Napa Valley food writer creates cookbook to help restaurant workers

Last year, Napa Valley food and wine writer Jess Lander was feeling helpless about the pandemic in general and the state of the restaurant industry — and its workers — in particular.

“I felt like I couldn’t do much,” she said. “I tried to order as much takeout as I could afford, but I was looking for something more I could do.”

Then she came across a couple of charitable cookbooks, including “Serving New York” and “A Bite of Boulder,” both collections of recipes from restaurants helping their hard-hit workers during the pandemic.

“I said, ‘Hey, we could do that,’” she recalled. “Napa is world-renowned for their culinary scene. … Then I discovered there was no cookbook that had a collection of recipes from the restaurants here.”

So Lander rolled up her sleeves, enlisted a few volunteers and found a charity partner in Feed Napa Now, a group started by Napa Valley restaurateurs that pays restaurants to feed people in need during fires or the pandemic. She started sending out emails to local restaurants and wineries who might want to participate in the first-of-its kind Napa cookbook.

The result is Lander’s “The Essential Napa Valley Cookbook,” a glossy hardback with color photos by Napa photographer Alexander Rubin. The cookbook, due to arrive from the printers any minute, features 36 recipes from 30 Napa Valley restaurants, including Charlie Palmer Steak and Cindy Pawlcyn’s Mustards in Napa, Christopher Kostow’s The Charter Oak in St. Helena and Solbar restaurant at Solage Resort & Spa in Calistoga.

Other restaurants included in the cookbook range from the newer — Compline in Napa; Southside cafe in Caneros, Yountville and south Napa; and Gran Électrica in Napa, which serves authentic Mexican cuisine and cocktails — to the iconic, such as Angèle, Bistro Don Giovanni, Bounty Hunter and Model Bakery in Napa.

“We have a good mix of classic, legendary and local favorites that visitors may not have tried,” she said. “I wanted to spend a little extra money to live up to what Napa Valley represents, so I wanted a high-quality product, even though we self-published.”

The cookbook costs $39.95 and all of the proceeds will be donated. Feed Napa Now, which is partners with the Napa Valley Boys & Girls Club, will get 25% of the proceeds, while the rest will go to restaurant workers from the cookbook’s participating restaurants.

“I really wanted to donate all the proceeds, not just the profits,” Lander said. “If I’m dividing it up between the workers at 30 restaurants, I wanted to really make an impact, so it could pay off their bills or buy groceries.”

Lander is also hoping the cookbook will help Napa Valley’s newly reopened restaurants by letting people know they should get out and support them.

“A lot of the recipes are pretty iconic from those restaurants,” she said. “So people can eat there and then go home and make the dish.”

Each recipe is paired with a specific wine from a Napa Valley producer, hand-selected by Master Somm Desmond Echavarrie, who also wrote a two-page introduction to the wine pairing for the book. Echavarrie has his own wine import and distribution company, Scale Wine Group of Napa.

“The wine pairings doubled as small sponsorships, and that covered the printing costs,” she said. “It’s a pretty small amount for most wineries, and very few wineries passed on it. I have them all listed and linked on the website.”

Like the participating restaurants, which range from the Michelin-starred La Toque in Napa to the burger-centric Gott’s Roadside in St. Helena and Napa, the wines run the gamut.

“I really thought it would be awesome to have pairings,” Lander said. “The prices go from approachable to high-end wines. There’s something for everyone.”

One thing Lander insisted on was that the recipes needed be user-friendly for the home cook. She tested every recipe to scale it down and ensure it would be something people would want to make.

“I really wanted this to be an approachable Wine Country book,” she said. “Many of the Wine Country books are intimidating.”

Chapters include recipes for appetizers and sides, desserts and cocktails, although most of the recipes are for main courses, such as the Seared Salmon Filet from Bistro Don Giovanni in Napa, that venerable restaurant’s signature entree.

“If I’ve been wine-tasting all day, I want a cocktail,” she said. “We have some great mixologists.”

Lander put the book together in less than four months, and Rubin photographed most of the dishes in just two days, a breakneck pace that allowed him only 15 minutes per dish. Feed Napa Now came on as the charitable partner in January.

In addition to Rubin donating his time, Lander found a design firm to donate their time in designing the book.

“We even had the photo shoot locations donated for us,” Lander said. “We did whatever we could to not ramp up our costs. … I was very upfront that this is purely for charity.”

