In the Kitchen

Spring is (almost) here...

It may not feel like it yet, but Spring is actually here. Food in spring always seems so fresh and vibrant, a transition from the hearty greens and squash, braises and stews so often seen in winter. Nothing to me speaks of spring more than a simple salad of shaved vegetables, especially with a light and lemony yogurt dressing. I snapped this picture a few days ago while we were in the test kitchen. A few roasted and chilled roots (the last left from winter), shaved first crop carrots and a few peas dressed with dill and olive oil. Finish something like this with a lemon enhanced yogurt feathered with whatever herbs you have in the garden and maybe a few slivers of parmesan.No recipe needed, just find inspiration from the garden.

 

Pick what's fresh, use what's growing, easiest to do in spring

What's on YOUR plate today?

 

Because it's the right thing to do

“To create amazing food, we have to start with the right ingredients. Placed in the hands of skilled local culinarians, these ingredients are transformed every day into amazing global guest experiences.”

 Using the above as a philosophy for what we do, Marriott International has taken many steps over the years to ensure our ingredient supply chain is of the highest quality and integrity.  We have led our supplier community on this front, and in effect positively impacted the supply side of our business, through programs such as our 100% traceable burger program (US MFST), 2007 global trans-fat ban, and the 2010 FutureFish sustainable seafood programs. What began as an idea in 2000 has now turned into over 100 kitchen gardens at our hotels across the globe, providing tangible context to customer demand for local and responsibly-sourced product. Over the last ten years we have witnessed a resurgence in locally-sourced foods, increased demand for organic ingredients, heightened awareness of health and nutrition,  and significant demand for ingredient detail.

Furthermore, Marriott considers animal welfare an important consideration as we work toward a more sustainable food supply chain, and is addressing these complex issues with our valued vendors who supply our hotels.  In support of the humane treatment of animals, Marriott International is directing suppliers to use only cage-free eggs and liquid egg products for any Marriott International egg specifications by 2015, expanding on our 2011 breakfast program policy requiring cage-free eggs in JW Marriott Hotels.

Regarding restrictive pens for commercial pork production, we are directing our pork suppliers to discontinue the use of gestation confinement crates in their production processes for any Marriott International pork specification by 2018.

Couple of happy hams at Stone Barns, Westchester, NY

Marriott is partnering with trusted suppliers to lead the industry in changes to the traditional supply chain. This multi-year approach provides the framework for the supply chain to retool in a thoughtful, responsible and financially-sound approach. Through sufficient notice, we expect those suppliers who wish to continue a long-standing relationship with Marriott International to evaluate their production methods to be able to comply within the target dates. Working together with our local chefs and suppliers, national suppliers and contracts, and in support of our responsible-sourcing global strategy, we are doing everything we can to influence how food we serve is raised.     

What's on YOUR plate today?

Sustainable Gardening

Ten years ago I had the opportunity to tour Alice Waters’ Sustainable Schoolyard garden at the Martin Luther King School in Berkeley, California.  I was incredibly impressed with the facility and humbled by the good work being done. It began our discussions about garden friendly hotels. In the ten years since my visit to Berkeley, we have built many similar gardens throughout our system- JW Marriott Grande Lakes, Boston Marriott Burlington, Cleveland Airport Marriott, JW Tucson Star Pass, and now our Corporate Headquarters.

Constructed in April and just planted on May 5 (a bit late, but we will take full advantage of the Washington summer), the Corporate Kitchen Garden will supply the development test kitchens and the surplus will go to support a local school’s culinary training program. The Culinary team gardeners also plan at least one Farmers Market this summer for the colleagues at headquarters.

While in Napa Valley recently, I popped into the Napa Valley Marriott and got a chance to s ee for    the first time the exceptionally designed lobby; their new bar, Vin Eleven; and their huge garden. Even by Napa standards, to see Chef Brian Whitmer’s garden is an impressive glimpse into what so many of our hotels are doing to activate our sustainable goals.

Brian Whitmer says “Our menu takes inspiration and guidance from the seasons,our new heirloom garden, supporting local artisans  and a passion for great food”. Seafood is sourced sustainably of course, but Brian also uses local cage free eggs, single farmstead cheeses, natural beef and poultry and additional organic produce. In fact, Brian is not alone when it comes to implementing our approach to integrity minded food.

 
The JW San Antonio Hill Country is a benchmark example. I wrote about this spectacular property in February of 2010 and talked about what they were doing, but recent vistors there have come back just raving about the food Chef Ryan Littman’s team is preparing. Breakfast in Cibolo Moon features items such as Huevos Rancheros with cage-free eggs. In fact, all of the shell eggs are cage-free, as is the case at many of our properties. Our JW Life approach to organic, sustainable, and responsibly-sourced food has included cage-free eggs as a key component. I have met with and continue to meet with the Humane Society of the United States, suppliers and distributors, and global sourcing as we discuss our desire to achieve a completely cage-free egg for our shell egg uses. Similar to FutureFish, our global approach to sustainable seafood, our approach to sourcing eggs and other protein hinges on humane treatment of animals and support for the environment. 

What’s on YOUR plate today?

 
 
 

The Future of Our Fish

We serve a lot of fish in our hotels and restaurants and though an exact tally is difficult to determine, it is safe to say it is in the million kilo range on a global annual basis. Figure the average fish is around 2-5 kilos. 200-400 thousand fish a year? Probably a number not too far off.  So it is with that as a background that we ask the question about the future supply and question how our current stock of fish is being managed.

