CELEBRATING CARIBBEAN CHEFS & GASTRONOMY
Summer 2019
Contents SUMMER 2019 DEPARTM ENTS 04
Im pr essu m
08
Ch ef 's Pr of ile Chef Alain Lemaire & Chef Stephan Berrouet-Duran.
05
Pu blish er 's Not e
10
Recipes Haitian Chicken Tacos, Mango Salsa, Pain Patate (Bread Pudding), Summer Salad and slow-roasted Pork-belly.
06
Ch ef 's Talk with Chef Lemaire The difference between grilling and barbecueing
21
Ripe & Ready White corn, eggplant, plum, and peach.
FEATURES 16
Ch ef Car los Est evez, A well-recognized chef who is also a writer, scholar and teacher.
18
Ch ef Dan Desir , A chef who with many hats.
Publ isher & Edit or In Chief Carl Bazelais Managing Edit or Katleen Valmond-Bazelais
Cul inary Edit ors Alain Lemaire & Stephan Berrouet-Durand
Cont ribut ors Chef Carlos Estevez, Chef Dan Desir, Chef Chris Viaud Annick Megie (Tchakayiti), Mirlene Desir (Savory Thoughts)
Phot ographers Annick Megie, Hessam Hojati, Mirlene Desir, Charles Delupio, Joana Kosinska, Andre Ouellet, Neha Deshmukh, Jonathan Pielmayer, Ashwin Sundar
Subscript ions Print & Digit al Services Bonspoon@gmail.com
Edit orial ChefsCornerMagazine@gmail.com
Edit orial Board Members Carl Bazelais, Bonspoon Media Katleen Bazelais, Bonspoon Media Keu Reyes, Artistic Warfare Vladimir Tilme, General Mills Alain Lemaire, Lemaire Hospitality Group Stephan Berrouet-Durand, Culinary By Design
Graphic Design Bonspoon Media
Cont act Us Chef ?s Corner Magazine 321-800-8539 Bonspoon@gmail .com
Chef ?s Corner Magazine is publ ished quart erl y by Bonspoon Media, LLC. Al l right s reserved. No part of t his publ icat ion may be used wit hout writ t en permission by t he publ isher. Every ef f ort was made t o avoid errors, misspel l ings, and omissions. If an error comes t o your at t ent ion, pl ease accept our apol ogies and not if y us immediat el y.
Welcome! SUMMER 2019 The abundance of summer. Picnics, cookouts, beach hopping, springs, parties, etc... this summer is in full swing and so are we. During the summer months, it is highly recommended to stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water, but did you know that can also hydrate your organs by the foods you eat? Yes, it is true. Well, thank God for the abundance of summer 's water-packed fruits and vegetables; juicy watermelons, grapes, mangoes, refreshing cucumbers and bell peppers among others. And as usual, we have fresh recipes from chefs in our communities. This issue features two amazing chefs; Chef Dan Desir & Chef Carlos Estevez who discuss their passion for Caribbean food culture. We cannot thank you enough - the photographers, contributers, food artists and chefs who helped make this issue possible.
Jointhefun! Ch ef sCor n er M ag
@Ch ef sCor n er M ag
@Ch ef sCor n er M ag
Ch ef Talk!
The dif f er ence bet ween bar becuing& gr il l ing W hen sum m er tim e ar r ives, people love to head outdoor s to cook, then end up fr ustr ated w hen the m eat they?r e eager ly anticipating sticks to the gr ill or ends up char r ed or under cooked. You need to know how long to cook differ ent cuts of m eat and w hat tem per atur e to use. It?s equally im por tant to have the pr oper tool to achieve the desir ed r esult. M ost people don?t know the differ ence betw een bar becuing and gr illing. W hen you bar becue you ar e cooking w ith a slow cir cumvented unit of hot air w ith the lid closed. Gr illing is done w ith the lid up and you?r e cooking w ith dir ect heat on the bottom , instead of all ar ound the sour ce. You gr ill a steak and you bar becue a por k butt. Not ever y gr ill is equipped to both gr ill and bar becue. If the device has one bur ner , it is a gr ill, not a bar becue. W hen you ar e pur chasing a bar becue you have to know w hat kind of foods you r eally like doing. If you ar e m or e of a gr iller you need som ething w ith a lot of space and var ious heat com ponents you can contr ol. W hen you ar e bar becuing you ar e looking for a lar ge space that you can put lar ger cuts in or a
r otisser ie attachm ent and the ability to contr ol the differ ent techniques you ar e going to use in the slow cooking pr ocess. Ther e ar e lots of gr ills w ith fancy attachm ents like sm oking things and side bur ner s, but you have to think if ar e you r eally going to use that? Is it w or th the extr a $400 or w hatever for that? An
Summer 2019
easy w ay to get an idea of the dur ability of a bar becue or gr ill is sim ply by touching it. If it feels light, flim sy and w obbly then it?s not going to last. You should look for som ething that is stur dy. W hen it com es to the actual cooking, the No. 1 thing people need to do to achieve the per fect gr illed or bar becued m eat is to
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not play w ith it or m ove it ar ound as it cooks. You need to leave it be and get its gr ill m ar ks. If you ar e flipping it and it sticks a little to the gr ill it m eans it?s not r eady. by Chef Alain Lem air e
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Chef Alain Lemair e Lemaire Hospitality Group Co- owner & Executive Chef Chef Lemaire is an award winning chef and contestant of the Food Network's hit series Cutthroat Kitchen. He is the Co-owner and Executive Chef of Sensory Delights and Arome, both food service companies based out of South Florida and Haiti respectively.
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Chef Stephan Ber r ouet- Dur and Culinary By Design Executive Chef & Consultant Chef Stephan is an Award winning Chef, recognized by Haiti's Minister of Tourism for his contribution to the overall revival of Haiti's Gastronomic Movement. Culinary Ambassador he has traveled all over representing at many high level event including the White House. James Beard Foundation Scholar, Executive Chef and Owner of Culinary by Design, CEO-Chairman of the Haitian Culinary Alliance, Founder and Co-Owner of Culinary Events who produces the Food festival Gout et Saveurs Lakay in Haiti.
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Haitian Chicken Tacos by Mirlene Desir (Savory Thoughts)
Ingredient s -
4 boneless chicken thighs 2 Tbsp. (Haitian epis) 1 Tbsp. Taco Seasoning 4 Taco Tortillas 1 tbsp. olive oil 1/ 4 tsp. kosher salt 1/ 4 tsp. ground black pepper
1.
2.
3.
4.
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seasoning and cook for an additional 10 minutes on medium-low heat. Serve warm with desired taco shell, marinated tomatoes, forkful pikliz, and garden or coleslaw salad for extra crunchiness.
Inst ruct ions Wash, pat dry, then cut the chicken into strips. Season with Haitian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Mix well to combine, cover, then let sit for 30 minutes. In a large skillet, heat the oil. Then add the chicken along with the marinade sauce and cook for 5 minutes. Stir constantly to avoid sticking. Add the taco
2.
3.
taco if prepared the same day. Using the garden chopped salad is optional. Be mindful that both the epis and pikliz will provide a little heat to the taco. You can use chicken breast to prepare this recipe.
Recipe Not es
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1.
I used already prepared pikliz that was a few weeks old. If using pikliz as a topping, you can still get the crunchiness in the
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Spicy 'Mango Baptiste' Salsa by Annick MĂŠgie (Tchakayiti)
There are more ways than one to enjoy this mango salsa. Serve it tostada-style with some Haitian pikliz atop crispy cassava (or with your favorite crackers and chips) and sprinkle with feta cheese, black lava salt and black sesame seeds. A pure delight. You could also fold it into a soft cassava (or taco shell) filled with a spicy shredded griot-style pork. If you?d rather keep it simple, you can serve it as a salad with your favorite greens as well. The possibilities are endless. This summer favorite will go as far as your creativity takes you.
Ingredient s -
1 mango Baptiste or any firm flesh mango 1 chopped piment bouc 2-3 chopped shallots Âź small purple onion chopped 1 small bell pepper chopped 1 lime juice Salt (to taste) Pepper (to taste) Paprika (to taste) Chopped parsley Splash of olive oil
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Garnish -
Black lava salt Toasted black sesame seeds Crumbled feta cheese
Inst ruct ions 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Wash, peel and slice or chop the mango In a bowl, combine all the ingredients Let macerate for a few hours in the fridge Garnish with lava salt, black sesame seeds and crumbled feta cheese (optional) before serving Serve with crackers, cassave, chips or with a meat of your choice
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In a saucepan mix the guava paste, the molasses, the red wine, the orange juice, the anise, cinnamon and cloves. Bring to boil and simmer until syrupy. Add the orange peel and pan juices or stock. Bring back to boil and simmer until it reduces to a medium thick sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove orange peel and spices before serving . Hear t of Palm an d pean u t s Tain o salad: 2 Tablespoons of lime juice 1 Tablespoon of white wine tarragon vinegar 1/4 cup of natural roasted peanuts + 2 Tablespoon reserve
Slow- Roasted Por k belly
for garnish 1/4 cup of vegetable oil
by Ch ef Car los Est evez
Salt Slow Roast ed Por k belly 1 Lb pork belly finely scored in
Dry the pork rind with papper towls. Rub pork with a mixture
Serve with the guava sauce and 3 cups mesclun salad (assorted the heart of palm salad and baby greens)
a diamond shape
of the salt and oil all
garnish with the sprouts
1 large aluminum foil sheet
over. Add the rosemery. Let the
Gu ava, m olasses an d
pork marinate for at least 2 hrs
West In dian spices:
1 can of baby corns drained
1 medium onions peeled and
or overnight. Place
cut in 1/4" slices the pork rind side up on top of 1 medium carrot peeled and
the vegetables and bring the foil
cut into 1/4" slices
to cover the sides
1 1/2 teaspoon salt flakes 2 1/2 Tablespoons vegetable oil 3 rosemery stalks 3 ounces of sprouts (mustard, lentil, beet, radish, etc) for garnish Put onion and carrot slices on a baking sheet with the foil on top.
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1/4 cup guava paste 2 tablespoon molasses
1 can of palm hearts drained and cut into 1/2" thick rings Make the dressing by putting the lime juice, the vinegar and the roasted peanuts in a
1/4 cup of red wine blender. Process until well blend.
leaving the rind uncovered. Place in the preheated oven at
Juice of one orange
Add the vegetable oil in a fine stream while
150 C and cook for 3 hrs. 2 star anise
processing. Add salt to taste. Keep
Turn oven temperature down to 140 C and cook for another hr. Reserve.
in the refrigerator until use.
2 whole sweet cloves
Serve the mesclun and top with the baby corns and hearts of
Just before serving place the
2 pieces orange peel
pork back to oven and cook at 220 C for 20 mins to get
1/2 cup pan juices or chicken
the perfect crackling skin. Divide the pork in portions.
1 piece of cinnamon stick
stock
palm. Add some of the peanut dressing and garnish with the peanuts.
Salt and pepper
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Haitian Pain Patate by Ch ef Dan Desir
Ingr edients -
-
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6 lbs. of grated boniatos or patat in creole 4 bananas peeled and finely mashed, (preferably well ripened) 2 can (8oz) of evaporated milk 1 can (8oz.) of coconut milk 4 Tbsp of butter or Margarine 1 cup of brown sugar 1 Tbsp. of finely grated ginger 2 1/ 2 Tbsp of pure vanilla extract 1 Tbsp. of ground cinnamon 1 Tsp of ground nutmeg 1/ 2 Tsp of alt 1.5 cup of raisins 3 Tbsp. Unsulphured molasses Âź cup of Barbancourt (optional
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Pr epar ation 1.
2.
3.
4. 5. 6.
7. 8.
9.
Tips
Wash, peel and grate the potatoes using a grater or a blender by using some of the evaporated milk to help with the process. Generously grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan and set aside In a large pan, mix grated potatoes with whole milk and evaporated milk. Mix in cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook uncovered for 15-20 minutes, scraping bottom of the pan often to prevent potatoes from sticking. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Add brown sugar, vanilla, raisins, molasses, banana and Barbancourt (if using), and margarine to potato mixture. Continue to cook
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uncovered over medium heat for about 5 additional minutes, scraping bottom of the pan almost constantly. Mixture should be very thick. 10. Pour the mixture in the prepared pan. Cover the pan with aluminum foil, and place it in large baking dish. Put hot water in the baking dish halfway to the top of the pan and bake in the middle of the preheated oven for 3 three hours.
Check water level every 30 minutes, and add hot water to the baking dish when necessary. Cool, loosely covered, in the pan at room temperature. Refrigerate to cool completely. To unmold, gently shake the pan to loosen the desert, and overturn onto a serving dish. *Pain Patate can be made in a 6-cup pudding mold or individually in ramekins.
