Foodie Chap With Chef Peter Ochoa of 'Taste of Ellis'
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) - "Food inspires me every day," says Chef Peter Ochoa who has had a lifelong passion for cooking. Raised in a large blended Hispanic and Hawaiian family, Ochoa's love for the culinary arts was born early and humbly in his grandmothers' kitchens. In those kitchens, Ochoa says, "I realized cooking for one another, family and friends, is really an expression of love." He believes that there is an imprint that a meal can have on a person that can last a lifetime and it is his responsibility to make every dish that he creates a memorable one.
Educated first at the California Sushi Academy in Los Angeles, then the prestigious California Culinary Academy in San Francisco, Ochoa complemented the skills he had learned growing up with formal training. After graduating, Ochoa went on to further hone his craft working at such world renowned restaurants as One Market and BlowFish Sushi, both in San Francisco.
In 2010, Ochoa moved to San Diego where he landed his first Executive Chef positions for restaurants including Toscana Wine Bar, and Cohn Restaurant Group's Analog and Sea180 Coastal Tavern restaurants. It was during this time that Ochoa also traveled the world for added international culinary inspiration with stops in France, Italy, Thailand, Fiji and China.
Returning to San Francisco in 2016, Ochoa's newest endeavor is as Executive Chef at Hotel Fusion's new Taste on Ellis restaurant, where he is creating an exciting new menu prepared with locally sourced organic produce and ingredients and featuring some hard-to-find specialty sustainable seafood from the Pacific Rim. Chef Ochoa promises a new taste profile inspired by his Hawaiian and Hispanic heritage combined with his California culinary experience and resources. "Think Kahlua Pork Sopes and Kampachi Crudo," says Chef Ochoa.
I met with Chef Ochoa recently for a Foodie Chap chat. Chef also shared a dish with legs: 'Grilled Octopus". The recipe is below. Enjoy my talk with a well-traveled Chef cooking with heart and with culture and family tradition in mind at Taste on Ellis in downtown San Francisco.
Cheers, Liam!
Chef Ochoa's 'Grilled Spanish Octopus'
Sous vide Octopus
Ingredients:
- 1 ea Lemon Zest
- 1 ea Orange Zest
- 5 sprigs Thyme
- 3 Smashed Garlic Cloves
- ¼ cup Extra Virgin Olive oil
- 6 ea Black pepper corn
- 2 octopus Tentacles
- 1 ea Vacuum bag
Directions:
Place all of the ingredients above into one vacuum bag. Seal bag to prep for sous vide cooking. Pre-heat the hot water bath to 175 degrees. Cook for 6 hours and ice bath the octopus immediately after cooking to bring the temp down and stop the cooking.
Carrot Puree
Ingredients:
- 2 lb medium diced Carrots
- ½ cup Heavy Cream
- ¼ cup Unsalted butter
- Salt & Pepper To Taste
Directions:
Melt butter into cream and cook carrots until tender. Strain liquid from carrot and reserve for later use. Put carrots into a blender and add ¼ of the carrot cooking liquid. Blend until smooth and season with salt and pepper.
Olive & Arugula Pesto
Ingredients:
- 2 Cup Castelvetrano Olive
- 1 bunch Parsley
- 3 cloves of Garlic
- 1 Tablespoon Shallot
- ½ cup Extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup Lemon Juice
- ¼ cup chopped Arugula
- Salt & Pepper To Taste
Directions: Garnish with Chive and Thyme
For more information, visit:
Taste On Ellis
134 Ellis Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
(415) 568-2525
www.TasteOnEllis.com
