Investigate a
food-truck career must-have
snacks menu trend
explore the cuisine of Turkey
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The AmericAn culinAry FederATion QuArTerly For STudenTS oF cooking
Summer
2014
22 2816
facebook.com/ACFChefs @acfchefs
2 Sizzle Summer 14
Publisher American Culinary Federation, Inc.
Editor-in-Chief Jody Shee
Senior EditorKay Orde
Associate EditorJessica Ward
Graphic Designer David Ristau
Director of Communications Patricia A. Carroll
Contributing Editors Rob Benes
Suzanne HallEthel Hammer
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), Summer Volume 11, Number 2, 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 Best Career-beginning
Advice Successful industry veterans share their insights as they
look back on the important early career decisions they made that helped them to succeed.
22 Snack Trends Nearly everyone snacks, and most people do so two or
three times a day. Savvy foodservice operators know how to turn that habit to their advantage by offering the items consumers crave.
28 Food Trucks are an Emerging Career Discover what it takes to start and run a food truck, and why the career isn’t for the
faint of heart.
departments4 President’s Message ACF president Thomas Macrina, CEC, CCA, AAC, tells new graduates how to set the
stage for their careers.
6 Amuse-Bouche Student news, opportunities and more.
8 Slice of Life Matt Mornan walks us through a memorable day in his internship as a deli-clerk at a
Publix grocery store in Mobile, Ala., that led to his current position as a prepared-food specialist with Publix.
10 Classical V. Modern Richard Kugelmann and Patrick O’Brien demonstrate the classical French dish
ballontine coq au vin two ways. Learn the basic procedures, then try it for yourself.
34 By Degrees John Schopp, CEC, CEPC, CCA, shows how to make apple tarte Tatin.
36 Events Save the dates for the 2014 American Culinary Federation National Convention in
Kansas City, Mo.
39 International Flavors Erol Kanmaz, CEC, WCC, discusses the nuances of the cuisine from his hometown of
Kadirli, Turkey.
42 The Interview Award-winning chef, author and artist Gayle Pirie explains the connection between
food and art, which comes through at her San Francisco restaurant Foreign Cinema.
46 The Quiz Read this issue? Now test your knowledge.
47 Last Bite Los Angeles chefs offer their local dining picks.
sizzleThe American culinary Federation Quarterly for Students of cooking
Cover photo
courtesy of
Foreign Cinema.
See page 42.
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4 Sizzle Summer 14
PrESiDENt’S mESSAGE set the stage well
president’smessageSet the Stage WellBy Tom Macrina, CEC, CCA, AAC
Hello, students,
This is a great time of year for many of you, as your student life is finally ending. Now you will enter the grand culinary world, which is not as big as you may think. Many of you will get your first full-time job, one of the most important jobs you will ever have. It will set the stage for your future.
The restaurant industry may be the second-largest industry in the U.S., but it is the smallest one when it comes to who knows who. It is important to make sure this is the career you want and make every effort to stay in your first job as long as you can. Many people feel that it is necessary to jump from one job to another to learn, but you also need to show that you can keep a job. I have been a chef for more than
as many chapter functions as I could, so that a number of chefs could see how I worked.
Set goals and stick to them. You may find it difficult to balance your home and your work life, but it can be done. I know many chefs who understand the importance of maintaining close ties with family and friends.
You are off to a great start. Don't give up. You can do it, trust me.
Sincerely,
tom macrina, CEC, CCA, AAC National PresidentAmerican Culinary FederationProduct Specialist manager/ Food Fanatics™ Chef uS Foods, inc., Philadelphia
40 years, and when hiring, I would first look at how many jobs candidates had and how long they stayed at each one. Changing jobs every 4-6 months, or even every year, sometimes tells managers that you are not going to stick around, and, therefore, why should they take the time to train you?
Networking is the key to your career. Stay involved with ACF, attend meetings and get to know your fellow members. This way, if a great job comes up, you will be the first to know about it, and you may have several chefs from your chapter behind you.
I became an ACF member when I graduated from culinary school, and my career grew through knowing the right chefs at the right time. I volunteered to help at
Publix is more than the nation’s largest employee-owned company!
We produce award-winning products and have won numerous industry, employer, and customer service accolades.
Turn your talent into a great and a stable career in our meat,
deli and bakery departments, offering just the right touches
to help our customers create special memories and great meals.
Come join Publix, named to the FORTUNE 100 Best Companies to Work For list for 17 consecutive years.
We provide our associates with:Career Growth Opportunities
Job SecurityStock Ownership
Great BenefitsEmployee Bonuses
Discover your culinary vision with us!
WhERE CaREERs aRE MadE
For more information on Publix and other employment opportunities, visit publix.jobs Publix is proud to be an equal opportunity employer committed to a diverse workforce
6 Sizzle Summer 14
AmuSE-bouChE news & opportunities
amuse-boucheNews & Opportunities
Washington potato winnersTwo students from Seattle Culinary Academy at Seattle Central Community College, Seattle, tied for first place in the Washington State Potato Commission’s recent recipe contest.
Paolo Campbell made Asian Brandade Cod Cakes, which could be considered an appetizer or entree, flavored with ginger and curry. Jihoon Sun presented Potato Croquettes with a shrimp/scallop Thai curry filling.
The two champions each won $750, while each of four runners-up received $250. The contest was open to students in any of the 11 American Culinary Federation-accredited culinary programs in Washington state.
get creative with sweet potatoesMake up a recipe using fresh, canned or frozen Louisiana sweet potatoes for a chance to win $1,000. In a joint partnership, the Louisiana Sweet Potato Commission and Louisiana Cookin’ are sponsoring the 2014 Sweet Rewards Recipe Contest, which is open to those aged 18 and above.
� A $500 prize is available to one winner in each of the following five categories: fresh, canned, frozen, culinary student and professional chef.
escoffier talentJeremy Iacocca of Carmel, Ind., a student at Ivy Tech Community College, Indianapolis, represented the U.S. in the Escoffier Young Talent competition in Lille, France, March 24. He was recommended by the college’s culinary arts faculty to represent the college, Indiana and the U.S. in the international competition.
top: Paolo Campbell
bottom: Jihoon Sun
� A $1,000 grand prize is available to one overall winner.
� In addition to the cash prizes, winners’ recipes will be posted on the Louisiana Sweet Potato Commission website and featured in the November/December issue of Louisiana Cookin’.
� Entrants may enter multiple recipes using separate entry forms.
� Entries must be postmarked by May 31 and received by June 5.
� Winners will be determined based on flavor, visual appeal and creativity.
� For more details, visit http://bit.ly/1j6gnnZ.
7www.acfchefs.org www.sizzle-digita l.com
must read Learn how to embellish your baked bread by reading Bread Art: Braiding, Decorating, and Painting Edible Bread for Beginners (Cedar Fort Publishing, 2014), by chef, cooking instructor and media personality Stephanie Petersen. The 192-page book with numerous recipes also covers techniques of decorative loaf formation; braided bread; decorative dough embellishments; fancy rolls; specialty decorative wreathes and crown loaves; bread painting with natural colors and extracts; animal breads; themed bread and buns; and more.
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].
Six countries competed for the title of 2014 Escoffier Young Talent of the year. Iacocca tied for fourth place out of seven contestants. He enrolled in the hospitality administration program at Ivy Tech in fall 2012 and will graduate this summer. He currently serves as a line cook at Late Harvest Kitchen, Indianapolis.
AmuSE-bouChE news & opportunities
phyllo adds great texture—the recipe was a clear winner.”
millennials and their snacksMillennials, those aged 19-36, love their snacks, but even within that demographic, preferences vary, according to a March 2014 collaborated study by Chicago-based Y-Pulse and The Culinary Visions Panel. Here are some revelations from the study about snacking behaviors and preferences:
� Millennials don’t care as much about defining an eating experience as a meal or snack as they do about satisfying their need to eat what they want, when and where they choose to eat it.
� Younger millennials (ages 19-25) are most apt to buy snacks from convenience stores, unless they live on campus. Then they purchase from the cafeteria most often.
� Middle millennials (ages 26-30) purchase snacks equally from convenience stores and quick-serve restaurants. They snack most late afternoon/before dinner.
� Older millennials (ages 31-36) prefer cheese, nuts and bakery items as snacks more than other age groups.
� Millennial men are twice as likely as women to choose casual-dining or fast-casual restaurants to purchase snacks, and they are more likely to go to the workplace cafeteria, supermarket deli and quick-serve venues.
� Millennial women are twice as likely as men to make snacks at home. They also go to drugstores and supermarket bakeries more than men to buy snacks.
� Important factors among all millennials in choosing a snack are,
in order, freshness, craving, comfort and healthfulness.
To purchase a copy of the study, contact Y-Pulse at [email protected].
In this issue of Sizzle, learn more about restaurant snacking trends in “Snacks Have Staying Power” on page 22.
cheese recipe winnerCaroline Ausman of Burlington, Wis., took top honors in Monroe, Wis.-based Emmi Roth USA’s Grand Cru® Recipe Contest for Postsecondary Culinary Students for her Manicotti en Croûte with Brandied Fig Sauce recipe (pictured).
Ausman, a student at The Art Institute of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, and other contestants were asked to create a flavorful and creative pasta recipe highlighting Roth Grand Cru, a washed-rind Alpine-style cheese crafted in Wisconsin. As the winner among 35 entries, Ausman received $2,000 and registration and lodging accommodations for the upcoming National Restaurant Association Restaurant Hotel-Motel Show in Chicago, with her recipe to be featured at the Emmi Roth USA Cheese 4 Chefs table during the show.
In a press release, Regi Hise, Emmi Roth’s director of culinary development, said of Ausman’s recipe, “Manicotti wrapped in phyllo is a creative and delicious concept. The sweet flavors of the brandied fig sauce balance wonderfully with the savory Grand Cru manicotti filling, and the
7 am6 am 8 am
8 Sizzle Summer 14
SliCE oF liFE matt mornan
slice of lifeMatt Mornancompleted the one-year certificate program, allowing me to seamlessly change careers. I then continued and completed Culinard’s associate program online.
internshipThree-month deli-clerk internship at Publix grocery store in Mobile, Ala., leading to my current position as a prepared-food specialist at Publix.
most interesting lesson learnedI learned that working at Publix is a great career for a chef. I never thought that I would enjoy working or cooking at a grocery store, but I do. Publix offers great pay, benefits and an excellent support team. I learned what it is like to work for a team that you can count on.
career plansI plan on pursuing management at Publix. With the company expanding, I believe I have a great career ahead of me.
age36
educationSeptember 2013 online graduate of Culinard, The Culinary Institute of Virgina College, Richmond, Va., with an associate of applied science degree in culinary and pastry arts.
why there?While working in real estate, I started taking evening classes at Culinard to fulfill my dream. Culinard was newly opened, close by and affordable. When I lost my job, I had just
6:00 a.m.The day begins with
darkness and calm. As I
walk into a mostly empty
store, I contemplate
what I need to do today.
In the kitchen, I turn on
all my equipment and get
my station set. I review
my notes from yesterday
to familiarize myself
with what needs to be
cooked today.
6:30 a.m.Today I start with a beautiful
Châteaubriand that the meat
department delivered to me
and I marinated yesterday.
I sear the meat on the grill
before placing it in the oven.
When it is done, I set it out to
rest before chilling it. I love
preparing the Châteaubriand
the most. It is the nicest and
most expensive protein I get
to work with.
