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.

New Food Network Show featuring Colorado Chef

Beginning Friday, September 24th, the Food Network Channel will be debuting a new show featuring Colorado chef Rahm Fama. The show is called "Meat and Potatoes" and features Chef Fama where he travels the country devouring delicious meats and their complementary side dishes dishing out the details to viewers along the way.

Chef Fama has culinary roots in Vail and Colorado Springs.

We'll be checking it out and Chef Fama will be answering a few of our questions at a later date.

Barb & Jonathan

Restaurant Events and Food Festivals Sept 13-Oct 10, 2010

Sept 13-Oct 10 Food Happenings

Hi all,
Summer is just about over and the food and wine festivals are slowing down, but below we have listed what’s going on in Colorado from September 13th to October 10th.

Restaurant events:

Terroir in Longmont www.terroir-restaurant.com
Terroir "Uprooted" Farm Dinner
at Sol y Sombra Farm
in Hygiene, Colorado
Celebrating the Arrival of Fall with Breadbasket Italian Wines
Sunday, September 19 at 5 p.m.

Passed Hors d'Oeuvres (paired with the Pederzano Lambrusco):
- Grilled flatbread pizzas with anchovy
- Crostini with house-made duck prosciutto and aged gouda
- Bear Mountain bison carpaccio and herb pesto bruschetta

Course 1:
Salad of grilled mushrooms with roasted carrots, greens, truffle oil, and lemon paired with the Cataldi Madonna Cerasuolo

Course 2:
Roasted Jodar Farm cornish game hen served over ratatouille with green tomato chutney paired with the La Salette Valpolicella

Course 3:
Braised Fox Fire Farm lamb shank with crispy polenta, caponata, and gremolata paired with the Terredora Aglianico

Course 4:
Sweet potato tart with coconut streusel and cinnamon creme anglaise paired with the Marenco Moscato d'Asti

After Dinner:
Amaro Montenegro digestive

Join Allison Edwards at her picturesque two acre farm as we celebrate the arrival of fall and the bounty of this past summer. This will be our last Terroir "Uprooted" Farm Dinner of the season. Tickets for this rain or shine, al fresco, event are $65 excluding tax and gratuity.

Community Beer Social
featuring the beers of Lagunitas Brewing Company
of Petaluma, California
Wednesday, September 15 at 6:30 p.m.

MENU TBD

Tickets for the dinner are $25 excluding tax and gratuity. Community beer dinners are offered monthly at Terroir on the third Wednesday of the month. Seating is community style and is limited to 15 guests.

"Meet the Winemaker" Dinner
featuring the winemaker of Altocedro Wines
Tuesday, September 21 at 6:30 p.m.

MENU TBD

"Meet the Winemaker" Dinners are offered once monthly at Terroir and provide the unique and intimate experience of having dinner with a visiting winemaker. Dinners are always five courses with four wine pairings and the cost is $45 per person excluding tax and gratuity. Seating is community style and is limited to 15 guests.

Cooking classes are offered at Terroir each Saturday morning from 9 a.m. until noon. Classes are taught by Executive Chef Tim Payne and are limited to four students, thereby providing a hands-on experience for all. Classes cost $65 including all supplies, lunch, and a $10 gift certificate to Terroir. For a complete listing of scheduled classes, please call Melissa at 303.651.0630

Also at Terroir a new happy hour.

New Happy Hour Menu

When: Monday through Saturday at the bar from 4:00-6:30 p.m.

Where: 246 Main Street, Longmont, Colorado, 80501

Cost: $3-$7 with all wines by the glass and beers on draft at ½ price.



