Winter 2014 - American Culinary Federation · competition,” says Vito Racanelli, executive chef, Mad Tomato, St. Louis, and competition host. “Bobby’s enthusiasm and intense

investigate a

foodservice sales career

sous vide menu trend

explore the cuisine of Thailand

sizzle Winter2014

The AmericAn culinAry FederATion QuArTerly For STudenTS oF cooking

22 2816

facebook.com/ACFChefs @acfchefs

2 Sizzle Winter 14

Publisher American Culinary Federation, Inc.

Editor-in-Chief Jessica Ward

Senior EditorJody Shee

Graphic Designer David Ristau

Contributing Editors Rob Benes

Suzanne HallEthel Hammer

Jody Shee

Direct all editorial, advertising and subscription inquiries to:

American Culinary Federation, Inc.180 Center Place WaySt. Augustine, FL 32095

(800) [email protected]

Subscribe to Sizzle: www.acfchefs.org/sizzle

For information about ACF certification and membership,

go to www.acfchefs.org.

Sizzle: The American Culinary Federation Quarterly for Students of Cooking (ISSN 1548-1441), Winter Volume 11, Number 4, is owned by the American Culinary Federation, Inc., 180 Center Place Way, St. Augustine, FL 32095. Send email address changes to Sizzle at [email protected]. All rights reserved. Reproduction without written permission of the publisher is forbidden. All views and opinions expressed in Sizzle are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the officers, employees, contractors or members of the American Culinary Federation.

features16 Networking can Help

Advance Your Career Start networking early to get a head start on landing

that first job.

22 Sous-vide Menu Trend Chefs use sous vide to enhance complicated dishes and

speed up service.

28 Consider a Career in Foodservice Sales

Learn how chefs can turn their cooking experience into a successful sales job.

departments4 President’s Message ACF president Thomas Macrina, CEC, CCA, AAC, challenges culinary students to set

three goals in the new year.

5 Amuse-Bouche Student news, opportunities and more.

8 Slice of Life Steve Boresz walks us through a busy day in his apprenticeship as a line cook for

Gemini Grille at Hilton Polaris, Columbus, Ohio.

10 Classical V. Modern J. Kevin Walker, CMC, and Josh Page demonstrate the classic French dish Poulet Saute

a la Bourguignonne two ways. Learn the procedures and then try it for yourself.

34 By Degrees Paul Sottile shows how to make paupiettes using flatfish.

36 International Flavors Marla Simon shares her experiences with Thai cuisine during a culinary trip to

Bangkok and Koh Samui.

42 The Interview Learn how Asheville, North Carolina, chef Katie Button went from pursuing a

doctorate in neuroscience to executive chef of her own restaurants.

46 The Quiz Read this issue? Now test your knowledge.

47 Last Bite Baltimore chefs offer their local dining picks.

sizzleThe American culinary Federation Quarterly for Students of cooking

Cover photo by J.

Kevin Walker, CMC.

See page 10.

• Explorepop-uprestaurants

• Discoverthenontraditionalfishtrend

• Consideracareerasacakedecorator

NExt iSSuE

One Team.One Dream.

ACF Culinary Team USA competes at the Expogast Villeroy & Boch

Culinary World Cup, Nov. 22-26, in Luxembourg. Support these

talented team members as they represent the culinary industry,

ACF and the U.S. in this major international culinary competition.

Left to right: Ben Grupe; George Castaneda, CEC; Jason Hall, CMC; Aaron Haga, CEC; Timothy Prefontaine, CEC, coach;

Joseph Leonardi, CEC; Corey Siegel, CC; Matthew Seasock, CEC; Shawn Culp, CEC; Joseph Albertelli; and Alison Murphy.

Like team on Facebook and FoLLow us on twitter @ACFChefsACFCulinaryTeamUSA2016 watch the

video acfchefs.org/Team

4 Sizzle Winter 14

PrESiDENt’S mESSAGE ready, set, goals

president’smessageReady, Set, GoalsBy Tom Macrina, CEC, CCA, AAC

Hello, students,

The holiday season is here and 2015 is around the corner. Now is the time to start planning your goals for next year. It is important to do this at checkpoints in your life to make sure you are staying on the path to reach your career dreams. Before the new year is a great time to check in, think about your future and re-energize yourself.

As culinarians, we know that proper preparation and planning is key to success in the kitchen. These principles can also be applied to the rest of your professional life. Without goals, we lack focus and direction. Take some time before the holiday rush is upon you to think about your future in the next few years. Then set three attainable goals that are relevant to your career.

I emphasize attainable because many times we set ourselves up for failure by setting goals that are too big and we are not ready to

sort of a map of your journey. Keep yourself accountable and on track by setting completion dates for your goals. Visit your action plan at those dates to remind yourself where you are going. When you accomplish a goal, be sure to scratch it off your list and record your success. Once you complete those three goals, start a new list. When you look back before the next new year, you will be surprised and proud of how much you have accomplished.

Goal setting will make you think about your ideal future and motivate you to turn your vision into reality. So this new year, make it your goal to start setting goals.

Sincerely,

tom macrina, CEC, CCA, AAC National PresidentAmerican Culinary FederationProduct Specialist manager/ Food Fanatics™ Chef uS Foods, inc., Philadelphia

accomplish. Have big dreams, but realize that it will take achieving numerous small goals to get you there. If your goals are too big and you keep failing, you will lose confidence and stop trying to reach for what you want.

Don’t set a goal that is impossible for you to achieve at this time in your life. If your goal is to work at a restaurant with three Michelin stars, more than likely that is not going to happen right out of culinary school. You need to think about what you can realistically do at this time to reach that dream. Plan your way. Set three goals you feel you can accomplish.

It is important to set specific goals that are time bound. Don’t set more goals than you can achieve. We are usually much busier than we realize and adding too much to our daily routine can cause failure, too.

Write down your goals and your ideas on how to attain them. Make yourself an action plan as

5www.acfchefs.org www.sizzle-digita l.com

amuse-boucheNews & Opportunities

scholarship watchNew culinary scholarship Charlie Trotter’s Culinary Education Foundation recently donated $25,000 to the American Culinary Federation Education Foundation (ACFEF) for culinary arts scholarships. Ten

scholarships in $2,500 increments will be

awarded to students in 2015. Criteria for the award will

be based on financial need and grade point

average. To apply, students need to be enrolled or accepted in a post-secondary, accredited culinary arts program. For more information, visit http://bit.ly/1ac9YFB.

Scholarship for communicatorsIf you plan to enter the field of food or foodservice communications after you graduate from culinary school, you could be eligible to receive a scholarship from the International Foodservice Editorial Council (IFEC). Among the career goals IFEC looks to support are food or foodservice writer or editor, food- or foodservice-

related marketing or public relations, food photographer and food stylist. Scholarship award amounts range from $250-$6,000 and will be given in July. The application deadline is March 15, 2015. For more information, visit http://bit.ly/1sRxZdv.

get techy with cookingHands-free recipe appSideChef recently launched an iPhone version of its popular iPad cooking app. For cooks at all levels, the app features over 1,000 recipes from chefs, food bloggers, Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Atlanta and Alice Water’s Edible Schoolyard Project. Highlights of the app include a hands-free narrative option for the step-by-step directions and voice-command control. Learn more about SideChef at www.sidechef.com.

6 Sizzle Winter 14

AmuSE-bouChE news & opportunities

Sausage and beer appHillshire Farm just launched an American & Ethnic Sausage Menu Guide app for iPhone and Android. The app targets foodservice operators, but provides a wealth of information on sausage and craft beer. It includes videos on sausage making, a regional sausage preference map, suggested sausage and beer pairings and information on beer flavor profiles. Learn more about the app in the iTunes or Android store.

Former ACF apprentice wins chef battleFormer ACF apprentice Robert Trampier (pictured), CSC, sous chef, St. Louis Country Club, St. Louis, is the youngest chef ever to win the 10th annual Stella Artois Chef Battle Royale held in St. Louis, Sept 19-21. The 27-year-old chef is also the first sous chef and country club chef to win this competition. His notable dish for the judges was Tasting of Apples made with Stella Artois Cidre-poached apple, hazelnut bavarois, lemon citrus cider gelee, hazelnut praline paste, sable breton, spiced cranberry glaze, chocolate leaves and a white chocolate twist.

“It is really one of the best desserts I’ve ever seen during 10 years of this competition,” says Vito Racanelli, executive chef, Mad Tomato, St. Louis, and competition host. “Bobby’s enthusiasm and intense focus will most certainly lead him to a very fruitful career in the culinary world.”

Trampier completed a three-year ACF apprenticeship in 2012. His apprenticeship took place at Racquet Club Ladue, St. Louis; Forest Hills Country Club, Chesterfield, Missouri; and Algonquin Country Club, St. Louis.

the taste of sweet competitionTropical cupcake delightsTop honors went to Alexis Pelaschier of Sickerville, New Jersey, in the Academy of Culinary Arts at Atlantic Cape Community College Cupcake Wars: Miss America Challenge held in Mays Landing, New Jersey. Pelaschier won for her Virgin Island-themed vanilla cupcake with mango filling. Sixteen students organized and competed in the Miss America Pageant-themed competition that required students to create mini cupcakes representing ingredients from a U.S. state/territory. Runner-up in the competition was Jennifer Vacca of Brick, New Jersey, with a Maryland-themed cupcake that featured Old Bay seasoning in the buttercream frosting.

left: Alexis Pelaschier

right: Jennifer Vacca


18 chefs as they brave host Gordon Ramsey’s fiery command each week for a chance to win a head-chef position at one of Ramsey’s restaurants. Santos started in finance before he decided to switch careers and attend culinary school. He interned with Delaware North Cos. at TD Garden and, in 2013, was named head chef at TD Garden’s Premium Club’s Executive Suites. Santos is an ACF member through Delaware North Cos.

good read“In Search of the Perfect Loaf: A Home Baker’s Odyssey” (Viking, 2014) by Sam Fromartz. Students who enjoy bread baking might want to check out this book by journalist Sam Fromartz that documents his journey working with artisan bakers in Europe and the U.S. to perfect his baking skills. The book weaves together the history of grains, the science of bread making and the personalities of bakers to create an informative account on bread and bread baking. It includes detailed recipes, tips and photographs. Learn more about Fromartz and read the book reviews at http://bit.ly/1u4FqKS.

Send us your news!Do you want to appear in our next issue? If so, we want to hear from you. Send recipe contests, student accomplishments and school announcements to [email protected].

Apply to competeThe American Culinary Classic, an internationally sanctioned culinary competition by the World Association of Chefs Societies, will take place during the 2015 American Culinary Federation National Convention, July 30-Aug.3 in Orlando, Florida. The competition is open to regional, college, company and military teams. Each team must have a team manager, three chefs and a pastry chef. The application deadline is March 30, 2015. To learn more and download an application, visit http://bit.ly/1sLEM9J.

young chef movesFormer ACF student champ lands a big jobJohnMichael Lynch, 2008 ACF National Student Chef of the Year and 2013 ACF Southeast Region Chef of the Year, was named executive chef for Ristorante Cavour at Hotel Granduca, Houston. Lynch, who started cooking in high school and graduated from The Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park, New York, plans to revamp the menu and recently launched a weekly tasting menu. Among his starter dishes is hand-pulled mozzarella with grilled peaches, prosciutto and aged balsamic. One of his entrees features crispy pan-seared branzino fish served with asparagus puree, basil lemon sauce, peeled and marinated cherry tomatoes with saffron pickled fennel.

