Born in Athens, Greece, Chef Dmitri Harvalis followed his mother to New York City at the age of seventeen. He never went back. Although not fond of the Big Apple, he had already started a love affair with Miami. It was the warm air and white sand of the North American peninsula that captured his young expatriate heart.
Starting in Hollywood, Florida, Harvalis began working his way up in Taverna Opa, a group of Greek restaurants starting as a server. Over the next several years, he worked his way up the restaurant ladder. From waitperson to bar, assistant manager to manager, learning the ways of running a successful eating establishment.
“In 1997, I left to join the nightclub industry,” says Harvalis. “I worked as the General Manager for Nikki Beach Group, then one of the most popular entertainment and dining companies in South Beach.” Nikki Beach transcended the beach club concept by combining Southern European elements of music, dining, entertainment, fashion, film, and art into one. Essentially, Ibiza came to Miami. This lead to Harvalis becoming an entrepreneur. Over the next three years, he was a co-owner of RokBar, one of the area’s leading nightclubs. At the height of its status, the velvet rope swung open for movie stars (Josh Hartnett, Mickey Rourke) and music acts (Courtney Love, Tommy Lee).
Around 2012, Harvalis was having life-changing moments. Marriage. A daughter. The nightlife scene wasn’t fitting into his growing-up. “I took the decision to change my life,” he says. “I had never owned a restaurant and always wanted to have one.” So, he looked back to his Mediterranean roots and opened Elia (meaning “olive” in Greek) Miami.
Using his grandmother’s (Yiayia) recipes, Elia Miami serves fresh locally sourced ingredients with a Grecian flair. Baklava and Galaktoboureko (a native Greek custard pie) are served up for morning and afternoon repasts, but the main courses are where diners experience the flavors of Harvalis’ childhood with a mezze platter, housemade hummus, and freshly baked pita. The healthful yet delicious Mediterranean diet is at work with smatterings of tomato, extra virgin olive oil, lemon, and olives.
Tricolor quinoa and fresh avocado stack with sort steak and fresh pesto dressing
Harvalis’ says, “I’m not just the chef of the restaurant. I have a great reverence for my Grandma’s recipes and Greek flavors. That’s what I like, and that’s what I want to serve.”
Oven baked filet of salmon served with Mediterranean couscous and crème fraiche
Chef’s Questionnaire (with a nod to Proust):
How long have you been cooking? Professionally 4 years / amateur all my life
What is your favorite food to cook? Greek, of course
What do you always have in your fridge at home? Feta & Kalamata olives
What do you cook at home? Lots of pasta dishes (my kids love pasta)
What marked characteristic do you love in a customer? When they allow me to get creative with their meal, no questions asked
What marked characteristic do you find unappealing in a customer? When they change a recipe of mine
Tupperware, Rubbermaid, or Pyrex? Pyrex
Beer, wine, or cocktail? It all depends on the mood, but wine always gets me creative
Your favorite cookbook author? My grandmother (she never wrote a book, but she is the reason everything started)
Least favorite thing to do in a kitchen? Clean onions
Favorite types of cuisine to cook? Mediterranean / Asian
Beef, chicken, pork, or tofu? Beef, by far
Favorite vegetable? Tomato
Chef you most admire? Anthony Bourdain
Food you like the most to eat? Anything with meat
Food you dislike the most? Okra
How many tattoos? And if so, how many are of food? 7, working on 8 & 9 (9 will be a combination of my favorite kitchen tool and heritage)
Bacon wrapped dates
Recipe: Papoutsakia
The meal is called PAPOUTSAKIA ( it means a little shoes in greek )
2 large eggplants
2 pounds ground beef or turkey
1 small white onion
1 tomato
salt / pepper/ oregano/ olive oil
a small amount of fresh parsley
1 lb dry shredded mozzarella
6 potatoes
Cut the large eggplants in half long ways.
Use a small spoon (or tool) to empty the eggplant heart without damaging the skin (do not open a hole).
Once finished, use a small amount of olive oil to coat the inside of the eggplant and place in the oven for 10 min (350 F).
In the meantime, take the eggplant that was removed, the onion, tomato, and parsley, and fine chop all of them.
Take a skillet and drizzle a small amount of olive oil and place it on the stove on high. After one minute, carefully add all the chopped ingredients, adding a pinch of salt, pepper, and oregano.
After about five minutes, add the ground meat of your choice and stir all of them until the meat is cooked ( usually no more than 5 – 6t minutes do not overcook it ).
Once, ready use a spoon and add the mix to the eggplant until its filled.
Top it off with the mozzarella cheese, and place in the oven on bake until the cheese turns to golden brown.
Take the potatoes and cut them in quarters long ways ( skin on or off, your choice). Place in a pan with a bit of olive oil, salt , oregano, and pepper; toss them around until seasoned, and place in the oven for 20 minutes. It can also be served with yellow saffron rice.
Oonce everything cooked, serve it with a nice glass of Cabernet and GO EAT !!!!!
In 1912, Arizona became the forty-eighth state to enter the contiguous United States. Prior to that, the desert landscape territory was an extension of Mexico’s Sonora, the agricultural hub of our bordering ally. Arguably, you could even say that the Grand Canyon state and our friendly neighbor are conjoined twins. Instead of sharing body parts, the state and the country share a border and a unique history, especially as it relates to eats. On this northern side, we have adopted tacos and tequila as our own with fast food franchises, academic courses detailing corn tortilla virtues, and country songs such as “Ten Rounds with Jose Cuervo.” (Fortunately, Mexicans don’t have songs about throwing back a bottle of Napa cabernet.)
It’s not surprising then that the state is home to the world’s largest taco festival, honoring its Mexican heritage. Entering its seventh year, the massively attended Arizona Taco Festival was co-created by David Tyda, 39, and glorifies one of the globe’s greatest food icons – right up there with hamburgers, barbeque, French fries, and pizza. There is no other state or city where an annual celebration takes place showcasing the depth of creativity folded into a flour or corn tortilla. “When my business partner, Rick Phillips, and I started the festival,” says Tyda, “we wanted to reveal how diverse the taco can be.”
Taking place annually in October, over thirty-five thousand people join in eating unusual hybrids folded or fried into flour or corn layers. The gorge get-together has become a tourism force to be reckoned with for Arizonans bringing heads in beds for the hospitality soaked town which has almost 60,000 rooms in nearly 450 hotels and resorts. (Jokingly, Tyda says, “We sold tickets in every state except Rhode Island, Hawaii, and Maine. Dunno what they’ve got against tacos in Rhode Island.”). Over fifty restaurants gather at Scottsdale Salt River Fields, serving up two dollar tacos with a chance to win a ten thousand dollar cash prize.
“Whenever someone visited me, they would always ask where they could get a good taco,” states Tyda. “Creatively, we see unusual ideas of what makes a taco. Although, I think it would be fun, to see what restaurants do who don’t make tacos – see what they come up with.” To his credit, he and his partner have also branched out to other epicurean bashes, such as Scottsdale Beer Palooza highlighting craft brews, and Arizona BBQ Festival featuring The Redneck Games.
Long before he was an advocate of Mexico’s leading export, Tyda was one of the state’s finest journalists, working as the editor of Ritz-Carlton Magazine, the now defunct Desert Living, Stratos, and many other glossy titles. Over the years, he’s witnessed a decline in the writing world. In an interview with 26Blocks, he says about journalism, “That art is dying and I’m sad about that.” Yet, gratefully, the Midwest-born, Arizona State University graduate has smartly created a whole new work category for himself and Arizona, turning the Valley of the Sun into a Mexican taco fest.
Food People Questionnaire (with a nod to Proust):
What is your favorite food to cook at home?
My famous mojito pancakes – they have all the ingredients of a mojito in the batter.
What do you always have in your fridge at home?
An open box of baking soda, though I’m not convinced it’s doing a damn thing to keep stuff fresh.
What marked characteristic do you love in a person with whom you are sharing a meal?
Willingness to share their food.
What marked characteristic do you find unappealing in a person with whom you are sharing a meal?
Bad tippers.
Beer, wine, or cocktail?
All of the above. I believe in democracy.
Your favorite cookbook author?
Dr. Andrew Weil. His recipes are simple and healthy.
Your favorite kitchen tool?
A good knife.
Favorite types of cuisine to cook?
No favorites – stir fry, Italian sauces, grilled wings, you name it.
Beef, chicken, pork, or tofu?
Tofu – only because I rarely encounter it.
Favorite vegetable?
Prosciutto-wrapped asparagus, hold the asparagus.
