As the author of Sunset’s Great Outdoor Cookbook, food editor Margo True knows a thing or two about grilling. We caught up with her to get her take on Saturday night’s Grill & Chill Event at the All-Star Chef Classic.
Is there a particular event you are excited about at this weekend’s All-Star Chef Classic?
I’m really looking forward to both events I’ll be attending: The British Masters’ Dinner on Friday, because I’d love to taste some of the thrilling flavors and techniques happening in the U.K. right now; and Saturday’s Grill & Chill, because it’s going to be incredible to see 20 chefs in action simultaneously.
Which chefs are old favorites and whose food do you look forward to sampling for the first time?
I know most of the chefs on the list, and can’t wait to try their food again—these are huge, global talents. I’m really looking forward to meeting Zoe Nathan for the first time. We’ve just done a multi-post, Sunset staff review of her fabulous cookbook, Huckleberry, on our blog Westphoria, and after all that time in her virtual kitchen, I almost feel like I know her.
What is your best grilling tip?
Never cook over leaping flames or smoke. You’ll scorch your food and it’ll get greasy and black and foul. Let the charcoal or wood die down to glowing embers—that’s the right heat for cooking. And if the flames are happening because of fat dripping down into the fire, move the food to a non-flaming spot.
What are the current trends you see in gastronomy on the West Coast today?
The taco obsession only grows stronger! It could give pizza a run for its money. And “chef-driven” seems to be the phrase du jour—meaning, most of the time, that it’s very personalized cooking that reflects that particular chef’s history and influences.
What do you think of LA’s overall restaurant scene?
I live and work in the San Francisco Bay Area, which I love, but wish I could clone myself and eat here too, every day.
Image courtesy of Sunset Magazine
