Marriott in the Kitchen

Questions - Part 1

Since launching this blog in January, I have received quite a few emails on the posting subjects. It is inspiring to learn of guests individual culinary experiences, and equally beneficial to hear our culinary associates viewpoints on food. Though I cannot respond to every posting, I thought a compilation of some of the questions I have received might make for further dialogue. Below is the first of three installments to a few of the questions I have been asked recently:

Who is your favorite chef?

There are a lot of great chefs, but I would not single out one as a favorite above all others. I really like what Cindy Pawlcyn does (Mustards, Grill, Back Street Kitchen, Go Fish). Eric Ripert is unbelievable with fish and just about everything he touches.  I think Laurent Tourandel really has a fantastic understanding of what people want to eat and his BLT restaurants hit the mark perfectly. But I am also inspired by the cook at the tiny Dottie’s True Blue Cafe in San Francisco’s marginal Tenderloin area. No celebrity here, just a chef who makes amazing breakfasts off of an old griddle in this tiny restaurant that is no longer a San Francisco locals only secret.  

What do you hope to accomplish with Marriott in the Kitchen?

I would hope that this forum will provoke discussion on food, what the global traveler/diner is interested in and what we as a company of chefs can be inspired to deliver. The response so far has been incredible, and hopefully this idea of blending food with travel with corporate perspective is of interest to those reading.
 
What kind of changes or initiatives have you led in Marriott's kitchens?

Much of what we work on is strategic and directional, providing guidance to the various hotel brands on operating in the food and beverage space. I am lucky enough to work with great people and get inspired by them each day. Robin Uler has led food and beverage and operations at Marriott for many years, and her ability to visualize what the industry will be doing in the future is truly amazing. All of the members of our team are excellent at what they do, and from our collective think tank we initiate change or initiatives designed to keep Marriott going forward. Whether it be trans-fats, organic food, innovative restaurant designs, simple cooking, global food and beverage promotions, banquets that serve great food (absolutely NO rubber chicken dinners), or bar food that appeals, each program is handled as a team. I play a part in that, but would humbly offer that I do so as part of a greater group of like-minded colleagues. 
 

Do you think Marriott guests and consumers in general are getting savvier palates? If so, why?

The days of a chef saying “That’s the way it’s supposed to be” and just being listened to are over…thankfully. This transition began years ago, probably when nouvelle cuisine was in its heyday and the public was just supposed to like it because it was new. That lasted about five minutes and then we entered the “everything on mashed potatoes” phase. Equally rough. Credit Julia Child, Jacques Pepin, and Wolfgang Puck for starting it if you will, but soon everyone had an interest in food and by the mid 80”s celebrity accompanied many chefs. The interest continues, and with that guests’ food knowledge has gotten very savvy and more importantly informed. Travelers often base the success of their travels on the food they experience, but not always in the way first thought. Gone are the days were “fine dining” was tuxedoed servers with indecipherable menus . Now, our guests demand excellent cooking skills paired with excellent ingredients… not the carved ice swan filled with sticky sweet sorbet served as that dreadful course once known as “intermezzo”. Trends are cyclical, but I sure hope that never comes back.

What's on YOUR plate today?

Managing Food Costs And The Backyard BBQ

Food prices are going up around the world. Rice has tripled since the beginning of the year; declining wheat stores have caused pasta crisis in Italy; corn and soybeans have been severely impacted by weather and fuel grain conversions. We hear about this every day and hear the same concerns in every corner of our Marriott globe. Our chefs are doing a great job through this, and we remain committed to our high standards of quality. 

I recently had dinner with some friends at Two Amy’s in Washington DC, a great but loud pizza restaurant. Incredible house cured salamis (Italian cured meats and Salamis) and the best dough in town.  My favorite pizza restaurant…so far.  During dinner and over the din of the dining crowd, the topic came up about rising food prices and what hotels are doing about it. After reiterating our commitment to quality, our supplier relationship strength, and the talent of our best-in-class chefs, my friend asked, “Ok, what are you doing at home”. I thought for a minute and then realized that we had actually changed quite a few things.  With three kids at home, food is a major part of my home budget.

What we do:
Buying what’s in season – Strawberries just arrived in my house last week! Items in season have the best prices and quality.

There’s more to beef than steaks – I usually fire up the outside grill every Sunday in the spring and summer. This year, instead of New York steaks there will be short ribs, all-day-brisket, flatiron, shoulder tender, and many of the lesser known but extremely flavorful cuts available for considerably less money. A Hangar steak and a skilled butcher can convert you from New York’s to the flavorful and tender steak the French have always known and sold as Onglet. Best at medium rare, but cut wrong and you may be chewing for a while! (Hint: Make sure the dividing gristle is removed!).

