Alcohol

Napa spice merchant Shuli Madmone has introduced many fascinating seasonings to our kitchen, including the dried rose petals we use in this sorbet. His shop, Whole Spice (see page 126), is a playground for adventuresome cooks, and in recent years, he has brought a collection of exotic seasonings to the Workshop. We grind the dried rose petals fine with sugar, then use that fragrant mixture to sweeten a sparkling wine sorbet.

The quince trees at our River Ranch property are just delivering their first harvest at the time of the Workshop. Many chefs are captivated with these uncommon autumn fruits, which are rockhard and astringent when raw and must be cooked to release their floral perfume. Chef David Everett made a memorable quince chutney for duck breasts when he attended the Workshop in 1994. Brian likes to serve the same chutney with brined pork chops. Cooking the pork on the bone enhances flavor and seals in the succulence imparted by the brine. Accompany the pork with braised escarole or Tuscan kale, or with Brussels sprouts and chestnuts. Any leftover chutney will keep for at least a week in the refrigerator and would be delicious with blue cheese. Note that the chops need to rest in the brine overnight.

The venison we serve at Cakebread Cellars comes from Broken Arrow Ranch in Texas (see page 144). The meat is as dark as beef but much leaner, with even less cholesterol and fewer calories than skinless chicken breast. Like pork, venison has a natural sweetness that welcomes a tart, fruity sauce. At the 1998 Workshop, Bruce Hill paired it with wild huckleberries; wild blueberries make a good substitute. Serve the venison with potato puree, as Bruce did, or with Brussels sprouts, roasted root vegetables, or the celery root puree from The Cakebread Cellars Napa Valley Cookbook.

Who better to provide a cioppino recipe than Jesse Llapitan, the executive chef of San Francisco’s Palace Hotel, the city’s grande dame? Every San Franciscan puts his or her own stamp on this rustic fisherman’s stew, but the Dungeness crab is nonnegotiable. Chef Llapitan attended the 2005 Workshop.

This refreshing dessert is inspired by sgroppino, an Italian specialty. Prosecco is an authentic choice, but feel free to use any type of sparkling wine, or even champagne.

Olive oil and white wine may seem like unfamiliar ingredients in desserts, yet here they combine to produce a subtly fruity cake. For a crunchier topping, use coarse sanding sugar, available at many grocery stores, in place of the granulated sugar in step 3.

For a meatless variation, replace the prosciutto with a half cup of grated parmesan and the scallions with a cup of chopped mixed fresh herbs, such as mint, parsley, and tarragon.

Making risotto is a simple matter so long as you keep a careful eye toward the end to prevent overcooking the rice, as the mixture will continue to thicken after it’s taken off the heat. Here, the cooking liquid is also used to rehydrate the porcini mushrooms.

Although traditionally made with rice (riso in Italian), risotto can also be made with pearl barley (and other grains, such as farro) to provide a slightly chewy dish with a nutty flavor.

Pork works well with many kinds of fruit, including figs. Keep fresh figs in the refrigerator and use within a day or so. This recipe calls for roasting an extra pork loin to use in making two quick dishes on the following page.

Because they are baked, these breaded cutlets are more healthful and easier to prepare than fried versions. Making the cutlets yourself from a pork tenderloin is less expensive than buying them pre-cut.

Thighs are the best cut for braising, as they become very tender when simmered for a long period. This dish is even better the next day, once the flavors have had a chance to meld.

THIS IS OUR BASIC RED SAUCE and a recipe you will turn to again and again. It’s one of the most versatile marinara sauces around, topping pasta, homemade pizza, or fresh seafood.

MAKING CHICKEN STOCK is one of the easiest things in the world; toss the ingredients in a pot and let it simmer while you do something else. After trying dozens of recipes, I settled on this one, which makes a pot of stock and a poached chicken for dinner or lunch the next day. Crunchy Chicken and Rice Salad (page 53), The Big Omelet (page 210), Chicken Salad with Corn and Cilantro (page 51), and Chicken-Avocado Salad (page 49) are delicious ways to enjoy the poached chicken. Browning the vegetables increases the flavor of the stock and lends a nice golden color. Adding wine enriches the flavor while deglazing the pan.

This velvety sauce, made with a bottle of red wine and a bottle of port, a sweet fortified wine, enhances any meat it is served with. The wines are reduced with chicken stock for a sauce more intense than the average red wine sauce.

CUT FROM THE SHORT LOIN SECTION, beef tenderloin is a succulent cut of meat. Grilling adds flavor, and with a sprinkling of dried herbs and an intense red wine sauce, the beef is even more flavorful.

THIS RICH LAMB STEW is perfect for cold winter nights. It leaves out the traditional potato in favor of mushrooms and oregano, which provide a wonderful earthy flavor. A final twist comes in the addition of soy sauce, which intensifies the taste of this satisfying dish.

BRINY SCALLOPS AND WOODSY MUSHROOMS are tied together with the light, sweet note of sherry in this creamy fall pasta dish. We prefer hedgehog mushrooms because of their small size, but you could substitute other wild mushrooms if you prefer.

RISOTTO IS A SIMPLE, ELEGANT DISH that acts as a vehicle for a variety of flavors. Adding lemon to risotto is common in Italy, where the subtly flavored dish is often served as an appetizer. I like it as a side to Butter-Rubbed Salmon (page 103) with Blueberry Sauce (page 104) or simply enjoy it as a vegetarian main course, perhaps accompanied by blanched asparagus.

GOOD TO KNOW Sparkling Prosecco adds effervescence—and not an ounce of fat—to grown-up sorbet floats; tequila combines with orange and lime in a granita that tastes like a frozen margarita, salted glass rims and all.