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Summer Salad by Ch ef Ch r is Viau d
Ingr edient s:
Pr epar at ion:
2 heads Baby Romaine Lettuce 1 radish 1 small cucumber 1 small jalapeno 2 sprigs parsley 2 sprigs cilantro 1 pint of cherry tomatoes 1 clove garlic 1 small shallot 2 teaspoons olive oil 1 teaspoon dijon mustard 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar 1 cup canola oil ½ oz feta Nasturtium for garnish
Roasted Tomato Vinaigrette
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Begin by pre heating your oven to 400 degrees. Place your cherry tomatoes in a bowl, reserving 3 of them for the salad. Slice your garlic and shallot and add to the bowl with the tomatoes. Toss with 2 teaspoons olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Lay on a small sheet pan and place in the oven. Roast until the tomatoes have blistered, about 5 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool. In a blender add the apple cider vinegar, dijon mustard, and the roasted tomatoes. Seal the lid and begin to blend on high. Slowly stream in the canola oil until he vinaigrette is emulsified (may not
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need the full cup). Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Salad
Make sure to wash all vegetables before cutting. Cut the baby romaine heads in half. Using a mandoline, slice the radish, cucumber and jalapeno to desired thickness. Quarter the tomatoes, pick the herbs leaving the tender top stem attached and crumble the feta. Spread the vinaigrette on the bottom of the plate and build the salad on top. Drizzle very little olive oil over the lettuce and season with salt and pepper.
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Featur e Car l os Est evez i s a Dom i n i can ch ef w h o i s a w el l -r ecogn i zed con su l t an t f or t h e h ospi t al i t y sect or i n t h e Dom i n i can Repu bl i c w h o al so h as r epr esen t ed t h e cou n t r y i n m an y n at i on al an d i n t er n at i on al cu l i n ar y even t s an d f est i val s. He i s f r om t h e Ci bao, a r egi on i n t h e n or t h of DR w i t h an am azi n g val l ey k n ow n f or i t s f er t i l e soi l t h at pr odu ces t h e bu l k of t h e pr odu ct s u sed i n t r adi t i on al Dom i n i can cu i si n e w h i ch Ch ef Car l os passi on at el y pr om ot es. Bef or e r eal i zi n g h i s passi on f or cook i n g an d f ood, h e gr adu at ed as an I n du st r i al En gi n eer w i t h post gr adu at e st u di es i n Qu al i t y Assu r an ce an d pr i n t i n g, bu t n ot l on g af t er t h at , h e began get t i n g i n vol ved i n t h e f ood an d bever age bu si n ess cat er i n g f or pr i vat e even t s an d l at er open ed h i s f i r st r est au r an t .
Ch ef Car l os, bei n g a Ch ef f r om t h e Car i bbean , m or e speci f i cal l y f r om t h e Dom i n i can Repu bl i c w h at i s m ost i m por t an t t o you as a ch ef ? The m ost im por tant to m e as a Chef, at this stage I am living now , is to w or k individually as w ell as w ith pr ivate and gover nm ent or ganizations in the r escue, r esear ch and pr om otion of the Dom inican and Car ibbean Cuisines to take them to a higher level w her e the w or ld can under stand that w e have all the elem ents to be consider ed as one of the m ost im por tant culinar y r egions in the Am er icas, w ith m any r egional and ancestr al pr oducts, cooking techniques, instr um ents, and delicious pr epar ations and dishes to be discover ed. And secondly that the acknow ledgm ent of our gastr onomy can contr ibute as an im por tant elem ent in the tour ism of our islands, so a gr eat quality local food can be deliver ed to visitor s, as par t of the ser vice, natur al beauties and cultur al elem ents w e ar e alr eady offer ing.
W h at i s t h e m essage you l ook t o con vey t o peopl e t h r ou gh you r f ood?
Chef Car los Estevez I n t er v i ew w i t h a w el l -r ecogn i zed ch ef w h o i s al so a w r i t er , sch ol ar an d t each er . by: STEPHAN BERROUET-DURAND edited: CARL BAZELAIS
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I w ant people to under stand that ever y dish has a stor y to tell that is r elated to the cultur e or tr aditions of an specific com m unity, the native or endem ic ingr edients used, the pr oducer s that w or ked to m ake it possible, the soil, the land or the sea w her e the pr oduct w as gr ow n and all the people in the w hole chain that put his hands at som e tim e, to becom e par t of that pr oduct. If w e get to under stand this, then the dish acquir es identity and has a soul, a r eal value to be appr eciated, not just-food.
