The Taste of Nebraska 2010

Monday night I had the privilege of attending the Taste of Nebraska hosted by the Nebraska Restaurant Association. While I have attended this function for the past nine years, tonight brought greater meaning. The food was very different and offered me an opportunity to try foods and seasonings that I have not encountered before.















The menu consisted of a trip across the world.

Italy - Tuscan Chicken and Linguine Puttanesca
Mexico - Moroccan Beef with Cactus and Potatoes in Green Sauce
Greece - Braised Loin of Pork with Fennel & Lemon
America - New England Ale Poached Salmon with Shrimp Wild Rice
Asia - Crisp Roast Duck with Baby Bok Choy, Sugar Snap Peas & Pickled Plums

I actually tried each and every entree. Some I liked more than others, but I would eat almost everything again. We were also treated to a dessert bar, and I was able to meet many ProStart students serving. They did such a great job. I really enjoyed the evening and the food. I look forward to many more of these events.

An Interview with a Chef

Recently I had an opportunity to sit down with Michael Ferguson, father, sales manager, and Chef. Currently Michael is the Sales Manager for Hospitality Management Systems. They are the sole provider of MICROS POS systems. This is the computerized cash registers that the restaurant industry utlizes. Michael also sits on the Board of Directors for the Kansas Restaurant Association. His favorite past time is golfing.

1. When did you know that you wanted to be a Chef?
Hmm. I went to school to for mechanical engineering, which was my first career. I always liked to cook, and after a layoff decided to pursue cooking professionally. I figured since I had the opportunity to make a change, why not for something I love?

2. Where did you go to school?
I graduated from The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York.

3. What were your expectations before starting school, and did they change once you were immersed into the program?
Since I was a career changer I expected that getting a culinary degree would expedite the learning curve and help me move up the career ladder quicker. It did indeed to that, and having a degree from the CIA helped open a lot of doors, but I learned even though I was educated, I still had a lot to learn. Being a Chef has little to do with education. It has everything to do with managing people, marketing yourself and your food, being profitable for your restaurant, and creating excitement that puts ‘butts in chairs”.

4. Do you have any advice for a beginning culinary arts student? Absolutely. Don’t try to be creative while your in school. Don’t expect to learn how to be creative. Don’t bend the rules of flavor. First and foremost; learn the fundamentals. Learn the basic techniques. How to broil, bake, roast, braise, fry, saute, steam, poach. Learn how foods adapt and react to each process. Learn how properly seasoned food tastes and feels. Focus on your palate. Follow the rules. Once you’ve become proficient in all of that, than and only then can you start bending the rules. That’s how you develop your own style. Take baby steps, and remember less is more and simpler preparations require more care and respect.

5. In school what was your favorite class and least favorite?
Favorite classes were Charcuterie and Garde Manger. Least favorite was probably Restaurant Law.

6. Was there a ‘aha’ moment in school?
I did a salt tasting once. Thirteen different types of salt. It helped me learn how to properly season. When something has the proper amount of salt, it has a certain mouthfeel to me. Has less to do with flavor, more with texture. Hard to explain but it may have something to do with umami.

7. Where did you work while going to school?
During school I worked on campus at the student pub and for a catering company called Market Basket in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey. I did my externship at The American Restaurant in Kansas City.

8. What was your first job out of school?
Entrementier at Eleven Madison Park in New York City. Was promoted to Chef de Tournant.

9. Where have you worked? Not counting the places before school, and the places mentioned above:

a. The Firebird, New York, NY
b. Tabla, New York, NY
c. Lidia’s, Kansas City, MO
d. Arrowhead Yacht Club, Lake Winnebago, MO
e. Cafe Allegro, Kansas City, MO

10. Have you had opportunities to work outside the U.S.?
If yes, how do you find those opportunities? I had two opportunities. One in Ireland, one in Germany. I turned both down. Wasn’t interested in leaving the states. They were from contacts within the industry.

11. Currently you are working outside of the kitchen environment, do you miss it? Will you be returning someday?
I do miss it. I promised my wife when she became pregnant I would leave the kitchen. I see myself returning someday. I’d like my son to be old enough for me to be gone and not be negatively affected.

12. How do you measure your success?
The restaurant industry is my true passion. Using my experience to help restauranteurs to become more efficient and profitable is the best way for me to judge my success.

13. My husband and I have set a date to open our restaurant, I have a little over three years. Do you have advice?
Funding, funding, funding. The number one main reason restaurants fail is lack of funding. Other than that, find out what your customers want. It doesn’t matter what you want to cook...your not buying it. Cook for them and always keep your standards higher than your best competitor. Good Luck!

Coffee with Sam

For the past 40 years Sam Amato has run Amatos. Amatos is a family run Italian restaurant near 63rd and Center. It is Tuesday morning and they are very busy. We were constantly interrupted with a quick hello or thank you to his customers.

1. When did you find you had a passion for cooking?
The name Amato, I obviously am Italian. I would wonder into the kitchen as kid and watch, eventually I was allowed to help.

