Chef’s Thoughts with Daniel Montano

Chef’s Thoughts is sponsored by barillafs.com.

Daniel Montano, CEC, is the Executive Chef of Berkshire Country Club in Reading, Pa. Prior to this role, he was the Chef de Cuisine of Myers Park Country Club in Charlotte, N.C.

1. You’d be surprised to learn that I am Bolivian.
2. If I could trade places with one chef, it would be Virgilio Martinez.
3. One of my most memorable meals was at Central Restaurante.
4. My go-to drink is a Jackie Chan. Yes, I made that name up. It’s just a Jack and ginger.
5. My last meal would be chicken wings.
6. If I could change one thing about my club it would be relocating the trash/dumpster area to the loading dock.
7. My favorite junk food is donuts, but they must be Krispy Kreme.
8. If I wasn’t a chef, I’d love to be an audio engineer.
9. I knew I wanted to be a chef back in Bolivia when my buddy Josh would cook the most wonderful meals for our group of friends. I would help him out.
10. You’ll never see chicken feet on the menu at my club because I would probably eat them all.
11. The most ridiculous member or guest request I’ve ever had was a rare burger on white sliced bread with a glass of milk. If you wondered if this member planned to dip his rare “burger” in milk and then chug the pink milk when he was done, then you are correct.
12. I love being a club chef because there is always a variety of events. It keeps things interesting.
13. When I’m not in the kitchen, I’m in my office or the dining room.
14. My biggest mistake when I first started as a chef was to think that only I could do the important kitchen tasks to “protect” my position. I know, embarrassing right?
15. I cook beef tongue at home, but I’d never cook it at the club.
16. If I could have dinner with one person, dead or alive, it would be my uncle Enrique. He always threw the best cookout parties!
17. The most valuable piece of career advice I’ve ever received was “Whatever you do, do it the best that you can.”
18. My favorite celebrity chef is Virgilio Martinez because this guy literally designs his menu by altitudes vs. regions. How cool and different is that?
19. The most important piece of equipment in my kitchen is a circulator. I am currently trying out the PolyScience HydroPro.
20. I want to learn more about baking because I do not currently have a pastry chef.
21. My favorite ingredient is any citrus. Butter is the most overrated ingredient. Salt is the most undervalued ingredient. I detest green peas, and I can’t live without Tajin.
22. I don’t like to brag, but I probably make the best chimichurri ever.
23. My most embarrassing moment in the kitchen was nearly dying of suffocation while doing the cinnamon challenge for 100 bucks. I lost and couldn’t stand the smell of cinnamon for a few months. Don’t do it, kids.
24. If I could have one superpower, it would be time travel.
25. My favorite cookbook is Culinary Artistry.
26. My favorite kitchen hack is the wine bottle “tornado” twirl.
27. I am motivated and inspired by my wife, Lian, and my daughter, Kali.
28. The hardest service of my career was at Myers Park Country Club. It had snowed a few inches that day. We called off most of the staff, but about 250 members showed up for some fun in the snow and for lunch, all at the same time.
29. The most popular item on my menu based on sales is the filet mignon.
30. I’d lose my job if I took snapper soup off the menu.
31. Flexibility is the most important quality in a sous chef.
32. When hiring, bad formatting kills a resume fastest for me.
33. My biggest professional pet peeve is when a team member always seems to call out on payday.
34. I will always purchase dinner rolls instead of making them from scratch.
35. The most important question I ask during the interview process is, “Describe the perfect line cook.“
36. The best excuse I’ve ever been given for calling off work is, “My mother does not feel like driving me to work.”
37. If I had to hire a family member, I would choose my sister because she is a boss at baking and pastry!
38. The best culinary gift I’ve ever received was an apron signed by Virgilio Martinez.