La Sagra del Maiale:
A Whole Hog Demonstration & Dinner at Soul Food Farm
Saturday, July 14th

The nearly two years I lived in Italy in the early oughts shaped and inspired my approach to cooking and life as much as anything. I was extremely fortunate to have several people take me under their respective wings and teach me about Italian food history, traditions, and culture, but no relationship was as meaningful as the one I developed with Dario Cecchini, who welcomed me into his shop and his family with open arms.

Dario, the charismatic butcher profiled in Bill Buford's Heat, continues to inspire me daily with his commitment to his craft, to community and to preserving Tuscan food and cultural traditions. His incredible generosity takes many forms, but none so important as the way he mentors aspiring cooks and butchers. Over the years, Dario has had a long line of students and protégés in Italy, but he's also taught and encouraged many of our own favorite local butchers here in the Bay Area to invest in this craft. One of the his earliest students, Riccardo Ricci has been with Dario since he was practically a kid. Now a seasoned butcher in his own right, he's coming to the Bay Area for a visit and a series of events.

When Chris from Avedano's and Alexis from Soul Food Farm asked me to participate in a butchery demonstration and dinner with Riccardo on the farm, I leapt at the chance. I haven't been back to Italy in far too many years, so any time Dario or one of his butchers comes to town, I track them down so we can share a meal together. This time, I get to cook with Riccardo! Inspired by the traditional Italian sagra, or outdoor feast celebrating the season's bounty, we're throwing a Sagra del Maiale in honor of the glorious, versatile pig.

photo: peden+munk
Riccardo Ricci of Antica Macelleria Cecchini, joined by Chris Arentz of Avedano's and John Fink of The Whole Beast will perform a whole hog butchery demonstration and showcase several of Dario's most beloved recipes. Each guest will receive a handout describing the cuts and recipes to keep and take home. After the butchery and cooking demo, Riccardo and Chris will answer any questions that may have arisen.

As the sun sets, you'll be seated at farm tables and enjoy a family-style dinner featuring all of Dario's classic pork dishes, including tonno del Chianti, fresh garlic sausages, and of course arista in porchetta. Using produce from the farm and other nearby purveyors, I'll be doing what I love to do most--making piles and piles of salads and fresh summer vegetable dishes to pass around. I'm even trying to cajole one of my baker friends into making us some special loaves inspired by Tuscan flavors for the feast. We'll serve bright, acidic wines to keep things fresh, and when the sun gives way to stars and a waning moon we'll pass out platters of biscotti and vin santo brought over from Italy by Riccardo before sweetly bidding you goodnight.

THE DETAILS

WHO: Riccardo Ricci, Chris Arentz, John Fink, Alexis Koefoed & me
WHAT: La Sagra del Maiale: A Whole Hog Demonstration & Dinner at Soul Food Farm
WHERE: Soul Food Farm// 6046 Pleasants Valley Road// Vacaville, CA 95688
WHEN: Saturday, July 14th from 5-10pm
WHY: To have endless, delicious fun with our friend visiting from Italy, and to share it with you!
HOW MUCH: $185 per person, includes butchery demonstration, recipe booklet, five-course family-style dinner, abundant wine (tax & gratuity included)
TO RESERVE: call or email Alexis at (707) 365-1798 or soulfoodfarm@gmail.com

Tickets will sell out as we are limiting this event to 30 people, so reserve soon!

Home Ec: A Four-Part Series of Cooking Fundamentals at Soul Food Farm




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I’m thrilled to introduce a series of classes on what I consider to be the four most important elements of cooking. 

I learned how to cook by watching the cooks in the Chez Panisse kitchen, by carefully tasting and training my palate, and eventually by apprenticing and working in that kitchen. That experience blew my mind open, and after several months in the kitchen I started to recognize patterns and rules common to every dish, no matter what the ingredients or particular methods of preparation. 

I eventually came to realize that with a careful understanding of how to apply four basic elements, I could make anything taste delicious. Over the past eleven years, everything I’ve continued to learn in the kitchen has essentially been a refinement of my understanding of the application of salt, acid, fat and heat. 

As a teacher of both professional and home cooks, it’s my ultimate goal to give people the tools to become intuitive cooks and free them from the reigns of cookbooks, recipes, and measuring implements by helping them refine their palates, sensitivity in the kitchen, and understanding of basic kitchen science. The most important lessons I share with my students are those that impart a fundamental understanding of universal tenets. 

I’d like to invite you into the beautiful Soul Food Farm kitchen with me for this unique, empowering series of classes. You’re welcome to take as many or few as you like, but the series is designed as an immersion and elements of each class will interplay with the other three to help give students a comprehensive understanding of cooking. In each class, I will describe and demonstrate for each element its roles and functions, basic science, and effects on taste in a dish. We’ll taste and discuss thoughtfully in an effort to give our palates a bit of contextual understanding. And of course, because I believe so strongly in the power of experience (and muscle memory) you’ll get a chance to put your new skills to use as we all cook a lovely lunch together with the concepts of the day in mind. 

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lovely photos courtesy of Bart Nagel
In the afternoon, we’ll retire to a table set in the shade of the farm, eat our lunch, drink some wine, and I’ll answer any further questions that may have arisen while we cooked. You’ll leave empowered and inspired to return to the kitchen, ready to practice your skills, refine your knowledge, and looking at food with a whole new perspective.







Class size will be limited to 15 people in order to ensure that all students have a hands-on experience.  To reserve a spot, please use the following links: