Chef Alice Walters – The Chef and the Food Environmentalist
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Chez Panisse is the playground of one of the best chefs in the world, chef Alice Walters. It first opened its doors to the public in 1971. The restaurant was inspired by classic films and this is where Californian cuisine was first created. This is where Chef Walters continues to amaze people with her creations.
But who is Alice Walters?
Alice Walters is the owner and head chef of Chez Panisse. She is actually a native of New Jersey. She was born in the small town of Chatham on April 28, 1944. It took a while for this chef to find her true calling. In fact, she did not even pursue a degree in culinary arts when she went to college. Instead, she finished a degree in French Cultural Studies. After graduation, she trained for a while at a Montessori School in London and then she moved to France and lived there for several months. She eventually moved back to United States. In 1971, she opened Chez Panisse.
One can say that she is the heart of this restaurant. It is her ideals that have served as the guiding light for Chez Panisse. Chef Walters believe that the ingredients used should be those that are in season. She insists on using the best ingredients and products in the market. Over the years, she has created a partnership with local farmers and ranchers who steadily supply her with quality ingredients for her sumptous recipes.
For the past three decades, Chef Walters has become a fairly strong advocate of organic products and farmer’s markets. She regularly promotes sustainable agriculture as the best farming alternative. In 1996, she created the Chez Panisse Foundation in order to promote programs similar to those that are demonstrated at the Edible Schoolyard. Chef Walters has also affiliated herself with several organizations among which include Slow Food, French Culinary Institute, American Center for Food, Wine and the Arts in Napa and San Francisco Ferry Plaza Farmers Market.
Chef Alice Walters is indeed Chez Panisse’ chef, but she is largely known for her advocacies. She is basically three things in her professional life – a chef, a locavore and a slow foodist. As a locavore, you will find her tending to her own garden because she prefers baby lettuces that she discovered and loved in France. You will find her busily sending out a truck to the port just to find the freshest fish from boats that just docked. She has in her employ foragers to help her find the best mushrooms. Over three decades, she has managed to create a network of farmers and ranchers who are practicing sustainable agriculture. We can say that Chef Walters may be a chef, but she is also an environmentalist at heart.
Chef Alice Walters’ Roasted Duck with Cherries Recipe
Recipe via Star Chefs
Yield: 4 to 6 Servings
Ingredients:
1 duck (about 3 to 4 pounds in size)
Salt and pepper, to taste
½ pound cherries
3 Tablespoons Madeira wine
¼ cup chicken or duck stock
Method:
Remove any fat from the cavity of the duck. Pierce the skin of the legs and breast with the tip of a small sharp knife or the tines of a sharp fork; this helps the fat to render out as the duck roasts.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Salt and pepper the duck, then roast it for about 45 minutes, turning it from side to side every 10 minutes and finishing with the breast up (the duck should still be a bit too rare). Pour and skim off as much fat as you can from the pan and add the cherries, Madeira, and stock. Roast 15 more minutes. The duck should still be pink next to the bone. When the duck is done, let it rest for 15 minutes.
To carve, remove the legs and slice the breast, reserving all the roasting juices, which should be skimmed again before serving. Taste the juices and adjust the seasoning to taste. Serve the duck garnished with the cherries and the pan juices.
Image Credit via Photobucket
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Australian Chef- Matthew J. Goudge is the mastermind behind the formation of the ProChef360 platform.
Greetings to All,
Received the following from Mr. Richard
Why is it we all want to give someone praise in this case Chef Alice and then screw it up. Why can we all just say she is one of the best Chefs in the World. Why do you have to inject the word “Woman” it sounds like a sexist remark. Being a man or woman should be irrelivent.
Robert J. Richard, 46 minutes ago
This is my reply
Greetings Richard,
The inclusion of the word “women” was not intended to be a sexist remark, however thank you for pointing this out to me- as a result I deleted the word from the article text accordingly.
Tastefully yours,
Matthew Goudge
chef 21
Created and maintained by the culinary minded
http://www.prochef360blog.com
“From chef jobs to restaurants we are the recipe for success for chefs, cooks and culinary students alike”
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