8 am 11 am 12 pm 2 pm 3 pm1 pm10 am9 am
9www.acfchefs.org www.sizzle-digita l.com
11:30 a.m.The beauty of working
for Publix (besides all
the amazing benefits,
plus the people I get
to work with) is that I
get scheduled for an
hourlong lunch break.
12:30 p.m.After lunch, I start
prep for tomorrow. I
quarter red potatoes for
rosemary potatoes. I
take care of paperwork,
order produce and set
my cooking schedule.
7:30 a.m.Back to cooking. With the
Châteaubriand done and
chilling, I start on the cedar
plank salmon. After that, I move
on to the turkey meatloaf,
tilapia piccata, roasted Brussels
sprouts and mashed cauliflower.
11:00 a.m.The chef case is now fully stocked,
garnished and ready for a great day of sales.
1:00 p.m.It’s now time for the wok chef
to go to lunch. I switch over to
relieve him. I quickly produce
a couple of dishes to refresh
the hot bar (spicy long beans
and Mongolian beef).
3:00 p.m.Time to go home.
Another productive
day at Publix, where
shopping is a pleasure.
9:30 a.m.Today is a truck day.
We receive a truck
filled primarily with
chef products. This
truck delivers such
items as my spices,
dry ingredients, fine
cheeses and wok
supplies. I check in
the delivery truck and
store the products. 2:00 p.m.With my last hour, I tackle
some deep cleaning.
According to the cleaning
schedule, it's time to
scrub the hood vents.
10:00 a.m.With deliveries and the heavy
cooking completed, I move on
to the rest of the food. I prepare
quinoa salad, wheatberry
salad, country club tuna salad,
honey fruit nut chicken salad
and green beans almondine.
7:00 a.m.As the store opens, I
unwrap the chef’s case
in the deli while replating,
refilling and tagging all the
prepared foods. The case
has about 30 slots for me
to fill with an assortment
of foods. The chef’s case
is a popular place. We
are busy during the lunch
rush, usually selling more
cold salads. At dinnertime,
we tend to sell more of
the heartier dishes.
above: The chef’s case, located
in the deli, contains about 30
prepared-food items.
bottom: Founded in 1930, Publix
operates more than 1,000 grocery
stores in six Southeast states and
has more than 166,500 employees.
Photos courtesy of Publix
10 Sizzle Summer 14
a chicken, you’ll likely be quicker at other proteins.
It took many attempts to debone a chicken in a timely manner without mangling the meat or skin, O’Brien says. The other necessary basic skills are ones any student works to master, including making a sauce and sauteing and braising the chicken in wine sauce with mushrooms and onions.
The classic recipe was an interpretive dream for Richard Kugelmann, the college’s culinary arts program coordinator and a culinary instructor. He also is on the board of directors for American Culinary Federation (ACF) North Carolina Chapter. He decided to bring the best of the Southeast to his modern version: Lobster and Prosciutto Ballontine with Crab and Spinach Mousse/Timbale, Collard Puree, Hominy Au Gratin and Red-Eye Hollandaise.
Just as practice is necessary to fabricate chicken, lobster presents its own challenges.
Rated on a challenge scale, ballontine coq au vin ranks in
the middle. The classical French dish is loosely about deboning and stuffing a carcass—often chicken—rolling and wrapping it up, poaching or braising it in wine sauce, slicing and serving. With that concept understood, variations are unlimited. But the basics are the place to start before reaching for the stars with creative renditions.
Patrick O’Brien, a student at Fayetteville Technical Community College, Fayetteville, N.C., chose to feature ballontine coq au vin for its interesting preparation of chicken and all the skills necessary to successfully master the recipe. “If you can get those skills down, there are a lot of other things you can do with them,” he says. And the recipe doesn’t just apply to chicken, though it might be among the most difficult. If you can debone and stuff
ClASSiCAl v. moDErN ballontine coq au vin
classical v. modern
top: Richard Kugelmann
bottom: Patrick O’Brien
Photos by Brad Losh
“Lobster tail is delicate. You have to gently remove it from the shell without destroying muscle,” Kugelmann says. You can’t pound and flatten the meat. It requires a certain skill level.
He felt free to add other elements reminiscent of the Southeast to his recipe, because classic ballontine coq au vin does not present a set of rigid requirements. “A lot of interpretation is left up to the chef, including the cooking method, whether braising or roasting,” he says.
His recipe calls for hollandaise sauce, the making of which is a skill he found easy early in his training. He suggests others practice and repeat these kinds of skills. “A lot of students go through culinary school and do any one thing once or twice and may not see it again until after they graduate and go work somewhere. The only way to get good experience is to do it at home,” he says. “Use the skills you learn in school, or you won’t become good.”
11www.acfchefs.org www.sizzle-digita l.com
lobStEr AND ProSCiutto bAlloNtiNE with CrAb AND SPiNACh mouSSE/timbAlE, CollArD PurEE, homiNy Au GrAtiN AND rED-EyE hollANDAiSE 1. Lobster meat is removed from the shell, seasoned and
wrapped in prosciutto. 2. The lobster is stuffed with crab
and spinach mousse, which also serves as timbale for a
garnish when baked. The mousse/timbale includes goat,
ricotta, mascarpone and mozzarella cheeses along with
pine nuts. 3. Under the lobster and prosciutto ballontine sits
hominy gratin with such ingredients as Parmesan, sharp
white cheddar and Gruyere cheeses and garlic. 4. The key
ingredient in this red-eye hollandaise sauce is strong coffee.
It is garnished with tasso ham.
modernbAlloNtiNE Coq Au viN 1. Chicken is the standard
protein used for ballotine coq au vin, though it is among
the most difficult proteins because of the difficulty of
deboning without ruining the meat and skin, including
the legs. 2. The chicken is stuffed with mushroom and
spinach duxelle using breadcrumbs as a binder. The
challenge is removing the moisture from the vegetables.
3. Haricots vert and polenta are easy elements to this
recipe. The polenta is cooked in chicken stock, cooled to
set and finally cut with a ring cutter.
classical
ClassicalphotosbyPatrickO'Brien ModernphotosbyRichardKugelmann
12 Sizzle Summer 14
mushroom and Spinach duxelleingredients:
8-10 oz. spinach
¾ lb. button mushrooms
1 T. clarified butter
4 oz. breadcrumbs
½ t. salt
½ t. pepper
method:1. Clean and dry spinach and
mushrooms.
2. Dice mushrooms; squeeze out
moisture.
3. Saute mushrooms in butter until
start to brown.
4. Add chopped spinach one-fourth
at a time to wilt. Season; cool.
5. Mix in breadcrumbs to bind.
6. Season with salt and pepper.
chicken Ballontineingredients:1 whole chicken4-5 oz. duxelle
Ballontine coq au Vin yield: 4 servings
4 oz. bacon batonnet, cut
2 T. butter, divided
9 pearl onions½ lb. button mushrooms10 oz. pinot noir1½ garlic cloves, crushed1∕8 t. dried thyme1 bay leaf4 oz. chicken stockParsley, as needed
method:
1. Debone chicken; stuff (including
legs) with duxelle. Truss chicken
tightly.
2. Render bacon in saucepan.
Reserve for garnish.
3. Brown ballontine in 1 T. butter.
Remove.
4. Saute onions and mushrooms
in remaining 1 T. butter. Reserve
for garnish.
5. Deglaze pan with wine; bring to
a boil. Make sachet with garlic,
thyme and bay leaf. Add sachet
and chicken stock to pan.
6. Return chicken to pan; roast,
covered, at 350˚F for 30-40
minutes.
7. Remove and plate chicken.
Garnish with bacon, onions,
mushrooms and parsley.
8. For sauce, reduce roasting liquid
by one-third. Thicken with blond
roux. Season with salt.
9. Strain sauce; reserve.
Supreme sauceingredients:8 oz. chicken velouté2 oz. heavy cream¼ oz. butter1∕8 t. salt1∕8 t. white pepperFew drops lemon juice
method:1. Simmer velouté over moderate
heat; reduce by one-fourth.
2. Temper cream by slowly stirring
sauce into stainless-steel bowl.
3. Stir in butter, salt, pepper and
lemon juice. Strain.
haricots Vertingredients:10 oz. haricots vert2 oz. butter2 garlic cloves, minced
method:1. Blanch and shock haricots vert.
2. Melt butter in pan. Add garlic;
brown slightly.
3. Add haricots vert; toss to cook.
Polentaingredients:24 oz. chicken stock12 oz. quick-cook polentaPinch of salt and pepper
method:1. Boil stock. Add polenta; stir. Cook
until polenta starts to pull away
from sides.
2. Season with salt and pepper.
Spread on sheet pan. Cool to set.
3. Cut with ring cutter; plate.
classicalWorking for a lumber company, Patrick O’Brien, 34, only recently looked at the possibility of a culinary career. While he aims to become as well-rounded in his skills as possible, his real desire is to become a professional fruit and vegetable carver.
He has come to believe the saying that if you do what you love, you’ll never have to work a day in your life. With a bachelor of arts degree from Arizona State University, Phoenix, his latest quest is to get his associate degree in culinary arts on his way to a carving career, using the skills he has already been recognized for. In April 2013, he won a silver medal in the SD (showpieces, student, individual) category at the Wake Tech
Community College Culinary Arts Showcase at Raleigh Convention Center, Raleigh, N.C. In October 2013, he won a silver medal in the SD category for a pumpkin carving, along with a gold medal and “Best of Show” award, for a fruit carving at an ACF-approved culinary competition in Winston-Salem, N.C. At the same event, he also received ACF North Carolina Chapter’s Mary Margaret Traxler Hospitality Education Scholarship.
In his culinary journey so far, O’Brien has made some realizations that come to bear in his classic ballontine coq au vin dish. One is in the making of duxelle. When sauteing vegetables, there’s an amazing
amount of water. “Getting that out correctly and not burning everything so you can use the reduced vegetables as a stuffing that isn’t soggy and nasty was interesting,” he says. When he chops and minces vegetables, he squeezes them in cheesecloth to minimize the moisture.
Part of the recipe also requires trussing the chicken after fabricating, stuffing and rolling it. He discovered that all chefs have their own way of trussing, and there is no one preferred way over another. For this recipe, he watched a 10-minute Jacques Pepin YouTube video on making ballontine (http://bit.ly/1bgZcZT). O’Brien was impressed with Pepin’s quick-and-easy chicken trussing, and
he adopted that method. “Being a sponge in school is great, but be discerning, and pick out things that actually work for you,” he says.
The rest of the dish is simple. Coq au vin means to cook in wine. He sauteed the ingredients, deglazed the pan with wine and chicken stock, then poured everything into the roasting pan before laying the trussed chicken on top. After proper roasting, he used the roasting liquid to make the sauce.
With all the required skills in hand, O’Brien realizes that they will transfer to other proteins. He imagines how easy it would be to stuff pork tenderloin or a beef dish. “That’s what you’re working toward,” he says.
ClASSiCAl v. moDErN ballontine coq au vin
modernCulinary was a later-in-life career choice for Richard Kugelmann, who was a corporate banker for five years before moving to the apparel industry. He turned to Central Piedmont Community College, Charlotte, N.C., in the 1990s to get a culinary arts education, and eventually worked his way up to owning two restaurants. He began working part time at Fayetteville Technical Community College in 2000 and went full time in 2006.
For a modern ballontine coq au vin dish, he thought of wrapping
fabricated and stuffed lobster tail meat in prosciutto slices because the two flavors go well together. Beyond that, he considered ingredients and flavors native to the Southeast, and landed on the recipe, Lobster and Prosciutto Ballontine with Crab and Spinach Mousse/Timbale, Collard Puree, Hominy Au Gratin and Red-Eye Hollandaise.
