Tuesday, June 9, 2009

High on the Hog

Hello, my name is John, and I'm a Porkaholic. Even though it's still days away, I'm already quivering in anticipation of Cochon555, a very special culinary competition featuring a group of top San Francisco chefs, each of who will get an entire heritage breed hog to prepare from head to toe – literally.

Five chefs, five pigs, and five family-owned wineries are being brought together by Taste Network, for what promises to be an evening of porcine perfection. As one of the lucky guests, I'll be helping determine the winner, along with a panel of professional judges, and the top chef will be declared, "Prince of Porc."

Taste Network, a culinary events company that focuses on artisan wine and food pairings and education, has been hosting these Cochon555 competitions across the country to promote heritage pigs and breed diversity in local and national communities.

I'll be covering the event with camera and video recorder in hand, and hope to share the sights and sounds of five whole hogs being used in wondrous and extraordinary ways, but since there's a very good chance I'll have too much pork fat on my fingers to properly work the equipment, I've posted a video from the Boston Cochon555 event below.

This is open to the pubic, so if you're in the Bay Area and would like to join me, the event is Sunday, June 14th, 5:00 PM, at The Fairmont, San Francisco. For more information about this event, or Taste Networks, you can check out the official Cochon555 website. I'd love to see you there!


6 comments:

Basia said...

When my daughter returned from 4 months in Strasbourg, she told me of "le seigneur cochon" - the noble pig - of which Alsatian cuisine is so fond. I am so proud of you, Chef! Also - tremendously jealous!!

Your Judgeship? Top Chefs? said...

A judge, an historian, recording the event? Someone at TasteNetwork missed the boat that's carrying the pigs to SF! IMHO - it's YOU who should be one of the five fabled local chefs whose talents are on display at the SF Cochon 555!

Anonymous said...

Pigs may not actually "fly," but we know Chef John can cook, and with the best of them, too! He's one of my choices in the category of top five SF chefs.

Chef John said...

you're all too kind. SF is such an amazing town for chefs, I would have trouble cracking the top 50 let alone the top 5!

Anonymous said...

I like events open to the pubic!

Anonymous said...

snicker