Cooking The California Cuisine: Fresh & Local

CALIFORNIA'S TREMENDOUS CULTURAL AND ECOLOGICAL diversity opens a world of possibilities for flavor! Adapting cuisine elements from places like Asia, Mexico, Latin America, the Pacific Islands, as well as the rest of the United States is a wonderful tool for experiencing fused food in new, exciting ways. California is the number one farming state in America, producing more than a quarter of the nation's table crops! San Franciscans are privileges to have such a diverse sampling of agriculture right in our own backyards. When we buy local ingredients, we can be assured we're getting food that has been picked a day or two prior to appearing on the store shelves. This freshness translates to the flavor of food, as well as contributes to the overall vitamin intake that transpires in our bodies. Additionally, lowered demand for imported food reduces excessive use of our diminishing fossil fuels, creating less waste in our environment.

Living in San Francisco and working at many of the country's finest organic restaurants has imparted upon me a true "insiders eye" to the world of local food. Nature dictates "seasonality," clear guidelines for when foods are at their most nutritious, delicious growth stage. My cooking emphasizes how we can create harmony and balance of flavors using what is readily available, utilizing international cooking methods to supplement what nature has so graciously provided.