i8tonite

Category: Chef

i8tonite with Abby Dodge, Pastry Chef and Cookbook author … and her Lemon Ginger Mousse Soufflés
What began as a love for baking at a young age, developed into a passionate and successful career for Abby Dodge. A widely respected, award-winning expert in baking and cooking for both kids and adults, as well as a popular food writer, instructor and media personality, Abby has a simple mission: To streamline baking and cooking for home cooks of all ages.

She studied in Paris at La Varenne and worked under superstars Michel Guerard and Guy Savoy, specializing in pastry. She has held food editorial posts at Parents and Woman’s Day, and has contributed to over seven dozen special-interest publications focusing on baking and family cooking. Abby is currently a contributing editor at Fine Cooking magazine, where she has been on the masthead since its first issue in 1994. She founded the magazine’s test kitchen, has written and contributed to over eighty articles to date, and serves as the magazine’s guru for all things baking.

In addition to her regular blog postings, Abby hosts a Baking Boot Camp video class on the popular site Craftsy.com, where she teaches and encourages an international group of bakers of all skill levels to become better bakers.

Her tenth book, The Everyday Baker ~ Recipes & Techniques For Foolproof Baking (The Taunton Press, Dec. 2015), has just been released to much critical praise – including my own! I love this book – and have recommended it far and wide. It’s the most comprehensive – and interesting – baking cookbook I’ve ever seen (and I own more than 5,000 cookbooks). I love the detailed instructions (with photos), as well as the creative, intriguing recipes (176 of them!). I’ve reviewed many of Abby’s cookbooks through the years – they are all amazing, and keep getting better. Highly recommended.

Abby’s Ten Popular and Award-Winning Cookbooks:
- The Everyday Baker ~ Recipes & Techniques for Foolproof Baking, 2015 (Washington Post Top Ten Cookbooks of 2015; Dorie Greenspan Top Baking Cookbooks of 2015)
- Mini Treats & Handheld Treats ~ Delicious Desserts to Pick Up & Eat (September, 2012)
- Desserts 4 Today – Flavorful Desserts with just FOUR INGREDIENTS , 2010 (a viral & critically acclaimed sensation)
- Williams-Sonoma Mini Pies, 2010
- Around the World Cookbook, 2008 (Good Morning America Top 10 Cookbooks of 2008; Parents Choice Recommended Award 2008; Cordon d’Or Culinary Academy Award 2008)
- The Weekend Baker, 2005, reprinted 2008 (Food + Wine Top Ten Cookbooks of 2004; IACP Cookbook Award Finalist)
- Kids Baking, 2003 (Over 347,000 copies in print, translated into Spanish)
- Williams-Sonoma Dessert, 2002 (Over 300,000 in print, translated into Spanish)
- The Kid’s Cookbook, 2000 (Over 368,000 copies in print)
- Great Fruit Desserts, 1997 (Translated into six languages)
Abby has also contributed or co-authored many cookbooks, including:
- Baking Out Loud (Hedy Goldsmith, Clarkson Potter 2012)
- B. Smith’s Southern A to Z (Scribner, 2008)
- The Joy of Cooking, 75th Anniversary Edition, 2006
- Savoring America, 2002 (James Beard Award finalist; Ben Franklin Award winner)
- Cookies for Christmas, 1999
- The All New Joy of Cooking, 1997
Banana Rum Truffle Tart

Food Questions (with a nod to Proust):

What is your favorite food to cook at home?
Eggs. Easy & options abound.

What do you always have in your fridge at home?
Unsalted butter.

What marked characteristic do you love in a person with whom you are sharing a meal?
Keeping it real – no posers at my table.

What marked characteristic do you find unappealing in a person with whom you are sharing a meal?
Open-mouth chewer.

Beer, wine or cocktail?
Yes, please.

Maple Pear Slab Pie

Your favorite cookbook author?
I’m promoting a book so.. me.

Your favorite kitchen tool?
My Oxo kitchen scale

Favorite types of cuisine to cook?
French… Italian… Greek… Spanish… don’t make me chose.

Beef, chicken, pork, or tofu?
Easy: Chicken

Favorite vegetable?
Brussel sprouts but ask me again tomorrow, I happily bounce all over the veggie aisle.

Chef you most admire?
Alfred Portale – insanely gifted, a bear to work for & surprisingly shy.

Food you like the most to eat?
Cake. Make mine chocolate and in big pieces, please.

Food you dislike the most?
I’ll take some heat for this one but… beets. Chalk it up to a bad childhood experience.
Don’t ask.

What is your favorite non-food thing to do?
Watching RHOBH with my darling daughter- a guilty pleasure.

Who do you most admire in food?
Michael Rulhman. A straight talker and brilliant writer worth listening to.

Where is your favorite place to eat?
On a warm day, I’ll be sitting at an outside table, preferably by the water. Please pass the Rose.

What is your favorite restaurant?
See above.

Do you have any tattoos? And if so, how many are of food?
My Motto: Don’t answer questions that you don’t want your kids to read.

Lemon Ginger Mousse Souffle

Recipe: Lemon Ginger Mousse Soufflés from The Everyday Baker

Serves 6

These light, billowy individual soufflé-like mousses are a variation on a pie filling in my book, The Weekend Baker. Instead of adding heavy cream to the mousse, I use puréed ricotta (for a smooth texture) to add richness without heaviness. The lemon and fresh ginger make for a refreshing flavor profile, but it’s the ginger cookies hidden inside that are the surprise ingredient. Softened by the mousse, they bring texture and a burst of ginger flavor.

Adding a collar of parchment adds additional height to the ramekins. This way you can mimic the impressive height of a baked soufflé without the need for any last-minute fussing.

Neutral oil (safflower, canola, vegetable, or corn), for the
ramekins

For the mousse
3⁄4 cup (180 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 envelope (1⁄4 oz./7 g) unflavored powdered gelatin
11⁄4 cups (111⁄4 oz./319 g) ricotta (part skim is fine)
3⁄4 cup (51⁄2 oz./156 g) granulated sugar
1 Tbs. finely grated lemon zest
2 tsp. finely grated fresh ginger
Pinch of table salt
4 whites from large eggs (4 oz./ 113 g), at room temperature
1⁄2 tsp. cream of tartar
1⁄2 cup (2 oz./57 g) confectioners’ sugar, sifted if lumpy

12 gingersnap cookies + more for the crushed cookie topping
(I use Nabisco or homemade molasses cookies)

Blackberry Compote (recipe in the book) or other berry sauces, optional

Have ready six 6-oz. (180 ml) ramekins (31⁄2 inches wide and 12⁄3 inches high/9 cm wide and 4.25 cm high) arranged on a flat plate or quarter sheet pan. Cut parchment into six strips 21⁄2 inches (6 cm) wide and 12 inches (30.5 cm) long. Wrap one strip around each ramekin so that the paper covers the ramekin and stands 1 inch (2.5 cm) above the rim; secure with tape. Lightly grease the inside of the paper rim (I use a paper towel dipped in a bit of neutral oil).

