Tu David Phu, featuring Washoe Valley Duck Farm
Saturday, January 13, 2018, 10:30 am - 11:15 am
Stop by the CUESA Classroom for a cooking demo featuring the seasonal bounty of the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market, and featuring one of our market seller-farmers.
Tu David Phu is a Vietnamese-American chef and forager. He has worked at some of the nation’s top Michelin-rated restaurants, including: Chez Panisse, Quince, Acquerello, Daniel Boulud, Breslin, Gotham Bar & Grill and Gramercy Tavern. Chef Tu was Executive Chef of Gather in Berkeley and now is garnering press and attention with his weekly pop up dinners “AN – a Vietnamese Dining Experience.” Most recently he was named part of San Francisco Chronicle’s 2017 Rising Star Chefs, and is featured on this season’s Top Chef.
But long before cooking professionally, Chef Tu had a rich culinary background. His family hails from the Island of Phu Quoc, in South Vietnam. His frequent trips to Vietnam immersed him in the practices, ingredients, techniques, and flavors of Vietnamese cuisines.
His pilgrimages to Vietnam and his professional experience gives him the tools to unlock the layers and complexity of common dishes of his childhood. Observing different worlds, his cooking reflect a wide range of cooking cultures – from the American culinary greats, classical European traditions, to his Mothers’ generations-old wisdom handed down grassroots-style.
A third-generation farmer in Cotati, Anthony Bordessa knew from a young age that he wanted to carry on the family’s legacy. Though his grandfather’s dairy is no longer in the family, Anthony grew up in the dairy supply store and helped his parents raise pastured chickens. After serendipitiously clicking on an article about duck eggs while searching the internet, Anthony learned for the first time about the tight-knit duck egg advocacy community that celebrates the egg for its lofty yolk, superior nutrient content, and decadent richness. He decided to give duck egg farming a try with a starter flock of 60 ducks. He has since grown to a flock of over 4000 Kakhi Campbell ducks that he raises free-range on organic pastures. Duck eggs are larger and more nutrient-dense than chicken eggs, with more protein, omega-3s, and B-12 vitamins. The flavor profile is similar, though the duck egg’s higher fat content makes for a richer texture, ideal for baking.
All demos take place in the CUESA Classroom (under the white tents in front of the Ferry Building) and are free to the public, with recipes and samples for all.