Interview with Chef Rahm Fama

I had the unique opportunity to talk with Chef Rahm Fama, the host of the new Food Network show “Meat & Potatoes”. He was fun to talk to, and the passion you see on his show also came through on the phone.

Here’s our conversation:

Where did the concept come for "Meat & Potatoes"?

It’s what people understand and what they know and what they love. Everybody wants to feel comfortable with that they’re eating and cooking. I love that fact that something that sounds so easy, meat and potatoes, are really something so beautiful and its art. What can we do with meat? It’s endless.

With a lot of chefs going towards more lighter meals, why meat?

I really generally love the history aspect, it’s been around forever and in other cuisines from French and Italian to Mexican, and it’s all based around meat (protein). I think it has a lot of history, a lot of technique; you’ve got to get that pastrami right. You have to get it just right or it’s going to be rubber. It takes a lot of talent and dedication to understand and love meat. The concept for cooking meat is another. I’ve been doing it for years, I’ve been a chef for 20 years and I still don’t think I have it right.

For example: all the different burgers, it’s ground beef, it’s a patty, and every burger is remarkably and amazingly different. If a burger can evolve, image how the other meat can change. No end to it, and that’s what I like. No end to meat, it’s on and on and on. It’s a constant type of education for me. I keep wanting to find more. And every show I find something new.

You can tell you have a passion for meat, what is your favorite meat and where did your passion come from?

My mom was a horrible cook (please forgive me mom). With having been a rancher and raising cattle, to putting it on the plate, I think I have a lot of appreciation for the meat then other chefs. I’ve seen it up close. Ranch life is hard. I want to take it to the next level and make sure it is created with the respect with which it deserves.

Out of all the episodes recorded, what was the weirdest thing you tried?

Each episode has a different segment. BBQ –there’s nothing weird about BBQ. There’s Steakhouse Wars and there’s Late Night Meat in LA. Beautiful steakhouse looks like a train. You can get a great steak at anytime (24 hours a day). Every place has been a great experience. I’m not eating bugs or testicles. The strangest thing I tried to conquer was the 10 pound burrito. I thought I could do it, but ended up sharing it with the crew.

The hot dog place really was a gourmet place, it was unbelievable. The Foss Hog!
Every restaurant has been incredible.

What one restaurant would you visit again as soon as possible?

I’d like to spend a little more time at David Burke’s in Chicago. They dry age steaks (rib eye) 75 days. Here’s an example of one of his meals. You get a rib eye, a waffle, with cheese, bacon, and scallions. You spread butter and sour cream on top. It comes to you as a warm waffle with a side potato.


What makes your show different from the variety of “let’s visit restaurants” shows out there?

Because my show is fun, energetic and educational. I’m trying to capture those people who have had that or haven’t had that. I show people different stuff. We’ve all had a pastrami sandwich, but maybe you haven’t had a Montreal influenced pastrami sandwich.

It’s a steak but different. It’s BBQ, but different. It has great endings and fun factoids.

Would you be willing to share a recipe with us?

Absolutely.

Coffee and Red Chile Rubbed Flank Steak Recipe
Courtesy Rahm Fama

1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon powdered mustard
1/3 cup New Mexico red chili
1/4 cup ground coffee
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Kosher salt
2 pounds flank steak
Score the surface of the steak with 1/4 inch deep knife cuts, about an inch apart, across the grain of the meat.
Combine the dry rub ingredients and the steak in a large freezer bag and shake. Chill and marinate for at least 2 hours and up to overnight.
Using olive oil soaked onto a paper towel, coat the grill thoroughly.
Preheat the grill with high, direct heat.
Remove the steak from the bag and shake off excess rub.
Place steak on the hot grill. If you are using a gas grill, cover the grill.
Grill for 4-6 minutes on each side. Half way through grilling on each side, turn the steak 90° so that you get more grill marks.

Flank steak is best-eaten medium rare, well done will make it too tough. When the steak has cooked to your preferred level of doneness, remove from the grill and place on a cutting board.
Cover with aluminum foil to hold in the heat and to keep the steak from drying out, and let rest for 10 minutes.


Will any of the shows take place in CO?

Hopefully in the next season we can visit Colorado, “Hi Colorado!” There is lots of great meat in Colorado. We’ve only filmed 6 episodes, so we had to narrow it down. I don’t have a lot of decisions on where I go. It’s a combination of a lot of things where we decide to go.