While the classic version incorporates mushrooms and spinach as the ballontine stuffing, he took the ingredients closer to the sea with crab and spinach mousse/
timbale, and included cheese as a binder for how colorful it would be rolled up and sliced. The rest of the ingredients he chose came from Low Country moorings, incorporating collards as garnish and a side of hominy gratin rather than potatoes.
“For the last component, I love red-eye gravy, so I took coffee and used that rather than vinegar, lemon juice and water. Then I garnished the sauce with tasso ham,” he says.
Saucier skills are important to the modern version, beyond the hollandaise sauce. The cheese in
the hominy gratin requires the chef to make perfect béchamel sauce. Making the mousse two ways also came to bear, one as part of the lobster tail stuffing, the other, in a timbale to slice and arrange on the plate. The collards require three hours of braising before they are pureed to a soft, smooth texture.
Perhaps, above all, Kugelmann notes that none of the ingredients are complicated or hard to find, and substitutions are perfectly acceptable. Tasso can be replaced with prosciutto or bacon.
lobster and Prosciutto Ballontineingredients:8 (4-oz. average) lobster tailsSalt and pepper, to taste
1 cup crab and spinach mousse/timbale (recipe follows)
8 thin slices prosciutto
method:1. Carefully remove lobster meat
from tail shells; butterfly, season
with salt and pepper.
2. Pipe 2 T. crab and spinach
mousse down center of each
tail meat.
3. Wrap each tightly in prosciutto,
sealing ends.
4. Wrap each tightly in plastic
wrap; cook by poaching in
water or by sous vide.
5. Hold warm for final plate-up.
hominy gratiningredients:1 cup panko1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
5 oz. butter, divided
lobster and Prosciutto Ballontine with crab and Spinach mousse/Timbale, collard Puree, hominy Au gratin and red-eye hollandaiseyield: 8 servings
4 cans hominy1 T. garlic, minced
1 oz. all-purpose flour16 oz. heavy creamKosher salt and black pepper, to
taste
4 oz. sharp white cheddar cheese,
grated
2 oz. Gruyere (or Swiss) cheese,
grated
method:1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare
hotel pan with pan spray.
Combine panko and Parmesan
cheese; generously coat
pan with it. Some panko and
Parmesan will be left over for
next step.
2. Melt butter and coat remaining
panko/cheese mixture lightly;
set aside.
3. Drain and rinse hominy; set
aside until ready to use.
4. In saucepan, heat 1 oz. butter
over medium-high heat, add
garlic; cook 1 minute.
5. Add flour; cook to blond roux.
Add heavy cream.
6. Add salt and pepper. Slowly
whisk in cheddar and Gruyere
cheeses, stirring constantly to
melt cheese. Remove from heat.
Taste and adjust seasonings, if
necessary.
7. Drain hominy. Coat with cheese
sauce; distribute evenly in hotel
pan. Top with reserved panko/
cheese mixture. Bake until done,
about 30 minutes.
8. Remove from oven; hold warm for service, or cool, label, date and refrigerate until ready for later service.
crab and Spinach mousse/Timbale (and stuffing for lobster Ballontine)ingredients:½ oz. goat cheese8 oz. ricotta cheese4 oz. mascarpone cheese4 oz. fresh baby spinach, divided½ oz. butter2 T. pine nuts6 oz. mozzarella cheese4 oz. crab, special grade1 eggSalt and white pepper, to taste
method:1. In food processor, puree goat
cheese, ricotta, mascarpone and half the spinach. Transfer to bowl; set aside.
2. In small saucepan, melt butter. Saute remaining spinach just until wilted, 2-3 minutes. Coarsely chop; cool.
3. Toast pine nuts in 350°F oven for 5 minutes; cool. Fold into cheese mixture with cooled spinach, mozzarella, crab, egg, salt and pepper. Adjust seasoning; set mousse aside.
Note: Use part of recipe as stuffing for lobster recipe above; bake some as timbale for plate garnish.
red-eye hollandaise Sauceingredients:2 egg yolks
1 oz. strong coffee16 oz. clarified butterlemon juice, as needed
water (or additional coffee),
as needed
Salt and cayenne pepper, to taste
2 oz. tasso ham, diced or pureed
method:1. In stainless-steel bowl, whisk egg
yolks and coffee together to triple volume.
2. Transfer bowl over bain-marie containing barely simmering water. Cook the mixture 1-3 minutes, until volume doubles, reaching the ribbon stage. Remove from heat. Whisk about 20 seconds to prevent eggs from continuing to cook.
3. Add butter to egg/coffee mixture in steady stream while constantly whisking. Use only enough butter to achieve somewhat thick consistency. There may be some butter left over.
4. Add lemon juice and/or additional coffee or water, to taste. Be careful not to thin sauce too much. Season, to taste, with salt and cayenne pepper.
5. Garnish with diced or pureed tasso ham.
6. Serve immediately or hold warm between 95°F and 100°F in thermos or butter warmer.
collards Pureeingredients:1 oz. butter2 oz. yellow onion, diced
1 t. garlic, minced
ClASSiCAl v. moDErN ballontine coq au vin
8 oz. collards, stemmed, washed,
chopped
8 oz. chicken stock
16 oz. water
2 oz. diced ham hock
Salt and pepper, to taste
½ oz. Frank’s hot Sauce
1 oz. white vinegar
method:
1. In large pot, melt butter over
medium-high heat. Saute onion,
then garlic, until tender.
2. Add collards; continue to cook
until begins to soften, about 10
minutes.
3. Add chicken stock, water, ham,
salt, pepper, hot sauce and
vinegar. Bring to a boil. Reduce
heat to simmer for at least 1
hour, longer if time permits.
4. Use immediately or cool down
to 70°F within 2 hours, then to
41°F within 4 hours. Label, date
and refrigerate until ready to use
for service.
Note: Prior to service, reheat to 165°F
for 15 seconds.
garnishingredients:
2 oz. canned black-eyed peas
Salt and pepper, to taste
All-purpose flour, as needed
microgreens, held separately
method:1. Drain and rinse black-eyed
peas. In bowl, season with salt
and pepper.
2. A little at a time, toss in flour to
evenly coat peas.
3. Deep-fry peas until golden-
brown. Set aside on paper towels to drain.
Assembly:Place portion of hominy gratin on plate. Slice lobster ballontine on a bias; lay into hominy. Brush or paint plate with some collard puree. Shingle some crab and spinach mousse/timbale pieces on top. Drizzle red-eye hollandaise sauce on plate next to lobster. Garnish sauce with tasso ham. Complete presentation with ¼ cup fried black-eyed peas and 2 T. microgreens per plate.
Make smart directional choices as you dive into your culinary quest. // By Jody Shee
Plan Your Career Roadmap
I f your dream of life beyond culinary school is to get a sous-chef position right away and land an executive-chef gig a few years later on your way to opening your own restaurant by age 30, your ambition is commendable.
But chefs with a few years and successes under their belts have some career-beginning advice to offer that may be contrary to these kinds of goals.
Sizzle asked five chefs to share their insights from the choices they made early on that shaped their careers. Let their experience be your best teacher.
18 Sizzle Summer 14
Tramonto also advises to try to drill down to the specific genre of cooking you are most interested in. “You should cook where your heart and food desires are. I took jobs in which the food didn’t speak to me. I did it for the job. I learned a lot, but I wasn’t happy,” he says. “If I cooked food that spoke to me, I couldn’t wait to get to work. I was the first one there and the last to leave because I had a connection with the food.”
Theo AdleyTheo Adley is executive chef of The Squeaky Bean, Denver, which is known for its progressive farm-driven fare. He previously owned his own restaurant, The Pinyon, Boulder, Colo. He sold it and began hosting a series of Chinese street-food pop-ups with hand-pulled noodles and char siu pork in bars and homes around Denver before joining The Squeaky Bean.
Rick TramontoChicago-based celebrity chef Rick Tramonto is a restaurateur, author of eight books and winner of numerous awards, including several James Beard awards. He is chef/co-founder of Restaurant R'evolution, New Orleans.
Rick Tramonto already had fair cooking experience in his hometown of Rochester, N.Y., working at a steakhouse and then a hotel where he started to learn classic French techniques. But he realized that for a real chance in the culinary world, he would have to pack up, leave his family and move to New York.
He landed a prep job in Manhattan at Tavern on the Green, where he remained for a year earning minimum wage. He and two other guys struggled to survive sharing a one-bedroom apartment.
From there, Tramonto caught some great early career breaks in New York when he joined the renowned Alfred Portale at Gotham Bar & Grill and later worked under Gerard Pangaud and Joe Baum at Aurora.
“It’s easy to come out of school and think, ‘now I’m going to get my $50,000 sous-chef position,’ but maybe you should take a $25,000 line-cook job or work in pastry for a few years,” Tramonto says. “A lot of chefs skip over pastry, and they lack pastry skills.” Butchering is another important skill to hone. “Continue your education by putting yourself in one of these positions.”
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You should cook where your heart and food desires are. ... If I cooked food that spoke to me, I couldn't wait to get to work.
— Rick Tramonto
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19www.acfchefs.org www.sizzle-digita l.com
Theo Adley loves his home state of Colorado. After cooking in a few restaurants, he went to the Culinary School of the Rockies, Boulder, to become more familiar with classic French cooking and to “formalize the affair,” he says. After graduation, he had a choice. He could go to one of the “foodie cities,” such as New York, Chicago or San Francisco, and work under famous chefs, or he could stay in his beloved state. He believed Colorado was beautiful, had so much to offer and was up-and-coming in the culinary scene. So he decided to stay.
Early on, all he wanted to do was study pasta-making. This led him to Italian cuisine, and he ended up working under Ryan Hardy at The Little Nell, Aspen, Colo. It was an experience that informs Adley’s cooking technique today. “(Hardy’s) style was Italian with American backbone to it, and it was eye-opening,” Adley says. “He owned his own farm, and I became acquainted with managing a farm and its crop cycles, and the livestock that comes through. So I developed more of a farm outlook.”
Eventually, Adley opened his own restaurant with the name Pinyon, which is a tree common in Colorado. Naming it that was philosophical, “thinking of pinyon nuts, which were sustenance in Colorado in the winter when food was sparse,” he says. “I took the idea of stockpiling and self-sustaining.”
After a few culinary side excursions, he landed as executive chef at The Squeaky Bean preparing progressive American food, largely from the restaurant’s 7-acre farm.
Adam SiegelAdam Siegel is the James Beard Award-winning executive chef of Bartolotta’s Lake Park Bistro and Bacchus, Milwaukee. He also is corporate chef/managing partner of the 13 locations of The Bartolotta Restaurants.
Halfway through his culinary education at Chicago’s Kendall College, Adam Siegel started an apprenticeship under Paul Bartolotta at Spiaggia, Chicago, where, in three years, he worked every station before he got the itch to move on at age 23. Though he dreamed of working in
To culinary students, he says, “Look within. Find something you want to learn how to do better than anyone else, then focus on that for a few years. Once you are comfortable with that, go back to where you came from and bring it there. The more you can bring back to your city, the more inspiration you can give.”
One of the best things you can do is get out there into a great culinary city, travel and work in different areas. It forces you to grow up.
— Adam Siegel
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20 Sizzle Summer 14
Europe, he listened to Bartolotta’s assessment. “He felt I wasn’t ready. I needed to grow up, mature and hone my skills,” Siegel says. Instead, Bartolotta arranged for him to study with Julian Serrano at Masa’s Restaurant in San Francisco.
