A couple of weeks ago Dan and I were in San Francisco attending a Sustainable Food Summit, which disappointingly was mostly about getting certifications to put on your products. In short certifications have become their own multimillion-dollar industry. Although some of this work is very important, and certifications can be very helpful, we prefer hanging with the front line doers. More on certifications, to follow at a later date.
Luckily we had other business to attend too, which brought a group of like-minded foodies and environmental conservationist
together for a dinner. This was a dinner that would make any food lover giddy! It was held at the Renaissance Forge, a Black Smiths welding shop owned by artist, hunter – gather, foodie extraordinaire, Angelo Garro. The address to the Forge led us to the end of a back alleyway. Not knowing quite what to expect, we entered through a heavy door, below the metal works sign. In the middle of the room, illuminated by candles, was a long table laid with linens, crystal and a centerpiece of tangerines and artisan baked bread. The warm glow provided just enough light to take in the workshop details of shelve lined walls, filled with leftover iron parts and pieces that may be needed someday. It was beautiful!
We continued through, carefully walking on old, buckling, wooden planks. The worn wood floor stopped and we stepped down onto a polished dirt floor. There we found Angelo, with Yvon & Malinda Chouinard, talking about the wild caught Sockeye Salmon that was grilling on a large open grill, over amber colored, wood coals. A cutout in the roof served as the exhaust system. The Chouinards are the founders of Patagonia and continue to be business leaders for environmental change. They also started 1% for the planet. Dan & Yvon had met years ago during the Peregrine Falcon DDT crisis.
Beyond that was a wonderful cluttered commercial style kitchen full of people, including Wes & Dana Jackson. Wes Jackson is a long time environmentalist and is the founder of “The Land Institute”. He is currently developing a perennial grain called Kernza. This perennial grain, with a deep carbon sequestering root system, would require only harvesting and milling. A giant step, in the right direction!
Around the corner coming out of the walk in closet, which had wild boar hocks, and homemade sausages hanging from the rafters, was Alice Waters with an arm load of Angelo’ homemade Pinot Noir. We made our introductions and helped her with the bottles of wine. Alice is the owner of the world famous restaurant Chez Panisse and is the Vice President of Slow Food International. She also started the Edible Schoolyard, which has taken on nationally.
The meal was a collaboration of sustainably produced foods, simply and artistically prepared by Angelo and friends. The first coarse was handmade Kernza Pasta with Truffles, which was earthy, rich and wonderful. This was followed by grilled, wild caught, Sockeye Salmon with a hint of citrus. But the showstopper was the Wild Idea Bison Tenderloins, simply seared with herbed salt and pepper. The wine, the bread, and the freshly picked tangerines, were all fantastic as well.
Words of encouragement were shared, glasses were raised and waning spirits were renewed by the shared passions. The setting, the food and the company made for a memorable, magical night.
The long seminar days that followed joyfully ended with good meals as we ate our way around San Francisco. There is a heightened 
environmental awareness in the city, and it is often reflected in the food. Food choices for the love of land and sea, is good sense.
As someone that spends a lot of time in the kitchen, I can never get enough of “dining out”. But, there are a handful of nights I would rather dine in, and Valentines Day, the busiest restaurant night of the year, is one of them. This months recipe, will give you a real restaurant style meal. It will be sure impress, and your Valentine will think it took all day to prepare, but shhhh, don’t tell – it’s super easy.
Wishing you all a heart felt Valentine’s Day. Cheers! Jill
Buffalo Parmesan (serves 2)
Note: My Valentine asked if I could make Buffalo Parmesan for our Valentines dinner, and my answer was, “of course”. I started researching recipes, but they all seemed a bit too heavy for the slightly sweet grassiness of Wild Idea Bison steaks. So I went about piecing a few recipes together to get a true Buffalo Parmesan, without masking the clean flavors of the meat. I prepared the dish using both the 12 oz. Round Heal Steak, which I cut into medallions and lightly pounded out, and also an 8 oz. Tenderloin, which I sliced in half, creating two equal round steaks. Any tender steak cut would work. Adjust pan- frying time based on desired thickness. The late Marcella Hazans simple tomato sauce was the key in keeping the dish light. For best results, purchase high quality canned tomatoes and Parmesan cheese. Lastly for the pasta, I made a Parmesan Pesto and tossed it with the pasta, which coated it nicely and gave the pasta a little crunch while under the broiler. A real restaurant style meal, that is super easy to prepare! Enjoy.
Ingredients:
For Sauce:
1 28 oz. canned diced tomatoes
1 onion, peeled and cut in half
5 tablespoons butter
salt to taste
For Pasta:
2 cups (or desired amount) fettuccini, cooked el dente
1 cup pasta water, reserved from cooking
¼ cup olive oil
½ cup grated Parmesan
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
For Steak:
8 to 12 oz. Bison Steak
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
½ cup flour
1 egg, beaten
½ cup panko crumbs
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Preparation:
1) In saucepan over medium heat add canned tomatoes, onion, butter and a pinch of salt. Simmer, mashing occasionally for 45 minutes.
2) Remove onion, and season with salt to taste. Set aside or reheat for later use.
3) Boil pasta to el dente, according to directions. Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water. Rinse under cold water and set aside.
4) In a blender or food processor, mix ¼ cup olive oil, Parmesan, and salt and pepper, pulsing until well mixed. Set aside.
5) Arrange top oven rack to the middle of the oven. Preheat broiler to high.
6) Rinse steaks under cold water and pat dry. Cut into desired medallions. Pounding out is optional. Season steaks with desired amount of salt & pepper.
7) Mix panko crumbs and 2 tablespoons Parmesan together. Rub mixture together with your hands to incorporate.
8) Place flour and panko on shallow plates and beat egg. Arrange in order of use; flour, egg, panko crumbs.
9) Heat two tablespoons of oil in heavy sauté pan over medium heat.
10) Dust steaks in flour, dip in eggs and roll in panko crumbs. Place in hot oil and brown on both sides about 30 seconds per side. Remove and set aside.
11) While steaks are cooking, bring reserved pasta water to a boil and add el dente pasta to reheat. Drain again and immediately toss with desired amount of Parmesan Pesto.
12) Twirl pasta with fork and arrange on baking dish, top with steaks and spoon ½ cup tomato sauce over each steak. Divide remaining grated Parmesan over the steaks and place under the broiler. Broil until lightly browned, about 3 minutes.
13) Transfer to plates and garnish with chopped parsley or green onion.
For a complete meal, serve with green salad and artisan bread. Finish with something chocolate!