Kevin and I often say to one another - in moments of weakness - that we couldn't do this job one without the other. And now of course we say we couldn't do this job, neither of us, without Holly. So I thought, let's do an interview with our own "Top Chefs" here at the Brooks Tavern.
Kevin, as most of you know, came to Kent County in 1986 to open the Ironstone Cafe. Holly Childs moved here in 1997, to the Rock Hall area, and has done stints at both the Bay Wolf and the Osprey Inn. She has a 20 year old daughter, and is a very active member of the Really Great Cats Rescue organization. Let's ask them a few questions.
BS: Where did you grow up?
Kevin: I haven't yet.
Holly: I can't really say. I grew up everywhere. I went to 27 different schools between K and 12.
BS: Who had the most influence over your cooking style?
Kevin: Roland Jeannier, who was the chef at the Country Fare Inn, along with his sous-chef Bernard LaGarde. I was an apprentice cook there in the late '70s. I still keep in touch with "Chef".
Holly: Famous cooking personality, it would be Julia Child. Real person would be my grandmother. She could make a mean batch of soup, and if you can't make soup, you can't cook.
BS: What got you started as a professional cook?
Kevin: The idea of free food.
Holly: I was baking bread for a restaurant in Lancaster (PA), and then I moved to Key West where I bullsh**ted my way into a Salad Cook job.
BS: What are you favorite tools in the Brooks Tavern kitchen?
Kevin: The Vita Prep mixer, my knives, and the dough sheeter.
Holly: My little Braun stick blender, the dough sheeter, and the mandoline.
BS: What rule do you feel is the most important to enforce in the kitchen? ( and here Adam, the newest crew member pipes up "Use the rubber spatula". Heather adds "Wash your hands", and Christine chimes in as well "Talk about food or don't talk at all".)
Kevin: Stay focused on your work and the job at hand.
Holly: #1 is cleanliness; if you don't do your job properly you could kill somebody. I am also a strong supporter of the "No Show, No Call, No Job" rule.
BS: What is the most embarrassing thing to happen to you in the kitchen?
Kevin: That would be one time when I was at the Ironstone, talking to a customer, and somehow I was fiddling with the fire extinguisher and it fell off the wall and landed on my feet.
Holly: Oh, god, I've had so many...at the Pier House in Key West, where I was the salad grunt, one of my jobs was to make the staff meal for the entire hotel, about 150 people, everyday. The only rule was I could use anything that wasn't locked up. Well, I cooked a prime rib...it wasn't locked up, so...I almost lost my job over that.
BS: Is there any ingredient you use that might surprise people to know about?
Kevin: Crushed potato chips.
Holly: the Tuong ot toi VietNam Chile Garlic Sauce we use in the dipping sauce for the spring rolls.
BS: What is your favorite job in the kitchen?
Kevin: Rolling out the pasta.
Holly: Pounding veal. I like baking too, but when you pound that veal, if you've got any aggressions, you can make them go away!
BS: And your least favorite job?
Kevin: Answering the phone.
Holly: Dealing with people.
BS: What would be on the menu for your final meal?
Kevin: Start with foie gras, followed by cold fried chicken thighs, finished with anything chocolate.
Holly: First course would be mozzarella Caprese. Second would be rack of lamb, cooked very rare with wild mushroom risotto and asparagus, with a nice merlot. Dessert would be chocolate creme brulee.
Kevin, as most of you know, came to Kent County in 1986 to open the Ironstone Cafe. Holly Childs moved here in 1997, to the Rock Hall area, and has done stints at both the Bay Wolf and the Osprey Inn. She has a 20 year old daughter, and is a very active member of the Really Great Cats Rescue organization. Let's ask them a few questions.
BS: Where did you grow up?
Kevin: I haven't yet.
Holly: I can't really say. I grew up everywhere. I went to 27 different schools between K and 12.
BS: Who had the most influence over your cooking style?
Kevin: Roland Jeannier, who was the chef at the Country Fare Inn, along with his sous-chef Bernard LaGarde. I was an apprentice cook there in the late '70s. I still keep in touch with "Chef".
Holly: Famous cooking personality, it would be Julia Child. Real person would be my grandmother. She could make a mean batch of soup, and if you can't make soup, you can't cook.
BS: What got you started as a professional cook?
Kevin: The idea of free food.
Holly: I was baking bread for a restaurant in Lancaster (PA), and then I moved to Key West where I bullsh**ted my way into a Salad Cook job.
BS: What are you favorite tools in the Brooks Tavern kitchen?
Kevin: The Vita Prep mixer, my knives, and the dough sheeter.
Holly: My little Braun stick blender, the dough sheeter, and the mandoline.
BS: What rule do you feel is the most important to enforce in the kitchen? ( and here Adam, the newest crew member pipes up "Use the rubber spatula". Heather adds "Wash your hands", and Christine chimes in as well "Talk about food or don't talk at all".)
Kevin: Stay focused on your work and the job at hand.
Holly: #1 is cleanliness; if you don't do your job properly you could kill somebody. I am also a strong supporter of the "No Show, No Call, No Job" rule.
BS: What is the most embarrassing thing to happen to you in the kitchen?
Kevin: That would be one time when I was at the Ironstone, talking to a customer, and somehow I was fiddling with the fire extinguisher and it fell off the wall and landed on my feet.
Holly: Oh, god, I've had so many...at the Pier House in Key West, where I was the salad grunt, one of my jobs was to make the staff meal for the entire hotel, about 150 people, everyday. The only rule was I could use anything that wasn't locked up. Well, I cooked a prime rib...it wasn't locked up, so...I almost lost my job over that.
BS: Is there any ingredient you use that might surprise people to know about?
Kevin: Crushed potato chips.
Holly: the Tuong ot toi VietNam Chile Garlic Sauce we use in the dipping sauce for the spring rolls.
BS: What is your favorite job in the kitchen?
Kevin: Rolling out the pasta.
Holly: Pounding veal. I like baking too, but when you pound that veal, if you've got any aggressions, you can make them go away!
BS: And your least favorite job?
Kevin: Answering the phone.
Holly: Dealing with people.
BS: What would be on the menu for your final meal?
Kevin: Start with foie gras, followed by cold fried chicken thighs, finished with anything chocolate.
Holly: First course would be mozzarella Caprese. Second would be rack of lamb, cooked very rare with wild mushroom risotto and asparagus, with a nice merlot. Dessert would be chocolate creme brulee.
No comments:
Post a Comment