As any foodie in the bay area (or global) cuisine scene knows, David Tanis was an Executive Chef at Chez Panisse for nearly 30 years, with brief intervals off for roaming. He describes his periods of time off, as running away for summers or extended periods to cook, write and explore the world. In November 2011, he departed CP for NY.

His weekly Wednesday NY Times food column, City Kitchen, combines his wry witty humor and delectable recipes. Recipes written for a home kitchen, based on current market produce or whatever he is currently craving, (Sicilian cuisine). I savor his humor, the recipes and food descriptions, which whet the appetite and inspire one to run out and purchase a bushel of figs for dressings, entrees or any meal he describes. How can you disregard a column titled: The Fig Now Yields Its Charms? Enticing, amusing and always delicious!(http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/21/dining/the-fig-now-yields-its-charms.html?_r=0)

A few years ago, two of my dearest travel colleagues from London insisted we make a pilgrimage to Chez Panisse to dine – Emily, a rabid David Tanis fan, literally swooned when he autographed her menu, which remains framed in her home. David Tanis is a global cooking icon!

David’s first two successful cookbooks will soon be followed by his third: ONE GOOD DISH, in stores in late October. Purchase at: http://davidtanis.com/books-by-david-tanis/ Check news on his website for speaking tour dates.

We enjoyed cocktails at Temple Bar in NY, I feared ordering in front of the culinary king, he suggested the perfect summer savories: deviled eggs. David Tanis, perfectly seasonal, inspiring and always amusing, as you will discover in my conversation with him.

With some advance planning, our clients can woo David to their kitchens for private cooking. In the meantime, please enjoy his insight and wit; he was sweet enough to indulge me with an interview.

GB: What is your earliest food memory? DAVID: I have a memory of runny soft-boiled eggs and buttered toast squares in a bowl, and location of the high chair in which I sat. I still like that combination.

GB: When did you become interested in cooking? Were you inspired or taught by anyone? DAVID:I enjoyed preparing breakfast at an early age, like 5, but I never really pursued it until my late teens. Inspired and taught by nearly every good cook with whom I came into contact. It’s like learning a language, really.

GB: I happen to know your sister Barbara is a great cook, is this genetic or a learned trait- from your mother or fathers kitchen? DAVID: My mother was an adequate cook with good taste buds, but not very adventurous. We always had a proper dinner–nothing fancy, Birds-eye frozen vegetables and meatloaf, but mashed potatoes from scratch. Of my two sisters, Barbara is the one who has talent. She enjoys the process, which is part of being a good cook.

GB: What is your favorite type of cuisine, what makes it your favorite? DAVID: Hmmm. I suppose my favorite cuisine is whatever I am obsessed with at any given moment. Right now it’s Sicilian cooking.

GB: If you were to have a “last supper” what would have to be on the menu? DAVID: I don’t know why I have such an aversion to this popular question. So much would depend upon the circumstance. If preceding being executed the following morning, I may not have much of an appetite. On the other hand, if it’s sort of a bon voyage party, lots of oysters would be nice, both raw and fried.

GB: What do you hate to cook? DAVID: I’m racking my brain…absolutely nothing comes to mind.

GB: Have you ever overcome a hated dish and made it a favorite? DAVID: As a child I didn’t care for olives or any kind of nuts. I didn’t like peanut butter. That changed after puberty. Now I like everything.

GB: Is there anything that is still a challenge to cook? DAVID: I still have a lot to learn about cooking. But I am a bit gadget-challenged. Blender, food processor–ok skills. Hopeless with the microwave someone gave me. I stuck it in the garage.

GB: Do you yearn to be in a restaurant situation again? DAVID: There’s a fantasy restaurant in my mind. Very simple. Near water.

GB: What do you miss and what don’t you miss in a restaurant environment? DAVID: One misses the camaraderie and the collaboration, and to some extent the magic of show time, the applause, the flattery. Not missed is the non-stop unrelenting nature of the business, and the day-to-day calamities. Now, when I cater large dinners and have to hire cooks to help, it’s a bit of a thrill.

GB: If I waved a magic wand and said design your ultimate restaurant, no budget constraints, what would you design and what type of cuisine would you serve? Any would it be in a particular location? DAVID: Hmm, would you? I’d like something very simple. Near water. The menu would be short. The food would be real.

GB: Did you always want to write a weekly column? What are the challenges, constraints? DAVID: I have always enjoyed writing, had written 2 cookbooks with a somewhat literary bent, but never really considered a food column. It was a lucky happenstance thing, and mostly very enjoyable. It is sometimes challenging to come up with recipes that will be universally appealing. Having a weekly deadline is wonderful and horrible.

GB: Do you own the menu or does an editor make suggestions or do the seasons drive you? Would you say your column has a specific slant? DAVID: It is pretty much carte blanche. I propose my ideas for columns several weeks in advance, and they are almost never rejected. My goal is always to develop recipes that home cooks can accomplish relatively easily. The column copy just goes where it goes, but there’s a copy editor too.

GB: Your column has a sense of wit and a defined style, where did you hone your excellent writing skills? What informs your style? DAVID: I have always been a reader, which helps. And I like the written word. School helped a little, but practice is the only way to hone. For the most part I try to be conversational, mostly sincere, and a tiny bit wry or silly or cynical.

GB: What has been your biggest life challenge? DAVID: I still can’t whistle and I’m still not sure what to be when I grow up.

GB: What can we expect from your new cookbook? What makes it different from the first two? Does it have a title and does the title contain a food product i.e. fig, artichoke? DAVID: The new book, which will be out in late October, is called One Good Dish. It’s about simple, simple food to cook at home. No menus. Most recipes serve 4, some are for one or 2. Short recipes and very nice photos.

GB: Have you ever thought of designing a kitchen product, if so what would it be?   DAVID: One Good Broom. Really.

GB: If you could fly anywhere tomorrow for a meal, where would you go and where would you dine? DAVID: Anywhere? Once I had a modest meal served in a tent in the Sahara. I’d like to do that again. But I have never been to Rio, so can I go there? For a meal cooked by someone’s grandmother, or grilled fish on the beach.

GB: Were you ever not a chef? How did you begin your career? Was there ever another field you were interested in? DAVID: I puttered in the “Arts.” Language, literature, dance, drama, painting. One day I needed a job. I faked it for years, but I found I really loved to cook.

GB: Breakfast, lunch or dinner? Any a favorite, why? DAVID: Love them all the same, each in their own way.

GB: When you travel, how do you source out the best dining? DAVID: First stop, open air or covered market, then lunch in an open-air cafe. Chatting people up or following the throngs. But of course now everything is on the internet.

GB: Whom do you admire in the food business? DAVID: The list is long, very long.

GB: How would your personality be described in the kitchen, as Executive Chef?     DAVID: For the most part, mellow, quiet, supportive, accommodating.

GB: What don’t most people know abut David Tanis? DAVID: He sky dives when no one is looking.

David Tanis at home.

Photo Credit Alic Gao, courtesy of Kinfolk Magazine