I have heard many times, and do agree, that great chefs
and cooks of the world display a certain grounded culture
in their cuisine. I think this statement applies, at
least to some degree, to all who have a passion for
cooking, from a three-star Michelin chef to the curious
home cook who scours the farmer’s market every week.
I
recently came across a report
about an event titled “The Making of a Great Chef,” which
occurred in New York City back in January. The event
included two of the country’s greatest chefs, Daniel Boulud
and David Bouley, in an open-format type discussion.
The report mentioned that both chefs stress the importance
of displaying “roots” in one’s cooking, or being “committed
to a culture of cuisine,” as Chef Boulud put it. Both
chefs, for example, remain loyal to classic French cuisine,
while at the same time stamping their cuisine with their
own creativity. Boulud was born in Lyons, France and
grew up on his family’s farm. Bouley was born in the
US, but followed his French heritage and eventually trained
under several renowned French chefs.
So,
as a professional cook myself, and wannabe stellar home
cook (please see Interlude:
Caught on the Sliding Scale), I had to ask myself “Where
and what are my roots?”
I
had to think really hard. This is a question not easily
answered. I decided to start from scratch and ponder
my ethnic make-up. Perhaps this would help.
My
grandmother was born 100% French Canadian; therefore,
I am ¼ French Canadian, right? I had to call
my mom to verify, and to find out about the other 75%.
She told me that, yes, I am ¼ French Canadian.
She thought the rest was a mixture of English and Irish.
OK, so I have Bangers and Mashers, Bubble and Squeak,
cold toast, Guinness, and bastardized French food to
work with. Not so bad! At least I have some good beer
for roots, and I do like Scotch Eggs which I think are
British despite the “Scotch” in the name. But, alas,
I was getting confused with all of this. I didn’t think
this is what Chefs Bouley and Boulud meant. So I asked
myself, more specifically, “What did I eat growing up?”
Now,
my mother never disappointed us at meal times, and her
mother (the French Canadian, still smoking and drinking
red wine everyday at near 90) stuffed us with some of
the most delicious apple and lemon meringue pies I have
ever tasted. Oh, and cookies! And beef barley soup.
My grandmother also made a mean chile relleno, and her
cheese enchiladas were always a hit. I think she learned
those recipes in LA, where her family relocated when
she was a young girl.
Most
of the time, my family did eat at the dining room table,
unless it was the month of March when we could catch
Duke or Kentucky or Kansas in the Sweet 16. That was
the only time, really, that we ate in front of the TV.
Except for Sunday lunches after church, when we would
have nachos made with Velveeta, Ortega chilies and tomatoes
(so good, really). Or Foster’s Freeze’s corn burritos
(only in Ventura, I think). Or hot dogs. Or leftovers.
Okay,
so AT the table, we’d have casseroles that would warm
and fill the tummy, stuffed peppers, chicken or ground
beef tacos with homemade refried beans, spaghetti with
meat sauce, homemade mac ‘n’ cheese, pancakes for dinner,
or, on special occasions, some mouth-watering Santa
Maria BBQ complete with peppered tri-tip, pinquito beans
with sausage, salad and grilled bread. There—my culinary
roots.
Now,
all I need to do is harness these roots and take them
to another level to become a great chef, creative yet
grounded in these roots. Just like Chef Boulud, for
example. Here’s a sample from Restaurant Daniel’s fall
menu:
Butternut
Squash Soup with Orange Zest, Nutmeg
Huckleberry and Cinnamon Marshmallow
Here
we have a simple butternut squash soup, classically
flavored with orange zest and nutmeg. Huckleberry and
cinnamon marshmallow!? Now that’s taking “roots” to
a whole new level.
It
is difficult for me to find a place for flavored marshmallows
in my culinary roots. I have cooked up many of
my mom’s recipes, notably certain casseroles and her
buttermilk pancakes that have been passed down a few
generations. Sometimes I even replace the canned
soup called for in some of the casseroles with my own
homemade version. But, honestly, I really don’t
want to mess with these recipes too much. Those
pancakes to me are the perfect buttermilk pancakes.
And those casserole recipes, one of which I will share
with you at the end of this article, are already flawless;
they were meant to be made with Campbell’s. And
I just recently discovered a few of my grandmother’s
recipes at my aunt and uncle’s house. Unfortunately,
her memory has slipped away, and her apple and lemon
meringue pies have gone with it. I only wish I
had picked her brain a few years ago. However,
thankfully, she did document her Penuche Icing, made
with brown sugar and 18 foil-wrapped butter pats (probably
from the Denny’s around the corner).
So,
as for roots, mine aren’t so defined in terms of a specific
cuisine. My roots are more like branches going
every which way. Maybe it’s better this way.
Perhaps I can choose a branch or two to climb, adding
a Velveeta marshmallow here and there when I’m ready.
To
check out some culinary roots successful in becoming culinary
masterpieces, peruse the menus at Restaurant
Daniel and Bouley.
Recipe:
The Ultimate Yet Simplest Casserole
Ingredients
1
lb ground beef
Salt and pepper to taste
1 lb of elbow pasta
3-4 stalks celery, diced small
1-2 cans Campbell’s Condensed Tomato Soup
1-2 cups grated cheddar cheese
Method
Preheat
the oven to 350°F. Bring a large pot of salted water
to a boil. In the meantime, brown the ground beef in
a skillet and drain excess fat. Season beef with salt
and pepper to taste and set aside. Your water should
be boiling. Add pasta along with diced celery to water
and cook until pasta is a bit underdone (it will cook
again). In a large mixing bowl combine the beef with
the pasta and celery and the can(s) of soup. Taste for
seasoning and adjust accordingly with more salt and
pepper if needed. Coat a casserole dish with non-stick
spray such as Pam, and scrape the gooey ingredients
into the dish. Top with cheese. Bake for 20-25 minutes,
until the cheese is melted and slightly browned and
the casserole is bubbling. This is great served with
peas.
Kristin
can be reached at kristin@babblog.com. |
