Chef's Secrets


View latest Wine & Dine Weekly

Search:

Stuffed Pepper

Guillermo Castro shares Sol Y Luna’s Chile Relleno.

By Jan Walsh

Photography By Robin Colter

This is not your mother’s stuffed bell pepper. Chile Relleno (stuffed pepper) originated in the Mexican city of Puebla. Sol Y Luna’s owner and executive chef, Guillermo Castro shares his secrets for making his popular menu item.

Traveling Kitchen

Personal chef and caterer Gray Byrum cooks his signature dish in my kitchen.

By Jan Walsh

Photography by Robin Colter

Owner of Echelon Catering By Design, Gray Byrum brings his traveling kitchen to mine. Here he chops, slices and sautees his most famous dish—Sauteed Shrimp with Feta, Lemon and Tomato.

Tuscan Medley

Bellini’s chef Benard Tamburello creates Tuscan Style Sea Bass.

By Jan Walsh Photos by Robin Colter

Entering Bellini's Ristorante and Bar I am greeted with aromas and flavors of Tuscany. This might be expected at dinnertime. But it is 2:00 in the afternoon, and the restaurant is dark and empty—as even the bar won’t open for a couple more hours. I follow the dark hallway toward the light and the aromas.

Lobster Lover

Chef Rick Daidone creates Shula's Flash Fried Lobster in 10 simple steps.

By Jan Walsh
Photography by Beau Gustafson

I have an ongoing, and well publicized, love affair with Shula's Flash Fried Lobster. After covering it in Birmingham magazine's "One Dish" column and in "The Birmingham 100" for 2008, I am back for more. Today I want to learn the secrets of how executive chef of both Shula's Steak House and The Wynfrey Hotel, Rick Daidone prepares this wonderful dish.

Pizza Napoletana

Bettola's brick oven is the secret to his rustic napoletana pizzas.

By Jan Walsh
Photography by Robin Colter

Bettola's brick oven is the focal point of the restaurant. Owner and chef, James Lewis bought the oven in Naples, Italy. The oven's low dome concentrates the heat evenly, cooking the pizzas at 800 to 900 degrees beside the burning embers in one and one-half minutes!

Watch and Learn

Jinsei's Taichi Omori shares techniques of their famous Kadoma Tuna.

By Jan Walsh
Photography by Robin Colter

Jinsei's chef Taichi Omori prepares sushi rice and spicy tuna for the restaurant's signature dish-Kadoma Tuna. He shares his tips and techniques for the rice, tuna, and their exquisite Kadoma Tuna. And it is as good as it looks.

Comforting Cassoulet

Standard Bistro's Alan Martin creates a dish for sharing.

By Jan Walsh
Photography by Robin Colter

Cassoulets [kasuˈlets] date back to 14th Century France. It is a stew or casserole with meat, typically pork sausages, pork, goose, duck, pork skins, and white beans. The dish is named for the cassole-distinctive oval covered earthenware pot-in which cassoulet is traditionally cooked. "It is the quintessential comfort food," Standard Bistro general manager and executive chef, Alan Martin describes. "It is the soulful food that I want to go home and eat, rather than some abstract art that does not look like food."

In Good Hands

Frank Stitt shares handmade pasta technique and recipe from new cookbook, Bottega Favorita.

By Jan Walsh
Photography by Robin Colter

Bottega Restaurant is famous for its handmade pasta. Now you can make it too with a little help from Frank Stitt. "People think that homemade pasta is too much trouble. But you just have to try it a few times to learn."

No Suffer Succotash

Terrace Cafe's Jason Mezrano creates a succotash for good times and bad.

By Jan Walsh
Photography by Robin Colter

Succotash is a method of preparing vegetables that gained popularity during the Great Depression. In the American south, succotash is any mixture of vegetables prepared with lima beans and topped with lard or butter. But one does not have to suffer from an economic downturn to enjoy the executive chef of Terrace Cafe, Jason Mezrano's succotash, made with the freshest of southern vegetables.

Lady's Fingers

Hot and Hot Fish Club's Idie Hastings shares pickled okra recipe and techniques.

By Jan Walsh
Photography by Robin Colter

Pickling is a food preservation method that originated from the need to preserve out-of-season foods for long journeys, especially by sea. But the method survives today because people enjoy the resulting flavors. And okra-also known as lady's finger-is a popular vegetable for southern pickling.

BBQ Summer Rolls

Create light and easy spring rolls using your barbecue leftovers.

By Jan Walsh
Photography by Robin Colter

If you pig out on the Fourth of July, don't keep it up all week. Instead use those barbecue leftovers to make fresh, summer rolls. "People celebrate on the Fourth and don't worry about eating too much that day. But the next day they don't want more baked beans and potato salad and want to eat lighter," Icon Restaurant and Bar's executive chef, Ben Leingang says.

