Time to take another trip back down memory lane. This Throwback Thursday post is an interview I did with Chef Christopher Gross for DAPs Magic‘s Geek Eats. With Chef Gross’ recent news of being awarded the Arizona Culinary Hall of Fame’s Lifetime Achievement Award, it felt appropriate to share this interview.
We had the pleasure of meeting Chef Gross at Check, Please! Arizona Festival after his panel with other James Beard award winners from Arizona and again at the Scottsdale Culinary Festival’s Great Arizona Picnic. His unique attitude towards food, the culinary industry and life in general intrigued us (not to mention he knew Julia Child! Though Matthew was more impressed he rode motorcycles and owns a Ducati) and we knew we wanted to speak with him more.
Highly regarded in his field, Chef Gross’ awards are many. He was named one of America’s 10 Best New Chefs by Food & Wine Magazine, his restaurant was named Best New Restaurant by William Rice of the Chicago Tribune and Best New Restaurant by John Mariani of Esquire. Perrier Jouet and the James Beard Foundation named him Best Chef Southwest and he was the first chef in Arizona to be honored with the Robert Mondavi Culinary Award of Excellence. Christopher has also been featured on numerous panels with Jacques Pepin and Julia Child at the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen. He and his recipes have appeared in numerous cookbooks, including the Julia Child PBS series and cookbook “In the Kitchen with Master Chefs.”He has been a featured chef for the James Beard Foundation Dinner of the Decade, and cooked for Presidents Ford, Reagan, Bush as well as former Vice President Al Gore and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Chef Gross was a founder of the Arizona chapter of the American Institute of Wine and Food (AIWF), is on the National Board for the American Liver Foundation, has served as co-chair of the American Liver Foundation’s “Flavors of Phoenix,” and was Chair of the Share Our Strength’s “Taste of the Nation.” Christopher was also on the National Advisory Boards for the James Beard Foundation and for the Art Institute of Phoenix.Chef Gross’ culinary legacy continues with his latest endeavor, Christopher’s & Crush Lounge, named one of the Top 10 New Restaurants in the U.S. by Gayot.com.
How long have you been a chef?
I got my first chef job in 1980, about 35 years.
What inspired you to become a chef?
My love of racing motocross, for which I needed money.
What training did you go through?
I worked in kitchens here in Phoenix, then went for 2 years in L.A. Following that I moved to London to work for about a year and then to Paris for about 2 years.
What is your favorite thing to cook?
Roast chicken
Did any pre-conceived notions about cooking change once you became a chef?
Not really. Except that a good chef should know how to be a pastry chef as well and to learn wine.
What is the best thing about being a chef?
A lot. Meeting people, travel, doing what you love to do, eating and drinking.
What is the worst thing about being a chef?
The hours.
Are there any foods you hate to cook?
Anything I don’t like to eat myself.
Do you find TV chefs inspirational or annoying to the culinary community? Why?
Annoying, look at most of the ads or commercial breaks; they are selling Crisco salad dressing and their demographics are not really for people who love good food, its just TV.
Who has been most influential in your culinary career?
There are too many people name.
What were your inspirations when you created the menu for Christopher’s?
The end product.
After you won a James Beard award how did your career change?
It became a little more business and I was asked to travel more; doing events all over the world such as a wine expo in France, cooking in China, Thailand, South America, all over Europe and the USA.
Can you share one kitchen tip with our readers?
Taste everything and taste again; don’t be afraid of salt.
Do you have any advice for someone who wants to become a chef?
Learn to cook first. Too many young cooks want to be the TV chef and create stuff before they even know how to cook or taste well.
Can you share one of your favorite recipes with our readers?
See below for Chef Gross’ Lobster Pasta and Portabella Pasta with Tomato Tea
We love revisiting our old Geek Eats interviews for Throwback Thursday! Congratulations again to Chef Gross for being awarded the Scottsdale Culinary Hall of Fame’s Lifetime Achievement Award! Thanks also go out to him for taking the time way back when to do this interview! Is there someone you’d like to Geeks to interview? Let us know in the comments below or on Twitter using the hashtag #GeekEats and we will try to make it happen!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup flour, heaping
- 1/2 cup semolina flour, heaping
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 12 egg yolks
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 6 large, ripe tomatoes
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/2 cup fresh herbs (chervil, tarragon, basil, etc.), finely chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Vegetables of your choice
Instructions
- Place flour, salt and pepper in a food processor.
- Start processor and add olive oil and egg yolks blend until the dough starts to form a ball. If dough is too wet, gradually add more flour. If the dough is too dry, adjust by adding more egg yolks. When finished, wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it rest for 30 minutes.
- Roll with a pasta machine or by had with a rolling pin as thin as possible.
- Cut the pasta as desired.
- Add 2 oz. of raw Lobster Roe to beginning of recipe and proceed and continue with remaining instructions.
- Garnish with lobster medallions.
- Add powder till black, about ¼ cup
- Using a blender, puree tomatoes and garlic.
- Place the juice in a saucepan and simmer over medium heat for 30 minutes.
- As juice is reducing, gently remove red tomato mousse that is forming at top and reserve.
- Strain all liquid on top of a coffee filter.
- Using soup spoons, form quenelles from mousse for garnish.
- Serve hot or cold.
- Chef's Note: Broth is also great for Bloody Mary martinis by shaking with 4 oz. of vodka.