ACF member is taking the heat on “Hell’s Kitchen”Brian Santos (pictured), CSC, sous chef with Delaware North Cos. at TD Garden in Boston, made the casting call and is competing on Fox’s “Hell’s Kitchen,” which airs Wednesdays at 8/7 Central. The show follows

8 Sizzle Winter 14

SliCE oF liFE steve boresz

slice of lifeSteve Boresz

age29

educationApprenticeship program at Columbus State Community College (CSCC), Columbus, Ohio. On schedule to graduate in 2015 with a Certified Sous Chef credential.

work Line cook at Gemini Grille at Hilton Polaris, Columbus

why I chose CSCCI attended Ohio State University, Columbus, for 3 years and struggled to figure out what I wanted to do. I found my passion for food when I started working in professional kitchens 7 years ago and I began to pursue a culinary career. During my time as a banquet cook at Hilton Polaris, I decided to enroll in the culinary apprenticeship program at CSCC.

The culinary program at CSCC has an increasingly strong reputation. This year it was selected by FSR magazine as one of the top 20 culinary programs in North America. That accolade, along with affordable tuition, made it a no-brainer. I am also enrolled in the baking and pastry arts track.

most interesting lessonIn my first position at the restaurant, I washed dishes. It was wet, exhausting, labor-intensive work, but it shaped the mold for the cook I would become. The day I moved up to line cook, my manager put his hand on my shoulder and told me to never forget where I started. I take those words with me every day, because it drives me to work hard and to never be above lending a helping hand.

career plansMy goal is to obtain a sous chef position, hopefully within the company that manages Hilton Polaris.


3:00 a.m.It’s Easter Sunday—one of the busiest days our kitchen will see all year. On Sundays, I operate the omelet action station. Usually I don't come in this early, but chef Ball asked if I wanted to make baguettes and ciabatta for this special brunch. I couldn't refuse.

3:15 a.m.We are the only ones here and, for once, the kitchen is calm and quiet. We start the bread immediately. The poolish starter for the ciabatta was done yesterday and has been fermenting overnight. We start to prepare the dough.

7:00 a.m.The rest of the brigade has arrived. The kitchen is buzzing and full of energy. For Easter, we implement several action stations such as cheese, garde manger, sushi and saute.

7:30 a.m.Our dough has undergone

the appropriate fermentation and

folding required for flavor and gluten development. Chef Ball takes charge of the ciabatta but lets me help him shape the baguettes. He

works quickly and produces wonderful

shaped loaves. It’s my first time and

I struggle with it. However, when I finish

it looks like bread.

8:00 a.m.I break from making bread to finish my mise en place for the omelet station. Normally I see about 60 guests, but there will be nearly 400 today. I start prep for six times the normal quantity and hope it will be enough.

8:30 a.m.Prep is going well. I stock up on mushrooms and spinach, as those ingredients are more popular. Other ingredients I keep in my mobile “pantry” are onions, bell peppers, tomatoes, ham, bacon, sausage, Swiss and cheddar.

9:00 a.m.I gather my ingredients into 10 6-inch pans and pack gallon plastic bags with backup ingredients to hold in ice-filled bus tubs underneath my station. I like to pour the eggs from silver water pitchers, as it is easier than using a ladle. I fill a few pitchers, as well as two 8-quart cambros for backup. I don't want to have to call for ingredients on the fly while I am in the middle of service.

10:30 a.m.I man the omelet station and take a second to mentally prepare for the rush. My friend Brad is on saute and does a funny dance when he sees me looking at him. I laugh and feel more at ease.

11:30 a.m.It's busy, but thankfully it is controlled chaos. I use five portable gas burners and can make 2½ omelets at one time. I take orders from people standing in line so that they can come back when their omelet is ready. I put

one of each ingredient they ask for on a small plate and set it aside so that I can remember what they wanted. The rush lasts over 4 hours.

2:00 p.m.At this point, I must be a good 200 omelets in. Fortunately, the only thing that I’ve run out of is my reminder plates, but a smooth transition to ramekins solves that problem. Sometimes the omelets take a little longer than guests may be used to, because I cook the ingredients in layers according to its appropriate cook time. The guests don’t mind waiting, and some thank me for browning the mushrooms and onions before I add tomatoes and spinach. A tiny dollop of whipped butter at the end makes a nice finish.

4:00 p.m.The day finishes smoothly and everyone has cleaned and broken down their stations. Word has it that the chef is having all the cooks over to his place to celebrate a job well done and to take care of the leftovers. It should be fun.

10 Sizzle Winter 14

Bourguignonne sauce originated in the Burgundy region of France, which is also well known for its wines, coq au vin dishes, escargot, poultry, beef and soft cheese. It is a quick pan sauce using wine rather than stock as the base. It features onions, mushrooms and bacon to build flavor and as a garnish. The recipe for this dish is found in Auguste Escoffier’s “The Complete Guide to Modern Cooking.” In true Escoffier style, the recipe builds on itself requiring a solid understanding of cooking techniques and methods.

Many of Escoffier’s recipes are open to interpretation, but this recipe is straightforward in listing all the ingredients and cooking techniques, says Page.

Poulet Saute a la Bourguignonne, which means, “as

prepared in burgundy,” is a lesser-known French dish than its counterpart boeuf a la bourguignonne. However, it is a recipe worth mastering. When J. Kevin Walker, CMC, who developed the modern recipe for this dish, was preparing for American Culinary Federation’s (ACF) Certified Master Chef (CMC) exam he prepared this dish several times. This year it is the required classical dish for ACF’s Student Team Competition and the main reason Walker, director of food, service and clubhouse operations at Grandfather Golf & Country Club, Linville, North Carolina, and ACF Culinary Youth Team USA member Josh Page chose this dish for Classical V. Modern.

ClASSiCAl v. moDErN poulet saute a la bourguignonne

classical v. modern

top: J. Kevin Walker, CMC

bottom: Josh Page

Walker considers this dish fundamental for students to master. “Escoffier is the one cookbook chefs must know. Everything he explains makes complete sense, and it is an important book for students to be grounded in when cooking. You must do the fundamentals well before you do the other stuff,” he says.

Though this dish may be an easier-to-follow Escoffier recipe, it still requires a strong grasp of several culinary techniques. “Being able to cook chicken properly and to a perfect temperature is a skill that people take for granted,” says Page. “If you can’t saute a piece of chicken, why would you be given an emersion circulator and gel and be expected to perform molecular gastronomy?”


CoNtEmPorAry PoulEt SAutE A lA bourGuiGNoNNE1. Chicken, the main component, was recreated in a pave

with mushroom mousseline and applewood bacon.

2. A croquette was made from leftover chicken legs, red

wine and tomato paste. 3. A sauteed crimini mushroom is a

garnish along with sauteed Brussels sprout leaves.

4. Butternut squash pave made with cream and such

seasonings as cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg. 5. Red

onions pickled in rice vinegar and jalapeno. 6. Pureed

broccoli adds color to the plate between the butternut

squash and pave. 7. The sauce is made from left over

braising liquid from the croquette. 8. Quenelle garlic puree

completes the garnish.

modernClASSiCAl PoulEt SAutE A lA bourGuiGNoNNE1. Chicken for this dish is first prepared on the stove top

to develop a good sear and then finished in the oven.

2. Pearl onions and mushrooms are the traditional

garnish for this dish. 3. Sauteed spinach made with olive

oil, shallots and fennel adds color to the dish.

4. Roasted cauliflower represents a side dish that would

be traditionally served family style with the chicken.

5. Herb fingerling potatoes boiled, then fried in the

pan with shallots, rosemary and parsley. 6. The red

wine sauce is thickened with a beurre manié. When

complete, the sauce should coat the back of the spoon.

classical

12 Sizzle Winter 14

ingredients:1 oz. butter4.5 oz. streaky bacon,

diced, blanched 8 pearl onions, peeled3.5 oz. crimini mushrooms,

cleaned, quarteredSalt and pepper to taste1 whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces2 garlic cloves, crushed7 oz. red wine1 oz. butter, mixed with flour to form

beurre manié5 oz. flour

method:1. Heat large saute pan over

medium-high heat. Add butter; fry bacon with onions and mushrooms until browned.

2. Remove bacon, onions and mushrooms; keep warm.

3. Season chicken; saute in the same pan until colored nicely.

4. Add bacon, onions and

classical Poulet Saute a la Bourguignonneyield: 4 servings

mushrooms back to pan; cover with lid; finish in 350°F oven until chicken reaches internal temperature of 155°F.

5. Remove chicken and garnish; keep warm.

6. Drain fat from pan; add crushed garlic; deglaze with wine; reduce by half.

7. Whisk in beurre manié. Adjust seasoning as needed.

Herbed fingerling potatoesingredients:½ gallon water8 oz. salt1 sachet, peppercorns,

bay leaf, thyme15 fingerling potatoes2 oz. olive oil¼ oz. shallots, minced1 sprig rosemary, minced¼ bunch parsley, mincedSalt and pepper to taste

method:1. Add water, salt, sachet and

potatoes to medium-sized pot.2. Bring water to simmer; cook

potatoes until 75 percent done, approximately 8 minutes.

3. Cool potatoes in cooking liquid

over ice bath. Remove

potatoes from water; cool. Cut

in half lengthwise.

4. Heat medium-sized cast iron

pan over medium heat. Add oil.

Place potatoes cut side down

in pan; fry until potatoes are

cooked through and browned

on cut side.

5. Add shallots to pan; toss. Finish

with herbs; season to taste.

6. Remove potatoes from pan; drain

over paper towel lined sheet pan.

Sauteed spinachingredients:

1 oz. olive oil

Shallots, pinch

Fennel, pinch

2 oz. spinach

Salt and pepper to taste

method:

1. Heat medium-sized saute pan

over medium heat.

2. Add oil; sweat shallots and

fennel until translucent.

3. Add spinach; saute over

medium-high heat.

4. Season to taste; remove from

pan. Drain over paper towel

lined sheet pan.

Roasted caulifloweringredients:½ head cauliflower, trimmed

1 oz. olive oilSalt and pepper, as needed

Clarified butter, as needed

method:1. Toss cauliflower in olive oil, salt

and pepper.

2. Heat medium-sized saute pan

over medium-high heat; add

clarified butter.

3. Place cauliflower in pan with cut

side down. Cook in 350°F oven until

tender. Remove, season to taste.

Plating procedure:

1. Place 5 potatoes at 10 o’clock

in bowl.

2. Place spinach to the right of

potatoes.

3. Plate 3 cauliflower florets at 2

o’clock.

4. Place chicken and garnish in

front of vegetables.

5. Place sauce in front of chicken.

classicalJosh Page is 23 and has already traveled across the country and back for cooking. Page started as a front of the house manager at a deli in his hometown of Boone, North Carolina. To learn more about back of the house operations, he enrolled in the culinary arts program at Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College, Asheville, North Carolina. There he became interested in culinary competitions and joined the student team. In 2013, he was a member of the A-B Tech student team that won ACF’s Southeast Region Team Championship in Louisville, Kentucky.