 

Fact: 40% of menu sales come from fish and seafood, a number that continues to grow.
Myth: There are plenty of fish in the sea.

Chef's Move To Schools

Posted on our refrigerator at home are all the usual things that for some reason just have to be displayed- photo of the dog (as if he is never around to see), a kids birthday invitation, some magnet that I still don't know why we bought, and other items that seem to have no other home. But centered for all to see is the school lunch menu from my kids schools. Consulted every day, the menu determines whether 3 lunches will be packed, or if trip through the cafeteria line is in order.  Nine out of ten days, the kids ask for a packed lunch...thankfully.

I say thankfully because though our schools have made progress, we still have a long way to go to find great tasting healthy menus in the modern school cafeteria. Many of the vending machines are being removed, but we can surely do more. Chefs can be the link, and a new program called "Chefs Move To Schools" is a timely and innovative vehicle for us to get involved and bring a focus of help to the hard working school cafeteria and culinary workers. I call this "Operation Lunch Lady" in my house, though I don't think Jamie Oliver or Michelle Obama would prefer that moniker to the groundbreaking work they are doing. 

Las month, I had the opportunity, no, make that "duty," to be a part of the White House launch of "Chefs Move To Schools".  Michael Poompan of the Long Beach Renaissance was there as well, joining the nearly 1,000 chefs and culinary educators being hosted on the South Lawn by Michelle Obama and White House Assistant Chef Sam Kass. That's alot of white jackets touring the garden and collaborating on a national movement to provide culinary expertise to schools. This is really a local movement with global backing, the idea of pairing local chefs with schools in their communities. Simple really, chefs in the US have a website they can link to sign up and adopt a school. Likewise, chefs can sign up and be adopted by school that may want our help but have not been chosen. Really brilliant when you think about it.

 
  
 I am encouraging all of our chefs to adopt a school and be a part of this on a national level. Globally, we have the ability as well in each of our 66 countries to be involved on a local level, as the subject of child nutrition is not a single country discussion, it is a global need. I mentioned Jamie Oliver and the efforts he began in the UK. This is not just a US goal, this is a global perspective.

Ok, so we adopt, then what? Simple really, the chef and school administrator get together and collaborate on what each can do. It may be an agreement to do a series of cooking demos, speak to a class, help plant a garden and then cook meals with the students using what they have grown, or even make a special of the day with the school culinary staff, then help serve it to the kids. Imagine the response of the kids when they see a chef in uniform serving up a healthy stir fry instead of macaroni and cheese! Besides, what kid doesn't like talking to the chef? There is not a lot of investment or cost, just an investment of time and knowledge.

 
 

Words of advice, caution the creators of this program, "Remember, the school culinary professionals do this every day and have strict guidelines by which they must follow. Purchasing, food safety, approved nutritional balance, etc, are all very, very tightly controlled. You, the chefs, should approach the task of assisting with the understanding that you are going into someone else's kitchen. Learn what they do, what the challenges are, what they would like to do before rolling in to 'change' ". Well said. Oftentimes it is just a procedural idea- cook in smaller batches, keep the vegetables fresher, add a salad bar, make a scratch low fat dressing, etc - that can make all the difference.  Each school is unique, each need is local. Marriott's Spirit to Serve is a global thought with local action, and the idea of our chefs helping schools is perfectly aligned.

Want to sign up? Click on the link Chefs Move To Schools . I am adopting two schools in the Fairfax County Virginia Public School system, and I hope to see many of our chefs do the same in their communities. Together, we can make enormous impact.

What's on YOUR plate today? Healthy school lunches I hope! 

Renaissance 606 Congress teams up with Slow Food Boston

Today, time is the new currency and there is nothing worse than food that's slow, unless it's meant to be Slowfood.

Began in 1989, allegedly in protest to a large American burger chain opening in small town in Italy, the Slowfood organization has spread to 100,000 members in 132 countries. What is Slowfood? According to slowfood.com, "Slow Food is a non-profit, eco-gastronomic member-supported organization that was founded to counteract fast food and fast life, the disappearance of local food traditions and people’s dwindling interest in the food they eat, where it comes from, how it tastes and how our food choices affect the rest of the world."

 This past October 21st, Executive Chef Greg Griffie hosted a slow food event at 606 Congress at the Renaissance Boston Waterfront Hotel. Partnering with Slowfood Boston and Border Bay Junction Farm, Chef Griffie prepared a tasting of lamb, using classic techniques and menu preparations from a time when we all had more time to cook. Many consider lamb to be just a rack of lamb (typically one lamb serves only 4 ppl if they just order the rack!), so Greg took the challenge of using one lamb for the entire group, committing his skill and creativity to the nearly forgotten ways of cooking.

On the menu this night: 

Grilled lamb loin/chops,

arugula, almonds, lemon, extra virgin olive oil

Antis Malbec, 2007

Confit of lamb,

broth, barley, mushrooms

L Pira dolcetto, 2007

Rolled shoulder,

capers, anchovies, Gilfeather turnip purée

Vieux Chene Cotes du Rhones, 2006

Lamb breast au gratin,

mustard, white beans, kale

Albert Bichot Vieilles Vignes Bourgogne Rouge 2005

Glazed shanks,

raisins, garlic, sherry, white polenta

Clos Mimi La Petite Rousse 2005

Caramelized local apples,

pecan streusel topping, ginger ice cream

If you haven't been to a Slowfood dinner, it really is a wonderful way to relearn the uniqueness of eating as in the past, and discovering local foods/traditions. Photographer Mark Brierley documented the evening with great behind the scenes shots of what goes on in the kitchen during a serious dinner. Nothing slow here, just good food. Greg tells me he has more events planned, including a January dinner that promises to warm the cool of a Boston winter. Call 606 Congress to find out more!