What do you eat in the middle of the night?

Being a chef, I graze, I’m never full. Last night I went to a dinner in LA and couldn’t eat it all. I graze all day.

What I have in my kitchen I have a lot of deli meats, sliced capocollo, prosciuttos. I’ve been doing my own duck prosciutto at home.

I’m not cooking as much as I want, but when I’m in my kitchen, I just do my thing.


Chef Rahm says:

Stay tuned for the show and watch it. Have as much fun watching it as I did making it. You can see the fun and energy that’s coming through me and I’m just as surprised to see this stuff like everyone else. I appreciate the opportunity. I’m super excited about it. I get to do what I love and be on TV, it’s awesome!

Thank you to Chef Fama for his time and to Michelle Betrock from the Food Network Channel for setting up the interview.

Thanks for stopping by our blog. If you have any questions you can leave a comment here or email us at jonathan@milehigheater.com or barbara@milehigheater.com

Questions and a Recipe from Jenna Johansen @ Dish Restaurant

Hi all,

After our wonderful meal at Dish we had a chance to ask Chef Jenna a few questions

1. What attracted you to cooking?

I have always been enamored with what happens over a dinner table. It brings me much pleasure to create a meal that brings people together, nourishing the body, feeding the soul and the relationships of those dining together.

2. What is the philosophy behind your cooking, or in your kitchen?

Simplicity in everything. I have never been one to "dress up" a plate with tricked out garnishes and sauces that weigh down the flavors and take minutes to plate. I love fresh food and am heavily influenced by vegetables. I am proud of the fact that I make lots of great vegetarian dishes in which you won't even miss the meat.

In the kitchen... happy,passionate chefs make great food. We listen to good music when we prep and allow our individual personalities to shine through in the dishes. The best time to eat at dish is when someone in the kitchen is falling in love...

3. What is the biggest influence on the way you cook?

The seasons. Our menu changes all the time, and the biggest influence is what is fresh and in season. The only time you'll see corn at dish is when ears from Olathe are fresh, and you'll see it on a at least a few dishes. As it gets colder, my body craves braised meats and richer flavors. When it heats up, the crab is chilled and the watermelon comes out... I like the ingredients to drive the menu, not the other way around.

4. Is there a chef living today you would like to work with?

I have always, always been a huge fan of Alice Waters, and even after all these years would be so honored to spend time with her in the garden and the kitchen.
I'd also love to hang out over the stove with David Chang.

5. Is there a particular ingredient you like to cook with more than others?

Bacon. I am a total whore for the pig.

6. If stuck on a desert isle and could have one meal from then on out what would it be?

Gnocchi. I could eat it every single day of my life.

7. Is someone asked you for two Colorado restaurants to try other than your own what would you suggest?

Fruition is my absolute favorite. The food created by the hands of those men behind the line makes me very happy...

I'd be lying if I said I didn't eat at least one (rare, no cheese) Larkburger a week, so I guess it is another one of my favorites that I just can't live without.

8. How about one restaurant anywhere in the world?

Any hole in the wall in Italy. The smaller and more out of the way, the better. I have had some of my best meals of my life in small trattorias that I could never find again...

9. Would you be willing to share a recipe with us?

Absolutely. I always share recipes, food is meant to be shared and enjoyed by everyone. I consider it a huge compliment when a guest enjoys a meal so much that they would like to re-create a dish again.

Jenna's Recipe
Warm Autumn Kamut Salad
2 cups kamut, uncooked
5 cups water, boiling (season with 1 tsp. kosher salt)
1/2 ea yellow onion, diced
3 ea garlic cloves, peeled and minced
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 ea small butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced 1/4"
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup pinenuts, lightly toasted
1 ea fresh lemon, zested to taste
kosher salt and black pepper


Directions:
Rinse kamut and place in pot with boiling water, reduce to simmer.
Cover and cook until tender, but slightly chewy (1- 1 1/2 hours), add more water as necessary, meanwhile lightly toss squash in 1 tbsp olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, place on sheetpan.
Roast squash in 350* oven until soft (about 15 minutes).
Saute onions and garlic over meduim heat in 1 tbsp of olive oil until translucent, about 5 minutes
Mix all ingredients (kamut, squash, onion mixture, 1 tbsp olive oil, remaining ingredients). together while warm.
Season to taste with kosher salt and pepper, serve.


Chef/ Owner dish restaurant
Jenna Johansen
http://www.eatdrinkdish.com/

Thanks for stopping by our Colorado based restaruant and food review blog. If you have any questions or comments, please leave them here or email us at jonathan@milehigheater.com or barbara@milehigheater.com.

Chef Jason Shaeffer of Chimney park talk and recipe

Hi all


This week we have a talk with chef Shaeffer of Chimney park and a recipe he shared with us.




Chef Shaeffer









1. What attracted you to cooking?

At a young age I was taught simple things like how to scramble eggs, make grilled cheese sandwiches and assist with the prepping of the food my family would prepare. This preparation included; gathering eggs from our chickens, attending the garden by watering, weeding, picking of vegetables and fruits.

2. What is the philosophy behind your cooking, or in your kitchen?
Most of the time, simply let the ingredients do their job. When the best quality ingredient is sourced and brought into the back door – respect the integrity of it.

3. What is the biggest influence on the way you cook?
Season and weather – which drives product availability. We’ve had a run of warm weather here in Northern Colorado for November – we really haven’t gotten into heavy braised items yet…running lighter fish specials.

4. Is there a chef living today you would like to work with?
Wolfgang Puck because I would pick his brain of how he transformed from a talented young chef in LA to a globally successful businessman.

5. Is there a particular ingredient you like to cook with more than others?
One in particular, no but as a whole – garden fresh vegetables due to how I grew up raising them in Virginia.


6. If stuck on a desert isle and could have one meal from then on out what would it be?
Simple pasta with asparagus (or green beans) with garlic, olive oil, lemon, Parmesan and pine nuts.

7. Is someone asked you for two Colorado restaurants to try other than your own what would you suggest?
Well, I really haven’t been out much since living here! Undoubtedly, Frasca in Boulder rivals any “big city” restaurant. Had a very good experience at Juniper in Edwards.

8. How about one restaurant any where in the world?
El Bulli

9. Would you be willing to share a recipe with us?

Yes!

1. How was it working at Per Se?

Working at per se was the most intense and rewarding experience I have encountered. It was a constant pursuit of perfection every night, every guest, every dish. Thomas and Jonathan are, by far, are two very driven chefs who do not compromise quality or integrity on a single item within the restaurant…down to the hand soap in the employee restroom!

2. How did you end up coming to Colorado?

Kind of both happening at once – I found Chimney Park and it found me!

Chef Shaeffer was also kind enough to share a recipe with us

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Hazel Dell Mushrooms
Serves 8

1-2 butternut squash, weighing about two pounds
1 yellow onion
4 cloves garlic
2 tbsp. olive oil
5 cups chicken stock
1/2 lb. fresh assorted Hazel Dell mushrooms
1/2 bunch fresh basil, slice thinly
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper





Pre-heat oven to 450º F.
Cut the squash in half and remove seeds. Place flesh-side down onto an oiled baking sheet and roast until easily pierced with a knife, remove from oven and let cool.
Peel and thinly slice the onion and garlic cloves, toss with olive oil and roast in oven for 10-15 minutes or until softened, Scoop out the inside of the squash and pass through a food mill.
Combine the squash puree and roasted onion/garlic mixture in a soup pot. Add the stock and bring to a boil, turn heat to low and simmer for about an hour.
Season with salt, black pepper.
Slice the mushrooms, sauté over medium-high heat until soft, add to the soup just before serving along with the basil.
Divide among eight heated soup bowls and serve.




As always thanks for stopping by our Colorado food blog and if have any questions or comments feel free to ask them here or email us at jonathan or barb at milehigheater.com



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A talk with O's Chef Ian Kleinman

Hi all
NOTE Chef Kleinman has now moved away from O's and has his own catering business where he brings the magic of Molecular gastronomy to your home or party!

http://www.theinventingroomonline.com/



After our meal at O's chef Kleinman took the time to answer a few questions for us.








1. What attracted you to cooking?

My father is a chef and my grandfather was a culinary instructor in Oslo, Norway. My dad would come home in his chef's coat smelling of new flavors I have never tried. He taught me to have an open mind when it comes to ingredients and techniques. My grandmothers German cooking was the nail in the coffin. She made amazing meals with just a few ingredients.


2. What is the philosophy behind your cooking, or in your kitchen?

Have fun. People take food to seriously. I want you to have a well prepared meal when you eat here but most of all I want you to do is have fun. Those are the meals you remember



3. What is the biggest influence on the way you cook?

Seasonality


4. Is there a chef living today you would like to work with?

Ferran Adria or Heston Blumenthal





5. Is there a particular ingredient you like to cook with more than others?

Liquid nitrogen. It is a amazing medium that will be utilized much more in kitchens in the next 10 years





6. If stuck on a desert isle and could have one meal from then on out what would it be?


NY style pizza, the real shit


7. Is someone asked you for two Colorado restaurants to try other than your own what would you suggest?

New Saigon and Beatrice & Woodsley, he is doing some real nice stuff down there







8. How about one restaurant any where in the world?



El Bulli or the Fat Duck





9. Would you be willing to share a recipe with us? Chef Kleiman runs a blog at www.food102.blogspot.com and you can find many a recipe there! One thing I was curious about was how the Balsamic caviar was made we had that evening he explained it was made by The caviar is made by mixing balsamic vinegar with water and alginate

In a separate container I add calcium chloride to water.

We the put the alginate/balsamic mixture in a squeeze bottle.

We then slowly squeeze small balls into the calcium chloride

After 4 minutes of “cooking” we remove them and rinse with water

We then marinate the caviar in balsamic syrup to get the full flavor



10. Why did you decide to start using molecular gastronomy in your cooking?

I was tired of conventional cooking methods. A lot of cooks that are my age burn out and move onto another career. I love to cook and wanted to find other avenues to keep me interested. As a chef I am a teacher too. If I am not excited about what I do, how do I aspect my cooks to have any passion. These ingredients and techniques have brought the fun back to my kitchen


11. How has it been recieved in Colorado so far.
Molecular cooking has been received very well. We have guest that come from all over the Western United States to try some of our food. Cooking in Colorado my whole life has given me the ability to tell what will sell. As long as my guests are comfortable with the ingredients, they will be willing to try new techniques.


As always thanks for stopping by if have any questions or comments feel free to drop us a line at jonathan or barb @milehigheater.com.




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A talk with Terroir's chef Tim Payne

Hi all

We had a chance to ask a few questions to Tim Payne chef at Longmonts Terroir restaurant. If interested in our previous post of our meal here it is located at our post




1. What attracted you to cooking?

I simply love food. The whole cycle of it, from ordering and menu planning to prep to the finished product, plus since we use so many small farmers we stay connected with the supplier side. It is very satifying.

2. What is the philosophy behind your cooking, or in your kitchen?

Make everything from scratch, let the ingredient shine and utilize all of the culinary influences within America when making menu changes. Our kitchen is one of respect, it is a small team and we work very closely together, and everyone brings good experience to the table when executing our ever changing menu.



3. What is the biggest influence on the way you cook?

What fresh, local and if not local, small farm organic ingredients are available. The seasons are very important too.

4. Is there a chef living today you would like to work with?

Melissa Kelly (Primo Restaurant in Maine) on the east cost, Frank Stitt down south ( Highland Bar and Grill in Birmingham, Alabama), Judy Rodgers (Zuni Cafe) out west, or Hugo Matheson at the Kitchen in Boulder

5. Is there a particular ingredient you like to cook with more than others?

I love fresh pasta in all of its forms, from filled pasta such as agnolotti to fresh cut pasta like fettucini to gnocchi. We will always utilize these in our menu. I love seafood as an individual ingredient though particularly scallops.

6. If stuck on a desert isle and could have one meal from then on out what would it be?

Gnocchi, followed by an arugula salad, followed by seared scallops, followed by braised short ribs followed by sorbet. I would always be full.

7. Is someone asked you for two Colorado restaurants to try other than your own what would you suggest?

Aji in Boulder is one of our favorites and I would tell them to go to the Rioja in Denver.

8. How about one restaurant any where in the world?

The French Laundry of course. Other than that Restaurant Daniel or Blue Hill in New York City or The Zuni Cafe in San Francisco.