Chef you most admire?
Any talented sous chef because they’re doing a ton of the work and getting almost none of the credit.
Food you like the most to eat?
Tacos, of course!
Food you dislike the most?
Anything poorly designed, where the chef didn’t think about the user experience (i.e., tacos that fall apart, a burger with a soggy bun, pizza with too much cheese, etc.)
What is your favorite non-food thing to do?
Netflix and chill with my fiancé (and I really mean Netflix and chill, lol)
Whom do you most admire in food?
Any chef who can achieve consistency. It’s truly a moving target.
Where is your favorite place to eat?
At the bar.
What is your favorite restaurant?
Dick’s Hideaway.
Do you have any tattoos? And if so, how many are of food?
Nope.
Recipe: Rock Out with your Guac Out
2 avocados, peeled and pitted
1 cup chopped roma tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2 Tbsp lime juice
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
Sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
Chips
Scoop avocados into a medium bowl, and cut/smash with a fork to desired consistency. Stir in all other ingredients. Serve with chips.
Sonia R. Martinez was born in the island of Cuba, and has always been drawn to tropical climes and cuisines. For the last 22 years she has lived on the Island of Hawai’i in a beautiful rain forest where she loves to play in the garden, grow herbs, collect cookbooks, test recipes, visiting farms; learning and reporting about new sustainable growing techniques, read voraciously, and work on crossword puzzles.
Her passion for food and cooking led her to own kitchen/gourmet shops and cooking schools first in Orangeburg, South Carolina and later in the Miami, Florida area. After moving to Hawai’i, she and her son owned Akaka Falls Inn, a B&B, cooking school and gourmet shop in Honomu for several years.
She has been a food writer and columnist since early 1999, writing a monthly column for The Hamakua Times newspaper of Honoka’a. Sonia is also a regular contributor to Ke Ola Magazine as well as many other local publications. I first met Sonia in the early days of Gather, a website that featured great writing and an even greater community. Her recipes, photos of life in Hawai’i, and generous, smiling personality attracted many followers, including myself. Her care and attention is genuine and I consider her decade+ friendship one of the best things coming from the islands to Michigan! She has been a beacon for visitors to visit Hawai’i, promoting the delicious local foods there, as well as encouraging healthy and fresh eating. Her recipes, food photos, and sharing of local farmer’s markets, island food, and the beautiful place she lives in has inspired countless readers.
Her cookbook Tropical Taste, published in 2001, is a compilation of three years’ worth of monthly columns published in The Hamakua Times and is now in its second printing after being picked as one of the “Best of the Best” cookbooks in Hawai’i by Quail Ridge Press. Her second cookbook, From Soup to Nuts, was published a year ago .
Sonia has maintained a blog for several years, sharing her adventures in food and gardening and her ongoing love affair with Hawai’i at www.soniatasteshawaii.com
Food People Questionnaire (with a nod to Proust):
What is your favorite food to cook at home?
Mainly simple and fresh…but I grew up with the ‘waste not’ concept and love to find creative ways to recycle leftovers so they don’t look or taste like leftovers.
What do you always have in your fridge at home?
Eggs, butter, cheese…I can live on cheese.
What marked characteristic do you love in a person with whom you are sharing a meal?
Appreciation and enjoyment of the food.
What marked characteristic do you find unappealing in a person with whom you are sharing a meal?
Inattention to the food or the other extreme, showing off their ‘gourmandise’
Beer, wine, or cocktail?
Definitely wine…unless I’m eating a paella or Arroz con Pollo…then I do enjoy a very cold beer. I am not fond of cocktails.
Your favorite cookbook author?
This is a hard one. At one time I owned a collection of well over 3000 cookbooks. Lost them in a fire, but in no time at all, my ‘new’ collection grew by leaps and bounds with gifts from friends who were trying to replace the lost ones, plus the many I added through the years. A couple of years ago, I started going through them and culling them to a manageable 4 shelf units in my office and hallway instead of all over the house. It was a time of hard decisions, but now know exactly what I have and where to find it…No mean feat, since I still own about 500, give or take.
I have an extensive collection of Cuban and Hawaiian cookbooks; a few Spanish & Portuguese, some Italian ones and Tropical Fruit ones, plus several on herbs & spices, a few single topic ones (sushi, dim sum, chocolate) and several of the classics that don’t fit into any of the categories mentioned…and of course, my own two titles, Tropical Taste and From Soup to Nuts.
Your favorite kitchen tool?
My Santoku knife…I seem to reach for that one above all other ones.
Favorite types of cuisine to cook?
Tropical, Cuban, Italian.
Beef, chicken, pork, or tofu?
I’ll eat anything but am most creative with chicken. I am not fond of tofu.
Favorite vegetable?
Asparagus, any way it can be prepared.
Chef you most admire?
Although I have met a few of the well-known chefs in the culinary world, and admire several of them, I will have to say that there are three ‘local’ chefs I admire the most on this island. Sam Choy of Sam Choy’s Kai Lanai in Kailua-Kona, James Babian of Pueo’s Osteria in Waikoloa, and Diana Soler of Aloha Bayfront Café in Hilo, for their commitment to using locally sourced ingredients whenever possible and their honest approach to food. Simple, fresh, beautifully prepared and presented without ostentation.
Food you like the most to eat?
Any shellfish but love scallops
Food you dislike the most?
Anything that is an imitation of the real thing
What is your favorite non-food thing to do?
Play in the garden…I love planting edibles among our ornamental landscaping (I even joy weeding!), and am a voracious reader.
View from Sonia’s back yard
Who do you most admire in food?
My mentor and inspiration from way back has always been Shirley O. Corriher, who came to my first cooking school as a guest cooking teacher fairly often in the early 80s. She demystified so many of my preconceived notions in cooking and her enthusiasm and love of all things food served as great encouragement.
Where is your favorite place to eat?
A good sushi or seafood restaurant.
What is your favorite restaurant?
Takenoko’s Sushi in Hilo, is in my opinion the best sushi restaurant anywhere. We’re lucky if we can get reservations since the waiting list is so long, but it is well worth the waiting. I also enjoy dropping by Aloha Bayfront Café in Hilo for lunch. The food is always fresh, delicious, and beautifully presented, the staff is friendly, and you’re never rushed to vacate the table.
Do you have any tattoos? And if so, how many are of food?
No tattoos. My mother would have killed me!
Recipe: Salade Niçoise with fresh ‘ahi
One of my favorite simple and healthy meals to prepare at home when I can buy fresh ‘ahi (tuna) is my version of a Salade Niçoise.
Season to taste fresh ‘ahi (tuna), sear in avocado oil, serve on a bed of fresh spinach or Manoa lettuce, boiled potato wedges, hard-boiled eggs, tomatoes, sliced onions, a handful of lightly steamed haricot vert, and asparagus, dressed simply with Honey Wine Vinegar to which I had added a vanilla bean.
The End. Go Eat.
All photos courtesy and copyright Sonia R. Martinez
A little more than two years ago, Chef Jennifer Russo opened The Market Restaurant + Bar in Phoenix’s burgeoning Arcadia neighborhood. The restaurant with a neighborhood vibe is reflective of Russo’s use of Arizona-grown produce, dairy, and meats in both her catering and brick and mortar. More importantly, Russo’s growth as a decade-long successful caterer to a full-fledged restauranteur is an indicator of the quality of chefs and restaurants being developed out of the forty-eighth state. The Valley of the Sun, known for safe, corporate restaurants, is literally hungry for independent chefs.
Born in New Jersey but raised in Arizona, Russo has long been cooking. She started learning some of the family secrets with her father’s grandmother, who emigrated from Italy. As a teen, Russo’s passion for cookery led to a variety of food schools in her Scottsdale-area home but eventually – at the age of twenty-one – became a San Francisco transplant at one of the city’s noted gastronomic institutions. Russo says, “I waited to go to school so I could learn the cocktail classes. I wanted to be of legal age.”
After graduating, realizing the expense of living in the City by the Bay, she returned to The Grand Canyon state and worked with two venerated Sonoran desert chefs continuing her epicurean education. It began with Vincent Guerithault of Vincent’s on Camelback, which led her to a sous chef position with Mark Tarbell at Tarbell’s.
After working the line for years, Russo’s knees needed medical recuperation which led to the founding of her catering company. As her enterprise grew, so did the demand for her wares; clients would constantly ask when she was opening a restaurant.
Now, with a young son and several decades of operating her businesses, Russo has become as renowned as the gentlemen she worked with in Phoenix.
