The Ravens' Restaurant
The Ravens' Restaurant is located in Northern California, along the coast, in Mendocino. It is the organic, sustainable, vegan restaurant located in the Stanford Inn by the Sea, a four diamond resort. The Stanford Inn has six-plus acres of organic gardens that supplies the kitchen with fresh ingredients daily. Where I am the head vegan chef period. Today, I created several dishes using local wild mushrooms, for an event that I participated in with Ryane Snow, a local mycologist. He informed the group, the identification of the local edibles, then took them out to the forest for some foraging. Meanwhile, I put together plates for them to try upon their return. First a cold plate of Pickled Chantrelle Pate on grilled crostini and an inside-out nori roll filled with yellow feet mushrooms. Delicious. Secondly, I served a black trumpet and kabocha squash soup. Then the hot plate....a hedgehog pizzeta, lightly oiled with salt and pepper, a spinach and black trumpet souffle, and a chantrelle empanada with jalapeno cream and a finish of avocado mousse. Fabulous! And finally, to send everyone home happy, a single scoop of pear-candy cap ice cream. For me this is just a regular day, but I love every moment of it. No one was vegan at this event, yet they didn't care, because great food is just that ....... GREAT. I like to remind them that no animals were harmed in the production of today's event and that I hope everyone sleeps a bit easier tonight. Tomorrow wild mushroom recipes!!!!! Follow the link to check out The Ravens Restaurant, my sample menu, and our philosophy.