Yoshi's San Francisco: Arturo Sandoval Heats Up Fillmore, Latin Jazz Style

The Fillmore jazz scene is back, thanks in large part to Yoshi’s recent foray on this side of the bay. Yoshi’s is one part restaurant, with Chef Sho Kamio serving up some of the most delicious and stunning Japanese dishes, and one part jazz club, promising an intimate and inviting show for a crowd no larger than 420. If the kinds of acts that Yoshi’s attracted were local artists or under-the-radar acts that have yet to make it big, this would be just another jazz joint. But the fact that Arturo Sandoval is gracing the stage until Sunday is testament to Yoshi’s impressive line up.

Here is a man who has won four Grammy Awards, six Billboard Awards, and an Emmy – in short, he is a legend. At the age of 59, he is not showing any signs of letting up any time soon. With passion and verve, Sandoval’s jazz trumpet is still wickedly scorching all the way up to the screeching upper registries that are so difficult to hit. Add his Mambo Big Band, singers and dancers, and you have one of the hottest shows around. In a tribute to mambo kings Tito Puente and Perez Prado, this show has all the heat, excitement and appeal of the 1950s Copacabana. Although there are two shows a night through Sunday, your best bet is Thursday night at 10 p.m. as the 8 p.m. shows and weekend shows will fill up soon if they have not already done so.

Equally stunning is the Japanese cuisine served either at the restaurant or at the club. The club menu, while just a fraction of the restaurant menu, is complete enough to satisfy the average customer without the need to compromise quality sushi. But if you are looking for more than nigiri, a few grilled items, or dessert, book a reservation for dinner about an hour before showtime. You won’t be disappointed with their extensive menu.

Although the food is a bit on the pricey side, you won’t want to miss their Morikomi (sashimi combinations) starting at $22 for 2 pieces each of 5 varieties of fish. Fare from their Kamayaki (wood burning oven roasted) section is less traditional Japanese, but the Kurobuta “Berkshire” Pork Prime Rib ($20) marinated in a ginger miso marinade and served with lemon thyme jus is spectacular.

Another option available to patrons is to watch the show for free while eating in the dining room. The gigs are shown on TVs all throughout the restaurant and lounge. You may not get the superior acoustics of the state-of-the-art club, but you will get to experience a performance by a living legend.

Arturo Sandoval’s Mambo Mania Big Band
Yoshi’s San Francisco
1330 Fillmore St.
San Francisco 94115
Now through Sunday
$34-$42

Originally published: http://www.ucsf.edu/synapse/articles/2008/Feb/28/yoshis.html

Culinary Institute of America Educates and Tantalizes Taste Buds

Anthony Bourdain, host of the Travel Channel’s No Reservations and author of Kitchen Confidential. Harold Dieterle, winner of the first season of Bravo Television’s Top Chef. Anne Burrell, Assistant to Iron Chef America’s Mario Batali. What do all these chefs have in common? They are all graduates of the Culinary Institute of America (CIA), the famed culinary school that was established in 1946 in Hyde Park, New York.

In 1995, the Greystone campus of CIA was opened in St. Helena on the grounds of the former Christian Brothers Winery. The imposing, three-storied 11,700-square-foot Greystone Cellars building is the focal point of the campus, housing the De Baun Theatre, Wine Spectator Greystone Restaurant, and Spice Islands Marketplace. The CIA offers an assortment of programs including an associate degree in culinary arts, a 30-week baking and pasty certificate program and a 30-week wine studies program.

For those interested in a sampling of culinary school, you’ll want to check out the cooking demonstrations and tastings in the De Baun Theatre. Led by one of the school’s renowned chef-instructors, the hour-long demonstrations are held Friday through Monday at a cost of $15 a person. My wife Lucky and I recently attended one in which we learned to make an Ancient Quinoa Salad with Roasted Red Bell Peppers and Orange. Chef Steve Ruggenberg mixed in relevant facts about quinoa, including its place in Incan history as well as its nutritional value. As he prepared the dish, two overhead television sets flashed close up pictures of what he was doing which, at times, came in particularly handy. He welcomed questions from the crowd, which was seated in stadium-style configuration to allow everyone a clear sightline.

What we liked about this demonstration was that the item prepared is not necessarily a complex masterpiece. The appeal of the quinoa recipe was that it is simple, elegant and tasty. Yes, sometimes they have some extremely challenging recipes that may require prior knowledge of culinary techniques. For those who prefer something on a grander or more complex scale, go to CIA’s website and check out their demonstrations calendar: www.ciachef.edu/enthusiasts/programs/gs_demos/demo_calendar.asp

In the meantime, here is the recipe for Ancient Quinoa Salad with Roasted Red Pepper and Orange. Bon appétit!

Ingredients:
1 ½ cups water
2 cups quinoa
1 tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 shallot, minced
1 red bell pepper
Zest from 1 orange
¼ cup champagne vinegar
2 tsp kosher salt, to taste
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
½ tsp freshly ground cumin
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 oranges, segmented and cut in half
3 scallions, white and pale green parts, chopped
½ bunch Italian parsley leaves, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
1 avocado, minced
Method:
1. Rinse quinoa with cold water and drain. Heat a medium saucepan and add 1 tbsp of olive oil. Add shallots and allow to sweat for 1 minute, then add garlic and continue to sweat another minute. Add in rinsed quinoa and toast for several minutes until it begins to pop (do not brown). Add 1 ½ cups water to quinoa and bring to boil. Reduce to simmer, cover and cook until soft and translucent, about 8-10 minutes. Rest quinoa, covered, for 5-10 minutes. Place quinoa in a large bowl.

2. Roast red bell pepper over flame on stovetop until all sides are charred. Place in brown paper bag (or bowl covered with plastic wrap) and steam for 5-10 minutes. Peel off charred skin and dice.

3. Make vinaigrette by combining zest, champagne vinegar, salt, pepper, and cumin in small bowl. Gradually whisk in olive oil to emulsify.

4. Add red bell pepper, orange segments, scallions, Italian parsley and jalapeno to quinoa. Pour vinaigrette over quinoa salad until moistened, about ½ cup. Stir to combine. Fold in avocado.

Yields: 6-8 servings

Culinary Institute of America at Greystone
2555 Main Street
St. Helena, CA 94574
www.ciachef.edu/california