clam chowder imageik mx
I am a New England boy born in upstate New York but raised in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. I am a proud supporter of the Sox, the Pats and all things New England.
The smell of crisp fall air brings back fond childhood memories. The wonder and beauty of the changing foliage and the great flavors of the fall harvest are two of my favorites. Freshly picked apples, pumpkin pie, butternut squash, baked Haddock, lobster rolls, fried seafood, blueberry crisp and, of course, clam chowder are just a few staple menu items in New England restaurants. Who doesn’t love a good shepherd’s pie or a boiled dinner—anything boiled for that matter: lobsters, corned beef, clams, mussels, cabbage potatoes, pot roast? These are hearty New England dishes inspired by the English and Irish I grew up with.
As I was coming up the ranks as a young culinarian in the northeast, there was New England cuisine, and that was it. People traveled from all over the world to have a taste of our culture. If you wanted a different meal, you went to a specialty restaurant. There were very few mixed cuisines in the early 90s. Celebrity chefs and Food Network were just coming onto the scene.
In the late 90s, I became a seasonal cook and traveled the country working in high-end clubs from Florida to California and back to New England. Imagine my surprise when I went to Florida for the first time and grouper was on the menu. I thought, “What the heck is grouper and why is it on every menu?” The use of local ingredients in Florida was completely different than what I was used to in New England. My mind, at the time, was blown.
So, I did what we would all do in that situation. I dove headfirst into the Florida coast culinary culture and its big, bold, beautiful flavors like alligator, mangos, papayas, stone crab and Cuban sandwiches. All that blending of Caribbean and Hispanic flavors—what a change from Haddock topped with Ritz Crackers and butter!
Several years later, we picked up and moved across the country to the Valley of the Sun in Phoenix, Ariz. And let me tell you, this was another huge culture shock. I have always loved tacos, but growing up in New England tacos were simple and made with ground beef, shredded iceberg lettuce and diced tomatoes. There were never the rich and wonderful flavors we find here in a street taco. Chilaquiles, green chili pork, Sonoran dogs, fry bread, cheese crips and prickly pear are just a few of the ways I’ve seen a beautiful marriage between the Mexican and local Indian population’s food cultures.
As most chefs would, the first thing I did was head to the local food markets to bring home ingredients to play with. Having never seen fresh chorizo or the many different types of peppers, I had to learn, grow and change.
So, here is the point of all of this:
As I sit here now and reflect, 10 years and several private and public country club chef positions later, one lesson stands above all others: Food is personal, comforting, nostalgic, loving and epitomizes where you come from.
A simple butter cake is a staple on millions of dessert menus. I’ve seen meatloaf as the number one selling item at two clubs. And, sometimes, things like homemade headcheese spark the distant memory of a member who grew up on a farm. It may bring back fond memories of growing up eating with their grandparents, and they are thrilled to see it on the menu. (You also might get the look from a member who says, “You want me to eat what?!”)
We all love pizza, but we could debate for hours between thin or thick crust and New York or Chicago style (thin crust is best, in case you were asking). BBQ is another topic we could debate endlessly.
To be successful as a private club chef, I have to find out who my members are and give them the food that makes them happy. At Superstition Mountain Golf and Country Club, our membership is primarily from the Midwest, and they prefer the classic meat-and-potato style cuisine.
At the end of the day, I am here for our members. If they want meatloaf, turkey dinners and fried chicken, who am I to say no? To balance that, we have room to express ourselves through food and offer the upscale dining experience many of our members still enjoy during wine dinners and events.
As country club chefs we have the difficult task of pleasing our membership who we see three, four, and sometimes five days a week. The toughest thing to do is to set our ego aside and give the members what they want and, often, that comes in the form of humble food prepared flawlessly.fr49
