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Christopher51 Perfil del Chef
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I’m originally a New York City boy, born in ‘51 in Manhattan and raised in Jackson Heights, Queens. In the mid 60’s we moved out of the city to the country, Huntington, Long Island; and had lived there until 2001.
My wife and I departed Huntington, New York, by boat, on September 12, 2001, the day after: But, that’s a whole ‘nother story. We were headed for and lived in the Florida Keys for 4 years. Two of those years were spent living aboard our custom built 32 ft. Nordic Tugs tugboat, “Tuglet.”
Now there’s an adventure in cooking: Cooking while under weigh. I’d sailed the waters of the Northeast and New England for 40+ years. You can get mighty hungry at sea. It’s one thing to cook on a stationary surface, it’s another to be preparing a meal while you’re bobbing up and down in choppy seas or at 15+ degrees of heel. Both you and your entrée could wind up going “flambé” if you’re not on the ball.
While living in NYC, I was blessed by the fact that my grandmother, who taught me how to cook, lived in the apartment just upstairs. Nana started me off, at the ripe old age of four, by teaching me how to fry one simple egg. My love for cooking continued from there. By the time I was nine, with a little help from my grandmother, I put on my first Thanksgiving dinner… for twelve people.
Many people ask me why wasn’t my mother the one teaching me how to cook? It’s simple, mom was a good cook. Dad, however, was a New York City fireman. I think that he envisioned my starting a New York City version of the great Chicago fire. Ergo, our kitchen was off limits to me. That’s okay though, we had an old dilapidated Magic Chef, whereas Nana had a 1930’s Chambers with a griddle-top/broiler, four burners and two ovens. That thing rocked!
Influencias de Cocina
My greatest cooking influence was my grandmother. She was an excellent cook and would let me do pretty much anything I wanted in the kitchen. However, anyone who knows anything about traditional Irish fare will agree that it’s rather bland. I learned about garlic, flavorful foods and seasoning from the mothers and grandmothers of my Italian friends.
Other than that, I would have to say that while other kids were watching cartoons, I was watching Dione Lucas, Julia Childs, Graham Kerr, Joyce Chen and then later on in life Justin Wilson, Martin Yan and Jeff Smith.
Recomendaciones
Libros de Recetas Preferidos
- CIA’s “The New Professional Chef”
- It’s like an engineering manual for the culinary arts.
- Better Homes and Garden cookbook
- What can I say? It’s been the kitchen standard for generations.
- Fannie Farmer Cookbook
- Again, what can I say? People have relied on this for generations.
- The frugal Gourmet Keeps The Feast (Jeff Smith)
- I’ve always liked Jeff Smith and his somewhat simplistic approach to great meals.
Chefs quienes recomiendo
- Alton Brown (Atlanta, GA)
- As an engineer, I can appreciate his scientific approach to foods. I also think that we’ve seen the same movies TV series and read the same types of books.
Restaurantes que recomiendo
- Tommy Condon’s Irish Pub (Charleston)
- Great fare, and they know how to pour a proper pint.
- 82 Queen (Charleston)
- Great food, reasonably priced, and all in a relaxed atmosphere.
- Griswald Inn (Essex, CT)
- The oldest operating tavern in America. Words can’t describe the “Griz.” It needs to be experienced to be appreciated.
- Capt. Daniel Packer Inne (Mystic, CT)
- The food is excellent. I’ve never eaten in the formal dining rooms upstairs. As an old New England sailor I’ve always hung out with the rest of my fellow bottom dwellers in the ground floor pub. It’s where the waves get bigger as the pints flow.
- Poogan’s Porch (Charleston, SC)
- The food is excellent, especially their duck. It’s one of my favorites.
- Fish Tails Market and Eatery (Marathon, Fla. Keys., FL)
- I’m not a fish eater, per say. I’m from NYC. I know who’s sleeping with the fish. Fish Tails fish, however, as Guy Fieri would say, “Is crazy good!” My favorite is the fried Yellow Tail Snapper. They cook it to perfection. The best part is that your food comes in off the boat only hours before serving. It doesn’t get any fresher than that!
- Uncle Bubba's Oyster House (Savannah)
- I had the best fried calamari ever. It was ‘melt in you mouth’ tender, and cooked to perfections; no rubber bands. I also had the best grilled scallops ever: And the Savannah Red Rice… outstanding.
