The Malaysian Insider :: Food
The Malaysian Insider :: Food |
| Down in a bunker, US chef has eyes on French cooking prize Posted: 22 Jan 2013 09:42 PM PST WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, West Virginia, Jan 23 — Richard Rosendale is a man on a mission — to capture one of international cooking's most coveted prizes, the Bocuse d'Or. And he's going about it with military precision. In a windowless Cold War bunker under The Greenbrier, a splendid antebellum resort hotel in rural West Virginia, the 37-year-old chef is perfecting his dishes with a view to nothing short of total victory. "For over 10 years I wanted to compete," Rosendale told AFP as he prepared to fly to Lyon, France, for the biannual two-day competition opening on January 29 that many regard as the Olympics of fine cuisine. "I just look at it as the pinnacle of cooking competitions."  Chef Rosendale: It's "war", for The Greenbrier vet in his windowless bunker. — AFP pic Rosendale, executive chef of the Greenbrier's nine acclaimed restaurants, is no novice, having opened two restaurants and participated in 45 international culinary competitions. He qualified for the Bocuse d'Or, named after the celebrated Lyonnais chef and pioneer of nouvelle cuisine Paul Bocuse, after winning the national Bocuse d'Or USA finals a year ago. Every day, Rosendale and his commis (assistant) Corey Siegel, 22, hunker in the bunker — originally built to shelter US politicians in the event of nuclear war — and get cooking. In an exact replica of the kitchen they will use in Lyon, right down to the utensils, with a US flag on the wall, they perfect the meat, fish and side dishes they will present to 14 discerning judges. An adjoining "war room" features a countdown clock and photographs of winning dishes from past regional Bocuse d'Or contests. During his allotted five-hour, 35-minute slot in Lyon, Rosendale is planning to make beef filet, lobster and turbot dishes, plus three sides using ingredients from a surprise shopping basket. "I have a tremendous amount of respect for all the competitors," he said. "But I don't just want to go to Lyon and say, 'I did the Bocuse d'Or'. I do want to win." No American has risen past sixth in the competition. During a recent visit to the Greenbrier, Rosendale and Siegel, dressed in matching crisp white chef's uniforms, worked in lockstep as they prepared a beef stock. "Corey, how much of that wine did you use?" asked Rosendale, who compares the intensity of their work to playing an American football game. "Three hundred and seventy-five grams," or 13.2 ounces, Siegel replied. "We have enough for four servings." "OK," his boss said. "We've got to really watch that, because that stuff is... I only have the two bottles." Rosendale, a native of Pennsylvania who draws inspiration from the classic American cooking he grew up with, said: "I've got a pretty good idea of what I want to do." He cites Yankee pot roast and butternut squash cooked in apple cider — "it goes great with lobster" — among his favourites. "The ideas for the beef are things that I remember from my childhood, that I grew up eating, things that my mom used to cook," he added. "It's very much an American style. "I love the flavour of eating a grilled steak on the grill, and I think of the Fourth of July whenever I have that," Rosendale said. The challenge: "How do you take a grilled steak off of the grill, and how can you elevate that to a very high level of cuisine?" he said. — AFP/Relaxnews |
| Handful of restaurants earn Five Diamond rating in the US Posted: 22 Jan 2013 08:26 PM PST  Among the cream of Five Diamond: Le Bernardin Restaurant of New York.©Daniel Krieger The new additions in 2012 include predictable dining destinations Benu in San Franciso; Salt, from The Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island in Florida; Eleven Madison Park in New York and Le Bernardin also in New York – not surprising given the long line of accolades the establishments already boast, including Michelin stars and fawning restaurant reviews. In total, inspectors handed out Five Diamond ratings to 178 hotels and restaurants over the past year, out of 58,000 properties in the US, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean. Inspectors also noted an ongoing trend in which restaurants overall are simplifying what used to be complex, "highly orchestrated" menus with dishes that focus instead on masterful, meticulous execution. Ingredients are also seasonal, organic and locally sourced. Like Michelin, AAA inspectors make anonymous and unannounced visits and evaluate everything from their reception at the restaurant and the food to the level of competence, refinement and hospitality. — AFP/Relaxnews |
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