2009-09-29 - Taste of Fall - BC Liquor Stores
By: Kasey Wilson
Set Up Your Kitchen Like An Iron Chef
Tips and Tricks from Rob Feenie
Rob Feenie’s interest in cuisine began during a high of 20, he attended Dubrulle Culinary Institute in his native Vancouver, which led to engagements at some of BC’s top restaurants, including Le Crocodile in Vancouver and the Rimrock Café in Whistler. Rob has cooked across North America with chefs such as Charlie Trotter, Daniel Boulud and Jean-Georges Vongerichten. In 1995, he founded Lumière and received accolades from notable food critics around the world. In 2002, Feenie opened the Lumière Tasting Bar and in 2004 opened a bistro, Feenie’s. He has published three cookbooks, starred in “New Classics with Rob Feenie” on Food Network Canada and in 2005 was the first Canadian to win on “Iron Chef America,” defeating Chef Masaharu Morimoto in a battle involving crab as the theme ingredient. In 2008, Feenie joined the award-winning Cactus Club Café as Food Concept Architect.
Having only an hour or so of Rob Feenie’s time, we were anxious to get his input on tips, tricks, tools and techniques to assist you in your own home culinary battles.
Do you buy cooking magazines?
RF: All the time. My favourites are Gourmet, Bon Appetit and Food & Wine but I read all of them, always the feature stories. Food Arts is a food trade publication but my wife has tried a couple of recipes and they work. Food Arts covers new chefs and what’s hot around the world. I also read wine magazines, especially Wine Spectator and Wine Access.
What reference books do you recommend to home cooks?
RF: I always carry a copy of the Food Lover’s Companion with me – it’s a reference for ingredients and one you should have in your cookbook library. For in-depth information, I refer to The Oxford Companion to Food.
Anything high-tech in your kitchen?
RF: It’s worth spending the money to buy a KitchenAid stand mixer. I always know someone is serious about cooking if I see one on their counter. It makes everything from bread dough to sausages. A high speed blender with a bigger motor than the standard blender is very good for making quick soups. And a Cuisinart. We also have a Pro Juicer. It’s great for the kids.
What are your “must-have tools”?
RF: An oven thermometer. And everyone should have a microplane zester in their kitchen for lemon, ginger and hard cheeses.
Do you have a favourite appliance?
RF: A good espresso machine. I have two in my kitchen. What do you think are the most important ingredients in your home kitchen?
RF: Salt and pepper but not iodized salt.I haven’t used it in fifteen or sixteen years – it has a chemical aftertaste. I use sea salt, Maldon and kosher salt for curing. I only use freshly ground pepper so I have three grinders – one coarser than the other and one just for white pepper. I also think olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, fresh herbs and spices you are comfortable with are must-haves.
What are your favourite ethnic ingredients?
RF: We like spicy dishes, so there’s always red and green Thai curry paste (from South China Seas), garam masala and coconut milk on hand for a quick lamb stew. Also chili flakes. I grew up with Japanese neighbours who introduced me to mirin, Japanese soy and rice wine vinegar and they have become staples in my cooking.
What’s your favourite dish to prepare at home?
RF: When I’m home, we like a simple comforting meal. Roasting a chicken is easy and fills the kitchen with a wonderful aroma. I take a big roasting pan, toss vegetables with oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and then throw them around the bird. I really like the stronger flavour of the free-range chickens we get at The Butcher on 10th Avenue. We always make soup with the carcass.
What should we look for when purchasing cookware? Do you like carbon, aluminum or stainless steel?
RF: Stainless steel. Anything by All-Clad is amazing and guaranteed for life. It’s expensive but worth spending the extra money. You can buy it piece by piece. You’ll want a good sauté pan – 12 inches to 18 inches, a 4-litre soup pot and a smaller pot for sauces.
Do you have a favourite junk food?
RF: Pizza and burgers. We make pizza from scratch at home – the kids really enjoy it. My guilty pleasures are licorice nibs, sour jujubes and good chocolate.
What are your five top tips for serious home chefs?
RF:
1. It’s important to blanch vegetables. The vegetables will turn a brilliant colour and keep their crunch.
Blanching is simply parboiling vegetables (or herbs), then cooling them as quickly as possible in an ice bath.
2. Learn to sear properly. The objective is to seal in the meat’s juices. Invest in stainless steel cookware and learn how to
moderate heat.
3. Although there are knives for different purposes in a professional kitchen, you end up using one knife 75 percent of the time. For me, it’s my Kasumi or my Mac sushi knives. Like hockey skates, they’re better and faster when sharp. Sharper knives are safer than dull ones; bigger knives are safer than smaller ones. Use a pinch grip by placing your thumb on the part of the blade just in front of the handle on the flat surface of the blade. Your forefinger grips the other side, like you’re pinching the knife blade near the handle. The other three fingertips will rest comfortable on the handle. (Your palm should not be touching the handle.)
4. Don’t forget to clean up after yourself as you progress with your cooking. If you’re in a mess, you become flustered. Be patient.
5. One of the things I always tell my friends is to have fun with food and keep it simple. You do not have to be complicated as a chef to be great. Focus on the product. It’s all familystyle with guests serving themselves when we entertain at home.