Celebrity chef John Besh, owner of Lüke restaurants in both San Antonio and in New Orleans, will be here  Monday, August 15, as the guest chef and star of the KLRN Chef Series.

The award-winning chef, whose cooking show airs on KLRN-TV, will bring the flavors of New Orleans here as he presents from 7 to 9 p.m. at the St. Anthony Hotel, 300 E. Travis St.  He’ll do a cooking demonstration based on recipes from his cookbook “My New Orleans: The Cookbook.” Then, those in attendance will dine on a multi-course, authentic Southern meal.

Tickets are $150 a person or $1,800 per table. For more information, call 210-270-9000 or click  here.

Chef Mark Bliss, who opened the original Silo Elevated Cuisine on Austin Highway, has returned to San Antonio and will open a new restaurant at 926 South Presa Street. He hopes to have the restaurant, located in an old Magnolia filling station, by November.  Construction began two weeks ago, he said.

Construction begins at the site for Bliss, Mark Bliss's restaurant in Southtown.

He and his wife, Lisa, announced that the restaurant will be a “small, intimate space with private dining, a chef’s table in the kitchen, with outdoor seating as well as indoor.

“My focus is going to be on American Contemporary cuisine with an emphasis that diners will have the ability to create a multi-course experience based on their appetite and desires. Overall, we’ll have a small seasonal menu that will change frequently. Our goal is to serve a quality product with a well-trained staff in a comfortable, elegant environment,” said Bliss.

Bliss left the restaurant business here at the first of last year to tend to family business. He spent a total of 13 years at Silo, on Austin Highway, with a two-and-a-half year break. Prior to that he worked as chef, with Bruce Auden, at the original location of Biga on Locust Street.

Photograph by Bonnie Walker

When summer brings you figs, dip them in chocolate. Then  drizzle with a Calvados and cinnamon syrup.

Fresh figs dipped in melted chocolate make a luscious summer treat.

Or, forget the syrup — the figs with chocolate will be plenty rich just as they are. While we aren’t seeing fresh figs in every grocery store now, they’re ripening on trees in San Antonio, and we’ve seen them for sale at Central Market.

Linda Servais requested this recipe, which we adapted from Good Housekeeping.

Chocolate Dipped Figs with Calvados and Cinnamon Syrup

1 cup Calvados (apple brandy)
1/2 cup sugar
1 cinnamon stick
3 ounce(s) bittersweet chocolate (dark, 70 percent cacao)
12  fresh ripe green or black figs, washed and patted dry

In heavy-bottomed 2-quart saucepan, heat Calvados, sugar, and cinnamon stick to boiling on high. Reduce heat to medium and cook 13 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent syrup from boiling over (syrup will reduce by half). Remove from heat and cool to room temperature (syrup will thicken as it cools).

Meanwhile, line cookie sheet with waxed paper. Place chocolate in microwave-safe small bowl or cup. Heat, covered with waxed paper, in microwave on High 1 minute or until chocolate is almost melted. Stir until smooth.

With fingers, hold 1 fig on stem end and dip into melted chocolate, leaving top half uncovered. Shake off excess chocolate. Place chocolate-covered fig on prepared cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining figs and chocolate.

Place chocolate-covered figs in refrigerator 15 minutes or until chocolate is set. Figs will keep at room temperature up to 2 hours. If not serving right away, refrigerate figs up to 12 hours. To serve, arrange figs on 4 dessert plates and drizzle with cooled syrup.

Makes 4 servings
Adapted from Good Housekeeping

Toss the cauliflower in olive oil and salt.

For those who are looking to give up or at least cut back on corn in their diet, this recipe from Bob Blumer’s “Glutton for Pleasure: Signature Recipes, Epic Stories and Surreal Etiquette” (Whitecap, $29.95) offers a good substitute for popcorn. The flavors are remarkably similar once you coat the cauliflower in olive oil and a good salt. (Add the mashed cauliflower to replace potatoes and you can cut back on carbohydrate levels.)

Surprised? You’re not alone. “Everywhere I go I sing its praises,” writes the star of the TV shows, “The Surreal Gourmet” and “Glutton for Punishment.” “Usually I am met with skepticism when I boast that it’s so good even kids devour it. After all, who woulda thunk that cauliflower could actually become addictive? But it’s true.”

It is true. But you need to watch the cooking time. I had a slightly smaller head of cauliflower than usual, which meant cutting back on the oil, the salt and the cooking time. Mine was ready in 45 minutes, instead of the hour that Blumer mentions. But, oh, it does taste good.

Play with the flavors. Add curry powder or black pepper, Parmesan cheese, whatever you would put on popcorn.

By the way, Blumer suggests making this dish with James Brown’s “The Popcorn” playing in the background.

Cauliflower Popcorn

Cauliflower Popcorn

1 head cauliflower
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon sea salt or kosher salt

1 popcorn container

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Cut out and discard cauliflower core and thick sterns. Trim remaining cauliflower into florets the size of golf balls. In a large bowl, add cauliflower, olive oil and salt. Toss thoroughly.

Spread cauliflower on a baking sheet (lined with parchment paper, if available, for easy cleanup). Roast for 1 hour, or until much of each floret has become golden brown. (That’s the caramelization process converting the dormant natural sugars into sweetness.) The browner the florets, the sweeter they will taste. Turn 3 or 4 times during roasting.

Use crumpled up aluminum foil or paper towels to create a false bottom in your popcorn container, fill it with cauliflower, and serve immediately.

Makes 4-6 servings.

From “Glutton for Pleasure” by Bob Blumer