11/2 - Wine Educator Mark Davidson of Wine Australia USA & Renowned American Impressionist Artist Don Hatfield

Wine Educator Mark Davidson
of Wine Australia USA

We blended the art of the brush with the art of the glass in welcoming wine educator Mark Davidson of Wine Australia USA, who shared some secrets of Australia's cool climate wines and dispelled a few myths in the process! Then we visited with artist Don Hatfield, one of the most innovative and widely collected impressionists of our time.

Mark Davidson - Born in London, raised in Sydney, Mark has been a Canadian resident since 1985.  He has over twenty five years experience in the hotel and restaurant business, fifteen of those as a Sommelier.

In 1990, Mark was named Best French Wine and Spirit Sommelier in British Columbia, and in 2001 he was named Sommelier of the Year by the British Columbia Restaurant and Food Service Association. 

As a Department Head and instructor with the International Sommelier Guild, he is instrumental in the ongoing development of the curriculum and has taught classes in Vancouver, Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego and Las Vegas. 

Mark is currently the Market Development Manager for Wine Australia USA, conducting education seminars for Sommeliers, retailers and distributors.  In addition, he does a weekly radio wine review on CKNW, and developed a wine education and restaurant etiquette course for the SFU Global Asset and Wealth Management MBA program.

Artist Don Hatfield

Don Hatfield - One of the most innovative and prolific impressionists of this century, Don Hatfield's style of painting gently combines realism with the delicate feel of classic impressionism. Hatfield paints images that invoke memories for the viewer by honing in on his subjects during one specific moment in their lives. His concept and technique are both traditional and his works encapsulate powerful yet at the same time peaceful emotions with glowing and alluring hues. Being an artist was not always Don Hatfield's  aspiration. Don Hatfield believed that his talents lied in other areas including philosophy, theology, and literature.

When Hatfield met the renowned artist Charles Cross, he then discovered his ability to paint. Cross was impressed with Don's "innate color sense" that was displayed in the soft pastel colors of his oil paintings. Cross encouraged Don to pursue his talents by becoming his protégé.

Two years of study with Cross was not enough to convince Don to focus all of his energy on the world of art; he abandoned his short career in art to pursue a career in ministry. However, his desire to become an artist was too strong to ignore. In 1979, on the advice of the premier portrait painter Ray Kinstler, Hatfield moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico to pursue painting once again.

Hatfield eventually moved back to Los Angeles to fulfill his creative potential under the master tutelage of Sergei Bongart, who had a tremendous influence on him. "He was a wonderful presence," Don says' "a great teacher." It was during this time with Bongart that Don diligently worked and perfected his style that we recognize today.

In his development as an artist, Don had the added influence of modern cinematic interpretation. Affected by the new mastery of color on film, in advertising and television, he felt a need for a more intoxicating light, another dimension to the beach attraction. Seeking a truth in the paint itself. He documented that fleeting essence of the tender, the humorous, the enchantment of a special moment in time. This unique impressionistic style has brought him great acclaim in the art world, as well as a solid artistic identity of his own.

Hatfield says he is preoccupied with the effect of light on form. The beach, with all the purity of its light on sand, water and figures, is a frequent setting for his stories; and his paintings are stories. "On the beach," Hatfield says, "the viewer is given enough space to have his own reaction."

Don Hatfield's one-of-a-kind impressionism has earned him great acclaim in the art world.

Don's paintings hang in many important private and corporate collections throughout the world.

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10/26 - Adriana Lopez Vermut of Pica Pica Maize Kitchen Shares the Venezuelan Lifestyle; Dr. Robert Hampton & Claudia Sansone on a Humanitarian Mission to Malawi

Adriana Lopez Vermut

We enjoyed a fascinating conversation with native Venezuelan Adriana Lopez Vermut, founder of Pica Pica Maize Kitchen. Then we visited with Dr. Robert Hampton and wife, Claudia Sansone, just back from an amazing humanitarian healthcare mission to Malawi, Africa with Health Roots.



Adriana Lopez Vermut, who comes from a family of cooks and restaurant owners, was born and raised in Venezuela.  In founding Pica Pica, she created the opportunity to marry her passion for her Venezuelan culinary heritage and her entrepreneurial spirit.  With extensive experience in new businesses, having worked in technology start-ups and a venture capital firm, Adriana is responsible for overseeing the development, fund raising, launch and marketing of Pica Pica.

Tradition and family are the inspiration of Pica Pica.  Father and daughter, Leopoldo Lopez Gil and Adriana Lopez Vermut, joined by Luis Sosa, transported and translated their passion for their native Venezuelan food and created a convenient and delicious formula that produced Pica Pica Maize Kitchen or the 'California Arepera.'

Pica Pica Maize Kitchen is inspired in the tradition of areperas, which are as present in Venezuela as coffee houses are in the United States.  These 24/7 diners or take out restaurants offer arepas, cachapas and bastidos (freshly squeezed fruit juices), served with a combination of fillings that accommodate the various tastes at breakfast, lunch, dinner, as well as a snack between meals.  Pica Pica Maize Kitchen offers an introductory gastronomic tour of the most characteristic and flavorful tastes of Venezuelan cuisine.

The Pica Pica Team
Leopoldo Lopez Gil, Adriana Lopez Vermut & Luis Sosa

The team decided to create the first Venezuelan arepera in California and it put together the most distinctive combination of sweet, savory and spicy flavors that represent a centuries-old culinary culture, unique for its authentic combination of Spanish, African, Caribbean and indigenous flavors.  Venezuelan cookery combines the most original New World ingredients, such as maize (corn), with European culinary delicacies such as stews, cheeses and cured meats.     ###



Dr. Robert Hampton and wife, Claudia Sansone,
just back from Malawi, Africa!


Rob Hampton and Claudia Sansone, we thank you for your tremendous contributions of time, expertise and love!  For more information on this fantastic healthcare mission, and to become part of a great humanitarian solution, visit:

Health Roots
http://www.healthroots.org/

'GoGo Grandmothers'
Caring for the Needs of
African Orphans of Aids
http://www.gogograndmothers.com/

10/19 - Mike Grgich of Grgich Hills Estate & Chef Bob Hurley of Hurley's Restaurant





Tonight we meet an icon of Napa Valley winemaking, Mike Grgich of Grgich Hills Estate and learn about the great Paris Tasting of 1976 that turned the tides for American wines.  Then we pulled in legendary chef Bob Hurley of Hurley's Restaurant in Yountville to join the conversation, talk about Grgich wines, wild game, and more!

About Mike Grgich
 

An inductee to the Vintner Hall of Fame, Miljenko "Mike" Grgich is a legend in the Napa Valley. Over the past 50 years, Mike's wines, crafted in the classic Old World tradition, have won a stream of California and international prizes, establishing Grgich Hills Estate as one of the premier wineries in the U.S. and the world. Passionate and relentless in his quest for quality, Mike has also helped pioneer a number of significant breakthroughs in California winemaking techniques, including the use of cold sterilization and malolactic fermentation and the use of oak barrels for proper aging. For his contributions to the wine industry, he was presented a Lifetime Achievment Award by the California State Fair in 2008.

Scott Lewis plays the Zinfandel card with Mike Grgich

Mike's most celebrated achievement came in 1976 when a Chardonnay he crafted for Chateau Montelena beat the very best wines in France in a now famous blind tasting in Paris. This event that stunned the wine world catapulted the Napa Valley into the front ranks of the leading wine-producing regions of the world. "For years, everybody in the world believed that only French soils could produce great wines," Mike explains. "We shattered that myth. That was probably the most significant result of the Paris tasting. Our victory pumped new energy into the California wine industry, particularly in the Napa Valley, and it energized winemakers in many other parts of the world, such as Argentina and Chile. They realized that if we could do it, so could they."

Mike Grgich recalls slower times under the Croatian "fig tree"

Mike's success in America grew naturally from his family roots deep in the soil of his native Croatia. Miljenko Grgich was born April 1, 1923, in the village of Desne on Croatia's Dalmatian coast. The family owned a small winery and vineyard, and every year his father made wine, as did his grandfather and great-grandfather before him. As a toddler, and one of 11 children, Miljenko was weaned from his mother to a 50-50 mixture of water and red wine and at the tender age of three he began stomping grapes. Later he went to business college and then, in 1949, he went to the University of Zagreb, where he studied chemistry, enology, microbiology, soil biology, meteorology, irrigation, plants, fruit and grapes, all in preparation for becoming a winemaker.

Mike was miserable, though, under communist rule in Yugoslavia. So, in 1954 in search of freedom, he fled to West Germany and then made his way to Canada. But his dream destination was always America. A professor in Zagreb had told him that California was paradise, and he had long been inspired by stories of self-made Americans like Henry Ford, Andrew Carnegie, and John D. Rockefeller. In 1958, Mike finally made it: with one small suitcase he arrived in the Napa Valley. Immediately he went to work for Lee Stewart, founder of Souverain Winery and an early Napa Valley pioneer. After one harvest, Mike moved to Christian brothers and then on to Beaulieu Vineyard where he spent nine years working alongside the legendary Russian winemaker André Tchelistcheff. In 1968, eager for more responsibility, Mike became chief enologist at the most innovative winery at the time, the Robert Mondavi Winery.