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I h ave been f ol l ow i n g you r w or k f or a w h i l e, an d on e of t h e t h i n gs t h at I adm i r e m ost abou t you i s you r passi on f or Dom i n i can f ood an d cu l t u r e. W hy i s t h at su ch a bi g i m por t an ce? The food tells a lot about the place, r egion, the countr y, and its people. It is not a m atter of filling the people's stom ach like it used to be. Thr ough the food, you can lear n the DNA of the com m unities, the histor y, the influences, the folklor e, w her e you ar e com ing fr om and w her e you ar e going to, and m uch m or e. The food is a vehicle that w e can use to offer a fascinating exper ience to other people. So they can lear n a lot thr ough food. If you have the passion, all this can be accom plished.
You ar e a sch ol ar , a t each er an d a Ch ef . How ar e t h ose 3 t h i n gs con n ect ed t o each ot h er ? I think that having a car eer and a specialization is only the base w her e you can build a lot of things in or der to develop as a good pr ofessional or as a Chef. If you stop lear ning one day, you becom e obsolete the next, it is an ever -changing pr ocess and you have to keep r eading, studying and lear ning continuously in or der to be on top. On the other hand, ever yday pr actice give you better skills in w hat you do. As a teacher , you also have to keep r efr eshing your know ledge and r eview ing the new tr ends in the culinar y field so you ser ve as a r ole m odel and also you need to have a per m anent desir e to shar e all you have w ith your students to keep them inter ested in w hat you have to teach. So the com bination of the pr ofessional backgr ound, the exer cise as a Chef and the ability to teach ar e a good com bination if you w ant to succeed in this field.
You r ecen t l y f i n i sh ed a bi g book pr oj ect cover i n g Dom i n i can Food-w ays. Can you t el l u s a l i t t l e bi t abou t t h i s pr oj ect ? W hy i s i t i m por t an t f or you an d f or t h e Dom i n i can r epu bl i c's f ood cu l t u r e? It w as a beautiful pr oject that I alw ays w anted to do, so w hen I w as called to do it I just said YES, because it w as one of my dr eam s and I had m ost of the infor m ation and contacts r equir ed and had been w or king on that for m or e than 8 year s. It took m e and the team a full year putting together all the infor m ation, visiting m any places to have infor m ation on fir st hand r elated to the native pr oducts, the r egional dishes, the instr um ents, techniques and the people, including 18 of the m ost im por tant chefs in the countr y invited to develop a r ecipe r egar ding a r elevant subject in Dom inican
Th i s Book w i l l be an ar ch i val pr oj ect . Th i s w i l l be a pr oj ect f or peopl e w h o l ove f ood an d w h o r eal l y w an t t o l ear n t h e h i st or y of t h e Dom i n i can Repu bl i c Gast r on om y t o r eal l y di ve i n t o l ot s of i n f or m at i on . W h at w as t h e dr i v i n g f or ce beh i n d t h i s pr oj ect an d w hy w as i t so cr i t i cal t o accom pl i sh su ch a pr oj ect ?
gastr onomy, as w ell as histor ians, geogr apher s, nutr itionists, ar cheologists, sociologist and culinar y exper ts to w r ite the intr oductions to each one of the chapter s.
I becam e f asci n at ed by t h e si m i l ar i t i es bet w een Hai t i an d t h e Dom i n i can Repu bl i c t h an i t s di f f er en ces. W h at I appr eci at ed m ost i s t h at you h i gh l i gh t ed ever y con t r i bu t i on t o t h e Dom i n i can f ood-w ay i n cl u di n g Hai t i . W hy w as t h at so i m por t an t ? As I said befor e an im por tant par t of my m ission is to r escue our culinar y her itage and tr anslate it to an easy language so w e can have a fir m foundation on w her e to built and talk about our Dom inican Cr eole Cuisine. If the new gener ation of Chefs, students, as w ell as other pr ofessionals that inter act in the food and bever age business don?t know w her e w e com e fr om and w ho w e ar e, our gastr onomy w ill have no identity and w ill be invaded or substituted by for eign ones, in other w or ds, it is destined to disappear in the shor t ter m and w e ar e not going to per m it that to happen.
