(Display Name not set): February 2012 Archives

Chefs aren't exactly the most normal people in the world.  Case in point: Thiago Silva who went from singing at the New York City Opera to baking cakes for the likes of Sofia Vergara and the Knicks' Amare Stoudemire.   

Lately, he's been impressing guests at Catch (myself included) with his creative riffs on classic childhood desserts, like his Peanut Butter Cup Soufflé or Chocolate Brownie Cake with Tres Leches Ice Cream and Bourbon Chocolate Sauce. But what most people aren't familiar with is Silva's gift for creating cakes so beautiful and extravagant they look more like art. In fact, he has aspirations to start his own cake design company someday.  

"If I had to choose [between designing cakes and making plated desserts], I'd choose designing cakes," said, Silva who added that his favorite creation is his rose wine bottle cake. "Cakes are just on another level. Just to see someone's reaction when they see the cake - it's priceless."

When Silva isn't cranking out desserts for Catch, he's combing his Jackson Heights neighborhood for great Latin American food.  "My favorite spot is called Casa del Pollo," Silva tells us. "It probably has the best roasted chicken and ribs that I ever had, not to mention the fried rice."

Single/Married/Divorced?
Married to my high school sweetheart

What did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to become a musician.  Not many people know this about me, but I performed in tons of musicals in high school, I was always in choir and opera workshops. I even got to sing on stage at the New York City Opera House.

What was your first job in food and what did you learn?
My first food-related job was an internship at Fauchon Bakery, a French patisserie, while I was still in high school. That's actually when I saw some crazy cakes being produced. I really wanted to learn that off the bat, but didn't get the chance to. I did, however, learn a lot of basics, like cookie dough, ice creams and sorbets, mousses. The one thing I really learned the hard way is not to dip your finger in hot caramel.

Whom do you consider your culinary mentor?
I always consider my pastry mentor to be Chef Alfred Stephens of [Olives Restaurant]. Right after high school, I really had no experience, so finding a job was tough. After interviewing a couple of places I got nothing, but I guess Chef Al saw some potential in me. He really taught me a lot and was always very tough on me, but I'm glad he was because this is a tough business. I always consider that my pastry education.

You put your own spin on classic desserts such as chocolate brownie cake and tiramisu when crafting the dessert menu for Catch. Why did you decide to go that route instead of opting to create more avant garde desserts?
When coming up with a dessert menu for Catch, I really wanted to make fun and memorable desserts. However, we also had to keep in mind how much volume we would be handling, and none of us thought that it was a place for avant garde desserts, although I love them. For Catch I really wanted to come up with desserts that rrepresented the EMM Group, and that I was really proud of.  One of the things I love is to take a classic and make it your own. When we were talking about the dessert menu for Catch, I found out that our Executive Chef's favorite dessert was tiramisu, and it also just happens to be my favorite, so it fit right in. As for the chocolate brownie cake, I thought "Who doesn't love Chocolate cake and milk?" So I played off of that. To me, there is nothing better then something simple done right.

You're also known for your exquisite cake designs and have even made cakes for celebrities like Amare Stoudemire of the New York Knicks. What skills does every good cake decorator need to develop and how are those skills different from being a plated dessert chef?
You need patience, and lots of it. When doing plated desserts, you have to be fast with production, and try to get things done quickly. When decorating cakes, time just seems to fly. Some things are just so tedious, that no matter how fast you thing your moving, you're not moving fast enough and time is just flying by. There's also a lot more pressure when it comes to making the cakes and they're a lot more expensive than plated desserts. When people spend that kind of money, they expect a great product. I don't want to be the one to disappoint them.

Which do you prefer - designing cakes or crafting plated desserts?
If I have to choose, I'd say designing cakes. Although I love plated desserts, and take a lot of pride in putting out great desserts, cakes are just on another level. Cakes are usually always for a special occasion, and I get to be a part of it. Just to see someone's reaction when they see the cakes, it's priceless. It's funny because a lot of times I get a confused look, until they figure out that it's a cake. It's a great feeling.

What has been your favorite cake creation?
I have to say that it was the Rose Wine Bottle cake that I made for Sofia Vergara's boyfriend. The reason for that is because it has a lot of firsts in it. It was the first cake that I ever sketched, it was my first celebrity cake, it was the first time I made a sugar bottle and it was the first time I did sugar work. So that one is special to me.

Any aspirations to start your own cake design company?
Definitely. It's certainly one of my future goals.

