January 27, 2009

A variety of citrus events have crossed my desk, so I thought I’d do a little roundup.

On Saturday February 7th, The Center for Urban Education about Sustainable Agriculture (CUESA) will host a ~CITRUS CELEBRATION~. Here’s the line-up of events:Â

10am–1pm: Citrus tasting challenge
Try over a dozen citrus varieties and challenge yourself to guess which is which.

10am–1pm: Kitchen techniques gallery
Learn about zesting, candying, and other kitchen citrus tricks.

10am–1pm: Orange smile digital photo booth
Smile wide with a wedge of citrus in your mouth, and they’ll email your snapshot to you.

11am–11:45am: Cooking demonstration
Alessandro Cartumini of Quattro Restaurant and Bar at Four Seasons Hotel Silicon Valley will demonstrate a salad and a pasta dish, both featuring citrus.

11:30am–12:30pm: Meet the citrus farmer station

Save the date: on Friday February 20th, David Kinch of Manresa presents the ~CITRUS MODERNISTA DINNER~, a once-a-year celebration of local, California-Coast citrus. Chef Kinch cooks with extraordinary varieties of citrus including Mandalo and Ruby Red grapefruit, Kalpi lime, Kishu mandarin, Vangassay lemon, calamondin, yuzu, Mexican lime, and Indio Mandarinquat grown at an exclusive citrus farm in the Santa Cruz Mountains, just a few miles from the Pacific Ocean.

The five-course dinner is $140 per person, exclusive of wine, tax, and gratuity. Open seating begins at 5:30pm, with the last seating at 9pm. Two wine pairings selected by sommelier Jeff Bareilles will be available.

Beginning this February, Chez Papa Resto will be offering a monthly changing themed four-course prix-fixe dinner menu (plus an amuse bouche) served every night for $50. (An optional wine pairing will be available for an additional $35.) Executive chef David Bazirgan’s February menu will be a ~CELEBRATION OF CALIFORNIA CITRUS~, including Maine lobster salad with a Meyer lemon and black truffle emulsion; shaved celery, fennel tuile, and ice wine gastrique; compressed baby beets with pomelo, oro blanco, ricotta salata, ras al hanout, and toasted pine nuts; Liberty Farms duck confit with celery root, clementines, and Grand Marnier; and orange blossom panna cotta with Buddha’s hand confit and Cara Cara oranges.

Citrus Celebration
Sat. Feb. 7th, 2009

CUESA’s teaching kitchen
Ferry Building (north side)
San Francisco, CA

10am–1pm

Free (suggested donation of $1 for some activities)


Citrus Modernista Dinner
Fri. Feb. 20th, 2009

Manresa
320 Village Lane
Los Gatos, CA 95030

408-354-4330
website

$140 per person, exclusive of wine, tax, and gratuity


California Citrus Menu
February 2009

Chez Papa Resto
4 Mint Plaza
Cross: 5th St.
San Francisco, CA

415-546-4134
website

$50