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It is not every day that you meet a meat specialist or charcutier. Especially not one with as much passion like Rachael Zavala. Her love for food is apparent in every house made product at her Martinez restaurant, The Compass Star. Zavala made her Taste Our Terroir debut at last year\u2019s event, and was not afraid to be innovative with a smoked beef brisket, topped with mashed sunchokes and Mascarpone cheese served in a parmesan cone. We are excited to see what creation she will craft this year with her partners from Dante Robere Vineyards. Here we discuss Gourmet Magazines, meat and of course pairings.<\/p>\n
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1)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong>When did you first know you wanted to be a chef?<\/strong><\/p>\n I\u2019ve known since I was a little girl. My mother was a struggling single mom in the 1970\u2019s (she had me when she was 16) working her way through college at SJ State. I was \u201cin charge\u201d of cooking for my little sister and brother. I was a wizard with dry goods; I could gussy up Rice a Roni like nobody\u2019s business. One day when I was playing I found a stack of Gourmet Magazine from the late 1960\u2019s sitting by the dumpster, all wrapped with twine like a present just for me. An avid reader, I spent that summer in my tree house fort reading about all of the luxurious foods and exotic travel destinations. By the time I was 12 I was saving babysitting money to buy spices. I was addicted, obsessed, with food. I still love and collect copies of Gourmet Magazine and held a wake at my house with close friends when they stopped the presses on the publication.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n 2)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong>What is terroir to you?\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n Terroir is a living thing. It can taste like sunshine and smell like spring rain and pebbles, it can look like enthusiastic, disheveled rows of vines covered in leaves in riotous shades of auburn welcoming the crush\u2026 all of the million gifts Mother Nature provides to nurture and sustain any given place. The smell, the taste of the living earth.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n 3)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong>Favorite pairing?<\/strong><\/p>\n Right now my customers are really digging a pairing my Sommelier, Derek Roque put together of dry Alietico and a salad we make with a pomegranate vinaigrette. The almost fruit punch flavor of the Alietico turns into something magical when paired with these light vinaigrettes.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n 4)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong>What is the biggest challenge in food and wine pairing? <\/strong><\/p>\n Not every wine is food friendly and not every food is wine friendly. My sommelier \u00a0and pastry chef and I will often pick the wines first and THEN create the dish to pair.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n