Tag Archives: Grant Achatz

Interview with Master Chef Richard Rosendale

The 8th Annual Pebble Beach Food & Wine event this month, I got to sit down and interview this Master Chef Richard Rosendale at the pebblebeach-tennisclub2beautiful Pebble Beach Resorts – The Beach and Tennis club, with the breathtaking view of Stillwater Cove in Pebble Beach. Chef Rosendale looks even younger in person, with a bright smile, and warm personality, greeted me nicely at the Dining Room here. Chef Rosendale is a Certified Master Chef, a distinction earned through the American Culinary Federation. The grueling 130 hour cooking exam held at the Culinary Institute of America has a 90% fail rate and only 67 chefs have ever made it through successfully, Chef Rosendale being the youngest to ever pass the exam. The Exam is detailed in the book “Soul of a Chef” walking readers through this culinary marathon that few dare to take. Chef Rosendale is also the most internationally competitive chef with over 55 International cooking competitions under his belt and there will be many more to come. So having to sit down with chef and photograph him at Pebble Beach Food & Wine, I can only say that it’s a privilege for me to be here.

Why did you choose to participate at the Pebble Beach Food & Wine?
What not to love about this wonderful culinary event, with a lot of chef richard rosendale great chefs, somms, industry people, fans, and a great networking event too. Since I was involved with Ment’or and the BOCUSE D’OR, on this year event, I got to cook along with other top chefs at “The Culinary Olympics, The Ment’or dinner” on Friday and Saturday. Each of us got to cook a dish, and this time, I got to cook the main dish, 48 hour short ribs & Steaks were cooked to perfection last night. Plus look at this stunning view and weather around us here at Pebble Beach, I kind of feel guilty to send my wife the picturesque view photo today. 

Tell us about the BOCUSE D’OR experience?
BOCUSE D’OR is the most demanding five-hour cooking competition in the world; I was mentored and trained with top chefs chef richard rosendalefrom round the country, including chefs Thomas Keller, Daniel Boulud, and Grant Achatz. I was the USA Champion and earned the right to represent the USA in Lyon, France where we cooked against 22 other countries, finishing in the top third of the field. My experience during this competition was filmed and turned into a documentary called THE CONTENDER that will be released sometime in 2015. I had a lot of fun during my time in Lyon, France and a lot of respects for my mentors and competitors. It’s a great honor to represent my country.

What have you been doing, since you left the Tavern Room Greenbrier Resort in West Virginia?
I’ve started my company at www.RichRosendale.com where I share some of my favorite recipes, offer cooking classes for other chefs as mentor-dinner at Pebble Beachwell as home cooks, and focus of our dinner event planning. I’ve cooked for many high clienteles, celebrities, the Dubai Royal family, foreign dignitaries and supervised meals for U.S. congress and the President of the United States, where I plan the whole dinner as an experience that would be memorable for them.

Beside my business, I’m currently involved with the CBS TV Show “Recipe Rehab” http://cbsdreamteam.com/recipe-rehab/ air on Saturday morning on CBS nationwide – Families submit their favorite high-calorie, family-style recipes, chef Vikki Krinsky and myself face off in a head-to-head competition to give the recipes a low-calorie twist, and the family chooses their new favorite. This recipe makeover challenge helps to transform America’s family favorite dish into a healthier meal, approachable, easy to cook, and nutrition dense. We have aired over 70 shows already and counting. I’m glad to have make a difference with the show, just how I would cook for my family.

 What would you say your style of cooking is?
chef richard rosendale2I was influenced at an early age by my Italian and German grandmothers. However, a lot of my style of cooking is heavily influenced by my world traveling experiences. I enjoy lighter food, but with nice flavor profile, I cook just about everything. I teach BBQ class to sous vide technique, from a light dish to a world class competition dish, I’ve done it all.