Three-Day Dish

Village Tavern's corporate executive chef, Mary Grace Viado shares her braised short ribs.

By Jan Walsh
Photography by Beau Gustafson

Braised Short Ribs are a recent addition to the dinner menu at Village Tavern. The dish took eight months of development as corporate executive chef, Mary Grace Viado traveled far and wide-from Scottsdale to New York-researching and tasting the best of short ribs to develop the recipe and techniques. Her ribs, which take three days to prepare, are a divine synthesis of these recipes, offering layers of complex flavors in every tender bite.

European Dumplings

Brock's Robert Kamm creates rustic, peasant fare.

By Jan Walsh
Photography by Beau Gustafson

Brock's executive chef Robert Kamm has a wealth of international experience in the world of culinary arts. He has lived and worked in several foreign countries, apprenticed and trained at esteemed locations prior to his tenure at Renaissance Ross Bridge Golf Resort and Spa. And it shows in every dish at Brock's.

Italian Braising

Tim Stevens shares braising techniques for La Dama's Osso Bucco.

By Jan Walsh
Photography by Beau Gustafson

La Dama Pizzeria, located at Liberty Park Prominence Shops, is an upscale Italian Bistro that satisfies all appetites. Executive chef and owner, Tim Stevens cooks a delicious osso bucco and shares his braising secret. "Braising is just slow cooking of meat," he says. "And the meat to be falling off the bone and so tender that you can cut it with a fork."

Lovely Lobster

George Reis shares his secret seasoning and grilling technique for lobster tails.

By Jan Walsh
Photography by Beau Gustafson

The hickory wood fired, grilled baby lobster tails at Ocean and 26 are divine. They are consistently moist, succulent, and sweet. Executive chef and co-owner of Ocean and 26, George Reis shares his secrets. One secret is the art of building a hickory wood fire in a wood burning grill-and knowing how to cook on it. Another secret is "The Love," which is a seasoning that goes on every piece of grilled fish at Ocean.

Made From Memory

Chris Dupont's beignets are a tribute to his New Orleans heritage.

By Jan Walsh
Photography by Beau Gustafson

Cafe Dupont's executive chef and owner, Chris Dupont grew up making beignets. As a boy he loved the beignets at New Orleans' restaurant, Cafe Dumont so much that he decided to try making them himself.

BBQ Bones

Bonedaddy's John Cowan cuts, rubs, and smokes barbecue spareribs.

By Jan Walsh
Photography by Beau Gustafson

John Cowan knows barbeque. And after opening Bonedaddy's in Lee branch earlier this year, his gourmet barbecue spareribs quickly became a favorite. He shares secrets for cooking your own.

Salmon Secrets

Shannon Gober shares secrets of John's City Diner Blackened Atlantic Salmon.

By Jan Walsh
Photography by Beau Gustafson

Blackened Atlantic Salmon is both an old favorite and a new menu item at John's City Diner. As a fish special the dish was so popular that it was recently added to the menu. "Our secret is using super fresh salmon, flown in daily. The blackening seasoning that we use is very savory and flavorful, but not overly spicy," owner/chef, Shannon Gober explains. "The misconception is that blackening has to set your mouth on fire. But our authentic butter sauces even out the flavor profile of the seasoning allowing the dairy to smooth out any hot characteristics."

Caviar Dip

John Krontiras whips up a bowl of Nabeel's Taramasalata Dip.

By Jan Walsh
Photography by Beau Gustafson

Taramasalata dip is a Greek dip traditionally made with tarama-the roe of carp fish. "Since Nabeel's Cafe and Market opened in 1972, we have been making the taramasalata dip," Krontiras says. The dip is served in the Cafe and available ready in half pound and one pound containers in the Market. "When we first introduced it, no one really knew what it was. Now we sell over 150 pounds of it a week in the Market."

Herb Abundance

Veranda on Highland's new chef, Tom Robey prepares herb infused oils.

By Jan Walsh
Photography by Beau Gustafson

Gardeners who grow herbs for cooking often have more than they can use. And the new executive chef of Veranda on Highland shares his method of infusing oils with these herbs. "Infusing oil with these herbs adds, flavor, color and Oomph to your plate," he says. "You can use any herb that has chlorophyll, such as parsley, basil, oregano, thyme, mint and more."

Little Rice

Chef Giani Respinto shares secrets for making GianMarco's risotto.

By Jan Walsh
Photography by Beau Gustafson

To make a great risotto you need the finest of ingredients, proper procedure and eighteen minutes. "The combinations are endless, but the procedure never changes," chef Giani Respinto explains. "When Gianmarco's customers order our seafood risotto, they are told it takes 18 minutes to prepare it."

