Risotto of Almost Anything, a recipe from John Besh's cookbook My Family Table (James Beard Award finalist)
Winners of the Book, Broadcast, and Journalism Awards are announced on May 4, and awards in categories including Chef, Restaurant, and Design will be given out on May 7.
San Francisco restaurant AQ, competing against four other venues as Best New Restaurant in the country, takes its name from the term “AQ” meaning “As Quoted,” a common menu listing with seasonal items. As the restaurant explains on its web site, AQ “…extended this concept one step further—As we update the menu to reflect the freshest produce, we also gradually transform the interior of the restaurant to reflect the palette and tone of the current season.” It’s a unique philosophy; as Executive Chef Mark Liberman commented when the restaurant made the top five finalist list: “When we opened, we were just going for something interesting that wasn’t being done in the city at the time…the nomination means we really have to step up what we’re doing and make sure everything is on point.”
I look forward to dining at AQ the next time I get to San Francisco (if I can get a reservation after all the attention, that is!). AQ’s menu features Mediterranean flavors and lots of fresh vegetables. Recent items included the two appetizers ($10 each) Carrot With Chiles with yogurt, almonds & sesame seeds and Farm Eggs with chives and garden peas, and the three entrees ($25 each) Kohlrabi Bourguignon with young roots, horseradish, star anise, and red wine, Duck Aged on the Bone with beetroot & fennel, and pannise with cured olive, and Lamb Shoulder with heirloom carrots, chickpeas, oxtails and sheep’s milk.
Finalist John Besh has many accolades, including being named on the “Ten Best New Chefs in America” list by Food & Wine in 1999, and winning the JBF award in 2006 for Best Chef in the Southeast. In 2009 he earned Food Arts’ Silver Spoon Award for revitalizing the culinary legacy of New Orleans. In 2011, his philanthropy and commitment were further displayed as he established The John Besh Foundation, which provides scholarships, grants and loans to individuals “with the passion, creativity and knowledge to enact change in New Orleans and Louisiana.” Besh gained many Food Network fans when he performed exceedingly well on the first season of The Next Iron Chef, ultimately losing to Michael Symon in the finals. His TV career has also included his own 2011 PBS series and appearing as a contestant on Top Chef Masters.
Besh’s cookbook up for a JBF award, My Family Table, was awarded an IACP (International Association for Culinary Professionals) award in April 2012 in the Children, Youth, and Family category. This beautiful book includes 150 color photos and 140 recipes, and offers an honest look into life at home with Besh, his wife, and their four sons. Even though he’s a famous restaurateur, the author emphasizes how important it is to cook many meals at home with your family, and shows how people can cook delicious food using accessible recipes. “It occurred to me that if I can help make a difference – by cooking simply and sharing what I love to cook – I can possibly help us all use our passions and skills to make our lives better at almost every meal,” says Besh.
The book’s eleven chapters include Kitchen Focus, with recipes such as Risotto of Almost Anything and Cream of Any Vegetable Soup — ingredients can vary depending on what you have on hand — plus Cherry Tomato Five-Minute Sauce and Simple Meat Ragout for Any Pasta. Other chapters include Sunday Suppers and School Nights; recipes like Pecan-Baked Ham prepared on a Sunday can then be utilized for Carbonara with Sweet Peas & Ham, while Olive-Oil Roasted Cauliflower can be transformed into Cauliflower Mac & Cheese.
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