The Dish

Fennel pollen pistachio Alaskan halibut
Carrot Corn Risotto
Ocean Trilogy
Decadent Chocolate Dome

The Wine

Sablonettes Ptit Blanc 2011
100% Chenin Blanc
France, Loire, Coteaux du Layon

The Chef

Bernard Guillas

How important is it to be connected to your local farms?   Oh boy, I look at my local farms as the heart and soul of my cooking. Without the farmers and fisherman you do not have a restaurant, which is why it is very important to be part of the community and really support the farming community. The farmers work very, very hard to give this amazing product. It might not look that sexy, but when you cut that lemon open and squeeze it’s juice, the fragrance is amazing and the flavor that pours out of that citrus is beautiful.

In San Diego there are 45 farmers markets per month. I always say that if you shop the farmers market, it may be a little more expensive but you will eat what you purchase as opposed to the larger market. Is it really good for you? Organic and natural? Most of the (larger market) stuff is not, so if you can eat well and support your local community, it will feed your soul as well, and you will be healthy. It is also a perfect platform to take the kids. They can taste the strawberries, raspberries and blueberries, then, what happens next, is they connect to the source of great taste.

Where do you get your inspiration for your incredible sauces & oils?  Travels. I have been very lucky to have traveled to 50 different countries. I just came back from South Korea. If you really want to discover and get an idea of the culture, a soon as you land, you check your bags and ask for the nearest farmers market. The market is really the heartbeat of the whole country. This is where you will find what is available when it comes to ingredients and spices. You are able to observe the behavior of the locals in their own environment. A lot of shopkeepers want you to taste and sample their product, they are very proud of it. There is pride in food.

*See all of Bernard Guillas’s photos, interview, and recipe at  Chef’s Insight.

The Wine Expert

Alice Feiring

Pass the Sablonettes Petit Blanc 2011 please.  The halibut with the carrot corn risotto has so much going on, but basically it’s the meatiness of the halibut that needs good attention.  The wine is is made by Christine and Joel Meynard, ultra-sweet vignerons in Loire.

Alice has been published in most of the glossies in this country as well as the New York Times.   Alice is the author of two books The Battle for Wine and Love (Harcourt).  Naked Wine (Perseus Books) came out on September 2011.  When not on the road learning about wine, Alice working on her personal writing, rereading Letting Go orHudson River Bracketed, and dreaming about a cellar full of Domaine Romanée Conti.  You can find Alice on twitter at @alicefeiring, or her blog The Feiring Line.