Cool Kids Cook Radio Show #74 Interview with Chef Chris Montero

Chef Chris Montero
Chef Chris Montero

Hey Young Chefs!

On March 24, 2014, I interviewed Chef Chris Montero.

In 1999, Chef Chris Montero approached Ralph Brennan and was hired on at BACCO, and moved up fast. Within three years, he was promoted to executive sous chef, and in the course of his 11 years there, the restaurant enjoyed the devoted patronage of locals and visitors and acclaim from national critics. Montero is now executive chef of café b of the Ralph Brennan Restaurant Group, which opened in Metairie in May 2011. His excitement over the new concept is palpable, as he develops the menu of ‘elevated neighborhood cuisine, a new American bistro crossed with a gastropub.’ The menu is infused, naturally, with New Orleans favorites, from crawfish to catfish. Montero also oversees Ralph Brennan’s Café Noma in the New Orleans Museum of Art, which is being expanded to include a lounge and bar.

“A Tisket A Tasket What’s Inside My Basket?”
Today’s secret ingredient is… Tomatoes. Here is a recipe for my “30 Minute Tomato Basil Bisque.” This is an easy fix and perfect on a chilly night or if you’re under the weather.

30 Minute Tomato Basil Bisque
30 Minute Tomato Basil Bisque

Ingredients:
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
3 c. tomatoes, diced
1 tbsp. Italian seasoning
1 tbsp. basil
2 8-oz. cans tomato sauce
Handful of fresh basil leaves, torn
3 c. chicken or vegetable stock
1 c. heavy cream
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese, grated

Directions:
In a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, heat olive oil. Sauté onions and garlic until onions are translucent. Add tomatoes, Italian seasoning, and basil seasoning. Cook until tomatoes begin to break down. Add tomato sauce, fresh basil, and stock. Using an immersion blender, blend all ingredients until smooth. Add heavy cream and Parmesan. Blend again until creamy. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes or until soup thickens. Serve with hot bread. Serves 4-6.

“The Cookbook Shelf”
In this segment, I’ll review the latest cookbooks and share it with you.

Cheese: Exploring Taste and Tradition
Cheese: Exploring Taste and Tradition

Today’s Cookbook Shelf features Cheese: Exploring Taste and Tradition by Patricia Michelson and a foreword by Jamie Oliver. This cookbook features many different cheeses from around the world. It has sections for different countries and includes cheeses from those countries. It also has a section called: Appreciating Cheeses. There are tons of recipes that use cheese and there’s also a Directory of Cheeses.

“Figure Out This Food!”
I have a game on my Facebook page called “Figure Out This Food.” I post a close-up of a food item and the first three guesses get a shout-out here. Congratulations to Judith Serrano-Reyes and Laura Ostrow Sanchez for guessing “Jicama”.

Jicama

“Snacktivity Time”
It’s Snacktivity Time! Here, I give you fun easy breezy snack ideas. Today’s Snacktivity is… “Yummy Homemade Hummus.” This hummus is great as a simple snack with pita bread or pita chips and also at a party.

Yummy Homemade Hummus
Yummy Homemade Hummus

Ingredients:
1 14-oz. can chickpeas
2 tbsp. tahini
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 tsp. lemon juice
4 small cloves garlic
1/2 tsp. salt

Directions:
Place all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth and creamy. Garnish with olive oil and Za’atar seasoning. Serve with pita bread or chips. Serves 4.

“Creative Cuisine”
This is my recipe for “Lentil and Couscous Soup.” This soup is hearty and delicious! This makes a huge batch that lasts a few days.

Lentil and Couscous Soup
Lentil and Couscous Soup

Ingredients:
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 c. soffritto (chopped mix of onions, celery, and garlic)
3 large cloves garlic, minced
1/2 c. bell peppers, diced
1 14.5-oz. can of Italian diced tomatoes
2 tbsp. Italian seasoning
12 c. vegetable stock
2 c. dry lentils, rinsed
1 c. couscous
Salt to taste

Directions:
In a large Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Sauté soffritto and garlic until onions are translucent, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add tomatoes and Italian seasoning. Cook for five minutes. Add vegetable stock and lentils. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes. Add couscous. Cook for 10 more minutes. Serves 10 to 12.

“Cookin’ Crafts!”
Here is a fun kitchen-related craft. Today’s cookin’ craft is how to make a “Tye Dye T-Shirt.”

Supplies:
Newspaper
Cardboard
White T-shirt
Paper towels
Granulated white sugar
Dye (color(s) of your choice) in a spray bottle

Instructions:
Step 1: Cover surface with newspaper.
Step 2: Place cardboard inside white t-shirt.
Step 3: Dab a wet paper towel on T-shirt to make it damp.
Step 4: Sprinkle sugar on shirt in a pattern or randomly.
Step 5: Spray dye on shirt being careful not to blow off the sugar.
Step 6: Dry shirt completely and rinse sugar off with cold water. Now, rock that shirt!

That’s all for this week.

Bon Appetit,
Kid Chef Eliana

By Chef Eliana

Kid Chef Eliana is the author of two cookbooks, Cool Kids Cook: Louisiana and Eliana Cooks!; the host of a weekly radio show called Cool Kids Cook on Voice America, the Internet's largest talk radio network with over 9 million monthly listeners; and a media personality. Named one of the “Top 10 Most Famous Kid Cooks” in the world by The Daily Meal and Fox News, Kid Chef Eliana is a young entrepeneur on the move. She is a 2012 Winner of New Orleans’ Gambit Weekly’s “40 Under 40” award, the youngest recipient in their history. She was a competitor in SuperChef Kids, a national webisode series produced by the creators of Iron Chef®. In 2010, Kid Chef Eliana was profiled in an exhibit at the Southern Food and Beverage Museum. She is featured in a book called The Parents’ Guide to Raising CEO Kids by Dr. Jerry Cook and Sarah L. Cook. She is also a featured kid chef on ZisBoomBah.com, a national website for kid foodies. She is an Ambassador for Healthy Fare for Kids, an organization that helps restaurants across the nation add healthy options to their kids’ menus. During Superbowl XLVII, Eliana worked with the Taste of the NFL to help “kick hunger.” In the future, Eliana plans to design chef wear and cookware for kids, create a line of spices, and host her own TV cooking show. Her mission is to educate and encourage kids to become culinary explorers. As Kid Chef Eliana always says, “Cool kids cook and get creative in the kitchen!”

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