Q & A with Chef Seamus Mullen

Chef Seamus Mullen played a crucial role in the tapas trend that hit New York, back in 2006. After all, it was Mullen who ran the kitchen at Boqueria, where he served classic Spanish tapas with a distinctly seasonal twist.  Having recently left his executive chef post at Boqueria, Mullen is now a free agent, and this may just be his break out moment. While he's well known for flare for Spanish food, he's also well versed in cuisines from all over the map, including Indian.  In fact, he spent time in Tabla's kitchen with Floyd Cardoz and he's  crafted a Mediterranean-inspired menu for Crudo.  This Thursday, October 21st through the 23rd, Mullen will be cooking at The Feast, a 1920s-inspired pop-up restaurant. "I am really intrigued by the 1920s," Mullen explains. "I think of it as a golden age of possibilities."

Mullen grew up on a Vermont farm, so he's always had a strong appreciation for food, especially local and sustainable food. He went on to cook with that philosophy at the restaurant Mecca in San Francisco. Right now, he's writing a cookbook, called "Hero Food," and when that's done, he's thinking of opening a new restaurant.

Single/Married/Divorced?
I have a girlfriend.

What did you want to be when you grew up?
Indiana Jones

Do you ever grow your own produce?
I do. I have a garden on the roof of my apartment and have grown tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, greens, cucumbers and herbs, mostly for my own consumption.

You were raised on an organic farm in Vermont, so how important are your relationships with local farmers?
They're very important to me. I think now more than ever we have to know where our food comes from. If you think the restaurant business is rough, try being a farmer! The real heroes in the dining room are the folks that work tirelessly to raise responsible meat and natural produce.

What’s the best part about cooking at a pop-up restaurant? Have you participated in this type of even before?
I haven't, though I've done a number of private events with special menus. This will be a new challenge: opening and running a restaurant for just three days with a new staff and with no ramp up.  Should be fun! I also get to cook food that's slightly different from what I usually do.

What attracted you to the cuisine of the roaring 1920s for the pop-up spot? 
I'm really intrigued by the roaring '20s. I imagine it as a golden age of possibilities, with people dressed elegantly and great music. The foundation of modern jazz was being laid, and there were oysters and marrow on every menu! Sexy women in feather boas and dapper men in well polished wingtips, what's not to like?

How is that type of old-school food similar with your current cooking style?
It's not too similar to my style, but it's a fun challenge.

What region of Spain gives you the most inspiration?
On my last trip to Spain I spent a fair amount of time in the South where they're masters of fried food. There's a great simplicity to the food of Andalusia.

You’re well known for Spanish food, but you also worked at Tabla with chef Floyd Cardoz. What did you learn from him, and do you draw from Indian cooking at all when crafting new dishes?
Floyd has an amazing palate and is a great teacher. I learned more about spice from him than from anyone else.  While there are a lot of differences between our cooking, he is from Goa, which was a Portuguese colony, and there are a surprising number of parallels between his cuisine and Spanish food.

Where do you go for great Spanish food in New York City?
Txikito. Alex and Eder are the reigning king and queen of Spanish food in New York.

Which New York chef do you most admire?
Chef Toshio Suzuki of Sushi Zen is an amazing chef.  He has an incredible palate, he's dedicated his life to cooking and he's an extremely generous educator.

What was your favorite part about competing on Next Iron Chef? Least favorite part?
Favorite part? It was a real challenge, unlike anything I'd ever done before. Cooking under absurd conditions and cooking like an athletic competition. A lot of fun.  Least favorite? I had a really severe RA flare-up for the last ten days of competition.  It was really painful, to the point that I could barely walk during the last battle. I hope I never have to go through that again.

We heard you may be coming out with a cook book, any updates on that?
I'm writing a book called "Hero Food" and it's about how food impacts wellness.  It's being published by Andrews McMeel and is coming out next fall.  I'm in the final stages of writing.  It's an amazing process, but a tremendous amount of work. I'm really looking forward to finishing.

What’s the most important tool to have in the kitchen?
One tool? Hmm...sharp knife, spoon, microplane...in that order.

Any plans to open a new restaurant?
Stay tuned!!!