After that win, he mustered the courage to ask competition

judge J. Kevin Walker for career advice and was offered a position at The Vintage Club in Indian Wells, California, where Walker was executive chef. His latest competition endeavor landed him a spot on ACF Culinary Youth Team USA and a line cook position back in North Carolina at the Grandfather Golf and Country Club.

Page’s five-year goal is to open a restaurant. “I am a big believer in working on my dreams to make them a reality,” he says. “I believe in being in control of my situation. Having my own restaurant will allow that.”

He is preparing for that challenge through culinary competitions

and working for established chefs. “Walker is a great mentor,” says Page. “He inspires and motivates you.”

Page decided to recreate the classical dish Poulet Saute a la Bouguignonne for Classical V. Modern to help other student competitors achieve their goals.

Poulet saute recipes are not complete meals. Classically, the dish is served in a crock with vegetable sides presented family style, says Page. That is why he included cauliflower and fingerling potatoes with his recipe.

He practiced the dish twice. The most difficult technique was getting a good sear on the

chicken. The trick is to cook it on medium-high heat and resist the urge to move it around the pan. Adding the ingredients at appropriate times is also key. He found that in order not to burn the bacon but still get a good color on the vegetables, it is important to add the garnish vegetables right after searing the bacon.

If students want to make changes to the dish, Page suggests changing the choice of wine used to create the sauce. Much of the sauce’s flavor depends on the type of wine and brand used, he says.


14 Sizzle Winter 14

modernJ. Kevin Walker started cooking at age 12 and credits his grandmother for getting him started. “She was a great cook,” he says. Since age 14, Walker held dishwasher and prep-cook positions at various restaurants. He wasn’t serious about a culinary career until he started a working at Arizona Biltmore in Phoenix. There he learned about The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park, New York, and decided to attend.

It was at the CIA that Walker got a chance of a lifetime. In 1989, he was put in charge of the kitchens and apprentices during the second ever Certified Master Chef Exam where

he met many of his mentors. This also encouraged him to take the 10-day test in 2002. “I wanted to know if I could match up to the chefs I held in high regard and decided to test for the designation,” says Walker.

As a judge for ACF competitions, Walker has met several talented culinarians and brought them onboard at country clubs where he has worked, including Cherokee Town and Country Club in Atlanta and The Vintage Club. Many of the young cooks that worked for him have been successful competitors because he believes in giving his employees the platform and opportunity to compete. “Competition is good, it is

healthy and it makes everyone in the kitchen better cooks,” he says.

Walker is inspired by classical ideas with a twist. Though he has prepared this dish several times, this is the first time he has done a modern version. He decided to make the chicken element as a pave with porcini powder to show off the line pattern created by the layered chicken as a focal point for the final plate.

To emphasize the mushroom and bacon component of the classic version, he incorporated them through the mousseline, pave, bacon-mushroom ragout and the garnish. He also prepared a butternut squash pave and roasted butternut squash for sides. He prepared the squash two

ways in order to utilize all parts of the ingredient, which is an element from the classic recipe.

Even with many components, the plating for this dish is clean and simple. When Walker is plating a dish, he remembers what mentor Ferdinand Metz, CMC, said, “Always look to see what you can take away from the plate to make it better.” Doing something simply is much harder than building it up, Walker says.

For him, the challenge with this dish was finding the balance between keeping the integrity of the ingredients while still creating a contemporary look.

Chicken for paveingredients:4 skinless chicken breasts2 chicken tenderloins2 oz. porcini powder2 oz. Activia (Transglutaminase)8 slices applewood smoked bacon, 15-18

slice thickness

method:1. Fabricate two chickens, removing skin; reserve

thighs and legs.2. Cut breast into long strips mimicking tenderloins.3. Remove sinew from breast and

tenderloins; reserve. 4. Combine porcini powder and Activia; reserve

in cheesecloth sachet.5. Preheat water bath with immersion circulator

to 65.55°C; line 6-x 9-x 2-inch pave pan with plastic wrap.

mushroom mousseline ingredients:2 T. olive oil8 oz. assorted wild mushrooms, sliced thick 2 oz. red onion, small diced½ T. fresh thyme, chopped1 cup red wineSalt and pepper to taste4 chicken thighs, skinned, deboned4 egg yolks4 oz. cream1 T. italian parsley, chopped

Contemporary Poulet Saute a la Bourguignonneyield: 8 servings

method:1. Heat olive oil in saute pan, add mushrooms;

saute until seared. Add red onions, thyme; continue to saute until cooked.

2. Deglaze pan with red wine; reduce sec. Remove from heat; cool.

3. Clean thighs; remove excess fat and sinew.4. In food processor, combine chicken thighs

with egg yolks and cream; season with salt and pepper; blend. Add sauteed mushrooms and Italian parsley; fold in; reserve.

Assemble pave ingredients:Chicken for pavemushroom mousselineApplewood bacon

method: 1. Line bottom of pave pan with bacon slices,

covering completely. Sprinkle with some of the porcini/Activa mixture.

2. Toss chicken strips individually with porcini/Activia mixture, coating completely; layer into pan.

3. Fill remaining portion of pave pan with mushroom mousseline.

4. Wrap pan with plastic wrap several times. Place in Cryovac bag; seal tightly.

5. Place bag in water bath; cook at 65.55°C for 90 minutes.

6. Remove; chill in ice bath for 30 minutes. Place in cooler overnight.

7. For service, remove from mold, bottom up; slice into 1½-inch x 3½-inch rectangles.

croquetteingredients: 4 chicken legs

2 oz. mirepoix2 T. tomato paste1 cup red wine2 cups chicken stock1 bouquet garni sachetStandard breading station

method:1. In saucepan, season and sear chicken

legs; remove. 2. Add mirepoix to saucepan; brown. Add

tomato paste and pincé. Deglaze with red wine; reduce sec. Add chicken stock; bring to a simmer. Add seared legs; cover. Place in oven; braise until tender.

3. Remove legs from pot; pick meat. Strain braising liquid. Place in saucepan; reduce to consistency. Combine braised meat and half the braising liquid; chill.

4. Scoop chilled braised meat, mold into balls; freeze. Once frozen, bread the balls; fry.

5. Place croquettes in oven to heat through; reserve for service.

Bacon-mushroom ragoutingredients:3 oz. applewood smoked bacon, finely diced6 oz. assorted wild mushrooms, finely diced1 t. thyme, chopped¼ cup red winebraising liquid, as neededSalt and pepper to tasteSherry vinegar to taste

method:1. In hot saute pan, render bacon until crisp. Add

mushrooms; saute.2. Add thyme and red wine, as needed; reduce

to consistency. Add braising liquid as needed. Season with salt, pepper and sherry vinegar; reserve for service.



roasted butternut squashingredients:1 butternut squash neck, reserve body1 vanilla bean2 T. brown sugar½ cup apple cider

method:1. Remove neck of butternut squash, reserve

body. Cut squash neck into 8 slices, lengthwise. Place slices on half sheet tray.

2. Scrape vanilla bean over slices; sprinkle with brown sugar; add cider.

3. Roast in 350ºF oven until tender. Remove; cool.4. Slice in 1¼-inch x 3¼-inch rectangle. Score

out center leaving ¼-inch border; reserve for service.

Butternut squash paveingredients:2 cups cream½ oz. ginger root, sliced½ t. cinnamon1∕8 t. allspice1∕8 t. nutmeg1∕8 T. cardamom1 butternut squash, peeled1 T. fresh sage, chopped Salt and pepper to taste

method:1. Line 1½-2-inch pan with parchment paper.

2. Combine cream with ginger root, cinnamon,

allspice, nutmeg and cardamom; bring to a

boil; infuse.

3. Slice squash paper thin.

4. In mixing bowl, combine infused cream, sage,

sliced squash; season with salt and pepper.

5. Layer squash in half pan to make pave.

6. Cover with plastic and foil; bake at 350ºF for

30-45 minutes, until tender.

7. When finished, remove plastic and foil. Place

parchment paper over top, set half pan on

top; weight down with number 10 can. Place in

cooler; chill overnight.

8. For service, turn out; cut 1½-inch x 1½-inch

squares. Heat in broiler.

Silken broccoli pureeingredients:1 head broccoli2 cups heavy creamSalt and pepper to tastebutter as needed

method:

1. Clean florets from broccoli stalk; reserve.

2. Thinly slice stalk; combine with cream in

saucepot. Place over low heat; cook until stalk

is tender.

3. Blanch florets until soft in boiling salted water.

Refresh in ice water until cold.

4. Combine broccoli cream and florets in

blender. Puree on high until smooth; season

with salt, pepper and butter; chill.

5. Reheat for service.

Pickled red pearl onionsingredients:24 red pearl onions, peeledPickling juice (instructions follow)

method:

1. Pour hot pickling juice over onions. Cover;

keep at room temperature until cool.

2. Place in cooler overnight; reserve for service.

Pickling juiceingredients:1 cup water½ cup rice vinegar2½ oz. sugar½ jalapeno, sliced1 clove1 t. mustard seeds1 t. black peppercorns1 t. ginger

method:1. In saucepot, combine water, vinegar, sugar

and jalapeno.2. Create sachet with clove, mustard seed,

peppercorns and ginger.3. Combine sachet with liquids; bring to a boil.

Pour over onions while hot.

garnish sauceingredients:Reserved braising liquidbutter

method:Emulsify remaining braising liquid with butter; strain; reserve for service.

garnish ingredients:1 brussels sprout, leaves separated, sauteed8 chanterelles, sauteed 8 garlic cloves, pureed, sauteed

Assemble the plate1. On a diagonal, spoon broccoli puree

onto plate.2. Place chicken pave in middle of plate.3. Place butternut squash pave in front of

chicken pave at a diagonal.4. Place roasted butternut squash slightly lower

than the chicken pave. Fill with bacon-mushroom ragout.

5. Place croquette on top of ragout.6. Place pickled red onions in front of ragout.7. Quenelle garlic puree and place in front of

pave. Surround plate with sauce.8. Garnish with sauteed Brussels sprout leaves

and chanterelles.

Start Spinning Your Network WebBefore you leave culinary school, make sure you have made all the important connections you can. One of those could lead to a significant first job. // By Jody Shee

N ews flash: The best jobs in the culinary world are never advertised. Every day, positions are found and filled through connections. That means book learning and classroom

instruction only partly determine your future success.

Having someone who will vouch for you is as important as your resume in landing that significant job. “You need someone of value to mediate that next connection that will help you in your career,” says Ronald Hayes, associate director, career services for The Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park, New York. He recently wrote the book “Creating Your Culinary Career,” ( John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2014).

18 Sizzle Winter 14

in Kansas City know I teach, and they call me and ask who I know who would be good,” he says.

“If we notice kids who are going to be rising stars, we talk about them and say, ‘This kid could be someone someday,’” he says. Unknown to his students, he constantly plays a chess game in his mind, trying to determine how and where he might use this one or that one in the future. Get to know your instructors. Show your best side, and act interested in what they do.

