Blog Post #3 (Interview)

This week has been incredibly challenging, especially considering that the dessert I made took over 7 hours to complete.  I also researched many Southwestern cooking experts and emailed several outlining my background and information regarding this project and a potential interview.

At the beginning of the week, I began emailing experts in the cooking industry, but ultimately decided on the executive chef of the Joseph Ambler Inn, Chef Todd Blackney.  I included my interview questions and the answers I received at the bottom of this blog, but here is a short list of what I learned:

-It’s important to start cooking early and gain lots of experience, because the best professional chefs are older and have a large amount of knowledge.

-Before mastering Southwestern cooking, I have to first master basic cooking techniques and then build from there.

-To become an expert, you have to also teach others, because this is the best way to learn.

-The Oaxaca region of Mexico has great food and cooking techniques, so I may want to research this area.

After reading through several websites and watching multiple shows, I decided to make Puerto Rican bread pudding, or budin de pan.  I combined the recipe from the “Allrecipes” website (“Food, Friends, and Recipe Inspiration.” Allrecipes. N.p., n.d. Web.05 Mar. 2017.) and the show Bakers vs. Fakers.  I used the general recipe from the “Allrecipes” website, but used smaller cooking vessels, which a contestant did on Bakers vs. Fakers to allow the bread pudding to cook faster.  I also adjusted the recipe by using pure almond extract instead of anise and cloves.  Since it has to be refrigerated overnight, I cannot taste it yet, but I think that this was a good decision from the smell alone J .

Here are some pictures from this cooking experience:

Even though I did not end up with as much food as I did last week, the skills I used showed improvement.  I steeped spices, made caramel, adjusted my recipe because of personal preference and availability, and managed my time while baking so that everything occurred at the right time.

Next week, I will hopefully begin cooking traditional Southwestern side and main dishes.  Thanks for reading!

1.       How did you become involved in the food industry, and how old were you?

I grew up working in our family restaurant in Madison, Wisconsin. It was a Mexican food restaurant that my father opened in 1969. I think I started working there when I was 11 or 12 years old (1974).  My dad hired a cook from Mexico who taught him and my mother some Mexican food recipes and cooking techniques. When the restaurant opened it was the only Mexican food restaurant in the Madison area, but today there are over 20.

2.       I know you currently work in fine dining at the Joseph Ambler Inn, but do you ever try and include styles from different regions of the world?

The style of food at the JAI would probably be considered country French or upscale comfort food. I change the menu 4-times per year, and there are always items on the menu that represent different regions of the world. Additionally, there are extensive banquet menus that have options from many regions of the world. I also customize menus for guests to accommodate their favorite foods. I have an Indian menu I customized for a wedding this coming April, and last summer I made Korean food for a wedding.

3.       Do you have training and/or experience cooking with Southwestern flavors (Mexico, Southwest U.S., etc.)?

Yes, in addition to my experience in my family restaurant I lived and worked in Phoenix, Arizona for 18-years and in Albuquerque, New Mexico for 3-years. Arizona and New Mexico share a long border but the cooking methods and ingredients from both areas are vastly different from each other. In 2003 I attended an advanced training course at the culinary institute of America in Greystone, California. (Napa Valley).  The focus of the course was cuisine of northern and southern Mexico.

4.       How has the Southwest influenced your use of different spices, sauces, and flavor combinations? For example, do you find yourself using chile powder, cilantro, or habanero peppers in the kitchen?

Yes, the items listed in your question would represent a small fraction on such ingredients I use at the JAI. We also use several advanced cooking methods to bring these ingredients together i.e. smoking, blended sauces, and braising to name a few. My cooking is influenced be the bold flavors of the Southwest and I generally love the spiciness of the food.

5.       What tips would you give to a beginner trying to master cooking (Southwestern cooking, in particular) in a short period of time?

Mastery is a very lofty goal and with cooking is a bit ambiguous. The common denominator for any regional cuisine is, do you have a strong grasp of basic cooking techniques? A chef must know how to properly sauté, grill, poach, sear, blanch, braise, use knives and cooking equipment, fabricate meat and fish, roast, broil, fry, tie, etc. A good chef must also be able to teach these basic techniques. Once someone has a firm grasp of general cooking the sky is the limit and it becomes easier to use any ingredients available and learn more advances cooking methods. This is when mastery is attainable. This level of cooking cannot be attained in a short period of time. If you watch iron chef or notice the best chefs on television they are generally in their 40's and 50's. Also, executive chefs are running multi-million-dollar business and much of what we do is not related to actual hand on cooking. I spend many days not cooking a single thing. Really good chefs are very good teachers.

6.       Do any recipes come to mind that you believe I should try?

If you really have a great passion for southwest/Mexican food you should try recipes from the Oaxaca region of Mexico. This area is in extreme southern Mexico and has great regional food and cooking methods. It is very different from what we know as Mexican food. The influence we see in the US is Sonoran style food from Northern Mexico and also called Tex-Mex. Simply Google and find recipes that sound great, and you thing you can execute.

This week, I commented on Klessel, Fath, and Stevens.