Make the mousse
1. Pour the lemon juice into a small heatproof ramekin (or keep it in the measuring cup) and sprinkle the gelatin evenly over the top. Set aside to soften. Once the gelatin has absorbed the liquid and is plump (about 3 minutes), microwave briefly until it is completely melted and crystal clear, 1 to 2 minutes. This can also be done in a small saucepan (instead of the ramekin) over low heat.

2. Put the ricotta, granulated sugar, lemon zest, ginger, and salt in a blender. Scrape the lemon–gelatin mixture into the blender, cover, and process until the ricotta is smooth and the mixture is well blended, about 11⁄2 minutes, scraping down the sides once or twice. Pour into a medium bowl and refrigerate, stirring frequently, until the mixture is cooled and thickened, 20 to 30 minutes. It should be as thick as unbeaten egg whites. For faster cooling, set the bowl over a larger bowl filled with ice, stirring and scraping the sides frequently until cooled.

3. Put the egg whites and cream of tartar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or in a medium bowl and using an electric handheld mixer fitted with wire beaters) and beat on medium speed until the whites are frothy, 30 to 45 seconds. Increase the speed to medium high and beat until the whites form soft peaks, 1 to 2 minutes. Continue beating while gradually adding the confectioners’ sugar, stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Beat until the whites form firm and glossy peaks when the beater is lifted.

4. Scoop about one-quarter of the whites into the thickened lemon mixture and, using a silicone spatula, gently stir until blended. Add the remaining whites and gently fold in until just blended.

Assemble the mousses
Arrange one cookie in the bottom of each ramekin. Using a large spoon, fill the ramekins halfway with the mousse. Arrange a cookie on top of the mousse and evenly portion the remaining mousse on top of the cookies. Using a small offset spatula, smooth the tops.

Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 6 hours or up to 1 day.

To serve
Using a sharp paring knife, carefully peel away the parchment from the ramekins (up to 3 hours ahead). Just before serving, place each ramekin on a small plate and top with some of the crushed ginger cookie or a little of the blackberry compote, passing the remainder at the table.

MAKE AHEAD
The soufflés can be prepared, covered, and refrigerated for up to 2 days before serving.

– The End. Go Eat. –

Recipe and author photo courtesy and copyright Abby Dodge. Recipe photos courtesy and copyright Tina Rupp [finished dishes] and Sloan Howard, Taunton Press [how-to photos]
January 29, 2016
I8tonite with San Francisco’s Anzu Chef Michael Raub on Asian Fusion Cuisine & Citrus Glazed Mahi Mahi Recipe
Anzu’s Chef Michael Raub‘s story is one that seems to exemplify the phrase, “Life is what happens when you’re making plans.”

From Texas barbecue to the French Laundry to Asian-Fusion cuisine, Michael Raub, Executive Chef at the Hotel Nikko San Francisco, didn’t plan a career in the restaurant business.

Though cooking was a big part of his youth (with not one, but two grandmothers in the kitchen at every family gathering), his coursework was in marketing while at university in Houston, Texas. After college, he went to Colorado to pursue an internship in the hospitality industry. It was there that fate (or life) took over, and Michael’s career in the restaurant business really began.

After a brief return to Texas, he pursued the best of the best: The Thomas Keller Restaurant Group. His ambition and initiative served him well, and he was soon on his way to Napa Valley, California, where he interned at Bouchon, quickly moving on to a full time position as Garde Manager. In 2010, he was promoted to Sous Chef. Michael stayed with the Keller Group for four years, also working at Ad Hoc and the French Laundry, a Michelin three star restaurant.

In 2012, Michael accepted a position as Executive Sous Chef at Ame Restaurant in the St. Regis Hotel, San Francisco, where he worked with Hiro Sone, winner of the James Beard Foundation’s Best Chefs of California award.

Michael credits both of his grandmothers with instilling in him an appreciation of good food and fresh ingredients, his first employers with his work ethic, and his determination with a bit of luck, for the opportunity to work alongside some of the best chefs in the business.

Anzu is the perfect venue, allowing him to create dishes like Sichuan Peppered Filet Mignon and Citrus Glazed Mahi Mahi (recipe below). The menu incorporates his love of high quality meats and fresh local sustainable seafood. It seems that life was just waiting to bring Michael’s particular blend of experience and skill to Anzu at the Nikko.

Chef’s Questionnaire (with a nod to Proust):

How long have you been cooking?
16 Years

What is your favorite food to cook?
I love cooking with fresh seafood. It is very delicate and takes constant attention.

What do you always have in your fridge at home?
Kimchi

What do you cook at home?
I love the experience of smoking fish and meat all day to make delicious Barbeque. A great way to spend a day off!

What marked characteristic do you love in a customer?
I haven’t served a customer in a very long time. What I find appealing about one of our guests is a sense of adventure.

What marked characteristic do you find unappealing in a customer?
Rudeness

Tupperware, Rubbermaid, or Pyrex?
Pyrex, but prefer a good old fashioned mason jar.

Beer, wine, or cocktail?
Wine

Your favorite cookbook author?
Right now, I can’t put Dominique Crenn’s new book down

Your favorite kitchen tool?
My hands

Your favorite ingredient?
The lettuces and herbs we are getting from Ecopia Farms right now!

Your least favorite ingredient?
Lavender

Least favorite thing to do in a kitchen?
Leave for the day

Favorite types of cuisine to cook?
French, Japanese, Italian, and Korean

Beef, chicken, pork or tofu?
Chicken

Favorite vegetable?
Whatever is at the peak of the season

Chef you most admire?
Laurent Gras

Food you like the most to eat?
Grilled Fish

Food you dislike the most?
Hard Boiled Eggs

How many tattoos? And if so, how many are of food?
0

Citrus Glazed Mahi Mahi

Recipe: Citrus Grilled Mahi Mahi with Thai Green Curry
Serves 4

Ingredients:

Curry
- 1 T Olive Oil
- 3 T Green Curry Paste
- 1 Shallot (Minced)
- 1 Inch Peeled Ginger (Minced)
- 2 Cloves Garlic (Minced)
- .5 Each Lemon Grass (Chopped)
- 1 C Coconut Milk
- 1 C Dashi
- 5 Each Kaffir Lime Leaves
- 1 T Fish Sauce
- 1 T Brown Sugar
- 2 Bunches Thai Basil
- 1 C Baby Spinach
Citrus Cure
- 2 T Kosher Salt
- 1 T Sugar
- 1 Lime (Zested)
- 1 Lemon (Zested)
- 1 Orange (Zested)
- 1 t Cracked Coriander
- 4 each 5 Ounce Mahi Mahi Portions
- 1 Large Butternut Squash
- 12 Mixed Marble Potatoes
- 4 C Baby Spinach
- 1 Clove Garlic (Minced)
- .5 Lime
For the curry, heat the oil in a medium heavy bottom pot on high heat until slightly smoking.
Add the shallot, garlic, ginger, and lemongrass and brown for about two minutes.
Add the curry paste and kaffir limes and continue cooking another minute. Add the coconut milk and dashi and bring to a simmer.
Add the sugar and fish sauce and cook for thirty minutes.
Season to taste and let cool to room temperature.
Remove the kaffir lime leaves and place the curry in a blender with the spinach and basil.
Puree until completely smooth and pass through a fine mesh strainer.