What has been your biggest kitchen flub?
There has been a lot of those. Whenever you're trying to get things done at a fast pace, things happen. The one that really sticks out to me was a cake I had to make for the two of the owners of EMM Group. Everything just went wrong for me, ovens broke, the A/C was not cooperating, I had nowhere to store this huge cake -- not my proudest moment. The cake could have been a lot better. I'll make it up to them.

Is there any dessert that you won't eat?
Don't think so, but I'm not a huge fan of dark chocolate.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
Doing what I love, and lots of it.

What neighborhood do you live in and what are some of your favorite places to dine there?
I live in Jackson Heights. There's a lot of Spanish food. I'm from Brazil, so I'm a fan. My favorite spot is called "Casa del Pollo." It's a Peruvian spot and probably has the best roasted chicken and ribs that I ever had, not to mention the fried rice. It's so good.

You're on your deathbed...Sex or dinner?
I have always said that I want to go out just like my grandpa did -- right after sex.

Catch
Address: 21 9th Ave. nr. 13th St.
Phone: 212-392-5978
www.catchnewyorkcity.com

Sure, Jewish deli food is suddenly in fashion with places, like Mile End, smoking their own meats and baking their own breads.  But Zach Kutsher decided to take it to a whole new level when he opened an upscale Jewish bistro of sorts called Kutsher's in Tribeca. How many restaurateurs would dare add caviar to potato pancakes or use wild halibut to make gefilte fish? 

Kutsher turned nostalgia for his family's Jewish country club in the Catskills (a real-life version of Dirty Dancing's Kellerman's) into a pioneering Jewish-American bistro in Tribeca. New Yorkers can't get enough of his updated Kutsher's, which adds wild mushrooms to knishes, makes their own syrups in house, and transforms chocolate babka into bread pudding. '

But other than running the Children's Dining Room as a youngster at his parents' Kutsher's Country Club, Zach is a relative newcomer to the restaurant business. Up until three years ago, he was a corporate lawyer, until he decided to quit his job and enroll in the Institute of Culinary Education.  "[The career change] was half madness and half wanting to do something culturally significant and personally rewarding," Zach said.

The move seems to have paid off as New Yorkers can't get enough of his spiffed up versions of Jewish-American classics.  "We're working on a smoked brisket that will blow people's minds," he shares. 

What did you want to be when you grew up?
It's very hard to remember, but there was a time I wanted to be an art historian and professional basketball player. I soon realized I was 5' 10" and that art history didn't quite pay the bills.

What was your first job in food and what did you learn?
I ran the Children's Dining Room at Kutsher's Country Club. I learned how to deal with 150 parents and their kids and how to get food out quickly. A true lesson in guest satisfaction. The best part was that if someone complained about me, I knew I wouldn't be fired.

What are some of your fondest memories of your family's resort, essentially a Jewish country club in the Catskills?
Getting to hang out with the likes of Wilt Chamberlain, Dr. J, Clyde Frasier, Jerry Seinfeld, Billy Crystal and Joan Rivers. Plus going to the coffee shop (aka the Flying Saucer) at Kutsher's and sneaking in a grilled salami and cheese sandwich after school. Let's also not forget about all of the young ladies that came each summer.

What did you enjoy eating there growing up?
I truly loved the Knishes, Pierogies, Chicken Kiev, Dark Meat Roast Turkey and especially the house made Challah.

Ever get nostalgic watching Dirty Dancing? Had to ask :)...
Of course - never put Baby in the corner. Joel Grey (Jennifer Grey's father) actually performed at Kutsher's quite a few times.

When you left your job as a corporate lawyer in 2009, you could have taken your career in any direction. So what inspired you to enroll in the Institute of Culinary Education?
Half madness and the other half wanting to do something culturally significant and personally rewarding. The best part about the restaurant is that I'm not just selling food, but also a sense of tradition, community and cultural identity. It's pretty cool to be part of something that is larger than oneself. I also wanted to see if I could create something out of an idea in my head.