"In 1969, I made my first Cabernet for Robert Mondavi," Mike recalls. "I introduced malolactic fermentation and other methods we had been developing at Beaulieu. Then, in an important blind tasting, fifteen California winemakers proclaimed ours to be the best Cabernet in all of California."  In 1972, Mike joined Chateau Montelena as winemaker and limited partner. Four years later the success of his Chardonnay winning the Paris Tasting led to fulfilling his life long dream of owning his own winery. In 1977, joining forces with Austin Hills of the Hills Bros. Coffee family, Mike created Grgich Hills Cellar, located in Rutherford, the heart of the Napa Valley. The following year, Mike scored another huge victory in "The Great Chicago Showdown." There, 221 Chardonnays were brought together for a historic first, the largest blind tasting ever held of wines made from a single varietal. And Mike's Grgich Hills 1977 Chardonnay emerged triumphant with a first place ribbon. Mike later became affectionately known as the "King of Chardonnay."

Mike's influence also continues to spread. In 1996, he returned to his native Croatia and opened a new winery, Grgić Vina, to make fine wines and to bring Croatia the latest in modern winemaking techniques. In one of his proudest accomplishments, in 2002 Mike played an instrumental role along with University of California, Davis, Professor Carole Meredith in tracing the mysterious roots of California Zinfandel back to its surprising source: his native Croatia. In 2006 the winery switched to solar power and in 2007 Grgich Hills became completely estate grown and changed its name to Grgich Hills Estate in recognition of that significant achievement. Today, Grgich Hills owns 366 acres of vineyards throughout the Napa Valley and produces 70,000 cases of award-winning estate grown wines. Mike's continued commitment to making wine as naturally as possible has led to all five vineyards being certified organic and Biodynamic®.

 

Mike continues to guide Grgich Hills Estate and to plan for its future. While some Napa Valley wineries look to expand, Mike and his daughter, Violet Grgich, and his nephew Ivo Jeramaz prefer to stay small and to focus on improving the quality of their vineyards and wines, always according to Mike's unique artistic and intuitive touch. As Mike explains, "There is no sure-proof scientific formula for making great wines. Over the years I have learned to communicate with the wines and how to nurture them. I realized that you don't make wine only with your head and your senses. You make wine with your heart. You have to pour your heart and your love into the wine. To me, wines are like my children. You have to love them and guide them like children, and you have to transmit to them the richness of your spirit."

Chef Bob Hurley & Slow Living Radio Host Sally James
Wrestle Australian Lobsters!

 Chef Bob Hurley is a world traveler and devotee of the culture, cuisine and lifestyles of many other countries.  His inspiration and innovative style have been largely influenced by his mentors, two renowned San Francisco chefs; the late Masa Kobayashi, a master of blending classic French cuisine with Japanese esthetics and creativity, and Jeremiah Tower, one of the early architects of California cuisine.  Chef Hurley became the executive chef of the Napa Valley Grille in Yountville in 1992, where he transformed local ingredients into dishes with a Mediterranean accent. 

 

Chef Bob Hurley shares his secrets for experiencing
slow living as Sally James & Kerry Egan
make copius mental notes...

During this time, Bob honed his interpretation of wine country cuisine, and in 1998 he won the Hot Concept Award from Nations Restaurant News.  In 1999 Bob was chosen by Cooking Light magazine as one of the five Shining Star Chefs in the US.  In October 2002, Bob opened his own restaurant, Hurley's, in Yountville.  ###

10/12 - Stanley Cheng of Meyer Corporation & Hestan Vineyards



Stanley & Helen Cheng of Hestan Vineyards

On Tuesday, October 12, 2010 we welcomed Stanley Cheng, CEO of Meyer Corporation and owner of Hestan Vineyards and learned about the passion of an engineer and international industry innovator in cookware design turned Napa Valley winemaker. 