Since you have cooked for some for the royal families, celebrities, and politicians, who is your favorite people to cook for?
My favorite people to cook for are for my family, my lovely wife Laura and three kids. Wish they can be here with me right now at Pebble Beach, but maybe next time, when my one year old daughter gets a little older. And I can’t wait to be home to cook for them.

Thank you chef Richard Rosendale for taking your time from the hectic schedule at cooking for the Ment’Or Dinner at Pebble Beach Food & Wine to sit down with us, all the best to you chef, and we’re looking forward to see you on the road again soon.

To follow Chef Richard Rosendale:
https://instagram.com/richrosendale
https://twitter.com/RichRosendale
http://cbsdreamteam.com/recipe-rehab/

by Manda Bear – TwitterInstagram

Dining with Flynn, Chef Flynn McGarry, Eureka,

Chef Flynn McGarry was cooking at the age of 10, seriously, in his kitchen/bedroom. He’s now 16 years old, offers EUREKA – Los Angeles, a pop up  monthly to serve his fans. Chef Flynn continues to create tasting menus for EUREKA with pop ups in New York and

FlynnMcGarryrecently with summer pop ups in DTLA. And the latest one was at the Michelin Starred Atelier Crenn in San Francisco where I got lucky to score a reservation in late January 2015.

This prodigy young and talented chef had been self taught and his unifirst cook book was The French Laundry, yes, true story. Flynn has been staged at 3 Michelin Star Alinea in Chicago with chef Grant Achatz, as well as Eleven Madison Park in New York City with chef Daniel Humm, and work a long side of many talented chefs in Los Angeles.

I have been following him a little while and was so impressed with his discipline, dedication, love and passion for cooking, it’s just simply unbelievable.

steakWhen I was 12-16, I was a typical teenager running around school doing our teenager things! Look at this young bright chef-in-the-making.

He was on Time magazine’s 25 most influential teens list and his EUREKA pop up appeared on Zagat’s 30 under 30 Los Angeles 2014 list.

He has been on so many major magazines around the country as well as cooked on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
TODAY show with Chef Daniel Boulud, and was featured on NBC sunchokeNightly News.

For $160 tax and tips inclusive, for the dinner pop up, he served us 14 dishes, progressive new American cuisine. The ingredients he offers is high quality; the technique is truly Michelin Star style.

– Foie Gras
– Egg Yolk cured and gel with saffron, raw squash, yellow beet
– Razor clam
– Lobster roll – delicious
– Uni – brined in sea water with carrot and coffee was delicious and unusual pairing.
– Kohlrabi – confit in cheese fat was so good.
– pumpkin – roasted with mulling spices, bacon, Apple cider
– Sunchokes – pistachio, pear, barigoule – this was so tasty.
– Passmore Ranch sturgeon – grilled in cabbage leaves w/ cauliflower, ham hock, cabbage and sturgeon roulade.
– 21 days aged beet – bordelaise, wilted greens – interesting taste, fascinating flavor.
– Yorkshire pudding – I got to ask for more
– Belcampo Farms ribeye – grilled over Japanese charcoal with celery root, chicories, preserved lemon, amaranth – wish it was a bigger bite! Love the aromatic charred.
– Pistachio, frozen yogurt, cake, white chocolate, Meyer lemon.
– Coffe and parsnip
– Mignardises

Passmore-Ranch-TurbotService by the staff at Atelier Crenn was excellent.

Chef was working hard in the kitchen. He made sure every single dish left the kitchen was perfect. I got to chat with him for a bit. He was a little shy, skinny, and tall with handsome blonde hair. My girlfriends were teasing, we got to wait 2 more years till he turns 18, seriously.

Flynn-BearIt was a memorable meal, keep in mind he’s barely 16 years old. With this rate going, I’m not surprise he’s going to own his restaurant in a few years, and will be the youngest Michelin Star chef ever, in-the-making. I say 5 years from now!

Follow him on IG:  www.Instagram.com/DiningwithFlynn
Follow him on Twitter: www.Twittercom/DiningwithFlynn

by Manda Bear – @1MandaBear