And there's an S.F. angle. The play-offs begins today with chef Daniel Patterson (Coi, Il Cane Rosso, the upcoming Bracina) choosing between two fellow star chef's cookbooks: John Besh's My New Orleans, and Real Cajun by Donald Link and Paula Disbrowe. More in sorrow than in anger, Patterson chooses the "more modest" but "pitch-perfect" Real Cajun over Besh's book, which he calls "gorgeous" but "too ambitious for its own good." Patterson winds up his well reasoned, thoughtful 1,000-word explanation with this: "My New Orleans is more impressive in scope, more beautiful, more at home on the coffee table. But when I'm cooking at home, it's Real Cajun that I want in my kitchen."
Ouch! Besh knocked right out of the box in Round One.
If you wanna ask Besh how he feels about losing, he just happens to be signing My New Orleans tonight at Omnivore Books (3885a Cesar Chavez at Church) from 6 to 7 p.m. Maybe afterwards you can all caravan over to Coi for drinks in the lounge!
