bouchon santa barbara owner Mitchell Sjerven is thrilled to announce the opening of downtown Santa Barbara’s first fine dining seafood restaurant. Seagrass is situated on the corner of Anacapa & Ortega streets (at the former Sage & Onion location), will feature Chef Josh Brown at the helm and is dedicated to providing the highest quality Seafood dining experience. Check out the website at www.seagrassrestaurant.com for menus & more –- and we hope to see you soon at Seagrass Restaurant!

If you missed the August 2007 airings log on to www.foodnetwork.com and topic-search ‘Santa Barbara’ for featured bouchon recipes and additional info on the show.

bouchon santa barbara was honored by Frommer's California 2005 publication as one of “The Best Restaurants in California”. They write: "With an always-intriguing seasonal menu derived from Santa Barbara County's Wine Country and fresh ingredients, this intimate restaurant (whose name means "wine cork") lies hidden behind a shrubbery portal in the heart of downtown. The food and service are impeccable, and an experienced staff stands ready to help coordinate by-the-glass (or even half-glass) wines for each course." Thanks, Frommer's! To see more, visit www.frommers.com on line.

New Farmers Market-themed business launches in SB

‘Market Forays with Laurence Hauben’ is a new venture in Santa Barbara that promises ‘a Journey into the Heart and Soul of Cooking.’ Explore the Santa Barbara Certified Farmers Market under the expert guidance of Laurence Hauben, leader of Slow Food Santa Barbara. Market Tuesdays meet our own Chef Josh Brown at the Market and receive your ‘shopping assignments’, selecting ingredients for your feast. Adding further excitement to your ‘foray’ you’ll get to choose a few ‘surprise’ items for Chef Brown to incorporate into the menu. Then, take a break and enjoy a private chocolate tasting at Chocolate Maya, Santa Barbara’s world-class Chocolatier. Lastly, you’ll head to bouchon and savor your multi-course wine country dinner paired with fine local wines. All-inclusive (guided tour, chocolate tasting, dinner, wine, tax & gratuity): $125 pp. Complete info: www.marketforays.com, e: info@marketforays.com or p: (805) 259-7229.

Visit Ty Warner Sea Center on Stearns Wharf

CAMOUFLAGE
May 17–November 2
10:00 AM–5:00 PM
Ty Warner Sea Center

http://www.sbnature.org/seacenter/index.php

Marine predators and prey alike cloak themselves in camouflage to hide in plain sight. Learn the secrets of blending, patterns, disguises, and mimicry. Sharpen your observation skills and see if you can find the clever critters that deceive to survive. They’re hiding right in front of you.

Admission to the exhibit included with general admission. General Admission: Members free; non-members $8/adult, $7/senior, $7/teen, $5/child.

Get your membership online today and also enjoy free admission to see GIANTS: African Dinosaurs at the Museum's Mission Canyon Campus.

Wine List Awards

We’re excited to have just received our 7^th straight Wine Spectator magazine ‘Award of Excellence’ (2001-2007). Criteria reward food and wine menus that work in concert and demonstrate a strong focus— in our case, the wines of the California Central Coast. Check out the Aug. 31, 2007 issue dedicated to ‘restaurants for wine lovers’ for complete list of recipients.

And, once again, our entry in the Wine Enthusiast wine list competition resulted in an ‘Award of Unique Distinction’ for being ‘one of the nation’s most wine-friendly restaurants’. Look for the complete list in the Feb. ‘08 issue of Wine Enthusiast.

CAMOUFLAGE
May 17–November 2
10:00 AM–5:00 PM
Ty Warner Sea Center

Admission to the exhibit included with general admission.

General Admission: Members free; non-members $8/adult, $7/senior, $7/teen, $5/child.

Get your membership online today and also enjoy free admission to see GIANTS: African Dinosaurs at the Museum's Mission Canyon Campus.

http://www.sbnature.org/seacenter/index.php

bouchon santa barbara offers cooking classes by group reservation only, where ten to thirty guests can be accommodated in the dining room between 10 am - 2 pm.

At bouchon santa barbara we do cooking class by private arrangement only. In other words, you need to get a few friends, family or business associates together and we'll customize a class to your likes and our menus. The minimum expenditure required for a cooking class is $1,000.00 and the per person cost for the food & wine luncheon is typically around $50.00, including instruction.

Call (805) 730-1160 and speak with Jenn or Mitchell for more information on cooking classes.

