Brix reopens — new name, new direction

Register Correspondent

Classic Sautéed Abalone

With the recent opening of Whole Foods Market with its extensive seafood display and Kanaloa Seafood in the Oxbow Market, seafood lovers in Napa Valley face tempting choices of fish and other marine creatures. Combined with the existing offerings from other markets such as Sunshine, Browns Valley,  Vallerga’s and Osprey, we now have choices we never had before.

Looking for a good guide to fish? Rick Moonen and Roy Finamore have just published “Fish Without a Doubt,” which was named Gourmet magazine’s June pick for its cookbook club. (Houghton Mifflin, $35)

Simple Wok-Smoked Salmon

JoLe Restaurant, (pronounced Joe-Lee), has opened for dinner service in Calistoga’s Mount View Hotel, in the space formerly occupied by Catahoula.

Eight “next generation” winemakers invited a like number of young chefs to put their best lamb dishes to the test as the Carneros Wine Alliance hosted its third annual Carneros Heritage Fest in the renowned winegrowing appellation at the end of May.

1 boneless butterflied leg of American Lamb (about 6 to 7 lbs.)

1 pound ground lamb (shoulder or leg)

Leg of lamb is marinated with Southeast Asian flavors, then skewered on rosemary branches and grilled. While grilling, they are lacquered with a honey tamarind and orange juice reduction.

Solage Calistoga, the new environmentally conscious resort in Napa Valley, is hosting T-Vine Cellars next week at an early summer wine dinner at Solbar, the resort’s centerpiece restaurant.

Many kids in the valley know Brian Street, the culinary director at Cakebread Cellars, because he volunteers in local classrooms during the school year to teach children about preparing healthy food and the joys of sharing a home cooked meal. Each summer, he brings his enthusiasm for these subjects to Cakebread’s “Kids in the Kitchen” classes. Children spend the morning in the kitchen with the chefs, and then the front of the house manager teaches them how to set a table. One parent or guardian is invited to join the new young chefs for lunch.  

Every June, I look forward to walking into the tent at the wine auction at Meadowood, greeting old friends and making new ones. There’s no place I’d rather be. I’m always excited to find out who the chefs are, and I can’t wait to check out what exciting new dishes are on the menu.

Fire up — To minimize sticking, be sure the grill is hot before adding your food. Carefully hold your hand just above the grill grate. If you can hold it for one second the heat is high, two seconds equals medium-high, three seconds is medium and five seconds equals low.

Who knew that one of the most flavorful cooking methods is healthy too? Since grilling doesn’t require much added fat, it’s an easy way to economize on calories without sacrificing flavor. The added bonus is the extra layer of smoky flavor it imparts to any food cooked to perfection on a nice hot grill.

This flavorful sauce is a delicious dipper for grilled shrimp or a great condiment for your favorite sandwich. If you can’t find the fire-roasted tomatoes, canned tomatoes or fresh tomatoes work well.

This is a fabulous condiment for grilled chicken or fish or to slather on sandwiches

This tasty marinade works well with chicken, fish, vegetables, or tofu. A tablespoon is all that’s needed to flavor one chicken breast or piece of fish.