fish sauce. He thoughtfully attributes the diversity of only-in-California cuisine to the array of people and cultures who have shaped it over several decades.
“The thing that makes California so beautiful is in its neighborhoods and in its people," Phu says. "You go to any neighborhood in California, like in San Francisco, Oakland and all the way down to L.A., it’s multiethnic, it’s immigrant-based.”
Phu shares stories of how his mother nourished his family with dishes from her homeland. Out of necessity, she incorporated the ingredients that were available in California into her traditional meals, representing the foundation of the unique intercultural experiences that foodies expect and crave in Golden State cuisine today.
“[That’s how] this second generation of Vietnamese cuisine is born," Phu says. "I think out of necessity from this multiethnic culture, these beautiful things come about."
To truly appreciate the diversity and originality for which California food is known today, it is important to remember the influences and immigrants who began shaping the state's culinary identity decades ago.
Chef, food historian and author Andrea Lawson Gray shares the story of her journey through the culinary world over the past 15 years. Her experiences in combining fresh, sustainable California ingredients with the traditional cooking styles and tools from Mexico have shaped her vision of "Californio" cuisine.
“Californio food is trending: Farmers markets are filled with avocados, squash blossoms, prickly pear fruit, cactus paddles, chayote, epazote and verdolaga (purslane),” Gray says. “Mexican ingredients that were hard to find a decade ago are finding their way into America’s kitchens in new and surprising ways.”
Lawson Gray uses traditional Mexican cooking styles and tools with fresh and local farm-to-table ingredients to create unforgettable dishes with true Californio spirit, because part of what makes the Golden State a renowned foodie destination is the embrace of the freedom and originality in intercultural cooking.
“Although I offer Modern American, French, Italian, Mediterranean and several other Latin cuisines that are not related to Mexico, more than 75 percent of the dinner menus requested by my clients are for Californio fare,” Gray says.
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