Hello to all of our November 24th Cooking Class participants! (scroll down for all recipes)

Hello to all of our March 24th Cooking Class participants! (scroll down for all recipes)

Hello to all of our January 30th Cooking Class participants! (scroll down for all recipes)

Hello to all of our January 12th Cooking Class participants! (scroll down for all recipes)

Hello to all of our November 4th Cooking Class participants! (scroll down for all recipes)

We had a great time and hope you have fond memories of our lunch together. Below are the recipes and some helpful cooking terms and techniques from class. Please feel free to email any questions you may have to: info@bouchonsantabarbara.com

Roasted kabocha Squash Soup with 'Beurre Noisette'

Yield: 6-8 appetizer portions

1 lg. carrot, peeled & diced small

1/4 cup olive oil

2 qt. water

Method:

Halve and de-seed squash, drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and roast at 350 degrees for approximately 10-12 minutes. Sauté mire poix (carrots, celery and onion) in olive oil until onions are translucent. Scoop out roasted squash, discarding the tough outer skin. Add water, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until carrots are soft. Cool, strain and reserve liquid. Place solid ingredients in a blender on liquefy and slowly pour reserved liquid into blender until mixture reaches soup consistency. Season and serve warm.

Slowly melt 1/2 stick butter until golden brown. Add 1 T. of favorite fresh herb (sage, thyme, tarragon, marjoram, etc.). Allow herb to steep, then strain and drizzle over soup just prior to serving. Adds a nice visual touch as well as imparting another flavor.

apple Tarte Tatin

Ingredients:

(Puff pastry often comes in standard 10” x 15” sheets. It can be purchased in the frozen food section, Pepperidge Farms is a widely available brand. You’ll need enough to cover either one 12” skillet or ten individual 3-4” molds)

Preparation:

q Make caramel in a medium-sized sauce pan, stirring sugar with a wooden spoon until it begins to caramelize. Carefully & slowly add sherry with a measuring cup avoiding steam. Stir until liquids are combined, then carefully and slowly add cream (adding cold liquid will create steam). Add butter a quarter at a time and continue to stir until caramel is brown and ‘pourable’. Will make enough for 10 individual ‘tarte tatin’ or a large one.

q Slice fruit into ¼”-thin wedges, set aside. Pour caramel into molds (individual ramekins or shallow china ‘cappuccino’ cups work very well) and set aside. When ready to bake, place apples on top of caramel and bake for approx 15 minutes at 350°.

q At the same time, use a ramekin as a ‘cookie cutter’ and create individual puff pastry ‘tops’. Bake puff pastry separately until it rises and turns golden brown (approx 15-20 minutes). When ready to server, add round of puff pastry to top of ramekin and invert for each individual on a dessert plate.

q Butter bottom of 12” skillet. Layer on cored and halved apples and pour caramel mixture over fruit. Fit cut out puff pastry sheet over top of fruit and bake together for approx 15 minutes at 350°. Carefully invert on wooden cutting board to cut and serve.

Yield

Delicious a la mode, we serve with cinnamon ice cream (but vanilla bean is great, too)! Enjoy with Santa Barbara Winery Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc.

Mizuna Greens & Shaved Fennel Salad

Cracked Seed Vinaigrette

In heavy-bottom pan toast mustard, fennel and coriander seeds on medium heat. Seeds will lightly brown, be careful not to burn, pull off of heat as soon as you can smell seed aromas. Once cooled, grind seeds in coffee grinder or crush with mortar & pestle. In food processor add vinegar, Dijon mustard and extra virgin olive oil. Pulse 10-15 times until liquid begins to emulsify, then add lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste. Slice fennel bulb on mandolin for very thin, evenly sliced pieces. Toss with Mizuna (or arugula as a substitute) in cracked seed vinaigrette. Garnish top of salad with grapefruit segments and avocado slices.

Excellent with crisp, acidic Sauvignon Blanc, such as Vogelzang Estate or Brander au Natural.

Seared SEa BAss with Saffron, Spinach & sun-dried tomato Risotto

Preparation

Heat water to simmer, keep aside and ready. In sauté pan, sweat minced onion and garlic in oil until translucent. Add rice and coat with oil until just starting to brown. Gradually add hot water, a half-cup at a time. Stir constantly, risotto is an exercise in patience. After two cups of water have been added, pour in wine. In last two additions of hot water add saffron and sundried tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper add spinach, remaining butter and cheese, stir and serve.

