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Wife of the Chef
The True Story of a Restaurant & Romance
By Courtney Febbroriello
Courtney Febbroriello, the titular Wife of the Chef, tells all with acerbic wit in this exposé of life behindthe-
scenes of a small Connecticut restaurant. But only the very secure should delve between the covers.
Febbroriello tells how she met her husband, Chris, and shares a day in the life of the restaurant she now
runs with him. It's a stressful job--it doesn't pay well, there are no benefits, they never get to spend any time
together without talking about work, and no one appreciates her.
If you love to read about the restaurant trade, venture forth, but keep in mind that no one is spared
Febbroriello's sharp tongue. If you've read Kitchen Confidential, none of the kitchen dirt will shock you
(except maybe for the fact that she doesn't eat her husband's food because she's a vegetarian), but nearly
everything else is fair game. According to Febbroriello, waiters don't get the respect they deserve, but then
again many of them are slow, sloppy, don't anticipate her needs adequately, or are too friendly and helpful
(come again?). Customers, admits Febbroriello, are the reason there are restaurants, but among those she
hates are those who revere her husband (really?), those who want to relax, be pampered, and arrive with
expectations (who isn't guilty?), and the ones who call themselves foodies.
Tired and cranky, overworked and never recognized, a Jill-of-all-trades and the glue that holds her restaurant
together, Febbroriello's diatribe will make you laugh as long as it doesn't make you cry.
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norman van aken 
Spicy. Sultry.
These aren’t typical words used to describe just any small town boy from middle America, but then again Norman Van Aken
isn’t any ordinary small town boy. His passion has taken him through the world's most varied cuisines, and the result is no
less than sensational.
Jocelyn Morse: You're known as the father of New World Cuisine. What is the philosophy behind it?
Norman Van Aken: If you knew of my childhood spent in the small town of Diamond Lake, Illinois, you might hardly imagine
that I would become a chef known in many distant places. At first I cooked in the diners and later so-called fancy places. We served
simple American chow in the diners and European-influenced food in the more expensive venues. When some friends said they
were going to drive to Key West, I hopped in the back of their van and joined them. From the very first day I loved the eccentric "end of the rainbow" town. I quickly adapted and began to cook and eat in their diners and cafÈs. During the late '70s and through
the early and mid '80s, I began to weld a style of cuisine that embraced the people and the food cultures of where I'd come to live
instead of where I grew up. People began to notice my work and somewhere in the process I went from being a line cook to being
one of Florida's premier chefs. The cuisine needed a name. Around the fall of 1986 I began to term it "New World Cuisine."
Although it is not a New World, I termed it thus in commemoration of that epic landfall that Columbus made in 1492. Floribbean,
New Florida, Nuevo Cubano have all been posited as names for what we cook. But these hyphenated, affected terms fail to capture
the amazing breadth of what South Floridians have surrounding them every day of their lives. New World opens it up.
JM: Is this cuisine limitless to different regional cooking techniques and ingredients?
NVA: Since I live and cook in Florida I purposefully choose food products and techniques that are of this region (predominately),
and bespeak of the cultures and their histories of the people who have come to live here, all in all, imbued with a "Norman" touch.
JM: Is New World Cuisine a child of fusion cuisine?
NVA: Yes, I think that fusion is the mother of all of the different types of hyphenated cuisines. Like me, other chefs across the
globe are finding that there is a combined power in what I named "fusion cooking." In my cooking, I create an interplay, a fusion,
between regionalism and technical know-how. My cooking is the result of coupling our native regional foodstuffs like conch, black
beans, plantains, mangoes, coconuts, grouper, key limes, snapper, shrimp and the folk cooking methods intrinsic their
preparation, with my self-taught classical techniques. "New World Cuisine" is the term I came up with to describe the fusion
occurring in Florida and the immediately surrounding areas.
JM: Fusion, to some, is a dirty word...Why has this term changed since it came to be in the eighties?