Below, Russo shares recipes for Rack of Lamb with Cabernet Sauce, Braised Baby Peas with Pearl Onions and Herbs, and Hot, Buttered Cauliflower Puree
Chef Questionnaire with a nod to Proust:
How long have you been cooking?
For as long as I can remember. But as soon as I could get a job, I started prep cooking @ Lewis Steven’s Catering Company at the age of 16.
What is your favorite food to cook?
I love working with proteins and seasonal veg.
What do you always have in your fridge at home?
Beverages…Let me be honest, wine and water.
What do you cook at home?
I don’t get a chance to cook at home since opening The MARKET restaurant+bar. It seems silly to dirty my kitchen at home, especially when I can do that at work. But if I am cooking at home we go pretty big. As long as someone brings the dessert. You don’t want me making dessert.
What marked characteristic do you love in a customer?
The excitement they have for the food, wine, and cocktail menus. It makes it all worth it when they love it!
What marked characteristic do you find unappealing in a customer?
When they share their negative thoughts on social media. I’m here a lot. Just tell me to my face and I will do everything in my power to fix it.
Tupperware, Rubbermaid, or Pyrex?
I seem to have a lot of items in delis.
Beer, wine, or cocktail?
Wine
Your favorite cookbook author?
I love cookbooks from restaurants, so anything Thomas Keller is high on the list. I like how visual they are. But if I had to choose one go to, it would be Julia Child’s Mastering the art of French cooking.
Your favorite kitchen tool?
Knives
Your favorite ingredient?
That’s not possible. Flaky salt.
Your least favorite ingredient?
Peanuts * I’m allergic!
Least favorite thing to do in a kitchen?
Peeling things
Favorite types of cuisine to cook?
Mediterranean. So everything…
Beef, chicken, pork, or tofu?
Beef
Favorite vegetable?
Mushrooms, if I had to choose one
Chef you most admire?
Julia Child past, Thomas Keller present
Recipe: Rack of Lamb with Pinot Noir Sauce
INGREDIENTS
Three 8-bone racks of lamb (1 1/2 pounds each), trimmed of all fat, bones frenched
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1 T minced garlic
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
Zest of one lemon
1 cup Pinot Noir
1 garlic clove
1 thyme sprig
1 cup chicken stock or canned low-sodium broth
2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 425°. Season the lamb racks all over with coarse salt, pepper, minced garlic, & lemon zest. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet and the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of oil in a medium skillet; both skillets should be ovenproof. Add 2 of the lamb racks to the large skillet and 1 rack to the medium skillet, meaty side down. Cook the racks over moderately high heat until well browned, about 4 minutes. Turn the racks and brown the other side, about 3 minutes longer.
Transfer the skillets to the oven and roast the lamb for 15 to 20 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the meat registers 120°or rare and 125° for medium rare. Transfer the racks to a carving board and let rest for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, set the medium skillet over high heat. Add 1/2 cup of the wine and bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits. Pour the wine into the large skillet and add the garlic and thyme. Set the large skillet over high heat, add the remaining 1/2 cup of wine and boil until reduced by one-third, about 3 minutes. Add the chicken stock and boil until reduced to 1/2 cup, about 8 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and discard the garlic and thyme sprig. Whisk in the butter, 1 piece at a time. Season with salt and pepper and strain the sauce into a warmed gravy boat.
To serve, cut the lamb into chops and arrange 3 chops on each dinner plate. Pass the Pinot Noir sauce at the table along with a little coarse salt for sprinkling on the lamb.
Recipe: Hot, Buttered Cauliflower Puree
INGREDIENTS
Two 2-pound heads of cauliflower, cored and separated into 2-inch florets
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup mashed potato
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
Salt
Pepper
Chives, chopped
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 325°. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the cauliflower florets until tender, about 7 minutes. Drain well. Spread the cauliflower on a large rimmed baking sheet. Bake for about 5 minutes, to dry it out.
In a small saucepan, combine the heavy cream with the butter and bring to a simmer over moderate heat just until the butter is melted.
Working in batches, puree the cauliflower and mashed potatoes in a blender with the warm cream mixture; transfer the puree to a medium bowl. Season with salt, pepper, and chives.
Recipe: Braised Baby Peas with Pearl Onions and Herbs
INGREDIENTS
12 pearl onions
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 pound baby peas, blanched
3 tablespoons low-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon finely chopped mint
1 tablespoon snipped chives
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
METHOD
Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Add the pearl onions and boil for 10 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water. Peel the onions, leaving the root end intact.
In a medium, deep skillet, melt the butter. Add the pearl onions and cook over moderately high heat until browned, about 3 minutes. Add the peas and simmer over moderate heat until the peas are tender and bright green, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat. Add the mint and chives, season with salt and pepper and serve. When plate is complete, garnish with roasted cauliflower florets and fresh mint.
Haul from Rancho Market, the pan-Latino market we visit on the tour
After Stormy Sweitzer developed a plethora of food sensitivites several years ago, she turned to her travel experience for recipe inspiration. Many international cuisines do not typically use the wheat and dairy products she needed to cut out of her diet, so she started shopping at the ethnic food markets in town.
There is a tremendous international community in Salt Lake City. (In part, due to the fact that SLC is a designated refugee-receiving area, has a large research university, and many foreign-born members of the LDS community immigrate to Utah, as families or new spouses.) As a result, there are a lot of interesting stores, restaurants, and artisan food products from around the globe to explore. And she wanted to introduce interested locals to them. Stormy has offered the tours for about four years now, just a few times each year, through the University of Utah’s Lifelong Learning Program, as well as through private tours.
She sees the class as a gateway to exploration. Her goals are to pique people’s curiosity, encourage them to play with incorporating foreign flavors into everyday cooking (as opposed to becoming expert at international cuisine), and learn how to navigate the shops and ingredients available in their community with confidence.
Teaching before the tour
On the tour, Stormy notes, “We eat our way around town, snacking on Indian Samosas and Chinese BBQ pork buns, having lunch at the restaurant inside of the pan-Latino market, and ending with cardamom spiced tea and chocolate-covered date-covered almonds or samples of fresh dates if they are season. The owners of the shops love that each time I hold a tour, I am introducing new customers to their stores and their home cuisines.”
“Most of the people that join my tours are recently-retired folks who are bored with their cooking and want to shake things up a bit now that they have time to play in the kitchen, friends who want to spend the day exploring together, and young foodies who love to cook and want a guide for their culinary adventures. Many have driven by the shops we visit a million times, but did not feel comfortable going in because they didn’t know what to expect or what to do even if they saw something interesting. “
Stormy notes that she gets a lot of participants by word-of-mouth. They eat something amazing at a dinner party thrown by a past participant and then want to know where their host learned to make ginger and black sesame crusted tuna or cactus fruit syrup over ice cream or where they found the ingredients to pull off a green curry with fresh spring rolls and grilled bok choy. One past participant even wrote to tell her that after the tour, and her subsequent kitchen play, she was planning a trip to Mexico to take a week long cooking workshop.
Best of all, Stormy says, “I do not teach people how to cook. I just invite them to taste, smell, touch, and explore the foods we encounter and to eat together. It is a very sensory, community experience. And, I talk about everyday uses for (e.g., add curry powder to their tuna salad, or a little Thai basil and lime juice to fresh watermelon), storage of, and resources to guide the preparation of the ingredients they decide to try.”
Stormy is a professional problem-solver, everyday explorer, and co-author, with her husband/collaborator Will Swanepoel, of the YA environmental spy thriller The Drowning Shark (which I love!). You can learn about the book at SierraRouge.com and more about Stormy’s work and recipes at StormySweitzer.com.
Food People Questionnaire (with a nod to Proust): What is your favorite food to cook at home?
My husband makes a killer biryani. I am happy to play a supporting role.
What do you always have in your fridge at home?
A lebanese garlic, olive oil and lemon juice condiment called toum made by Salt Lake City producer Laziz. We cook with it like nothing else.
What marked characteristic do you love in a person with whom you are sharing a meal?
Curiosity. About anything. It makes for interesting conversation and enjoyment of the meal.
What marked characteristic do you find unappealing in a person with whom you are sharing a meal?
Cell phone use.
Beer, wine, or cocktail?
I love a good cocktail, but what I drink really depends on the season.
Your favorite cookbook author?
Karen A. Page and Andrew Dornenburg, co-authors of my favorite cooking resource: The Flavor Bible.
Coconut knife found at SouthEast Asian Market used for pitting a cherry (one of Stormy’s favorite kitchen tools)
Your favorite kitchen tool?
