Calafia Lamb and Garbanzo Bean Saute
This is a gluten-free dish. It should be slightly brothy. Tofu or chicken can be substituted for this dish.
Ingredients:
- 6. oz ground fully cooked lamb sausage
- ½ cup fully cooked garbanzo beans
- 1.5 cup pea shoots
- 3. tbsp medium diced carrots
- 3. tbsp sliced cherry tomato
- 2. tbsp sliced Kalamata olives
- 1. tsp Harissa paste
- 8. oz ladle of chicken stock
- 1. tbsp whole butter
- ½ tbsp chiffonade of mint
- 1. oz garnish quesso fresco
Heat sauté pan with small amount of oil, add in ground lamb sausage brown a bit more, add in garbanzo beans, carrots, season to order, followed by Harissa toss a couple times, followed by chicken stock, allow to simmer for a moment and reduce, finish with pea shoots, olives and tomatoes and mint and one tbsp whole butter. Serve in large bowl, sprinkle with small amount of quesso fresco on top.
"The Beet Generation" Juice Drink
Ingredients:
- 1.ea fresh organic carrot, raw
- 2.ea fresh organic beet, raw
- 1.ea small bulb of fennel
- 1.ea small bunch of italian parsley
Throw it all into your juicer, one by one, place glass underneath, allow the juice to fill the glass, and enjoy!
Calafia Spicy Napa Salad
Ingredients:
- 4.oz shredded five spice chicken
- Large handful of shredded napa cabbage
- 2.oz shredded carrots
- 2.oz julienne green onions
- 2.oz shredded red cabbage
- Four or five long pieces of cilantro ( micro greens) sprigs held to the side
- Healthy pinch of black & white sesame seed mix
- A good amount of spicy tahini dressing
- A good amount of crispy julienne won ton
Toss everything together in mixing bowl except Won ton strips, pile onto chilled salad plate, finished with cilantro sprigs (micro greens).
About Charlie Ayers, Chef & Owner, Calafia Cafe & Market A Go Go
Chef Charlie is most widely known as the former executive chef for Google Inc., a position he won in November of 1999 in a cook-off, judged by the company's 40 employees. By the time he left Google, Chef Charlie and his team of five sous chefs and 150 employees in 10 cafes across the company's Mountain View, California, headquarters were serving 4,000 lunches and dinners daily-all of the same quality and variety as in that initial interview. In his six years at Google, Chef Charlie's contribution to the company attracted media attention around the world. He and his cafes were featured in the New York Times, London Times, France's Le Capital, the Washington Post, Food Management, Restaurants Institutions, The Food Network, and many others, as well as occupying an entire chapter ("Charlie's Place") in David Vise's book, The Google Story.
Currently, Chef Charlie just opened his new Calafia Cafe and Market A Go Go in downtown Palo Alto. His concept demonstrates that "being green" is good for the consumer, team members, environment, and local community. Like the "fine food for the fast crowd" Chef Charlie refined at Google, the fundamental goal of Calafia Cafe & Market a Go Go is to provide the greater public with healthful, artisan-style, sustainable cuisine in a fast and affordable format. In 2008, Chef Charlie released his first cookbook, a collection of smart recipes, many of which are offered at Calafia. Chef Charlie is available for what he calls "innovative corporate well-being" consulting-restructuring corporate food service programs. He is also designing Micro Kitchen / Food Service programs tailored to fit the individual company's size and desired corporate culture. In his spare time, Chef Charlie sits on several advisory boards for various non-profit charitable organizations such as ChefsForHumanity.Org, as well as ROCKtheEARTH.Org to name a few.
Websites: http://calafiapaloalto.com | http://www.chefcharlieayers.com