Sea Bass cooking

Season four 6 ounce Sea Bass portions with salt & pepper and sear in very hot cast iron pan (almost smoking hot). Add grapeseed oil to pan, coating the bottom and carefully add in the Sea Bass fillets. Let them sear until golden brown then flip and repeat.

3 garlic cloves
3 cups (packed) fresh basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons olive oil

Finely chop garlic in processor. Add basil and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Process until basil is finely chopped, adding in olive oil as machine is running. Season with pepper.

Yield

Four entrée-sized portions.

Tips

If you are fortunate enough to have secured nice, thick fillets of Sea Bass you can finish the cooking process in the oven (instead of risking burning in the pan-- the thicker the fish, the longer the cook time). Place Sea Bass neatly on top of mound of risotto just before serving, drizzle pistou around risotto/fish 'mound'. For richer, non-vegetarian risotto substitute one cup chicken stock for one cup water. If your rice is not cooked enough but you’re running out of moisture, continue adding water a little at a time until it is both cooked and moist.

apple Tarte Tatin

Ingredients:

Preparation:

Yield

Delicious a la mode, we serve with cinnamon ice cream (but vanilla bean is great, too)! Enjoy with Santa Barbara Winery Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc.

roasted farmers market squash salad

2 tbsp EVOO

1 kaboacha squash

2 ea delacotta squash

3 ea traviso or radicchio

3 tbsp Pt. Reyes blue cheese (crumbled)

2 tbsp toasted pumpkin seeds

¼ c cracked seed vinaigrette

salt & pepper to taste

1 bottle of Vin Cotto Fig Balsamic (garnish)

Peel delicata squash and cut into rings. Take out seeds and place in a roasting pan, sprinkle with EVOO, salt & pepper. Roast at 350 degrees (or until tender), remove and cool. Repeat steps with kabocha but cut into wedges, if the skin is thin you do not have to peel it. Wash and dry traviso (or radicchio) and tear by hand into bite size pieces. Crumble blue cheese and reserve. Toast pumpkin seeds and reserve.

Cracked Seed Vinaigrette

2 tbsp fennel seeds

2 tbsp coriander seeds

¼ c champagne vinegar

1 c grapeseed oil

salt/pepper to taste

In a dry skillet toast seeds, when they start to smoke, pour onto a cutting board to cool. Crack the seeds with the back of a cool sauté pan until just cracked. Place seeds in a bowl and add vinegar. Slowly add in the oil while whisking until all the oil is incorporated. Season with salt and pepper.

To assemble: In a large bowl toss the squash and traviso with the vinaigrette and season with salt & pepper. On 4 plates divide squash & traviso evenly. Garnish with blue cheese & toasted pumpkin seeds. Drizzle fig balsamic over and around the salad.

Enjoy with Riesling or Brut Rosé!

Seared Scallops with Exotic Mushroom Risotto

1 each onion, minced

6 cloves garlic, minced

1 ounce olive oil

1 pound Arborio rice

4 cups hot water

1 cup asparagus, chopped small

1 cup chanterelle, porcini & shitake mushrooms

½ cup butter

6 T. Parmigiano, grated

Preparation

Sauté mushrooms in ½ of the minced garlic and onion and 1 T. butter. Set aside. Heat water to simmer. Sweat remaining minced onion and garlic until translucent. Add rice and coat with oil until just starting to brown. Gradually add hot water, a half-cup at a time. Stir constantly, risotto is an exercise in patience. After two cups of water have been added, pour in wine. In last two additions of hot water add mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper add remaining butter and cheese, stir and serve.

Scallops

4 (each) U-8 or U-10 dry diver scallops

s/p to taste

EVOO

1 lb of watercress (garnish)

white truffle oil (drizzle as garnish)

Preparation

Heat a cast iron pan until almost smoking. Season scallops. Add oil to pan, coat the bottom and carefully add in the scallops. Let them sear until golden brown then flip and repeat.

Yield

Four entrée-sized or eight appetizer-sized portions.

Tips

Use larger, U6-U10 scallops, a size distinction your fish counter will understand (meaning roughly that number of scallops per pound). Scallops cook very quickly so be careful not to overcook (= rubbery, tough). Place scallops neatly on top of mound of risotto just before serving. For richer, non-vegetarian risotto substitute one cup chicken stock for one cup water. If your rice is not cooked enough but you’re running out of moisture, continue adding water a little at a time until it is both cooked and moist.