I n t h i s book , you m ade su r e n ot on l y t o col l abor at e w i t h ot h er Dom i n i can Ch ef s bu t you gave t h em st ar dom i n t h e book m or e t h an you di d you r sel f . I adm i r e t h at abou t you , an d i t says a l ot abou t t h e per son you ar e. Tel l u s w hy w as i t so n ecessar y t o gi ve t h ose Ch ef s an oppor t u n i t y t o be par t of t h i s h u ge pr oj ect ? I believed that inviting those pr om inent chefs that ar e taking par t in the national m ovem ent to develop and enhance the Dom inican gastr onomy to w her e it should be, w e m ade a gr eater im pact than keeping the pr oject to our selves. Each one of them collabor ated m aking his ow n r ecipe r einter pr eting or r evisiting a r elevant subject in the book, such as Taino food, Spanish dishes, Afr ican influences, the r ice, the sancocho, the healthy food, and the new tr ends, am ong other subjects. The r esult w as ver y inter esting and the final pr oduct w as the cr eation of flavor ful new Dom inican contem por ar y r ecipes w ith a fantastic ar tistic visual pow er.
The pr oject is par t of an editor ial year ly pr oject fr om Gr upo Inicia, a local gr oup specializing in Asset M anagem ent that selects an im por tant subject of the Dom inican cultur e and m akes a book ever y year , as w ell as a w ebpage to offer them as a contr ibution to the countr y and the pr eser vation of the Dom inican cultur e and values. As w e w er e pointed to w or k on the pr oject under the local gastr onomy topic w e confir m ed the team and fir m ly believed that w e had to tell the w hole stor y fr om our ancestor s the Taino Indians and all their contr ibutions to w hat is happening these days, including all influences fr om other cultur es like the Black Am er icans, the Italians, Chinese, Fr ench, the Ar abs, the typical pr oducts, the native techniques, the utensils w e use, our fer tile soils and the var iety of clim ates, the m ost r epr esentative dishes and at the ver y end an acknow ledgem ent to those cooks that w er e the pioneer s in our kitchens.
Fi n al l y, Ch ef , I k n ow you ar e ex t r em el y bu sy w or k i n g, con su l t i n g an d col l abor at i n g w i t h m an y com pan i es i n t h e Dom i n i can Repu bl i c, bu t t h e cu i si n e i s st i l l u n k n ow n t o m an y. W h at el se i s on you r agen da? I am w or king on sever al other pr ojects on my agenda, som e of them ar e in the stage of developm ent or even pr esenting to or ganizations or sponsor s in or der to have them im plem ented. Also, I am par ticipating actively in an inter national agenda thr ough differ ent pr ofessional or ganizations to develop and pr om ote the Dom inican and Car ibbean cuisines, as w ell as Festivals and cooking show s, tr ade fair s, etc. The pr ojects have differ ent appr oaches and per spectives. Ther e is another book in the near futur e on a r elated subject and som e other pr ojects not yet to be exposed. I w ant to thank you for gifting m e w ith your book, it has inspir ed m e to look into doing m or e for my countr y's gastr onomy. I look for w ar d to hear ing m or e of you and your futur e pr oject, I hope our r eader s got a chance to m eet and know about such a gr eat chef.
Featur e Ch ef Dan i s an aw ar d r eci pi en t f r om Th e Nat i on al Bl ack Ch ef Associ at i on . He i s t h e ex ecu t i ve ch ef of Ki zi n Cr eol e Rest au r an t based i n Ch i cago, I l l i n oi s, w h o con si der s h i m sel f as a t r u e advocat e f or t h e cu l t u r al h er i t age of Hai t i . W h en h e i sn 't i n t h e k i t ch en , h e def au l t s t o bei n g an ar t i st , dan cer , an d ch or eogr aph er . He w as bor n i n Por t -Au -Pr i n ce bu t spen t m ost of h i s ch i l dh ood i n t h e cou n t r ysi de of Cap -Rou ge, Jacm el i n t h e sou t h -east w h er e h e l ear n ed h ow t o h ar vest f r om h i s gr an df at h er an d cook i n g f r om h i s gr an dm ot h er . A year shy of h i s m i gr at i on t o Am er i ca i n 1999, af t er a su ccessf u l car eer as a t each er of bot h el em en t ar y an d secon dar y sch ool i n Hai t i , h e gr adu at ed f r om Ecol e Nor m al e de M ar t i ssan t w h er e h e at t en ded h i s f i r st cu l i n ar y ar t cl asses.
W h en di d you r eal i ze t h at you w an t ed t o becom e a ch ef ?
Chef Dan Desir Ch ef Dan Desi r i s a m an w h o w ear s m an y h at s.
