Foodie Chap: Chef Bradley Ogden

KCBS radio 'Foodie Chap' and CBS 5 television 'Eye On The Bay' host Liam Mayclem introduces us to the culinary stars behind the food and wine loved by so many in the Bay Area.

By Liam Mayclem, the KCBS Foodie Chap

Chef Bradley Ogden came to national attention in his first position at Kansas City's The American Restaurant after graduating most likely to succeed from the prestigious Culinary Institute of America. He continued to garner acclaim as Executive Chef at San Francisco's Campton Place Hotel before opening his first restaurant, The Lark Creek Inn, in 1989. His signature farm-to-table cuisine has continued to enjoy success in a continually expanding restaurant empire, with openings throughout the Bay Area, and including his namesake property in Las Vegas' Caesars Palace, for which he was awarded Restaurateur of the Year in 2010 by the Nevada Restaurant Association. His first cookbook, "Bradley Ogden's Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner" is followed by "Holiday Dinners by Bradley Ogden", was recently released in October, 2011.

"Being a Chef to me is all about taking care of my friends and family"
- Bradley Ogden, Chef

Chef Ogden is the culinary genius behind these award-winning restaurants:

• Root 246 in the Hotel Corque, Solvang
• Anthology, in the Little Italy area of San Diego
• Arterra, at the San Diego Marriott, Del Mar
• Bradley Ogden, at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas
• The Lark Creek Inn, in Larkspur
• One Market, in San Francisco
• Lark Creek, Walnut Creek
•  Lark Creek Steak, in San Francisco
• Yankee Pier, in Larkspur
• Yankee Pier, in Santana Row
• Parcel 104, at the Santa Clara Marriott

Chef Ogden's awards include:

• "Restaurateur of the Year ," by the Nevada Restaurant Association, October 2010
• "Best Chef of California," by the prestigious James Beard Foundation
• "Who's Who of American Cooking" by Cooks magazine
• "Great American Chefs" by the International Wine and Food Society
• The "Golden Plate" by the American Academy of Achievement
• "Chef of The Year Award" in 2000 by the Culinary Institute of America
• "Restaurant of The Year" by the James Beard Foundation's in 2004 for Bradley Ogden at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas
• "Star Chef of the Year" for 2004 by the California Culinary Academy
• "Best New Restaurant of 2003″ by Zagat for Bradley Ogden
• Epicure's "Best New Restaurant of 2003″
• Epicure's "Best Chef – Bradley Ogden"

Chef Bradley and I first met at Inside The Kitchen in Half Moon Bay in 2006. Every time we connect we laugh, we cook, we laugh some more. He is a superstar Chef with a big appetite for life and top drawer cuisine. Check out his new cookbook "Holiday Dinners by Bradley Ogden" on amazon.com. It is brimming with sophisticated yet approachable recipes. We met in the One Market kitchen in San Francisco for our Foodie Chap chat and did a little cooking too.

5 Tasty Questions with Chef Bradley Ogden

1. What dish reminds you of mom?
The one dish that really defines mom's cooking has to be her friend chicken.

2. It's midnight and you go to the fridge for that midnight snack, what will we find in the fridge?
Truth of the matter is I can't say it's going to be caviar, but I will have my graham crackers and milk after midnight or my usual banana, yogurt and peanut butter snack.

3. If you could pick a song to be on the soundtrack to your culinary journey, what would it be?
It has to be "American Pie" by Don McLean

4. In a second life, if you were not a chef, what would you be?
Well I've always wanted to be a pro golfer. I came close, but not quite.

5. At your last supper, you can have a couple of guests, from the past or present, who would they be and what would you eat?
Off the top, Thomas Jefferson, who I've cooked sort of an essence of his meals that he had in earlier days, Abraham Lincoln, and of course James Beard who is one of my mentors, my mom and dad and family. And what would I eat? Well given the fact of who's at the table, it would have to be a festive Thanksgiving feast. It would have to be roast duck, steamed clams, steamed fresh lobsters, and it'd have to be in the East Coast, because it would have to be straight from the sea to the table, fresh roasted turkey, of course pumpkin pie and on top of it you have to have Cristal Rosé.

Liam: Can I pull up a chair?
Chef: You're invited! You're a friend, so you are invited.

Liam: Thank you sir. It's always a joy, Thank you Chef.

Pumpkin Cookies with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

"I absolutely love anything with pumpkin! It is definitely my favorite holiday food, so it wasn't difficult to come up with an amazing pumpkin cookie recipe." -Chef Bradley Ogden

Makes 4 dozen cookies

Pumpkin Cookies
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 ½ teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground cloves
8 ounces unsalted butter, softened
2 ½ cups packed brown sugar
2 ½ cups canned unsweetened pumpkin puree
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1 cup raisins

Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
½ cup superfine sugar
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ cup finely chopped toasted walnuts or pecans (optional)

For the cookies:
Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl mix together the flour, wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and cloves until thoroughly combined; set aside.

In a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the pumpkin, honey, vanilla, and ginger; mix until thoroughly combined, scraping down the sides and stirring the bottom of the bowl. Turn the mixer to low and gradually add the flour mixture until just incorporated; do not overmix. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the raisins.

Form balls with 2 tablespoons of batter each and place each cookie 1 inch apart. Bake until light golden brown around the edges, 13 to 15 minutes. Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 2 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack to cook completely before frosting.

For the frosting:
In a medium bowl mix together all the ingredients with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Spread an even layer over the cookies. Sprinkle with nuts, if desired.

ENJOY!

Want more recipes from Chef Bradley Ogden? Click here to try this recipe for Hot Mulled Cider or visit amazon.com to purchase his new cookbook "Holiday Dinners by Bradley Ogden."

(Copyright 2011 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services may have contributed to this report.)