What's on YOUR plate today? Lamb maybe?

 

Connecting Marriott Chefs and Foothill Farmers

A while back I spoke about the great work Jean-Pierre Marechal was doing from the Charlotte Marriott City Center with a network of North Carolina farmers. Soon, Jean-Pierre will be featured on the CBS World News Tonight with Katie Couric at the end of the broadcast as part of the "American Hero" segment showcasing the success of their simple idea of connecting farmers and chefs.

Begun as an idea to enable transformation of the textile towns and tobacco farms into sustainable communities, the Foothills Connect project was the brainchild of Tim Will, a retired telecom exec who had relocated to the Appalachians. Initially, the goal was to provide broadband service to the over 6,000 small farms, each with 5-20 arable acres. Most of these plots were no longer farmed, having given way to the textile industry until the 90's bust. The area needed a new industry.

Through divine luck, Tim met Jean-Pierre and discovered that what Charlotte's restaurants needed was access to fresh, local produce. "If farmers will grow what I need at a reasonable price, I'll buy theirs instead of having it trucked from California or Florida...and, I'll tell my chef friends to do the same" said JP, which was all Tim needed to hear.

 

With JP championing the chefs, Tim built an online ordering and communication network that has grown to 87 farmers in just two years. Jim Searcy is the most active farmer in the co-op, now growing 70 different crops that  two years ago had not even been considered. His produce can be found now on many Charlotte restaurant menus, including of course the first to offer local Rutherford County produce, Chef Marechel's Savannah Red at the Charlotte Marriott.

 

These accomplishments are garnering national attention, including the recent Purpose Prize award and $100,000 grant won by Foothills Connect. Providing viable sustainability through a dedicated chef's passion and network, Jean-Pierre Marechel has proven that by working with his community, a chef can make a real difference.

Read more about the Purpose Prize and Tim Will.

http://www.encore.org/prize/nominate?ref=winners.cfm

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/business/story/1020170.html

http://bulletin.aarp.org/yourworld/reinventing/articles/purpose_prize_winner_helps_farmers_and_chefs_connect.html 

What's on YOUR plate today?

2009 Food Trends

Every December the blogs, magazines, and newsletters are filled with prognostications of what to expect in the coming year. Predictions this year are that we will see more certified and sustainable fish, more small plate “tapas”, breakfast when you want, gluten-free, allergy awareness, and Peru as the new inspired foodie destination. While each trend author strives to divulge the most original trend, consistent in every trend report I have read is one overriding theme, Simplicity.

Say goodbye to Molecular Gastronomy and the unfortunate foams. Competing flavors with a litany of unrecognizable ingredients are finally making way for honest cooking, sensible restraint, and balanced innovation.

What will we see in 2009? Here are a few thoughts:

Simply right
The chicken is organic, anti-biotic free and most importantly, perfectly roasted, and not just the breast. Look for menus to showcase the chef’s great cooking and ingredient selection skills, wooing guests with their approach to familiar preparations. Tired of 18 ingredients on a plate that don’t work? The new cool is to make (5) or less ingredients work flawlessly.

Loca-vore dining
The new “winemaker dinner” is the 100-mile dinners where everything served is farmed, fished or raised within 100 miles or a short drive.

Eggs all day
If breakfast is the most important meal of the day, why not have it at dinner? Savory egg dishes (cage-free, of course) will be proudly placed on menus right next to the filet mignon. 

Celebrity Farmers/Kitchen Gardens
Ingredients are king, and the chefs who find the best farmers will give them equal menu billing and more credit for their great food. Look for heirloom and artisan names adorning simple vegetables! Don’t expect to see more organic labels though, these farmers farm organically, but don’t have the resources to comply with the paperwork needed to be certified. If there is a spare patch of land or room for a grow light, expect many chefs to start growing their own.

Local treasures
It’s-It ice cream sandwiches in San Francisco, Central Grocery’s Muffalata in New Orleans and Guss’ pickles in NYC will be celebrated with home town pride and sought by hungry travelers wanting a real taste of the destination. Look for travel guides complete with reviews of the best local dives and diners, the ones only the locals know!

Food Stories
From concerns of the environment to concerns of the waistline, food enthusiasts want to know more about what they are eating. Restaurants who weave positive stories about the food they serve will be supported by a hungry public wishing to do worldwide good through the mere act of eating.  

Custom pickles and vinegars
Chef’s will use the nearly lost art of preserving, pickling, and conserving to build flavor, save cost, and bring excitement into menus. Look for house made vinegars and specialty salt brines to be celebrated as proprietary chef secrets, and also available for sale.

Hold the Gluten
Allergies and food intolerances will be easier to avoid through better clarity on ingredients and preparation. Expect to see restaurant menus and servers identifying items that are free of peanuts, eggs, tree nuts, wheat, soy, or shellfish in an ever expanding manner of increased transparency. 

Flexitarians
More entrees will showcase non proteins as the main components, using meats sparingly or as flavor enhancement. Chefs are recognizing that even meat eaters will go veggie if they thoughtfully create menus that just happen to be vegetarian. Not a strict vegetarian, a Flexitarian will order a steak once or twice a year, but prefers to stick with non-red meat, fish, or chicken...in that order.  

In 2009, you’ll hear more of:
tastes like home; grass-fed; pre-ordered brown bagging a restaurant lunch; no more de-constructed  plates; good for you chocolate; single grove olive oil; cool frugality; grab and go wellness; buzz about bees; sustainable sushi; authentic condiments; destination diners; layer cakes with great icing; quality, choice and value; hot dogs are the new burger 
 

What’s on YOUR plate today?

Great insight into 2009! I totally agree with you regarding the flexitarian movement. There is a really great book that was just written by Registered Dietitian Dawn Jackson Blatner called The Flexitarian Diet. It has more than 100 flexitarian recipes and packed with excellent science based nutrition advice. Not that the Marriott chefs need any help with recipes but maybe you could look into teaming up with this dietitian on a project where she give her stamp of approval to your recipes? She is a well known dietitian in the field of wellness and nutrition based on all of the work she has done and displays on her website http://www.dawnjacksonblatner.com Anyway the book is great and everyone should check it out!

- ThirstyApe

The only caution on cooking "simple"; is that it takes a lifetime to master, and you are completely at the mercy of ingredients (and suppliers).  That isn't to say it shouldn't be attempted.

As a Platinum, I've liked the menu changes I've seen in several Concierge Lounges.  Vancouver has a crazy spread-  Vietnamese Fresh Rolls, Fajitas-  fun finger food perfect for grazing (and the best Concierge Lounge staff I've experienced).

Marriott should also look to revamp their wine program.  Like food, there are sustainable, high quality, organic / biodynamic, producers that make quality juice.

Washing down a plate of exquisite, simple food with a bottle of mass produced, lab enhanced wine doesn't cut it.

I look forward to the changes in 2009!

- Dirty/ Dirty South Wine

I stayed at a Marriott hotel, and I was really surprised by the food. Many business travellers apparently stay in hotels for weeks on end, but the menus really didn't seem to reflect this. On the room-service menu, for example, there were only a couple of healthy options, which you'd soon tire of. If you didn't have these, the other options looked very rich - things like burgers, pizzas, etc. I'm just genuinely surprised. If I was staying in a hotel like this for a sustained period, I'd have to buy in fruit and vegetables, and would be craving healthy options. Don't customers want more of these sorts of things - simpler, healthier, less-processed food? Something closer to food you'd eat at home, as opposed to food you have when you're eating out?

- Guy Dennis

Great Sustainable Fish

Sustainable, according to Webster's Dictionary, is “of, relating to, or being a method of harvesting or using a resource so that the resource is not depleted or permanently damaged.”

We hear a great deal about sustainable farming, fishing, and general food production. A lofty goal that is generally misunderstood and often lumped with other terms like organic, local, natural, fair trade, etc. I have attended many conferences, read all the books, and listened to the purveyors of sustainability, but still see more fog than clarity on the subject. A myriad of logos and statements from marketing associations, independent producers, and even country designations only add to the confusion. Alaska, however, is a unique fishery. Long before sustainability became cool, the state committed to managing their natural resources, especially the salmon, halibut, crab, and pollock fisheries. Scientifically managing yearly catch, and partnering with the fishing industry has allowed them to build an industry that will be fishing for many, many years. 

I recently attended a symposium on sustainability sponsored by the Alaskan Seafood Marketing Institute. In attendance were over 100 importers, retailers, restauranteurs, and a few chefs. A powerhouse of presenters, the day started with a live feed from Rome with the Director of Fish Products and Industry Division of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The FAO is the UN division that has applied a “code of conduct for responsible fisheries”, guiding the global community to develop sustainable fishing practices.

After a full day of presentations, we were able to get out into the waters off of Anchorage and see the source of such great fish firsthand. While steaming out to a glacier, I overheard the seafood buyer of a major restaurant chain wax on about the restaurant's signature dish…a marinated Chilean Sea Bass. Chilean Sea Bass, also known as Patagonian Toothfish, is a large fish found in deep waters in the Southern Hemisphere that for the last 15 years has been the darling of many menus. Impossible to overcook, meaty and mild, this has been a dream fish for many, but now overfished and nearly depleted. We have a long way to go as an industry. 

 
Instead of Chilean Sea Bass, I prefer to use Alaskan Halibut, Black Cod (aka Sablefish), Line Caught Cod or similar mild white fish species.  The best fish is the simplest in my opinion. Here are two of my favorites:

Halibut with with parsley, capers, and brown butter for 4

4 each   6oz (about 190gm) Halibut Fillet, about 1 ½ inches thick
Light olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
4 Tbl  unsalted whole butter
1 each  lemon
2 Tbl  Flat leaf parsley leaves
2 tbl  capers, drained

Method:
1. Pat fillets dry, season with salt and freshly ground pepper

2. Heat a sauté pan over medium high heat, add enough light olive oil to just coat the   pan.

3. Sauté the halibut fillets for approximately 3 minutes on each side.

4. Gently remove the fillets, add the whole butter back to the pan. Let the butter foam  up and lightly brown, then squeeze the lemon into the browned butter, swirl the pan,  add the parsley leaves and capers in one go.

5. Place the fish onto serving plates and divide the browned butter over the fillets   and serve.

Miso glazed Line Caught Cod

4 each   6oz (about 190gm) Line Caught Cod, about 1 ½ inches thick
4 Tbl  White Miso paste
¼ cup  Clam juice or Chicken Stock
2 Tbl  light soy sauce
1 tsp   light brown sugar
2 tsp  white and black sesame seeds 
1 tsp   thinly sliced scallions
1 Tbl  unsalted butter
1 tsp    rice wine vinegar

Method;
1. Mix the Miso paste with the calm juice or chicken stock. Reserve half for later use,  then finish the marinade by adding the soy and brown sugar to the other half.

