More Q and A with Eric...his answers were so long I couldn't fit them all in the Featured Chef column, but they were so interesting I couldn't leave any of them out!
Q: You're marooned on a deserted island. What 5 foods would you want with you? What would you cook?
A: Beef tenderloin (known to you as filet mignon or beef tournedos), tuna, any type of potato, rice, asparagus...As for cooking with those 5 items, the creativity would be endless
Q: What's your regular comfort meal?
A: Cereal and Ice Cream, but not together...although..
Q: Growing up, what was your favorite meal that Mom prepared?
A: It would have to be a pastry with spinach, and two types of cheese inside, and parmesan cheese on top---the secret stays with me
Q: Best cooking tip for a novice?
A: Don't use one recipe, look at 4 or 5 different recipes for the dish you want to prepare so you can analyze how it's made in different ways. That way, you can take bits and pieces from many different recipes and create your own original product
Q: Favorite kitchen gadget/tool?
A: My knives
Q: Do you have a "signature" ingredient and if so what is it?
A: Hmm...I think garlic as well as honey brings out the essence of many extravagant dishes that I create. Garlic dating back over 6,000 years brings to the table not only pallet pleasing pleasures, but is also used for its medicinal purposes throughout its' known existence. As for honey, the taste and texture is unparalleled, used for many types of sources in cooking and medicinal purposes as well; an interesting fact as well is that honey is the one ingredient in your kitchen that will never go bad
Q: Funniest kitchen/cooking incident?
A: Well it didn't happen to me, but I was there and found it quite hilarious. One day we had a banquet for one of the restaurants I worked for. One of the cook's I worked with had the job of making the Clam Chowder. During the banquet, I went to go try the chowder, and it felt like something was missing; he forgot the key ingredient, the CLAMS! So the clam chowder was served to the guest without any clams.
Q: Favorite Cook Book?
A: The Professional Chef
Q: Are there any ingredients that define your cooking?
A: No, I enjoy using all ingredients
Q: If you were on Death Row, what would be your last meal?
A: I hope it never comes to that...