Stanley Cheng was one of seven children, born in 1947 in Hong Kong. He attended the University of Oregon where he received his degree in mechanical engineering.  Stanley returned to Hong Kong in 1971 to work in his family’s aluminum products manufacturing plant, which he auspiciously converted to crafting cookware.  Stanley’s first line of cookware was launched one year later in 1972 in London, England. Within a few years, distribution centers were established in Liverpool, England and Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 



In 1981, Stanley Cheng founded Meyer^® Corporation, U.S., presently the nation’s largest cookware company.  The company is headquartered in Vallejo, California, 30 miles north of San Francisco and a stone’s throw away from Napa wine country.  Widely recognized cookware brands distributed by Meyer^® Corporation, U.S. include: Circulon^®, Anolon^®, Farberware^®, KitchenAid^® Cookware, Rachael Ray^®, Paula Deen^® and SilverStone^®.  Additionally, the company’s growing roster of housewares product includes distribution of BonJour^® and FineT by IQ Innovations^® brand goods. 

Stanley Cheng shares the Meyer story

Meyer^® affiliates around the world include cookware factories in Asia and Europe. The numerous factories worldwide together comprise the world’s second largest cookware manufacturing operation with over 100 cookware  lines distributed in more than 30 countries.  The combined factories employ some 7,000 people, producing more than 40 million pans per year.

In addition to managing the business, Stanley Cheng is actively involved in product development and marketing.  With an engineer’s penchant for developing technologically advanced products, and a food and wine lover’s passion for cooking tools, Stanley Cheng is always focused on enhancing the experience of home cooking. He is credited with revolutionizing the cookware industry with his invention of nonstick hard-anodized cookware and the “Hi-Low” circular grooves -- patented under his name -- that significantly increase the durability of nonstick. Introduced in 1985, Circulon^® -- the first hard-anodized nonstick cookware -- forever changed the way in which high-end nonstick cookware is made.  The cookware brand will be celebrating its 25^th anniversary next year.

Stanley Cheng with his two passions - Meyer & Hestan

At the heels of the successful launch of Circulon^®, Stanley Cheng introduced Anolon^®, a gourmet cookware brand designed for home cooks seeking optimum performance, versatility and convenience. The brand’s best-selling collection – Anolon Advanced™ Cookware – is constructed of extra-thick, hard-anodized aluminum for fast and even heating, and features an exclusive multiple reinforcement technology for excellent nonstick durability.  The cookware’s stainless steel with silicone Anolon SureGrip^® handles provide a durable, soft and secure grip.  Last year, the popular collection was expanded with the addition of Anolon Advanced Bronze™ Cookware and Anolon Advanced Bronze™ Bakeware.  This year, two new clad metal cookware collections, Anolon Ultra Clad™ Cookware and Anolon Chef Clad™ Cookware were introduced at retail. These high performance lines are dishwasher-safe and compatible with all types of cooktops, including energy-efficient induction ranges. 

Befitting a gourmet cookware brand, Anolon^® recently launched Creating a Delicious Future™ with Anolon^®, an educational campaign to foster a return to eating delicious foods prepared simply at home using fresh, seasonal, local ingredients.  As part of the new campaign, Anolon^® became the exclusive kitchenware sponsor of Slow Food USA, the esteemed nonprofit national organization dedicated to ensuring a delicious future for all Americans.  This summer, Anolon^® is the major sponsor of The Edible Garden at The New York Botanical Garden.  Anolon^® gourmet cookware, bakeware, cutlery, kitchen tools and gadgets are on display and used by celebrity chefs cooking in the event’s Conservatory Kitchen, prominently staged on the Conservatory Lawn through mid-September.

In the midst of building a world-class cookware enterprise, Stanley Cheng, who also received the 2002 Humanitarian of the Year Award from the Housewares Charity Foundation, cultivated his growing passion for wine.  In 1996, four years after moving his family and the cookware company’s headquarters to Vallejo, Stanley and his wife Helen purchased a 127-acre property in Napa Valley.  Hestan Vineyards^®, named after both owners, is situated in the rolling hills of eastern Napa Valley.

In 2005, after spending years carefully grooming the vineyard’s reputation by selling grapes to prominent Napa Valley wineries, the Chengs released their first wines from the property, the 2002 Hestan Vineyards^® Cabernet Sauvignon and the 2002 Meyer Cabernet Sauvignon; both made by consulting winemaker Mark Herold. The wines were a critical success with the 2002 Hestan Vineyards^® Cabernet Sauvignon garnering a 95-point rating from Robert Parker of the Wine Advocate.  Also released in 2005, the 2003 Hestan Chardonnay earned a 94-point review from James Laube of the Wine Spectator.

Last year, the Chengs launched Stephanie, a new line of critically acclaimed red Bordeaux blends made by consulting wine maker Jeff Gaffner, and named after their daughter.