NVA: "Fusion" is not a dirty word but a term that has become dirtied! To me, fusion cuisine will always exist; it won't go in and
out of fashion. These days we travel so much and experience other cultures' cuisines in our home cities that it is virtually impossible
to cook without letting in outside influences. Chefs are not going to all of a sudden start to cook traditionally. My definition of
fusion refers to fusion between haute cuisine or aristocratic styled "restaurant" cuisine with the more down-to-earth, rustic home
cooking. Later it came to mean the "fusion" between various cultures and countries. Fusion cuisine can and does take place in
almost every continent. I have been truly inspired by Jean-FranÁois Revel's book, Culture and CuisineÖA Journey Through the
History of Food. He states, "there is gastronomy when there is a permanent quarrel of the Ancients and the Moderns and when
there is a public both competent enough and rich enough to arbitrate this quarrel." I think we're there now.
JM: What are your favorite food combinations these days?
NVA: Peanut Butter and Jelly still works for me! Especially on a Ritz cracker... I am only kidding, a little. Plantains and pork is
another great one. It is in the contrast of combinations that I am most consistently drawn to. I love lime juice, sugar and fish sauce.
I love passion fruit, honey and sesame oil. I love roasted beef and lamb with caramelized onions and root vegetables. My dessert
interests are chocolate and Mandarin orange as well as curry-pineapple pound cake.
JM: What are staples in your walk-in when it comes to herbs and fresh produce?
NVA: Garlic, chiles, plantains (black ones only in the walk-in), ginger, lemongrass, truffles, wild mushrooms and anything citrus,
etc.
JM: Have things changed recently in the farm situation in Florida? Are there are a lot more locally grown fruit and vegetables.
NVA: Florida is finally coming along. The link between the farmers and the chefs is getting stronger everyday. Farmer's Markets
are one of my favorite things in the world! Just south of Miami we have Homestead and the Redlands areas. It is very fertile land
for all types of produce.
JM: For environmental reasons, do you not serve certain fish/meats? Is
there anything you won't cook?
NVA: We have not served swordfish in our restaurant for the last four years
due to the near annihilation of them. I can't think of any meat we WON’T
serve, but we DON’T serve a lot. We work with small producers of meat
like Millbrook Farms Venison, Summerfield Farms Veal and Jamison
Farms Lamb, to name a few.
JM: Which are your preferred local purveyors/farmers and what do they
do best?
NVA: We use Whitewater Farms clams, Teena's Pride Produce, and many
more that I prefer to keep quiet about. They do best what I like to think we
do best.
JM: Do you get the time to travel to other countries to learn more
cuisines? Where would you go next?
NVA: I do get to travel for my work. I will be in Hawaii in a few months. I lived there when I was in college and afterwards I
bumming around some more. I love it there!
The chefs are very together in their commitment to their cuisine and to the farmers and fishermen. I look forward to many more
trips to Latin America and the Far East too.
JM: Since most of your time is spent at NORMAN'S, how have you made this "home" more home-like with the major renovations
done in April 1999?
NVA: I have my office filled with my cookbooks and do a great deal of my writing for my own books and columns there. The new
kitchen is built very much like a home kitchen in the sense of its countertops and wall finishes. (It's a very NICE home kitchen!)
JM: Your open kitchen and the granite, center island seem to be the ideal work situation. How has it affected you and your team
and the restaurant atmosphere?
NVA: The newest dining room completes our "home" in the sense that the other two rooms provide what could seem like a "living
room" and a "den" in a great big house. The new room is the big open "kitchen" where guests can watch the cooks in action. We
get the pleasure of speaking and performing directly for the guests in this atmosphere and it makes a big difference.
JM: What is it like to expedite through headphones? Do all of the cooks wear them? Is there a talking rule during service?
NVA: It is a bit of a challenge to work with the headphones but it is crucial that our guests receive the food at their tables all at
once and since some dishes are prepared in one area and some in another we needed to make them work. Typically 3 chefs will
be wearing them. There are periods of time when the only talking comes from the expediting chef of each area.
JM: Is there a dress code for cooks in the open kitchen? Sneakers allowed? Shorts in the summer?
NVA: The chefs wear close-toed shoes, pants, chef jackets, aprons and chef toques. I left my cooking shorts back in my Key West
days!
JM: What are your favorite tools?
NVA: My favorite tools are my ideas.
JM: Can we look forward to a new book some time soon?
NVA: Yes, I am writing my fourth book now. It's called New World Cuisine: Latin America and will be out in 2001 with
HarperCollins. More cooking along the New World Cuisine trail!
JM: We, and our loyal users, love your "Words on Food." When did you start writing? When and where do you usually get the time
to do it?