How did you come up with the idea to recreate the concept of Kutsher's in Manhattan? And what made you decide to reinvent the cuisine with dishes, like potato pancakes with caviar or chocolate babka bread pudding?
The short answer is that "Jewish" cuisine has been relegated to delis and related restaurants that have two things in common: One, no innovation. These places tend to be one trick ponies that have a few good items and the rest of the menu falls short. And two, the decor, for lack of a better term, is dilapidated. All in all, none of these places are not a night out. I always loved food and wine and have an encyclopedic knowledge of everywhere I eat, so I thought "Why not create a restaurant that elevates and advances Jewish -- really iconic New York -- cuisine in a fun, modern and hip manner?" There was no place like this that existed. So, by using superior ingredients, beautiful presentations, lighter cooking styles and a modern palate combined with a beautiful yet comfortable dining room that paid homage to Kutsher's along with house-made cocktails, local beers and a full wine list, I might be on to something. I thought about how I like to eat and hang out and the rest came naturally and I found the perfect chef in Mark Spangenthal - a nice Jewish boy from Great Neck, NY with a wonderful pedigree.

While it's undoubtedly a success, were you ever worried it wouldn't take off? After all, it's Jewish deli food, which didn't exactly have the best reputation when you decided to open it. Not to mention Kutsher's is a 120-seat restaurant. That's a big bet to make.
Of course I worried. It was not an easy ride and I put a substantial amount of my own hard earned money on the line which is very nerve-wracking. This business is all about overcoming obstacles each and every day. I'm thrilled with all the press we have gotten and the great reviews as well. However, nothing makes me happier than seeing guests of all ages (especially the young ones I thought I might not reach) coming up to me each night and thanking me for building Kutsher's Tribeca. On a different note, we are not a deli, but rather, a modern Jewish American bistro. So I always felt that we would really surprise people to the upside with our food offerings. And when you add the dynamic space created by Rafael de Cardenas, I knew we would exceed everyone's pre-conceived notions of what the restaurant was all about.

Why do you think America is suddenly embracing Jewish Deli cuisine?
Because when done properly, it's delicious food that has the ability to touch a person's emotional consciousness in such a meaningful manner. Being able to tap into childhood memories is a wonderful thing.

What's the most difficult part about opening a restaurant?
Well, everything. If I had to pick one thing, it's the timing of so many different aspects of a project needing to come together at exactly the right (and often the same) time to make it work.

Describe your ideal meal at Kutsher's Tribeca.
I would bring a friend so I could share and would start out with a house-made cocktail (all of our syrups, cordials, compotes and foams we make right here at the restaurant) and then share an Artichokes alla Judea (fried baby artichokes and a Delicatessen Works with our house-cured and smoked pastrami, veal tongue, duck pastrami, chopped liver and spicy beef salami on rye. Then, I'd get the Romanian Steak, which is a prime piece of meat (only one other restaurant in New York City serves prime skirt steak) that comes with caramelized onions, mushrooms and a house-made knish. Then I'd order our grilled duck breast and I wouldn't be able to resist an order of our duck schmaltz fries that we hand cut each day and serve with a horseradish aioli. Top off the meal with a Rainbow Cookie Hot Fudge Sundae with house-made rainbow cookies, vanilla ice cream from Il Laboratorio del Gelato, marshmallow fluff and hot fudge.

How involved were you in planning the menu with Chef Mark Spangenthal? 
I was very involved and gave Mark some general conceptual ideas and he made them all come to life in the most amazing way possible. 

When creating the menu, did you study old Jewish-American or Eastern European cookbooks? Or were you mostly inspired by family recipes?
That's best answered by Mark who used some family tricks and did a ton of research and development. I just thought how I would like to eat.

Unlike most people, I'm obsessed with gefilte fish. Whose idea was it to recreate gefilte fish, a dish that traditionally conjures up bad memories?
I wanted to have an amazing gefilte fish since the one we had at the resort was so good. However, Mark perfected it beyond my wildest dreams by using wild halibut and adding a horseradish beet tartare and a parsley oil vinaigrette.

What's the secret to Kutsher's pastrami?
If I told you, I'd have to kill you. Let's just say that we spent three months perfecting it. Brining and smoking are a true art form.

Other than Kutsher's, who makes the best pastrami in town?
Mile End - hands down.

Any new riffs on Jewish classics in the works?
Yes - we are working on a smoked brisket that will blow people's minds. We are also planning a special Passover Sedar menu as we speak.

What neighborhood do you live and where are some of your favorite places to dine there?
I live at 16th Street and 5th Avenue - so call it Union Square West. I work so much at Kutsher's Tribeca right now that I don't have time to eat out. I'm either at work or home playing with my 10-month-old son. I do like the brunch at Mesa Grill and have become a huge fan of Red Farm.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
Ask me in another year.