“One of the best things you can do is get out there into a great culinary city, travel and work in different areas. It forces you to grow up. It makes you become more responsible in ways you’re not used to,” he says. In nine years, Siegel lived in Chicago, San Francisco, Florida, Washington, D.C., and Italy.
He admits that moving to Italy was a hard decision. “I was leaving behind an offer to work at Picasso at Bellagio in Las Vegas with Julian Serrano. I would have been a part of the opening team, but going to Italy was priceless. I learned from Valentino Marcattilii, chef of San Domenico of Imola, a two-star Michelin restaurant,” he says.
Wherever he was, Siegel worked many hours off the clock to learn as much as possible. “I remember at Spiaggia, I would go in the early morning to work with the pasta ladies, and then with the saucier or with the pastry chefs,” he says.
He advises, “Don’t think that just because you went to culinary school you are a chef. It takes years of hard, hands-on work to become a chef. It requires passion, devotion, patience and practice. Work as a line cook for a while. Don’t race to become a sous chef. Travel and live in different regions or countries.”
Rex HaleRex Hale is corporate chef for the 22 hotels that are part of St. Louis-based LHM where he does menu development and training. He also is executive chef at 360 rooftop bar at the Hilton at the Ballpark and The Restaurant at The Cheshire, both in St. Louis.
By age 22, Rex Hale was already executive chef of a St. Louis hotel with a restaurant and banquet business. But he believes one of the best decisions he ever made was to quit that job and move to Houston, where he initially worked as a pastry chef at the former University Club of Houston.
He could have kept on the executive-chef path, “but I wouldn’t have gained the experience that I did,” he says. His next move put him under French tutelage without having to move to France. He worked at Houston’s Restaurant de France in the Meridian Hotel under Jose Guiitterez, a sous chef of master chef Paul Bocuse, who is considered a father
of French gastronomy and one of the fathers of nouvelle cuisine. “Bocuse was the restaurant’s consulting chef at the time. Needless to say, it was an amazing experience and was foundational to my career.”
For those who would like to eventually take a foodservice management position, Hale believes it’s important to understand all areas in order to lead others to be successful. “If I had not stepped back into the position of working the line at the Meridian, I would never have been exposed to all that I have been,” he says.
Hale advises, “Learn what you can at a young age. You’ll never be able to take those years back. To be good in this field, you have to understand all parts: pastry, bread, garde manger. … You’re told you need to be a sous chef first, then work up. No. Learn everything you need to know, and once you have learned, then you can move into those positions.”
You’re told you need to be a sous chef first, then work up. No. Learn everything you need to know, and once you have learned, then you can move into those positions.
— Rex Hale
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21www.acfchefs.org www.sizzle-digita l.com
Jody Shee is Sizzle’s editor-in-chief. She has more than 20 years of food-writing experience and writes the blog www.sheefood.com.
a season of sacrifice. “You’ll only grow up in uncomfortable situations. You’re putting yourself in the furnace. How long can you sacrifice your comfort for the goal?” Have a vision, and drive yourself to be disciplined and go after it.
He sees an epidemic of what he calls unripe-fruit syndrome. “Young cooks have incredible talent, but they shortcut the process. They take themselves off the vine too soon and don’t fully ripen. They don’t get enough nutrients from getting that experience.”
His only regret is that, knowing he wanted to open his own restaurant, he didn’t spend much time early on focusing on the business side. “Now I’d say, if you want to own your own business, go get an MBA to get that business background.”
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Start with a goal, then work backward. If you want to open a catering company, then go find a top catering company you can go to work for.
— David Falk
“
“David FalkDavid Falk is executive chef and president of Boca Restaurant Group, Cincinnati, among which is the group’s flagship restaurant Boca and a traditional trattoria, Sotto. He has helped to shape Cincinnati’s culinary scene.
When David Falk graduated from The Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park, N.Y., in 1996, he knew he wanted to own his own restaurant someday. But first, he wanted experience working for a top high-end chef, a French chef, an American chef and to work in Italy. His externship at Chicago’s Spiaggia allowed him to work for a high-end chef. On graduation, he moved to Italy and worked in a restaurant in Rome. Back in the U.S., he worked at a 5-star French restaurant. His great American-chef dream was fulfilled when he then worked for Charlie Trotter in Chicago.
He advises, “Start with a goal, then work backward. If you want to open a catering company, then go find a top catering company you can go to work for.” Moving around can be personally uncomfortable, but your early career is
By Suzanne Hall
Consumers love their snacks. Discover the trendy ways
foodservice operators meet this need to nosh.
SnackSHave Staying Power
24 Sizzle Summer 14
opposite top: The
assorted pickle snack
at Bareburger features
garlic dill pickle chips,
spicy pickle chips,
butter pickle chips and
homemade red slaw.
opposite bottom: The
Sweet Potato Croqs
available at Bareburger
come with habanero
chipotle mayo and stone-
ground honey mustard.
and cheddar cheeses and herbs such as thyme, rosemary and tarragon. “It’s an easy melt, like a queso dip, and served with toasted ciabatta,” Morgan says. An equally popular afternoon snack is his Asian-style fried calamari made with rice flour and served with a sweet chili lime sauce.
Kozmo’s snack menu also includes house poutine, a typical Canadian fast food of fries topped with smoked brisket, gravy and Jack cheese. Among other menued snacks are deviled eggs; andouille sausage flatbread; hummus with naan; and salmon dip.
When writing his snack menu, Morgan keeps in mind what’s in the kitchen so he can mix and match ingredients. Calamari, for example, can be added to any salad. Salmon sometimes appears as a snack croquette and among the main-course offerings.
Fries are a popular snack at Bareburger, the organic, all-natural 17-unit burger chain based in Astoria, N.Y. The chain has offered a snack menu since the first unit opened in 2009. Owner/founder Euripides Pelekanos believed then and believes now that there are always customers who do not want a full meal. Instead, they want something they can share. “We cater to that,” Pelekanos says. “We are a welcoming, cool kind of place where people congregate and share a basket of fries.” These could be fresh-cut french fries served with any of Bareburger’s sauces, including
L arger than hors d’oeuvres and smaller than appetizers, snacks are a way of life for many
Americans. Some 53% of us snack two to three times a day, according to a study by research firm The NPD Group, Inc., Port Washington, N.Y. Our choices run the gamut from a bag of chips to a candy bar, a handful of fries to a deviled egg. And while in terms of what’s eaten the line between snacks and appetizers can be blurry, their role is not. Appetizers precede a meal. Snacks are eaten between meals. They help fill restaurant tables during off hours, give servers something to do besides fill saltshakers and add to the bottom line.
Snacks represent one in five eating occasions in the U.S., according to the study. And contrary to what some may think, snacks don’t significantly draw sales away from other parts of the menu.
Guests often snack at the bar while waiting for the rest of their party. Then they go in and order a meal, says Oswald Morgan, owner of Kozmo Gastro Pub, Johns Creek, Ga., adding, “I haven’t done a scientific survey, but I don’t believe snacks hurt other sales.”
afternoon delightsMid- to late-afternoon is a big snacking time at Kozmo. Groups of neighborhood women and sometimes couples come in to share a bottle of wine and some snacks, including cheese fondue. This most-popular snack is made with blue, Parmesan, mozzarella
25www.acfchefs.org www.sizzle-digita l.com
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curry ketchup, habanero chipotle mayo, smokehouse sauce and smoked paprika mayo, or harvest sweet potato fries with curry ketchup and ranch dressing. Sometimes guests order the fries along with the restaurant’s popular breaded onion rings with curry mayo and smokehouse sauce.
Bareburger’s customers tend to be well-educated professionals between the ages of 21 and 35. In late afternoon, they like to come in and share a pitcher of beer or a bottle of wine and one of the restaurant’s several snack dishes,
dining rooms are part of the trend, as well. The Spotted Pig, New York, for example, offers a snack menu in its bar that includes deviled eggs, devils on horseback (bacon-wrapped prunes), chicken liver toast, roasted almonds, marinated olives and a pot of pickles.
At Asador in the Renaissance Dallas Hotel, Dallas, a selection of snacks is
which include panko-crusted zucchini sticks; butter pickle chips; chicken tenders; and assorted pickles with red slaw. Having a snack menu increases beverage sales, Pelekanos says.
Casual spots such as Bareburger and Kozmo aren’t the only restaurant segment taking advantage of customers’ yearning for snacks. Some more upscale
the next big snack trendIf there’s a new trend in the snacking world, it’s the desire for foods that consumers perceive as more healthful. Fruit is one of them, if it’s presented with some kind of wow factor, says Lori Harlig, co-owner/co-founder of Amici Catering, Phoenix.
Sweet potatoes sport a healthy halo. Astoria, N.Y.-based Bareburger’s sweet potato croqs are made from organic sweet potatoes. “They’re delicious but loaded with calories,” says owner/founder euripides Pelekanos. recently, he and his staff began looking into putting snacks with fewer calories and less fat on the menu.
Guests at Kozmo Gastro Pub, Johns Creek, Ga., have been asking for lighter snacks. “We will be adding some grilled items and more vegetable snacks to our menu,” says owner Oswald morgan.
26 Sizzle Summer 14
snacks to as many as 5 million college students. It’s no wonder that Rick Ortman, the company’s director of consumer insights, pays close attention to what they like. He tracks snacking trends across Sodexo’s other business segments, as well. Students, he believes, are among the biggest snackers, partaking to satisfy hunger, reenergize and reduce stress.
Salty foods, such as pretzels and chips, are the most popular snacks among college students, followed by cookies, then fruit. “Students are more likely to choose bottled or tap water for their afternoon snack than are adults in the workforce, who tend more toward coffee drinks,” Ortman says. “Sodas also are popular.”
Salty snacks and sweets such as candy are the norm during class hours at the University of California, Berkeley. Lucky Vasquez, director of operations, campus restaurants and concessions, oversees eight retail operations on campus, ranging from convenience stores to restaurant-style operations. Some serve as few as 100 students a day. The largest operation can see as many as 6,000 customers. The venues are primarily grab-and-go, serving sandwiches, wraps, sushi and other items. In addition to chips and candy, UC Berkeley students’ snacks of choice are cookies, donuts, french fries, chili fries, egg rolls and inari—bite-sized snacks of tofu bags filled with rice as
an integral part of the farm-to-table menu developed by chef/partner Dean James Max. The offerings include a jar of pickles with cucumbers, cauliflower, carrots, radishes and habanero vinegar; fire-roasted Gulf of Mexico stone crabs with spicy mustard; tamarind grilled Texas quail on a stick; habanero agave chicken wings with pickled vegetables; and beef fat french fries with spicy housemade ketchup and lemon aioli. The advantage to having snacks on a hotel dining room menu, some believe, is to offer guests wider options and encourage them to come to the restaurant more often.
college connectionAfternoon snacking among college students is part of the noshing trend that can’t be underestimated. On any given day, contract management company Sodexo, Gaithersburg, Md., has the opportunity to provide
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27www.acfchefs.org www.sizzle-digita l.com
above: Sodexo's OPT Healthy
snack vending machine.
opposite top: Sweet potato
fries provide a better-for-you
snack image.
opposite bottom: Offering
various dips adds to the
already alluring appeal of
fries and onion rings.
simple and inexpensive sushi. “Students purchase sandwiches throughout the day. French fries and chili fries also are popular,” Vasquez says.
morning munchingTraditional mid-morning snacks such as donuts, Danish pastries, scones and biscuits combined with lattes, macchiatos and sometimes fruit juices are a morning way of life in the workplace. These items often are provided by hotels and convention centers as break fare for meetings and seminars.
