The Bay Area Homegrown Cookbook: Local Food, Local Restaurants, Local Recipes

"This book is a testament to these vital relationships [between chefs and farmers] and to the momentous transformation that brings food—grown, raised, or gathered wild—directly to the table."—Paul Bertolli, from the Foreword 

Local. Seasonal. Sustainable. Farm fresh.

Restaurants all over the Bay Area of San Francisco try to boast at least one of these adjectives, but to the farmers and chefs profiled here, these are more than just buzzwords. They are a way of life. These farmers rise before the roosters to bring fresh produce, meats, and cheeses to area farmers’ markets. These chefs kick off the day with an early trip to the market and wrap it up in the wee hours of the night after feeding hundreds of appreciative diners. In The Bay Area Homegrown Cookbook, you’ll find the stories behind some of the San Francisco Bay Area’s most buzz-worthy chefs, including Michael Tusk of Quince, Amaryll Schwertner of Boulette’s Larder, Laurence Jossel of Nopa, Peter Chastain of Prima Ristorante, and Phil West of Range. The chefs featured here work with area farmers to bring the freshest locally grown, sustainable foods to their menus. With more than 65 outstanding recipes from these dedicated chefs and farmers, we hope you’ll enjoy bringing a little homegrown food into your own kitchen.

As Executive Chef at the Sunny Side CafŠ, with locations in Berkeley and Albany, California, Aaron French strives to use local ingredients in all the dishes he prepares. His daily job is to keep his finger on the pulse of what local farmers are offering so he can create new options for his customers as the seasons change. AaronÆs studies of Ecology at UC San Diego and San Francisco State University, and sustainability at UC BerkeleyÆs Haas School of Business, reinforce his appreciation of a sustainable local food system. Chef French was the EcoChef columnist for ten Bay Area News Group newspapers and a contributing author for The New Green Grocer Cookbook. His writing and photography have been published by a wide range of print and online media including National Geographic, U.S. News and World Report, Gastronomica, and American Scientist. Elizabeth Tichenor is a California native who shoots food and editorial photography in the San Francisco Bay Area. You can see more of her work on her website www.elizabethtichenor.com.

As Executive Chef at the Sunny Side CafŠ, with locations in Berkeley and Albany, California, Aaron French strives to use local ingredients in all the dishes he prepares. His daily job is to keep his finger on the pulse of what local farmers are offering so he can create new options for his customers as the seasons change. AaronÆs studies of Ecology at UC San Diego and San Francisco State University, and sustainability at UC BerkeleyÆs Haas School of Business, reinforce his appreciation of a sustainable local food system. Chef French was the EcoChef columnist for ten Bay Area News Group newspapers and a contributing author for The New Green Grocer Cookbook. His writing and photography have been published by a wide range of print and online media including National Geographic, U.S. News and World Report, Gastronomica, and American Scientist. Elizabeth Tichenor is a California native who shoots food and editorial photography in the San Francisco Bay Area. You can see more of her work on her website www.elizabethtichenor.com.

As Executive Chef at the Sunny Side CafŠ, with locations in Berkeley and Albany, California, Aaron French strives to use local ingredients in all the dishes he prepares. His daily job is to keep his finger on the pulse of what local farmers are offering so he can create new options for his customers as the seasons change. AaronÆs studies of Ecology at UC San Diego and San Francisco State University, and sustainability at UC BerkeleyÆs Haas School of Business, reinforce his appreciation of a sustainable local food system. Chef French was the EcoChef columnist for ten Bay Area News Group newspapers and a contributing author for The New Green Grocer Cookbook. His writing and photography have been published by a wide range of print and online media including National Geographic, U.S. News and World Report, Gastronomica, and American Scientist. Elizabeth Tichenor is a California native who shoots food and editorial photography in the San Francisco Bay Area. You can see more of her work on her website www.elizabethtichenor.com.