MarriottintheKitchen

It's June and the news is all about tomatoes. Nothing says SUMMER more than the "fruit disguised as vegetable." There is no better harbinger of the summer garden than the perfectly ripe tomato, just picked and dressed with a sprinkle of sea salt and fruity olive oil. The anticipation of the perfect BLT has been clouded by headlines cautioning US consumers to be wary of tomatoes, especially the commodity red round and roma varieties. Marriott responded quickly with confidence in our redundant safe-sourcing protocols, and are ensuring our supply line of tomatoes are only from those growing areas free of any concern. In fact, the red round and roma varieties don't make...

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...

One of my first cooking memories was helping my mom make soup. I know, most kids made cookies with their mom. I made soup at the age of 9. Kind of foretold my future, I guess you would say. Each April, Marriott participates in "Take Your Children to Work Day". Bustling through the hallways of the corporate office, peeking up from behind the front desk in our hotels, and showing up as shadow servers in the restaurants, the kids of Marriott were all over the place on April 24! Kids love to cook, (though maybe not every kid wants to make soup), and chefs love to show kids...

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...

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...

Each year since 1998, Marriott and Renaissance Hotels nominate their chefs for the Award of Culinary Excellence, an internal company award based on creativity, overall dining, leadership, training of others, measured improvement, and personal development. The Chefs of the Year are the two highest scoring chefs. If you are at the Marriott Hanover New Jersey, stop in and say hi to Philip Medora, The Marriott Chef of the Year. While in Boulder at the Renaissance Suites Flatiron, Alexander Porter, Renaissance Chef of the Year, will show you why his Flatz Restaurant has been such a local favorite! Mid-September is a perfect time to visit Boston...