Every September during harvest season, the Cakebread family invites five up-and-coming chefs and a host of local farmers to their winery for a weekend of tasting, talking, cooking, and sharing. A whirlwind short course in winemaking, viticulture, and artisan food production, the American Harvest Workshop heats up as the sun goes down. Each evening, the chefs come together to plan and execute two multicourse dinners using a market basket of ingredients from the Cakebreads’ favorite purveyors.
In The Cakebread Cellars American Harvest Cookbook, Jack, Dolores, and culinary director Brian Streeter present 100 recipes and wine pairings developed by workshop chefs and the winery in honor of the twenty-fifth anniversary of this groundbreaking annual event. These spectacular dishes—from appetizers to entrees and desserts—are adapted for home cooking in this delicious exploration of Napa Valley’s food and wine culture.
Many of the world’s leading chefs have attended the workshop and their recipes are here, including Gary Danko’s Mediterranean Summer Vegetable Gratin, Nancy Oakes’s Warm Chopped Liver Crostini with White Truffle Oil, Hubert Keller’s Provençal Garlic and Saffron Soup, and Alan Wong’s Pan-Seared Sturgeon with Thai Red Curry. For dessert, just try to choose between Charlie Trotter’s Chocolate-Praline Bread Pudding with Cinnamon Cream and Marcel Desaulnier’s Caramel-Banana–Chocolate Chip Ice Cream.
Guidelines for wine and food pairing are presented along with profiles of the winery’s finest purveyors, from Cowgirl Creamery and Hog Island Oyster Company to Liberty Ducks, Broken Arrow Ranch, and Fatted Calf. This unique collection celebrates a quarter century of workshops—and the chefs, winemakers, and farmers who come together each year to cook, eat, and drink from the bounty of Napa’s vibrant wine country.
Jack and Dolores Cakebread are the founders of Cakebread Cellars, a renowned winery whose wines are enjoyed in fine restaurants around the world. Along with sons Dennis, Bruce, and Steve, the Cakebreads manage 460 acres of prime vineyards in the Napa and Anderson Valleys, along with a series of popular culinary events. The coauthors of The Cakebread Cellars Napa Valley Cookbook, Jack and Dolores live in California’s Napa Valley.
Brian Streeter is the culinary director at Cakebread Cellars, and the coauthor of The Cakebread Cellars Napa Valley Cookbook. He oversees the winery’s successful wine and food program and directs the annual American Harvest Workshop. A graduate of the New England Culinary Institute, Brian and his family live in California’s Napa Valley.
Janet Fletcher is the author or coauthor of more than twenty books on food and wine, including Fresh from the Farmers’ Market and The Cheese Course. Janet’s food writing for the San Francisco Chronicle has been honored with three James Beard Awards and the International Association of Culinary Professionals Bert Greene Award. She lives in California’s Napa Valley.
