Redding California is known for many things.  We’ve got lakes, mountains, hiking, boating, camping and some really lovely architecture. Our parks are gorgeous and the trails are breathtaking.  The views are memorable, some even say unforgettable. Until recently however, the food scene here was dismal at best.

I’m very happy to say that we’ve finally gotten a few offerings for the discerning foodie.  They’re still dwarfed by chain restaurants and Mexican food eateries (some of which are amazing, by the way), but they’re beginning to attract a loyal following among people that enjoy eating for the sheer pleasure it brings.  Among these new offerings is Tapas Downtown on Oregon Street in the heart of Redding itself.

The restaurant is owned by partners Brad (above left) and Christine (who unfortunately was not at the restaurant when we visited.) I’d actually decided to try Tapas Downtown before I started talking to Christine and Brad on Twitter, but having a few conversations with the owners is a good indicator of what the restaurant will be like, and our experience at Tapas Downtown confirms that assumption.

After looking over the menu, I decided on the lamb kabob lunch and my wife opted for the tapas gyro. We both chose simple iced tea as our beverage, since we had plans to check out the antique mall next door to Tapas after lunch, and the day was extremely warm (101 degrees).

The kabobs were absolutely divine.  The hummus and pita were divine and the salad was good, even though it was slightly overdressed for my tastes (but I’m picky about dressing levels, so that could very well just be me.) My wife sampled the lamb as well and was still singing its praises when she boarded the plane for Turkey three days later.

The gyro was a bit of a disappointment for us. Not because the Tapas Gyro isn’t good, but because it’s not a gyro in the traditional sense. Instead of being served in pita, the version at Tapas Downtown is served in flat bread with a sauce that isn’t quite tzatziki and not quite anything else I’ve ever experienced before. As a serious lover of the traditional gyro, it’s a disappointment. Taken as a wrap in its own right, it was very tasty.

The ambiance at Tapas is wonderful, the staff is friendly and they know their menu.  Our lunch was great and in the end I find myself in a position to recommend Tapas Downtown in Redding to anyone who wants a great experience and a good meal.  The only downside to our visit was that Christine wasn’t there, and she had promised me a tour of the kitchen.  I’ll have to see if I can get a rain check on that, what I did see through the entryway door was very nice.

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Harlequin Romance celebrated it’s 60th anniversary recently.  That alone wouldn’t get me to comment here, but when they decided to have a group of celebrities reading blurbs from past best sellers… AND … One of those celebrities happens to be the world renown chef Wolfgang Puck, then it gets my attention.

In his brief appearance in the ABC video celebrating not only the Canadian based Harlequin, but the fact that the romance industry is actually flourishing in the currently depressed economy, Puck reads from Ann Mather’s “Rooted In Dishonour”, published in 1978.  I’ll be honest in saying I’ve never read the work of Miss Mather, but I have to think that Chef Puck’s delivery somehow lessens whatever impact she was trying to create in this particular scene.

In any event, Congrats to Harlequin on 60 years in the industry and for actually increasing sales in an economy that’s scaring fortune %00 companies to death.  Thanks also for giving this little food lover a bit of a chuckle watching one of his culinary heroes sit firmly out of his element, but do it so darned well.

Remember kiddies. Live. Love. Eat!

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Chef Robert Irvine Taping an Episode of Dinner: Impossible in September 2007 at Sheppard Air force Base, TX

For those who may not have heard The original host of Food Network’s Dinner: Impossible? is back. Chef Robert Irvine has made his way back to the show he made famous, of course bringing his sous chefs David and George with him.

The new season airs on Wednesday April 8th and I for one will be happy to see chef Irvine back at the helm in this season. It’s not that I have anything against Chef michael Symon, but he just didn’t bring the frenetic pace and appeal tot he series that chef irvine brings. (…Or the cool factor that comes along with chef Irvine’s bulging muscles and cultured accent. Let’s be honest, both men and women can appreciate Robert Irvine. Chef Symon isn’t really gonna bring in the ladies to watch the show in his garage-inspired chef’s coat.)

The episode lineup fits the bill of seasons past and includes the following titles:

ROBERT IRVINE RETURNS WITH NEW SEASON OF
DINNER: IMPOSSIBLE
New Season Premieres on Wednesday, April 8th, 2009 at 10:00pmET/PT

NEW YORK – March 11, 2009 – A marvel in the kitchen, Robert Irvine overcomes culinary obstacles in Food Network’s popular series, Dinner: Impossible. Robert returns with six new hour-long episodes premiering Wednesday, April 8th at 10pm ET/PT, accepting missions like an extreme dinner for 200 Winter X Games athletes, preparing odd but tasty combinations of food for 450 Yahoo! employees and taking a gamble on a mission at the renowned casino at Mohegan Sun.