Although the cookbook was a massive project, it also provided a welcome distraction for the freelance writer who likes to stay busy. Lander’s in-laws lost their home during the fires of 2017. Then, during the Glass fire in 2020, she lost her house on Howell Mountain.

“It just felt good to be doing something good for my community and not be sitting there and wallowing over my losses,” she said. “You cannot recover those things. They’re gone. ... I didn’t want to sit around and be sad for too long.”

To order the cookbook, go to napavalleycookbook.com. Books can be shipped or locals can pick up their copy at the Napa Valley Welcome Center at 1300 First St. in downtown Napa.

“We are working on retail partners, like wineries, bookstores and restaurants,” Lander said. “There are lots of shops that just want to carry it because the tourists are here, and they’re looking for something to bring back.”

“When I first put Socca on the menu, it was met with some skepticism. A chickpea vegetable pancake? It was not your typical Napa vegetarian fare,” said Jammir Graym, chef of Compline Wine Bar & Restaurant in Napa.

“But Socca, also known as ‘farinata,’ is actually a common street food in France and Italy. The umami-rich chickpea batter proved to be a perfect vessel to hold the seasonal vegetables that the Napa Valley provides us with, and it quickly became popular at Compline among vegetarians and meat-lovers alike. The best part about Socca is that the vegetables can change with the seasons. Whether it’s honey nut squash, leeks and spinach in the fall or asparagus, chives and nettles in the spring, Socca is a flavorful and filling way to eat your vegetables.”

Socca with Arrabbiata Sauce

Makes 4 servings

For arrabbiata sauce:

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

8 garlic cloves, minced

3-4 pounds ripe Roma tomatoes, ½-inch dice

2 teaspoons crushed chile flakes (or more if you want more spice)

1 teaspoon kosher salt

½ cup tomato paste

10 basil leaves, torn

1 teaspoon fresh oregano, minced

For Socca:

1 ¾ cups chickpea flour

¼ cup nutritional yeast

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

½ tablespoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon fresh oregano, minced

2 cups cold water

1 cup fresh corn kernels (yellow or white)

1 cup zucchini, ½-inch dice

½ cup jingle bell peppers, ½-inch dice (any sweet pepper works)

½ cup spinach, roughly chopped

2 tablespoons shallots, minced

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Parmesan cheese, for garnish

To make the sauce: Heat olive oil on medium-low in a large saucepan. Add the minced garlic and crushed chile flakes and cook until fragrant, 3 to 4 minutes. Take care to not let the garlic turn brown as it will make the sauce bitter.

Add the diced tomatoes, crushed chile flakes, salt and tomato paste to the garlic. Cook low and slow for about 25 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes to make sure the sauce is not sticking to the pan. The tomatoes will be chunky and broken down. After 25 minutes, add the torn basil and minced oregano. Adjust final seasoning with kosher salt and chile flakes.

For the socca: While the sauce cooks, combine the chickpea flour, nutritional yeast, baking powder, garlic powder, kosher salt and fresh oregano in a large mixing bowl. Whisk in all of the water. The batter will be runny. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the corn, zucchini, peppers, shallots and spinach.

In an 8-inch nonstick pan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil on medium heat until hot, about 2 to 3 minutes. Scoop 1 cup of the socca batter into the hot pan and cook for 4 minutes. Keep an eye on the heat; if it’s too hot, it can burn. Flip the socca over using a spatula and continue to cook for an additional 4 minutes.

Test that the socca is cooked through by making a small cut in the middle and checking for raw batter. Once the socca is cooked, serve with warm arrabbiata sauce and a light grating of Parmesan cheese.

Wine Pairing: Chappellet Chenin Blanc

“The key to great texture is cooking the fish only on one side all the way in a covered pan, which works like a steam kettle to gently cook the fish through, with a nice crispy sear on one side,” said Scott Warner, chef/partner at Bistro Don Giovanni in Napa.

