The Chef's Table....

Have you ever had the pleasure of being seated at a Chef's Table?  Well let me tell you; it can be an amazing experience.  I first got the notion back in 2003, when the TV show "At The Chef's Table" was introduced.  It was a refreshing take on the basic recipe cooking shows of that time and I really enjoyed watching all the creativity that Chef's were able to impart from their "off-menu" repertoires.

Guests, from all over, would come and dine together as friends and fellow epicureans, tasting exotic dishes with fish, salads with exciting fresh ingredients like mangos and frisée, sophisticated one ingredient soups like mushroom or corn, and decadent desserts made in every fashion from the classic French to the intoxicating flavors of Asia.

I sat at my very first Chef's Table in Las Vegas with my mother at Bobby Flay's, Mesa Grill, at Caesars Palace.  It was a wonderful meal with a prix fixe menu of blue corn lobster tacos, baby romaine salad with hominy croutons, a 12 spice grilled chicken and fire roasted veal chops, churros dusted with cinnamon and star anise sugar and a tres leche cake that screamed to be eaten from the inside out!

I have, however, come to realize that a lot of Chef's Tables here in the inner Bay Area and the outer Napa Valley and Monterey regions are inaccessible to many folks.  Prices can be pretty steep ranging from $150 up to $500 or more.  That's great, if you are really invested in having the overall experience and can afford to do that; but the truth is a lot of people are unable to afford that.

So, I decided about 2 months ago that I would start my own variation of a rustic, no frills, Chef's Table and invite folks over to taste my wares in a comfortable setting.  No shoes on the carpet and wine made from organic grapes flowing. This would give me an opportunity to test my newer recipes and refine the old ones.  Feed-back is so important in this business and I am inclined to believe that I get better with every meal--wine pouring is such a skill!  *insert laugh*

Sunday night, with the help of my good friend Theresa, I prepared for us a four course meal with all the fixings!  Pea shoot and jicama salad and spicy deep fried okra pods with a lemon quince dressing; Cauliflower bisque with bacon and chive oil tops; pan seared spicy chicken with herb & hemp oil rosted potatoes; and vanilla bean tapioca pudding with a mango/passion fruit creme anglaise topped with fresh berries, mango and white chocolate.  So YUMMY!!!  ...And such an honor to have the opportunity to connect to spirit as we worked and ate together!

I plan to keep doing these mini Chef's Tables and inviting folks to enjoy the seasonal offerings of the land and spreading the word on foods prepared with present consciousness of energy, health and well being.  You won't find any GMOs at my table!

For more information on Keena's Kitchen Catering, Event Services, and Speaking Engagements (on Seasonal, Organic, Sustainable and Non GMO Foods) go to www.keenaskitchen.com , and to book an evening for your very own private Chef's Table experience contact us at (510) 842-6849.  Our mobile service will come to you!

Interested in joining the hundreds of people getting bi-weekly Keena's California Soul Cuisine™ recipes and healthy food tips for FREE?  Subscribe to our e-Newsletter "YUMMY" at http://bit.ly/PmAmTg and be entered in a drawing to win a seat at Chef Ikeena's exclusive Chef's Table!