FRESNO — This family recipe is featured in Reedley chef, author and restaurateur Jon Koobation’s Cooking With Jon, the celebrated cookbook he published in 2017. For decades he owned Jon’s Bear Club in Reedley that is often showcased in his cookbook. Under Jon’s professional direction, Jon’s Bear Club became a cherished part of the local community that welcomed generations of Central Valley residents.
Founded in 1935 as a small bar for local farmers and farm laborers, the eatery became a beloved home for countless family meals and celebrations throughout the generations, according to a California Restaurant Association (CRA) news release. In 2017, Jon received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the CRA Fresno Chapter “Best of the Valley” Restaurant Awards.
“We had infants and young children brought into the restaurant by their parents, who grew up and came back and worked for us,” he said. “After having been there 40 plus years, you see generations come and go.”
Jon eventually sold the restaurant in 2013, and released Cooking with Jon, a legacy to his rich culinary background. It features many of his signature recipes along with old family photos and warm memories and anecdotes. It is a walk down memory lane about Jon’s life growing up in the Central Valley — interspersed among the recipes are many stories. Stories of how he trained to become a chef, of his deep love for family, cars and racing, and what it was like going from just being a chef to owning his own popular restaurant, and his lifetime love of really good food.
“Cooking has been my passion throughout my life. It has filled my entire life with joy,” shares Jon in his cookbook. “At every family gathering, my father, Edward Koobation, said, ‘Well, here we are.’”
The choices of Jon’s authentic recipes and beautiful color photography will provide daily inspiration for many memorable meals throughout the year. Recipes include: Grandma Bazarian’s Shish Kebab, Tomato Vermicelli Soup, Herb-Seared Lamb Tenderloins with Eggplant Caviar and Basil Oil, Chicken George, Lebanese Judra (Lentils and Rice), JBC Crab Cakes, Braised Lamb Shanks with Bulgur Pilaf (made with Swanson Chicken Broth), Cabbage Dolma with Beef and Lamb, Meyer Lemon Homemade Ice Cream, Heirloom Tomato Jam, and Cracked Wheat and Kale Salad.