Look at your fellow students as future resources. Anyone who has Rico DiFronzo, CEC, CCA, AAC, as a teacher learns about networking with fellow students on the first day of class. He is a culinary instructor at Boston University School of Hospitality Administration in Boston and executive chef at Union Oyster House, Boston. He immediately breaks a classroom of 20 students into teams of four, tells them to take out their cell phones and type in each other’s contact information.

In the lecture that follows, DiFronzo tells them to look ahead and realize that in years to come, when they are looking for a job, one of those team members could be the president of Marriott Corp. or some other large hospitality company and could get them in the door for an interview with a simple email or phone call.

When the executive chef position suddenly opened up at Union Oyster House in 2012, DiFronzo was in Erfurt, Germany, cheering on ACF Culinary Team USA at the

Hayes compares the necessity of early networking to mise en placing. “You don’t start roasting stock at 6 p.m. It should already be done.”

You establish connections every time you meet someone—whether in school, in a group activity, through social media or while participating in events. Anything and anyone can be viewed with a future focus.

start at schoolConsider your teachers a first step. Some of them are adjunct professors with full-time positions away from the classroom. That’s the case with Todd Walline, CEC, CCA, adjunct instructor in the hospitality management and culinary education program at Johnson County Community College, Overland Park, Kansas. He also is executive chef and director of food and beverage at Blue Hills Country Club, Kansas City, Missouri. “Other club chefs

Show interest, ask questions and make eye contact.

— Michael Garbin

““


Internationale Kochkunst Ausstellung (IKA). Several individuals outside and inside the restaurant mentioned DiFronzo to the decision makers as the right man for the job. Upon his return, he soon had the job—a result of years of connection making.

volunteer oftenSeek opportunities to volunteer through your school, whether it be for charity events, culinary competitions or help with visiting-chef demos. This allows you to meet key people while displaying your skill level. “In a traditional business sense, you may talk about a project you’re working on, but with culinary, there’s a visual aspect,” says Walline. “Others see how well you work and how organized or disorganized you are. It helps me as a chef to see that.”

Culinary instructors frequently receive requests for student volunteers to help with cooking demos around the

community. “Be a go-to person who the instructor knows is often available,” Walline says.

Foodservice distributors and other local food purveyors sometimes conduct trade shows and food events and look to culinary students to help out. This gives students the opportunity to make contacts with product suppliers, learn more in-depth information regarding those products and meet the chefs who attend, says Michael Garbin, CEC, AAC, executive chef at Union League Club of Chicago in Chicago.

This type of networking could also pay off later in your career as you are called on to write special-event menus. If you’ve become familiar with specialty products and suppliers, you can tap into them to source the right ingredients for the occasion. Thus, when you work a show like that, ask attending chefs how they plan to use the products, Garbin says. The result is that you gain knowledge and are engaging.

above: Ronald Hayes, associate

director, career services for The

Culinary Institute of America, Hyde

Park, New York, and author of the

book “Creating Your Culinary Career,”

(John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2014).

Photo by Phil Mansfield

opposite left: Michael Garbin, CEC,

AAC, executive chef at Union League

Club of Chicago in Chicago.

opposite right: Rico DiFronzo, CEC,

CCA, AAC, executive chef, Union

Oyster House, Boston, and a culinary

instructor at Boston University School

of Hospitality Administration in Boston.

Photo by Alan McPhee

introvert makeovernetworking can be uncomfortable to introverts who lack the confidence to “work the room” during an event. If that’s you, consciously address that shy behavior by practicing shaking hands and introducing yourself, first to those you have no interest in working for, says Ronald Hayes, associate director, career services for The Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park, New York. “If you stumble and stutter, at least you’ve gotten the butterflies out, and you’re more prepared for the next one.”

Regional ACF conferences are a good place to practice networking, says Rico DiFronzo, CEC, CCA, AAC, executive chef, Union Oyster House, Boston. Take advantage of the open seating during breakfast and lunch.

Find a chef you don’t know and ask if anyone is sitting next to him. Then start a conversation simply by asking where he works. “Just muster a couple of words, and once the conversation starts, you’ll be included,” he says. Then exchange business cards and send a follow-up email afterwards.

Avoid the urge to spend your spare time at an event leaning against a wall checking your cellphone. “Break down your barriers. Open yourself up. Be sociable. Be outgoing,” says Michael Garbin, CEC, AAC, executive chef at Union League Club of Chicago in Chicago. “It’s not easy, but you have to do it. In this business, what sells a chef on an individual besides knowledge is personality.”

20 Sizzle Winter 14

Get to know the major players of the event. If there’s a roster of participants, look through it and decide who you want to meet. Look at their coats and address them by name, says Hayes. “Don’t go up to someone and say, ‘Hi,

I’m looking for a job. Do you have one available?’ You’re looking for a connection and the chance to make a memorable initial contact to start to build a relationship. It’s what you can do for the guest, not what the guest can do for you.”

At the event, be intentional with your behavior. “Be honest, sincere and keep your hands out of your pocket,” Garbin says. “Have a clean, pressed chef ’s coat and hat. If you smoke, do not reek of cigarette smoke, and do not go for a smoke break. Show interest, ask questions and make eye contact.”

get business cardsDon’t underestimate the importance of business cards—both receiving and giving them. If you’re at an event and you meet a chef, strike up a conversation, and before you walk away, ask the chef for a business card and say, “I’d like to give you one,” DiFronzo says.

After you’ve walked away from the chef, make pertinent notes on the back of the card, such as if the chef told you to stop by the restaurant some time or if you discussed connecting on Facebook. Then friend the chef on Facebook. Make notes on the card and treat it like gold, DiFronzo says.

If you have a business card to give out, it moves you up a notch in the chef ’s mind, he adds. It’s OK for the card to simply have your contact information and title of culinary student with a school or ACF logo.

To go along with your business card, have a short quip about yourself ready

Many people make the mistake of thinking of social networking as a way to promote themselves, but the ideal way to use it is to promote others.

— Kathleen Flinn

“

“

five tips to stand out on LinkedIn1. Add your photo, and make sure

it reflects how you want others to think of you professionally. For example, dress in chef whites if you want to be a chef.

2. Fill out your profile completely. If you don’t have much experience, show your passion in other ways.

3. Be generous. Endorse others’ skills and write recommendations. They often will respond by doing the same for you.

4. Join LinkedIn groups and be active in them.

5. When sending LinkedIn invites, avoid the generic invite language. Make the invitation personal and complimentary.

Source: Kathleen Flinn, a Seattle-based certified culinary professional and best-selling cookbook author. Her most recent book is “Burnt Toast Makes You Sing Good” (Penguin Group USA/Viking Press, 2014).


Jody Shee, an olathe, Kansas-based freelance writer and editor, has more than 20 years of food-writing experience and writes the blog www.sheefood.com.

pop-uprestaurants

NExt iSSuEin case the chef you meet asks to know a

little about you. Explain your specialty or area of interest and hand out your card, Hayes says.

plan a follow-up strategyWhen you return from an event, use your collected business cards to continue the conversation. Keep your network active, Hayes says. Even the brightest individuals forget people they have met after two or three months. Send a keeping-in-touch email now and then. Send LinkedIn requests. Send links to interesting articles you read that you think the other individual might be interested in.

If you’re especially interested in a chef you meet, send an email asking if you can drop by the restaurant and view the kitchen or do a stage. “That tenacity is not pestering but dogged determination,” Walline says.

Your follow-up email could also include an offer to work any future events the chef might have, giving the assurance that you will be there, Garbin says.

In the 22 years he has worked at Union League Club, many students have volunteered to work events. “This has led to students doing their internship here, becoming a part-time employee or even a full-time employee upon graduation,” he says.

use social sitesOf all the social networking sites, LinkedIn is the most critical for those starting their career. It’s the default reservoir of

resumes, says Kathleen Flinn, a Seattle-based certified culinary professional and best-selling cookbook author. To potential employers, LinkedIn is like looking at book reviews on Amazon.com.

Therefore you want to be sure to amass recommendations and endorsements. Endorsements are a crowd-sourced collection of approvals regarding your skills. Recommendations are reviews others take the time to write about you. There are acceptable and unacceptable ways to go about getting these, and it all starts with having the right mindset. On LinkedIn, the best way to network is to be generous, Flinn says.

“Many people make the mistake of thinking of social networking as a way to promote themselves, but the ideal way to use it is to promote others,” Flinn says. “That’s how you create a sense of good will. Then people will promote you, too.”

Flinn sets aside a few minutes each week to write honest, thoughtful recommendations for people on LinkedIn. In turn, LinkedIn emails them and says someone wrote them a recommendation. The individuals nearly always email her and thank her. She responds to each thank-you email by suggesting the individual write a recommendation for her whenever it’s convenient. About half follow through. “Go in with the understanding that not everyone will. You can’t hold it against them. Go in with a generous heart,” she says.

opposite: Kathleen Flinn, a Seattle-

based certified culinary professional

and best-selling cookbook author.

Photo by Roger Steen

above: Todd Walline, CEC, CCA,

executive chef and director of food

and beverage for Blue Hills Country

Club, Kansas City, Missouri, and

adjunct instructor in the hospitality

management and culinary

education program at Johnson

County Community College,

Overland Park, Kansas.

Be a go-to person whothe instructor knows is often available.

— Todd Walline

““

The Science of Controlled Cooking

By Rob Benes

Sous vide, combined with conventional cooking techniques, allows chefs to

provide nutritional and flavorful food.

The sous-vide method yields results that are nearly impossible to achieve by conventional cooking. The process involves cooking food in vacuum-sealed plastic bags in a water bath for a long time at a precise temperature. This improves shelf life, enhances taste, maintains nutrition and preserves food safety.

“Sous vide does not replace conventional cooking, but goes hand in hand,” says Certified Master Chef Derin Moore, hospitality consultant, Performance Foodservice Group, Oakwood, Georgia. “The fundamentals of conventional cooking techniques, paired with the understanding of flavor development, are needed to appreciate the full benefits of the method.”

In the mid-1960s, sous vide was used as an industrial food preservation method by American and French engineers. However, its origin is traced back to the late-18th century. Sous vide was adopted by Georges Pralus in 1974 for his restaurant Troisgros in Roanne, France. He discovered that when foie gras was cooked in this manner, it kept its original appearance, did not lose excess amounts of fat and had a better texture.

24 Sizzle Winter 14

above: Sous-vide thermal circulator.

Courtesy of PolyScience

opposite left: Corned veal tongue

with horseradish and new potatoes

cooked at 152.6°F for 7 hours.

Courtesy of Derin Moore.

opposite right: Derin Moore,

CMC, hospitality consultant,

Performance Foodservice Group,

Oakwood, Georgia.

This preparation helps reduce waste and errors. “Sous vide takes the guess work out of cooking, because you’re cooking a protein or vegetable or starch to a certain temperature and then finishing it when an order is placed,” says Kyle Rourke, executive chef, Red Star Tavern, Portland, Oregon.

Consistency is the No. 1 benefit of sous vide. “When done properly, you will achieve the same end result every time no matter what you cook,” says Derrick Roberts, executive chef, StripSteak at the Fontainebleau Hotel, Miami Beach, Florida.