2. Pour the marinade over the fish fillets and let marinate for 3-6 hours.

3. Remove and pat the fillets dry.

4. Spread the sesame seeds out onto a plate, dredge the fillets top side only into the  sesame, pressing in slightly to make sure they stick.

5. Heat a not stick pan over medium high heat with the canola oil. When hot, sauté the  fillets sesame side first for about 4 minutes on each side.

6. Remove to a warm platter.

7. Wipe the same pan of any excess seeds, then pour the remaining miso into the pan. As  soon as the miso boils, add the butter and rice vinegar, swirling to melt  the  butter and thicken the sauce

8. Add the sliced scallions, divide the miso sauce over the fish and serve.

 What's on YOUR plate today?

A Groundbreaking Chef

 Jean-Pierre Marechal grew up in Belgium, where the connection to the terroir and farmer is very closely linked. As the Executive Chef at the Charlotte Marriott City Center, Chef Marechal was constantly looking for the best possible ingredients to serve in Savannah Red. Yet finding the variety he was looking for was always a challenge. Surrounded by fertile lands and the Blue Ridge Mountains, why was it so hard to find great produce? The answer was found in the reality that for years the area supported the now shuttered textile mills and tobacco/cotton farms, not produce.  In February 2007, Jean-Pierre met with “Foothills Connect”, a North Carolina Business and Technology Center dedicated to supporting the development and growth of small businesses and entrepreneurship in Rutherford County.  Their goal: establish broadband connectivity to small farm families and create a market for their products to keep them in business. With Jean Pierre’s guidance, the Farmers Fresh Market Project was launched, linking local small farmers with a network of chefs and restaurants.

Upon the first delivery of food from Rutherford County farmers – curly mustard greens that had been picked just that morning – Chef Marechal saw the immense possibilities of the project. Since then, The project has grown to include over 65 farmers who now grow specifically for local chefs, some even setting aside acreage for specific chefs.

Here’s how it works: Jean Pierre views the available products in Rutherford County on  www.farmersfreshmarket.org. Jean-Pierre talks regularly with most of the 65 farmers on the site, and often knows what is likely being offered. Though many do not have the resources needed to document their practices for organic certification, these farms do live the credo of organic. Call it sensibly organic if you will. Selecting the farmers and products via the site, the orders are delivered to the hotel twice a week. Jean–Pierre also visits the local schools, working with the students and kids of the farmers, completing the journey food takes from farm to fork. The menus of Savanah Red and many catering events are teeming with fresh vegetables, local jams and honey previously unknown to the lucky guests of Charlotte Marriott City Center. You will also find local produce in the kitchens of the Charlotte Renaissance, as the farmers of Rutherford County can grow a whole bunch of vegetables!

The summer of 2008 has been the first full growing season in this fledgling project, but already clearly a success: food is fresher, more vibrant and nutritious. Food costs are stable. Local farmers are now seeing financial benefit of specialized farming, selling their product in the community they live. Information technology is being used in homes previously unwired.

This program really is fantastic, and I am hopeful we can take what Jean Pierre has accomplished into other areas of the country, bringing our farmers and our chefs closer together.

What’s on YOUR plate today?

?

Dear Chef,
What you did is fantastic congratulations and all the best.

-Mohamed Zaitoun

Questions - Part 3

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 third of three installments to a few of the questions I have been asked recently:


What's your take on cooking with organic and sustainable foods?

Organic really isn’t new though it would seem to be newly discovered from all of the media energy behind it. I think that’s always been the point of the slow food movement, to show the value of returning to a simpler, more seasonal approach to food and eating. For eons we cooked with the seasons and from the larder of the area. Modern technology of agriculture and shipping allowed us to expand the world’s diet, make foods available beyond the immediate region, and provide sustenance for more of the world’s population. As a result, the success encouraged more technology growth. Modernization may have gone a little too far though. It was cool to fly product from halfway around the world, but now with fuel prices, global warming, and all of the other carbon footprint concerns, the true cost of food is just now being uncovered.

Thankfully we are recognizing the importance of a global economy and a foundation of sustainable food sources with foods grown in a more healthful manner. Farmers Markets are now found in virtually every town. It may be cool and chic now, but if you think about it, this was the only way to shop less than 100 years ago. In the ever revolving circle of trends, it is great to see things come back to what is most important, the care and quality of the ingredients we cook with. Chefs can play a huge role in this, and they do so by insisting more data on the sources and growing methods used.

Does that mean we only eat strawberries in June, asparagus in April, and tomatoes in August? No, but eating locally and seasonally is something that we can be more cognizant of. Through selective procurement and environmentally conscious product selection, our chefs are rediscovering the purity of food.

We have great examples of Marriott Chefs doing incredible things with organic foods. Just take a look at Executive Chef Scott Simpson and the amazing team at the JW Desert Ridge in Phoenix, or Executive Chef Paul O’Conner and the Camelback Inn team. Both chefs lead by example, harvesting as much from their Kitchen Gardens, pursuing local sources for produce, and selecting truly artisanal product for their menu innovations. Simple food, great flavors, true passion. That’s what these chefs are all about.

What's on YOUR plate today?

It is nice to hear about Chef Simpson and Chef O'Conner. I know Chef Dean Max does a great job too! Marriott has the best chefs in the business!!

- John Gilbert

In some areas, using sustainable products might be a challenge, however one can start small. For example, if some local stores carry the products then they can tell you who the suppliers are. Start with one or two items that can be used as restaurant specials for example, I guarantee you, once you start other suppliers will present themselves.