Any plans to open up additional Kutsher's locations?
I have big plans, but need to build the first one right before I can think of anything else.

Your family sold Kutsher's in the Catskills, but would you ever like to be involved in the resort again?
Not right now. The hardest part about a resort is that your guests stay overnight. At least mine leave at the end of the night.

You're on your deathbed...Sex or dinner?
Why can't I have both - kinda like George Costanza style.

Kutsher's Tribeca
186 Franklin Street bet.
212-431-0606
www.kutsherstribeca.com

Michael McCarty doesn't really get the due he deserves.  Afterall, he did pioneer California cuisine in 1979 and he manages to run two successful restaurants on opposite coasts of the country.  If that's not enough, McCarty's former chefs of his now own over 85 restaurants, so he's doing something right. 

Of course, his passion has manifested itself in other ways. He famously responded to Frank Bruni's less-than-stellar, New York Times review with a rather blunt, "Go fuck yourself," and followed that up with another "go fuck yourself," in our interview, this time to Tom Hayden, a California state assemblyman who opposed his Santa Monica hotel project. McCarty refuses to give up, turning his biggest kitchen flub into a triumph when he fixed a broken bearnaise sauce he'd made for Michael Jackson, Barbra Streisand, and Sylvester Stallone by adding seawater.  "They all told me it was the best Bearnaise they ever had!" McCarty said. "Jackson was macrobiotic at the time, and he poured the sauce over his whole grains."  

After more than twenty-five years of support, Michael McCarty's being honored at C-CAP's annual fundraiser on Thursday, February 16th, where everyone from Dan Barber to John Fraser will be cooking for the occasion.

Single/Married/Divorced?
I've been happily married for 28 years to painter Kim Lieberman McCarty.

What was your first job in food and what did you learn?
At 14 years old, as a summer job, I was a sauté/line cook at Tony Salamone's Mayflower restaurant in Loves Park, Illinois. To this day I still consider Tony the best restaurateur I've ever known. He was always and completely in control of his restaurant.

How do you think "California cuisine" has evolved since you first pioneered that style of cooking back in 1979 when you opened Michael's in Santa Monica? 
What we started in terms of the local farm-to-table concept with its emphasis on high-quality ingredients from fresh produce to game birds to cheeses, is now the gold standard today for all restaurants across the U.S. and around the world. What began as California cuisine is now the New American Regional Cuisine. The revolution has succeeded, it's gone viral and global, and it is televised.

How do you divide your time between the Michael's in LA & the Michael's in New York?
In winter and summer, I spend four days every other week in New York, and in spring and fall I spend those four days every other week in Santa Monica, and I have done so for 23 years since I opened Michael's New York. The frequent-flyer miles are insane. Kudos, also, to my incredible staffs at Michael's Santa Monica and Michael's New York, who know how to keep the joints hopping when I'm on the other coast.

You were focused on seasonal ingredients long before most chefs. What inspired you to create menus around the seasons at a time when so few chefs were doing so?
I think it's a function of the way I was brought up by my parents in the Hudson River Valley. They were focused on seasonality. And shopping in the markets every day in France, where I spent my high school junior year abroad in Brittany and then later studied in culinary school in Paris, cemented that approach.

If you had to choose, where would you rather eat?
I can't make that choice. To avoid it, I'd have lunch at Michael's in New York, and then fly to LA on the same day for dinner at Michael's Santa Monica. In fact, I've done that very thing every other Thursday for 23 years.

You were friends with Julia Child.  What's the most important thing she taught you in the kitchen?  Did you ever see her fail or flub a dish?
The best thing about Julia Child for me was her attitude that anything and everything goes, nothing's a mistake, just keep doing it with a positive spirit--and let's have another glass of wine, please! The very concept of failure did not exist in her way of thinking.

Of all the chefs who have gotten their start working with you, from Jonathan Waxman to Nancy Silverton, whom do you most admire?  And which ones would you like to take a little credit for?
Former chefs of mine now own more than 85 restaurants. Just like my art collection and my two children, I love them all dearly!

