So I See You Went To Culinary School...

When my son Max reaches the age of deciding what he wants to do with his life (thank God that's not for about 18 years!), if he wants to be a chef, well that's great, and off to culinary school he will go. But hopefully he will have learned from his dad, and from his dad's peers that culinary school alone will not give him all the skills he will need to become a great chef, or even restaurant cook for that matter. I bring this up because of my observations of the culinary work force over the last few years, at least in the Wilmington NC area.

Thanks to the Food Network, Bravo, and other channels that host an array of celebrity and non-celebrity cooking shows, the status of the "chef" has been elevated to that of a sort of "rock star" like persona. But of course everyone knows this, and this has all been said before.

But something that I think this has also affected is the frame of mind and work ethic of young people fresh out of culinary school. I think a lot of young culinary students figure that because they are a Johnson and Wales grad, or even CIA grad, they have what it takes to make it in real professional and very busy kitchens. I can assure you that this is not the case.

To be honest, and I mean no offense, but I have hired and worked with young men and women alike who boasted a degree from an acclaimed school, but couldn't cook there way out of a revolving glass door! Yes it's true that the celebrities on food network make everything look really easy. And in fact, the things they are doing are quite easy. But they have people. There ingredients are for the most part, already prepped for them.

What young kids may not realize, is that to get to that point, most (not all, but most) of the tv/chef personalities actually paid their dues in real kitchens. Emeril Lagasse started working in a local bakery as a small boy. He worked in restaurants to pay his tuition. He spent years working in fine dining kitchens after attending Johnson and Wales culinary school. In 1982, he took the Executive Chef position at the Commander's Palace in New Orleans, and put in 18 hour days regularly.

The food network "rock star" Guy Fiere managed, and worked in restaurant kitchens for years before he was able to open his own place.

And the list goes on. But what all these guys have in common is that they worked hard, and didn't expect that things get handed to them because they went to culinary school.


Cooking in professional kitchens is a demanding job. Very demanding. And on top of the physical demands, to be successful, you have to have common sense (I like to call it "kitchen sense"). You have to be quick. You have to work clean and work efficiently. You have to be prepared for what may come next.


And here I go again with this word: Passion. You have to be passionate about what you do. If you are not passionate, then you do not care enough, and it will show in your work, or lack of work.

These are the things that I remember seeing more of 10 years ago. Lately it's a lot of people who can interview well, but when it comes to producing, they are falling short. This may sound cliche, but I do blame the parents a little bit. My father's constant words to me were: "Don't half-ass the job!" I appreciate the few things that I have, because I worked very hard for them. And when I was offered my first chef job, I knew the backbreaking and mentally stressful schedule that came with it. Things haven't changed. The title of chef or even sous chef should not be taken lightly. Whether it is at a four star hotel, or a little restaurant on the beach, the chef's job is one that requires a lot of responsibility, and work.

So if you've been to culinary school, and maybe even worked in a couple of popular and busy restuarants, If you want to work at my restaurant, I will say this:

So I see you went to culinary school...now how will you convince me you are actually a good cook?

A Chowder For All Seasons

Recently, South Beach Grill was honored with the award of "Best Hot Soup" in the Voter's Choice Awards at the Taste of Wilmington (see article at www.starnewsonline/tasteofwilmington).


Our Clam Chowder is one of those recipes that has remained unchanged since it first appeared on the menu, and for good reason: it's delicious. That's it. It's not thick and heavy like some, but it has just enough weight to it that to make a great appetizer in the summertime, or a full meal when the weather gets cool. Like any good chowder, time and care are given to build the soup in layers, with attention to detail being paid with each one.

I think there's just something emotional about sitting out on the South Beach patio, looking out at the boats on Bank's Channel, and enjoying a nice hot cup of homemade clam chowder.

Probably more than any other dish on the menu, we are asked how the chowder is made, and for the nice couple I spoke with last night (as they watched the boats on Banks Channel), here you are:


Butter 3 tbs.
Bacon 1 cup (about 4 or 5 slices), chopped fine
Celery, diced 1 cup
Onion, diced 1/2 cup
Carrot, diced 1/2 cup
Thyme, 1 tsp
Garlic, minced 1 tbs.
All purpose flour 1/3 cup
Clam juice 8 oz
Water 1/2 cup
Red potatoes, quartered and sliced thin 1/2 pound
Milk 1 1/4 cup
Canned chopped clams 2-6.5 oz cans
Worcestershire sauce 2 tsp
Tabasco sauce 2 tsp


In a 8-quart stock pot, heat butter on medium high heat. When melted, add bacon and cook until it just begins to crisp. Add garlic and vegetables, and cook until they soften slightly, about two to three minutes. Stir in thyme, and reduce heat to low. Using a wooden spoon, gradually stir in flour until all is thoroughly incorporated.


