Tomorrow, I have the honor to be a judge at my first legitimate culinary related event. And I owe it all to bacon.
I always knew that bacon had magical, mysterious powers. I could feel it every time I sunk my teeth into that salty, fatty strip of heaven that a force beyond our knowledge was altering the universe.
Plus, it's a scientific fact. Look it up.
From a culinary perspective, I'm what one would call "Jew-ish." My great grandfather was a kosher butcher, and while he was alive we kept a kosher home: two sets of dishes, two sets of silverware...the whole Megillah. Yet our strict adherence to the rules of kashrut seemed to decrease steadily in tandem with Papa Izzy's height as he aged and, when he passed away, we somehow lost the desire (and to be quite frank, the need) to put forth the extra effort.
Away from the confines of our abode was an entirely different story. I was exposed to the glory of cheeseburgers as a youngster, and pig was just another red meat. So my rearing sent a lot of mixed signals - kosher (ish) in the house, whatever the hell else you wanted outside. Thus, while I strictly abide by the no leavens rule during Passover, I have zero qualms with devouring a ham and cheese sando on matzoh.
Yup.
I guess it comes as no surprise, then, that the first food event I attended in San Francisco was the "Bacon Takedown," held at the Thirsty Bear merely three weeks after my arrival. Fifteen chefs and one not-so-secret ingredient combined to be what I'd imagine heaven to be like.
Yet of all the porky goodness I experienced, there were two that stood out snout and ears above the rest. The first was an ice cream sundae with bacon salted caramel and a piece of signature "Bacon Crack" from Kai Kronfeld of NoshThis. This was a no-fail dessert - the sweet/salty combo charged ahead and the contrasting flavors toyed in my mouth back and forth as the cold ice cream played with the warm sauce.
The second took me by surprise. It was so unassuming, so...normal. Normal looking, that is. Chef Trace Williams' Bourbon Bacon Jam stole my heart. Holy wow - even a year removed I can still taste how sweet and jammy it was thanks to the caramelized onions, but with a huge bite of bourbon (I believe she said that she used one bottle per batch) and crispy little bits of bacon nudged into the otherwise smooth spread. I was so taken with it that, after the competition was over, Chef Trace packed me up a to-go container of what I still contend to be the best jam I've ever experienced.
Fast forward a few months after we had kept in touch intermittently via Twitter, and I receive a random message from @FarmThrowDown asking me if I'd like to be a judge at this upcoming food competition. On the one hand, I was on cloud nine. Trying to make it "big" in the food world, I was ecstatic that someone though enough of my incessant tweets and limited knowledge to invite me to participate in such an activity!
On the other hand, I've seen enough Nigerian-prince-held-hostage scams to last me a lifetime.
Against my better judgment, perhaps, I wrote back for some clarification only to find out that it was Chef Trace herself, who was the lead behind organizing this event. She explained that it was a fundraiser called, "Throwdown on the Farm," a food competition to benefit Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution in the East Bay. A phenomenal foundation with a mission that, according to Oliver, "...aims to inspire people to reconnect with food. It's all about raising awareness and individual responsibility, resuscitating dying food culture around the world and, ultimately, keeping cooking skills alive."
Powerful.
So, after finding out the legitimacy of the event (to which you can STILL BUY TICKETS!), I dove right in. Chef Trace welcomed me with open arms and invited me into her circle. Throught the force of Twitter, I have been introduced to chefs and co-judges alike. DMs, RTs, MTs...we have managed to form our own little community over the past few months just through social media. Between food jokes and puns, pictures, and excitement over the event itself, we have managed to "talk" at least a few times a week - sometimes multiple times a day. I can tell you a tremendous amount about a ton of these folks. You can check out some bios at www.eastbayfoodrevolution.com, but trust when I say these are some of the most fun, passionate people I have come across.
Remember, we have never actually met.
After some delays, they have finally arrived in San Francisco, and tomorrow will be the first time I have the honor and privilege to not only meet these accomplished chefs, but to taste their (surely) incredible dishes.
Chef Trace - I owe you all the gratitude in the world, and I am forever in your debt. Rest assured that I will gladly lend you my hands and the little culinary experience I have any time you're ever in need. I can not tell you how much I am looking forward to tomorrow's fantastic event.
Please visit Chef Trace's website if you are ever in need of some of the most quality catering you can find in the Bay Area.
Expect a post filled with outstanding food and stunning personalities.
Nosh on,
Josh
No comments:
Post a Comment