Upcoming episodes include:

Premieres: Wednesday, April 8th at 10:00pm ET/PT – SEASON PREMIERE!
“X Eats at the X Games”
In the season premiere of Dinner: Impossible, Robert heads to Aspen, Colo. to cook for 200 action sports athletes at the Winter X Games. Robert works in severe outdoor conditions, and has just seven hours to make his most extreme menu ever. Can he overcome spills, hills and chills, or will this be Dinner: Impossible?

Premieres: Wednesday, April 15th at 10:00pm ET/PT
“The Yahoo! Search Scramble”
Robert visits Yahoo! headquarters in the heart of Silicon Valley to celebrate the anniversary of Yahoo! Search. His mission: make the top 15 most-searched dishes, with a catch – each dish must be made with a randomly assigned top-searched ingredient! Can Robert overcome the strange pairings and successfully feed 450 Yahoo! employees in just eight hours, or will this be Dinner: Impossible?

Premieres: Wednesday, April 22nd at 10:00pm ET/PT
“Casino Craziness”
Robert takes on a real gamble at Mohegan Sun. In a special casino, Robert spins the roulette wheel to see how many people he will serve, rolls the dice at the craps table to see how many hours he will have to prepare and plays three games of blackjack in hopes of winning three crucial ingredients: oil, sugar and salt. Will Robert make a jackpot meal, or will this be Dinner: Impossible?

Premieres: Wednesday, April 29th at 10:00 pm ET/PT
“NBA All Star Stress”
Robert attends the NBA All-Star Weekend Cares and Cooks fundraising event, where he has just 10 hours to create nearly 30 different NBA-inspired dishes for 2,000 fans! Robert creates a menu inspired by five teams from the Western Conference and five from the Eastern Conference. Can he beat the buzzer on his All-Star mission, or will this be Dinner: Impossible?

ABOUT ROBERT IRVINE:
Born in England, Robert Irvine began cooking at the age of 15, when he joined the Royal Navy. As part of his service, he worked on board the Royal Yacht Britannia where the Royal Family and their entourages regularly dined. In addition, Robert participated in a guest chef program, allowing him to cook at the White House. In his 25 year-long career, he had the opportunity to serve 6,000 servicemen and women on a US aircraft carrier and plan the menu at a spectacular celebrity-studded after-party at the Academy Awards. Robert also wrote a cookbook entitled “Mission: Cook!” (Harper Collins, 2007). He currently owns his own multi-faceted company.

[From The Official Chef Robert Irvine Blog]

Welcome back, chef robert. you have been missed and your fans have been heard by the execs at Food Network.

For those of you who would be interested in the real story behind Robert’s resume mix-ups and the allegations that were tossed around upon his departure from Dinner: Impossible, check out his official blog using the link above. It’s a good and inspiring read.

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Egon Ronay suggests that Gordon Ramsay should behave more like Escoffier, the celebrated chef who penned Le Guide Culinaire. Unfortunately, there seems to be some areas he forgot o address:

In a letter today to the Guardian Egon Ronay compares Gordon Ramsay unfavourably to César Ritz (1850-1918), the best-known inn-keeper in history and Auguste Escoffier (1849-1935), the most celebrated chef who ever lived.

Escoffier codified the food served in establishments such as his own Savoy Hotel restaurant. From his “Le Guide Culinaire” any chef could learn the correct basic preparation and garnish of the hundreds of dishes that constituted classic haute cuisine. He is a hero to today’s chefs, because he preached the maxim that became today’s kitchen mantra, “faites simple”, and actually put it into practice, rediscovering the fumets and reductions of ancient French cookery that are the basis for today’s lighter sauces.

So Escoffier appears to be a good candidate for the chef as champion. The only difficulty is that he and Ritz were crooks. Escoffier himself was chiefly guilty of taking bribes and kickbacks from suppliers (then a common practice, as it may still be in some big institutions). But there were huge sums involved – not much short of £1m in today’s money. Mr Ronay neglects to mention that Escoffier and Ritz were sacked by their employers at the Savoy on 28 February, 1898.

[From Should Gordon Ramsay really behave more like Escoffier? | Life and style | guardian.co.uk]

Before you go bashing me for bashing Escoffier, I’m not arguing his talents as a chef in the slightest. without Le Guide Culinaire the world would be a much sadder place in terms of our culinary habits and experiences. I do however, agree with the author of he article in that Ramsay’s business practices are, in comparison, exemplary.

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Think you have to avoid fast food restaurants if you’re trying to lose weight? Adam Clatsoff would disagree with you, he lost 100 pounds eating at fast food chains.

“I dieted myself to about 400 pounds. You know, you lose, you gain, and I suddenly realized I had to have a life change,” explained Adam Clatsoff.

The life change for Clatsoff was turning to fast food for most of his meals.

“I realized you can walk into a fast food restaurant and you do not have to order a 1600 calorie meal,” he said.

Clatsoff says over a two year period, he lost more than 100 pounds.

[From Author loses 100 lbs on fast food diet : News : WEYI NBC25]

And you thought they were off limits!

