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Leigh's TableTalk
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By
Leigh Cort
The thing about eating out is that it's so tempting, once you
find your favorite places.
The thing about cooking is that it's not as daunting as you
think, once you learn how to make it easy.
The thing about specialty foods is that you have a genuine desire for
yummy things, once you find what it is you adore.
I'm not a food
Aristocrat ~ I'm a genuine and proud ‘foodie' that adores the people who make food come alive.
St. Augustine is flooded with a tidal wave of exceptional culinarians
and has become a ‘foodie' Mecca with talented chefs and culinary pro's who
create food with great passion. We're in
a hyper casual, eco- minded era where the really HOT restaurants don't require gowns,
ties or jackets – and they don't even take reservations. True ‘foodies'
do their homework; they read everything they can get their hands on to find out where to
go and who to worship. ‘Foodies' will travel long distances to find the HOT
‘finds' to share with friends and family. And home kitchens are starting to look
like magazine centerfolds with exquisite cookware, gorgeous state-of-the-art appliances
and pantries with condiments from around the globe.
Pictures tell a story, especially when it's gorgeous food and
beaming chefs! Bistro de Leon, Claude's
Chocolate, Uncanny Biscotti and A. Chef's
Cooking School are a fabulous collection of who is making noise this year in Northeast
Florida !
Chef/Restaurateur Jean-Stephane Poinard is the REAL DEAL from Lyon who dreamed of
coming to America and opening a Bistro similar to five he owned in France . The Bistro de
Leon is nearly 5 months old, wowing guests for lunch and dinner with his superb cuisine,
authentic European-style ambience and rampant culinary correctness! He grew up in the
presence of Paul Bocuse, now making his own reputation as a serious contender in the
dining scene of St. Augustine . He's featured in the 2008 Fall Southern Women's
Show, charming the audience with his picturesque dishes and French accent. www.bistrodeleon.com
 Claude Franques' drop dead exquisite
chocolate bon bons need no fanfare. Claude's
Chocolate was a dream of this French/ New York celebrated Chef once he left the Big
Apple and moved to St. Augustine . Every waking hour Claude is hand-crafting each little
confection, using his culinary prowess to drizzle dark Belgium Belcolade chocolate over
fresh and hand-roasted nuts, popcorn, even my favorite - passion fruit ganache. www.claudeschocolate.com
Suzi Renehan has taken her leap of faith in all things culinary too. Her Uncanny Biscotti is so new and oh, so flawless.
Instead of White Chocolate Cranberry Biscotti with a cup of java, how about any of her
splendid crunchy creations with a glass of wine and cheese!
Her Fig & Fennel biscotti take the cake – or should I say the
biscotti. She lavished her talents on family and friends for more than a decade. Now they're
available to the universe. www.uncannybiscotti.com
Get ready to laugh, chop, puree, saute, measure, sip wine, grate and learn to make a
mouth-watering gourmet recipe without worrying about a thing. Chef Andrea
Estes has poured her heart into designing one of the most inviting chef's
kitchens, opening the doors to wannabe chefs, culinary novices and kitchen wizards to come
and cook with friends – or alone with her. Daytime
and evening classes really are parties with up to a dozen people, wearing aprons and
wielding professional knives while having fun. A. Chef's Cooking Studio is making
noise and I can't wait to jump into the holiday hors d'oeuvres recipe file. www.achefscookingstudio.com
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