My lemon squeezer and a coconut knife I found at a local Asian market; I use it to pit cherries in the summer.
Favorite types of cuisine to cook?
Indian and Mexican.
Beef, chicken, pork, or tofu?
Pork, although I’ve been eating way less animal protein lately than I normally do.
Favorite vegetable?
Kabocha squash. I eat it a few times a week in different ways: smoothie, roasted, soup, etc.
Chef you most admire?
Honestly, I’m a hole-in-the-wall-restaurant kind of eater.
Food you like the most to eat?
My mom’s homemade refried beans and rice. It’s what I grew up eating.
Food you dislike the most?
Gluten wreaks havoc on my system, but I would rather face the consequences of eating wheat bread occasionally or avoid bread altogether than eat a gluten-free substitute.
What is your favorite non-food thing to do?
Read. Voraciously.
Where is your favorite place to eat?
I travel a lot, so any place recommended by locals that leaves me thankful for having tried it is great in my book.
What is your favorite restaurant?
La Cai Noodle House, our favorite Vietnamese spot.
Do you have any tattoos? And if so, how many are of food?
Yes. None.
Belize-inspired key lime bars and easy Mayan Brownies
Recipe: Out of the Box Mayan Brownies
This recipe makes the most of traditional Mayan flavors…cocoa, citrus, cinnamon, chile, and vanilla… with the ease of your favorite store-bought fudge brownie mix. If you would like to use your own homemade brownie recipe in place of a mix, simply follow your own recipe’s instructions for eggs and oil/butter, and then add the extra cocoa, cinnamon, habañero, vanilla, walnuts and orange zest in the amounts listed below.
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 8″x8″ pan.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together brownie mix, cocoa, and cinnamon. Add eggs, butter/oil, and vanilla and mix well. Fold in habañero, walnuts, and zest.
Pour batter into pan. Bake according to package instructions, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Be careful not to overcook or edges will harden.
Recipe: Key Lime Coconut Bars
These Belize-inspired treats are packed full of flavor and will transport you to the tropics. You can make them gluten-free by using rice flour instead of all-purpose baking flour made from wheat. For a bit of a kick, add the optional habañero to the filling. Makes ~15 bars.
For crust
• 1 cup shredded non-sweetened coconut
• 1 ½ cups flour (all-purpose or rice)
• ½ cup powdered sugar + more for dusting
• 10 Tbsp butter, cut into small pieces (for dairy-free option, use vegan butter alternative)
For filling
• ¼ cup cups flour (all-purpose or rice)
• 2 Tbsp cornstarch
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 5 large eggs
• 2 cups sugar
• 2/3 cup key lime juice (~15 medium key limes)
• 2 teaspoons grated key lime zest
• ¼ tsp finely minced habañero chile pepper
Instructions
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Heat sauté pan to medium heat. Pour in 1 cup unsweetened coconut shreds and pan toast it, stirring continuously to prevent it from burning.
• Prepare crust in a large mixing bowl, by first combining the flour, ½ cup of sugar and ½ cup of the toasted coconut. Cut the butter into the flour-coconut mixture until it resembles coarse meal.
• Pour flour-coconut mixture into a lightly-greased 9-by-13-inch pan, and press it into the bottom of the pan (not the sides). Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven.
• While the crust is cooling, prepare the filling in a separate mixing bowl. Beating the eggs together well. Then, add in lime juice, lime zest, flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and optional habañero. Mix well. Quick tips: wear gloves when handling the habañero; your eyes will thank you later. ¼ tsp habañero is just enough to add a tiny, occasional bite; add more or less to taste. If you squeeze your own lime juice, strain it before adding it to the mix – it will help remove unwanted pulp and seeds.
• Pour filling into cooled crust and sprinkle the remaining toasted coconut on top. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden.
• Cool completely and chill until ready to serve. Cut into 2-inch squares. Dust with powdered sugar, if desired, before serving.
In September 2015, Chef Scott Simpson, along with his partners, opened the seafood restaurant, The Depot in Auburn, Alabama. It’s the newest dining establishment in a town which is also home to the well-known University of Auburn. Overall, the southern enclave, although small compared to larger urban areas, is home to more than sixty thousand individuals, mostly employed by the liberally based higher learning institution.
It’s a far cry from the Southern California beaches where Simpson grew up and many of the global culinary regions where his chef skills were perfected. For more than a decade, Simpson worked at the JW Marriott, first in Palm Springs and then, cheffing at the property in Quito, Ecuador. He joined Capella Hotel Group, luxury hotelier, as the opening chef for many of their new global properties. He skillfully crafted menus for the room and boards’ restaurants in Mumbai, Bali, Mexico, Singapore, the Caribbean, and domestically, in the United States south including Washington D.C, Virginia Beach, and then to Auburn. At each global stop, Simpson acquired cooking nuances used in each cuisine.
Simpson says of The Depot, “It’s not Auburn’s normal cuisine. The area hasn’t had global food, so our objective was for the eating experience to be educational yet still be identifiable as having Southern roots.”
Housed in a former train station, The Depot was reincarnated as a restaurant, a Southern hospitality showcase to its Victorian birth and former life as a transportation hub. Original black and white tiled floors have a polished sheen, a massive shining chandelier dusts a warm glow over the tufted, leather booths and wooden tables. It’s breathtaking food hall for Simpson to display his virtuosity, skillfully turning the former rail station into a delicious seafood brasserie. From the menu descriptions, there’s an international traveler and culinary master manning the stove, with the flash friedcobia wings served with a buffalo buerre blanc, blackened amberjack with a hoppin’ john risotto, short rib osso buco with an ancho demi glaze. Each item plucked is an ode to the Deep South combined with an international flavor.
With The Depot under Simpson’s adroit cookery talent, Auburn may have a destination restaurant to rival any of the big cities. Luckily, for the college town, Simpson is calling it home.
CHEF QUESTIONNAIRE (with a nod to Proust):
How long have you been cooking? Since I was 8. I have a picture of me on a chair so I could reach the stove and first cooked an omelet.
What is your favorite food to cook? Super fresh Seafood (It’s also my favorite NOT to cook – nothing like a delicious crudo or sashimi).
What do you always have in your fridge at home? Kerrygold butter, fresh garlic, cilantro, Hass avocados, lemons. Local farm eggs, cooked rice, raw tortillas, an array of international condiments ,and at least 3 distinct varieties of cheeses and some Albarino chilling.
What do you cook at home? “Somma Pasta” – I like to open my fridge and make a simple and spontaneous some-of-this and some-of-that dish. I love making creative pasta dishes. I received formal culinary training in Florence, and pasta is always a comforting and quick dish to make.
What marked characteristic(s) do you love in a customer?Adventuresomediners eager to step outside their norm and willing to trust me to introduce them to a new flavor or dish. Sharing guests who have enough appetite to keep tasting and tasting and sharing dish after dish at their table. Appreciative – I love customers who understand this is my artwork, I crave feedback and comments, I am always waiting to hear their honest assessment of the dish.
What marked characteristic do you find unappealing in a customer? I confess I am disappointed in those guests who come in, smile, and say “everything was so wonderful and delicious,” and then terrorize you later that week on Social Media.
Tupperware, Rubbermaid, or Pyrex? We use clear square Cambro’s in the restaurant to be more space efficient and reduce potential breakage. At home, my wife and I like more eco-friendly, Pyrex style glass containers. They don’t get scratched from scrubbing or stained from a curry or a Spicy tomato sauce.
Beer, wine, or cocktail? Wine: I spent a lot of my life working in restaurants with amazing wine cellars. I am totally spoiled and have a strong appreciation for the pleasure of wine with food. Plus, I’ve never read a Bible story of Jesus changing water into anything else but wine.
Your favorite cookbook author? I really respect the meticulous research and commitment to the authenticity of chefs like Rick Bayless or Marcella Hazan. Many other chefs throw all that out the window in order to market a gimmicky twist. Many longstanding recipes and techniques are the way they are for a reason.
Your favorite kitchen tool? Tasting spoons.
Your favorite ingredient? I think Garlic is delicious in most anything and the same for a squeeze of fresh lemon…and never underestimate the difference a great sea salt like Maldon makes.
Your least favorite ingredient? Sugar!
Least favorite thing to do in a kitchen? Waste something.
Favorite types of cuisine to cook? I really enjoy cooking Latin inspired dishes. Certainly I remain humbled by true Indian Cuisine. Still I try to satisfy myself with a semblance of Indian cooking I enjoyed there while working with some of the very best Chefs in all of India.