For the citrus cure, combine all the ingredients in a small mixing bowl and reserve.

Cut the butternut squash in half lengthwise and remove the seeds and flesh. Peel the outer layer and cut into one inch pieces and roast in the oven at 400 degrees.
Season with salt and pepper and keep warm.

Season the mahi with the citrus cure and grill until medium to medium well. The internal temperature should be 150 degrees F.
Take the half of lime and place on the grill, flesh side down, until a dark caramel crust forms.
We like to finish our mahi in the oven on a smoking plank of cherry wood.
Take a large sauté pan and heat up a small amount of olive oil and place the garlic in the pan and sweat for thirty seconds.
Place the spinach in the pan and cook until just wilted.

Blanch the mixed marble potatoes in boiling salted water until just tender. Heat the curry and add the squash and potatoes.
Ladle the curry in four separate bowls and top with the wilted spinach.
Serve the fish on the side on the wood planks, so you can add the fish as you eat the curry.

The End. Go Eat.

All photos courtesy and copyright Anzu at the Hotel Nikko, San Francisco
January 20, 2016
I8tonite with Miami’s Drunken Dragon Chef Xavier Torres: Recipe for Drunken Dragon Popcorn
Drunken Dragon Chef Xavier Torres cooked for both for his mother and brother while growing up in Puerto Rico. It’s what he loved to do. With his family’s support, the well-traveled chef sought out new flavors and cooking opportunities — but every step of the way his family had his back.

In 2014, the Johnson & Wales culinary graduate Torres was given the reins to create whatever cuisine he wanted by Homecookin’ Hospitality Group, owners of Miami’s Foxhole. The area is typically known for repetitive, albeit delicious international flavors consisting of sushi and sashmi bars, neighborhood bodegas with out delectable Latin food and American steakhouses. It was a welcome surprise when Torres settled on a speakeasy dining experience of Korean barbeque, the first South Beach restaurant devoted to this Asian cuisine.

Korean Ribs: Credit Drunken Dragon

Interestingly, Torres is classically trained in European cookery starting his career under Chef Paul McDonald at Ireland’s Adare’s Manor Hotel & Golf Resort. This led him to Lasarte, Spain where direction emanated from famed, three Michelin-starred Basque Chef Martin Berasategui at his eponymously named restaurant.

Upon returning stateside, Torres took a variety of chef positions at some of South Beach’s illustrious restaurants such as Andrew Carmellini’s The Dutch, Sushi Samba and Nobu. Torres says, “I worked at Sushi Samba, (the now defunct) Wish and Nobu. I wanted to stay with Asian flavors but allow the city to try something which we didn’t have in South Beach.” (Korean barbeque is incredibly popular in Los Angeles where the team sourced Los Angeles-based Studio Collective to design Drunken Dragon’s Asian gastro-pub space.)

Table: Credit Drunken Dragon

Ironically, his family never cooked Asian food, as they were steeped in the tradition of Puerto Rican cuisines. When asked how Torres’ family perceives his success, he answers, “They are happy with the job I’m doing. If I’m happy – they are happy.”

Chef’s Proustian Questionnaire:
- How long have you been cooking? Twelve years.
- What is your favorite food to cook? Basque cuisine – food from Spain.
- What do you always have in your fridge at home? Fresh fruit.
- What do you cook at home? Depends what I want to eat … sometimes fish.
- What marked characteristic do you love in a customer? When a customer calls me over to their dinner table to compliment my dishes and really express their gratitude for what I cook.
- What marked characteristic do you find unappealing in a customer? When a customer tries to make their own dish with ingredients they see on the menu.
- Tupperware, Rubbermaid, or Pyrex? Tupperware.
- Beer, wine or cocktail? Wine.
- Your favorite cookbook author? James Oseland.
- Your favorite kitchen tool? Knife
- Your favorite ingredient? Garlic
- Your least favorite ingredient? Radish.
- Least favorite thing to do in a kitchen? Receive orders.
- Favorite types of cuisine to cook? Basque cuisine, food from Spain.
- Beef, chicken, pork or tofu? Beef.
- Favorite vegetable? Asparagus.
- Chef you most admire? Thomas Buckley.
- Food you like the most to eat? Spanish Food. I like to cook food other than my own because I always learn something new.
- Food you dislike the most? Caribbean Food.
- How many tattoos? And if so, how many are of food? No tattoos.
Recipe: Drunken Dragon Popcorn
- 3 Tbsp coconut, peanut, canola oil or clarified butter
- 1/3 cup of high quality popcorn kernels
- 1 3-quart covered saucepan
- 1 Tbsp or more (to taste) of butter (optional)
- Salt to taste
In a 3-quart saucepan, melt the oil or clarified butter over high heat. Take a couple of kernels and place in the pot. Cover. Once these have popped, the oil is ready for the rest of the popcorn. Add everything in a single layer cover and take off heat. Everything should pop without burning.

In a mixing bowl add a little truffle oil, then toss with truffle salt. Add a little freshly grated pecorino cheese followed with nori powder. (Note: Nori powder is a staple found in most Asian markets or purchase through Amazon.com)

The End. Go Eat.
January 13, 2016
i8tonite: Sex on The Table’s Chef Fed Comes to Los Angeles: Recipe for Brie Fondue, Smoked Duck and Apricots
Chef Fed: Photo Courtesy of Chef Fed

Chef Fed made a culinary name for himself in New York City. Teaching and pairing wines under the pop-up moniker of Sex On the Table, a showcase of edible aphrodisiacs, he established a considerable following among the discerning palates of the nation’s Big Apple. He’s even garnered a lot of media attention appearing on Chopped, The Today Show, E! News and profiled in Cosmopolitan, New York Daily News and Maxim to name a select few.

Now, the city of Los Angeles will have the opportunity to dine on Chef Fed’s noted cuisine. Every Friday and Saturday evening, over the next two months, Chef Fed – whose real name is Juerg Federer – is cooking at his pop-up, Fedish, in the former Scratch|Bar Space on Beverly Hills Restaurant Row. It will be an opportunity for Angelenos to dine on the food of who may be the next rising star on the world’s gastronomic stage.