Lori Harlig and her husband Scott founded Amici Catering, Phoenix, in 2007 after many years in other areas of foodservice. Their business is fairly evenly split between corporate work and social events, where snacks play a large role. “A lot of our corporate clients want snacks for their morning meetings,” she says. Among the snacks she offers are rice cakes with cashew butter topped with fresh strawberries, and mini waffles. The waffles are about a quarter the size of a regular waffle. “We top them with sweet and savory fillings and fold them over like a panini,” she says.
Amici also offers a trail-mix bar where meeting attendees mix and match the ingredients to fill snack bags. “Grown-up” apple oatmeal cookies and popcorn also are popular at morning meetings, Harlig says. Snack offerings in the afternoon include cheese and
fruit trays; assorted hummus with vegetables and pita chips; almond bar banana sushi rolls; and various bundtinis (little cakes). One of her specialties is housemade pop tarts. These hand-held fruit pies are especially popular for weddings.
late-night noshesHarlig sometimes offers late-night snack suggestions to her customers, such as monogrammed pop tarts or a hot chocolate bar offering a variety of selections with or without alcohol. Kettle corn drizzled with melted chocolate mixed with chili powder and sprinkled with edible gold leaf is another option.
While wedding guests are treated to elegant evening snacks, college students look for more basic fare that often resembles a meal, not a snack, according to Sodexo’s Ortman. Beyond chips, pretzels and cookies, they also choose pizza, nachos, french fries and burgers.
Snacking is a way of life for college students, and their snacking habits will follow them into the future, Ortman believes. Snacking on campuses, at events and in restaurants is a trend that’s here to stay.
Suzanne hall has been writing about chefs, restaurants, food and wine from her home in Soddy-Daisy, tenn., for more than 25 years.
guess what’s no. 1Despite restaurant snack menus and college students’ love of all things sweet and salty, fruit is the No. 1 snack food in America, according to The NPD Group’s Snacking in America Survey. The fact that fruit is popular among all age groups may account for its top ranking.
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dexo
Mobile RestauRantsMake sense
Food trucks are a trendy alternative to owning a brick-and-mortar
establishment, but they are not for the faint of heart.
by Rob Benes
Mobile RestauRantsMake sense
if you’ve ever toyed with the possibility of running a food truck someday, you’ll be pleased to know that the budding segment is not just a passing
fad. These mobile eateries are expected to generate 3-4 percent of total restaurant revenue—about $2.7 billion—by 2017, a fourfold increase from 2012, according to Emergent Research, a Lafayette, Calif.-based small-business research and consulting firm.
The Koji BBQ food truck, Los Angeles, is credited with being one of the pioneers in today’s gourmet food truck movement. Selling fusion Korean and Mexican cuisine, it was founded in 2008 by Roy
Choi, who announced its location via Twitter and influenced the heavy use of social media marketing among today’s food trucks.
develop a brandFood trucks, by nature, are artisanal, in that they tend to specialize in one or two food items done well. So, first things first—you need to create a unique concept.
Loudon County, Va., food truck owners Nancy Jezior and Sharon Lindblad spent three years dreaming of a way to share their passion for
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30 Sizzle Summer 14
a standard restaurant requires. “Working on a food truck is perfect for someone who doesn’t like to be stuck in a kitchen all day,” Garza says. “With a food truck, you drive to locations and set up shop, and there are opportunities to go on sales calls.”
Some people imagine that working on a food truck is easy—it isn’t. “People think that all you do is hop in the truck, drive somewhere and start cooking,” says Barnhart.
You work long hours, with much more responsibility than just cooking, such as food prepping, ordering food and supplies, accounting and preventative maintenance on the truck and equipment. You must also endure such physical demands as loading and unloading items from the truck.
You have to enjoy being outside—not just during the warm summer months, but also during the winter. And you have to be personable, engaging with customers. chefs do not regularly speak with customers, whereas food-truck operators talk with each customer who comes to the window. “It’s an interactive and engaging job,” Cohen says. “There’s an immediate connection with guests.”
You need to handle pressure, working in tight quarters with others. “When it’s service time, it gets busy and fast. We’re only in a spot for a few hours, and that’s when everyone comes to order,” Barnhart says. “You need
term plan is to open a restaurant and have the trucks and restaurant work hand-in-hand.
Before developing your own concept, research trucks in your area through Google or Yelp. Many cities have organizations that group street-food vendors together. For example, in San Francisco, Off the Grid operates 27 weekly markets in the greater Bay area and works with more than 150 vendors weekly, with a mix of vendors so each market varies week to week. “These markets provide a perfect way to explore what kind of food trucks are on the streets,” says Matt Cohen, company founder.
job descriptionFood-truck ownership is for entrepreneurs who may not want to take on the 20-item menu that
vegetarian and vegan food before creating The Randy Radish. It’s a gourmet food truck that serves plant-based alternatives to popular fast-food items.
Craig Garza, owner of Rockstar Bakeshop, Dallas, wanted to stand out from all other dessert trucks. He discovered there were a number of cupcake and ice cream mobile eateries roaming the streets, but only one that sold whoopie pies, and it was for sale. He bought it.
Greg Barnhart, owner of Toasty Cheese, Schaumburg, Ill., wanted to open a restaurant, but wasn’t sure a toasted-cheese concept would last long as a brick-and-mortar establishment. He decided to start with a food truck and build a following. This approach paid off, as he purchased a second truck and has plans for a third next year. His long-
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31www.acfchefs.org www.sizzle-digita l.com
to keep a level head and consistently serve high-quality items over and over.”
Finally, you need to be an innovator and a salesperson, creating new recipes and finding hot spots to sell food. “Salesmanship is needed to approach businesses and organizations to make a proposal, allowing you to park in their locations,” Garza says.
operating expensesCompared with a restaurant, a food truck has lower startup and overhead expenses with less staff. Many factors determine the costs. A used truck can cost between $20,000 and $40,000, while a new truck can run as much as $100,000 or more.
The Randy Radish is a pre-owned food truck that just needed to be wrapped with The Randy Radish logo. Jezior’s and Lindblad’s initial investment was $25,000 for the truck, with an
additional $5,000 for the wrap.
In the county where the truck is registered, they rent commercial kitchen space for food preparation for $1,400 per month. “Under most city laws, no food that is sold or served from a truck may be stored or prepared in a home,” Lindblad says. “If a food truck isn’t associated with a brick-and-mortar restaurant, the food must be prepared at a licensed commissary or shared kitchen.”
There’s also truck insurance (about $2,500 annually), general liability insurance (about $3,500 annually), gas, vehicle repairs, food, paper products, marketing materials and a host of other miscellaneous expenses.
To save on expenses, it’s handy to have some mechanical know-how. Equipment on the truck can suddenly need repairs, sometimes during service. “Calling a repair person can
previous spread: Serving from
a food truck is an interactive
and engaging job, with an
immediate connection with
guests. Photo by Joseph Schell
opposite: The Kogi BBQ food
truck, Los Angeles, founded
by Roy Choi, is credited as
being one of the pioneers in
today’s gourmet food truck
movement. Photo by Eric Shin
above: Food-truck ownership
is an interactive and engaging
job with an immediate
connection with guests.
additional educationNot many, if any, culinary schools offer classes about starting, operating or owning a food truck, so students need to take the initiative to learn on their own. Accounting, marketing and other business classes should be part of a curriculum to gain a business background.
Applying for a food truck internship or externship is the best way to get hands-on experience. Greg Barnhart, owner of Toasty Cheese, Schaumburg, Ill., offered both a 60-and 90-day internship within the past year and heard from the student interns how surprised they were by the pace of what goes on in the truck. “There are some points when we serve 150 people per hour for three to four hours straight,” he says. “That’s much more than what many independent restaurants do.”
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He must determine if there are enough people in a building to make it worth the trip. On average, it costs Barnhart $500 to roll the truck out. If he only makes $1,500 to $2,000 per location, he may pass on the job.
At some office locations, Barnhart delivers food to people at their desks or sets up a pickup table inside the building. He also offers online ordering in which orders are placed up to 24 hours ahead of the truck arriving. He sends out an email confirmation noting when the order will be available for pickup.
Lindblad relies on regular gigs. On Mondays during warmer weather, The Randy Radish goes to one location where two-thirds of the employees are vegan. She also has standing breakfast gigs with farmers markets on Wednesdays and Saturdays. “Having these regular-occurring spots helps us plan on how much food to prepare,” she says.
wrapper or container and have been manufactured, prepared or wrapped in a licensed food establishment.
In Philadelphia, a permit is $150; in Los Angeles, $695; and in Virginia, Lindblad explains, every county requires a separate permit, which ranges from $40 to $350. Fire-safety permits are another expense.
setting up shopThe possibilities on where to park the truck are limitless. If you’re a good salesperson, you can find work catering events of all kinds—weddings, work outings and birthday parties, for example.
Toasty Cheese gets seven or eight calls a day to visit office buildings, often from a tenant. But Barnhart knows he needs permission from the property owner to set up. Then he must provide a certificate of insurance, obtain a permit, if he doesn’t already have one for that town or county, and sign any necessary legal documents.
be expensive, which only eats into your profits,” Lindblad says.
additional feesCity, county and state food-truck laws and regulations continue to change. “The biggest challenge in owning a food truck isn’t buying it, but the logistics of operating the truck in obtaining permits and licenses, as well as setting up shop each day,” says Cohen.
Contact your city or county health or environmental department to determine licensing requirements for a mobile vendor. Fees are different for trucks that cook onboard than for those that serve prepared items.
In Chicago, for example, operators who prepare and serve food from a mobile food vehicle pay a $1,000 application fee to get a two-year city license. The fee is only $700 for those who serve individual food portions that are totally enclosed in a
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She monitors the weather. “There are some days when rain is forecast, so we decide not to go out, because we might actually lose money by prepping food, wasting gas driving to and from a location and not having enough people show up,” she says. “Sometimes it’s so hot that people don’t want to leave their air-conditioned offices, too.”
Because Garza’s Rockstar Bakeshop is a dessert truck, it’s hard to set up
by himself and make money. He partners with other food trucks that serve lunch or dinner, and then people can buy desserts from him.
He also posts weekly schedules on his website and daily alerts on Facebook and Twitter. “Social media plays such an important role with food trucks,” he says. “It gets news out fast and directly to people, as well as reduces advertising costs.”
Each day brings a new set of challenges, so you need to be extremely motivated to make a food-truck business successful. “If you don’t go out and set up, you don’t make money,” Garza says. “It’s not like a restaurant that unlocks its doors and waits for customers to walk in.”
rob benes, a Chicago-based journalist, has 11 years of experience writing about chefs, food, wine and spirits for trade, educational and consumer publications.
opposite: Off the Grid works with
food trucks with the simple idea of
grouping street food vendors together.
top: Chefs in a food truck meet every
customer. bottom: Food trucks are a
crowded workplace, as in this Toasty
Cheese truck.
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ofGaryBarn
hart
sports-teamchef
NExt iSSuE
five food truck resourcesThe Food Truck Handbook: Start, Grow and Succeed in the Mobile Food Business (Wiley, 2012). Author David Weber offers step-by-step advice to help you achieve your mobile food mogul dreams. From concept development to gaining a loyal following to equipment preventative maintenance, this book covers everything you need to know about starting and running a successful food-truck business.
