A Michelin chef who launched a casual eatery in a Half Moon Bay train caboose. A single San Francisco dad and restaurateur cooking up dinners with his young daughter. And a North Bay-raised fashion designer whose foodie family inspires his recipes.
Now the Bay Area trio — Scott Clark, David Nayfeld and Peter Som — have cookbooks coming out that celebrate food, family and flavor in a big way. Here’s just a peek.
Coastal: 130 Recipes from a California Road Trip
By Scott Clark of Dad’s Luncheonette
Jam-packed with stunning photographs and mouthwatering recipes, Clark’s cookbook serves up a serious helping of wanderlust-inducing storytelling too.
Clark leapt to fame at San Francisco’s Benu and Saison, before giving that high-stress life up for the slower pace of a coastal lunch spot. In “Coastal,” he journeys down the California shoreline, inspired by local fishermen, foragers, hunters and farmers as he crafts surprisingly accessible dishes, from Dungeness Crab Rice to Lingcod Ceviche and Smoked Chicken with Smoked Chimichurri. The book offers features on Dee Harley and her Harley Goat Farm in Pescadero, Spencer Marley of Marley Family Seaweeds in San Luis Obispo County and more.
You’ll find recipes, too, for the dishes he serves at his Dad’s Luncheonette caboose, including the cult fave Hen of the Woods Sandwich.
Details: “Coastal: 130 Recipes from a California Road Trip” by Scott Clark with Betsy Andrews and Cheyenne Ellis (Chronicle Books, $35) is out March 4. Dad’s Luncheonette is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday-Sunday at 225 Cabrillo Highway in Half Moon Bay; dadsluncheonette.com. Read a Q&A with Clark talking about his life and cooking philosophy here.
Dad, What’s for Dinner?
By David Nayfeld
Written by Che Fico chef David Nayfeld, this cookbook is aimed at parents looking for — to quote the book’s subtitle — “lifesaving recipes to avoid meltdowns, have fun in the kitchen and keep your kids well fed.”
There’s star power in the book — Gwyneth Paltrow penned the foreword. But more than anything, Nayfeld has created an endearing tribute to life with his daughter, Helena. Some recipes are aimed at cooking with kids, others at cooking for kids — including plenty of meltdown avoidance meals that can be prepared in 30 minutes or less.
Nayfeld shares personal stories alongside kid-friendly and often pun-filled recipes such as Joint Custardy French Toast. The recipes may be kid-friendly, but grown-ups will love them too. His veg-heavy minestrone, for example, offers an opportunity for parents to mise en place next to their future sous chefs. His Yogurt Parfait with Dukkah elevates the yogurt-fruit classic, and his battered-not-breaded chicken nuggets are so good, they may make your kid swear off Happy Meals.
And his tips for family chefs, which include embracing batch cooking and a clean-as-you-go mentality, are very helpful. Salads may be a tough sell, he says, but it helps to add bread, whether it’s croutons or a panzanella. Veggies? Textures make a big difference in whether or not kids will eat them, so don’t overcook your produce or let it get mushy. His family is partial to his lemony butter beans and glazed carrots with lime juice and butter.
Lastly, he advises, even if you’re not into sweets, “When your daughter asks to make cake with you, there’s only one answer: You make cake.”
Details: “Dad, What’s for Dinner? Lifesaving Recipes to Avoid Meltdowns, Have Fun in the Kitchen, and Keep your Kids Well Fed” by David Nayfeld with Joshua David Stein (Knopf, $35) is slated for release May 27. Che Fico opens at 5 p.m. daily at Springline Plaza, 1302 El Camino Real in Menlo Park, www.cheficoparcomenlo.com, and 838 Divisadero St. in San Francisco, which also offers weekend brunch, www.chefico.com/.
Family Style
By Peter Som
The first cookbook by Mill Valley native and New York fashion designer Peter Som pays homage to his Bay Area childhood. Food was such a passion in his household, he writes, his family’s running joke was that they often spent lunch or dinnertime discussing their next meal.
Growing up, meals were eaten family-style and followed the Chinese cultural norms of his mom and grandmother. Their rules included taking only small portions, serving the person next to you first and never taking the last piece from a platter without offering it to others first.
Som is, of course, a designer so his dishes are all beautifully plated, and the photographs will make your mouth water. Many dishes are elegant spins on comfort foods, from a Char Siu Bacon Burger and Hoisin Honey Roast Chicken to Brown Butter Miso Mochi Blondies.
Other gems of wisdom you’ll find in Som’s book: Always have a bag of potstickers in the freezer. Don’t fear duck. And stir fries are the little black dresses of Chinese cooking — versatile and easy to accessorize.
Details: “Family Style: Elegant Everyday Recipes Inspired by Home and Heritage,” by Peter Som (Harvest, $40) lands in bookstores on March 18. Meet Som at San Francisco’s Commonwealth Club on March 26, Book Passage Corte Madera March 27 and at San Francisco’s Ferry Plaza Marketplace March 29. Learn more at petersom.com.