2. Sam, you and I have very similar histories. We both began our careers in the corporate world of copier sales for Xerox. We were both extremely successful. Why did you leave and did you immediately open up Amatos?
When time permitted, I would set up a 8'x8' stand at fairs, carnivals and other events. I would make Sausage and Pepper Sandwiches. I found myself during the work week at Xerox looking forward to working all day making sandwiches. So I resigned from Xerox and started making my Sausage and Pepper Sandwiches. It became so successful that I opened Amatos.


3. Any advise for a future restaurant owner?
Yes, for starter be prepared not to be sick or take a vacation for the first ten to 20 years. Seriously though, you really need to be there all the time. Second I would say put more money into the quality of the food. The atmosphere can come later. Looking around I see a lot of opportunity for atmosphere and it has been forty years. He sees me looking around and probably knows what I am thinking. Sam went on further to say. I come to work every morning at 6:00. I do what needs to be done, I do it very well, and then I go home around 2:00. We are not open for dinner.

4. Why not dinner? There is a great deal of development in this area including the new condos across the street.
Amatos has never been open for dinner. I do not want to be open for dinner. We are available for providing food for catering events, that is about it.
5. What are some of your best learning lessons?
I had to completely untrain everything I had been taught as a sales person. I had to learn how to listen and talk second. You have to not only listen to what the customer is saying, but also to how it is being said. It is our goal to know the customers name after their first visit. I want it to be like they are walking into their own kitchen. We like to call this 'Cheers without Beers'.




5. How did you create you menu?
We did not start out with a menu. Do you see the chalk board over there? That was it. Of course if a customer came in and wanted something different, I would make it if I had the ingredients. In fact most of the items on our current menu are based upon customer request or mistakes. Yes I said mistake. There is the Mistake Omelet or the Rod Street 321 named after a customer. The menu pretty much stays the same.



6. I saw you on an episode of "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" on the food network, tell me about it and Guy Fieri? What has this exposure done for your business?
When I heard Guy was coming, I was a bit concerned. I am extremely laid back and he seems so full of energy. I assumed that he would have some of the attitude issues like other Chefs that I had heard of. My assumptions were wrong. He is full of a lot of energy, and is a really nice persons. We had a lot of fun making Ricotta for my Ricotta and Berry Pancakes. That is what has changed, I have customers that drive up from Kansas City almost every weekend for it. In fact, we have a map of the United States as you walk in. See all the push pins. We have had customers from all fifty states and several foreign countries. That is what the show did for us.

7. Any parting words?
Once a customer enters your restaurant, it is your responsibility to make them want to come back.

Yes I do Desserts too

I love making desserts and they love me. I do not make them very often, but when I do, I try to guarantee I get my fair share. That is saying something in my family. They will eat Chocolate Cake or Hot Fudge Sundaes for breakfast if I would let them, or catch them. The evidence is often in the kitchen sink.

When my children were younger, they use to spend the summer at grandpa's in Dallas. Every morning, they began their day with Hot Fudge Sundaes. They still talk about that. The reason I mentioned Chocolate Cake is from an old stand up routine that Bill Cosby did. Basically he convinced himself that Chocolate Cake was a good choice for breakfast. "All the major food groups, eggs, flour, milk, butter. The foundation for a healthy breakfast." The kids are happy and smiling. Chanting, "dad is great, he gives us chocolate cake!" That is till she walked in, meaning wife and mother. I hope they do not see me that way.

Back to the desserts. I tried two new desserts this week. The First being Brownie Fudge Nut Pie. It was decadent, especially heated up. The second and my personal favorite was the Berry Shortcake. I made a sugar glaze for the Strawberries and Blueberries and served it over my first angel food cake, it was wonderful!

Chicken Spaghetti and Focaccia Bread

Decided to share another family favorite, Chicken Spaghetti. My kids would like on spaghetti, yes plain spaghetti with butter. When they were young I had to get creative to get them to eat and try new things. The easiest way was to add it to something they already loved. This is a very simple dish of thin breast pieces sauteed in a little oil or butter that has been seasoned with onion and garlice. Once cooked remove chicken and de glaze the pan. Serve with pasta or rice. This dish can be made in so many different ways by changing what ingredients you use in your sautee and what liquids you de glaze the pan with. Have fun and try new variations.

First menu item found!

Italian cuisine has always been a passion of mine. A new family favorite is Chicken with Sauteed Onions, Garlic and Tomatoes. The aromas were tantilizing. One of the easiest chicken dishes that I have prepared. Guess what? It is a one dish meal. I made a tomato conassee, and a chiffonade of the basil. I think this one will be on the menu.

A Visit to Tussey's

Last Monday I visited Tussey's for lunch. I was promptly greeted and seated. So far so good. It took another ten minutes for a server to approach me. I ordered the Napa Chicken Grilled Sandwich. It consisted of a whole wheat bun, grilled chicken breast, sauteed artichoke hearts and red peppers, and provolone cheese. There were several side choices, I selected fries. My food was out on the table in less than 6 minutes. The chicken had to be par cooked and it tasted a bit dry, but the artichoke hearts with red peppers and cheese was wonderful. The portion of fries could have fed another guest as well. Overall I give Tussey's 3 Stars.