Beef, chicken, pork or tofu? I love them all, but beef is hands down what I most often crave – after fresh seafood. I start salivating when I see a tender juicy medium-rare steak. Fewer things are more satisfying than slicing into a perfectly cooked piece of properly aged, high-quality, well-marbled meat.
Favorite vegetable? Super tough question! Frequently I incorporate exotic mushrooms, or eggplant, which enhances many dishes. Also, I enjoy a very simple side of Sea Salt Maple Roasted Carrots that we pair with our Pecan Brown Butter Trout. Right now, I’m featuring some delicious Malabar spinach, rainbow chard, and Red Mustard frills, which are fresh and seasonal here in Auburn, Alabama.
Chef you most admire? I admire Jamie Oliver, simple pure style of cooking, his obvious, passionate enjoyment of cooking. More importantly, he aspires to more than selfish glory or feeding his own pocketbook – he puts his popularity and voice to much better use.
Food you like the most to eat? I enjoy bold spicy flavors. The cuisine of the Sun and Sea.
Food you dislike the most? Unauthentic, “mis-prepared” or ruined ethnic specialties.
How many tattoos?And if so, how many are of food? My art is all edible.
Recipe: Chef Scott Simpson’s Blue Corn Grits
Ingredients:
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 qt. water
1 cup stone-ground grits
2 ½ tablespoons butter
2 ½ tablespoons mascarpone
Crumbled artisan bleu cheese to taste
Preparation
1. Bring salt and water to a boil in a heavy saucepan over high heat. Whisk in grits, and cook, whisking constantly, 45 seconds. Scrape bottom and sides of the pot.
2. Return to a boil; cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook 20 to 25 minutes or until tender. (For a looser consistency, whisk in 2 to 4 Tbsp. water halfway through cooking.)
3. Stir in butter and mascarpone until fully melted. Garnish with artisan crumbled bleu cheese and serve immediately.
“Who doesn’t love cake?” Thus my introduction to Holly Farrell began, when I called her at her gardener’s cottage on an estate in the UK, near the Shropshire/Herefordshire border. Farrell is a serious gardener, mom of a toddler, and the author of Grow Your Own Cake: Recipes from Pot to Plate, a genius book that is both a backyard gardening guide and cookbook. The beautiful, inspiring photos are by Jason Ingram.
Farrell has a delicious twist to her cake recipes, though – she has a vegetable garden devoted to all things cake.How did this come about?
In college, Farrell majored in history. Which led, curiously, to gardening. What? Yes, well, love entered the picture, too, as you’ll find out in a moment. She got the growing bug working at a chili pepper farm, after which she trained at RHS Gardens Wisley, where she gained the Wisley Diploma in Practical Horticulture and the RHS Certificate and Diploma, both with Commendation – and met her husband! They now live on the country estate where he is the Head Gardener.
Soon, she started writing garden books – and freelancing on kitchen gardens for private clients. Now one thing that’s a bit unusual, you’d think, for gardeners – sometimes the accommodations where they lived didn’t have big gardens, because the estate had such extensive gardens! So, she has been growing her own fruit and vegetables for many years, in a variety of settings, from allotments to container gardens. I think for Farrell, gardening is like breathing – something you do no matter where you are. It was amazing to hear her clear passion for gardening – and her love of teaching how to grow things – from across the pond.
Farrell has always cooked, and always liked cake. This book is a glorious combination of the two, where ingredients you never thought would be in a cake are the stars – or the firmament.
lavender shortbread cookies
She hopes to inspire people to expand their gardens – and palates. This book will appeal to gardeners who are already growing, and bakers who have never gardened, too. Using freshly grown ingredients (including herbs and flowers) – especially from your own hand and land – makes such a difference. Can’t grow much? Start with herbs in pots on your windowsill, and get the rest from local farmers at your farmer’s market.
Rose cake
I love this book, for it teaches much in both the garden and the kitchen. If you know one, skip ahead to the other. But the recipes (50 of them!) shine, I will be honest. Her chapters include spring and summer cakes, autumn and winter cakes, afternoon tea, pudding, and savory bakes. When I asked what readers might be surprised about her book, Farrell mentions that she while she loves gardening, she doesn’t grow her own wheat, or raises cows and chickens – and the recipe that raises the most eyebrows is the savory cheesecake (you know I flipped right to that page after our afternoon chat, and indeed, I was both intrigued and impressed. Making soon!).
As a mom, I asked Farrell for tips were to get kids started baking (and gardening) early. She said to start early by baking sweet stuff! And while plenty of people are great at hiding vegetables in a cake, that’s not what she’s about. She prefers getting kids to appreciate growing things, picking, and then cooking them. Their time and efforts are rewarded and they’ll want to try it again (and again).
I was impressed with Farrell’s philosophy on gardening, eating, and life. She noted that, “so much goes into the experience of eating – where you are, who you’re with, if the sun is shining, etc. The cakes in the book will taste good, but hopefully you’ll be in a good place, a garden, and the satisfaction of having grown it yourself will make it better.”
To that end, she’s shared two recipes to inspire you.
Questionnaire, with a nod to Proust:
What is your favorite food to cook at home?
Cake! Or anything involving cheese.
What do you always have in your fridge at home?
Butter and eggs, and parmesan cheese (see above).
What marked characteristic do you love in a person with whom you are sharing a meal?
I’m terrible at deciding between dishes in restaurants, so it’s always nice when they order the other choice so I can try both!
What marked characteristic do you find unappealing in a person with whom you are sharing a meal?
Poor table manners.
Beer, wine, or cocktail?
Cocktail.
Your favorite cookbook author?
Too many to choose, but for the writing, Nigel Slater and recently Ruby Tandoh.
Your favorite kitchen tool?
My silicone spatula.
Favorite types of cuisine to cook?
Anything sweet – pudding, dessert, cake…
Beef, chicken, pork, or tofu?
Chicken, but I couldn’t live without pancetta for ragu.
Pea Cheesecake (told you. Make one!)
Favorite vegetable?
Broccoli – it’s what I crave when I’m under the weather, but for baking with, carrots.
Chef you most admire?
Jamie Oliver and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall do great work with their campaigns for better food.
Food you like the most to eat?
I couldn’t live without chocolate.
Food you dislike the most?
Visible fat on meat – I just can’t stomach chewing it. Or semolina and rice puddings, a school-dinner legacy.
What is your favorite non-food thing to do?
Gardening.
Who do you most admire in food?
Michael Pollan writes so well, and his Food Rules is brilliant.
Where is your favorite place to eat?
At the kitchen table with my husband and daughter.
What is your favorite restaurant?
The best meals I’ve ever had out were at Raymond Blanc’s Le Manoir, and at a little place called Da Enzo in Rome.
Do you have any tattoos? And if so, how many are of food?
Hah! No, sorry, I’m not nearly rock and roll (or brave) enough for tattoos.
Growing Carrots & Carrot Cake Recipe
Grow your own carrots…
G R O W CARROTS
When I first started growing my own vegetables, I had a friend who thought carrots is carrots is carrots. I presented him with my home-grown roots for dinner, pulled from the soil that afternoon. ‘Oh’, he said, ‘so that’s what carrots are supposed to taste like.’
BEST VARIETIES
For recipes that call for blended or grated carrot, sweet, juicy, long, blunt-ended varieties are best, such as ‘Sugarsnax 54’, ‘St Valery’,
any of the ‘Nantes’ type or the shorter ‘Amsterdam Forcing’ for growing in pots. When using whole carrots, as in Root veg
tarte Tatin, baby carrot varieties such as ‘Paris Market’ are a good choice, and also suitable for growing in pots.
PLANTING
Sow carrots in a sunny spot in spring, and again at intervals until late summer. Scatter the seed thinly in a drill in well-prepared soil free from large stones. Small carrots can be grown in pots, and this is actually preferable to growing them in heavy clay soils.
MAINTENANCE
Carrot flies are attracted by the scent of the foliage so avoid brushing it while tending the plants. To protect the crop from such pests, cover with horticultural fleece or fine mesh. Clear plastic tunnels can also be used if aired daily. Check the edges and folds regularly for slugs and snails. Thin the seedlings once the roots have grown to a usable size, leaving one plant every 10cm/4cm or so.
HARVEST
Satisfying as it is to just pull up carrots using the foliage, this should be avoided so the root does not break; instead use a fork to lever them out of the ground. Carrot thinnings provide the first harvest, while the main crop will be ready around four months after sowing.
Recipe: CARROT CAKE
for this amazing carrot cake!
