Cooking in a vacuum

A far cry from boil-in-a-bag, French sous vide technique mesmerizes Bay Area chefs

Chris Whaley, chef at Picco in Larkspur, vacuum-seals rhubarb in a heat-proof plastic bag with white wine-vanilla syrup, gently poaches it in a water bath, and spoons it atop individual almond tarts. At first bite, the rhubarb seems uncooked because it’s so pleasingly crunchy. But it’s not at all stringy or tough. It’s just a whole new, delicious rhubarb.