Wonder What Chefs Prepare for Their Staffs After Business Hours?
by Larry Cox on Apr. 26, 2013, under UncategorizedCome In, We’re Closed: An Invitation to Staff Meals at the World’s Best Restaurants by Christine Carroll and Jody Eddy with a foreword by Ferran Adria (Running Press, $35)
Some of the most interesting restaurant meals are served after the closed sign has been flipped and the last customer has left. It is then that many kitchens comes alive once again as staff meals are prepared. These “after hours” meals are sometimes produced by passionate cooks using great ingredients, shared by everyone from chefs to dishwashers, free of charge, and served around one big table. This new cookbook provides readers with a behind-the-scenes look at some of these staff meals as served at some of the world’s premiere restaurants.
Christine Carroll and Jody Eddy attended staff meals as they conducted exclusive interviews and gathered dozens of never-before-revealed recipes from twenty-five iconic restaurants. The result is more than 100 creative and comforting dishes made to sate hunger and nourish spirits. In short, these are dishes professional cooks feed each other.
From Ad Hoc in Yountville, California, to wd-50 in New York, these legendary establishments represent the United States and about five foreign countries. They include City Grocery in Oxford, Mississippi, Frasca, a culinary destination in Boulder, Colorado, Uchi of Austin, Texas, Mugaritz in Errenteria, Spain, and St. John in London.
This is one of the most intriguing cookbooks I’ve tested. I prepared two recipes, one domestic, one foreign. From Cochon, a New Orleans restaurant owned by Stephen Stayjewski, I made the Chili-Basil Watermelon and Tomato Salad, a nice alchemy of salty, sour, sweet and spicy flavors that were delicate and delightful. My second dish, from Michel Et Sebastien Bras in Laguiole, France, was a sidedish, Potatoes Braised in Vegetable Broth which I served with pork.
This is a fun cookbook that I highly recommend.
CHILI-BASIL WATERMELON AND TOMATO SALAD
Serves 4
Dressing:
2 Tbs white vinegar
2 Tbs fish sauce
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
Juice of I lime
1 tsp Huy Fong chili-garlic sauce
¼ c extra virgin oil
¼ c basil leaves, lightly packed
½ c mint leaves, lightly packed
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Salad
1 quart cubed seedless watermelon cut into 1-inch cubes
2 medium tomatoes, cut into 1-inch dice
2 small cucumbers, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch dice
½ large red onion, halved and thinly sliced
Freshly ground black pepper and large flake sea salt to taste
For the dressing: In a large bowl, whisk together the vinegar, fish sauce, cayenne, lime juice, chili-garlic sauce, and oil. Tear the basil and mint into small pieces and then add to the bowl. Season with salt and pepper, and set aside for the flavors to meld, about 5 minutes.
For the salad: Right before serving, toss the diced salad ingredients with the dressing. Season with pepper to taste, toss again, then sprinkle the top with sea salt for crunch. Serve immediately.