Planting a bigger garden- This year we have 5 varieties of tomato plants, cabbages, beans, fennel, kohlrabi, beets, carrots, leaf lettuces, peas, and an unknown squash plant coming up. Every year my goal is to get my kids excited about growing their own food,  and understanding that what sits on the supermarket shelves began with its own roots. Still working on that, but my daughter does water the garden for me when I am on the road at least.

Here is a menu and a few recipes for an early summer backyard bargain BBQ:

Menu
Just picked peas and mint

Real new potatoes with garden rosemary

7-hour brisket with rosemary and mustard

Just picked peas and mint
A great way to use two of the easiest things to grow! Pick enough English peas to fill a 3 qt bucket, and a handful of mint. Shell the peas, picking through for any that may be dry; plunge the shelled peas into boiling salted water for approximately two minutes. They should be bright green. Drain and place immediately into ice water. Cool, drain. You should have three cups of peas.

About an hour before the brisket is done, dress the peas with 1 tablespoon chopped mint, 3 tablespoons good fruity olive oil, 1 teaspoon lemon zest, sea salt and a good couple of grinds of black pepper. If you have a few radishes peeking up from the garden, pick those too and toss thin slices of radish through the peas. This is great served at room temperature.

Real new potatoes with garden thyme
I love potatoes, and the many varieties available at local farmers markets are usually great. For this recipe, fingerling potatoes can also be used, but check out what the market has.

2 pounds small variety potato, scrubbed but skin on
3 bulb spring garlic- sliced, or 8 cloves regular garlic-crushed
4 5” branches of thyme, just picked
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon sea salt
¼ cup good olive oil
1 tablespoon butter

Place all in a baking dish or cast iron skillet. Be sure all the seasonings cling to the potatoes. Cover the dish, and place directly into the BBQ (lid down) over low heat 1 hour before the brisket is done. Let slow bake for 30 minutes, then uncover for an additional 30 minutes, pulled off to the corner of the BBQ. The potatoes should be tender with a crisp skin, fragrant of garlic and rosemary.

Flavor hint: right before taking off the heat, splash a tablespoon of red wine vinegar over the potatoes. The acidity will really enhance the flavor.

7-hour brisket with rosemary and mustard
Brisket is easy, but long, slow cooking is best. Start this in the morning, go to the soccer game, or take a nap, but don’t fuss with or rush this, just let it cook on its own!
One 6-8 pound (2 ½ - 3 ½ kilo) Brisket of beef, surface fat trimmed to ¼”
Salt, ground black pepper
Over medium flame, sear the brisket on all sides until well browned. Season well with salt and pepper
One cup Dijon mustard
2 Tablespoon light brown sugar
6 branches rosemary from the garden,
2 cups onion, sliced
1 lemon, sliced
Optional – 1 beer of choice

Cross two long lengths of foil in the middle. Place the seared brisket in the center. Mix the mustard and sugar together into a paste, and then evenly coat the brisket. Top with the onions and sliced lemon. Bring the foil sides up to cover the package, leaving just a small gap in the top. Place in a rack off the flame of the BBQ grill. With the cover down on the grill, slow roast at approximately 250°F.

Resist opening the package! But do check occasionally to make sure the heat is not too strong from the bottom. Place away from the flame on a gas grill and pull the embers to the other side of a wood or charcoal grill, but avoid placing the foil wrapped brisket directly over the flame.

Let it go five hours, or so. Carefully take out of the BBQ grill and let rest, covered as is for about 20 minutes. Remove from the foil and slice as you wish, scooping up the onions and residual juices as well. Serve sliced with the potatoes and peas, and a decent bottle of pinot noir.

Oh, the optional beer. After 2 hours, make a small slit in the top of the foil and pour the beer in, then cover tightly again.   

Got a great grill recipe for the summer? Send it in before June 1st and we’ll post them here!

What’s on YOUR plate today?

Gadgets I Like

Everyone loves gadgets, especially chefs. One of my favorite tools is the simple Microplane graters that come in many different shred sizes.  We use these for grating everything from cheese to chocolate.  One of those “why didn’t I think of that?” tools, Microplanes were taken directly from the woodworking shop to the kitchen. Having personally shaved off more than my share of knuckles with the old box graters, Microplanes take the fear out of grating parmesan.

Not all gadgets are so simple or so useful. Go into any cook’s store and you will see displays of machines and implements that boggle the mind. Unnecessary tools developed for unnecessary kitchen tasks. Do we really need separate brushes for cleaning mushrooms, potatoes, celery, and asparagus? Most of these end up in the kitchen drawer never opened. Next time you are in the gadget aisle take a look at the tools, but buy the ones that actually save you time!

What’s on YOUR plate today?