Chef Fed

Chef Fed’s background and cooking credentials are so appetizingly delicious that without tasting his food but viewing the planned menu, there should be no hesitation in paying for your dinner in advance. Born in Switzerland, Chef Fed attended European culinary school. He then went to work with two Michelin-starred chefs (see below), one who helmed the kitchen at the greatest restaurant in the world – heads to New York City to ply his trade; then, needs change. Warmer weather and close proximity to California’s famed agriculture brought the trained European cook to California. Of course, the story also conjures other notable immigrant chefs who traveled to the West Coast such as Christophe Eme, Wolfgang Puck, Joachim Splichal, Piero Selvaggio, and Ludo Lefebvre. There is no question the five-course tasting menu will be worth the $75 price of admission (an extra $49 for wine pairings) . Where else are you going to have a New York dining experience cooked by a famed European chef in the balmy weather of Los Angeles?

Angelenos will have the opportunity to partake of his cooking class, Sex on The Table. It’s a new year so do something new, fun and exciting. Besides, Chef Fed is very smart, funny, talented and resembles a cooking Gabriel Aubry when in the kitchen. What more do you want?

Chef Questionnaire with Chef Fed:

Brie Fondue: Courtesy of Chef Fed

How long have you been cooking? By the time that I was tall enough to overlook my mom’s kitchen counter, she wasn’t safe anymore. I graduated from culinary school 15 years later. And that was exactly 20 years ago.

What is your favorite food to cook? It changes with the seasons. But I certainly have a thing for dishes that develop over a long cooking time. What never changes is my childish excitement for super fresh, sustainable and organic ingredients.

What do you always have in your fridge at home? Besides a light bulb and a box of baking soda, there are always some fresh limes, ginger and unsalted butter (the real one).

What do you cook at home? For my next cookbook, I’m actually developing all the recipes at my house because I want to create the recipes in the same environment as my readers will cook them. When I cook for myself, I focus on greens, grains, and beans. And the occasional Swiss Cheese Fondue with my girlfriend…

What marked characteristic do you love in a customer? I love it when they’re adventurous eaters. The most exciting customer for me is the person that knocks on my kitchen door and says: “Hey Fed, me and my friends are hungry. We eat everything. Here’s my credit card, we’ve got to be somewhere in 2 hours…”

What marked characteristic do you find unappealing in a customer?It can be tough when the customer thinks in boxes. When you’re basing your expectations on your experiences, you stop creating. That’s true for chefs and customers alike.

Tupperware, Rubbermaid, or Pyrex? You’ve got to love it when a brand a becomes so dominant that even their competitor’s product takes on their name: Tupperware. My company’s called Sex on the Table, so a rubber has different uses in my vocabulary. And Pyrex, I mean I love German engineering, but that applies more to my car than to my kitchen utensils. I’m going with Tupperware on this one. It reminds me of home.

Beer, wine or cocktail? Yes please, exactly in that order.

Your favorite cookbook author? My mother is pretty cool. Her last cookbook was on vegan cuisine, though. That’s a tough sell with me. But she autographed it for me.

Your favorite kitchen tool? My Bob Kramer knife. Don’t even think I would ever let you touch it.

Your favorite ingredient? Agave Nectar, Fresh Lime Juice, and homemade chicken stock share the win for this one.

Your least favorite ingredient? Everything genetically modified, especially canola oil.

Least favorite thing to do in a kitchen? Cleaning the freezer tops my most hated list.

Favorite types of cuisine to cook? I was born and raised in Zurich, which comes with a weird mix of Mediterranean style and Bohemian precision. I believe that, even though I traveled far and I explored a lot, when you get to the bottom of it you will always find that little boy in me that was surrounded by French and Italian chefs growing up.

Beef, chicken, pork or tofu? What the hell is tofu? It makes your manhood go away, did you know that? It’s a testosterone killer. A Rib Eye from Flaca Vaca farm in upstate New York would be my last meal on earth.

Favorite vegetable? My favorite vegetable is a flower: The artichoke, where the heart’s the best.

Chef you most admire? My first executive chef has no fame, and he’s still cooking the same menu from 20 years ago. His name is Meinolf Zarnitz, and he had a huge impact on me. But you probably want to hear some celebrity names. I have a lot of respect for Marcus Samuelsson. His book “Yes Chef” made me cry twice.

Food you like the most to eat? I’m on a lifelong quest for the perfect burger. They’re so relaxing to me that I never put them on any of my menus.

Food you dislike the most? Ever been to McDonalds?

How many tattoos? And if so, how many are of food? I don’t know, can you eat a lion?

Recipe from Chef Fed: Brie Fondue with Grilled Apricots & Smoked Duck (Serves 2).
- Grilled Apricots
- 1 apricot (can be frozen and may be substituted with Peaches or Red Pears)
- 1 tsp champagne Vinegar (or any other white acidity that you may have handy)
- 1/8 tsp chili Flakes
- 1/2 tsp honey
- Nutmeg
- Cut the fruits in wedges, marinate in the seasoning, then dry roast them in a skillet or on the grill. Set aside.
Brie Fondue
- 1/2 Cup dry white wine
- 1/4 lbs. Brie
- 3 oz. Mascarpone
- Black Pepper, coarsely ground
- Nutmeg
- 1 sprig of mint cut to Chiffonade
- 1/2 Breast of smoked Duck (hey, if you have leftover chicken breast or a little bit of chorizo, feel free to substitute the duck. What you’re looking for is smokiness… Did I mention thick cut bacon?)
Bring the wine and the spices to a boil. Melt the brie and mascarpone without boiling them. Keep warm. Before serving, slice the duck breast and pour the fondue in a soup bowl. Plate the fruits. Arrange the duck in a fan shape on top. Garnish with mint chiffonade.

The End. Go Eat.
December 30, 2015
i8tonite: with Chef Jamie Lynch, Charleston’s 5Church & Broiled Oysters with Polenta and Quail Egg

Chef Jamie Lynch

Jamie Lynch is a New York native and graduated from New England Culinary Institute in Burlington, Vermont. He has worked at New York Time’s 4 star Le Cirque 2000 Restaurant in The Palace Hotel, Aureole under Charlie Palmer and Daniel Boulud’s Café Boulud, and Touquevillle Restaurant in Union Square. Reflecting on his years cooking in NYC, Jamie notes, “At that time we had an all or nothing approach to cooking, we ate, drank and slept food. It was ether the very best we could do or it was garbage.” Chef Jamie has anchored some of Charlotte’s most notable restaurants such as Blue with Chef Gene Briggs and Barrington’s as Bruce Moffet’s Chef De Cuisine, and garnered many accolades such as being Voted BEST CHEF in 2013, 2014 and 2015 in Charlotte Magazine’s BOB (Best of the Best) Awards.