Perhaps the most well-known of all the vegetable cakes, and with good reason, carrot cake comes in many guises. This sponge version is lightly spiced, moist and includes a zesty buttercream. It is light enough for baking with fresh, sweet carrots in summer.
MAKES A TWO-LAYER CAKE
YOU WILL NEED
2 x deep, round cake tins, 20cm/8in diameter, greased and base-lined
METHOD
• For the cake, preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F/gas mark 3. Grate the carrots, then blitz in a food processor or blender with the yogurt and orange juice to form a rough purée. Set aside. Sift the flour, sugar, spices and baking powder into a large bowl, then beat in the butter until it has coated the dry ingredients and the mix looks like breadcrumbs. Beat in the eggs until just incorporated, and then the carrot purée for 2–3 minutes. Divide between the two tins. Bake for 30 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean. Then remove from the oven and turn out the cakes to cool on a wire rack.
• For the candied carrot, using a zester or small knife, pare long, thin strips of carrot into a small saucepan. Then add the sugar and water. Bring to a simmer over a medium heat and cook for about 5 minutes, until a thin syrup has formed. Hook out the carrot strips and leave to cool on a wire rack.
• For the buttercream, sift the icing sugar and beat with the butter to combine, then add lemon juice to taste. Beat for 5–10 minutes until light and fluffy.
TO ASSEMBLE
Use half the buttercream to sandwich the two layers of cake together, and the other half to cover the top. Grate over the lemon zest and finish by sprinkling over the toasted nuts and candied carrot.
Recipe: PUMPKIN SODA BREAD
Soda bread, which is created using baking powder rather than yeast, requires no kneading and no proving. It is best served warm, making it an ideal choice for a quick weekend lunch. Tradition has it that the cross sliced into the top of the bread is to ward off the devil, but whatever the origin it makes each loaf easy to tear apart into
chunks to share.
MAKES 2 LOAVES
YOU WILL NEED
1 × baking sheet, dusted with flour
INGREDIENTS
500g/1lb 2oz plain flour, plus extra for dusting
1 tsp salt
pinch of freshly ground pepper
4 tsp baking powder
150g/5oz grated pumpkin
100g/3½oz grated
gruyere cheese
300ml/½ pint buttermilk
METHOD
• Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6. Mix the flour, salt, pepper, baking powder, pumpkin and three-quarters of the cheese quickly and thoroughly in a large bowl. Then make a well in the centre.
• Pour in the buttermilk and stir until it comes together as one ball of dough. Work as quickly as possible until the ingredients are all incorporated, but do not mix for longer than necessary to do this.
• Divide the dough into two equal pieces, and shape each into a ball. Put on to the baking sheet and flatten slightly. Cut a deep (almost to the base) cross in each ball, sprinkle with the remaining cheese and dust with a little flour.
• Bake for 25–30 minutes, until the bread sounds hollow when tapped on the base. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.
TO SERVE
Serve warm or cold. The loaves will last 2 days at most, and are best eaten as soon as possible after baking.
Inspiration, indeed. Spring is here – what are you planting, with a mind to bake and eat?
There is something about South Beach Meat Market’s Chef Sean Brasel which reminds one of a Western movie actor. His laconic descriptions about living in Colorado, tinged with the Midwest accent, bring to mind Clint Eastwood or John Wayne, a man of few words who allows his actions to speak, rather than blathering like a salesman (or a publicist). It’s the economy in his tone that displays his attention to detail. As a restaurant guest, you can envision him at his stainless steel eight-burner stove, seasoning his steaks according to the cut, a cowboy lassoing a cow before heading to the bull.
Miami Beach Dining Room, Meat Market
Sixteen years ago – on April 1, to be exact – Brasel moved to South Beach from Colorado, where his parents still live. He and his business partner, David Tornek, created Touch, a high-end concept restaurant complete with entertainment and glorious food. Brasel says, “It was perfect for the time. Food meeting nightclub. We – my business partner and I — needed to re-focus, and the question became ‘what do I want to eat?’” Hence, he created the aptly named Meat Market with three locations: South Beach, Puerto Rico, and Palm Beach. (Although, Brasel mentions another is on the way to Tampa.)
Mixed Grill featuring Steamed Crab Legs, Prime Deckel, and Petit Filet
It’s a luxury steakhouse, but the appeal lies not in just serving steak but the three-tiered menu as well as a special daily cut. There is a Meat Market’s Signature: New York, Rib Eye, Filet, and the sirloin which Brasel calls pichana, referring to the cut and its Brazilian name. (It differs from an American sirloin because the fat cap is left on, giving the beef more flavor. Smart.) His House Creations allows Chef Brasel to produce inventive marinades and sauces with the meat, including a steak sampler. (When did you go to a steakhouse and get a sampler plate with wagyu, a filet, and a NY strip? Seriously? When?) The last of the trio is the Reserved Cuts, which feature big and rich portions of Niman Ranch Prime Short Rib or thirty ounces of an Australian Tomahawk Ribeye. There are other goodies on the menu, but Brasel built a steak house, so you eat steak. Clearly, you aren’t a vegan.
Chef Questionnaire, with a nod to Proust:
Meat Market. photo credit Ben Rusnak
How long have you been cooking? I have been cooking since I was 15, so a long time!
What is your favorite food to cook? That all depends on the location of what and where I am cooking. If I am at work, I enjoy working on future dishes and playing with different concepts and ingredients.
If I’m spending a beautiful Sunday afternoon with friends cooking on a grill, then I will probably start planning five days before, marinating meats, sous vide, etc.
I also crave those smoky flavors that only a grill can give. I even go so far in my grill dreaming to pair different items with the type of grill I get to use; whether it’s a charcoal, wood or even a gas grill. Each one has its own characteristics that lend itself to specific flavor profiles.
And lastly if I am at home, I like making pasta. I don’t get much of an opportunity to cook it at the restaurant, so I take advantage on those rare days off. I also like to eat vegetarian-ish at home – making gnocchi the classic way right on the counter with no electric equipment, like they did in Italy years ago. For that same reason, I don’t own an electric mixer.
What do you always have in your fridge at home? Almond Milk, cold brew, fresh blueberries, Sriracha, and of course, lots of red wine.
Meat Market: Tomahawk, photo credit Ben Rusnak
What do you cook at home? See above
What marked characteristic do you love in a customer? The characteristics I love in customers are people that are not close-minded and are willing to be exposed to new carnivorous cuts. We have a lot of customers who specifically want the petit filet. Nothing against it, but that’s the vanilla ice cream of meat. I love it when a customer says, “Send me a cut I have never tried before,” and we can introduce them to something new. We have buffalo, wagyu and dry-aged Prime Certified Angus – all of which have more flavor than a normal filet, in my opinion.
What marked characteristic do you find unappealing in a customer? When you have customers who come into the restaurant and are already in a bad mood – it’s an uphill battle from the start. They come in already with a negative attitude and it’s hard to change that around. We can bend over backwards and offer them anything, but they won’t let us make them happy because they came in with that mindset.
Meat Market: Meat Sampler, photo credit Ben Rusnak
Tupperware, Rubbermaid, or Pyrex? Can I choose Cambro? That’s what we use in the kitchen. But at home, I love Pyrex because it doesn’t hold any flavors.
Beer, wine, or cocktail? Anyone who knows me knows that I have a passion for red wine, whether it’s cooking with it, drinking it, or pairing it.
Your favorite cookbook author? I can’t say a certain cookbook author, but I can say that I collect books. I really enjoy reading all the chefs’ little stories about how a dish inspired them or the childhood memories they speak of in a recipe. Having said that, my favorite read still has to be Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain. Although it is not a cookbook, it is just so well-written and his perception and his ability to transcribe that into words had me laughing hysterically. He is an amazing author.
Your favorite kitchen tool? I use the micro plane tool religiously. From truffle to macadamia nuts to orange and lemon zest, it is the ideal tool to put that “je ne sais quoi” into your dish.
Your favorite ingredient? I know it sounds cliché but truffle oil. It has such an indescribable quality, giving dishes a light umami twist. Sometimes I’ll put it in some dishes and most people can’t even catch it. It just adds that little twist of complexity.
Shrimp Ceviche
Your least favorite ingredient? Chicken. Ironically enough, I like to eat it but I feel like when I spend time cooking it, no matter what you dream up in the kitchen, at the end of the day, it’s still just chicken. I’ve done some special chicken dishes at Meat Market – with poulet rouge or corn-fed baby chicken – but it seems like customers are very hard to please when it comes to chicken. I think just plain old fried chicken done right is the best.