-John Usher

Organic and sustainable ingredients are becoming the mantra of the day in kitchens across this country.
That is a blessing and also a curse. The blessing is that each of us in our own little kitchens can positively affect the food resources we use and the wholesomeness of the products we serve. For example, start small. Maybe growing some herbs to start would be a good introduction, look a local farmer's co-ops in your area, inspect your suppliers product lists to see what may already be available to you, but were unaware of. Also, be aware of proteins that are not sustainable andn in jeapardy of being wiped out. Items such as Chilean Seabass, which is in a precarious state of endangerment right now. Or, Orange Roughy from New Zealand, which has been virtually fished out. My point is to know what is available and deal with your guests/clients and educate them on options.
The curse of "organic" is that I fear soon it will become just a ubiquitous marketing term. The important meaning behind this food awareness could lose it's vitality simply from overuse of the term. This would dull our guests sensibilities to what we are trying to accomplish. To avoid this we need to provide good tasting quality food with organic products avialable to us. The meal is the reason they will come, organic products in the meal are the bonus.
Does anyone remember Cajun, Fusion, Pan-Asian, Nouvelle Cuisine, Nuevo Latino, Franco-Japanese, Comfort Food;American Regional, or any of the other Foodie labels that have littered our culinary landscape? Let's hope that organic and sustainable become a constant, not a fad.

-Chef John Usher 

A Green Kitchen

The entire globe will celebrate Earth Day on April 22, 2008. Since the first Earth Day in 1970, a great deal has been learned about the impact we have on our environment. Professional kitchens of hotels and restaurants have an opportunity to positively address this. We are an integral part of the carbon footprint chain, and have collective influence on those that produce, pack, ship and develop food in addition to the eventual disposal of materials used in its service.

In the Marriott test kitchen, compostable and recyclable materials are separated to minimize landfill refuse. Our disposables are compostable corn based products. Tasting spoons and plates go right into the green tub along with any food trimmings. Landfill items are separated from the few things that can’t be composted or recycled. This initiative really took hold in 2001 when longtime Test Kitchen Operations Manager and Chef, John Brunski, took on the challenge. John’s summer garden produces incredible heirloom tomatoes and vegetables, grown purely organically. His passion for organics resulted in a kitchen with a carbon conscience.  Nearly 30 years ago when I worked in Hawaii, we separated all of our food waste to trade to the local pig farmer for 2 luau pigs each week. We didn’t call it eco-friendly then, but in hindsight it was the ultimate gesture of resource management!  

Our hotel kitchens are turning green. The JW Marriott Grande Lakes chefs of Melissa Kelly’s Primo restaurant tend to their onsite organic vegetable garden, and the hotel’s kitchens separate all compostable material. We are addressing the energy used in our stoves, ovens, and grills through managing them based on when they are needed. An oven fired up at 3 and not used until 6 is three hours of energy with no return on investment. More energy efficient and quicker recovery technology is retooling how kitchens are designed. Low temperature, higher humidity ovens like the programmable Combi-ovens and C-VAP cook-n-hold ovens not only save energy, but cook food with with accuracy and flavor.  Building in the necessary space for waste separation bins in kitchen design is also critical for any serious effort to succeed. More importantly though less acknowledged, is the fact that better food production management produces less waste. It is estimated that 20% of the entire carbon footprint of food is wasted due to spoilage and over production throughout the food chain. Think of that next time you make dinner at home, or go to the grocery store without a list!

I am challenging our chefs to look each day at ways we can better conserve and be responsible stewards of our environment. Reduce, Recycle, Reuse. A good slogan, but real things we can do in our global effort of just making great food.  

What’s on YOUR plate today?

Heirloom Tomato Panzanella

Serves 4

4 Large Heirloom Tomatoes (about 3 ½ pounds)
(Suggested varieties Boxcar Willie, Aunt Ruby's German Green, Brandywine OTV, Stupice, Black Krim, Juan Flamme) Cut into Large cubes 

1/2 Pound-Country Style italian Bread, crusts removed, cut into 1” cubes
1 Cup-Thinly sliced Red Onion
2 Tsp.-Garlic, minced
1/4 Cup-Red Wine Vinegar
1/2 Cup-Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 Cup-Basil, rough chopped
1/4 Cup-Italian Parsley, rough chopped
Salt to taste
Ground Black Pepper to taste

Procedure:
Combine tomatoes, bread, onions, and hebs.
Whisk together the garlic, vinegar and oil.  Pour over the tomato salad and let sit for 15 minutes. 
Add the basil, salt and pepper.  Toss to combine.  Serve.

 I would like to applaud you and Marriott on all of the efforts to go green in the kitchen.  My family has certainly made an effort to do the same, and we eat as much organic produce and meat as possible.  It is nice to know that when we travel we can keep it up and eat organic on vacation.

On a different note...have you ever thought about adding more Gluten Free items to the menus nationwide?  Celiac's disease is so widespread now, that I among many friends and family would appreciate if hotels would add Gluten Free items to the restaurant menus and room service menus.

Thank you for all that you do!

-Christina

 

Spring Asparagus Recipes in Marriott's Test Kitchen

  April is here, and with it the thaw of a Washington winter first shows itself in the stalls of the local farmers’ markets in the guise of tender shoots of asparagus. Later in the season, asparagus needs to be peeled of its woody layers, but this time of year all you need is a pot of boiling salted water or a bit of olive oil and a grill. 

