Chef's Kitchen

Each month, a guest chef gives us a tip that elevates their cooking or simplifies things in the kitchen; something a home cook might not know. They also provide a recipe that uses the tip, so you can practice at home. Our guest chef this month is the Director of Culinary Operations at Gourmondo, a catering/café food company that makes their own dressings, sauces, and marinades. They also make their own pastries, desserts, and cookies in their onsite bakery. During the pandemic, they fed homeless women and youth, low-income elderly, school children facing food insecurity, and frontline workers. They're now moving forward with catering and cafes, but will continue to support the community.

Tyler has had a very Seattle kitchen background: both Opal and Orrapin Thai Cuisine on Queen Anne, sous chef at The Rainer Club, executive chef at Columbia Hospitality (Salish Lodge, Cedarbrook Lodge), The Meridian Valley Golf and Country Club, The Columbia Tower Club, and The Seattle Tennis Club before moving to Gourmondo as Operations Chef for over four years and three as their Director of Culinary Operations. He prefers techniques over recipes and that's how he cooks at home with his family. "It makes me a better culinarian to have techniques I can then take and apply in other places, should I want to modify and create something in the future."

Delicious potatoes you can use in several ways
By Tyler Hefford-Anderson, Gourmondo Director of Culinary Operations

Once you've cooked the potatoes, they can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours. Since they've been seasoned, you can eat them cold in a salad, or with seasoned mayonnaise, or dressing. If you want to use them as a side dish, toss them in lemon olive oil, parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, and butter after cooking, then serve warm.

Roasted Petite Winter Potatoes with Lemond and Herbs

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

About 2 pounds of small winter potatoes (this is a fun place to experiment with different varieties you can find currently in the grocer or at those year-round farmers markets, but baby reds work just fine too)

To add into the pot:

• 1 stem fresh rosemary
• 3 fresh, whole cloves garlic
• 2 bay Leaves
• Kosher salt, to taste

To toss with the potatoes:

• 1.5 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
• 2 tbsp fresh garlic, minced

· 1.5 tsp salt, (kosher or otherwise; I am very partial to the Madrona smoked sea salt from San Juan Island Sea Salt sanjuanislandseasalt.com)

• .5 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
• 2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

To finish the potatoes:

• 2 tbsp Lemon Olive Oil
• 1 tbsp fresh, chopped Italian parsley
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• .5 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 tbsp whole butter

Method

1. Fill a medium sized pot with water, you want lots of room for the potatoes to move around. Add the rosemary stem, garlic cloves, and bay leaves. Over medium high heat, bring the water to a boil.

2. Wash and split the potatoes while you wait for the water to boil. Once the water is hot, add enough kosher salt to make the water taste like the sea. Add a good bit in, give it a stir, and a taste. This step takes quite a bit of salt, so don't be bashful.

3. Once the water comes to a full boil, add the potatoes. Boil them until when you remove one and check it, is looks slightly translucent inside. They should be cooked, but not mushy like you were making mashed potatoes (if you happen to overcook them, strain them, and make mashed potatoes!). Remove them and cool immediately under cold water in a colander. Remove the rosemary stem, garlic cloves, and bay leaves and discard. Once cold, the potatoes can be kept in the fridge for up to 24 hours. (Since you seasoned them, at this point they are great for eating cold in a salad, or with some seasoned mayo, or dressing).

4. When ready to roast, heat your oven to 400 degrees. Toss the potatoes with the chopped rosemary, minced garlic, cracked black pepper, and the 6 grams of salt. Lay in a single layer on a pan or cookie sheet. Roast in the oven until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Remember: you already cooked the inside of the potatoes, you are just getting them nice and brown.

5. When golden brown and delicious, remove and toss in a large bowl with the lemon olive oil, parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, and butter. Toss vigorously. The butter will melt and make a nice creamy glaze on the potatoes. Serve immediately on a cold winter night to as many friends as possible.

January 2023

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