Enjoy with Sauvignon Blanc for a crisp foil to the richness of the scallop & risotto (such as Vogelzang estate) or meet the searing head-on with a complementing pinot noir (like melville estate).

Pumpkin Cheesecake with mixed berry compote

Cheesecake Ingredients:

1 ½ lb. Cream cheese, room temp

3 large eggs, room temp

½ lb. Mascarpone, room temp

¾ C. Sugar

¼ C. All-purpose Flour

1 C. cooked pumpkin, still warm

½ C. graham cracker crumbs, crushed and mixed with almost melted soft butter

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350º. Have roasting pan at the ready. Butter bottom, sides and rim of an 8 inch cheesecake pan (or, for individual cheesecakes use 3” across ramekins). Press graham cracker crumbs evenly around sides, about a ¼ inch think (for ramekins press graham cracker crumbs firmly into bottom of ramekin about ¼ inch deep). Use plenty of butter when making graham cracker crust crumbles.

Beat cream cheese 4-5 minutes or so until smooth on medium speed. Scrape bowl and fold into mixing batter frequently. Add sugar and continue to beat until dissolved, about 4 more minutes. Add flour, pumpkin and mascarpone and beat just until folded in. Add one egg, beat for another minute. Egg will loosen ingredients in the bowl, then add one egg at a time and continue beating until smooth. Continue scraping bowl throughout process.

Place cheesecake in pan in a roasting pan with enough water to come up halfway on cheesecake pan (with ramekins place also place in roasting pan with water just over ½ way up the outside of the ramekin). Bake on center rack for about an hour. Top should appear puffy and slightly browned. Cool on wire rack, allow to settle one day before serving. Serve refrigerator temp.

Mixed Berry Compote:

1 pt raspberries

1 pt blackberries

1 pt blueberries

¼ c sugar

1 tbsp water

Place all ingredients in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and cool. Spoon mixture over cheesecakes as serving.

For wine pairing, enjoy Shadow Canyon Late Harvest Pinot Blanc or Foxen Late Harvest Viognier.

Recipes from January 12, 2007 Cooking Classes:

Mixed Greens with citrus-marinated Feta & roasted beets

Marinated Feta

1 lb feta cheese

1 lemon (zest only)

½ bunch fresh thyme

½ bunch fresh oregano

½ bunch fresh parsley

3 fresh bay leaf(s)

EVOO to cover

Remove feta and rinse in cold water. Place cheese in small plastic container. Pour enough olive oil over to cover cheese. Add all ingredients and let marinate overnight.

Roasted Beets

2 red beets

2 golden (yellow) beets

EVOO

Preheat oven to 375. Wash beets in cold water and pat dry. Coat beets with oil and place in a roasting pan, cover with foil and roast at 375 for 30-40 minutes or until beets are tender. Let cool, then peel the beets with a side towel and cut into bite size wedges.

Sherry Vinaigrette

1 tbsp diced shallots

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

¼ c sherry vinegar

¾ c EVOO

s/p to taste

In a bowl add shallots, Dijon and vinegar, whisk. Slowly add olive oil while whisking constantly. When all has been incorporated, season with salt and pepper.

Black Olive Oil

¼ c salt cured black olives

2 tbsp EVOO

Pit all olives and put into a food processor. Add in olive oil and puree until olives are finely chopped.

Mixed Greens

4 c organic mixed greens. Wash greens very well in cold water and spin dry in salad spinner.

Assembly

In a large bowl add greens & 2 teaspoons of the vinaigrette, toss to coat the greens. Divide the dressed greens onto 4 plates. Place roasted beets around the outside of the greens, alternating colors. Spoon the black olive oil around the outside of the salad (over the beets). Crumble the marinated feta on top and enjoy!

Seared Scallop & Mushroom Stew

Vegetable Stock

3 onions

2 carrots

4 celery ribs

2 bay leafs

6 sprigs of thyme

2 qts of water

In a large pot add all ingredients and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat to a simmer and cook until the vegetables are very tender. Remove the bay leaves & thyme. Puree and reserve for later.