Menu:





Bar Menu



Stuffed New Potatoes. Haystack goat cheese stuffed new potatoes served with poblano pepper romesco sauce 5



Ahi Poke. Marinated yellowfin tuna served on crispy wonton chips 7



Lamb Meatballs. Fox Fire Farm lamb meatballs served in spicy tomato sauce 7



Tostones with Black Bean Dip. Plaintain chips served with bean dip 3



Baked Gnocchi. House-made gnocchi served baked with garlic and Parmigiano Reggiano 5



Falafel. Black bean falafel served with tomato vinaigrette 3






Restaurant Kelly Liken events: http://www.kellyliken.com/events






September 16-18, 2010 Great American Beer FestivalDenver, ColoradoAmerica's greatest beer celebration: 46,000 + attendees, 1,900 beers, in days.
September 16-19, 2010 Annual Colorado Mountain WinefestPalisade, ColoradoThis is Colorado's oldest and largest wine festival. Offering four days of fun, it features more than four dozen wineries, great music, food, chef demos, bike rides and golf amid fall colors in scenic wine country.
Irish Single Malt TastingFriday, September 17: 6:30 p.m.

“Half-way to St. Patty’s Day Irish Whiskey Tasting”Raise your glass with Professional Celtic Entertainer Scott Beach as he delves into the hidden Single Malt Whiskeys of Ireland– the country that invented whiskey! Find out the difference between Irish and Scotch Whiskeys, enjoy Irish tunes on the different styles of bagpipes, and celebrate your love of the Emerald Isle with rare and unique Irish Single Malt – not your typically Jamison or Bushmills! Reservations: $65.00 includes Castle Tour, Irish Supper Buffet, Cash Bar, Whiskey Presentation, Dessert & Coffee Reception with the Presenter.
http://www.cherokeeranch.org/index.html?lsm=1_1

September 17-19, 2010 17th Annual Telluride Blues & Brews FestivalTelluride, ColoradoThe festival is a three-day celebration of music and microbrews, held in Telluride Town Park, an outdoor music venue with breathtaking mountains for a backdrop.
2010 Great American Dine Outis September 19-25, 2010
http://strength.org/apps/dineout/index.php/Google/DisplayMap
09/17 - 09/26, 2010 - Oktoberfest DenverDenver, ColoradoLocation: Ballpark NeighborhoodContact Phone: (720) 255‑5475Website: www.oktoberfestdenver.com

September 18, 2010 Lake City Uncorked Wine & Music FestivalLake City, ColoradoGood food, good wine, good music under the fall aspen leaves in historic Lake City, Colorado -- featuring six regional bands. Variety of wines for tasting; SKA Brewing beer booth; unique food & artisan vendors.


Date
Start
End
Location

Event Registration
21 Sep 2010
6:00 PM
9:00 PM
The Broadmoor - Charles Court Restaurant 1 Lake Avenue Colorado Springs, CO 80906


The BROADMOOR's culinary team is proud to announce the Fifth Annual "Taste of the BROADMOOR" Benefit Dinner to be held September 21, 2010, at Charles Court restaurant.
Benefiting The Broadmoor's Culinary Apprenticeship Program and the Colorado Restaurant Association's ProStart Program, the five-course dinner is a celebration of the culinary industry and the next generation of great chefs. The evening will feature epicurean creations by star-studded line-up that includes The Broadmoor's Executive Chef Siegfried "Sigi" Eisenberger, Summit's Chef Bertrand Bouquin, Penrose Room's Chef Justin Miller, Charles Court's Chef Greg Barnhill, and Executive Restaurant Pastry Chef Rémy Fünfrock. Wine Director Tim Baldwin will pair all courses exquisitely with Old and New World wines.
Cost for the dinner is $150.00 per person and includes the welcome reception and wine pairings. Tickets can be purchased by calling Dining Reservations at 719.577.5733. The evening begins with a reception at 6:00 p.m. Dinner to follow at 6:30 p.m

September 22nd Westwords Dish
http://microapp.westword.com/dish/2010/


Taste of Greenwood Village
October 1st Hush’s adventures in dining go on sale.(http://www.hushdenver.com/)

10/02 - 10/03, 2010 - Cider Days Harvest Festival Lakewood, ColoradoLocation: Lakewood's Heritage CenterContact Phone: (303) 987‑7859Website: http://www.lakewood.org/
10/02 - 10/03, 2010 - Applefest Cedaredge, ColoradoLocation: Cedaredge Town ParkContact Phone: (970) 856‑6961Website: n/a

Local Flavors: Cooking and Eating from America’s Farmers Markets with Deborah Madison When: Thursday October 7 2010, 6:00 (tasting), 7:00 (speaker)Where: Denver Botanic Gardens, 1005 York Street Denver 80205Cost: $20 (Slow Food and DBG members), $25 (non-members), $10 (students, with valid id)
This is the seventh and final lecture in the 2010 Bonfils-Stanton series: The Feast in the Garden, Edible Landscapes and Regional Food Traditions. Slow Food will host a tasting prior to each lecture, highlighting tastes related to the speaker's work and featuring Colorado products.
Deborah Madison, founding chef of Greens Restaurant in San Francisco, is a cook, writer and cooking teacher with an emphasis on seasonal produce, and heritage fruit and vegetable varieties. She has authored many award-winning cookbooks, including “The Greens Cook- book” and “Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone.” Her writing reveals the deeper culture of food through recipes and profiles of farmers, ranchers, producers and cooks. She writes for magazines such as Gourmet, Saveur, Orion and the blog Culinate.com, is on the board of the Seed Savers Exchange and has been involved with Slow Food for more than a decade. She is currently co-director of the Monte del Sol Edible Kitchen Garden in Santa Fe.
Slow Food members and students, please call DBG to reserve with a special rate: 720.865.3580. To learn more about the entire series or reserve online (DBG members and non-members), click here.


Tickets go on sale October 7th for the celebrity chef tour http://www.celebritycheftour.com/

Thanks for stopping by our restaurant and food review and blog. If you have any questions or comments feel free to leave them here or email us at jonathan or barbara @milehigheater.com

Hushs adventures in dining

This was just sent our way from the people at hush ( www.hushdenver.com) and thought we would pass it along to you sounds very exciting.

We are getting excited,are you?Hush would like to warmly welcome you to our new series "Adventures in Dining". We have received an overwhelming response to this new experience and could not help but share our excitement with you, our future guests. The team at Hush is busy furnishing our new digs, lining up top culinary talent, and truthfully...getting giddy as school children envisioning the look on your faces when you see what's in store. Think of this as a remote restaurant with rooms, a gourmet adventure, an intimate experience that you will never forget. Dates will be announced October 1 and available on a first come first served basis. In case you missed it, overview of experience is outlined below.Saturday, 8:00am- You awake like a ten year old on Christmas morning (only more hungry) bags packed and ready to go. But where?11:00am- You drop kids/pets/jealous friends off at the babysitter/friends house/nearby bar and make your way to the meeting location.2:00pm- You arrive at pre-disclosed meeting spot somewhere in the front range. You agree never to disclose the location you are headed to anyone, only stories.3:00pm- You arrive at breathtaking Hush mountain retreat and check into your private room complete with Egyptian cotton linens and jacuzzi tub.4:00pm- You join other guests in great room for wine and hors d' oeuvres.5:00pm- The cooking begins in our open kitchen where you participate along side our featured chef (or not) in the preparation of your 5-6 course dinner event.10:00pm- You stumble back to your room in a food coma for a night cap and bubble bath...Sunday 9:00am- You awake to the smell of french press coffee and jaw dropping views outside your private deck.9:30am- You join guests in our upstairs breakfast area for a gourmet breakfast.11:00am- You join featured chef in our open kitchen for a cooking class/demo on topic of chef's choice. Lite lunch included.1:00pm- You depart with changed mind, body, and belly telling only stories about your experience.Home in time to watch Sunday night HBO/Football.
Tickets on sale October 1 2010An email will be sent to this list only for first 48 hours, then opened up to entire Hush list.Each experience limited to 6 rooms based on double occupancy (price the same if room is only occupied by one guest) Dates beginning the last weekend in October.

Kelly Liken on Top Chef

We just wanted to say "Great Job" to Kelly Liken on Top Chef. Although Kelly was eliminated last night, she did a phenomenal job on the show by showing her skills as a chef. We were saddened to see her go, but know that many great things will be coming her way because of the experience of being on Top Chef.

If you get a chance, go to her restaurant in Vail and taste for yourself. Check out the website here: http://www.kellyliken.com/

Barb & Jonathan

Lets "Dish"

Let’s “Dish”!

We discovered a unique surprise during our recent visit to the Vail area. Located in our hotel room, was a guide to local restaurants and this one stood out for us, so we had to give it a try. It’s actually located in Edwards, which is about 4 exits west of Vail.

The building that Dish is located in, is unique it itself. Its uniqueness intrigued us and we were not disappointed.

We got to the restaurant a little early, so we sat at the bar and had their signature drink, the Greyhound. The Greyhound is vodka and grapefruit juice. We watched as the bartender mixed our drink in front of us, juicing the grapefruit before our eyes. Now, neither one of us is big drinkers, but we both said that this was a drink we’d have over and over again. Ok, Barb said she could have it again, and I went yum. If you are there you need to try this drink along with their evil truffle popcorn. I almost said the heck with the meal and just sat there drinking greyhounds and snacking on the popcorn. I am afraid I may be ruined for all other popcorn forever.

Don’t let it fool you, this is no normal popcorn. Eat it at your own risk, popcorn may never be the same. Barb was not as enthralled with the popcorn as I but her pop corn savvy is not as finely honed as mine .

Here are a few pictures of the restaurant.



Jenna in her kitchen talking to a customer.



The Meal
Dish serves “tapas”, which are small plates which are great for everyone getting something different and sharing between you which makes for a great meal and great conversation. We decided to go with the six course chef’s tasting menu.

The first thing out was the “the Original”, which was shaved Spanish Serrano ham, a sliver of artisan manchego, and a splash of alvear dry sherry.

What you do is wrap up the manchego cheese in the Serrano ham and dip it in the sherry. Afterwards, you can drink the rest of the sherry. This is based on a Spanish tradition.

She said: The Original was good, but it didn’t stand out for me at all. The cheese was delicious, the ham was a little chewy for me, but the flavors were good.

He said: I found this pretty cool, nothing outstanding but tasty and a good start to the meal and the meals conversation, and really when is it a bad thing to get a little bit of sherry!

The second starter was a creamy roasted red beet and ginger soup, with Indian curried yoghurt.
She said: The soup was the standout for me. It was delicious. The smell was incredible, and the color of it was gorgeous. The soup was thick and creamy. The yoghurt mixed in created a smooth taste of hot and cool.

He said: When it was coming towards the table and before the waitress started describing it, we both kind of thought it was some sort of sorbet or perhaps a berry based cold soup and I was looking forward to it just based on appearance.

Then she started the description and as soon as she said beets I was "woahh, wait a minute - beets, do I have to?" Probably like a lot of folks the only beets I was really exposed to early on in life were those canned beets that seem to just flop out of the can and sit there on the plate and dare you to touch it, so needless to say I am not a huge beet fan even if some experiences as of late have been proving me wrong.

Well, this is another instance of my initial thought being proved wrong. This hot soup was rich with a great taste. The yoghurt gave a little cooling effect and the mingling of spices from it and the soup made me really take notice. As you ate it, you kind of had a “stick to your ribs” feeling and a little of this soup really made you feel satisfied (of course that could of also been a side effect of me gorging on the popcorn earlier). Beet lover or hater you really, REALLY should give this soup a try.

Our next course was salad. Barb received the Celery salad. It contained celery, black pepper champagne vin, brown butter croutons and artisan goat gouda.

Jonathan was served rocket greens, local greens, chickpeas, chives, and madras curry vinaigrette.

She said: My salad was awesome! Who would have thought that celery could taste so good? Once you got all the ingredients on the fork, the tastes just popped in my mouth. As Jonathan says, “Mmmmmmm”. I couldn’t believe how delicious it was and I cleaned my plate.

He said: Barb really liked her salad and so did I. Now for mine - with the mix of chickpeas and the curry vinaigrette which tasted a bit of cumin and other spices, just did not float my boat. It was one of those things where you know it’s not bad and could see that someone else would probably like it but for me it was kind of "meh".

The next course is seafood. Barb is served yellow fin tuna Hawaiian, sashimi salad, pickled cucumbers, sesame avocadoes and crispy wontons.

Jonathan was served blackened shrimp, chilled, watermelon tomato gazpacho, watercress and avocado vinaigrette.

At this point in the meal, the chef came out to talk to us. We had mentioned at the start of the meal that we were bloggers and that we’d like to copy the menu down for later. The chef, Jenna Johansen mentioned that she wanted to start a blog, so she asked us questions. She was super friendly and very passionate about her food. She was a treat to talk to. Talking with her you could really hear and see the passion she had about her cooking and food in general and it was a genuine pleasure having the time to talk to her.

She said: At first I didn’t like this course, it just didn’t hit me the way the previous courses had. But in most cases with these types of courses, you need to have every component on your fork. Once I did that, the course improved for me.

He said: With Barb's meal, I actually felt different about it. I thought the tuna by itself had a very nice flavor but once I added in the wontons and everything else it seemed to get a bit muddied, not a bad dish by any means but not a standout. I think in reality for me I only like raw tuna in small doses but I really like those small doses. If I can get a small tasting of tuna I am very happy, but when you get a generous serving I think it just becomes too much. I believe a real tuna lover would of gone nuts over this course.

With my dish was just the opposite when you got a bit of everything on your fork it had a great flavor that I really liked but if you had a bite that did not have each and everything on it, the taste really lost ground. It went from very good to just ok. That being said I did enjoy this dish and the taste combinations you just have to make sure you get a bit of everything on your fork.

Next up for Barb was Crispy chicken breast with chilled glass noodles, carrots, napa cabbage and spiced peanut dressing.

Jonathan received Grilled lamb sirloin with Serrano ham and fresh corn vegetable salsa and rancho gordo red quinoa.

She said: Delish! I’ve never had glass noodles before and they are these thin almost see through noodles. The flavors were strong and bold. The peanut dressing was a perfect combination with the chicken and noodles. Again, I cleaned my plate and was feeling very full and sated.

He said: Barb's dish was very good and I felt really happy that she liked it a lot because there is no way at all I was sharing more than a bite of my lamb. It was MMMMMMMM worthy! Perfectly cooked piece of meat that just melted in your mouth and the corn salsa added a bit of crisp sweetness that made it just scream out yumminess. Even though I was getting pretty full at this point I nearly licked this dish clean. Looking over this review again right before we post it and my mouth still starts to salivate thinking about that lamb. Has me thinking it may be worth the trip back up just for the lamb.

Wow, we still have dessert to get through. Jenna decided to give us one extra dessert to try, so we had three desserts! We were served Chocolate Butterscotch pudding with sea salted toffee sauce and cocoa nibs.

Next up was Palisade peach rustic crisp with oatmeal crust and vanilla bean gelato.

Our last dessert was Rocky Road rich chocolate cream pie, with Oreo crust, marshmallow crème and filberts.

She said: At first I thought, pudding. I can make pudding. Well, guess again. That pudding was my favorite dessert of the three. It was so rich and decadent, that I ate two bites of the peaches and went right back to the pudding. The Rocky Road was very rich, almost too much so for me (believe it or not). I think by the time it came out, I was so stuffed that I couldn’t enjoy it as much.

He said: OK, look back at that pudding see that it’s not really whole, well it got sat down and we both pounced and forgot to get a picture! It looked and tasted that good, yum!. The peach rustic crisp was probably my favorite of the three. Fresh peaches from a local Colorado Farm that alone makes it craveworthy but add the crisp and the art of a great chef = YUMMMMMMMM!

The rocky road was so darn rich it almost kills you to eat it but you can’t put your fork down. What a incredible end to a fantastic dinner.


We would recommend “Dish” very highly to anyone visiting the area, or even for a drive up from the Metro area. It was a wonderful surprise that we happened upon and we would go back again.

For me, the casual relaxed atmosphere and the passionate chef will make it a place I crave, and will be returning to in the future to see what else Jenna can come up with.

Jenna also does cooking classes monthly where she closes down the restaurant and shares her passion for cooking with others. Keep an eye on the restaurants website for details and we will try to list them in our blog when we hear about them. http://www.eatdrinkdish.com/

Some pictures of the outside





As always thanks for stopping by our Colorado based restaurant review and food blog. If you have any comments or questions please let us know either here or at Jonathan or Barb @milehigheater.com

A few questions with Chef Kelly Liken

Hi all

After our wonderful meal at restaurant Kelly Liken, we emailed Kelly a few questions about her cooking and even though she is extremely busy these days with everything going on with Top Chef and everything else she took the time out to answer them for us and here they are below.
1. What attracted you to cooking?
The fusion of creativity and science attracted me the most to cooking. Also, there is nothing like the feeling of satisfaction in creating something with your hands, and watching someone enjoy it. It’s the best feeling in the world.

2. What is the philosophy behind your cooking, or in your kitchen?
I cook a simple, yet exciting seasonal American cuisine. I am dependant and supportive of local Colorado farmers, ranchers and artisans. This definitely lends an authenticity and element of education to my cuisine which in turn elevates it into an experience I can provide to my guests, not simply a meal.

3. What is the biggest influence on the way you cook?
Local Vegetables. I take inspiration from the bounty of the harvest. I always start a dish thinking about the produce and their flavor profiles and move into the protein later in the creative process.


4. Is there a chef living today you would like to work with?
There are many chefs living today that I would be honored to work with. Eric Ripert comes to mind, he is a seafood master and I’m sure could teach me volumes. Daniel Humm at Eleven Madison Park creates beautiful dishes with just a hint of molecular gastronomy. His use of modern technique is wonderfully balanced to accentuate the ingredient rather than disquise it. I would love to learn with him as well.

5. Is there a particular ingredient you like to cook with more than others?
I just like to cook. I do love seasonal produce and am inspired by it, so every season I have a new favorite ingredient!

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

7. Is someone asked you for two Colorado restaurants to try other than your own what would you suggest?
Moe’s Original BBQ – Eagle and Vail, CO
Avondale – Avon, CO (In the Westin Riverfront)

8. How about one restaurant anywhere in the world?
Maison Pic – Chef Anne Sophie Pic - Valence, France


9. We read about your involvement with the sowing seeds program, can you tell us a little bit about it and why you think it’s important?
“Sowing Seeds” is a curriculum and enrichment-based schoolyard garden program for children aged K-5 at Brush Creek Elementary School in Eagle, CO. I helped develop this program with the Vail Valley Foundation and our Director, Sandy Story that will emphasize the importance of nutrition, agriculture, and sustainability, as well as provide students with hands-on knowledge of their environment. The edible schoolyard consists of a greenhouse garden, located on the grounds of Brush Creek Elementary, close to our home. The greenhouse encompasses a variety of growing methods for teaching and learning, including a hydroponic system allowing the students to grow and harvest food year-round. Ingredients grown in the Sowing Seeds greenhouse are being integrated into the Brush Creek cafeteria menu. We are instituting a “Scratch Cooking” program at the school for lunch, and have hired a chef to cook. Kids will no longer be eating “heat and serve” nutritionally absent food in the cafeteria. Students are also saving their lunch scraps to add to the composting stations in the greenhouse.
I feel this is so important, because we are helping to take responsibility for a generation of kids who will grow up knowing where their food came from. These kids are learning the importance of health and wellness, and we are combating problems like childhood obesity. They are also learning to take responsibility for their local community and their own education. The lessons in this program are just endless. It’s so exciting to watch a whole new world open up to these kids and know that I am a part of them becoming better adults one day.



As of now Kelly is still in the running to win Top Chef so I want to add good luck Kelly. Thank you all for stopping by our Colorado based food and restaurant review and blog site. If you have any questions or just want to say hi feel free to leave a comment here or email us at jonathan or Barbara @milehigheater.com