Eat St.: Recipes from the Tastiest, Messiest, and Most Irresistible Food Trucks (Pintail, 2013). Author James Cunningham packs this book with full-color photographs and more than 125 recipes from the best food vendors on wheels dishing out great curbside eats all over North America.
Running a Food Truck For Dummies (For Dummies, 2012). Author richard myrick provides details needed to help you start your own food-truck business quickly, affordably and successfully. He helps you find your food niche, follow important rules of conducting business on the road, outfit your moving kitchen, meet safety and sanitation requirements and more.
How to Start a Home-based Food Truck Business (Globe Pequot, 2012). Author eric Thomas walks you through designing your food truck and identifying your market to establishing a business plan and determining the operational concerns of a mobile business.
The Food Truck Marketing Handbook (CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2013). Author Andrew moorehouse explains how to implement a social-media marketing plan designed specifically for gourmet food trucks.
34 Sizzle Summer 14
was no addition of Calvados, vinegar, raisins or cinnamon, which is sometimes seen in modern interpretations.
My home in Virginia is rural with an abundance of apple orchards close by. Whenever I pass an orchard thick with fruit bending the branches of pruned trees, my mind wanders to my days as a young cook, sweating in the hot kitchen. I remember the magic of discovery, the zero tolerance for anything less than perfection and the want to impress my mentor. I smile a big, happy, heartfelt smile.
by DEGrEES apple tarte tatin
by degreesApple Tarte TatinBy John Schopp CEC, CEPC, CCA
This simple, rustic apple tarte Tatin is a favorite of mine. I remember the warm summer day I was first
introduced to it by Charles Semail, chef/owner of Acajou, Lexington, Ky. I was an aspiring young novice in the kitchen, and was fortunate enough to land an entry-level position with the French chef almost 30 years ago.
Chef Charles was new to the U.S. and spoke little English. I spoke absolutely no French. Somehow, it all managed to work, and over time, a language of food and passion evolved through the broken English and butchered French.
I remember this as a magical time full of wonderment. The work was hard, hot, long and demanding, but it was also rewarding. The simplicity of the tarte Tatin stood out, as nothing produced in this kitchen was simple. The ingredients were minimal, and the taste was magnificent.
The history of apple tarte Tatin can be traced back to the 1880s. Its popularity rose to celebrity status when it appeared on the menu of the famed Maxim’s in Paris. The original apple varieties used were King of the Pippins and Calville. The apples were not peeled and still are not in today’s standard preparation. There
John Schopp CEC, CEPC, CCA is a culinary arts instructor at Virginia Western
Community College, roanoke; education and certification chair for American Culinary
Federation (ACF) Southwestern Virginia Chapter; and commercial baking chair,
SkillsuSA, Virginia state competition, 2013-15.
Step 1Distribute evenly spaced, marble-sized pieces of butter over bottom of 10-inch saute pan.
Photos by John Schopp
35www.acfchefs.org www.sizzle-digita l.com
Step 2Infuse sugar with half a vanilla bean; distribute evenly across bottom of saute pan.
Step 3Peel, core and halve apples. Arrange neatly, cut-side up, in saute pan.
Step 4Cook over medium-high heat until sugar and butter form a rich, light-caramel color. Watch for hot spots. As caramel starts to form, move pan around burner; lightly tilt and swirl to avoid burning caramel. Once desired color is reached, remove from heat.
Step 5Roll chilled pâte brisée into even circle; place atop tarte Tatin. Tuck excess dough around edges to form crust. Slightly tighten apples toward center.
Step 6Vent crust to allow steam to escape. Place Tatin in 400°F oven. Bake until crust is golden-brown.
Step 7Allow tart to cool slightly. Shake pan lightly to loosen. Place serving platter on top of tart; quickly flip. Jiggle pan to ensure all apples release.
ingredients3 oz. butter 8 oz. sugar ½ vanilla bean 6-7 Granny Smith apples 1 lb. pâte brisée
equipmentLatex glovesCutting boardParing knife10-inch saute panScalemeasuring cuprolling pinServing platter
helpful hints � Puff pastry scraps make a nice
substitute crust for the pâte brisée. � As you flip the tart, slightly tilt the
front of the pan down to avoid a caramel burn on your wrist.
� Cook with courage, passion and purpose—the rest will follow.
64 The NaTioNal CuliNary review • May 2014register online a t www.ac fche fs .o rg fo r add i t iona l workshops and a l a ca r te mea l s .
M a i l o r Fa x t o :American Culinary Federation180 Center Place Way | St. Augustine, FL 32095(F) 904–825–4758 | (P) 800–624–9458
r e g i s t e r o n l i n e at: www.acfchefs.org
2014 ACF nAtionAL Convention regiStrAtion
name _____________________________________________________________________Member iD __________________________________________
Current mailing address _______________________________________________________________ q home or q work
City ________________________________________________________________State ________________ Zip ___________________________________
Phone number ______________________________ q home or q cell Preferred email* _____________________________________________
employer __________________________________________________________________________ Work phone _________________________________
Position/title ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
*If provided you may receive email notices of products and special offers from ACF sponsors and exhibitors.
F U l l r e g i s t r at i o n Pa C K a g e includes access to 1-hour seminars and demos, general session, trade show, icebreaker reception, 4 breakfasts, 3 lunches, Chef Professionalism Award Dinner and the President’s grand Ball.
Member Status Early Rate* Standard Rate Onsite Rate
Culinarian/Professional Culinarian q $675 q $799 q $1,050
Junior/Senior/Student q $550 q $650 q $950
Allied/Associate/Enthusiast q $800 q $875 q $1,150
Non-ACF Member q $1,050 q $1,225 = __________
Spouse | Name:____________________________________________________________ (same rate as member) = __________
*Early Rate restrictions: must be an ACF member in good standing, register and pay in full by June 6, 2014, the early registration deadline.
a l a C a rt e r e g i s t r at i o n o P t i o n s (See convention schedule for dates and times for the meal function)
One-Day Convention Program Badge includes breakfast for that day. note: Program badges may not be purchased with full registration.
q DAy 1 q DAy 2 q DAy 3 q DAy 4 # ___________ x $150 = __________
Meal Tickets
icebreaker reception # ___________ x $75 = __________
Chef Professionalism Award Dinner # ___________ x $100 = __________
President’s grand Ball (includes one drink ticket) # ___________ x $150 = __________
American Academy of Chefs® Dinner (AAC® members only, maximum of 2 tickets) # ___________ x $150 = __________
t o tA l D u e f o r r e g i s t r At i o n $ __________
refunD PoliCy: request for refund must be made in writing and postmarked no later than 30 days prior to start of event. A $50 processing fee will be deducted from refund amount.
Pay M e n t M a d e B y:
q Check q Money order (Make payable to: American Culinary Federation)
Credit card (select one) q ViSA q MasterCard q American express q Discover
Credit card # ________________________________ expiration date _____ / ________ name on card _____________________________________
Signature ________________________________________________________ Date _____ / _____ / _________
K a n s a s C i t y, M o . i J U ly 2 5 - 2 9 , 2 0 1 4
Kansas City Marriott Downtown200 W. 12th St.
KanSaS City, MO 64105
ReSeRvatiOnS: (877) 303-0104PhOne: (816) 421-6800
Fax: (816) 471-5631
MentiOn aCF natiOnal COnventiOn When bOOKing
2014 ACFnational
Convention
July 25-29
Kansas CityMiSSOuRi
KanSaS City MaRRiOt dOWntOWn
EMBRACING A SuStAINABlE FutuRE
ACF attendees receive a rate of $139 (single or double) per night (plus tax). This rate is offered July 25-29, based on availability. reservations must be made by July 2 to receive this discounted rate. You can also call (877) 303-0104 to make reservations. Mention ACF National Convention when booking.
Members of ACF Greater Kansas City Chefs Association and the culinary team at Kansas City Marriott Downtown are ready to make this one unforgettable convention. The national convention’s educational and engagement opportunities will build off the four regional conferences and provide a revitalizing experience for members, foodservice professionals, students and competitors, while igniting innovation attendees can bring back to their classroom, employees or kitchen.
Kansas City Marriott Downtown will host the 2014 aCF national Convention, July 25-29. Whether you are a seasoned professional chef or a student new to the kitchen, the national convention offers something for everyone. Mark your calendars and get ready for an amazing convention in Kansas City.
The hotel is conveniently located in the heart of the business, government and theater districts, in addition to being connected via underground walkway to the Kansas City Convention Center. Known for its cattle industry and legendary barbecue, Kansas City’s culinary palate has evolved, earning it the title “America’s Next Great Culinary Destination” in 2012.
CoMe early or stay late For the 2014 aCF national Convention in Kansas City
add a little extra adventure to your stay and visit some of the great local attractions:
• Kansas City Zoo
• The National WWI Museum
• Kansas City Royals
• Union Station
• Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts
go to visitkc.com for further information on attractions, activities, dining and everything to do in Kansas City.
acfchefs.org 65register online a t www.ac fche fs .o rg fo r add i t iona l workshops and a l a ca r te mea l s .
M a i l o r Fa x t o :American Culinary Federation180 Center Place Way | St. Augustine, FL 32095(F) 904–825–4758 | (P) 800–624–9458
r e g i s t e r o n l i n e at: www.acfchefs.org
2014 ACF nAtionAL Convention regiStrAtion
name _____________________________________________________________________Member iD __________________________________________
Current mailing address _______________________________________________________________ q home or q work
City ________________________________________________________________State ________________ Zip ___________________________________
Phone number ______________________________ q home or q cell Preferred email* _____________________________________________
employer __________________________________________________________________________ Work phone _________________________________
Position/title ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
*If provided you may receive email notices of products and special offers from ACF sponsors and exhibitors.
F U l l r e g i s t r at i o n Pa C K a g e includes access to 1-hour seminars and demos, general session, trade show, icebreaker reception, 4 breakfasts, 3 lunches, Chef Professionalism Award Dinner and the President’s grand Ball.
Member Status Early Rate* Standard Rate Onsite Rate
Culinarian/Professional Culinarian q $675 q $799 q $1,050
Junior/Senior/Student q $550 q $650 q $950
Allied/Associate/Enthusiast q $800 q $875 q $1,150
Non-ACF Member q $1,050 q $1,225 = __________
Spouse | Name:____________________________________________________________ (same rate as member) = __________
*Early Rate restrictions: must be an ACF member in good standing, register and pay in full by June 6, 2014, the early registration deadline.
a l a C a rt e r e g i s t r at i o n o P t i o n s (See convention schedule for dates and times for the meal function)
One-Day Convention Program Badge includes breakfast for that day. note: Program badges may not be purchased with full registration.
q DAy 1 q DAy 2 q DAy 3 q DAy 4 # ___________ x $150 = __________
Meal Tickets
icebreaker reception # ___________ x $75 = __________
Chef Professionalism Award Dinner # ___________ x $100 = __________
President’s grand Ball (includes one drink ticket) # ___________ x $150 = __________
American Academy of Chefs® Dinner (AAC® members only, maximum of 2 tickets) # ___________ x $150 = __________
t o tA l D u e f o r r e g i s t r At i o n $ __________
refunD PoliCy: request for refund must be made in writing and postmarked no later than 30 days prior to start of event. A $50 processing fee will be deducted from refund amount.