Asparagus is best when done simply, and in the test kitchen we try to keep things simple. A simple grilled asparagus with brown butter vinaigrette and poached egg makes for a great appetizer or side accompaniment to any dinner. Feeling a little adventurous? Try it with a Fried poached egg for a textural twist. The asparagus-fennel salad with pecorino makes a fantastic light lunch. Asparagus is available year round, but at its best in spring. Try these recipes from the test kitchen for a great way to welcome Spring.

Grilled Asparagus, Poached Organic Egg, Brown Butter Vinaigrette, (for 4)
1 Pound Asparagus, trimmed
2 tsp olive oil
Sprinkle of salt and pepper
4 each large eggs, Organic cage free
4 ounces whole butter
1 shallot minced
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar 
1 tablespoon lemon juice, fresh
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon chives, minced
Salt and fresh ground pepper

• Heat a gas grill or overhead broiler. Toss the asparagus in the olive oil and salt and pepper. Grill or broil the asparagus 3-4 minutes or until just tender. Remove and keep warm on a serving tray.
   
• Meanwhile, place the butter in a sauce pot over medium high heat and bring to a simmer until the foam has risen and receded and the butter is browned (It should smell remotely of hazelnuts.)
   
• Place the shallot, vinegar, lemon juice, and olive oil into a bowl. Heat the vinegar mixture over low heat or in a microwave to bring just above room temperature. Remove, whisk in the browned butter slowly to make a smooth dressing, add the chives and season with salt and pepper. 
   
• Bring ½ gallon water to a simmer. Add a tablespoon of salt and a teaspoon of distilled white vinegar. Poach the eggs until the just whites have set. Drain and top the asparagus with the still warm egg. 
   
• Pour the warm dressing over the asparagus and serve immediately, though your guests may not give you the chance to get it to the table!

Alternative suggestion: Asparagus with a crisp Fried Poached Egg

• Poach the eggs as instructed but place immediately into ice water. 
   
• Cool, carefully drain and place onto a plastic lined plate. Place the eggs into a freezer for 15 minutes to make them easier to handle. 
   
• Prepare a breading mixture of separate seasoned flour, 3 parts whisked eggs 1 part milk, and fine bread crumbs. 
   
• Take the heavily chilled but not yet frozen eggs from the freezer, pass each one carefully first through the flour, then the egg mixture, and finally the bread crumbs, coating each well so that there are no cracks. Place back into the refrigerator. At service time, heat 1 inch of salad oil or light olive oil until shimmering. (Hint: a drop of water should sizzle and evaporate on contact if the oil is hot enough). 
   
• Gently lower the breaded eggs into the oil, frying 1 ½ minutes on each side until golden brown. Scoop out with a slotted spoon, drain briefly and top the asparagus with fried poached egg and the brown butter vinaigrette. 
   
• Serve immediately and watch as your guests marvel at the soft poached, crisp fried egg!

Asparagus- Fennel Salad with pecorino for 4
½ pound asparagus – green and white if available
1 medium fennel bulb
1 vine ripe tomato, sliced into thin strips
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
4 basil leaves, rough chopped
Salt and fresh ground pepper
1 head bibb lettuce, washed and torn
1 head frisee or baby red oak, optional, washed and torn
4 ounces pecorino, shaved

• Blanch asparagus in boiling salted water, cool immediately in ice water. Drain and slice into 2” bias slices. Cut the fennel bulb in thin cross slices, place directly into ice water to crisp the fennel.
   
• Make the dressing: whisk the vinegar and mustard together, then slowly whisk in the olive oil. Add the basil, season with salt and pepper.
   
• Drain the fennel. Mix the fennel, asparagus, and tomatoes with the dressing. Divide the lettuces onto 4 plates; top each generously with the dressed asparagus.
   
• Sprinkle with the shaved pecorino and serve, ideally with a loaf of crunchy artisan bread.

What’s on YOUR plate today?

...I've been looking for a great fried poached egg technique for awhile..and this
is great!

Thanks!

-Dave

Organics And The Hotel Garden

Herb gardens have been part of many kitchens’ arsenals for a very long time. A rosemary bush or a potted thyme plant was not an uncommon sight in many kitchens. The idea of having fresh herbs at one’s fingertips allowed for fresh flavors to be added whenever needed. Fresh herbs are one thing, but restaurants are now planting serious gardens, growing lettuces, vegetables, and a few fruits for exclusive use on their menus.

Melissa Kelly lives the credo of an organic lifestyle, and is one of the most gifted chefs I have ever met. She believes that running a restaurant carries responsibilities far beyond great food and service. Her flagship restaurant Primo in Rockland, Maine is certainly off the beaten track, but is right at the center of the organic movement, with a huge on-property garden and even two elite-breed pigs that assist with the kitchen recycling. (Primo’s prosciutto is excellent by the way…) Using the Maine location as home base, Melissa shuttles back and forth from Maine to Primo Grande Lakes in Orlando and Primo Starr Pass in Tucson, both at JW Marriott hotels.

Primo Grande Lakes has a huge garden. Throughout most of the year the garden teems with herbs, vegetables of all kinds, and incredible tomatoes that are picked and served nearly immediately. The cooks all share in the harvesting and garden care responsibilities, and are led by the charismatic and gifted chef, Kathleen Blake, Melissa’s hand picked envoy is the essence of Primo.  Now doubled in size from its original 20 beds, the garden has weathered 3 hurricanes and 5 years of development and is a primary supplier to the restaurant’s ever changing menus. I spent an afternoon with Kathleen in February, and had a chance to walk through the garden with her. She feels a direct connection to the food she serves, and just a few minutes with her leaves you with a sense of that same connection. All organic, there is nothing more local than a salad that was grown 50 feet away from the restaurant, and probably picked by the chef who just prepared it.  Kathleen’s enthusiasm is contagious; the staff of this incredibly talented restaurant echo the boss’ philosophy of local food, with an organic sensibility.  Primo uses the best ingredients possible and is a huge supporter of local and small farmers, and fishermen.  Check it out if you are in Orlando or Tucson.

