Caroline Keim
Lisa Stanko-Mohen
Tim Lymberopoulos
jobsGet In The Dish with...
Brian Adornetto
Brian Adornetto attended Peter Kump’s School of Culinary Arts in Manhattan (now known as the Institute of Culinary Education) then proceeded to work at some of New Jersey’s high profile restaurants such as Chris’s Grill House, Puccini’s, and Sonoma Grill before joinig the Five – Diamond Award winning team in the Hilton at Short Hills, NJ, where he worked both the Four – Diamond, Three Star Terrace Restaurant and the Five – Diamond, Four Star Dining Room. He eventually left to join Amanda’s Restaurant in Hoboken, NJ as Sous Chef which Zagat rated “Excellent” during his tenure. Chef Brian recently relocated to the Triangle of North Carolina where he operates Love At First Bite and is the chef and consultant for Rao’s Specialty Foods. He also teaches at A Southern Season’s CLASS cooking studio. And if that’s not enough he is the Food Editor for the Raleigh Downtowner.
You have cooked for both the Taste of the NFL and Taste of the Ladies PGA. What considerations should be given when developing a healthy menu? What are the differences in serving the women of the LPGA and the broad shoulders of the NFL?In terms of “raw material”, low fat, fresh, and natural ingredients are essential to healthy cooking and eating. Using lean meats, skinless poultry, polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats (for example: soybean, corn, safflower, canola, olive and sunflower oils) helps cut down on cholesterol. Fresh fruit and vegetables will provide dietary fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Lastly, natural or “real food” is also crucial. Real butter, additive free salt, and other unprocessed ingredients make a big difference and are often overlooked. Then, it’s a matter of portion control and moderation.
For the Taste of the NFL, we provide dessert and weren’t given any restrictions. So, other than fruit platters, there wasn’t much to consider nutrition wise. We made individual portions of Crème Brulee Cheesecake, Chocolate Banana Bread Pudding, Berry Tarts, Opera Tortes, and Key Lime Pie. The LPGA event, however, was quite a bit different. The organizers were pretty specific about the ratio of lean protein to starch that they wanted. For that we made Sicilian Roasted Pepper Bruschetta, Seafood Salad, Grilled Lemon Garlic Chicken, Penne All’ Arrabiata with Turkey Sausage, Peppers and Onions, and Escarole with Cannellini Beans.
My experience in restaurants taught me to be creative not only in terms of developing dishes but also in utilizing every edible part of each product that came into the kitchen. The hotel I worked for gave me the opportunity to gain knowledge of ordering, budgeting, food cost, and portion control (as it relates to how much food to prepare for a banquet). My catering business has helped me become better at customer service and marketing.
The Triangle has transformed from a leader in tobacco production to a local purveyor of vegetable, fruit, cheese and livestock. Do you think the Triangle will become predominant in any of these areas?Yes. The process has already begun. The North Carolina Department of Agriculture has been giving out grants, via its Golden Leaf Foundation, to assist the state’s tobacco farmers in cultivating alternative crops. Corn, soybean and wheat have been the popular crop choices to replace tobacco. Additionally, the Triangle has 11 cheese makers and is growing faster in cheese production than anywhere else in the South. As of the last Agricultural Census, North Carolina was second only to Iowa in pork production and chickens, turkeys, and eggs combined for a total poultry farm income of more than $3.37 billion dollars which comprised 38.8% of North Carolina’s total farm income.
You are a very prominent locavore. What three ingredients can you still not source locally? Where do you get them and why?Plums, avocados, and blood oranges are almost impossible to find from local farms. I have a few friends in some area restaurants that help me out when I need them though.
Italians pride themselves on the herbaceous flavor of their cheese from the grazing livestock, French wines are known for their terroir; are there any special characteristic's of the Triangle's soil that translate to the products that are developed there?Italians pride themselves on the herbaceous flavor of their cheese from the grazing livestock, French wines are known for their terroir; are there any special characteristic's of the Triangle's soil that translate to the products that are developed there?Clay, which attracts and retains potassium, calcium, and magnesium, is the predominant soil in the Triangle. While I’m neither an agriculturalist nor a farmer, my understanding is that this combination creates extremely fertile soil. As far as I know, that is the land’s main characteristic.
You have said you learned the basics of cooking from your mother and grandfather at the landmark P.N.K. Tavern in Jersey City. What is one of your fondest food memories?Growing up, my Grandparents lived next door to us and we both lived on the top floor of our respective buildings. On Sunday mornings when the weather wasn’t wet, my Grandfather would climb onto his roof, jump the gap between our houses, and come into our apartment through our kitchen window, all the while carrying a couple pints of fresh blueberries. He would then take over my Mother’s kitchen and begin making silver dollar sized blueberry pancakes from scratch, bacon, sausage, peppers and potatoes, and eggs. I’d look forward to that meal all week.
Do you see induction cooking giving way to more traditional cooking methods in culinary schools?Only if the induction cook tops become more affordable. They are way too cost prohibitive especially in today’s market.