Pay M e n t M a d e B y:
q Check q Money order (Make payable to: American Culinary Federation)
Credit card (select one) q ViSA q MasterCard q American express q Discover
Credit card # ________________________________ expiration date _____ / ________ name on card _____________________________________
Signature ________________________________________________________ Date _____ / _____ / _________
K a n s a s C i t y, M o . i J U ly 2 5 - 2 9 , 2 0 1 4
acfchefs.org 63p l e a s e s u p p o r t t h e s e g e n e r o u s s p o n s o r s
d i a m o n d
g o l d
g r a n d p l at i n u m
s i lv e r
p l at i n u m
b r o n z e
Denotes National Partners. Call the ACF national office, (800) 624-9458, for more details.
2014 aCf national convention sponsors
39www.acfchefs.org www.sizzle-digita l.com
iNtErNAtioNAl FlAvorS kadirli, turkey
international flavorsKadirli, Turkey
I have so many memories of my native town of Kadirli, Turkey, or ancient Flaviopolis, which some say dates
back to 6000 B.C. It is in the Osmaniye Province in the Mediterranean region of Turkey, located in the Cukurova plain, which is among the most fertile farmland in the world. It is also a place of strategic
importance on a key trade route between the Middle East, Anatolia and Europe.
During its 8,000 years, many civilizations have passed through this land, each leaving many abiding culinary traditions, which you can see today in the cooking methods and techniques used in almost every Turkish home kitchen.
Like all cultures, food was and still is the common factor that brings everybody together, whether it’s a Sunday morning breakfast crowded with many different kinds of homemade foods or a Monday at my grandmother’s house, it was always the best and the tastiest.
In Turkey, the native cuisine varies from one region to the next, thanks to all the civilizations that left behind their culinary secrets, which is what makes Turkish cuisine magical. However, Turkish fare is largely the heritage of
By Erol Kanmaz, CEC, WCC, culinary instructor, Northwest Culinary Institute, Vancouver, Wash.
40 Sizzle Summer 14
the Ottoman Empire that ruled a vast area, including the Middle East, North Africa, the Balkans and part of the Russian Peninsula from 1299 to1922.
Turks prefer a simple breakfast of cheese, butter (tereyagi), olives, eggs, heirloom tomatoes, cucumbers, homemade jams and honey—all commonly served with Turkish tea. To me, the smell of Turkish tea is so strong and heavenly. It is usually served in small Turkish tea glasses.
Homemade food is still preferred by most Turkish people, though the fast-paced 21st century, with both parents working, is pushing the new generation to eat out. I was lucky that my mother never had a job outside the home and had the time to cook all day. I never missed any meal she prepared when I was growing up.
Even with the rise of many foreign fast-food chains, Turkish people still rely primarily on the rich, extensive dishes of their national native cuisine. Among the most popular are kofte (meatballs); doner kebab (lamb grilled on a vertical spit); kokorec (charcoal-grilled lamb intestines), which is my absolute favorite dish; börek (stuffed phyllo dough pastries); and gözleme (a savory pastry dish). All these are common street foods sold in nearly all regions. There are yet many regional street foods.
Turkish cuisine is largely seasonal. I was not used to finding all types of fresh produce every day of the year until I came to the U.S., where I feel like I am spoiled, finding everything anytime. One must wait for the seasons in Turkey, and each one features its own array of beautiful fruits, fresh vegetables and nuts. We had to wait until summer to eat the best watermelon and winter before we could buy turnips and many other vegetables. Looking back, I think that this has taught me patience and to enjoy each season and the offerings of Kadirli, where eating is somewhat ceremonial.
Fresh or dried spices and herbs are widely used in every part of Turkey. Of course, fresh is preferred, while dried herbs are made in homes. Popular fresh herbs are parsley, mint, green onion, green garlic, arugula (roka), dill, watercress, rosemary and thyme. Nearly every home has a little place to grow herbs, which are picked fresh for the next meal. I don’t know if it gets any fresher than that.
Pork plays no role in the cuisine, as Turkey is Islamic. Because the country is surrounded by the Aegean, Mediterranean and Black seas, seafood is plentiful. Favorite types of seafood include grouper, sea bass, sea bream, spiny lobster, tuna, anchovies, mackerel, calamari, red mullets, mussels and many other kinds not found in other areas of the world.
ground veal breadsticks and beetroot ayran (yogurt drink)
By erol Kanmaz
Yield: 6 servings
ingredients:1 medium tomato
4 oz. ground veal breast2 banana peppers
½ oz. minced garlic1 oz. minced yellow onion
½ oz. finely chopped parsley1 t. salt
1 t. black pepper13 oz. all-purpose flour
3 T. water½ oz. yeast
1 egg, to brush on bread¼ cup strained yogurt
¼ cup mineral water2 T. pickled beets
preparation:1. Peel, seed and quarter tomato.
2. In food processor or blender, mix ground veal, tomato, banana peppers, garlic, onion, parsley, salt and black pepper.
3. Combine flour, water and yeast; let rest 15 minutes.
4. When yeast has activated, roll dough out on well-floured surface. Cut in large circles.
5. Place filling in thin line in center of each dough circle. roll dough circles to about size and shape of a breadstick. Cut into
desired breadstick lengths.6. Brush breadsticks with egg; bake at
350°F for 12 minutes.7. In separate bowl, prepare yogurt drink by whisking together strained yogurt and mineral water. Season with salt, to taste.8. Puree pickled beets in food processor.9. Whisk puree into yogurt drink to reach
desired color and consistency.
For service: Serve yogurt drink cold in shot glasses. Cut breadsticks diagonally
and place on top of each shot glass.
Note: The most flavorful ayran drink is made with sheep’s milk yogurt.
iNtErNAtioNAl FlAvorS kadirli, turkey
41www.acfchefs.org www.sizzle-digita l.com
legs of goats or sheep). These soups are so popular that many small restaurants specialize in them. When I go to these restaurants, I feel like I am in heaven or like a kid in a candy store, and I don’t want to leave.
In the end, it seems it would take more than one lifetime to taste and experience all that Turkish cuisine has to offer.
Yogurt is important in Turkish cuisine, and the best yogurt is made in Kadirli. Most restaurants in the big cities advertise their yogurt, such as “Made in Kadirli.” The appeal of Kadirli yogurt must partially lie in the old-fashioned recipes used by our grandmothers and their grandmothers for the past 7,000 years.
Turks love their soups. Lentil soup and yogurt, and wheat soup called tarhana corbasi are the most popular among the thousands of types. There are also such delicacies as iskembe (tripe soup) and paca corbasi (made from the head and
stuffed mussels with saffronBy erol Kanmaz
Yield: 6 servings
ingredients:1 pinch saffron½ cup hot water½ cup olive oil1 T. pine nuts2 medium onions, finely chopped1 cup rice, soaked, rinsed4 T. currants, soaked, rinsedSalt, to taste1 T. white sugar1 T. black pepper1 T. allspice1 T. cinnamon¼ bunch fresh dill, finely chopped¼ bunch mint, finely chopped¼ bunch flat leaf parsley, finely chopped24 medium-sized mussels, scrubbed, rinsed, trimmed1 cup water2 lemons, cut in wedges
preparation:1. Soak saffron in hot water for 10-15
minutes. reserve water.2. Heat olive oil in large, wide saucepan.
Saute pine nuts until golden-brown; add onions to caramelize. Add rice; continue to saute.
3. After 6-7 minutes, add, in order, currants, salt, sugar and saffron-infused water. Simmer until rice absorbs liquid.
4. remove from heat. Add black pepper, allspice, cinnamon, dill, mint and parsley. Stir; allow to stand until all flavors blended.
5. Stuff mussels with filling.6. Layer stuffed mussels in large saucepan;
add water. Weigh down mussels by placing heatproof plate on top. Simmer on low heat 20-25 minutes.
7. Once stuffed mussels have cooled, remove from pan. Arrange on serving dish. Serve with lemon wedges.
Note: Stuffed mussels are popular in Turkey, yet some cities forbid selling mussels. The reason is unclear.
previous page: The 14th century Maiden's
Tower in Istanbul
clockwise from top left: 1. Kanmaz family
meal 2. The local fish market in Kadirli
3. Erol Kanmaz skins a sheep 4. Outdoor
Turkish teapot
42 Sizzle Summer 14
thE iNtErviEw gayle pirie
the interviewGayle PirieBy Ethel Hammer
Gayle Pirie believes that great food has a tremendous life force and that bad energy can be
trapped in places and in people, while beauty and inspiration can be found everywhere, even in the smallest things.
Francisco, 1986-93; co-principal with John Clark, International Restaurant Consultants, USA, Asia and Canada, 1993-2000; special events manager, assistant to Alice Waters and downstairs chef, Chez Panisse, San Francisco, 1994-97; co-executive chef/co-proprietor with John Clark of four San Francisco establishments: Foreign Cinema, 2001-present; Laszlo, 2003-present; Show Dogs, 2009–present; Machine Coffee, Machine Deli, 2012-present.
choice achievements/awardsForeign Cinema ranked among “The Bay Area’s Top 100 Restaurants” by the San Francisco Chronicle, 2000-13; co-author with John Clark of Country Egg, City Egg (Artisan, 2000) and Bride & Groom Cookbook (Bonnier Books, 2006); nominated for Best Chef: Pacific, James Beard Foundation, 2008, 2009; “Master Torch Recipient” from Judy Rodgers, James Beard Foundation, 2010; Foreign Cinema nominated “Outstanding Restaurant,” James Beard Foundation, 2012, 2013, 2014.
bornSan Francisco
residesBerkeley, Calif.
beginningsGraduated with a bachelor of arts degree in art history, San Francisco State University, 1991; artist/oil painter, San Francisco, 1983-86; prep cook, Vicolo Pizza, San Francisco, 1984-86; prep and line cook, Café Espirit, San Francisco, 1986.
career path highlightsLine cook, then co-chef de cuisine with partner John Clark, Zuni Café, San
“Always try to live and work in places with good energy,” she says.
As we spoke, she was looking out her window, eyeing a beautiful yellow bloom called samphire grass. “Samphire grass could be a great garnish for a poached fish or part of a great salad. Right now, Berkeley is alive and yellow with samphire grass.”
Foreign Cinema, one of the restaurants she co-directs and co-chefs with her life partner John Clark, is about to turn 15 years old, and she declares it “a great restaurant with great bones, a loving staff and loving operators who reinvent it every day, and we never rest on any laurels.” But the restaurant wasn’t always so elegant. “When we started, it was a cataclysm of corruption—a nubile infant giddy with arrogance. Bills weren’t being paid. There were loaded cooks, loaded waitstaff, non-present management. We decided to fix it, and were prepared for World War III.”
Now that the war is over, with cycles of boom/bust de rigueur, the restaurant,
43www.acfchefs.org www.sizzle-digita l.com
with its 131 employees, is easier for Pirie to run than raising her two kids. She admits that children can divert you from your business goals, and she often wrestles with the realities of other extremely successful chefs who don’t have children. “Still, it’s gratifying to see little people grow. And you really do want to make better people for the planet.”
A former painter, she succeeded at cooking because, as she puts it, cooking has “an elegance and ease.” Pirie met Clark while working at a local San Francisco restaurant where she was the salad cook, he, the pizza chef. “It was definitely interest at first sight. But it took us 60-75 days to act on our instinct.” So why aren’t they married after 27 years with two kids? “People can’t figure it out, but if you’re not married, you can’t get divorced,” she says with a laugh.
She was mentored for seven years at Zuni Café by the late Judy Rodgers. “I
believe she liked me because I was an artist and made her laugh. She knew I wanted to please and that I got her vision.” Pirie considers Rodgers a groundbreaking visionary who brought urban rusticity into the American mainstream. “Her rustic, pure, über-clean vision is going to be missed.”
