Alum Chefs Reimagine Our College Basics
Photo-essay by Leslie McKellar
Just like any thought-provoking class or favorite professor, food is an essential part of the college experience. Memories form around meals – breakfast in the cafeteria, lunch on King Street, the occasional nice dinner when family is in town and, of course, the late-night study break.
Food is more than mere nourishment in college – it means community and it also represents exploration, pushing yourself to try new things and experience new cultures.
In that vein, we challenged four of our top alumni chefs to reconsider four college staples – ramen noodles, cereal, peanut butter and potato chips. We would have included pizza and beer on that list, but it’s pretty hard to improve on perfection. Only asking that they stay within a $50 budget, we gave these culinary artists carte blanche on their ingredient. And what they have created looks mighty tasty.
Bon appétit.
Ramen noodles
Challenger: Joe Palma ’02, Chef de Cuisine, Westend Bistro by Eric Ripert, Washington, D.C.
On the Menu: Ramen and black sesame– crusted halibut over a salad of pickled radishes, pea shoots and carrots, with smoked soy
Chef’s Description: “We took the raw ramen noodles and beat them up in a food processor, then added black sesame seeds and crusted a nicely seasoned piece of halibut that we had lightly washed with sesame oil with that mixture. We lightly pickled the carrots and radishes in rice wine vinegar, honey, green chiles, smoked soy sauce from Kentucky and ginger. The pea shoots are lightly tossed with a little lemon oil, and they serve as a garnish on top of the fish.”
The Challenge Approach: “Well, I had never eaten ramen before, and after seeing the first two ingredients on the seasoning packet are salt and MSG, I decided that they had to go altogether, leaving me with the noodles. I could have done a nice noodle dish, but I figured using it in another way would be more interesting. As the noodles are mostly wheat flour anyway, I decided to use them like bread crumbs, and crust the fish, using black and white sesame seeds to break up the monotony of the ramen and give a little light flavor. That led me in an Asian direction, and, for summer, I decided to go with a simple pickled salad that features some of the great stuff we get in from some Amish farmers at Path Valley Farms in Pennsylvania, and I know are available through all the great farmers down around Charleston.”
Cereal
Challenger: Brown Burch ’05, Sous Chef, Le Cirque Restaurant, New York City
On the Menu: Fluke crudo with pickled onion vinaigrette, avocado, jalapeño and wild rice crispies
Chef’s Description: “Thin slices of sushi-quality fluke are topped with a spicy, citrus vinaigrette, made from the pickling liquid of jalapeños and pearl onions, mixed with lime juice and good olive oil. Some slivers of the pickled jalapeños and pearl onions are garnish. Some small pieces of avocado provide a buttery creaminess to the acidic vinaigrette. The fish is then topped with maldon salt and homemade wild rice crispies for crunch and saltiness. The dish is finished with micro cilantro to add an herbal note to tie all the elements together.”
The Challenge Approach: “I tried to incorporate cereal in a way that we would use it in a high-end, fine-dining restaurant – as far as technique, plating and taste are concerned. With that said, I thought it would be cool to make my own cereal to show the college kids how their old culinary staples are made. Basically, I wanted to use the crunch of cereal in an elegant, light summer dish that would be interesting to college kids.”
Fluke crudo with pickled onion vinaigrette, avocado, jalapeño and wild rice crispies
1 fluke, raw (thinly sliced) seasoned with maldon
1 pickled jalapeños
1 pickled pearl onion (pickle solution: 1 pint champagne vinegar, 1/2 pint sugar, pinch of salt, 1/2 pint water, 1 ounce corainder seeds, 5 fennel seeds, 1 star anise
wild rice crispies (wild rice overcooked, then dehydrated for 2ˆ3 hours at 160 degrees, then flash fried in 400-degree canola oil
fresh avocado slices (rubbed with olive oil and salt)
1 tablespoon vinaigrette (2 tablespoons of pickling liquid, 1 tablespoon lime juice, 1/4 cup dank-very good olive oil)
micro cilantro
Special note: the wild rice crispies are a tough one – it might take a little practice … but you can always substitute regular rice crispies.
Peanut Butter
Challenger: Amanda Hammonds ’93, National Culinary Demonstrator, International Team at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y.
On the Menu: Peanut Butter Ganache Meltaway
Chef’s Description: “Peanut butter mousse with dark chocolate ganache.”
The Challenge Approach: “I LOVE peanut butter. I eat it almost every day and pack it on every overseas trip. Peanut butter was developed as a protein source for people without teeth or who had problems chewing – today, it’s as American as baseball and comes in many varieties. I do not know anyone who has not tasted it in the U.S. Here at the Culinary Institute of America, peanut butter with cinnamon seems to be a student favorite, followed closely by peanut butter with warm melted chocolate on top. I’m a pastry chef – no bread. Cakes and plated desserts are my love. I am really into sustainable, organic single-origin chocolates and ingredients. I came up with this recipe based on two of my favorite things: peanut butter and chocolate. I wanted it to melt in your mouth, but be visually interesting, too!”
Peanut Butter Mousse
Ingredients
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
2/3 cup creamy peanut butter (do not use natural peanut butter) JIF is a good one!
3 tablespoons milk
1/2 cup sifted powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Directions
In a medium mixing bowl beat cream cheese, peanut butter, and milk with an electric mixer until combined. Beat in powdered sugar and vanilla until mixture is smooth. Gently fold in beaten whipped cream, half at a time, until mixture is smooth. Cover and chill for 2 hours or up to 24 hours. This can be molded or put into individual glasses.
*Do Not use low/non-fat substitutes for this recipe
Chocolate Ganache
Ingredients
8 ounces of a good quality dark chocolate, chopped fine in a bowl (your local grocery store has several)
8 ounces heavy cream
Directions
Bring cream to a boil and pour over chocolate. Allow to sit for a minute or two. From the center, stir the chocolate and cream to combine. Pour or spoon over mousse or allow your guests to ladle it on themselves!
Potato chips
Challenger: Jeremiah Bacon ’95, Executive Chef at Carolina’s Restaurant in Charleston
On the Menu: Pan-seared local grouper with a caramelized onion and potato chip “panade”
Chef’s Description: “I used Cape Cod chips in the panade. There are roasted fingerling potatoes on the dish and petite garlic chips on the plate as well (a little nod to the potato chip). The sauce was made with Ruffles potato chips, providing a great roasted potato flavor. There are local carrots, local littleneck clams, baby bok choy and red pearl onions. There tends to be a bit of a New England feel to this dish; however, it’s surprisingly local.”
The Challenge Approach: “I was pretty excited about this ingredient because everyone loves potato chips. There is at least one style of chip for everyone. Cape Cods are a favorite of mine.”