I never thought in a m illion year s I w ill be a chef. Even w hen I took the culinar y ar t classes back in 1998. It w as just for fun. You know in our cultur e people w ill see you w ith differ ent eyes if you tell them you ar e going to school to becom e a chef. Gr ow ing up in Haiti, I loved being in the kitchen. Cooking has alw ays been a passion of m ine. I love food, I love to eat good food. The pr ocess you go thr ough to pr epar e a dish, to m e it?s divine, it?s m agical. That?s w hy people should alw ays thank God befor e they eat. The idea of becom ing a chef cam e to m e after I decided to becom e a r estaur ateur in 2013. I w anted to offer som ething differ ent to the Chicago Haitian com m unity. Haitian cuisine is alm ost absent for year s in the M idw est, even though w e have a lar ge population of Haitian living ther e. So, I w anted to br ing the Haitian gastr onomy to the for efr ont. It?s not an easy r oad but, her e I am 5 year s ago, m aking it possible w ith the help of God and so m any people especially my w ife Patr icia Desir w ho is also a chef, a gr aduate fr om Le Cor don Bleu in Chicago.
by: CHEF ALAIN LEM AIRE edited: CARL BAZELAIS
Summer 2019
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chefscornermagazine.com
W hy di d you deci de t o becom e a ch ef , despi t e t h e l on g h ou r s, t h e n ever -en di n g w eek s, n o h ol i days, et c.? W hen I took on this m ission, I didn?t think of the long hour s, the never -ending w eeks, no holidays. No one r eally told m e w hat I w as getting myself into. I bought the r estaur ant fr om a fr iend w ho couldn?t keep up w ith it but he never told m e w hat to expect. Once I under stand the challenges I have to face to m anage the r estaur ant I knew it w as tim e to pull out my culinar y skills out of the dr aw er. Som etim es, you ar e the only one to accom plish w hat you have in m ind. W hen you love w hat you do, you look at ever y day as an oppor tunity to gr ow. It?s like r unning a r ace; you can?t stop until you r each the final line. W h i ch sect or i n t h e f ood an d bever age i n du st r y i s you r m ai n t ar get /m ar k et ? Haitian cuisine is my specialty. How ever , I tr y fr om tim e to tim e to tap into other ethnic cuisines to attr act people fr om ever y ethnicity. M y ultim ate goal is to pr om ote the Haitian gastr onomy as m uch as possible to as m any people as I can. One thing I r ealize, once you taste Haitian food, you w ill never go back . I n t h e l ast f i ve t o t en year s, t h er e h ave been h u ge ch an ges i n t h e f ood an d bever age i n du st r y. Ch ef s ar e m or e r ever ed n ow , cook i n g h as becom e m ai n st r eam t h an k s t o TV sh ow s, f est i val s, com pet i t i on s, et c... How di d t h at af f ect you an d h ow do you do t o cope w i t h i t ? Now adays, w e ar e living in the age of technology. Alm ost ever ything w e touch has som e for m of technology. Being a chef is no differ ent. Ther e w as a tim e w hen a chef w as consider ed to be just the little guy next door , just som eone w ho know s how to cook . Besides, people w ill discour age you if you told them that you ar e going to school to becom e a chef. Thanks to TV show s, celebr ity chefs, m or e and m or e people ar e seeing culinar y ar t w ith the sam e value as any other car eer. To m e the effect is positive. It gives m e a m edium to pr om ote my w or k to the
w or ld. I have had a few inter view s on national TV, been featur ed in m agazines and dem onstr ated my skills on TV show s; and I am loving it. This is a gr eat m otivation to be passionate about w hat I do.