Chef Jamie recently moved to Charleston in 2015 to serve as Executive Chef of 5Church Charleston. 5Church Charleston is a new restaurant in a historic old church (Church of the Redeemer and Harriott Pinckney House) in downtown’s bustling Market Street district. The restaurant’s elaborate, modern décor features awe-inspiring stained glass windows, a white concrete bar, black leather banquettes, eye-catching chandeliers, large-scale pop-art, and hand-painted written verbiage of Sun Tzu’s “The Art of War” on the church ceiling. The restaurant’s award-winning food, top-rate service and nationally-acclaimed design will mimic its sister property in Charlotte, N.C., which opened in 2012. Be sure to visit for the Sunday Brunch – swoon!

Crispy Szechuan Pork Belly

Chef Questionnaire from Chef Jamie Lynch:

How long have you been cooking?
I started cooking at the age of 16 at a small bar and grill. I have been at this for 24 years.

What is your favorite food to cook?
I really enjoy cooking fresh pasta. Pasta when cooked perfectly is the perfect vehicle to deliver a wide range of flavors to the palate in a most satisfying way!

What do you always have in your fridge at home?
Hot Sauce… all makes and models. It is my favorite condiment by far!

What do you cook at home?
Frozen pizza, if anything at all. I do all of my cooking at the restaurants and there is rarely time for a proper meal at home.

S’mores Trifle

What marked characteristic do you love in a customer?
It’s a toss-up between open mindfulness and patience. The open minded guest can appreciate the fun and interesting things we do with food while the patient guest will understand to cook at an excellent level takes time.

What marked characteristic do you find unappealing in a customer?
Rude or unpleasant. I do not like guests that are rude to their servers or bartenders. Dining out is supposed to be a fun and enjoyable experience.

Tupperware, Rubbermaid, or Pyrex?
Rubbermaid

Beer, wine, or cocktail?
Wine and beer usually – I’m a purist when it comes to booze, so I like my liquor to taste like liquor.

Your favorite cookbook author?
Andrew Carmellini. He taught me everything I know over the years, so I’m biased.

Your favorite kitchen tool?
A heavy, deep welled spoon that holds about an ounce is the most versatile tool.

Your favorite ingredient?
I am very fond of Ramps!

Your least favorite ingredient?
Salmon

Least favorite thing to do in a kitchen?
Leave! I find myself lingering around well after my “shift,” either talking with my staff about food or restaurant experiences they have. Those are the interactions that inspire what I do!

Crab Cakes Poached Eggs

Favorite types of cuisine to cook?
My own style of cooking is rooted in traditional French and Italian technique, but “New -American” is the label that best suites my cuisine.

Beef, chicken, pork, or tofu?
Pork

5Church Lamb Burger

Favorite vegetable?
I was the Entrmettier at Le cirque 2000 and Cafe Boulud, I have a deep affection for fresh vegetables. I couldn’t pick one.

Chef you most admire?
Andrew Carmellini

Food you like the most to eat?
Anything traditionally ethnic. In Charlotte, N.C. we have really good Vietnamese, and one particularly good Korean joint.

Food you dislike the most?
Salmon Roe. It is the seed of salmon, which i can’t stand, so the egg has to be worse.

How many tattoos? And if so, how many are of food?
Too many to count. They have sort of melded into one giant one. None of them are of food items specifically but more tell the story of my life in kitchens through imagery.
Broiled Oysters with Polenta and Quail Egg

Yields: 2 servings

Ingredients:
6 oysters, shucked on the half shell
1 cup cooked creamy polenta, preferably Anson Mills
6 quail eggs
6 dashes black truffle oil
1 small black truffle
Bull’s Bay Red Mash Sea Salt

Directions:
1. Preheat broiler in oven.
2. Cut aluminum foil into 8-inch pieces, and twist ends to create rope. Form into circle-shaped holder to hold the oysters in place, and put into oven-proof dish. Set oysters in dish.
3. Spoon ½ -ounce of polenta onto lip of each oyster to create a little dam, then crack quail egg on other half of oyster to completely cover.
4. Place oysters under broiler with 6-8 inches of clearance from heat. Bake until quail eggs are just set, approximately 4 minutes or until the quail eggs.
5. Remove oysters from oven and put a drop of truffle oil. Shave truffles with microplane, and place shavings on each oyster. Sprinkle with Red Mash Salt and serve.

The End. Go Eat.

December 23, 2015
i8tonite: with Chef Ruggero Gadaldi, San Francisco’s Delarosa & Spicy Holiday Italian Meatballs
Editor’s Note: This is a posting from contributor Penny Sadler, Adventures of a Carry-On.

Ruggero Gadaldi: Credit Aubrie Pick

From his childhood days helping out in the family market and churning butter on the farm near Bergamo, Italy, Chef Ruggero Gadaldi developed his love for and understanding of regional Italian foods. His passion for preparing only the most authentic Italian cuisine lead him to study at Italy’s prestigious San Pellegrino Hotel School. From there, he made his way to the US via a number of positions at five-star hotels throughout Europe, New York, and finally San Francisco, with a stop in Los Angeles to cook for Pope John Paul II.

Inside Delarosa: Credit, Aubrie Pick

In 2008, Gadaldi received the San Francisco Chronicle Visionary Chef Award. His restaurant, Antica Trattoria, was voted Best Neighborhood Italian, Bay Area Critics Choice Award, SF Chronicle, 1996 – 2008.

In a city known for great food and plenty of Italian options, Delarosa, Gadaldi’s latest venture, is the kind of place that locals favor for reliable and reasonably priced Italian food served in a casual and contemporary atmosphere. The newest location at Yerba Buena Lane has exactly the same look and feel as the Marina location: the kitchen is open, and space is light, with accents of orange.

Delarosa is only one of a number of celebrated Italian restaurants in the Bay Area to which Gadaldi has dedicated his passion for preparing authentic Italian food.

Chef’s Questionnaire with Ruggero Gadaldi

How long have you been cooking? Since I entered the “Scuola Professionale Alberghiera di Stato” for Chef in San Pellegrino, Bergamo, Italy in 1972.

What is your favorite food to cook? Regional Italian.

What do you always have in your fridge at home? Cheese, salami and pickles

What do you cook at home? My wife does the cooking at home, I’m the dishwasher. (Big smile.)

Photo By Aubrie Pick

What marked characteristic do you love in a customer? When a customer is served and they take that first bite, they pause and then a smile appears. We hope then that we have added to their day.

What marked characteristic do you find unappealing in a customer? Being disrespectful.

Tupperware, Rubbermaid, or Pyrex? Pyrex

Beer, wine or cocktail? Wine with my meal, and a Negroni at the end of my day.

Your favorite cookbook author? Joyce Goldstein

Your favorite kitchen tool? Gnocchi paddle.

Your favorite ingredient? Piemontese white truffle.

Your least favorite ingredient? Can’t think of one.

Least favorite thing to do in a kitchen? Gutting sardines.

Favorite types of cuisine to cook? Italian.

Beef, chicken, pork or tofu? Pork

Favorite vegetable? Dino kale or Tuscan Cabbage.

Chef you most admire? Mario Batali.

