Rich Sarah - Rich Table: (Cookbook of California Cuisine, Fine Dining Cookbook, Recipes From Michelin Star Restaurant)

Text copyright 2018 by Sarah and Evan Rich. Photographs copyright 2018 by Alanna Hale.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher.

ISBN 9781452160597 (epub, mobi)

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Rich, Sarah, author. | Rich, Evan, author. | Hale, Alanna, photographer.
Title: Rich table / Sarah and Evan Rich ; with Carolyn Alburger ; recipe development by Kate Williams ; photographs by Alanna Hale.
Description: San Francisco : Chronicle Books, [2018] | Includes index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2017036518 | ISBN 9781452156378 (hardcover : alk. paper)
Subjects: LCSH: Rich Table (Restaurant) | Cooking, American. | LCGFT: Cookbooks.
Classification: LCC TX715 .R498 2018 | DDC 641.5973dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017036518

Designed by Alice Chau
Typesetting by DC Typography

Recipe testing and development by Kate Williams Prop styling by Ethel Brennan

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The recipes in this book represent menu items we came up with over the first two and a half years that Rich Table existed. They are the essence of what made our little labor of love take off in the Hayes Valley neighborhood of San Francisco. As you read through the book, you may think some of the flavors we put togetherlike sliced yellowtail with saltines and bucatini pasta with sausage and peachesseem very random. But we can assure you our flavor profiles are not stabs in the dark.

We choose ingredients and put them together based on our understanding of what makes your palate sing: a simple yet intuitive combination of sweet, salty, acidic, fatty, and savory.

We choose fruits, vegetables, spices, or other things we fall in love with at the market. Foods that made a strong imprint on us during childhood, college, or other past experiences also make appearances. Our hope is that this book will help you to tune into this flavor formula and apply it to the ingredients you love. We want you to create your own Rich Table, if you will.

Since the best meals draw upon something personal, this isnt just a cookbook. Its also the story of how we grew up, got married, had babies, and decided to put our sanity on permanent hold in order to open and operate our dream restaurant. (An aside: Evan often says we are living the dream/nightmare. Everything they say about running a restaurant being the toughest business out there is true.)

Youll see all of the following items repeated multiple times throughout our recipes because we cant get enough of them for one reason or another. Admittedly, some of these things may be hard to find where you are, so possible substitutions are noted as well.

BABY WILD GREENS, BABY LETTUCES, EDIBLE FLOWERS: We use all of these interchangeably as garnishes, so feel free to use what you love in the recipes in this book.

BONE MARROW: Some people are scared of bone marrow, but we dont know why, because its one of the most delicious foods on this planet. It adds a hearty, beefy richness thats unlike anything else. If youve never tried it and youre not a vegetarian, we highly recommend giving it a shot. When youre looking to buy bones for marrow, ask your butcher for 2-in [5-cm] long beef bones, cut lengthwise so both sides of the marrow are exposed. We like to roast them just long enough to soften the marrow. Itll pop right out.

CHAMPAGNE VINEGAR: We love the subtle sweetness and acidity of champagne vinegar. If you cant find it, feel free to use regular white wine vinegar; however, the result may be slightly more acidic.

DOUGLAS FIR POWDER: The Douglas fir is an evergreen conifer tree that grows all over California and the Pacific Northwest. Youll see its needles used often on the Rich Table menu because we think the earthy, piney, almost citrusy note that it brings to food (and even drinks!) is unlike anything else. We forage for the needles here in the Bay Area, mostly on Mount Tamalpais. If you cant find them where you are, the best substitute is Douglas fir tea, which you can buy online from Juniper Ridge. Youll need to pop open the tea bags and pour out the insides for use in these recipes. Or consider substituting your own favorite dried herb or ground seed. We think dried thyme and ground fennel seeds are good stand-ins in most cases, but feel free to experiment with flavors you enjoy.

EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL : We use as much local California olive oil as we can. It is typically fresher and often lower priced than imported olive oils. It also aligns with our desire to support local producers whenever possible. You can use other high-quality olive oils from Italy or Spain if you prefer. Try to seek out bottles that have a harvest and a crush date listed on the container. The date should be within a year of the day you purchase the oil. This way, youll know youre getting the freshest, tastiest product.

GELATIN SHEETS: Youll find these used in both sweet and savory recipes at Rich Table. We prefer the smoother texture that results from using sheet gelatin, which you can find online or in baking stores. You can also substitute plain powdered gelatin. Weve given you directions for both.

HOMEMADE STOCK : Homemade stocks made from animal bones taste better and have greater versatility than those sold in boxes at the store. With that said, if you need a shortcut, store-bought chicken stock is okay sometimes. Try to seek out the good stuff from a butcher shop or in a freezer section. The less salt added to the broth the better. Pro tip: Look for stocks called bone broth, which is quite trendy these days.

ISOMALT: Although this type of sugar alcohol is commonly used as a sweetener in sugar-free candies, we use it to make thin, fancy-looking tuiles out of crackers and cookies. You really cant substitute sugar (or any other sweetener for it), so youll need to buy it online or at a specialty baking shop.

KOSHER SALT: We use kosher salt from Diamond Crystal wherever we call for salt in the book. We suggest that you do the same.

LOCAL ORGANIC GREEK YOGURT: We love to use thick yogurt in both our savory and our sweet recipes. At the restaurant, we pretty much exclusively use Northern California brand Straus. If you dont live nearby, seek out the best organic Greek yogurt you can find, preferably from a local dairy.

MUSTARD SEED OIL: This neon-colored, spicy oil adds deep levels of flavor to a few recipes in the book. Make sure you purchase the mustard seed oil at an Indian market. The bottle says its not for internal use because its not approved by the Food and Drug Administration but it is fine to eat in small amounts.