For example, when salmon is sous vide, you are able to hone in on a desired texture by determining stable temperature and cook time. Salmon prepared by conventional methods will have a different end-result each time, as a 2°F difference in cooking temperature will dramatically change its texture.

disadvantages of controlled cookingThere are few disadvantages to sous-vide cooking. However, when planning to prepare foods by this method, one must understand the critical nature of time/temperature relationships and their effect on proteins.

Proper steps for sous-vide preparation must be followed to ensure that harmful organisms that could cause illness do not grow in the vacuum-sealed environment, explains Renee Zonka, RD, CEC, CHE, MBA, dean of Kendall College School of Culinary Arts in Chicago.

Another pioneer in sous vide is Bruno Goussault. As chief scientist for Alexandria, Virginia-based food manufacturer Cuisine Solutions, Goussault developed the parameters of cooking times and temperatures for various foods.

advantages of controlled cooking Unlike conventional cooking, with all its time and temperature variables, sous vide is an exact science. If the water bath is set at 142.7°F, it will hold within a half degree of that temperature for an unlimited amount of time. “Sous vide gives you a more controlled way of cooking and allows for portion control,” says Sean Brasel, co-owner/executive chef, Meat Market, Miami Beach, Florida.


the eggs in warm water for 30 seconds, which results in a perfectly poached egg that retains its initial shape.

Going beyond eggs and moving to proteins means more advanced preparation. Don’t just drop a chicken breast into a bag,

practice makes perfectTo experiment with sous vide, Rourke suggests working with eggs. An egg does not need to be placed in a vacuum-sealed bag because of its shell. Whole eggs can be put in a 145°F water bath for 45 minutes. Each degree up or down changes the texture of the egg yolk.

He prepoaches a case of eggs for brunch service, cools them in an ice bath, removes and holds in the cooler for service. At service, he rethermalizes

cook.“You need to plan your day if you want to sous vide,” says Ryan McCaskey, chef/owner, Arcadia, Chicago. “Also, if you plan to sous vide different items in one day, you have to change the water bath temperature and let the temps regulate.”

It’s important to follow a hazard analysis and critical control points (HACCP) plan in sous-vide cooking. Even though not every state requires restaurants to write and submit a HACCP plan, each restaurant should take the responsibility to write one to ensure guests are served safe food.

Among the disadvantages of sous vide is longer cook times. It only takes a few minutes to grill a piece of Wagyu beef. Place that same piece of beef in a vacuum-sealed bag with aromatics, butter, olive oil and salt and it can take up to 45 minutes to an hour to

sous-vide benefits � Ensures food cooks at a

precise temperature for consistent results.

� Preserves the nutritional value of food during cooking.

� Retains food’s color and texture. � Keeps proteins from

overcooking. � increases the shelf life of

food through preservation/pasteurization.

� Speeds up proper execution of complicated dishes during busy service.

� Frees up valuable stove and oven space.

Source: Derin Moore, CMC, hospitality consultant, Performance Foodservice Group.

26 Sizzle Winter 14

just put a protein into a bag, Cryovac it and sous vide it, all you’ll end up with is poached, flavorless meat. Sous vide is not the first step in cooking.”

McCaskey at Arcadia cures pork belly for one day, rinses off the cure, sears the belly and then puts it in a bag with seasoned pork broth. After a 36-hour sous vide, he removes it from the bag and reserves it for different recipes.

Roberts also prepares steak sous vide. The proper way to cook a steak is to first let the protein come to room temperature before cooking. However, if you’re doing a large amount of covers, it’s challenging to have a large amount of meat warming up for 2 to 3 hours on racks.

Instead, he uses a bath of clarified butter with herbs and garlic in a circulator set at 120°F. He takes steaks straight from the cooler and submerges them into the butter bath. The higher temperature of the bath causes the protein to cook just under rare in 30 to 40 minutes. From the butter bath, he places the steaks on a rack, seasons and grills to order over wood.

Rourke at Red Star Tavern puts a pork chop in a bag with butter and fresh thyme, vacuum seals and cooks it in a 145°F water bath for 6 hours. He probes the chop for the correct temperature and then cools it down in an ice bath. For service, he removes a chop from the bag, marks it on the grill, transfers it to a pan, glazes and places it in the oven for 6 minutes.

Vegetables lose nutrients and flavor when blanched in water or steamed, but sous vide retains their flavor. McCaskey

vacuum-seal and place in a water bath and expect to achieve a good result.

StripSteak’s Roberts prepares a boned-out half-chicken sous vide. He seasons chicken with salt and pepper, places it in a bag with compound butter and cooks it in a 152°F water bath for 45 minutes to an hour. The bag rests at room temperature for 30 minutes and then in the cooler for 30 minutes. Finally, it is set in an ice bath for service. When ordered, he rewarms the bag in a 140°F water bath, then removes the chicken and sears it on a plancha until the skin becomes crispy.

“When you reheat, you don’t want to go above the initial temperature since you only want to rewarm rather than start to recook,” says Roberts. “The chicken is already cooked to the perfect temperature so all the blood is gone from the leg, but the breast is still nice and juicy.”

Brasel at Meat Market makes short ribs, which he cures for 24 hours, hot smokes and sears before putting them in a bag. “We want to put the best product in the bag before we start the circulation process,” he says. “If you

above: A Kendall College student

finishes beef fillets in the college’s

sous-vide kitchen.

Courtesy of Kendall College, Chicago

opposite left: PolyScience sous-vide

circulators in Kendall College’s sous-

vide kitchen.

Courtesy of Kendall College

opposite right: Book cover,

excerpted from "Under Pressure:

Cooking Sous Vide" by Thomas

Keller. (Artisan Books) Copyright ©

2008. Photo by Deborah Jones


prepares sous-vide carrot puree by placing carrots in a bag with carrot juice in a 185°F water bath for 45 minutes. “No water has been introduced, no evaporation has occurred and there’s no other outside factors that can alter, dilute or influence the puree,” he says, “You couldn’t achieve this level of intense flavor through conventional cooking methods.”

Fruit, fish, shellfish, cheese and desserts can be prepared sous vide, too.

sous-vide trainingKendall College in Chicago debuted its sous-vide training kitchen in 2012 because it recognized the continued growth of the method in foodservice operations. The program is one course in two parts: basics of sous vide and sous-vide HACCP certification.

If a culinary school wants to create a sous-vide program, it needs to consider space and an instructor who has interest in learning the science behind the preparation.

Schools should meet with the local health department and elicit their support, as well as learn about federal laws that apply to the respective state. When getting the kitchen ready for sous-vide education, schools need to ask local inspectors about zoning for their area. For other types of support, schools should consider talking with a company that provides sous-vide equipment.

“The key is to have proper sanitation, as well as time and temperature control,” Zonka says. “The kitchen needs to be outfitted to meet the standards of the health department.”

Performance Foodservice’s Moore suggests a budget for proper financing to ensure the correct equipment is purchased, including chilling equipment. In addition to hiring an instructor who has interest in sous vide, “mandatory continuing education from subject experts should be a requirement for instructors,” he says.

rob benes, a Chicago-based journalist, has 11 years of experience writing about chefs, food, wine and spirits for trade, educational and consumer publications.

sous-vide resources � “Under Pressure: Cooking Sous

Vide,” by Thomas Keller (Artisan Books) Copyright © 2008. This book explains why the sous-vide technique yields results that other culinary methods do not. Available at Amazon.

� How-to videos demonstrated by “MasterChef” contestant Sharone Hakman are available on equipment brand Sous-Vide Supreme’s website, the official sous-vide purveyor for the James Beard Foundation (www.sousvidesupreme.com).

� Kendall College offers the online training programs Fundamentals of the Sous-Vide Technique and Sous-Vide HACCP Safety Training (www.kendall.edu).

� American Culinary Federation’s events series often host sous-vide presentations and demonstrations conducted by top chefs (www.acfchefs.org).

� The International Culinary Center’s Tech’N Stuff blog has several posts on sous vide by Dave Arnold, director of culinary technology, The French Culinary Institute, New York, which includes temperature charts and photos (www.cookingissues.com/primers/sous-vide).

nontraditionalfish

NExt iSSuE

Chefs with diverse culinary backgrounds and business savvy can find the home/work

balance they seek in foodservice sales.By Suzanne Hall

Opportunities abound for chefs ready to trade in their toques for tablets and join the ranks of the foodservice distribution system. Throughout the

country, foodservice distributors hire trained and experienced culinarians to present products to restaurants, hotels, schools and other venues. Some work directly in sales. Others, like Patrick Mitchell, CEC, AAC, support the sales team and its customers with training and problem-solving assistance.

As an executive chef/culinary advisor for Ben E. Keith Co., a foodservice distributor based in Fort Worth, Texas, Mitchell works with customers and sales reps on everyday foodservice operations, ranging from recipe development to labor and food costing.

Mitchell, a graduate of The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, joined Ben E. Keith six years ago after nearly 30 years in the foodservice industry. He spent 23 years working as an executive chef and food and beverage director for Marriott Hotels based in Bethesda, Maryland.

The foodservice distribution industry is big business and is not for the novice. Education and kitchen know-how are key elements for success in this competitive field. Job rewards include personal fulfilment, employee benefits and often better hours than in a kitchen environment. Those in sales have the opportunity to control their own destiny with competitive compensation tied to success. Compensation may take the form of 100 percent commission, salary or a mix of the two. In-house training programs are available to help those new to the distribution industry learn about product lines and tools for successful selling.

30 Sizzle Winter 14

paper towels. Their customers expect them to know the difference in flavor and applications of such products as hickory smoked or applewood smoked bacon. Customers also look to them for advice on problems like staffing and sanitation.

Both Gangler and Schwartz came into foodservice sales from the kitchen. Gangler is a graduate of the culinary program at The Art Institute of Dallas in Dallas. She worked as a cook at the Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth for a year and a half and was chef de tournant for a year at Caneel Bay Resort in St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands. She joined Ben E. Keith nearly eight years ago when someone suggested she might be good in sales. She decided to interview and was hired for the job.

Schwartz worked in the kitchen for five years before he decided to attend culinary school at Paul Smith’s College near Saranac Lake, New York. “It was the best decision I’ve ever made,” he says. He spent another 25 years in restaurants and hotels as executive chef and food and beverage manager before joining Sysco two and a half years ago. He made the decision to switch to sales so he could spend more time with his family.

Chefs looking to make the change from cooking to sales need more than culinary experience and training. Neil Doherty, who studied hotel, motel and restaurant management at Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology in Galway, Ireland, is Sysco’s senior director of culinary development. He is responsible

Foodservice sales representatives are not

simply order takers. They’re marketers,

consultants and sometimes

helping hands. “I keep my

chef coat and a knife in the car. If someone

I’m calling on is slammed, I’m ready

to help out,” says Rachel Gangler, a district sales

representative for Ben E. Keith. Hands-on help is the exception and not the norm. However, helping by solving problems, sourcing and explaining products, making menu suggestions and arranging an urgent delivery is. This is all in a day’s work that may last 10 hours and sometimes requires six days a week.

“The pressure is real. It’s just different from in a restaurant,” Gangler says. When a customer forgets to order something, a supply truck doesn’t arrive on time or there is a sales error and the wrong item is delivered, sales reps have to fix it.

