Anna Marie dos Remedios

The dish that resonates most in my restaurant is a 1.5 lb braised grass fed Berkshire pork shank agrodolce, served over creamy polenta with broccolini. The agrodolce is a delicious braise of sweet and sour, almost like an Italian version of bbq sauce. It has quickly become a fan favorite. I enjoy the depth of flavour in this dish and the use of ingredients that are simple and already embedded in my menu. We source the pork shank from a local ranch in the Sierra Foothills.

I eat Mediterranean and make my wines with brighter acidity, lower alcohol and pH, a less manipulative style of wine making, which makes the wines pair well with Mediterranean food. I cook in the same way, scratch food with smaller platings, simple food. I am inspired not by Michelin stars, maybe more by Bib Gourmand or James Beard nods. I find inspiration in chefs like Alice Waters. Her cookbook, The Art of Simple Food, was the first one I bought when I began cooking to pair my wines in 2010.

I have been leading River Cruises in the Mediterranean for ten years and have introduced many of my customers to the food, wine and culture of a lifestyle different than the pace we live here in the United States. I would use the $25,000 to kickstart a cookbook/journal of the 20 years I have made wine, food and travel an integral part of my way of life to hopefully inspire others to live life more balanced. A balanced life is something I inspire to do everyday.