NVA: I started writing when I was around 17. I have always loved to read. I write everywhere. Sometimes people just know to
leave me alone when the writing muse taps me on the head. It's a very special time that I can't count on to last so I try to react
when "it" is ready. Sometimes it can just be one sentence. Then I can write the rest of the story. I love it when I get that first
sentence.
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ACF Chef Willie visits daycare
Recently Chef Willie Jemison and students from Murrell School visited Centerstone Daycare Center and
prepared and served lunch to preschoolers ages 3 - 5. The preschoolers were instructed on good healthy
eating habits using the food guide pyramid. They watched education slides and a video. Chef Willie and his
crew also provided healthy snacks.
The youth from the Murrel School are part of Chef Willie’s afterschool program located at 1101 6th Avenue
North. These and other students are taught culinary skills ranging from safety and sanitation to proper food
presentation. They also take part in charitable service projects such as collecting food for a local can drive. |
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FOIE GRAS D’OIE AND FOIE GRAS DE CANARD
Article contributed by Hrayr Berberoglu, a Professor Emeritus of Hospitality and Tourism Management specializing in Food
and Beverage. 1/15/04
Pharaohs and Egyptian nobility enjoyed fattened goose liver was before Romans picked it up from Greek
traders. They became addicted to the sumptuous taste and texture of fattened goose liver. At that time, dried figs
were used to fatten geese in special farms. Corn had not reached to the Mediterranean yet! It was brought over
by Spanish and Italian conquistadors in their employ from the Americas in the beginning of the 16th century.
Producing fattened goose liver is by all accounts cruel. The technique employed requires geese to be confined
to a very restricted area (cage) (in olden times the legs were nailed to the ground) and a funnel is showed down
the throat of the bird and the food deposited into the stomach. This involuntary feeding causes the liver to enlarge
to ten times its regular size! Essentially the animal is rendered sick by overfeeding.
Fattened goose liver contains an excessive amount of fat, and is very smooth with a soft silky texture when
expertly prepared.
South-western French have been devotees of fattened goose liver, and confit, pates (plain or truffeled) for
centuries and developed an industry worth millions of dollars both in France and export markets.
Goose liver slices quickly seared in a very hot pan and enriched with authentic balsamic vinegar is divine,
particularly when paired with Tokaji Aszu 4 or five puttonyos quality, or beereneauslese quality German wines or
Sauternes from France. Gourmets also like to pair fattened goose liver with high-end Gew¸rztraminer from Alsace
The French goose liver industry is located around Strasbourg in Alsace, and Sarlat in the region of Perigord,
the home of black truffles.
Here specialized manufacturers produce plain or truffeled goose liver pate, flavoured parfait de foie gras that
contains cream and other stretchers, canned goose liver blocks and goose liver pates packaged in attractive
crocks for gift giving.
Understandably, goose liver is an expensive product and French manufacturers import liver from Poland,
Hungary and Israel in an attempt to contain costs.
Goose liver pate prices are high enough, and they feel pricing the product out of the market is not in their best
interest.
In North America well-heeled gourmets have developed a liking to fresh skillfully prepared goose liver, and since
both the USA and Canada do not import overseas-produced fresh fattened goose liver, several producers in New
York State’s Hudson Valley, Sonoma County and Quebec started to supply the restaurant and high-end grocery
trades.
American Animal Rights organizations monitor producers’ methods of production and document the cruelty
perpetrated on geese or ducks, but so far, violence has been limited to only a few farms.
Connoisseurs prefer Quebec
foie gras to that of Hudson
Valley for both taste and
texture.
Toronto restaurateurs buy
mostly the Quebec product,
but some buy the less
expensive New York product.
Regardless of cruelty,
skillfully prepared fattened
goose liver is delightful.
Fattened duck liver tends to be
rough in texture and tastes less
appealing.
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Beyond Parsley
Parley sprigs and flakes make a bright, easy accent for many dishes, but they can become boring quickly when overused. By plating as creatively as possible, you can visually stimulate your diner's appetite and imagination. The most exciting plate presentations arouse interest and a sense of expectancy, then present food that tastes as good or even better than anticipated. Here are some of the principles to keep in mind as you design plates for presentation: |
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The Concepts
Plate presentation concepts are the same as those of fine art: the chef-artist works with a palette of different colors, shapes, textures, and
flavors, and arranges them with the principles of artistic composition in mind: balance, harmony, and contrast.