Creole and Crawfish

McCormick & Schmick's executive chef Harvey Blanchard creates an authentic etouffee.

By Jan Walsh
Photography by Beau Gustafson

Etouffee is a favorite dish at McCormick & Schmick's Seafood Restaurant. The word, etouffee is derived from the French etouffer, which means to smother. And this spicy and delicious Cajun stew is traditionally made with crawfish, vegetables and a dark roux served over rice.

Spicy, Sweet and Rich

A towering tartare is balanced at daniel george.

By Jan Walsh
Photography by Beau Gustafson

The Salmon Tartare has been on the menu at daniel george since the restaurant opened in 2000. "Fresh salmon is always available, so it is always on the menu," chef George McMillan explains.

Go Fry An Egg

Danny Lasseter adds a crispy twist to Frisee aux Lardon.

By Jan Walsh
Photography by Beau Gustafson

Fire Restaurant & Bar's owner and executive chef, Danny Lasseter offers Frisee aux Lardon on the dinner menu. But he takes this dish a step further by frying a boiled egg.

Bruschetta Bite

Chef Benard Tamburello hand tosses an appetizing bruschetta.

By Jan Walsh
Photography by Beau Gustafson

Italians know good bread. And chef Benard Tamburello is famous for his. Tamburello has been cooking and researching Italian cuisine since his youth. And the scrumptious culmination of his expertise is served for dinner Monday through Saturdays at La Dolce Vita-including the bread. So get a bite of Tamburello's "sweet life" with his tips, techniques, and tools for a tasty Bruschetta [brus-KET-ta].

Glorified Grits

Clif Holt takes polenta from pantry to perfection.

By Jan Walsh

Photos by Beau Gustafson

Southern chef Clif Holt keeps McEwen and Sons Organic White Polenta, Yellow Polenta, and Blue Grits in Little Savannah's pantry. All three colors of McEwen's corn are imported from Michigan, milled at Coosa Valley Milling and sold at Piggly Wiggly and Tria Market.

Practice Makes Perfect

Fleming's partner and executive chef, Oliver Robinson whips up a divine Bearnaise sauce

By Jan Walsh

Photography by Beau Gustafson

From the French term, Sauce Bearnaise may have first been served at the Saint-Germain-en-Laye, a restaurant named for King Henry IV-who was born in the former province of Bearn and a gourmet himself. Not a simple task, Bearnaise sauce is an emulsion of butter in egg yolks, much like Hollandaise sauce. And it is traditionally served atop or aside grilled steak, veal chop, or white fish.

Shula's Lineup

Executive Chef Rick Daidone demonstrates five winning degrees of doneness.

By Jan Walsh

Photography by Beau Gustafson

"How would you like that cooked?" is a question that puts fear in the hearts of many diners. Odds are you have sent back steaks for being both under and overcooked on more than one occasion-or should have. And whether the issue is a chef who serves steaks his way or has a different idea of what medium-rare means, today's diners often feel compelled to describe in precise detail what they want to see on the first cut.

Battering and Frying Shrimp

Cocina Superior's chef Jess Bourgeois shares his six-step batter and frying technique.

By Jan Walsh
Photography by Beau Gustafson

Mention Southern cuisine, and traditional fried foods come to mind. Memories of grandmother's fried chicken, fried okra, and fried apple pies are so familiar you can almost taste them. But a new generation has come-a generation who has perfected grilling but fears frying. "People think that battering and frying is complicated," chef Jess Bourgeois says. "But it is an easy process." Bourgeois' process includes three battering stations and a six-step technique.

Baby Cakes

Chop chocolate with Alan Martin for a molten chocolate batter.

By Jan Walsh
Photography by Gustafson

Executive chef of Standard Bistro, Alan Martin demonstrates how to make a molten chocolate batter that is ready to bake-whenever you are. "The batter can be made ahead of time and refrigerated for a few days," Martin explains. "Just let it come to room temperature before baking. And in ramekins they bake in minutes.

BBQ Shrimp: New Orleans Style

Lakeview Oyster House's Kevin Witherington cooks up a hot dish.

By Jan Walsh
Photography by Beau Gustafson

The Barbecued Shrimp is a favorite appetizer among the regulars at Lakeview Oyster House. One diner drives all the way from Nashville for it on a regular basis! Not your typical BBQ dish, this barbecue shrimp is made New Orleans style and served with a loaf of Gambino French bread for dipping. "The dish has a rich, spicy heat, and the butter is the key to the richness. It mellows out the heat of the spices," owner and chef, Kevin Witherington explains.

© Copyright Birmingham Restaurants All Rights Reserved

Web Development by Infomedia

counter create hit