“It’s like in the kitchen. You’re putting out little fires all the time,” says Charles Schwartz, a marketing associate with Houston, Texas-based Sysco Corp.

skills needed to get the joBSales reps must know a lot about a wide range of products. Generally, they sell everything from produce to


for interviewing potential sales reps and maintains that the most important attribute for chefs moving into sales is a good business sense.

Gangler agrees. She recommends that culinary students take as many management and business courses as possible.

Good computer skills, social media savvy and the ability to communicate well are other attributes Doherty seeks. He leans toward those with a diverse culinary background that allows them to relate to customers in all areas of the industry and have enough experience to create a level of trust with customers. “Chefs like to talk to chefs,” he says.

To Mitchell, flexibility is important. “Reps have to deliver their message or suggestions in a positive way, even if the customer disagrees,” he says.

Success in foodservice sales is as much organization as it is persuasion. Most reps work local sales territories out of their homes, visiting the office or warehouse one or more times a week as needed to solve customers’ problems or attend a meeting or training session. They set their own schedules, which are often interrupted by one of those “fires.”

“If you are not fairly well organized, you’re dead in the water,” Schwartz says. “You always have to stay ahead.”

opposite: This dish of Kona-chili

crusted swordfish with smoked

white chocolate, pink peppercorn

beurre blanc and pickled

Texas Hill Country peaches was

developed by Neil Doherty.

Photo courtesy of Sysco

above: Neil Doherty is executive

corporate chef/senior director of

culinary development for Sysco

Corp., based in Houston, Texas.


32 Sizzle Winter 14

the ability to control your own time, holidays at home and, in general, spend most nights at home. Some sales reps occasionally travel to food shows with their customers, but overnight travel is rare.

For those who still want to cook, there are opportunities. Gangler, who says she does occasionally miss the Friday night rush of being in a restaurant, participates in local culinary competitions.

Mitchell competes around the world and Ben E. Keith is supportive of his competition activities.

For chefs who still want to wear their toque while working in the foodservice distribution industry, there are positions available like Doherty’s and Mitchell’s. With both a culinary and a sales background, Doherty was a natural to join the Sysco team in Houston 15 years ago. Among his responsibilities is interacting with the 198 chefs who work in Sysco’s business review and development department throughout the country. “At the end of the day, I’d have to say my job is sales,” he says. But rather than write orders, he works in product selection and ideation, which is the process of generating and developing new ideas. He also helps customers, especially multi-units and large chains, with menu development and new concepts. His cooking time is limited, but it does include test-kitchen events with customers.

typical workweekMitchell supports the nearly 100 sales reps who work in the Dallas/Fort

Gangler adds, “Getting organized is at first a matter of trial and error. Time management and self-discipline are essential.” Such traits help reps get ahead.

room to grow Successful sales representatives have several opportunities to move up. They can become culinary specialists who assist customers with purchasing and using a particular product line, like seafood, produce or center-of-the-plate proteins. These specialists also help the rest of the sales team convey information to customers.

Higher positions include district sales manager, regional sales manager, vice president of sales and president of one of the distributor’s operating companies around the country. Some sales people find their way to buyer positions.

Advantages of a foodservice distributor chef position include

three traits of a good sales person

EmpathyEmpathy is not sympathy. It is the ability to identify with customers,

feel what they are feeling and make them feel respected.

FocusA person with focus is internally driven to accomplish goals and can stay attentive to one topic.

Focused individuals are more demanding of themselves than

of other people, and they are self-motivated. They are able

to organize themselves and recognize what needs to be done

in order to achieve their goals.

OptimismA salesperson with a healthy amount of optimism can be

described as someone who is slow to learn helplessness. This person has persistence—a trait

that is critical in the sales world.

Source: Canadian Professional Sales Association, www.cpsa.com.


Worth branch of Ben E. Keith, which also includes Abilene, Texas, two hours to the west. His job is a balancing act as he tries to meet the needs of all the reps and their customers, both in person and on the telephone. Those needs include creating recipes, helping solve logistical problems, advising on kitchen layouts and many other activities.

Mitchell works out of his home. He visits the warehouse two or three times a week and holds monthly sales meetings in each city where he not only introduces the company’s products, but offers generic food lessons like the difference between extra virgin and other varieties of olive oil. Mitchell also meets with brokers and manufacturers’ reps to evaluate products and is Ben E. Keith’s liaison with local chef associations.

Mitchell admits he doesn’t spend a lot of time cooking. He does, though, hold training sessions for sales reps in his small test kitchen at the company’s

warehouse. He also cooks for fundraising events in which his employer participates. His workweek generally runs Monday through Friday. “I enjoy my job,” he says. “But I would not have been qualified for it 30 years ago.” His experience and training are what allow him to do it successfully.

Suzanne hall has been writing about chefs, restaurants, food and wine from her home in Soddy-Daisy, tennessee, for more than 25 years.

cakedecorator

NExt iSSuEhelp

wantedA recent listing for a sales representative at a major foodservice distributor included the following criteria.

Preferred Requirements: � Bachelor’s degree in business,

sales, marketing, hospitality or culinary arts

� One year of outside foodservice sales experience

� Previous experience with our company

� Restaurant management/chef experience

Competencies:To be successful in this position, the individual performing the duties must successfully demonstrate the following competencies: � Building trust � Building customer loyalty � Follow-up � Sales ability/persuasiveness � Managing work � Adaptability � Communication

opposite: Patrick Mitchell, CEC,

AAC, executive chef/culinary

advisor for Ben E. Keith Co. based

in Fort Worth, Texas, had the

opportunity to work with culinary

students last year in Croatia.

Photo courtesy of Ben E. Keith

top: Charles Schwartz (on left),

marketing associate for Houston,

Texas-based Sysco Corp.,

meeting on-site with a customer.


bottom: Rachel Gangler is

district sales representative for

Ben E. Keith Co.

Photo courtesy of Ben E. Keith

34 Sizzle Winter 14

Fabricating fish is an important skill that has several benefits for a culinarian. It provides the opportunity to inspect the whole fish, which allows tighter quality control. It is also more cost effective to fabricate fish than to purchase it pre-portioned and the bones may be used for stock to create soups and sauces.

Traditionally, sole is the white fish used to prepare this dish. In the U.S., several types of flounder are marketed under such names as lemon sole and grey sole and are incorrectly sold as the highly prized white flatfish. True sole is only found in European waters.

by DEGrEES paupiettes de sole au vin blanc

by degreesPaupiettes de Sole au vin BlancBy Paul Sottile

Sole au vin Blanc is a classic fish dish that is popular in France, particularly in Normandy. It uses

flatfish fillets, which can be stuffed with vegetables or forcemeats, then rolled into paupiettes and braised or baked in wine or stock. Paupiettes are one of the most used presentations for this dish, because of the ability to add a filling and for its elegant appearance.

Despite apprehension from some, the accompanying velouté sauce is quite simple to prepare. As one of the five original mother sauces, it is critical for students to master velouté−a white sauce that is thickened with a white roux. It is a great foundation sauce and can be flavored in numerous ways.

Paul Sottile is dean of academic affairs, The Chef’s Academy at Harrison College, Morrisville, North Carolina.

Step 1To fillet the fish, place the belly on cutting board. Make two cuts on each side behind the head. Cut on each side of the spine from head to tail down to the bones.

Paupiettes de Sole au vin

Blanc with roasted potatoes

and sauteed Brussels sprouts.

Photos by Paul Sottile


Step 2With knife at a slight angle, make smooth cuts along the bones towards outer fin until the fillet separates. Cut away fin section; repeat on the other side. Turn fish around; repeat process on belly. The fillets on this side will be much smaller.

Step 3To remove skin from fillet, place fish skin-side down; make a small slice at an angle towards small end of fillet. Holding small end, gently push knife under the flesh above skin to remove fillet. Make sure not to slice into the fillet.

Step 4Lay fillet flat, skin side up. Roll from larger toward smaller end, allowing the more attractive side to face outward.

Step 5In saucepan, evenly arrange paupiettes partially submerged in fish stock or broth. Cover pan; cook at 160–180°F until just barely done, about 5-7 minutes. Do not boil.

Step 6In another saucepan, strain as much poaching liquid from pan as needed; add a little veloute. Reduce by half or until it coats the back of a spoon. In separate bowl beat egg yolk with heavy cream. Add a little of the hot liquid to mixture while beating to raise temperature. Gradually add warm egg/cream mixture into reduced hot liquid.

Step 7To finish sauce for plating, add small pieces of cold butter; swirl to incorporate. Season finished sauce with salt, white pepper and lemon as needed. Plate paupiettes with your choice of vegetable and starch.

Ingredients2 gray sole ½ oz. white wineFish stock 4 oz. fish veloute (recipe below)1 oz. egg yolk2 oz. heavy cream2 t. butterSaltWhite pepper ½ lemon

fish velouteIngredients½ oz. clarified butter½ oz. carrots, onions and celery,

diced small½ oz. flour5 oz. fish stock½ bay leaf2 sprigs thyme 2-3 whole peppercorns2-3 parsley stemsSalt to taste

MethodIn small saucepan, heat clarified butter over low heat. Add carrots, onion and celery; sweat. Do not brown the vegetables. Add flour; stir to incorporate. Cook for a few minutes until roux is blond. While stirring, slowly add cool fish stock; bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer. Add bay leaf, thyme, peppercorns and parsley. Continue to simmer until reduces by 1 ounce. Skim off and discard any skin that forms on top. If additional stock is needed, adjust. Season with salt and pepper; strain through mesh strainer.

Equipment Fillet or boning knifeCutting board 2 saucepans, 1 with lidtongs Wire whipSpoonLarge mixing bowlMesh strainer Serving plate

Helpful hints � A properly filleted flatfish should have

four fillets, two on the back and two on the belly.

� Save the fish bones to make fish stock. � If fresh thyme is not on hand for

veloute sauce, substitute a pinch of dried thyme.

� If sole or flounder are not available, substitute with other types of white fish or salmon.

36 Sizzle Winter 14

iNtErNAtioNAl FlAvorS thailand

international flavors

My first experience eating Thai food is still a vivid memory. At age 12, a friend took me

to a Thai restaurant in the Chicago suburb where I grew up. We shared vegetarian pad thai and spring rolls. The fresh, bright flavors and complex heat of those Thai dishes immediately stole my heart.

In the early 2000s, I moved to California, where I was exposed to authentic Thai cuisine in Los Angeles’ Thai Town. This elevated my appreciation for the cuisine even further. As a lover of American Thai food, I never imagined there could be a possibility that I would love authentic Thai food even more.

During a food-styling shoot in Los Angeles, I learned about a weeklong authentic Thai cooking class taught by renowned Thai chef Roongfa Sringam. The classes took place on Koh Samui, an island off the east coast of Thailand, at Samui Institute of Thai Culinary Arts (SITCA). I knew I had to attend this program and added it to my mental bucket list. After several years of daydreaming about this trip, I finally signed up for the classes and embarked on an epic culinary journey to include Bangkok, Northern Thailand and Vietnam.

