Traci Des Jardins (Rest.)

***** 1995 BEST NEW CHEF AWARD PROFILE

F&W Star Chef

RESTAURANTS: Jardinière, Mijita Cocina Mexicana (San Francisco)
RECIPE YOU’RE MOST FAMOUS FOR?
Scallops with truffle mashed potatoes. I think it’s something rather dated, but people love that dish.
WHAT WAS THE FIRST DISH YOU EVER COOKED BY YOURSELF?
I started baking when I was like three, with my mom. So the first thing I made was chocolate chip cookies. I grew up in a rural town in the Central Valley, and I got very bored in high school, so by that time I took up cooking as a hobby. We had subscriptions to all the food magazines and I would drive 45 minutes to Fresno to get ingredients, and that’s when I got really interested in cooking.
WHO IS YOUR FOOD MENTOR?
Joachim Splichal. I started working for him when I was 17. I think the lessons were really the basic tenets of executing great food—flavor balance, seasoning, taste, taste, taste.
FAVORITE COOKBOOK OF ALL TIME?
I think the cookbook that I’ve used my whole life that I still use is probably the Joy of Cooking. There’s a reference point for almost everything in there. And it’s encyclopedic. I still pull it out once in a while and check, how long do you cook an 18-pound turkey?
IS THERE A CULINARY SKILL YOU WISH YOU WERE BETTER AT?
If I had to do it all over again, restart my career, I probably would have studied Japanese food rather than French.
WHAT IS THE BEST-BANG-FOR-THE-BUCK INGREDIENT?
Good olive oil, you get a lot of mileage out of that.
WHAT IS YOUR CURRENT FOOD OBSESSION?
Tacos. I’ve been kind of a traditionalist when it comes to Mexican food, but now I’m thinking maybe I should expand my horizons. You have to start with a good tortilla and balance crunch, acid, salt. The best one I’ve had recently I made at home: duck and black mole with duck cracklings. That was pretty amazing.
FAVORITE SOUVENIR?
When I was in Paris years ago I got this crazy thing that was probably a spice holder. It’s a wooden structure with six little drawers at the top and six larger drawers below it. The drawers are made out of glass with a handle on it, and a pour at the end. It’s just totally amazing. I use it for salts and I’m always terrified I’m going to break one of the glass inserts because I would never be able to replace it.
IF YOU WERE FACING AN EMERGENCY AND COULD ONLY TAKE ONE BACKPACK OF SUPPLIES, WHAT WOULD YOU BRING?
Coffee beans and a coffeemaker. It’s pretty important for me to have a great cup of coffee to start every day; I would be greatly hindered by not having that.
HOW DO YOU MAKE COFFEE AT HOME?
I have a collection of espresso machines. La Pavoni is my first love, and I have a machine that I’ve actually had since I was 16. I keep it in shape, it’s my baby. It’s sort of my backup one if another one has to be repaired. I also have a subscription to Craft Coffee, and they send me three different coffees every month. I love the variety, and you get to check out new roasters from across the country.
FAVORITE SNACK?
Salsa and chips are my downfall to fitness. Really good chips—there’s nothing better. I have to keep them away from me.
HIDDEN TALENT?
Skiing. I probably ski about 20-30 days a year, which is a lot if you don’t live in the mountains.
1995 BEST NEW CHEF BIO
WON BEST NEW CHEF AT: Rubicon, San Francisco

RESTAURANTS
Jardinière
300 Grove St. San Francisco, CA, United States
(415) 861-5555
Mijita
1 Ferry Building, Number 44 San Francisco, CA, United States
(415) 399-0814
Public House
AT&T Park, 24 Willie Mays Plaza San Francisco, CA, United States
(415) 644-0240
Manzanita
The Ritz-Carlton Highlands, 13031 Ritz-Carlton Highlands Court Truckee, CA, United States
(530) 562-3000

http://www.foodandwine.com/best_new_chefs/traci-des-jardins