At this point, you will want to change your utensil to a whisk, and slowly whisk in the clam juice making sure to get out all of the lumps of flour. Add water and potatoes, and bring soup to a simmer. Continue to simmer until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.


Add clams, milk, Worcestershire and TAbasco. Continue to simmer soup for about 20 minutes. Season to taste with Kosher salt and ground black pepper.

Makes about 6 to 8 servings

SIMPLE Summer Grilling

While I am a chef and restaurant manager by trade, at the core of it all, I just love food and cooking, pure and simple. It is a passion that drives me insane at times. And there is no season that ignites and inspires my passion for grilled food like summer.

I've been seeing a lot of great recipes for summer grilling, tried a few, and liked most of them, but I found (as I figured I would), that the simplest recipes were the ones that were best. It's no secret, and I say it all the time: Use the freshest ingredients you can find, prepare them simply keeping their integrity, and you'll have a great tasting meal!

What do I mean when I say keep the "integrity" of the food? Say for example I go to my local seafood market, and the boats just brought in some grouper. It's so fresh it has no oder at all except for the faint smell of the sea. There's no better way to prepare it then simply rubbing it with some good olive oil, a dash of Kosher salt and cracked black pepper, gently grilling it to perfection, and finishing it with a bright splash of fresh lemon juice. No need to mask it with a sauce.

Here's another one I tried a couple of days ago. A really nice couple came into the restaurant and were commenting on the great meal they had. The gentleman was telling me about a salmon recipe he had with brandied peaches. Sounded wonderful, so I took that idea, and brought it home to my grill. Again, you really have to go, "O.K. Summer: fresh, bright, crisp and clean flavors." The peaches got quartered, drizzled with a little oil, and grilled for just a few minutes. The salmon I grilled as well, and made a really nice barbecue sauce with a little added chipotle pepper, peaches, and the brandy. I always strive to have a good balance of flavors, and the heat of the chipotle barbecue sauce worked really well with the fresh, sweet peaches.

Vegetables too. Zucchini and yellow squash may sound redundant and like something straight out of the eightie's, but damn if it's not tasty grilled and drizzled with some extra virgin olive oil!

We've been doing sautee'd julienned squash and zucchini at South Beach Grill for years, and still get compliments from our guests on how good our vegetables are, and asked what we do to them. Well my friends, it's not hard, we use fresh veggies, and saute them to order just till there cooked through, and finish them with olive oil. That's it! No butter, no excess seasoning, just a nice quick saute in a really hot pan.

As tempting as it is, especially for us guys, not everything needs to be grilled. Roasting in the oven is a great way to bring out the flavor of vegetables and some fruits as well. At the restaurant, we serve an Iceburg wedge salad with oven roasted Roma tomatoes. The salad is served with a peppery feta dressing, and roasting the tomatoes brings out their sweetness which is a nice balance (there's that word "balance" again) and contrast to the dressing.

Summer is here. And with it comes a bounty of wonderful produce. So wheather you're grilling some fresh picked rhubarb, or roasting tomatoes, remember to keep things simple, and let the freshness of the product your using be your guide.

Grilled Salmon and Peaches With Chipotle Peach Barbecue Sauce
4 each salmon filets
2 each fresh peaches
2 tbs. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 yellow onion, diced small
1-15.25 oz can peach halves in syrup
3 each chipotle peppers (packed in adobo sauce)
2 tbs. sugar
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup brandy
2 tbs. molasses

Pre-heat a gas or charcoal grill.
Slice fresh peaches in half, and remove the pit. Cut into quarters. Brush the salmon filets with 1 1/2 tablespoons of the olive oil, and season lightly with Kosher salt and ground black pepper.

While grill is heating, make the sauce. In a medium saucepan, saute the onions in 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil. When onions have softened, add sugar, brandy, vinegar, and molasses. Bring sauce to a simmer for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat, transfer sauce to a blender, and add the canned peaches and chipotle peppers. Blend until smooth.

Brush grill with vegetable oil, and grill salmon to desired doneness, basting with the barbecue sauce just before removing. Grill peach quarters for about two minutes per side.

Plate the salmon, top with the peaches, and serve remaining barbecue sauce on the side.