In total, the winery produces just over 5,000 cases annually, comprised of the Hestan Cabernet Sauvignon, Hestan Chardonnay, Stephanie Cabernet Sauvignon, Stephanie Red Wine, Stephanie Merlot and Meyer Cabernet Sauvignon.

Stanley and Helen Cheng live in Hillsborough, California, where they raised their two sons and daughter.  Weekends and vacations are spent at their Hestan Vineyards^® in Napa Valley.

~ Recipes Hot Off the Stove from Slow Living Radio's

Co-Host Sally James ~

Shitake mushrooms simmer in sake in the EarthPan

Squash and Ginger Soup with Sake Flamed Shitakes
Serves 4

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small white onion, chopped
1 tablsepooon grated ginger
3 cups diced pumpkin or squash (kaboocha is ideal)
2 cups chicken stock
Sake Flamed Shitakes
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups small shitake mushrooms
2-3 tablespoons sake (or vodka)
½ sheet nori, torn into strips

For the shitakes, heat oil in the EarthPan over medium heat and add mushrooms.  Cook for 2-3 minutes then pour in the sake.  Set alight and allow to flame until alcohol evaporates.

Squash soup cooks in the BonJour saucepan

Heat oil in BonJour 3 quart saucepan, add the onion and ginger, and sauté over medium heat for 2-3 minutes or until golden.  Add the squash and cook 1-2 minutes further, then pour over the stock. Cover and cook for 15-20 minutes or until squash is soft.  Tip off some of the liquid, and reserve, then puree the remainder using an immersion blender, or in a blender, until smooth and creamy.  Add more of the cooking liquid to bring to desired consistency. Keep warm.

Voila! A finished presentation!

To Serve...

Spoon soup into bowls, add the mushrooms and some of the liquid and scatter with some nori.  Enjoy!

###

10/5 - Chef Philippe Jeanty of Bistro Jeanty

Slow Living Radio celebrated the community of the French lifestyle with Chef Philippe Jeanty of Bistro Jeanty.  In every day French life, it is the Bistro that is woven into the daily pattern of meals and celebrations. The Bistro is that little neighborhood restaurant where they know who you are, greet you warmly, and serve you satisfying foods that change with the seasons and define regional, homey French cuisine. Learn how the bistro lifestyle is a state-of-mind that can become part of your life, anywhere.

Philippe Jeanty has had a life long love affair with food. His restaurant in Napa Valley is a classic example of his philosophy on food and restaurants. Fresh quality ingredients, exacting and demanding preparation, consistent service at the table, comfortable and informal surroundings.

He was born in the Champagne region of France. This is a rural agricultural region where the wine is world famous for its' elegance and refinement. Philippe's father worked for the great Champagne house of Moet & Chandon. The family spent much of their time growing, raising, and preparing food. Their vegetables, chickens, rabbits, and lambs became an essential part of providing for the large family. It is from his grandmother and mother that Philippe learned many of the basics of French home cooking. Two of his fondest early memories are of visits to the neighbor's dairy for warm milk and special evenings with his family in the regional bistros where his favorite foods were to be found.

At fourteen his father helped him secure a summer position in the private dining room kitchen at Moet & Chandon, working under chef Joseph Thuet. He received special attention and training at Thuet's hand for the next three years and this secured his decision to make his life's work as a chef.

Philippe Jeanty came to California in 1977 with the first team from Epernay, France to open the Chandon Restaurant in Yountville. In a year's time he was made executive chef. This allowed Jeanty to develop his personal style of world class cuisine. A fine dining restaurant had never existed in the wine country before. Now residents and visitors could experience classic French Haute Cuisine in the bucolic setting of the Napa Valley.

The next twenty years of accolades, awards, and praise from customers and critics proved that Jeanty was one of America's finest chefs. His creative style introduced new flavors and dishes to the thousands of diners at Chandon during this time.

He began to look for a new challenge in 1997. His thoughts turned to his home in France. He decided to create a bistro where he could recreate all those favorite foods of his childhood. But with his heart and his family (wife and two daughters) in Yountville, Philippe Jeanty opened the doors of Bistro Jeanty in April of 1998.

Since then the doors have barely had a chance to swing shut. The crowds of patrons continue to come from around the world for the opportunity to dine in a true French bistro in America. It was chosen as the "Best New Restaurant in the Bay Area 1998" and chosen as one of four nominees for "Best New restaurant in America 1998" by the James Beard Foundation.

To know Philippe Jeanty you must come and eat at his restaurant. There you will better understand the man and his relationship with people and food. There is a shared excitement in the dining. As if you too have returned home, only to discover you are being served the most delicious food you can ever remember tasting.