Photo by Aubrie Pick

Food you like the most to eat? Hearty stews

Food you dislike the most? There isn’t much I dislike. I love food !!!

How many tattoos? And if so, how many are of food? Zero. I admire some but cringe when I think about the pain they had to go through to get them.

Recipe: Meatballs in Spicy Tomato Sauce (Serves 4 – 6)

Tomato Sauce
- 3 Tbsp Olive oil
- 4 Chopped garlic cloves
- 1 tsp Calabrese chili flake
- 16 oz. Tomato-basil sauce
In a saucepan, heat olive oil and add garlic and chili flakes. When garlic starts to get brown add tomato- basil sauce. Cook for 10 minutes at medium heat.

Meatballs
- ¾ lb. ground beef
- ¼ lb. ground veal
- ½ lb. Italian sweet sausage (out of casing)
- 1 cup Bread crumbs
- ¼ cup Milk
- 1 Tbsp Finely chopped garlic
- 2 Tbsp Finely chopped fresh Italian parsley
- 2 Egg whites
- ½ C Grated Fresh Pecorino cheese
- 1 Tbsp Tomato Paste
- Kosher Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper to Taste
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In large mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients. Mix thoroughly, though not over handling. Before creating balls, put a little bit of olive oil on your hands in order to minimize sticking. Spoon out mixture and create meatballs that are approx 1.5-inch balls. Place on a greased sheet pan and place in preheated oven for 30 minutes.

Place meatballs in the Spicy Tomato sauce and simmer for 7 to 10 minutes.

Plate: 2 to 3 meatballs on a plate and add a spoonful of sauce on top. Top with fresh grated Parmesan cheese if desired.

The End. Go Eat.
December 16, 2015
i8tonite: with Phoenix’s “Best Chef” 2015 Peter Deruvo and Pollo Arrosto (Roasted Chicken)
Chef Peter Deruvo: Courtesy of Awe Collective

Phoenix-based Chef Peter Deruvo has been called “the crazy cook”, partly because he cheffed at a defunct restaurant called “Cuoco Pazzo”, meaning crazy cook. Names like that stick to a person. But his food isn’t crazy, it’s well-crafted, rustic Italian starting with housemade pasta and sauces. This year with the opening of Citrine, a Tempe, Arizona-based restaurant, Deruvo is at the top of his game. In 2015, he’s even been named as “Best Chef” by Phoenix New Times, an accolade that’s been attributed to three Valley of the Sun nationally recognized names Chris Bianco (Pizzeria Bianco), Nobua Fukuda (Nobua at Teeter House) and Christopher Gross (Christopher Crush), all of whom have been recognized as a James Beard award-winning chef.

Interior of Citrine: Courtesy of Awe Collective

While living in San Francisco, he apprenticed with famed Bay Area Chez Panisse chef Paul Bertolli, San Francisco’s Mike Tusk, owner of the Michelin-starred Quince and Paul Canales at Oakland’s Oliveto where he refined his cooking, learning much about the restaurant world including a kitchen is not just about the chef but the hard-working support team surrounding him.

The City by the Bay afforded an introduction to award-winning olive oil producer Albert Katz, who sent him to Tuscany to learn everything he could about olives and olive oil. It was in Tuscany where Deruvo spent time tending the olive groves and farm at Montecastelli, a well-known Italian producer of gourmet wines, oils and vinegars. He also learned everything there was about the art of Italian cookery from neighboring trattorias, chefs and nonnas. All of this – including a stint working in Chicago — eventually lead him to Phoenix, with soaring tastes of his epicurean travels.

Over the past three years, Deruvo has opened three restaurants including the much-lauded EVO, one in the past six months and had three kids with his wife, Christine. He’s not a crazy cook, just a busy chef with a family.

Chef’s Questionnaire

How long have you been cooking? I’ve always been cooking! From a young age to spending my twenties in Italy to now, I just can’t stop.

Lasagna: Courtesy of Awe Collective

What is your favorite food to cook? Pasta is the game. It’s a staple in my life in both kitchens that I run and develop, at Citrine and EVO.

What do you always have in your fridge at home? Lots of fruits, vegetables and cheeses. With three children, I’m a stickler for balanced meals!

What do you cook at home?  I like to visit fresh farmers markets with my family to get inspiration. Whether it’s Asian, Italian or what have you, it’s never the same and always guaranteed fun!

What marked characteristic do you love in a customer? I love eaters who grow with the restaurant. As our dishes change, they try, adapt and change too, that’s my favorite.

Farmers Salad: Courtesy of Awe Collective

What marked characteristic do you find unappealing in a customer? Eaters who are afraid to challenge their palate. I promise it’s worth it!

Tupperware, Rubbermaid, or Pyrex? Pyrex.

Beer, wine or cocktail?  Amaro.

Your favorite cookbook author?  Madeleine Kamman.

Your favorite kitchen tool? Olive oil.

Your favorite ingredient?   Also olive oil.

Your least favorite ingredient?  Hmmm… I’m stumped!

Charcuterie Board: Courtesy of Awe Collective

Least favorite thing to do in a kitchen?  Develop new pasta with old techniques.

Favorite types of cuisine to cook?  Asian, Italian, Polish, Spanish.

Beef, chicken, pork or tofu? Pork.

Favorite vegetable? Any and all types of greens.

Chef you most admire? The chefs who are still behind the stove, developing, mentoring and creating.

Food you like the most to eat?  Pho.

White Aspargi with Egg: Courtesy of Awe Collective

Food you dislike the most? Liver. It brings back bad childhood memories!

How many tattoos? And if so, how many are of food?  One but none of food, food should be on the plate in front of you!

Pollo Arrosto, Fall Panzanella Salad

Momma’s Pollo Arrosto + fall panzanella salad + natural jus      Yield   Serves 3

Ingredients
- 2 lb whole roasted chicken
- ¼ cup of butter
- 2 lemons quartered
Magic Rub for the Chicken
- 1 tablespoon of chopped garlic
- 1 tablespoon of ground chili flake
- 1 tablespoon of chopped parsley
- 1 tablespoon chopped rosemary
- 1 tablespoon chopped thyme
- Combine all ingredients and set aside for the chicken rub down
Brine Solution for Chicken
- 1 gallon of tepid water
- ¼ salt
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon black peppercorns crushed
- ¼ cup of white vinegar
Procedure:

Combine all dry ingredients and spices with tepid water and submerge the chicken in liquid keeping it in the solution for over 24 hours.

Remove, dry, and season with salt, pepper. Under the skin of the chicken tuck all the butter.

Combine all chili, garlic and herbs and rub chicken down generously.

Truss chicken and set aside for roasting in an oven at 350 for 55 minutes until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees.

