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Clark McDaniel
As a food writer and columnist for the weekly San Antonio Express-News "Chefs' Secrets" articles for the past eighteen years, I have been fortunate to work with many wonderful local chefs and restaurateurs.

Recently, I was asked to raise funds for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, and decided to create a dinner event to help me reach my goal. I knew that it was critical to work with a stellar chef, and since I have a particular interest in and love for Italian food, I reached out to Paesanos executive chef, Clark McDaniel, and asked if we could hold the event at his lovely restaurant on 1604. I knew of his knowledge and experience in the field of Italian cooking, but even more importantly, I've always been impressed with his particular style of cooking. McDaniel's food is grounded in the classics, but he is able to interpret and adapt them to our local products and tastes. This ability is reflected throughout his extensive menu.

This should come as no surprise, since McDaniel is, after all, a Texan, having grown up in Denton, received his culinary education in Dallas, and worked at several high end restaurants, including Baby Routh in Dallas, where he served as executive sous chef under chef Stephen Pyles. Paesanos owner Joe Cosniac snapped him up to head up his Fort Worth restaurant, Angeluna, and there, McDaniel further expanded his repertoire, exploring flavors from around the world. Cosniac brought McDaniel to San Antonio in 1996 to open Paesanos 1604, his 650-seat restaurant on San Antonio's north side.

From our very first discussion, I knew this was going to be an extraordinary event. This was a very personal event I was planning, and selfishly, I wanted to put my own stamp on the menu. McDaniel readily embraced the concept and agreed that this would be a menu reflecting some of my favorite dishes, as well as showcasing his specialties. He indulged me, and produced a dinner that I and my guests will never forget.

For the antipasti, four very special items were passed. Shrimp Paesano - possibly the most beloved of all San Antonio dishes - had to be included. Paesanos' Eggplant Parmesan was there too - but to make this into a one-bite appetizer, McDaniel made it with the small Asian eggplant, and topped it with a dollop of basil pesto. Exquisite! I asked for one of my all-time favorites - Scottadito (tiny grilled lamb chops so named because they "burn the fingers" as they come off the grill) and they were perfect. The greatest challenge was Vitello Tonnato - paper-thin slices of veal topped with an unctuous tuna sauce. This is a tough one to serve as a passed hors d'oeuvre, but McDaniel placed the ingredients in a mini filo cup and topped it with the sauce and rare sushi grade tuna. A brilliant solution to my challenging request.

As soon as our guests were seated, they enjoyed an extraordinary first course of Burrata - the ridiculously creamy mozzarella that McDaniel imports from Puglia, Italy. He served it with fresh arugula, laced it with 12-year-old Balsamico, and finished it off with a shower of truffle salt.

McDaniel's next creation was a stunning Confit of Duck-studded Risotto, enhanced with his own version of the Italian classic condiment, Mostarda di Cremona. The mostarda recipe stemmed from a dinner he had done with renowned cookbook author and PBS radio personality, Lynne Rossetto Kasper. She has requested he make the classic, but he did his own take on it, using local ingredients, and when she tasted McDaniel's version, Kasper declared she preferred it to the original. Of course he prepared the duck confit as well, salt curing it for 48 hours, then slow cooking the duck and burying it in duck fat, as has been done for centuries as a means of preserving the tender meat.

I had mentioned the possibility of serving veal as the entrée, and once again, McDaniel indulged me. He featured whole racks of milk-fed veal, "Slow-Roasted Prime Rib Style" then sliced into individual chops at serving time. Truly - the meat melted in your mouth. Never have I experienced more tender or flavorful veal. The chops were anointed with a "expensive" mushroom glaze - the perfect complement to the meat.

Dessert was yet another request of mine that chef generously granted. It was for Zabaglione - the ambrosial egg yolk, sugar and wine confection that usually features marsala. In this case, chef used Texas Becker Vineyards port, and the results were ethereal. (The Beckers generously supplied all the wines for the dinner.)

It's impossible to imagine a more satisfying event, and my guests are still raving about the evening. Chef Clark McDaniel and his outstanding staff (especially general manager Alberto Lopez), attended to each and every detail with grace and professionalism. The evening was a great success, and I will be forever grateful.