This week, we're excited to welcome Cal Peternell to SALT + SPINE, the podcast on stories behind cookbooks. Cal is the author of three cookbooks, including the latest, Almonds, Anchovies, and Pancetta.
Cal grew up on a small farm in New Jersey and graduated with a BFA in Visual Arts before time in Italy led him to the kitchen. He began his culinary career at San Francisco’s Bix restaurant before landing at Chez Panisse, Alice Waters’ famed Berkeley restaurant, where he spent two decades and led the kitchen.
His first two books—Twelve Recipes and A Recipe for Cooking—have won multiple awards.
“Americans need to get on board with the amount of flavor and deliciousness that can be delivered by a cured fish.” –Cal Peternell
In today’s episode, we talk with Cal today about why he focused his latest book on these three pantry staples, his new podcast Cooking by Ear, and how Chez Panisse is producing some of the top cookbook authors and food voices in the country.
Also on this week's show:
We talk with Sondra Bernstein of Sonoma's The Girl & The Fig about how, earlier this year, people across the country donated more than 10,000 cookbooks to Delicious New Chapters to give victims of California's Wine Country fires—a year ago this month—the chance to rebuild their lost cookbook collections.
We head Into the Kitchen to cook from Cal's latest book: We're making almond & red pepper muhammara and almond butter cookies.
We feature an excerpt from Cal Peternell's new podcast, Cooking By Ear—listen in to the clip as Cal interviews actress Frances McDormand while the two cook risotto.
And, we stop by Omnivore Books in San Francisco to chat with owner Celia Sack in our "From the Vault" series about Cal's previous books and the Chez Panisse-style of cooking.
More Reading
The 10 Dishes That Made My Career: Cal Peternell of Chez Panisse, by Susannah Chen // First We Feast
Cal Peternell on Raising His Sons to Cook and What He Really Wants for Father's Day, by Lauren Masur // The Kitchn
Also in today's episode:
How One Restaurateur Is Rebuilding Cookbook Collections Lost in the North Bay Fires, by Sarah Feldberg // Food & Wine
Chez Panisse alum Cal Peternell on harnessing pantry staples