Fall Panzanella Salad ingredients:
- ¼ cup roasted butternut squash
- 1/8 cup of roasted cauliflower
- 1/8 cup of rinsed and cleaned kale
- ¼ blanched and sauteed green beans, sauteed in garlic, lemon and olive oil
- ¼ cup quartered tomatoes
- ¼ cup of toasted croutons
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- 1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar
- Salt and pepper to taste
Procedure: Combine all ingredients, toss lightly with olive oil and vinegar and season to taste; After the chicken is fully cooked and rested, the salad will go underneath roasted chicken and garnish with quartered lemons.

Note: Chicken is also great served cold as a chicken salad.

The End. Go Eat.
December 10, 2015
i8tonite: New Zealand’s Annabel Langbein’s Chicken and Leek Gratin
Several weeks ago, I was sent a cookbook The Free Range Cook: Simple Pleasures by a lovely celebrity cook, Annabel Langbein, from New Zealand. From the onset, Ms. Langbein seems to be the country’s answer to Martha Stewart – prettier, younger, and from a whole different continent.

She has a line of cookbooks – 21 and counting — a television and radio series plus her own line of products. Her television series has been seen in 70 countries. New Zealand, as a country, has a population of under five million. The United States has a population far beyond that number, and she wants to conquer it.

She means well and seems like the real thing. Before Langbein became a cooking superstar, she was a food writer for a variety of Australian magazines. She met her husband while she was a possum trapper and he was a farmer. Her trademark term – free range – means organic living and gardening. She lives off the land, taking daily walks into her garden, locating what’s ripe, and deciding whatever is picked will be dinner that evening.

It’s a little idyllic and hard for me to believe that Langbein gets her own veggies from any garden. She’s perfectly coiffed along with an impeccable manicure. I just can’t imagine Ms. Langbein, or Martha for that matter, sending business emails from their garden. It kills the romantic ideal of owning a lake house, which Langbein mentions often. (Admittedly, in the back of the book, she acknowledges the assistants who create this picturesque lifestyle.)

Aside from being a little too picture-perfect, the recipes are easy to recreate. The idea of a Halloumi (the Greek cheese) and Papaya Salad sounds deliciously refined. There is also a Salmon Confit made with a liter of olive oil.

It’s a beautiful cookbook. I made a delicious and fairly easy, Chicken and Leek Gratin. The topping looked interesting and fun for a variety of dishes including a coating for chicken or on top of poached eggs. Simple and easy – or maybe I should say free range.

All Photos Courtesy of Annabel Langbein Publishing

Chicken and Leek Gratin (Serves 6)
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 4 large leeks, washed and thinly sliced
- 12 boneless and skinless chicken thighs (No need to go out to your garden and do your own butchering. Your local grocery store has them in a yellow styrofoam package.)
- 3 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons worchestershire
- ½ teaspoon cayenne
- 1 teaspoon thyme (She doesn’t specify from her garden. I bought some at my farmers’ market.)
- ½ cup cream or chicken broth
- And Provencal crust. (1 to 2 cups of dried breadcrumbs, 1 handful of torn parsley, zest of 1 lemon, 2 garlic cloves, 2 oz butter, coarsely grated Parmesan, 1 anchovy filet. Place all into a food processor and pulse until mixed together.)
Let’s make this puppy:

Melt butter in a large skillet. Add leek and season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 15 minutes until softened and translucent.

In a bowl, add the chicken thighs, mustard, thyme, worchestershire sauce and a couple pinches of salt. Mix well and set aside.

Remove leeks from heat and stir in cream or broth. Pour this into an oven proof casserole dish or shallow baking pan. Arrange chicken on top. Cover with the Provencal Crust.

Bake at 350 degrees for about an hour. It should be fragrant, bubbly and a golden topping.

The End. Go Eat.
November 18, 2015
i8tonite: The Guild House’s Sous Chef Patrick Hofer, Columbus, Ohio and Sous Vide Venison

This is a guest post from Dr. Jessie Voigts of WanderingEducators.com

Table Setting. The Guild House. Photo by Jessie Voigts

Columbus, Ohio is a surprisingly happening culinary town. While there are plenty of hot dog joints and student hangouts around The Ohio State University, Columbus is home to a NHL team, a burgeoning art scene, and several Fortune 500 companies. It’s no surprise that there are many fine dining options, my favorite of which is The Guild House. Located next to Le Méridien Columbus, The Joseph, The Guild House is a farm to table restaurant that is part of the Cameron Mitchell restaurant group.

The Guild House bar. Photo by Jessie Voigts

Located in the artsy Short North district, The Guild House is an upscale-casual restaurant that is beautifully decorated in cream leather, wood, and plenty of glass and mirrors. The food, creative American cuisine, is locally sourced when possible, and features seasonal ingredients.

A childhood spent cooking and baking with his grandmother led The Guild House Sous Chef Patrick Hofer to a life in the kitchen. He had originally planned on attending business school after high school, but having always enjoyed food and cooking, his dad suggested culinary school. Research on the best school possible led to Hofer’s attending the Culinary Institute of America. After graduating from the CIA, he opened Red Oak Pub in Newark, Ohio as a kitchen manager. Other positions included line cook and supervisor at The Pearl, and sous chef at Molly Woo’s, before Hofer transferred to the Guild House as a sous chef.

Courtesy of Patrick Hofer.

Chef’s Questionnaire:
How long have you been cooking? I have been cooking since I was 15, so approximately 10 years.

What is your favorite food to cook? I really enjoy anything – I can’t say that I have one favorite

What do you always have in your fridge at home? Butter, Eggs, Bacon, Milk (I am a breakfast food kind of guy)

What do you cook at home? Mostly Breakfast, due to the hours of a restaurant. I really don’t cook much at home.

What marked characteristic do you love in a customer? Someone that is willing to try anything and is trusting that we will take great care of them.

What marked characteristic do you find unappealing in a customer? Someone that is unadventurous.

Tupperware, Rubbermaid, or Pyrex? Rubbermaid.

Beer, wine, or cocktail? Beer.

Your favorite cookbook author? I wouldn’t say I have a favorite author, but the book that is most helpful is The Flavor Bible.

Your favorite kitchen tool? Robot Coupe.

Your favorite ingredient? Mushrooms

Your least favorite ingredient? I would probably have to say beets

Least favorite thing to do in a kitchen? Inventory.

Chef you most admire? Paul Bocuse for everything that he has done for the culinary world.

Favorite types of cuisine to cook? All of them! Some I have never done, but they are all great and fun to learn.

Beef, chicken, pork or tofu? Beef.

Favorite vegetable? Mushrooms.

Food you like the most to eat? Anything sweet

Food you dislike the most? Beets.

How many tattoos? And if so, how many are of food? I have one right now, and it has nothing to do with food.
Recipe of Sous Vide venison Leg Filet with Garlic Poached Lobster Mushrooms, Quick Sautéed Greens, Mushroom Reduction, Wild Mountain Blue Berries, and Carrot Bark. (Special Tool: Clearly, a sous vide. Gift-giving season is upon us.)