Least favorite thing to do in a kitchen? This is a tricky answer because I like cooking and cleaning. I love creating and I crave the adrenaline rush from working the line even when it’s hot and slammed. I guess I have to say I don’t like having to tell the cooks the same thing all the time. As chefs, we all get tired of saying the same sh*# all the time. It can ruin my night if I keep telling them the same instructions I told them last night and last week. I guess that’s why chefs throw pot and plates! (Smiles).
Favorite types of cuisine to cook? Living in Miami where it is such a melting pot of cultures, I really can’t limit myself to one type of cuisine. If I had to choose, I would say American with roots stemming from Latin America and the BBQ flavors of the Deep South. At Meat Market, I try to incorporate a lot of these different flavors and techniques into the menu.
Meat Market: Wagyu Carpaccio, photo credit Ben Rusnak
Beef, chicken, pork or tofu? Beef without a hesitation. Most people just think beef and steak, but beef is one of the most versatile ingredients in the kitchen. From charcuterie to marmalades to brines, cures, smokes, and of course, braises and roasts – there is a lot of creativity to be had with beef.
Favorite vegetable? I feel bad limiting myself to just one, but I have to say I had a deep admiration for pumpkin. There is so much you can do with it. I puree it, fluid-gel it, ferment it, pickle it, or just plain roast it. I can use it in so many different ways that it’s become a staple in my kitchen.
Chef you most admire? I have to say Chef Grant Achatz. I had the opportunity to visit Chicago and experience his 22-course menu at Alinea four years ago. His thought process is beyond imagination, and recently I went to his Alinea pop-up in Miami, and again, it was such an unbelievable experience. Who can imagine ever making a helium balloon out of green apple? He is the modern day Beethoven of food – beyond words.
Recipe: ASIAN BBQ LAMB RIBS
Asian BBQ Lamb Ribs
Executive Chef Sean Brasel – Serves 6 Lamb Rib Seasoning
6 lbs. Lamb ribs
¾ cup kosher salt
¼ cup smoked paprika
¼ cup crushed red pepper flakes
½ cup Herbs De Provence
½ cup El Toro Chili Powder
½ cup granulated garlic
¼ cup ground chile mix (ancho, chipotle)
METHOD: Using the seasoning, coat the lamb ribs and place in a pan for 4-6 hours in fridge. Then, add a small amount of water to the pan, cover with foil and let cook at 275° for 3-4 hours depending on the thickness of the ribs. Take ribs out of the pan and place on a sheet tray to cool. Once the ribs are cold, section them into individual chops.
Lamb Rib Sauce
16 fluid ounces hoisin sauce
½ cup rice wine vinegar
¼ cup mirin
1/3 cup sweet chili sauce
1 oz. siracha
METHOD: Place all ingredients into a blender and mix well.
Pickled Papaya
10 Papaya (not ripe), julienned
6 cups rice wine vinegar
3¾ cups sugar
4 oz. lemon grass
1 Tbsp. salt
1 star anise
METHOD: Bring all the ingredients, EXCEPT the papaya, to boil. Let the liquid cool and then pour over the julienned papaya. Cover and refrigerate.
Pickled Red Onion
8 red onions, julienned
6 cups red wine vinegar
1½ lbs. sugar
1 Tbsp. chili flakes
4 oz. sriracha
METHOD: Julienne onions and put to the side. Put other ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil. Pour liquid over the onions and let rest.
SLAW
¼ cup of Napa cabbage, sliced
1 oz. pickled red onion
1 oz. pickled papaya
2Tbsps. scallions, sliced
1Tbsp. olive oil
METHOD: Toss all the ingredients together until mixed.
TO FINISH/PLATE: Place lamb ribs, a few at one time, into a hot fryer and cook until crispy. Toss them in BBQ sauce and place them on a handful of the slaw; garnished with some chopped peanuts.
San Diego Mesa College Professor Dwight Furrow specializes in the philosophy of food and wine, aesthetics, and ethics. He is also a Certified Wine Specialist with certification from the Society of Wine Educators and an advanced level certification from the Wine and Spirits Educational Trust. Furrow is the author of Edible Arts, a blog devoted to food and wine aesthetics, and evaluates wine for the Sommelier Company. I am fascinated by his writings on Mindful Eating, and since discovering them, have enhanced my dining experiences with thoughtful practice.
Furrow’s new book, American Foodie: Taste, Art, and the Cultural Revolution, will change the way you think about food. In this book, he shares:
* How food preparation and consumption is both an art form and one of life’s essential pleasures.
* How slow and purposeful approaches to food can improve our lives as opposed to fast and convenient.
* Elements of American history that have kept the nation from developing its own respected cuisine – until now.
* The philosophy of the foodie craze as a search for aesthetic authenticity in our increasingly pre-packaged world.
* 10 reasons to eat mindfully (that have nothing to do with losing weight)
* Why food bloggers are the heart of the food revolution.
It’s time for a new way to look at food and how we eat – and Furrow does just that.
Food People Questions:
What is your favorite food to cook at home?
Soups. They can easily be adapted to any situation, are the perfect medium for creativity in the kitchen, and hard to screw up.
What do you always have in your fridge at home?
A good cheese, preferably a little stinky.
Parmesan crisps with soppreseta and Radicchio
What marked characteristic do you love in a person with whom you are sharing a meal?
A belief that the most important thing in the world is a good meal.
What marked characteristic do you find unappealing in a person with whom you are sharing a meal?
A mile-long checklist of foods they don’t like. (Exceptions for health issues, of course.)
Beer, wine, or cocktail?
Oh, definitely wine. Nothing goes better with food than wine.
Your favorite cookbook author?
Peter Kaminsky and Gray Kunz. To my knowledge they only wrote one cookbook, The Elements of Taste, but it was a revelation for me.
Your favorite kitchen tool?
Cast Iron Frying Pan. Versatile, indestructible, and holds up to high heat.
Favorite types of cuisine to cook?
Spanish (especially Tapas), Italian, Mexican
Peanut sesame noodles with Sichuan pepper
Beef, chicken, pork, or tofu?
Pork – nothing beats braised pork. Why is tofu on this list?
Favorite vegetable?
The ones that are really fruit: avocado and tomato
Chef you most admire?
Ferran Adrià. A genuine artist in the kitchen. Of course, his restaurant El Bulli closed. Knowing when to quit is a virtue.
Food you like the most to eat?
Tapas-style, lots of flavor sensations in one meal. If you don’t like something, you can just move on.
Food you dislike the most?
Eggs. They are fascinating, fun to cook, and I hate that I don’t like them. But I just don’t.
What is your favorite non-food thing to do?
Read, especially philosophy. No, I’m not a masochist.
Who do you most admire in food?
Artisan winemakers, brewers, coffee-roasters, and small build-from-scratch restaurant chefs/owners. They are doing it for love.
Where is your favorite place to eat?
Home. It’s where I can be creative and where my most appreciative audience resides.
What is your favorite restaurant?
Juniper and Ivy (San Diego), Uchi (Austin), Curate (Asheville), Pok Pok (Portland)
Do you have any tattoos? And if so, how many are of food?
No
Recipe: Pan-Fried Fish Filet with Radish and Citrus Sauce
The red radish is an afterthought – a colorful garnish or peppery accessory to a salad, but seldom the star of the show. This strikes me as a great injustice. After all, the radish is brightly colored, pleasingly plump, crunchy, and distinctively flavored. It’s not boring, offensive, or unwelcoming. It doesn’t deserve to be ignored.
I will make it my mission in life to rectify this injustice. The problem is that radishes lose their crunch and peppery flavor when you cook them. Boredom looms. But with just enough heat, they acquire a pleasing nutty/earthy flavor that pops when you pair them with caraway seeds.
So here is the launch of the Radish Redemption Project. Plenty of citrus and ginger, some soy to provide umami depth, and gently roasted radishes enhanced by the pungent notes of caraway make a fascinating sauce for buttery pan-fried fish.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
8 radishes, cleaned and trimmed
2 tablespoon olive oil (divided use)
2 small garlic cloves, minced
1/2 small onion, minced
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1 cup fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon caraway seeds, crushed
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 cup flour seasoned with salt and pepper
4 fish fillets, mildly flavored, such as tilapia or halibut
2 tablespoons butter
cilantro for garnish
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Slice radishes in half, pole to pole, then place the cut side down and cut each half into thirds. (Each radish is cut into 6 equal portions)
3. Toss sliced radishes with 1 tablespoon olive oil and roast in the oven for 6-8 minutes. Reserve. (Radishes should still have some crunch but lose their raw flavor. Be careful not to overcook)
4. Warm olive oil over medium heat. Saute onions and garlic until soft.
5. Add ginger and cook briefly, then add citrus juices soy sauce, honey, caraway seeds, and cumin and stir. When sauce begins to simmer, reduce heat to low then cover so the sauce does not reduce too much.
