New Webisode: Brigit Binns, Cooking with Fire, Part 1

This is the first of a series of webisodes featuring cooking teacher Brigit Binns, of Refugio in Paso Robles, California who, with her husband Casey, has created a fabulous retreat and conference center in the Central Coast Wine Country. Brigit is also a featured chef for Forno Bravo, who hosted this Wood-Fired Oven Expo in Salinas, CA, where I got to cook with Brigit and Casey and learn some of their tricks of the trade.

In this segment we begin to learn about other things folks can make in wood-fired ovens, in addition to pizza. Brigit, as you will see, is loaded with great tips and ideas. From Greek olive “popcorn,” to oozy Greek cheese wrapped in grape leaves, to “leek jam” — this episode will get your wheels spinning. We end with a tease for our next webisode where Brigit shows us her amazing cast-iron-baked chicken thighs and olives. You’ll see her getting it all ready for the oven in this episode but you’ll have to come back for part-two where we actually get to see it emerge from the oven (and I get to eat it).  A stunning dish!  In the meantime, enjoy this first round with Brigit and Casey: “olive popcorn,” grape-leaf cheese melt, and a leek jam and capers flatbread pizza — great stuff!. And you can read all about Refugio here.