Hail to the chefs

by Melissa Houston

Bill Brady

Sonoma

"I like his style," says Brady, chef/owner of Sonoma in Princeton. "It's not so much his recipes, I like his philosophy. He'll change a recipe, only using ingredients that are at the peak of their flavor. I've kinda taken that."

Brady, 33, named his upscale, casual, 60-seat restaurant, which opened in 1996, after the California wine valley: the other one. "I found Napa to be the stuffy, rules, non-bending type of cuisine culture," he says. "In Sonoma, they were way more relaxed, but they knew how to get it done. The Sonoma culture is cross-cultural. If it tastes good, go for it."

It definitely tastes good at Brady's Sonoma, where fresh, exotic food dominates. Chilean sea bass, pistachio-crusted fillet of red snapper, and roasted rack of lamb persillade are just a few of the menu offerings. They all have one thing in common: freshness and high-quality. Take his lamb. Brady will only use domestic lamb, rather than Australian or New Zealand, because it's milder.

"I've had people who hadn't eaten lamb for 20 years, because their grandmother fed them mutton; and they have this, and they love it," says Brady, referring to the French classic, persillade rack of lamb. "In fact, my wife, she's like that."

One thing that sets Sonoma apart from other restaurants is dinner presentation. You won't get one or two vegetables but probably six. And that's where Brady has his fun. Beets (he's a self-proclaimed champion of "the most maligned vegetable."), white asparagus, kohlrabi (an exotic Asian cabbage) could end up on your plate.

But Brady always looks close to home when shopping. Some of the best goat cheese, zucchini, tomatoes, herbs, and berries come from Central Massachusetts.

How does he explain his popularity in what's essentially a rural community, but one that's home to another of the county's top restaurants, John Bomba's Harrington Farm?

"People used to want to weigh the plate before they'd order a meal. Well, that's changed. People know a lot more about food. And more and more they realize they can pay a little more but still get a lot."

Shopping: I find the best values with the best quality happen at ethnic stores on in the ethnic isle at the grocery. A good example: adobo. You can get a large quantity of Goya brand at substantially less money and the quality is better than in the "spice" isle. For the best quality, buy canned whole tomatoes and chop them yourself, rather than ones puréed or crushed. They can only package the best whole tomatoes. The "seconds" are the ones that get processed.

Presentation: People eat with their eyes, a quote that's been drilled into any student of the culinary arts. Be creative with meal presentations and your dishes will certainly taste better.

* Put sauces under your food instead of covering them up.

* Use chopped fresh herbs to "splash" the plate with color.

* Cut fruit and vegetables into interesting shapes and sizes.

Wild Mushroom Strudel

1 ounce unsalted butter

2 ounces minced shallots

2 tablespoons minced garlic

8 ounces Shiitake mushrooms

8 ounces Portabella mushrooms

3 1/2 ounces sherry

4 ounces heavy cream

2 tablespoons mixed fresh herbs chopped

Phyllo pastry

Heat half the butter: add shallots and garlic, sauté until they are transparent. Add the sliced mushrooms and cook slowly until they release their juice, and it has evaporated. Add the sherry and cream, reduce until thickened. Let mixture cool. Prepare the strudel. Brush three layers of phyllo with butter and stack. Mound half of the mushroom mixture and roll jelly roll style. Repeat. Score strudel into servings. Bake the strudel at 350 degrees for approximately 10 minutes.

Secret sin: Slim Jims. "I don't know why, it's just a throwback."

Favorite utensil: Mandolin. "Kind of like a Roncomatic. It's a time-saver, but you're still doing it by hand -- especially in these days of the Cuisinart."

Ingredient I use but loathe: Nutmeg. "It's too perfumey. The best way to use it is to shoot it over your left shoulder."

Simple luxury no home kitchen should be without: Stilton Cheese. "Take a piece of crusty bread, a ripe pear, Stilton, with a nice glass of port, not out-of-the-sack port, then you're living."