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Mario Batali has just placed himself in good company with Gordon Ramsay. In fact, he’s just done something I’m pretty sure that Ramsay himself would never do. He subjected the King and Queen of Spain to a series of profane outbursts at a dinner held in their honor in Florida during the south Beach Food and Wine Festival.

Batali is said to have appeared intoxicated and lost his temper when the crowd at the $1,000 per plate dinner didn’t wuiet down quickly enough. After a moment he addressed them in his own manner:

“All you weasel f***wads in the back corners, can I have ten seconds of your time?” said the chef, who appeared intoxicated.

He then swore again in front of King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia when introducing chef José Andrés, who runs the Los Angeles restaurant, The Bazaar.

Mr Batali said his friend had received: “The most mother-f***ing stars of any Spanish restaurant in the US.” He finished by grabbing Andres’ bottom.

[From Celebrity chef rants in front of Spanish royalty - Telegraph]

The Queen is said to have balked at his choice of language, but the King took it in stride. His comment was priceless, but you’ll have to go see the original article to see what it said.

Cheers!

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It seems Top Chef judge Tom Colicchio has been bitten by the product placement bug, or perhaps he’s just come to find it normal after having to find creative ways to pitch products in segments on Top Chef. (A Dr. Pepper Challenge?)

Colicchio is now appearing in a TV ad for Diet Coke that emphasizes a need to “keep it simple”. having seen tom on Top chef, even that statement sounds a little strained. The commercial does very little to inspire me to buy any soda, but it is shot somewhat tastefully. I just hope this isn’t the beginning of the era of Tom Colicchio turns Billy Mays.

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I found this article in one of my notifications. I have to say that I think it says a lot about chef Ramsay.

London, February 22 (ANI): Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay has hired a nine-year-old to be a part of his show after being impressed with the lad’s hilarious mimicking of him on cyberspace.

Child-actor Felix Light had done three videos in a “Little Gordon” advertising campaign for restaurant recruiting firm Caterer.com.

The ‘Hell’s Kitchen’ host revealed he had a laughter riot after watching the kid shout at waiters, restaurant managers and dinnerladies with bleeped F-words in a spoof of his TV show, ‘Kitchen Nightmares’ on You Tube.

“When I saw the videos of Felix impersonating me I thought it was hilarious,” the Mirror quoted Ramsay as saying.

“I was with my son Jack, who is eight, and my wife Tana. I said, ‘Look, come and see Daddy when he was little’.

“We all sat there laughing our heads off. Felix had me down to a T. I thought we just have to get this kid on Hell’s Kitchen. He’s a star,” he added. (ANI)

[From Gordon Ramsay hires 9-year-old ‘Little Gordon’ for US show | Skyblue.in]

Honestly, if he can laugh at himself, or at others portraying his on-screen persona he’s got one up on a lot of celebrities. Many would have sued the company that originally employed “Little Gordon”. Ramsay hired him instead. That’s one series of shows I’m very seriously looking forward to.

If you haven’t seen “Little Gordon”, take a peek here.

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It looks like Gordon Ramsay’s former mentor isn’t too happy with the image he portrays or the light that it puts other chefs in:

Marco Pierre said he only starred in ITV’s Hell’s Kitchen to repair the damage done by foul-mouthed Ramsay, who stars in Channel 4’s Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares.

He felt Ramsay’s bad language and huge ego were destroying the reputation of talented chefs who work outside the spotlight.

He said: “When I did Hell’s Kit­chen it was because I did not like the way certain people were portraying my industry.

[From Daily Express | UK News :: Marco Pierre White: Ramsay's filth has dragged us into the gutter]

What do you think? Is Marco right, or do you think the public in general can see past Ramsay’s shouting and cursing to the talented chef?

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I just received my copy of Working the Plate: The Art of Food Presentation, by Christopher Styler and I have to say definitively that this is a book that can help anyone who’s just starting to really think about plating as what it is, an art form.

This book won’t be of much help to the serious food stylist, as it specifically covers the art of plating from a chef’s perspective and not a photographer’s perspective (I’ll be getting a few of those soon), but if you’ve ever wanted to get a good feel for the plating style of a fine restaurant this is a great place to start.

The author covers 8 istinct plating styles in the book, each of which comes with a recipe for the dish so that you can practice the plating if you’d like.  The photography is excellent and I found that the step-by-step plating instructions were concise enough for me to follow. In fact, if you notice a difference in the photos in this site over the next few weeks, it will be due in large part to this book.

It’s not often that I go out of my way to recommed a product here at CBSOP, but i think that this is one of tose that you really need to see for yourself.  It has inspired me to be better at what I do in the kitchen and to make my presentation reflect the care and passion that I put into the food itself. Do yourself a favor and go get a copy of Working the Plate: The Art of Food Presentation for yourself or the cook in your life. you’ll be glad you did.

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