Seared Salmon Filet with Mashed Potatoes and Tomato Chive Butter

Makes 4 servings

For the tomato-chive butter:

½ cup dry white wine (with a crisp edge and acidic flavor)

¼ cup white vinegar

½ pound cold butter, cut into small pieces

1 shallot, finely minced

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

1 bunch chives, chopped

Salt and white pepper, to taste

For the mashed potatoes:

6 peeled russet potatoes

6 ounces butter

3 ounces cream

3 ounces buttermilk

Salt and white pepper, to taste

4 5- to 6-ounce portions of salmon filet, skinned and pin bones removed

Vegetable or olive oil

Salt and pepper

To make the tomato-chive butter: Add the shallots, vinegar and wine to a small pot. Bring to a simmer and then reduce slowly until only 1 to 2 tablespoons of liquid remain. Turn the heat to low and slowly whisk in the butter, a little at a time, until it has all melted to a creamy sauce. Add salt and pepper, to taste. This sauce base can be made ahead of time. Keep warm on a shelf above your stove until you’re ready to use it.

For the potatoes: Cut the potatoes in quarters and cover them with cold water in a large pot. Add some salt to the water (about a tablespoon per gallon) and bring to a boil. Turn down heat to a simmer and cook until potatoes are fork-tender.

Drain the potatoes well in a strainer and place with the butter in a mixing bowl. Either by hand or with an electric mixer, beat potatoes until just smooth, then add cream, buttermilk and pepper, to taste. You can vary the amount of cream or buttermilk depending upon how much acidity or tanginess you like on the finish (buttermilk brings more tang). Continue mixing until all ingredients are incorporated and smooth. If the texture is too tight, add a little more cream or buttermilk. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, if needed. Set aside and keep warm.

Season salmon fillets on both sides with salt and pepper. In a stainless pan, add a thin layer of vegetable or olive oil and heat the oil until smoke point. Add the salmon to the pan skin-side down. Turn down the heat to medium-low and cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid for about 5 to 7 minutes, depending upon desired cooked temperature.

Stir the chopped chives and halved cherry tomatoes into the butter sauce base. To serve, plate a spoonful of mashed potatoes and place the salmon on top, crispy side up. Pour a spoonful of tomato-chive butter over the salmon and garnish with more chopped chives or any fresh, tender herbs from your garden.

Wine Pairing: Bouchaine Vineyards Swan Clone Estate Pinot Noir

“There may be no more impressive dessert than the soufflé; it commands attention. In the kitchen, there’s the suspense of watching it rise, then the race to get it on the table quickly before it falls. When you do, it’s a ‘Wow,’” said Ken Frank, chef/owner of La Toque in Napa. “The mystique of the soufflé intimidates many people out of trying to master them. It shouldn’t. Once you understand a few basic things, making a soufflé is actually quite easy to do. This chocolate espresso soufflé is a longtime favorite. Served with a little scoop of coffee ice cream melting down into the hot center of the soufflé, it is a showstopper.”

Chocolate Soufflé

Makes 4 servings

5 ounces dark semisweet chocolate

3½ tablespoons freshly brewed espresso (decaf, if you prefer)

4 egg whites

3 egg yolks

1 tablespoon powdered sugar (plus more for decoration when served)

3-4 ablespoons soft butter to grease the ramekins

1-2 tablespoons granulated sugar

4 small scoops of coffee ice cream to top, or whipped cream

4 individual (4-5 ounce) soufflé ramekins

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Melt the chocolate over a double boiler in a clean, dry bowl; keep warm, but not hot. While the chocolate melts, prepare the espresso and keep it ready. Carefully separate egg whites into a perfectly clean and dry mixing bowl. Ensure that the eggs are cleanly separated, as even a tiny amount of yolk in the whites will ruin the meringue. Set aside three yolks in a separate container.

Thoroughly coat the insides of the ramekins with soft butter. Then coat with granulated sugar. A perfect unbroken coating of butter and sugar is the key to a soufflé that rises straight and does not stick.

To make the meringue, beat the egg whites until they are frothy, then add the powdered sugar and continue to beat until they hold a soft peak. Do not over-beat.

Add the three egg yolks to the melted chocolate and mix quickly. Stir in the hot espresso and immediately fold the meringue into the chocolate mixture. Pour or ladle the batter into the soufflé ramekins. Fill them just to the top; do not touch or disturb the butter and sugar coating.

Bake the soufflés 8 to 9 minutes without opening the oven door. Remove from the oven, immediately dust the top with powdered sugar and top with a small scoop of ice cream. Serve at once.

Wine Pairing: Merryvale Antiqua Dessert Wine

You can reach Staff Writer Diane Peterson at 707-521-5287 or diane.peterson@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @dianepete56