6. Pat fish dry and put seasoned flour on a dish or pan.
7. Heat frying pan to medium high and melt butter (be careful not to burn the butter).
8. Dredge fish in flour and fry in frying pan until fish is lightly browned and cooked through. (If your frying pan is too small for 4 filets, cook them 2 at a time and keep warm in the oven.)
9. While fish is cooking, adjust consistency of the sauce if necessary, add radishes to the sauce and increase the heat briefly so they will warm.
10. To serve, distribute sauce on plates with radishes on the border, top with fish filet and garnish with cilantro.
Niya Sisk is an editorial illustrator, designer, and author. She is happiest in the with either a wooden spoon or pencil in hand. Niya was raised in Northern California, where she built tree forts to host pretend dinner parties for the kids in the neighborhood. Luckily, she now has a real kitchen for real dinner parties. She recently created a gluten free cake cookbook, Cakes of Color—a purse size portable gallery of cake art with modern organic cake recipes. Cakes of Color: Gluten free recipes, illustrated and catalogued by color, was inspired by the Food and Wine section of The Art of Daily Cultivation. They Draw and Cook features her Green Tea Cake recipe in their wonderful world of food illustration.
Cakes of Color is a gorgeous cookbook, full of inspiration, joy, and, of course, color. Cakes of Color was approved to retail in 5 Whole Foods stores in the Bay Area in 2015. She’s currently illustrating a coloring book featuring food & wine and a portable gift book featuring her favorite recipes for clients and friends. Find more colorful inspiration at Niya’s Instagram.
Chef’s Questionnaire (with a nod to Proust):
What is your favorite food to cook at home?
I have a few of those.
Native American Crab & Corn Cakes with Abodo Sauce comes to mind immediately. I learned of this dish while in Sedona at the Enchantment Resort Mii Amo Cafe. The cookbook is simply exquisite. I brought it home with me, along with a beautiful wool cape. The cape has nothing to do with how good the food turned out. Well, who knows, maybe it did. Food and ritual are so closely tied. The Crab and Corn Cakes are very authentic and so delicious with the Abodo Sauce. I love to serve them with Champagne and arugula salad.
Another favorite is a simple comfort food recipe my mother taught me growing up – rosemary chicken. It’s such a flexible recipe. The staples are rosemary, garlic, salt, and pepper. But I will add ingredients like a bit lemon or olives and roast some red potatoes.
And I haven’t even begun to talk about Salmon. That’s nearly a staple in my home.
What do you always have in your fridge at home?
Carrots with parsley for my pet rabbit.
What marked characteristic do you love in a person with whom you are sharing a meal?
Slow eating, passion for the art of conversation, and a love for red wine. Okay that was 3 characteristics. But they all go together in a person who loves life.
What marked characteristic do you find unappealing in a person with whom you are sharing a meal?
That’s easy. Mobile phone at the table. Looking at a person while enjoying amazing food is such a luxury these days. I’m a redhead. A statistic when it comes to all that means. Fiery and quirky, often unpredictable. If a mobile phone is on the table, I simply can’t take responsibility for my actions after that. ; D
Beer, wine, or cocktail?
A full bodied Spanish wine. Smooth, complex and opens up in rhythm with the conversation in play.
Your favorite cookbook author?
This is the hardest question yet. Alice Medrich is right up there. She has a gift for bringing history alive with her use of flours in baking. Baking is my main passion. I’ve learned so much from her. She’s such a master at gluten-free she’s removed the word from her taster’s vocabulary.
Your favorite kitchen tool?
My bright lime green spatula. I swear it’s my new power tool.
Favorite types of cuisine to cook?
Salads, Cakes (desserts), Seafood.
Beef, chicken, pork, or tofu?
Chicken.
Favorite vegetable?
Jicama. But my rabbit is convincing me (with his abundant enthusiasm) that kale is best thing on earth.
Chef you most admire?
Maggie, the chef at Omnivores Cookbook, is amazing. She has recently captivated my imagination with how authentic, fresh and accessible her Chinese cooking recipes are. And her photographs are stunning. I’ve always been afraid of cooking Chinese but she makes it so captivating and easy. So delicious.
coffee on the beach (SF)
Food you like the most to eat?
Unfortunately, I’m crazy about CAKE. Luckily I also mountain bike and swim. ; D
Food you dislike the most?
No matter how amazing and awesomely cooked a beet is, I still can’t like it. People have tried. Oh, have they!
What is your favorite non-food thing to do?
Paint on a large canvas to loud and gorgeous music. Or illustrate whatever book I have in process. Coloring books, art books, cookbooks have been the theme the past 4 years.
Who do you most admire in food?
Deborah Madison, Greens Cookbook San Francisco. I have admired her for 20 years. I’ve worked through most of the recipes in Greens Cookbook. I have to say, I think she is a genius. Her meals, like Eggplant Gratin with Saffron Custard, could save the planet. So good.
Where is your favorite place to eat?
France. So creative and delicious. So much history. I never worry, I’m always up for all food adventures in France. Especially Paris and a few tiny village towns in the South of France.
What is your favorite restaurant?
That changes every month. I’m always food adventuring wherever I am. Right now, it’s Mediterranean Exploration Company in Portland, Oregon. I was blissed out for days after just one meal there.
Do you have any tattoos? And if so, how many are of food?
All my tattoos are on paper. I love to sketch, watercolor, monoprint the many colors and shapes of food. Food illustration is big passion.
Salmon and dinner party prep. Salmon recipe included. Illustrated for the Food & Wine section of The Art of Daily Cultivation by Niya C Sisk.
Recipe: Salmon with Lemon and Dill Recipe adapted from Shauna Prince, Portland, Oregon
Illustrated for the Food & Wine section of The Art of Daily Cultivation by Niya C Sisk.
Ingredients – serves 8
Two whole fillets of salmon (skin on/or skin off, ideally wild, around 2 ½ pounds each fillet)
Four medium lemons – two sliced in rounds (with skin on), one juiced, one sliced in wedges for garnish
1½ oz butter
Half a medium white or brown onion, cut in thin slices or wedges
3 tablespoons of white wine (optional)
1½ teaspoons of Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons of fresh dill – chopped. Plus sprigs for garnish
Salt (approx. ¼ tsp Kosher salt)
Freshly ground pepper (approx. ¼ tsp)
1½ tablespoons of olive oil
Method
Lightly sweat onion in butter until soft, but not browned. Add white wine, Dijon mustard, and lemon juice. Stir together and cool.
For each fillet, cut a piece of aluminum foil and a piece of parchment each slightly more than twice as long as your piece of fish. Be sure it’s large enough to fold over and seal your fish lengthwise. Lay the foil on the counter, then add the parchment paper on top of the foil. Place the fillet on top of the parchment – near one of the ends, skin side down. Repeat with the second fillet.
For the love of Olive Oil
Brush the top and bottom of each fillet lightly to coat with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Pour half the butter/wine/mustard/lemon juice mixture evenly over each fillet. Lay round slices of lemon, and chopped dill on top of the fish. Close up the foil packets to seal.
Heat up barbecue to 350F or medium-high heat (or your oven to 350F). Place fish packets on grill. Cook until the fish flakes lightly (be careful not to overcook it). Timing will depend on how thick your fish is – likely 10+ minutes for 1½ inch thick.
Serve with additional lemon wedges and dill sprigs. You can also make an easy accompanying sauce with good mayonnaise mixed with a small amount of lemon juice and salt. Add chopped capers and dill to the sauce if you like.
* Leftover salmon makes amazing fish cakes. Flake the fish, add 1- 2 lightly beaten raw eggs, any herbs that you want (e.g. dill, tarragon, sorrel), and enough breadcrumbs to hold the mixture together (panko works well). Add additional salt/pepper to your taste. Form into balls, and cook in a lightly oiled or buttered frying pan until brown. Turn and brown on the other side, and serve with lemon aioli.
The End. Go Eat.
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Born in Athens, Greece, Chef Dmitri Harvalis followed his mother to New York City at the age of seventeen. He never went back. Although not fond of the Big Apple, he had already started a love affair with Miami. It was the warm air and white sand of the North American peninsula that captured his young expatriate heart.
What marked characteristic do you love in a customer? When they allow me to get creative with their meal, no questions asked
