"So my advice to those passionate line cooks just


starting out; you can never be too successful to get


to know your staff and get dirty with them."


everything and I explained the food and wine course by course. MM: If a planner left everything to you, what would the menu look like? BB: One of my favorite things is a globally inspired menu with comfort foods sourced locally. A few things I have done recently include: an Heirloom tart - tapenade, caramelized shallot, balsamic syrup with chevre, Sangria- macerated watermelon with whipped goat cheese and some micro basil. Simple and delicious.


Some other favorites include boneless, slow cola-


braised, tender short ribs, seared organic carrots and roma- nesco, with Gouda, yukon and sweet potatoes; or a coffee BBQ lamb tenderloin with Nutella powder, parsnip puree and mint espuma and a purple basil & honeydew sorbet. This was a liquid nitrogen-cooled sorbet using purple ba- sil out of our chef’s garden here at Crystal Mountain and the honeydews were sourced from a local farm this past summer. MM: With all the different dietary requests, do you have any favorite or go-to options for people, e.g., gluten- free and/or vegan? BB: There are so many special dietary restrictions and


food allergies out there and I think I have seen most of them. We are always able to accommodate any allergies or special dietary restrictions. One of the things that al- ways helps is knowing these restrictions in advance so we can plan accordingly. It can make it difficult if we find out minutes before the meal is served (even though we always come through).


A couple of my favorite gluten-free and/or vegan options would be Chiles Rellenos, using rice flour and cornmeal to give the chile some crunch. We fill it with a black bean


sofrito, charred tomato chipotle salsa, Spanish rice and some flavored, textured vegetable protein or orecchiette with cippolini onion, roasted tomato, Greek olives, roasted garlic, artichoke, asiago cheese and Marsala herb pan sauce. This can be vegetarian or vegan, but it’s a lot better with cheese and butter! MM: Any final thoughts? BB: Something that kind of plays into what we were talking about earlier on professional culinarians having passion… Another trait that is a key to success in this industry is humility. It doesn’t matter how knowledgeable you are about cooking, being a line cook or even the new trend of gastronomy, it’s a must to be humble and willing to learn new things. You can never be “too good” to get down to the nitty gritty with your staff by cleaning or peeling vegetables for hours. Actually some of my fond- est memories of my career are when I first started out. It’s that camaraderie with your team, going into work two hours early (off the clock) to make sure my station was set – just to sweat all night long while having the time of my life on the line. That’s the thing I miss most about being a “cook.” That, and going out for that end of shift beer with my fellow cooks after a long, hard but fulfilling night on the line. Those were simpler times with a world of possibilities and opportunities at my door. So my advice to those passionate line cooks just starting out; you can never be too successful to get to know your staff and get dirty with them. Continue to be passionate, be humble and enjoy it while it lasts.


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MIDWEST MEETINGS SPRING 2015


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