Mushroom Stew

2 porcini mushrooms

¼ lb of chanterelles

¼ lb of shitakes

1 shallot, diced

1 tsp parsley

1tsp thyme

1 tsp oregano

s/p to taste

vegetable stock

¼ lb butter

Clean mushrooms with a damp towel. Cut porcinis into ¼ pieces, tear the chanterelles in half and tear the caps off the shitakes off their stems and reserve the stems for later use. In a large sauté pan add the butter, shallots, mushrooms, herbs and s/p. Cook all the ingredients, stirring occasionally until the mushrooms start to give off their liquid. Add in the vegetable stock, cook and simmer for 10 minutes to develop a full flavor. Keep warm.

Scallop

4 (each) U-8 dry diver scallops

s/p to taste

EVOO

1 lb of watercress (garnish)

white truffle oil (drizzle as garnish)

Heat a cast iron pan until almost smoking. Season scallops. Add oil to pan, coat the bottom carefully and add in the scallops. Let them sear until golden brown then flip and repeat.

Assembly

In four large bowls divide the mushroom stew. Top the stew with watercress leaves. Cut each scallop in half through the middle and place browned side up on top of the stew. Drizzle with white truffle oil and enjoy!

Crème Brulee

½gallon.

heavy cream

vanilla beans

¾ cup

sugar

yolks

To prepare:

Mix heavy cream, vanilla bean and sugar. Scald. Whisk egg yolks and temper hot cream into yolks. Using flat sheet pan, bake 8 ounce ladle full in crème brulée dishes at 250 degrees in water bath. Do not preheat oven.

Roasted Beet Salad with Date Vinaigrette:

Date vinaigrette:

¼ cup Dates, chopped

1 T. cider vinegar

S & P to taste

Extra Virgin Olive Oil to taste

Combine dates and vinegar in large bowl. Slowly drizzle in EVOO while whisking. Season with Salt & pepper to taste. Dressing keeps in fridge for one week.

Roast red & yellow beets (individually, so as to not discolor the golden beets) in 1 T. EVOO, thyme and garlic at 350° or until tender, then peel after cooled.

Slice candy stripe beets very thinly and layer on plate as a beet ‘carpaccio’. Quarter red & yellow beets and toss with date vinaigrette and sorrel. Place in generous mound on top of ‘carpaccio’. Season with salt and pepper to taste and place a slice of Humboldt Fog cheese over each plated salad.

This salad pairs brilliantly with the 2005 Vogelzang Estate Sauvignon Blanc, enhancing the herbaceous characteristics of the dressing/earthy flavors of the beets without making the wine seem ‘vegetal’. Also, Sauvignon Blanc is considered a natural match with goat cheese and I like a lot in my salad!

Roasted kabocha Squash Soup with 'Beurre Noisette'

Yield: 6-8 appetizer portions

1 lg. carrot, peeled & diced small

1/4 cup olive oil

2 qt. water

Method:

apple Tarte Tatin

Ingredients:

Preparation:

Yield

Delicious a la mode, we serve with cinnamon ice cream (but vanilla bean is great, too)! Enjoy with Santa Barbara Winery Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc.

Mizuna Greens & Shaved Fennel Salad

Cracked Seed Vinaigrette

Seared SEa BAss with Saffron, Spinach & sun-dried tomato Risotto

baby spinach leaves

sundried tomatoes, sliced

butter

Parmigiano, grated

Preparation

Sea Bass cooking

Yield

Four entrée-sized portions.

Tips

apple Tarte Tatin

Ingredients:

Preparation:

Yield

Delicious a la mode, we serve with cinnamon ice cream (but vanilla bean is great, too)! Enjoy with Santa Barbara Winery Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc.

Seared Scallops with Exotic Mushroom Risotto

Preparation

Scallops

Yield

Four entrée-sized or eight appetizer-sized portions.

Tips

Pumpkin Cheesecake with mixed berry compote

Cheesecake Ingredients:

Preparation:

Mixed Berry Compote:

Crème Brulee

Date vinaigrette:

Salad ingredients:

Santa barbara ridgeback shrimp & asparagus risotto:

asparagus, chopped small

squash blossoms, chopped (sub arugula, swiss chard or other hearty green)

butter

Parmigiano, grated

Salt & Pepper

Preparation

Yield

Four entrée-sized or eight appetizer-sized portions.

Tips

For richer, non-vegetarian risotto substitute one cup chicken stock for one cup water. If your rice is not cooked enough but you’re running out of moisture, continue adding water a little at a time until rice is both cooked and moist.

Wine Recommendation:

Ingredients: