 I
never thought I'd cook for a Michelin starred chef, but a few months
ago the opportunity presented itself in the most unexpected form.
The chef in question was Gary Rhodes of Great Britain and the occasion
was the PBS cooking competition, "MasterChef USA," which is hosted
by the witty and engaging Rhodes.
Gary is a
household name in Britain. He has won three Michelin stars, including
one for his restaurant City Rhodes in London. He has hosted five
successful television series including Rhodes Around Britain and
the James Beard award-winning PBS series, Great Food. Gary has published
seven cookbooks and recently launched a weekly magazine based exclusively
on his "New British Classsics" recipes. His style and finesse in
the kitchen has won him countless fans and international appeal.
In 1999 Bon Appetit magazine named Gary "the most electrifying chef
in London." Now that's cooking!
For a humble
cook like me, the ultimate validation of one's abilities in the
kitchen is to have one's food tasted by a Michelin-star chef. Michelin
is not generous with handing out stars - only an elite few chefs
are crowned with this high culinary achievement. It takes literally
years of cooking to get to the point where one is even considered
worthy of judgement by Michelin. One and two star chefs are rare,
three stars is nearly unheard of. That is in the entire world!
Why then,
you might ask, is that something special? In simple terms, it could
be compared to an amateur gym rat playing a game of one-on-one with
Michael Jordan, and dunking the ball over him!
I have always
regarded PBS as the epitome of quality cooking programs on television.
Certainly the new wave of "celebrity chefs" on cable television
have added some "bam entertainment." I call it the "schtick" value.
I can't complain, this new breed of television chefs have brought
food and cooking to millions of Americans. But for a food purist
like me, I prefer the focus to be on food and technique. Julia Child
and James Beard are my guiding lights. As Julia always says at the
end of a program, "I think we all learned a lot today."
"MasterChef
USA" is based on a program of the same name that has run in Great
Britain for over 15 years. The program could be described as a "survivor"
format of reality television - in this case cooking becomes the
test that determines which contestant will "survive" to be named
the best amateur chef in all America.
 It
started one Saturday afternoon last Summer when I caught one of
the MasterChef USA regional cook-off programs on PBS. The menus
on that program were quite creative, yet they seemed to be lacking
in terms of technique and presentation. Could I do better? Maybe.
It certainly would be both challenging and fun - a great opportunity
to share my intense passion for food and cooking with other like-minded
cooks.
The first
step was to submit a written entry for the Northwest region-one
of the nine regions represented in the competition. The extensive
set of rules stated that the entry had to be for "a three-course
menu for two, under $35.00, and two of the courses prepared in two
hours." Each contestant had to submit receipts, precise costs based
on the amount of each ingredient used, and complete recipe descriptions.
My written
entry was one of nine selected for the Northwest regional cook-off
in Seattle in late September.
The nine contestants
were summoned to cook in the kitchens in the culinary arts department
of Seattle Central Community College. Our challenge was to cook
the entrée and dessert from the submitted entry with a time limit
of two hours. Similar regional cook-offs were held in the other
eight regions across the country.
The direction
to "start cooking" is given at precisely 11:00 a.m. Mind you, I
normally cook in a kitchen that measures a mere 6 feet wide by 10
feet deep. Envision 1940's farmhouse. I am overwhelmed by the size
of the kitchen and the intense heat generated by the whirring industrial
gas burners and ovens. Everything is huge, including the pots, bowls
and other assorted gadgets. We certainly are not cooking soup for
500 on this day.
I am most
at ease when I am alone in the kitchen, yet on this day I share
the stove and ovens with another gentlemen who will be preparing
a stuffed game hen and a fruit napoleon for dessert. He immediately
begins buzzing through our shared work area - a frenzy that heightens
the already high level of stress I am feeling.
I lay out
the ingredients of each dish I will be preparing. The order of tasks
has been precisely recorded on what I have dubbed my "script." I
thought it would be the only way I could keep within the allotted
two hours. Alas, my kitchen mate is not so organized. He sets out
on his first dish, maple syrup glazed baby carrots. The poor little
darlings are quickly burned as the sugar in the syrup caramelizes
and the whole lot is chucked into the garbage. Best to finish vegetables
just before plating, nearly two hours from this moment.
My menu was
influenced by the large Asian communities of my native Pacific Northwest;
a first course of "Salt and Pepper Prawns with Chinese Cabbage Slaw
and Sugared Walnuts." Deep-fried prawns coated with a tempura-like
batter, a slaw of Napa cabbage accompanied by toasted walnuts coated
with confectioner's sugar.
The entrée
is "Fragrant Spice Pork with Lichee-Plum Conserve, Baby Bok Choy
and Green Onion Noodles." A nice little tenderloin of pork will
be coated with a mix that includes Szechuan peppercorns, star anise
and cinnamon. The lichee-plum conserve will be a sweet accompaniment
to the bold flavors of the spice-rubbed pork.
For dessert
I will serve "Puff Pastry Stars with Apple Compote and Candied Ginger
Ice Cream." This is not a typical Asian end to a meal, but we Americans
like to end a meal with something sweet and my hope is the candied
ginger will pull into the overall menu theme.
The three
judges are all respected members of Seattle Culinary Circles, Tom
Dillard-Dean of Culinary Arts at Seattle Central Community College,
Laura Dewell of 4-Star Chefs (private chefs who cook for some of
Seattle's richer residents), and Suzanne Schmalzer of Food Ink -
a local food writer. During our cooking the judges remained sequestered
in a room down the hall.
At the end
of the two hours the call goes out to "stop cooking." I have survived
nearly, but not completely, unscathed. The inferno blasting from
the ovens has left a remarkable scar on my right forearm. And silly
me, what was I thinking when I grabbed that hot pan handle without
a cover? I forget to bring the paddle to the ice cream maker-an
essential tool. The ice cream maker is benched in favor of a metal
tray and wooden spoon. I find this action works as well as electricity.
After what
seems like a long period of nervous chit-chat among the contestants,
we are ushered into the meeting room. The names are read-"Joe King,
Kathy Urbano and David Ross!" Eureka, I won. I am now part of a
group of 27 amateur cooks from around the country who will be flown
to Los Angeles in January for taping of the televised regional cook-offs.
One of our
group of 27 will be named the top amateur chef in America.
At that moment
I do not remember what emotions came over me. I am sure it must
have been both exhilaration from the day's events and anticipation
of what would transpire over the course of the coming months.
During the
long drive home I reflected on this grand achievement. I would be
cooking for Gary Rhodes, a Michelin-Star Chef, on PBS television.
A dream that I never imagined would be realized.
So, what was
it like trying to cook in a television studio, and how did I do?
All that in the next installment!
"MasterChef
USA" will begin airing on PBS stations throughout the country beginning
with WNET in New York on Sunday, April 15 and on KQED, San Francisco
on Friday, April 13. Check program schedules at pbs.org
or your local television listings for program air dates and times.
Salt
and Pepper Prawns with Sugared Walnuts
on a bed of Chinese
Cabbage Slaw
Lichee
Plum Conserve
Fragrant Spice Pork
with Green Onion
Noodles and Braised
Baby Bok Choy
Puff
Pastry Stars with Apple Compote and Candied
Ginger Ice Cream
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