After two long flights, my trip to the “land of smiles” began in Thailand’s

ThailandBy Marla Simon, chef instructor at The Art Institute of Colorado, Denver, and Metropolitan State University of Denver, and a MBA student at Johnson & Wales University in Denver.


capitol Bangkok. At first glance, Bangkok appears to be like any other metropolitan city. The fast pace, crowds, noise, extreme heat and traffic were intimidating. And once I began to scratch the surface, I experienced a complete sensory overload. The sights and smells were unlike anything I’ve experienced. I could happily walk the streets for hours and shop in the funky markets, watch the locals’ commune on sidewalks and eat street food. What was originally planned as a stopover became one of the most thrilling parts of my trip.

The walking food tour through the Bangrak neighborhood was an exciting

experience. Hosted by Taste of Thailand Food Tours, it allowed me to see this “village of love” through the eyes of a local. Tour guide and company cofounder Puu led our group of 10 through a series of interesting locations, stopping along the way to educate us and offer samples.

Throughout the day, we visited an assortment of unique vendors selling curry puffs, fresh-made curry pastes, fish cakes, Thai desserts made from coconut and exotic Thai fruits, herbal/medicinal drinks, traditional roast duck, fried bananas, and lemon grass and papaya salads. The tour ended with a sit-down

top: Peanut relish with

grilled prawns.

Courtesy of Nahm, Bangkok

bottom: Spicy pork salad with

roast rice powder.

Photo by Roongfa Sringam

38 Sizzle Winter 14

meal at Than Ying, a restaurant known for its royal Thai cuisine.

While in Bangkok, I was fortunate to land a reservation at Nahm, the only Michelin-starred restaurant in Thailand. I ordered the tasting menu, which allowed me to pick one item from each section. The meal began with an amuse-bouche of tamarind pork ma hor (galloping horses), served with pineapple and followed by a selection of canapes. The rest of the courses were served “Thai style”—everything placed on the table at once. However, I was instructed by the server to eat the courses one at a time.

Quenelles of steamed jasmine rice were served tableside along with lobster and mangosteen salad; clear soup of roast duck with Thai basil and young coconut; fresh tamarind relish with minced prawns, pork and chilies served

with braised mackerel, deep-fried quail eggs and fresh vegetables; coconut and turmeric curry of blue-swimmer crab with calamansi orange; soft-shell crab stir-fried with chilies, holy basil and green peppercorns; and coconut ash pudding with poached bananas.

The multi-course meal at Nahm is one of my most memorable dining experiences. The courses were light, but bold with the perfect amount of heat. Executive chef David Thompson creates dishes in such a way that it seems possible to individually taste the aromatics and such ingredients as kaffir lime and Thai basil in each bite. A green mango palate cleanser was served before dessert, and dinner ended with a selection of Thai petit fours. After this dinner, I felt inspired and ready to immerse myself in Thai cuisine.

I arrived on the island of Koh Samui, and was greeted at SITCA by Roongfa

left: Coconut and turmeric curry

of blue swimmer crab.

middle: Sweet Thai wafers.

right: Lemon grass salad with

prawns, crispy squid and pork.

opposite: Roongfa Sringam

teaching a Thai cooking class at

Samui Institute of Thai Culinary

Arts, Koh Samui.

Photo by Marla Simon

Photos on top left courtesy of Nahm



The first menu item was krung gaeng ped daeng (red curry paste). Sringam showed me two types of mortar and pestles we would use in the kitchen. She explained that the set used to crush ingredients for curry pastes was made of heavy stone, while the other set is for salads and is made of a lighter material– typically wood or clay.

Red curry paste is made with two types of red chilies, garlic, shallots, kaffir lime peel, lemon grass, galangal, black peppercorn and shrimp paste. Seven small red Thai chilies were on the platter of ingredients to make the curry paste. When Sringam asked me how many chilies I wanted to use in my dish, I told her to use all of them. She laughed and said two would be enough for me. I convinced her to let me add a third chili, despite her reservations. Using the mortar and pestle, she pounded the ingredients into a paste. Sringam

Sringam and her devoted staff. On the first morning of my weeklong intensive professional training, I was told that I was the only chef signed up for this course. Sringam typically teaches four chefs at a time on a monthly basis. Additionally, her staff hosts multiple cooking classes for tourists throughout the day.

Professional chefs from all over the world come to learn from Sringam, who has won awards for her fruit and vegetable carvings and has been a guest chef at The Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park, New York. I was thrilled to learn that I would be receiving one-on-one training from her.

The first day began with a lesson on Thai ingredients such as lemon grass, galangal, betel leaves, coconut cream, crispy eggplant, dried shrimp, chilies and different types of basil. Sringam explained that several of the ingredients used in Thai cooking also have medicinal benefits.

regional flavorsThai cuisine varies between the Southern, Central, Northeastern and Northern regions.

Southern ThailandThe food from this region tends to be spicier. Coconut is heavily used, and the abundance of fresh seafood makes it an easy protein choice. Jasmine is the staple rice variety. The curriculum at SITCA covers a wide variety of Thai food, from all four regions—but the majority of the recipes were based on traditional Southern Thai cuisine. David Thompson, executive chef at Nahm, also relies heavily on the cuisine of Southern Thailand for his menu.

Central ThailandThe curries of this region are less spicy than those of the South. The artfully prepared royal cuisine of Thailand is historically a part of Central Thailand cuisine. Jasmine rice is preferred over sticky rice. Typically, the curries and noodles of this region influence Thai restaurants in the U.S. While Bangkok is in Central Thailand, the cuisine varies, and it is possible to find cuisines from all regions.

Northeastern ThailandLaos and Cambodia influence the simple and often spicy food from this area. Sticky rice is the staple. Som tam (green papaya salad) is the region's most famous dish.

Northern ThailandLaos and Myanmar (Burma) cuisine influence the food in this region, which uses the least sugar. Sticky rice is preferred. Traditionally, food is served on a khantoke (low, round table) to diners who sit on the floor. Larb or laap, a minced meat salad seasoned with fish sauce, lime, chilies and toasted rice powder, is popular.

Interesting factChopsticks are not native to Thailand and are used only when eating noodles—both of which were brought to Thailand by the Chinese. Spoons are the preferred eating utensil in Thailand.

40 Sizzle Winter 14

stressed the importance of making curry paste from scratch. Good curry paste should be made daily and is what sets the best Thai chefs apart. Many Thai restaurants rely on store-bought paste. This is unacceptable to Sringam.

She watched as I used the mortar and pestle for the first time and joked that I would get better as the week progressed. On the first day, we whipped through six dishes to include red curry chicken with potatoes; tom yum soup with prawns; crispy golden cups with fried fish and herb salad; two types of pad thai; and a steamed Thai pancake with mung bean and coconut.

My instruction continued in the same fashion for the rest of the week. I spent up to 10 hours a day in the kitchen, rotating between the cutting board, mortar and pestle, and wok stations. Every morning before I arrived, the

staff shopped for ingredients at the local market to prepare the day’s mise en place. I prepared salads, soups, appetizers, entrees, noodles, curries and desserts. I lost count after 70 dishes. I was given extra instruction in the art of Thai fruit and vegetable carving. At the end of the week, I felt confident in my wok skills and Sringam commended me on my mortar-and-pestle abilities. My tolerance for spicy food had increased, and I was able to handle seven chilies in my curry pastes. Sad to leave, the hospitable Sringam sent me on my way with gifts, and I was on to my next adventure.

After I left Koh Samui, I spent time in Northern Thailand and Vietnam. Now that I’m back home, my former favorite Thai restaurants seem lackluster and uninspiring. I can tell that the bland curries served at most Thai restaurants are made with premade pastes, and the ingredients are nowhere near as fresh or flavorful as those found in Thailand. Someday, I hope to return to the “land of smiles.” I’m thankful for this experience and can’t wait to pass on my new skills to my students.

top left: Yellow rice with chicken.


middle left: Papaya fruit carving by

Marla Simon.


bottom left: Crispy golden cups with

fried fish and herb salad.


middle: Clear soup of roast duck.

right: Ma hor.

Photos on top right courtesy of Nahm


42 Sizzle Winter 14

thE iNtErviEw katie button

the interviewKatie ButtonBy Ethel Hammer

Is it talent, feminine charm, dedication, smarts, and/or an appealing willingness to ask for help

that has catapulted Katie Button so high so fast? Who is Katie Button, anyway, and why is she the only woman in a recent GQ article listing Ferran Adrià’s culinary children?

Button’s culinary education started when she waitressed and later staged

National Institutes of Health (U.S.) and Karolinska Institute, Solna, Sweden, 2007; volunteer for Habitat for Humanity, Zambia, summer 2007; executive chef/partner, Cúrate, Asheville, 2011-present; stage, Noma, Copenhagen, Denmark, 2012; executive chef/partner, Nightbell, Asheville, 2014-present.

selected awards and accomplishmentsSemifinalist, James Beard’s Rising Star Chef of the Year, 2012, 2013, finalist, 2014; winner, “Top New Artist of the Next Generation,” Robb Report Culinary Masters Competition, 2012; People’s Best New Chef of the Southeast, Food & Wine, 2012, 2013, 2014; Cúrate listed on “Twelve Most Outstanding Restaurants,” GQ, 2013; host, “The World’s Best Chefs,” first aired in Spain on Nat Geo People, September 2014.

bornConway, South Carolina

residesAsheville, North Carolina

learned the tradeserver, Café Atlantico, Washington, D.C., 2007; Stage, front of the house, elBulli, Roches, Spain, 2007; intern Jean-Georges, New York, 2008; line cook, The Bazaar, Los Angeles, 2009; seven-month culinary internship, elBulli, 2009.

career path highlightsMaster’s degree, biomedical engineering, École Centrale, Paris, 2007; received joint fellowship in neuroscience,

with Ferran Adrià at elBulli, Johnny Iuzzini at Jean-Georges and Rene Redzepi at Noma. In September 2014, her TV series “The World’s Best Chefs” premiered in Spain. She’s as much the star of Lisa Abend’s book “The Sorcerer’s Apprentices: A Season in the Kitchen at Ferran Adrià’s elBulli” as the great chef himself. She has been featured in Glamour wearing Jimmy Choo boots, funky jeans and other slightly ghoulish clothes. However, seven years ago she was poised to do doctorate research on human aging.

In 2007, she started a graduate study at École Normale Supérieure in France because “It gave me an excuse to live in Paris,” she confesses.

With little money to eat out, she bought cookbooks and taught herself to make pastry. She would roll it out on the floor because her apartment was so cramped. Then, before starting her doctorate studies, she was building houses in Zambia with Habitat for Humanity and crisis hit. “I saw how happy the children were. They had nothing. I had everything. But I wasn’t


happy. I had no mission in life,” she says. “I was just continuing on.”

That experience changed her life. She renounced her graduate fellowship, and suddenly she went from being a promising scientist to a waitress working for José Andrés in Washington, D.C.

Determined to cook, she caught the eye of Felix Meana, a Catalan from Roches, at Andres’ Cafe Atlantico, who had worked with Ferran Adrià at elBulli. “Felix says it was love at first sight, but I was more wary. I’d been warned in advance that he was a heartbreaker,” she says. Now they are married and expecting their first child. A girl.

“Felix reads people well and knows what they want before they do,” she says. “I get an idea and run with it. He grounds me. We are two parts of a whole.”