Ch ef s ar e ar t i st s, f r ee-spi r i t ed an d l ove t o ex pr ess t h em sel ves. I t i s h ar d t o h ol d u s i n a box . W h at dr i ves you ? W h er e do you h ar vest t h at passi on f or cook i n g? Fir st off, you have to love w hat you do and do it w ith all your hear t. M y m otto w hen I am posting a dish on social m edia is: ?Passionately Delicious?. Ever y m eal I pr epar ed has that unique ingr edient inser ted in it. Som etim es people w ill ask m e for a r ecipe and after I tell them about it, I w ill add that ingr edient they can find anyw her e else but inside of their hear t, their passion. Cooking is m agical, be passionate about it, put your hear t into it. I love w atching other chefs as w ell as cooking show on television, r eading, cooking and hospitality m agazines. Bei n g an en t r epr en eu r h as t au gh t m e a gr eat deal t h r ou gh ou t m y j ou r n ey. Especi al l y t o al w ays pu sh f or w ar d an d ai m h i gh . W h at ar e som e of t h e cu r r en t an d f u t u r e pr oj ect s, col l abor at i on s, et c... you h ave i n t h e w or k s? At this tim e, I am w or king on a few pr ojects: a food blog and a cooking channel. On August 25, I w ill be hosting our 2nd annual Taste Of Haiti in Chicago. I also have an oppor tunity com ing up to w or k w ith Live Fr ee M agazine som etim e next year , and I look for w ar d to doing collabor ative w or k w ith other chefs anyw her e in the w or ld. We al l f ace di f f er en t t ypes of obst acl es/ch al l en ges i n t h i s i n du st r y. Wou l d you m i n d sh ar i n g you r m ost di f f i cu l t on e(s)? Being your ow n boss is the biggest challenge one w ill ever face. It is ver y easy to for get about the people close to you. Especially if you ar e a father and a husband like myself. Som etim es it?s ver y difficult to balance w or k and fam ily. I am so consum ed by focusing on m aking the business gr eat that som etim es I lose sight
of my other obligations. Being the only Haitian r estaur ant in Chicago also cr eates its ow n challenges. We ar e the singular r epr esentation of Haitian cultur e that is available to the public on a basis daily. Haitians have high expectations ther efor e, w e have to pr ovide a ser vice that can m eet those expectations to m ake all of us pr oud. Th e f ood i n du st r y i s n ot i m m u n e t o di scr i m i n at i on i n al l of i t s f or m : gen der , r ace, r el i gi on , et c... you n am e i t an d w e deal w i t h i t ever y day. Have you ever h ad t o or do you cu r r en t l y deal w i t h an y f or m of di scr i m i n at i on ? I f so, h ow di d/do you m an age? I cannot r ecall any tim e I had to deal w ith such a situation. I am a ver y r espectful per son and I expect the sam e fr om anybody that I am dealing w ith. I have fr iends w ho have been a victim of discr im ination, w e?ve seen it on TV how som e custom er s been tr eated by som e r estaur ant m anager s. We?ve also seen em ployees and m anager s getting discr im inated by custom er s. Discr im ination is a ter r ible disease and it?s r eally bad for business, especially the hospitality industr y.
Ripe & r eady Wh it e Cor n
Applicat ion : White corn can be roasted, grilled, blanched, steamed, or pureed. And pairs well with tomatoes, basil cilantro, lobster, pork, chanterelles, truffles, shelling beans, cream, nutty cheeses, peas, summer squashes, fennel, citrus and scallops
Eggplan t
Applicat ion : eggplants are best suited for grilling, pan frying, baking, broiling, sautĂŠeing, and roasting. They are also prepared breaded and fried and used as a meat substitute in pasta dishes, stir-fries, and burgers.
Plu m
Applicat ion : can be eaten fresh, pickled and dried to prune. They pair well with anise, arugula, basil, cherries, chiles, cinnamon, cream, dates, figs, chocolate, nectarines, peaches, citrus, pork, lamb, aged and fresh cheeses, lettuce greens, almonds, pistachios, grilled scallops, brandy, red wine and light-bodied vinegar.
Peach
Applicat ion : They are great fresh out of hand or sliced in both fruit and green salads. They also are nice when paired alongside grilled meats or diced atop fish tacos for a sweet salsa, fresh cream or yogurt.
Gr apes
Appl icat ion: They are best suited for raw applications. They're to be consumed fresh, out of hand. They can also be added to green salads or fruit salads for a sweet flavor, or they can be frozen and used as a sweet treat in drinks.
Bell pepper s Appl icat ion: Bell peppers are best suited for both raw and cooked applications such as roasting, baking, grilling, and sautĂŠing.
M an goes
Appl icat ion: Mangoes can be used in both raw and cooked applications. They are a popular ingredient for fresh salsas and chutneys, and in desserts and baked goods. Use Mangoes to flavor ice cream and gelato, blend or juice for smoothies and other drinks, or slice and dry for a naturally sweet snack.
Cu cu m ber s
Appl icat ion: Pickling cucumbers are commonly used after preserving in vinegar, water, salt, sugar and a pickling herb spice solution. They can be sliced, speared, diced, or whole and they can be eaten straight out of the jar, served with sandwiches and burgers, or blended to make a relish. They pair well with mint, dill, cumin, mustard, and fresh cheeses such as feta and cotija.
(Pickling)
Credit source: Specialty Produce
Summer 2019
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chefscornermagazine.com