Sondra Bernstein has been dishing up her popular ‘plats du jour’ concept for years now in her three area restaurants: Sonoma’s girl & the fig and ESTATE, and the fig café in Glen Ellen. According to Bernstein, the well-priced, three-course meal functions on a number of levels, among them, a place to test seasonal items, an opportunity for the chef to put what he wants on the menu and finally, as a way to let locals taste things that may be unfamiliar or long forgotten, like last week’s liver and onions special.
So when it came time to think about writing a new cookbook, Bernstein naturally went to her happy place: ‘plats du jour.’ “Creating ‘plats du jour’ is a really fun way to follow the year in seasons. When we create these menus for the restaurants they are always ingredient-driven and include a cheese pairing as well. It just made sense to develop a cookbook – entitled “Plats du Jour” – around them.”
Bernstein’s first book, “the girl & the fig cookbook” was published in 2004 and, based on sales figures, has been popular with home chefs ever since. In the intervening years, Bernstein’s been busy, really busy and wasn’t sure she’d ever find time to write another book. But when the opportunity presented itself, she jumped at the chance to share ‘plats du jour.’ Publishers thought otherwise however, trying to make the book more global or conceptually different. Bernstein would have none of it and decided to take a leap and self-publish. And while it’s been quite a diversion from what she and her staff normally do, she’s never looked back.
“Because of the nature of ‘plats du jour,’ the book took a year and a half to write. We wrote and shot photos through all of the seasons here in wine country. But that’s a long time to keep a publisher waiting and I’m thankful that was something I didn’t have to worry about,” said Bernstein who, with and partner/executive chef John Toulze also received invaluable self-publishing information from one of Toulze’s friends, a publisher of craft books who acted as a pro-bono advisor of sorts.
The result, “Plats du Jour,” is a beautiful, full color photographic extravaganza of everything we Sonomans hold near and dear. There is wine, there are vegetables, there is fish and game and cheese and fruit and more, more, more on every page. And with 28 three-course menus arranged by season, home chefs will enjoy an incredibly wide variety of recipes from which to choose. And while there are set menus, opportunities abound for creativity – mixing and matching at whim is the beauty behind the concept. Over the course of the year, each of the menus will be created in the restaurants as well.
The new “Plats du Jour” cookbook can be pre-ordered at a special advanced sale price of $35 through the end of October; $48 after that. Copies will be available December 1. To pre-order, contact the girl & the fig at 933.3000 or visit the web site at thegirlandthefig.com
Recipe testing 101:
Sondra Bernstein relied on a small army of volunteers when it came time to test the recipes for her new cookbook. Putting a post on Facebook, as well as by word of mouth, she found close to a dozen people to test, photograph and take notes on all things “Plats du Jour.” Both Sun food columnist Kristin Viguerie and I were recipe testers. Here is a sampling from other folks:
Who: Karen Rodrigues
From: Napa
Eaten at: None of Sondra’s restaurants
Tested: Parsnip and Cipollini Onion Soup, and Spring Fruit Crisp with Strawberries and Kumquats
Comments: “I love to cook so I had a lot of fun with the recipes. I tasted the parsnips raw and thought they were just awful. But cooked they were incredibly delicious. What a surprise.”
Who: Monica Lee
From: San Francisco
Eaten at: girl & the fig
Tested: Halibut with Grilled Spring Vegetables, and Brown Sugar Crème Brulee
Comments: “My boyfriend, Curtis Asano, lives in Sonoma and he helped me with the recipes. We had a blast. Nothing was complicated although we did have a couple issues with the halibut. Our friends really enjoyed the end results.”
Who: Lee Tostevin
From: Washington state
Eaten at: girl & the fig
Tested: Carrot Soup with Fava Bean Pistou, and Rabbit Confit with Herb Spaetzle, Spring Vegetables and Star Anise Jus
Comments: “I loved doing this. The way it is set up made me truly feel a part of the process. I was a little intimidated giving Sondra my comments but I did it anyway. It was just a ton of fun and I can’t wait for the new cookbook to come out.”
Who: Lynn Abate-Johnson
From: Sonoma
Eaten at: All of Sondra’s restaurants
Tested: Four recipes including baby artichokes, braised leeks, truffled leek soup and parmesan croquettes
Comments: “Every recipe that comes from Sondra is fantastic. And she and her staff welcomed our comments so we felt free to express our opinions including sending photos of each kitchen adventure which often included friends who chimed in with feedback.”
Who: Rebecah Huelskoetter
From: Alaska
Eaten at: fig café
Tested: Strawberry Tartlet, and Sweet Gem Romaine Salad with Vella Jack and Caper Vinaigrette
Comments: “Being in Alaska I was worried about finding some of the ingredients but I easily found the Sweet Gem lettuce at Costco, of all places. The Vella Jack I found at a local cheese shop that I’d been meaning to try and is now a regular shop for our household. But I’d say that most of the ingredients are everyday items that have been transformed into amazing dishes that anyone can easily make. I’m excited that I got a sneak peek of the new book.”
Who: Nancy Lang
From: Vineburg
Eaten at: All of Sondra’s restaurants including the Girl & the Gaucho
Tested: Ahi Tuna with Mashed Yukon Gold Potatoes, and a winter squash recipe with butternut, acorn and delicata squashes.
Comments: “I absolutely loved the process and did not feel at all intimated – I had a chance to speak to both Sondra and John after making both recipes and they were fabulously approachable, offered comments and feedback to my questions. It was a wonderful experience. I will make both recipes again and the squash recipe is a MUST for my Thanksgiving feast.”
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