What’s on YOUR plate today?

Healthy Flavors

I recently had the pleasure of attending the Worlds of Healthy Flavors conference at the Napa Valley campus of the Culinary Institute of America. Three days of leading scientists, chef demos, and over 50 company representatives such as me, all focused on one thing – healthy food that tastes great. The CIA has hosted this for several years, and its effort to make sense of the science and trends are admirable and informative. We all want to be healthier.  The diet we choose plays a large part in that overall goal.

Many of the seminars covered the disturbing trends of increased obesity, childhood and type 2 diabetes, and coronary heart disease throughout the world. Chart after chart showed these trends are growing at a rapid rate. Processed and sugary foods, saturated and trans fats, corn-based sweeteners and fat free yet carb laden products are all targeted as culprits of an epidemic. The solution was obvious to scientists, if only everyone would just eat daily 3 ounces of fish and lots of whole grains and nuts, with as much leafy green vegetables as possible, all would be well. I agree on paper, but most paying guests would like a little more than that.

  I have three kids under 12, and each one is thankfully healthy and active. I understand, though, the challenges a parent faces with enforcing a healthy balance in their diet. Whether it is what they see on tv, peer pressure, or just the fact of parents’ reduced time in this busy world. Even my own kids will trade a plate of healthy food for mac-n-cheese.(Except my daughter, who watches the school menu and on the days she cannot get a salad insists on making her own lunch). My kids like to make their own choices, and often they will choose the fruit instead of the fries, but not always, which is ok.

Translating this to our kids menus, we have long included choices of fresh fruit and vegetables, salads, grilled chicken, and other selections in addition to the obligatory chicken fingers, mac-n-cheese, pizza, and burgers. Let’s face it, traveling with kids is sometimes a challenge on its own, so a balance of menu selections can reduce the stress of both parents and their kids. 

Eating healthy while on the road is something that one does not have to struggle with. I eat out a lot, in our hotels, in others’ great restaurants, and in others’ not so great restaurants. Though many menus may seem to be dominated by the top of the food pyramid, it actually is pretty easy to eat well. All of our restaurants have high quality oil and vinegar ready for guests to dress their salads as they wish. Lighter vinaigrettes can easily be substituted for heavier creams and sauces, and there is no special request we won’t strive to honor. More importantly though, chefs are designing menus with selections that are healthier and chef crafted. Whole grains and vegetables, olive oils instead of saturated fats, and other great ingredients play a larger part in menus now and in the future. Bold flavors are prominent, and we borrow from the healthy habits of the Mediterranean and even Southeast Asia for inspiration. Comfort food can be healthy too, because just like our kids, adults can’t get enough of the grown up mac-n-cheese loaded spiked with lobster, but now it can be made with a lighter sauce and cheeses naturally lower in saturated fat. Of course, there is no end in sight of the popularity of a great steak and simply prepared potatoes, maybe even with a side of asparagus slathered in, dare I say, hollandaise sauce, so have no fear, the food pendulum will stay in balance for all!

What’s on YOUR plate today?

Trans Fats (check), what’s next?

In January of 2007, Marriott announced we would eliminate trans fats from frying oils, French fries, and fried foods prepared in our hotels, which was accomplished in April. Frying oil was the most problematic. We were not willing to sacrifice taste or quality. I like to think the media pressure pushed the large oil manufacturers over the brink, as finally we could land on a specification that delivered a great tasting product, trans fat free, and distributable to our hotels. Much has been written about trans fats and why they are unhealthy, but what are they really and how do they impact cooking and the work we, as culinarians, do? 

First and foremost, a small amount of trans fats are naturally occurring in meats and dairy. Stop serving steaks or cheese? I don’t think so. The trans fats we are talking about are those formed in processed foods containing partially hydrogenated vegetable oils. These oils are typically used in replacement of saturated fats like butter because of their increased shelf life and long thought health benefits of lowered saturated fats. Remember the advertising slogans for margarine and all of the studies attributing butter and eggs as the cause of public concern? “That was then, this is now," say the food police, partially hydrogenated vegetable oils are actually harmful (an opinion backed up by the science). At least eggs are good for us again…Ok then, back to using butter? Maybe for some things, but saturated fats are still a topic, and a global movement is underway in the use of olive oil, canola, and other unsaturated fats for pastry, frying, baking, and general cooking. The fact of the matter is that avoiding and eliminating trans fats is relatively simple if you are using fresh, less processed foods in the first place, such as we advocate. Yes, there are things in the global pantry still manufactured with partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, but these are being eliminated by people like us who refuse to buy them until they are changed. Can it be done? Absolutely.

What is on the public conscience in 2008? Wellness first comes to mind – wellness of self, wellness of environment. What better way to focus on wellness than through food? Great food, with fresh and pristine ingredients, cooked with a skilled hand and steeped in flavor.  We will have a lot to say about wellness in 2008.

What’s on your plate today?

I think its about time they ban those fats, but i will also say this, the other fats are NOT dangerous for the hart that is a myth from a science dude from the 50s, carbs from white bread, white rice and nudels those are not good.