Into the fry pan: chefs at home

Photos by Tracey Kusiewicz

Andrea Carlson
Executive chef at Bishop’s
2183 West 4th Avenue
www.bishopsonline.com

Andrea Carlson is passionate about what British Columbia produces. She has previously worked at Raincity Grill restaurant, C restaurant, and the Sooke Harbour House, where she relished the availability of the region’s finest products.

What's your favourite dish to cook at home?

“Favourite dish to eat at home would be pastas, as they’re fast and easy for the 11 p.m. dinner situation after work. Special technique re: pasta? Lots of heat, fast cooking, and fresh ingredients.”

What utensil or gadget could you not live without?

“I don’t go for gadgets, but I do believe in good knives, a rasp, and an articulated corkscrew for a successful dinner.”

What’s the most unusual food in your fridge?

“I don’t really have any unusual foods in the fridge. I tend to purchase food for specific dinners at a time. I have truffle oil from Mikuni for all those late-night pastas, fresh turmeric root for curries from South China Seas, and Denman Island miso from Capers for veggie stir-fries and soups.”

Tomoki Yamasaki
Senior chef at Hapa Izakaya
1479 Robson St. and 1516 Yew St.
www.hapaizakaya.com

Before coming to Hapa Izakaya, Tomoki Yamasaki studied the culinary arts at Vancouver Community College and then apprenticed at The Pear Tree with Scott Jaeger. Freshness and beautiful ingredients loom large in his cooking style.

What’s your favourite dish to cook at home?

“I don’t have a favourite dish per se. For me, at home, the seasons really make a difference in what I eat. When it’s cold, I like to warm up to Japanese-style hot pot. Taking a light dashi from bonito and throwing in things like fish, crab, prawns, tofu, lots of veggies”¦”

What utensil or gadget could you not live without?

“Well this may seem like a silly answer, but my knives are the most important utensils for me. All my cooking starts with a good sharp knife. For example, cutting a steak after it’s cooked, a dull knife would press and tear the grains of the meat, letting some of the juice bleed out, whereas a sharp knife would slide through it like butter, allowing the juices to stay in the slice.”

What’s the most unusual food in your fridge?

“I actually don’t have anything in my fridge right now, but in the past I have had an item called natto. Natto is fermented soy beans from Japan. It’s such a bizarre item because it smells awful, looks awful, but mixed with dashi-joyu and mustard, thrown on some rice, and it tastes great!”

Robert Belcham
Executive chef and proprietor of Fuel
1944 West 4th Avenue
www.fuelrestaurant.ca

Robert Belcham went from the culinary arts program at Victoria’s Camosun College to the chef de partie position at French Laundry. He also consulted on the creation of Nu Restaurant + Lounge. Shortly afterward, he opened Fuel, the restaurant insiders’ choice of best new restaurant in this year’s Golden Plates awards.

What’s your favourite dish to cook at home?

“Roast chicken with arugula, mashed potatoes, and gravy. When you roast the chicken, put fresh bay leaves under the skin. It imparts an incredible aroma.”

What utensil or gadget could you not live without?

“A good solid sauté pan. It sounds simple, but no kitchen should be without one. I have a great copper one that will last for generations. It is incredibly versatile. The pan does things from sautéing simple vegetables to roasting a whole fish or chicken. It holds the heat and never has hot spots. After years of living with small kitchens, I realized having more versatile equipment of really good quality is much more effective than having tons of one-use gadgets.”

What’s the most unusual food in your fridge?

“My wife has a sourdough starter that she has been feeding and using for months. It imparts a great flavour and texture from bread to pancakes to waffles.”

Carol L. Chow
Executive chef at Gusto di Quattro
1 Lonsdale Avenue, North Vancouver
www.quattrorestaurants.com

Carol L. Chow graduated from the Dubrulle Culinary Institute and then worked for Umberto Menghi at Settebello, which was on Robson Street. She subsequently moved to Bishop’s, where she spent two years. As a North Shore native, she finds that her current position feels more fitting.

What’s your favourite dish to cook at home?

“I would have to say a roasted free-range chicken with lots of whole garlic, olives, lemon, herbs, veggies, and baby potatoes.”¦I like to roast the chicken back side up and then turn it over to brown the breast side.”¦If I have time, I like to brine the chicken too, but time constraints and sudden urges to eat chicken don’t allow enough time to brine the chicken.”

What utensil or gadget could you not live without?

“There are too many to list! Since the rasp and the Japanese mandolin have been over-exposed, I will say the Y-shaped Swiss vegetable peeler. It not only peels veggies very well, but it also shaves hard cheeses and makes great vegetable ribbons.”

What’s the most unusual food in your fridge?

“Salted crab perhaps. It’s used in Thai dishes such as papaya salad. It has such an unusual flavour, and who would have thought of using little fermented crabs and eating them? It imparts a salty, fishy, and briny flavour to a dish. Sounds kind of gross, but it is oh-so-tasty.”

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