Pirie also assisted Alice Waters, for whom she organized off-site special events, cooked at Chez Panisse, and helped write, develop and test cookbook recipes. “Alice has an intoxicating palate and vision. She makes you want to participate in the quest for perfection. I would do anything for her.”
Having integrated the purity and passion of these mentors, with influence from visual artists, filmmakers and other female chefs, Pirie shares her tenuous beginnings, passionate inspiration and bounding life force.
left: Oysters
right: Foreign Cinema entrance
bottom:Balsamic egg with
potato-roasted garlic hash, sliced
prosciutto and roasted chicories
Photos courtesy of Foreign Cinema
44 Sizzle Summer 14
was your painting like you?gp: It was rudimentary studio stuff with a strong vision of isolated, solitary landscapes filled with Western light. I love Edward Hopper and Vermeer. My paintings are about reductive light, stucco houses, crazy topiaries and cypresses—everything devoid of humans. I don’t paint now, but my paintings are in my mind and have evolved into full landscapes that are portals into places where I want to escape—places where I want to live and dwell. It’s a little like cheffing in that chefs create menus with food that they want to eat. And each plate of food is a composition on a plate, natural and strong.
give us a picture of your eating habits at your most extravagant.gp: I drink alcohol every day and eat things like duck and duck cracklings. You won’t find me at Taco Bell, but I eat my fair share of fatty foods. But I won’t touch strange organs like duck tongues. And lizard, which we had in Hong Kong, is way too oily. John is more adventuresome and loves sweetbreads done in a light, thoughtful, pure preparation. We both absolutely despise overly reduced sticky sauces. We don’t do that.
what kind of food do you like?gp: Our signature food at Foreign Cinema is a chop or steak in a beautiful finished stock that has a serious component of acidulation, a light jus that gives tenacity without the bite of something like kimchi or sauerkraut. For example, we get gorgeous duck breasts from 35-50 miles north. After they are smoked or maybe lightly cured, we finish them with a caramel orange duck jus, almost a fragrance that finishes the plate and just blows you away. I also love duck liver pâté and pork rillettes.
what kind of a kid were you?gp: I was a shy, extremely self-conscious kid raised by a single mom in San Francisco. I had friends, mostly singular relationships, but now I’m mainly focused on my kids. But my shyness disappeared with growing up and having some of life’s mysteries solved. Meeting my dad at age 17 was a huge life mystery solved. In fact, he now works in the restaurant as a maître d’, a social, friendly, gregarious, salesman/photographer type. So that part of my life was no longer a mystery.
In school I was incredibly insecure about math, equally weak in science and better at English and art. In high school I really got into pursuing art, and suddenly I said to myself, “Hey. You’re good at something.” So, I said to myself, “Oh, I can be an artist.” I taught myself how to draw fashion designs and plastered my room with pictures from Vogue. I pursued painting for two years at junior college, and that was hugely instructive in propelling me into the world on some kind of a trajectory.
dishes with foreign influences served at
Foreign Cinema � Spain: Catalonia seafood fideus
with Pacific cod, Eastern scallops and a housemade merguez
sausage in a sofrito with a saffron broth, onions, garlic and tomato
infusing the dish � North Africa: A mixed grill with
moroccan spiced quail, lamb sirloin, duck breast or leg with a moroccan lime spice blend and a watercress sauce with green
beans and meyer lemon aioli � Persia: Freshly cracked crab
soufflé with Persian green chilies, coconut milk, scallion and a
whole egg, inspired by cookbook author and anthropologist
Niloufer King, an important muse at the restaurant
thE iNtErviEw gayle pirie
45www.acfchefs.org www.sizzle-digita l.com
opposite top: Foreign Cinema's
wide-open feel with tall windows
opposite bottom: Foreign Cinema
movie showing on the patio
top: Sesame fried chicken with
smashed shelling beans, roasted
jalapeno, raw kale quelites and
avocado crema
bottom: Caramel pecan sticky bun
There is a major spice trail at Foreign Cinema. We feature cardamom fried chicken. We also do quail in ras el hanout—a Moroccan spice blend that has 22 or 23 components—and a four-peppercorn duck breast. Our beef has a signature rub with cocoa nibs and ajwain, an Indian Asian spice like cardamom pod that is earthy and nutty.
I’m personally interested in sustaining and nurturing people, not in entertaining them. I crave food with purity of flavor and deliciousness, simplicity and sex appeal. But simplicity is hard—a discipline we all try to master. An example would be perfectly pan-fried oysters dusted with cornmeal, nestled in warm watercress and savoy spinach, with an essential piece of thinly sliced pancetta and lemon aioli. And for the surprise, a pinch of sumac or something to make it pop.
considering your restaurant named Foreign Cinema, where you also show films, tell us about your romance with movies.gp: I went to the movies to survive as a kid. The theater had “sense-around sound,” and I saw things like “Towering Inferno,” “Earthquake” and “Apocalypse Now,” produced by Francis Ford Coppola, a local filmmaker. The first time he came into the restaurant, I totally put my foot in my mouth. We had just finished showing “Koyaanisqatsi,” which means “unbalanced life” in the Hopi language, a totally visual film with music by Philip Glass, and I told Coppola that I use the term “koyaanisqatsi” when things are upside-down in the restaurant. He grew quiet. He was not laughing. I asked him, “Do you know that film?” He looked at me and said, “Yes, I produced it.”
I love the movie “Heart of Darkness” in which there is a search to find this crazy
best advice to culinary studentsGet a job in a good restaurant, stay there and learn as much as possible. Become a line cook warrior, then try to get beyond the line and do whatever you can to learn about the challenges and finesse of management. It’s too easy to stay an employee your whole life, bitching and moaning.
Ethel hammer is a writer, lecturer and cartoonist based in Chicago.
guy, and you find out that everyone is crazy and everything is upside-down. As I always say to my staff, “Don’t get off the boat!” It’s too scary off the boat. I am interested in film director Roman Polanski, who is so reductive and frightening. And I love the film “Basquiat” about artist Julian Schnabel in which Andy Warhol is played by David Bowie. I’m not as drawn to movies about food, like “Babette’s Feast.” We make food, and we show movies selected by our in-house film curator. And we have a gallery on-site, but there is no thread weaving these three together. John and I went to the movies once last year to see “Blue Jasmine.” With two kids, you wind up seeing children’s films. I hate being asked to write about the relationship between movies and food. We are so not about that, though we did do a Mexican chocolate after-dinner martini named “Water for Chocolate,” which is a beautiful way to end a meal.
thE quiz summer 2014
the quizDid you read all the articles in this issue? Take the Sizzle Quiz to test your knowledge.
1. Through his internship, what venue did Matt Mornan find to be an unusual, yet satisfying, career option for a culinary graduate?a. Convenience storeb. Grocery storec. Drugstored. Commissary
2. Rated on a challenge scale, how does ballontine coq au vin rank?a. Easyb. Averagec. Hardd. Nearly impossible
3. What is one of the challenges when sauteing vegetables while making duxelle?a. Getting the seasonings rightb. The difficulty of cleaning vegetablesc. Dealing with vegetable shrinkaged. Accounting for the amount of water that
comes out of vegetables
4. What is a key ingredient in red-eye gravy?a. Kidney beansb. Coffeec. Cayenne pepperd. Cinnamon
5. According to Rick Tramonto, what is one skill many chefs skip over?a. Pastryb. Saucierc. Wine pairingd. Butchery
6. According to David Falk, you should view your early career as what?a. A time to look for a sous-chef positionb. A season of sacrificec. The time to find a mentord. The time to prove what you know
7. Snacks represent one in how many eating occasions in the U.S.?a. Twob. Threec. Fived. Eight
8. According to The NPD Group, what is the No. 1 snack food in the U.S.?a. Potato chipsb. Ice creamc. Cookiesd. Fruit
9. In 2008, Roy Choi became one of the pioneers in today’s gourmet food truck movement when he opened Kogi BBQ food truck in what city?a. Portland, Ore.b. Richmond, Va.c. Los Angelesd. Philadelphia
10. True or false: License fees are different for food trucks that cook onboard than for those that serve prepared items.a. Trueb. False
11. The popularity of apple tarte Tatin rose to celebrity status when it appeared on the menu of a famous restaurant in what city?a. Milanb. Parisc. Viennad. Rome
12. When flipping a hot apple tarte Tatin to remove it from the pan, how can you avoid burning your wrist?a. Slightly tilt the front of the pan downb. Tap the bottom of the panc. Rest the pan in an inch of cold water firstd. Wait until the pan cools naturally
13. Turkish cuisine is largely the heritage of what empire?a. Great Timurb. European Hunc. Hazard. Ottoman
14. What protein plays no role in Turkish cuisine?a. Porkb. Chickenc. Beefd. Lamb
15. Gayle Pirie, co-executive chef/co-proprietor of Foreign Cinema, San Francisco, earned a bachelor of arts degree in what?a. Art historyb. Culinary managementc. Culinary artsd. Marketing
Clickheretofindoutthecorrectanswers.
GEt thEANSwErS
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47www.acfchefs.org www.sizzle-digita l.com
lASt bitE los angeles
last biteLos AngelesWondering where to eat in Los Angeles? Who better to ask than some of the city’s most respected chefs. Check out their dining suggestions.
vietnamese noodlesViet Noodle Bar3133 Glendale Blvd.(323) 906-1575vietnoodlebar.la
Mon.-Sun.: 10 a.m.-10 p.m.
Salads: $8.75
Sandwiches: $7.95
Noodle dishes: $9.95
I love going to this great hidden gem in Atwater Village for its jackfruit bowls, spring rolls and fresh house-made soy milk.
–Tal Ronnen, chef/owner, Crossroads
mediterraneanBäco Mercat408 S. Main St.(213) 687-8808bacomercat.com
Mon.-Thu.: 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.; 5:30-11p.m.
Fri.-Sat.: 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m.; 5:30 p.m.-midnight
Sun.: 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m.; 5-10 p.m.
Sandwiches: $9-$14
Flatbread: $12-$16
Vegetables: $9-$14
Chef Josef Centeno has an interesting point of view with his Western and Eastern Mediterranean influences. It’s such a great neighborhood spot.
–Joachim Splichal, chef/founder, Patina Restaurant Group
PhotobyLaurenNob
le
bold thaiJitlada Restaurant5233 ½ W. Sunset Blvd.(323) 667-9809jitladala.com
Tues.-Sun.: 11 a.m.-3 p.m.; 5-10:30 p.m.
Appetizers: $4.95-$12.95
Soups: $8.95-$14.95
Main course: $9.95
The menu is huge and has every Thai dish you can imagine. The flavors are intense and bold. It’s difficult to find a place that compares. My favorite dishes are the spicy Crying Tiger and Morning Glory.
–Govind Armstrong, executive chef, Willie Jane and Post & Beam
PhotobyVanessaStum
p
sushi cravingsSushi Gen422 E. 2nd St.(213) 617-0552sushigen.org
Mon.-Fri.: 11:15 a.m.-2 p.m.; 5:30-9:45 p.m.
Sat.: 5-9:45 p.m.
Dinner combos: $20-$39
Sashimi dinner combos: $15-$35
I love this place and crave it all the time. I lean toward the sashimi lunch special for $15 because it’s quick. If I have time, I will sit at the sushi bar and let the chef order for me.
–Ricardo Zarate, executive chef, Picca, Mo-chica and Paiche
PhotobyElizabethDan
iel
s
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