But meeting Felix was more than a budding love story. He helped her get a front-of-the-house internship at

elBulli. Then, after garnering culinary experience at Jean-Georges in New York, she returned to elBulli as a kitchen intern. Impressed by Adrià’s ability to break barriers in the food world, Button learned quickly. Not afraid of what she didn’t know, she soared past barriers. As soon as her seven-month internship was up, she left elBulli and started planning her first restaurant.

Located in Asheville, Cúrate offers mostly traditional Spanish tapas using local, sustainable ingredients. Her menu item Esqueixade de Montana is a twist on a Catalonia salt cod dish made with raw trout, fresh tomatoes, black olives, sweet onion and lemon vinaigrette. Things are a little wilder at Button’s new Asheville restaurant Nightbell, where stylish deviled eggs confound expectations as she stuffs smoked trout gravlux into hard-boiled eggshells. Her root beer float surprises guests with its vanilla bourbon coolant, icy on the outside and creamy on the inside.

top left: Esqueixada de Montaña

from Cúrate.

Photo by Christopher Shane

top right: Boneless chicken wings

from Nightbell.

Photo by Evan Sung

bottom: Gambas al Ajillo from Cúrate.

Photo by Peter Frank Edwards

Photos courtesy of Cúrate and

Nightbell

44 Sizzle Winter 14

I went to elBullie initially as a waitstaff intern. I told everybody I wanted to be in the kitchen so people could see my work ethic and be my guide. When I returned to elBulli after acquiring pastry experience in New York at Jean-Georges, I think I succeeded because I learn very quickly. I didn’t know Spanish, so every morning before work and every evening after work I worked on my Spanish using Rosetta Stone. At elBullie, I worked with great people, who were also doing stages. Some were sous chefs, others had their own restaurants and most had a culinary degree. However, I asked the right questions and made few mistakes.

What was it like hosting “The World’s Best Chefs” with such chefs as Massimo Bottura, Michel Bras and Andoni Aduriz?kB: I tried to learn something at each place. Initially, I was quiet and concerned with myself, but after the first three or four places, I became confident. The scary part was not the work, but being around chefs I admire so much. It would have been easier had they been movie stars or celebrities. Alex Atala, chef at D.O.M. in Sao Paulo, is involved in bringing indigenous ingredients from the Amazon into fine dining and showed me how to look at ingredients. He took priprioca, an indigenous root that is used in perfumes, and discussed with a Brazilian perfumer how to use it as a culinary aromatic. This resulted in his banana ravioli with lime-priprioca gel skin.

Massimo Butturo of Osteria Francescana in Modena, Italy, taught me to take time to wonder and reflect in order to be creative. I now set aside a day or several hours in the day to think or do research. He also taught me to notice flavor profiles. When he made a risotto with just rice and Parmigiano-Reggiano, the rice’s perfect acidity came right out of the cheese.

What kind of little girl were you and how does this tie into your success?kB: I was a quiet perfectionist and always a little girl, not a tomboy. My other big trait is I’m a people pleaser. That sums me up in a nutshell. I always try to avoid pain for other people and I am very concerned about their feelings. I enjoy being a chef so much because I’m pleasing people on a daily basis through food.

I started out to be an engineer. I found the work fascinating, but ultimately it was not for me. When I was in school, chemical and biological engineering was declared one of the most difficult majors, so I picked it. In my personal life, I was shy. However, throughout my life I have always sought challenges.

The reason things have gone so well for me is because I sought opportunities. I wanted to work at the best restaurants in the world. When I worked at José Andrés’ Cafe Atlantico as a server, I said to myself, “OK, let me do this and I’ll figure out the cooking.” That’s where I met Felix, who knew Ferran Adrià, and that helped a lot.

thE iNtErviEw katie button


opposite top left: Pimientos de

Piquillo Con Queso de Cabra,

Gambas al Ajillo and Espinacas a

la Catalana from Cúrate.


opposite bottom left: Nightbell.

Photo by Evan Sung

opposite right: Inside Cúrate.


clockwise from left above:

Peanut butter cake, root beer float

and black forest from Nightbell.

Photos by Evan Sung

Jordi Roca of El Cellar de Can Roca in Catalonia taught me to be whimsical and have fun, to surprise diners and to try to eliminate the stuffiness in fine dining. We made red candy apples using isomalt—a type of stable sugar—a heat lamp and a sugar pump connected to a long plastic line. It was like using glass-blowing equipment to create candy apples, which we then filled with cream and other goodies.

Antonio Aduriz from Mugariz in San Sebastian, Spain, is always testing boundaries. He showed me how he paints a potato with edible clay so it looks like a stone. He explained how he works with molds in a controlled way. For instance, he covered an apple with this white spongy mold, topped it with vodka and then let me try it.

I made carrot tartare with Swiss chef Daniel Humm from Eleven Madison Park in New York. He shared how he struggled in the beginning when the restaurant was often empty and they didn’t know if anyone would come through the doors. He explained how it takes time for people to figure it out and how it takes a lot of

who were most admired on “The World’s Best Chefsˮ?People would invariably mention Michel Bras and Michel Guérard, the two French chefs on the show. Michel Bras’ Le Gargouillou—a garden on a plate—created a revolution in the way food and vegetables are plated. It is one of the most influential dishes in the history of food. It does something to you to hear him say, “I am not a chef. I work like my mother who’s a cook.” He is so humble. Everyone admires Michel Guérard, a leader in the invention of nouvelle cuisine, whose cuisine minceur taught people that food can be light and flavorful and doesn’t have to be heavy to be delicious.

Ethel hammer is a writer, lecturer and cartoonist based in Chicago.

confidence and self awareness to persist. He taught me to be patient.

José Andrés brings a new dimension to dining by having chefs serve the food at his MiniBar in Washington, D.C., where there are only 12 seats with two turns at the most each night. José has become a good friend and helped Felix and me open Cúrate.

What is your best advice to new culinarians?kB: Without going to culinary school and going so fast, I had to learn not to be afraid or embarrassed by things I didn’t know. So many young chefs are nervous and feel they need to know everything. And this hinders them. It is also important to ask people to help you. As a woman, I never felt that men and women were treated differently, but wanted to be noticed for my work ethic. Still, while many women attend culinary schools, fewer of them are chefs and chef de cuisine. Women have trouble deciding between family and work. One of the best ways to do both is to have your own business.

thE quiz winter 2014

the quizDid you read all the articles in this issue? Take the Sizzle Quiz to test your knowledge.

1. What are apprentice Steve Boresz career plans? a. Executive chefb. Banquet chefc. Bakerd. Sous chef

2. What are the three classic garnishes for Poulet Saute a la Bourguignonne? a. Mushrooms, pearl onions and baconb. Butternut squash, Brussels sprouts and

broccolic. Mushrooms, broccoli and butternut squashd. Pearl onions, mushrooms and Brussels

sprouts

3. What is the presentation method for the main ingredient in the modern version of Poulet Saute a la Bourguignonne?a. Patéb. Paupiettec. Paved. Omelet

4. When at an event, which of the following should you not do if you are trying to network with hiring chefs?a. Get business cards from the chefs you meetb. Give out your business cardc. Stand against the wall and look at your

cellphone d. Strike up conversations with chefs near you

5. Where is the first place culinary students should start networking?a. At eventsb. In the classroomc. At restaurantsd. On LinkedIn

6. Chefs looking to make the change from cooking to sales need what?a. Organization skillsb. Social media skillsc. Communication skillsd. All of the above

7. Which of the following is not typical of a foodservice distributor chef ’s workload?a. Putting out “little fires”b. A lot of cooking c. Visiting customersd. Solving sales errors

8. If sole is unavailable for Paupiettes de Sole au vin Blanc, what fish is a good substitute?a. Anchovyb. Bassc. Smeltd. Flounder

9. Sole au vin Blanc is a popular dish from what French region?a. Burgundyb. Normandyc. Corsicad. Brittany

10. Where did Marla Simon’s extensive weeklong cooking class take place?a. Central Thailandb. Northern Thailandc. Koh Samuid. Bangkok

11. What is the name of Thailand’s only Michelin-starred restaurant?a. Nahm b. SITCAc. Sala Thaid. Than Ying

12. Sous vide is also known as what type of cooking?a. Slow cookingb. Conventional cookingc. Water cookingd. Controlled cooking

13. The sous-vide method dates back to what time period?a. 1960sb. 1974c. 18th centuryd. 1995

14. Katie Button was featured in a GQ article as which famous chef ’s “culinary child”?a. Jose Andresb. Ferran Adriá c. Michel Brasd. Johnny Iuzzini

15. What is the typical fare for Katie Button’s restaurant Cúrate?a. Traditional Spanish tapasb. Edgy dessertsc. Root beer floatsd. Nouvelle cuisine

Clickheretofindoutthecorrectanswers.

GEt thEANSwErS

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lASt bitE baltimore

last biteBaltimoreWondering where to eat in Charm City? Who better to ask than some of the city’s most respected chefs. Check out their dining suggestions.

outstanding meatsClementine5402 Harford Road(410) 444-1497clementinebaltimore.com

Tues.-Thurs.: 5-9 p.m.

Fri. & Sat.: 8:30 a.m.-10 p.m.

Sun.: 8:30 a.m.-9 p.m.

Brunch: $3.50-$13

Dinner: $13-$25

Charcuterie plates: $14, $20

Headed by Winston Blick and his charcuterie master, James “Killer” Wilson, the restaurant offers some of the most outstanding cured and smoked meats in Baltimore. The curing room is on display so you can see all the smoked meats and fish doing their thing.

–Shirlé Hale-Koslowski, chef/owner, Four Corners Cuisine—A Personal Chef Service

roving menuCharleston1000 Lancaster St.(410) 332-7373charlestonrestaurant.com

Mon.-Sat.: 5:30-10 p.m.

Courses: 3/$79; 5/$103

Weekly menu: $91

Cheese selection: $8 each

This is some of the best food in Baltimore. The service is impeccable. You pick your own courses with wine service, and the menu changes weekly, so every time I dine, I can try something new. Choosing from the tableside cheese cart for dessert is the perfect end to any special occasion meal.

–Brigitte Bledsoe, corporate executive chef, Miss Shirley’s Café

Jong Kak Restaurant18 W. 20th St.(410) 837-5231

Mon.-Sun.: 11 a.m.-4 a.m.

Rice dishes: $9.95-$13.95

BBQ combo for 2: $44.95

BBQ combo for 4: $89.95

korean comfor t food

This is a favorite spot for chefs after we get off the line because it’s good Korean comfort food and is open late. Everything from the Korean barbeque beef to the kimchi is delicious.

–Chris Becker, chief operations officer/executive chef, Fleet Street Kitchen

family diningPetit Louis Bistro4800 Roland Ave. (410) 366-9393petitlouis.com

Tues.-Fri.: 11:30 a.m. - 2p.m.

Sun.: 10:30 a.m.-2 p.m.

Dinner: Nightly from 5 p.m.

Lunch prix fixe: $29

A la carte: $8-$27

This is my favorite restaurant in Baltimore. Outside of the good food and good service, it is a great place to take the family.

–Julian Marucci, executive chef, Cinghiale and Pazo

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Winter 2014 - American Culinary Federation · competition,” says Vito Racanelli, executive chef, Mad Tomato, St. Louis, and competition host. “Bobby’s enthusiasm and intense