9. Would you be willing to share a recipe with us?

Gnocci


4 large potatoes (russet preferably)
2 eggs
2 cups of flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon chopped thyme and parsley

Bake the potatoes at 450 until soft. Remove the potatoes, slice open and pass through a food mill or potato ricer onto a clean work surface lightly dusted with all purpose flour. Allow steam to die down from the warm potatoes. Make a well in the center and place 1/4 cup of flour in the middle then crack both eggs and place in the middle. Place 1/2 cup more of the flour, the herbs and salt and pepper on top of the potatoes. With a pastry knife or spatula chop the the mixture until it is mixed and resembles pebbles, bring the mixture to a ball and place 1/2 cup more of the flour and gently fold (do not knead) just until the flour is incorporated. If the dough is tacky or sticky place 1 tablespoon more of the flour and repeat the process until it is not tacky or sticky. Let the dough rest for five minutes then divide the dough into 5 balls. Take each ball and gently roll out into a snake approximately 1/2 inch wide the slice the snake into 1/2 inch pieces and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and set aside. Once all of the dough is rolled out the gnocchi can be frozen immediately or placed into lightly boiling salted water. Once the gnocchi float then can be strained out and incorporated into whatever sauté or sauce you choose. We change our ingredients seasonally and it generally consists of a vegetable that can be sautéed immediately without prior cooking (such as sugar snap peas or mushrooms) or a heartier vegetable such as butternut squash that we parboil until al dente that is lightly sautéed with garlic then deglazed with vegetable stock, seasoned, mounted with a small dab of butter, fresh herbs then the gnocchi is added and once plated finished with fresh grated cheese. If you do freeze the gnocchi, once the gnocchi are frozen individually the can be collected and stored in an airtight container for as long as a month. Cook the frozen gnocchi from this state, do not thaw then cook the gnocchi.





As always thanks for coming by our Colorado food blog and if have any questions or comments please let us know at jonathan@milehigheater.com or barb@milehigheater.com.
And if you happen to check out any of the restaurants we have mentioned let them know you heard about them from our blog!

Jonathan and Barb



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A talk with Beatrice and Woodsley Chef Pete List.. and a great recipe he gave us.

Hi all

About a month or so ago we had the chance to sit down for a fantastic meal at Beatrice and Woodsley(www.beatriceandwoodsley.com)and recently asked the Executive Chef Pete List if he would have the time to talk to us a little about what drives his cooking. You can find our review of Beatrice and Woodsley at (http://milehigheater.blogspot.com/search?q=In+the+woods)
and here are the questions and his answers. The recipe he shared with us is at the very end.
Here is a picture of Chef List.




1. What attracted you to cooking?

Food has always been important in my life, and I found that I have a desire to create and produce good food. It makes me happy and hopefully the people I cook for as well.



2. What is the philosophy behind your cooking, or in your kitchen?

Keep it simple, if you have good ingredients, let them speak for themselves. I try not to mess with the natural flavors that make fresh food so good to begin with, only to enhance the experience.



3. What is the biggest influence on the way you cook?

I am a very seasonal cook, using products in the peak of freshness, the height of quality.



4. Is there a chef living today you would like to work with?

Yes, Thomas Keller from the french laundry and Grant Achutz from alinea in Chicago.



5. Is there a particular ingredient you like to cook with more than others?

Currently pork is the thing for me, a good well treated pig may well hold the most potential for creativity (if only they had eggs!)....... If you go out to Beatrice and Woodsley and the pork belly is on the menu TRY IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!



6. If stuck on a desert isle and could have one meal from then on out what would it be?

A sandwich. Just kidding, Give me a good pad thai or a curry and I am a happy guy.



7. Is someone asked you for two Colorado restaurants to try other than your own what would you suggest?

This is a tough one for me to answer because since moving back from Chicago, I have not had a chance to eat around much. I would ask you the same question, where should I try? .... Currently our favorites are Luca D'Italia in Denver and the Black Cat in Boulder



8. How about one restaurant any where in the world? Restaurant Paul Bocuse in Lyon France. The epitome of classic french cuisine.

9. Would you be willing to share a recipe with us ?
yes:


Curried lamb, pearl cous cous salad.

The Lamb:
2# lamb stew meat or shoulder cut into 1/2 inch cubes (you want some fat attached)
1 med yellow onion diced
2-3 cloves of garlic crushed and chopped
2 med carrots diced
3 small potatoes diced
1-2 hot chili peppers seeded and chopped
2tbl madras curry powder
1tsp cayenne
2tsp cinnamon
1tbl toasted, ground coriander
1tsp cumin
3tbl kosher salt
1tbl freshly ground pepper
1/3c flour
1/2 bottle cream sherry
1/8 c ea. golden raisins, dried fig and apricot (small dice)
2qt water

season the lamb with the dry spices, coating completely. Let sit out at room temp for 30-45 minutes. get a 6qt pot on medium to high heat add olive oil and a tbl of butter, toss the lamb in the flour to coat, add to the pan carefully it may splatter. Brown the lamb in the pan to form a crust, add the vegetables and saute to get a little color on them. Add the dried fruit and deglaze with the sherry. Reduce the sherry by 2/3 and add the water. Cover and simmer slowly for an hour or so. The cooking liquid should be at a sauce consistency and the lamb fork tender.

The cous cous:
1/2 red onion or 2 shallots small dice
1 clove garlic chopped
1/8c ea dried golden fig, currants and apricot
2c pearl cous cous
1c white wine
3c water
s/p/s tt

In a tbl ea. olive oil and butter, saute the onions and garlic, add the fruit and sweat. Deglaze with the wine and reduce by 1/2, add the water, salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring often to avoid sticking to the pan. When the liquid is absorbed, cool on a pan or platter. When the cous cous is cool, toss with a good olive oil, lemon juice and fresh chives.

To serve:
arrange the cous cous on a platter with a well in the center for the lamb, put the hot lamb in the center of the plate and garnish with baby arugula, yogurt, mint and lime zest. serve with warm flat bread.


That recipe sounds great we will have to try it soon and when we do I will put up our attempt on the blog. I want to thank Chef List and Kevin Delk for all the time they gave to us for this and hopefully when you get a chance you will stop by this great restaurant.

Thanks as always for stopping by and if you have any questions or comments we would love to hear from you.

Jonathan and Barb

Going Green With Black Cat chef Eric Skokan

Going Green with Eric Skokan of the Black Cat
a interview with Eric Skokan


Hi all,


We were fortunate enough to be invited out to meet Chef Eric Skokan of the Black Cat in Boulder and spend some time talking with him about his cooking and his garden. For those of you that don’t know, in the summer 80% of the produce used in the meals at the Black Cat come from Chef Eric’s garden and even in the winter you can expect something on your plate to have come from there, which is a pretty darn cool thing in this age of shipping in everything from hundreds of miles away.

When I first walked up, Chef Skokan was busy tending his garden, with his son Avery following around. As we talked and walked around, Chef Eric would pick a little something here and there for all of us to try, such as pole beans, pepper cress and a couple bright red strawberries, which his son was very happy to see. And to be completely honest, so was I as it was very sweet and juicy. After a little while his wife and older son came around the corner from picking some fresh grapes, which I also got to sample. The dark ones had a taste that was just out of this world and the lucky chickens in the back yard were busy having a field day with some of them that they had dropped inside the pen.


Chef Skokan


The front garden and Avery

Inside the chicken coop, which he tends to move around the yard a bit to even out the use of the land he has, there are enough chickens to hopefully provide all the eggs for the restaurant. There are even 2 quails that he uses just for the eggs. He mentioned that one thing he really liked about raising the chickens is the circle they formed with the restaurant. He brings scraps form the kitchen back to feed the chickens who in turn lay eggs for the restaurant and of course do what chickens do on the ground, which is composted up with other items and then is used to fertilize the garden which grows the food that will end up being scraps for their food!











I asked Chef Skokan a few questions which I will list below with his answers.

1. What attracted you to cooking?

When I asked him this question he told me he had always been interested in gardening and cooking from a young age and it was just following his love that lead him into it. But, after talking to him for a bit, another story came out that I would like to share here. At 22 years of age he was in school to become a lawyer and as time went on he found himself really not liking going to school but really loving going to work at the restaurant job he had at the time and finally decided that it was more important to do what he loved and since then has been in the fortunate position to be able to go to a job he loves ever since. And let me tell you, you can taste that love of cooking and the love of gardening in every bite of the food you have at the Black Cat.


2. What is the philosophy behind your cooking, or in your kitchen?

Cooking is all about taking care of people and that comes first. I don’t do tall food that is beautiful to look at but darn near impossible to figure how to eat and I think that bringing in the produce from my garden and reducing the waste we produce also is a way of taking care of people.

3. What is the biggest influence on the way you cook?

What is in season! As the year goes on I try to spotlight the things that are in season on my dishes. For example, peaches. I only use peaches a few months a year and then you won’t see them again for months and months. But, that first sweet piece that comes back into the kitchen makes that meal even more special. Another large influence is the person he trained under and in particular an incident that happened where he had, to put it bluntly, screwed up a parsnip soup. He went to the chef and said he thought he could fix it by adding more heavy cream and butter. He was told not to. When he asked why, he was told that it is the easy way out and anyone can make something taste better by dumping in cream, but a great chef can do it without. He took this to heart and to this day in his cooking he finishes the cooking process with cream and butter when it is needed, and does not begin with them so the dish can stand on its own with out them and just explode when he does add it at the end.


Second garden

4. Is there a chef living today you would like to work with?

Jean George Vongerichten. Because he has done so much innovative work with French cuisine and getting away from the heavy cream and butter.

5. Is there a particular ingredient you like to cook with more than others?

Every first item that comes, the first tomato, the first bean, but even more the first fresh wild herbs that pop up in the spring because that just gives the feel that we have made it through the winter and the spring and summer is coming with its bounty of flavors.

6. If stuck on a desert isle and you could have only one thing to eat fort he rest of your life what would it be.

Eric went back and forth between good bread and a good risotto and finally decided on the risotto.

7. What 2 restaurants would you suggest to visit besides your own in Colorado?

Frasca Food and Wine (www.frascafoodandwine.com) which he credits with being one of the best restaurants as far as service goes in Colorado and secondly Pupusas Sabor Hispano also in Boulder which serves Salvadoran and Mexican fare which he says is heads and tails above all its competition!

8. What do you do for produce in the winter months?

To this he quickly answered, lament! But he does manage to get produce as late as December from his outside garden and he does some small things inside his garage with grow lights year round.

9. Why did you decide to provide produce from your garden and why not just hire a local farmer to do it for you?

To answer the first question, he used to chef at another Colorado restaurant and seeing it be a “factory” with three or more pallets of food shipped in everyday and a pallet of flattened boxes going out and all the other waste and that was the driving force for his producing his own garden as well as his love for gardening. For the second question he says he is a very hands on person and loves gardening almost as much as he loves cooking and doing the garden lets him experiment and see what works here in Colorado and what does not, as well as to play with those ingredients in different meals to see what flavors he can come up with.


10. You have a vegan and vegetarian tasting menu. What kind of challenges does that bring?

With most restaurants it would be a real problem but with the way I cook almost all my meals start out as vegetarian and I don’t add such items as cream or butter or even the meat items till later, so it is very easy for me to have a great tasting vegan/vegetarian tasting.


11. Would you be willing to share a recipe with us?

Of course! After you come by and eat at the restaurant, let me know which dish you liked the most and I will share the recipe.

12. What do you see for yourself in the future?

I have leased a 10 acre plot for gardening starting next year and am going to bury a storage trailer out there as well to use as cold storage. Hopefully using this and the extra land I will be able to provide more and more produce for the restaurant later and later into the year.


We strolled around a bit more and talked food and dining and about Colorado and then I took my leave knowing he had a full day in front of him. How he manages to run that garden and his kitchen and provide such high quality food, I have no idea, but I am glad we have him. He did mention something about his tasting menu. If you have read my posting about the Black Cat previously you will know that Barb and I came out of that meal stuffed to the gills and he told me the reason. The reason he puts so much food out there for a tasting menu is because two times in the past few years he had people say that they were still hungry after the meal. To him that is a crime, so he wants to make sure that no one ever feels they have to go eat somewhere else after they finish a meal at his restaurant.

One of the final things I asked Chef Skokan about was the name of his restaurant. Originally it was to be named flying saucers (picture a chef tossing saucers around), but they had so many problems with construction that one day while Eric was commenting to his wife that maybe it was a bad idea to open up a place on 13th street and it was commented that this place may be a "black cat" and the name stuck.




I am going to break this into 2 parts. The second part will include our experiences and pictures from our recent meal there and the recipe from Chef Skokan. One last thing I would like to pass on is that in December, the Black Cat is going to have a 4course tasting menu where everything on it will have been raised within a hundred mile radius!


Thanks again for coming by and if you have any questions or comments please let us know, we would be happy to hear from you.

Barb and Jonathan