VENISON: Portioned to 6oz and sous vide at 50.2c for 2 hours with garlic, thyme, and butter.

LOBSTER MUSHROOMS: Clean all of the dirt off them and cut them to bite size pieces, keeping the shape of the mushroom intact. Sous vide these at 82c for one hour with a compound oil.

Compound oil: 1cup blended oil, 2 smashed garlic cloves, 2 sprigs of thyme, 2 sprigs of rosemary. Heat this and let the herbs steep into the oil for 30 minutes.

Sauteed Greens: Combine Kale, Swiss Chard, Spinach, and leeks into a quick sautee with oil and salt.

Mushroom Reduction: Make a very nice mushroom stock and reduce it down to a thick syrup (takes a lot of stock to achieve this), then emulsify butter into the reduction until smooth and creamy.

The End. Go Eat.

Photos: Venison, Patrick courtesy Guild House. All other photos courtesy Jessie Voigts

October 28, 2015
i8tonite: Chef Questionnaire with Brian Konefal, Flagstaff’s Coppa Cafe, and Lemon Tarragon Vinaigrette
Dining Room at Coppa Cafe. Photo by Awe Collective.

Roses, Spain. Yountville, California. Terni, Italy. Corenc, France. Flagstaff, Arizona. These small, unique picturesque towns share a very special attribute. Each offers a gastronomic dining experience in their respective locations created by master chefs. Roses was home to El Bulli with Ferran Adrià. Thomas Keller’s The French Laundry located in Yountville. Terni, a small town of less than three thousand houses the two-Michelin starred Casa Vissani, home to celebrated Italian chef, Gianfranco Vissani. The Golden Horn (Le Corn d’Or) in Corenc, France is populated by a little less than four thousand and Flagstaff, Arizona (population: 68,784) is becoming notable for Coppa Café.

Since opening four years ago, Coppa Café, helmed by husband and wife cooking team, Brian Konefal and Paola Fiorvanti, has become a noteworthy restaurant in Arizona’s growing epicurean scene. Konefal was born in Flagstaff and trained to be a chef in Italy. While in culinary school, he met the lovely Fiorvanti, Brazilian by birth, she was learning the dessert trade – spinning sugar and learning the nuances of buttercream.

Chefs/ Co-Owners, Brian Konefal and Paola Fiovanit. Photo by Awe Collective.

Once married, they traveled throughout Europe and the gastronomic countryside, learning the hallmarks of great European cooks. Eventually, Konefal landed a position at San Francisco’s famed Campton Place working under Chef Daniel Humm. At this petite and elegant hotel, a block from the celebrated Union Square and just feet from Michael Mina and Hubert Keller establishments — Humm and Konefal, became an award-winning culinary team gaining praise from the finicky City by the Bay’s food world; ultimately receiving four stars from Michael Bauer, San Francisco Chronicle’s noted restaurant critic.

The restaurant world took notice and Konefal moved with Humm to New York City’s Eleven Madison Park, then just another elegant eatery. Humm, Konefal and the Eleven Madison Park team established the restaurant as a destination inside the Big Apple – already one of the world’s great culinary stops. During their tenure as a team, the restaurant received multiple New York Times stars, accolades from the James Beard Foundation and eventually received three coveted Michelin stars making it only one of nine establishments in the United States to do so.

All things come to an end and Konefal and Paola, ambitious in their cooking wanted to open their own establishment. They looked no further than Konefal’s hometown of Flagstaff. Hence, the couple opened, Coppa Cafe, a delicate and nuanced European eatery.

With its global sensibilities, small town location and it’s attentiveness to flavorful French techniques, Coppa Café is a restaurant to be reckoned; indeed, some of the interesting menu aspects include locally foraged edibles such as herbs and mushrooms,

Veal Agnolotti. Photo by Awe Collective.

a growing trend in France, Umbria and the burgeoning Arizona restaurant industry. The café atmosphere is homespun filled with thrift-store finds, not the fussiness one associates to an accomplished chef who once dwelled in a Michelin-starred room. All the charcuterie is house-cured. The pastries and breads are made in-house and I don’t believe you will find too many Flagstaff restaurants serving Seared Foie Gras, Roasted Braised Wild Boar with Juniper Berries, RidgeView Farm Quail or “Kelly Farm” Veal Agnolotti raised humanely from a local Arizona producer.

So, if you are traveling Route 66 or headed up to the Grand Canyon, you might want to stop for the night and eat a little bit of sophistication. Good food exists all around us, sometimes you just have to travel outside your comfort zone.

Beef Tartare with Juniper Berries. Photo by Awe Collective.

How long have you been cooking? I’ve been cooking 13 years in professional kitchens. Personally at home, nearly all my life.

What is your favorite food to cook? Foie gras.

Photo by Jeremy Keith.

What do you always have in your fridge at home? Fermented veggies. I eat them with everything.

What do you cook at home? A mix of everything. Mostly ethnic foods, particularly Brazilian. Lots of rice and beans.

What marked characteristic do you love in a customer? An adventurous and curious diner.

What marked characteristic do you find unappealing in a customer? Legitimate allergies aside, diners with stubborn food hang-ups. Life’s too short to limit yourself from exploring different foods and new flavors.

Tupperware, Rubbermaid, or Pyrex? Pyrex.

Beer, wine or cocktail? Wine.

Your favorite cookbook author? Pellegrino Artusi.

Your favorite kitchen tool? A great chef’s knife.

Your favorite ingredient? Good quality salt.

Your least favorite ingredient? Cheap table salt.

Least favorite thing to do in a kitchen? Yelling. I like a quiet, organized and efficient kitchen environment.

Favorite types of cuisine to cook? French.

Beef, chicken, pork or tofu? Pork.

Favorite vegetable? Fennel.

Photo by Nick Saltmarsh.

Chef you most admire? Daniel Boulud.

Food you like the most to eat? French.

Food you dislike the most? Hard to say. If prepared correctly, most foods can be delicious.

How many tattoos? And if so, how many are of food? Non.

Lemon Tarragon Vinaigrette:

A popular French dressing used on many salads or seasonal vegetable dishes throughout the year. One that needs to be in every homecook’s tool box.
- 1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 3 1/2 T olive oil
- 1/4 small shallot, finely minced
- 2 tsp freshly chopped tarragon
- Pinch of good-quality kosher or sea salt
Start by peeling and mincing the shallot, continuing until the shallots almost turn to a paste. Place shallots in a small mixing bowl, add lemon juice and pinch of salt. Whisk together vigorously while incorporating the most of the olive oil simultaneously in a small stream into the mixture, reserving just a little oil. Stop whisking temporarily to add the chopped tarragon. Begin whisking again while adding the remaining oil.

Mix preferred greens or vegetables in a separate bowl and toss them with the vinaigrette. Finish with an additional sprinkle of salt to taste.

The End. Go Eat.
September 23, 2015