• Robert
Reynolds -- comes to us from Forum Northwest in Portland,
Oregon. Reynolds is a French-trained chef and educator, author of From a Breton Garden,
with Josephine Araldo and an Educational Consultant at Cook Street School in
Denver. He trained under two great chefs, whose international influence has spanned a
century, Josephine Araldo and Madeleine Kamman, and considers his training an inheritance
to be passed on. Reynolds has been referred to as the Chef’s Chef. In the January
2000 issue of Northwest Palate, the ‘worldly and charismatic’ Robert
Reynolds is described as both instructor and mentor. Reynolds created the beloved LeTrou
restaurant in San Francisco, which enjoyed a reputation for excellence, and has taught and
trained students in France and the US. Currently, Reynolds’ Forum Northwest
was created with the objective of bringing together chefs, restaurateurs, individuals in
food related businesses, and good home cooks who have an interest in advanced culinary
study.
Kirk Francis
lives on Whidbey Island, but his work takes him away from home 3-5 months at a time, making sound tracks for Hollywood movies. A family tradition of good Italian food and too many years of eating catered movie set food made him a dedicated cook and, like a priest, he learned to carry the tools for his daily ritual, the evening meal, with him wherever he goes. His crew becomes his family by proxy and where they eat becomes the "sit down and shut up café". Kirk reigns at the stove, and is particular about ingredients. "I get by just fine with my rusty old pickup and a $150 a year clothing budget, but I've just got to have good tomatoes when I cook." His cookbook, "i'll never cook lunch in that town again: recipes and comment from the sit down and shut up café" is full of family stories, movie lore and wonderful recipes developed through the years. When you come to one of Kirk's classes, you can buy a copy of his cookbook and if you're real nice, he might even autograph it for you.