And the rules are simple. The most important thing to keep in mind is that the main ingredients remain the focal point. The way you
showcase them should never overwhelm, clash with, or obscure them.
Add to these simple concepts an attempt to avoid repetition and trite standbys (such as the ubiquitous parsley), and you'll be able to create
attractive, enticing plates every time.
The Tools
The most important, most dramatic tool a chef can use is the plate itself. Wide choices in color, shape, and size offer a multitude of
opportunities to create harmony or contrast, or simply serve as a blank canvas that lets the food speak for itself.
Achieve drama with unusual shapes and sizes: serve a selection of cheeses on a triangular plate or tuna tartare on a large white square.
Keep materials in mind: etched glass, clear glass, and even glass bricks are perfect for serving chilled salads, sushi, and other raw items--the
glass conveys a cool freshness.
Also consider plate choices as a way to underscore the theme or cuisine of your establishment. Richard Stallings, Dining Room Manager
at Aquarella in La Jolla, CA, tells us that his restaurant's charming rustic plates and color-chip embedded glasses are imported from Mexico
and enhance the authentic flavor of the upscale Mexican dishes.
Many chefs, including the renowned Thomas Keller of The French Laundry in Yountville, CA, draw from a variety of plates for service.
A table might feature a number of different designs, each chosen to complement diners' individual selections.
How you arrange the food on your plates is another aspect of presentation. When serving more than one item, consider Asian design
principles--an odd number of items or asymmetrical placement will look more intriguing than a two-by-two or grid-like arrangement.
We've all seen (and practiced!) intricate architectural stacking and towering--a round of polenta, topped with a medallion of beef, layered
with a bed of caramelized onions, topped with a vertical sprig of greenery. If restrained, stacking remains an effective and dramatic technique.
However, too much can border on the bizarre.
A fresh alternative to stacking might even be the absence of arrangement: simplicity can make a design statement all by itself. We've been
impressed by the simple mound of dark green arugula with a light sheen of olive oil casually piled into a small, stark-white soup crock at the
Tate Gallery Restaurant in London, England.
Other principles to keep in mind include avoiding portions that are too small in relation to plate size, or portions that are too big, such as
the off-putting steak and frites that hang over the side.
The final and perhaps most important presentation tools you have at your disposal are complementary sauces, reductions, coulis, and
added ingredients. For example, a pair of colorful, contrasting sauces creatively "painted" or drizzled on the plate will enhance appetizers,
main courses, and desserts.
Herbs such as torn basil or sprigs of fresh dill and seasonings such as pepper flakes can accent flavor while adding color contrast. Greenery-
-curly endive, cress, or pea shoots, for example--and nuts or seeds such as black mustard, cracked coriander, or sunflower also add taste and
visual interest.
Artfully carved produce items make excellent garnishes.
Two principles to keep in mind: they should be fresh and in
season, and serve as an enhancement to the item they're
garnishing.
Even the tried-and-true lemon, probably the most common
pairing for seafood, can make a dramatic impression if looked
at in a different way. For example, the Buckeye Roadhouse
in Mill Valley, CA, serves a unique lemon half to accompany
its signature Oysters Bingo. A millimeter-thin strip of zest is
pared almost all the way around the cut edge of the fruit, andthen loosely knotted in the middle, creating a Zen-like
presentation.
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Michael Osborne
Michael Osborne, Executive Chef of the Manchester ~ Coffee County Conference Center has just received his certification as a Certified Executive Chef. He completed his practical exam Friday May the 6 th at Chattahoochee Technical College in Marietta, Georgia. Michael’s background includes 11 years with the United States Air Force in various Officers’ and NCO clubs, Country Clubs, Restaurants and most recently a Convention Center. Michael said one of his most memorable times was the year he spent working as Sous Chef under the great Ernie Louis, CEC. “Ernie passed on some of his garde manger tools to me one day, it was almost like the changing of the guard. I was very choked up over it. I hope I can give something that special to a younger chef some day.” Congratulations Mike…… Anyone wishing information about the exam process or what to expect at the exam site in Georgia can email mike at thechef@charter.net |
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