This week on Eat Your Words, host Cathy Erway welcomes Nick Balla and Cortney Burns of Bar Tartine restaurant in San Francisco. On the road talking about their upcoming cookbook “Bar Tartine: Techniques and Recipes,” Nick and Cortney share their inspirations for not only the restaurant but also what they decided to include in the book. Much of what the duo enjoy cooking has nostalgic memories attached and they elaborate that they pull culinary innovation from everywhere. Offering advice for the aspiring chef and restauranteur, Nick and Cortney go on to state that it is vital not to force anything and to do what you do, do it well, and make it delicious. Certainly this way of thinking has worked for their celebrated restaurant, and after the break Cathy gets the scoop on their ingredients, a lot of which are painstakingly made in house. Aged cheeses, spices, koji, and bottarga to name a few, are all processed at the restaurant and form the foundation on which the constantly evolving menu is built. The menu at Bar Tartine is a celebration of diverse traditional flavors presented with a modern, post-regional generosity. Much of these techniques are divulged in the new cookbook, as well. Tune in to hear the chefs’ unique take on the culinary world and for highlights from “Bar Tartine: Techniques and Recipes.” This program was brought to you by Cain Vineyard & Winery.

“Four different people could cook the same recipe and it’s never going to taste the same so it doesn’t really behoove any of us to guard things.” [2:30]

—Cortney Burns on Eat Your Words

“Managing people’s expectations is one of the biggest challenges, especially with what we do or with what a lot of other chefs want to do right now which is get away from the traditional model appetizer, entree, with chicken, fish, or meat, and a vegetable on the side.” [10:07]

—Nick Balla on Eat Your Words