Tell us about the new, Korean-inspired bar menu with bites like fried oysters and Korean-style fried chicken. What was the inspiration behind the new menu? 
Over the past several years, our Korean-born executive chef at Michael's New York, Kyung Up Lim, has been introducing subtle hints of his own heritage into the cuisine, which, like our Santa Monica restaurant, has always emphasized the complementary relationship between food and wine. I've found it interesting that wine lovers used to say that it was difficult, if not impossible, to pair wine with the distinctive flavors of Asian cuisine, but over the last few years enterprising new winemakers have developed wines that are very Asian food-friendly.  At the same time, we've been seeing the rise of creative mixology, with the kind of innovative, food-friendly cocktails that our new mixologist Michael Flannery has been creating. Our Korean-influenced Bar Bites menu at Michael's New York became an ideal proving ground for forging really fascinating new relationships between Asian flavors, great wines by the glass, and innovative farm-to-glass cocktails.

Is Michael's still the power lunch scene it once was?
It's bigger and better than ever, thanks to the whole new wave of young digital media superstars who are now joining the still-devoted power pack of lunchtime regulars at Michael's. These young guns are also powering our bar scene, stopping by for a drink and some of Kyung's great bar bites after work. And you wouldn't believe the synergy I'm seeing going on now between our New York crowd and our Hollywood/LA crowd. I've lost count of the number I've times I've walked into the bar in Michael's New York, spotted someone, and thought, "Didn't I just see you at Michael's Santa Monica?"

You just reacted to your Frank Bruni review in the Times with an ingenious, "Go fuck yourself buddy." Care to elaborate? While Michael's may be critic proof, you were still hurt by the review. Why is it so insulting and was there anything you agreed with or vehemently disagreed with?
Enough said. I'm going to Disneyland!

You're being honored at the upcoming Careers Through Culinary Arts Program's benefit (congrats by the way!). How did you become involved with this organization?
I first met Richard Grausman, C-CAP's founder and chairman, while I was attending Le Cordon Bleu in Paris in 1972, where he had recently become their international ambassador, a post he held until the school changed ownership in 1985. We stayed in close touch over the years, and in 1990, when he began the pilot program that became C-CAP in twelve New York City public high schools, I was right on board. Back then, the culinary arts was not a career choice in America. But Richard had a very impressive two-fold vision, to provide a first-rate culinary education and internships to youths in underserved communities and to set them on their career paths without enormous student loans to pay off. Michael's has supported C-CAP ever since, and we've had their interns in our kitchens for many years. It's an ideal way for underserved communities to gain an advantage in the culinary world, and for these young people to work with some of the top chefs around. Just look at the roster of great chefs coming from all over the city to cook at the C-CAP benefit where I'm being honored. That's a true measure of how much they believe in the vision of Richard Grausman and C-CAP.

What's the most difficult part about opening a restaurant?
Just like an opening night on Broadway, you're wondering if whatever dream or vision you've had will all come together--and whether the audience will go out singing the praises of the meal they've just had.

What has been your biggest kitchen flub?
Back in the late '70s, while cooking a clambake on the beach in Malibu for 150 people, I was making a Bearnaise sauce to go with my charbroiled steaks, and the sauce broke right as we were about to plate the steaks. Keeping my wits about me, I narrowly averted disaster by improvising on the classic French technique for saving a broken Bearnaise; I grabbed some cold seawater, added it to the saucepan, and whisked like mad.

What about triumph?
Saving that Bearnaise was also my biggest triumph. I knew it worked, because Michael Jackson, Barbra Streisand, and Sylvester Stallone all ran down the beach to tell me that it was the best béarnaise they'd ever tasted. Jackson was macrobiotic at the time, and he poured the sauce over his whole grains.

Is there anything you want to open, do, write or eat that you haven't already?
At this time in my life, I thoroughly enjoy bicoastal living between the two great cities of Los Angeles and New York. However, my one and only regret is not having been able to realize my dream to open a fabulous hotel on the beach in Santa Monica back in 1989. Tom Hayden, go fuck yourself, buddy.

What dishes have been on since the opening of Michael's?
The Cobb Salad, Steak Frites, Gravlax, and Chicken Frites. I originally put all those dishes on the menu as humorous asides to my modern cooking, and they've never left.

What neighborhood do you live in and where are your favorite places to dine there?
In New York, I live in what I call midtown at 54th and 5th. My go-to restaurants are Il Gattopardo, Cipriani, and Milos. In Malibu, my house is my favorite place to dine.

You're on your deathbed...Sex or dinner?
Whoever said you had to choose?

Michael's
Address: 24 West 55th Street, btwn 5th & 6th Aves.
Phone: (212)767-0555
For tickets to C-CAP's Annual Fundraiser