Name and job title: Vincenzo Lo Grasso, owner and chef
Restaurant: Dal Baffo, 878 Santa Cruz Ave., Menlo Park
Education and background: "I attended Cristoforo Colombo High School in Genova, Italy. After graduating, I studied at the Scuola Gastronomica Istituto Tecnico Mazzini. Then something inside told me that I should see the world. So, I set my sights on the great ocean liners of the time--the Colombo, Victoria, Australis, Oceanic, Homeric, Faffaello, Michelangelo. This is where my real culinary training began."
What do you like best about your job? "The ability to create things with my hands. Also, every day when I go to work, I know that it will be different from the day before, a new challenge . . . another headache."
What is your favorite meal of the day? "My favorite meal of the day is dinner because that is where the action is. At night, people take the time to 'dine' rather than grab a bite to eat as they do at lunch time. For me, this is a very important distinction. We are a fine dining establishment, and my clients look forward to spending a full evening of being pampered."
If you weren't a chef, what would you be? "A movie star. I believe I am a natural showman, and I have a unique skill of being able to entertain my guests."
What is your most traumatic or catastrophic experience in the kitchen? "While cooking on the Oceanic, the boiler room caught fire and everyone prepared to board the life boats. This caused the ship to list, which in turn caused all of the pots, pans, etc. in the kitchen to fly against the wall. We ended up not having to abandon ship, but the dinner was ruined."
What cuisine or technique would you like to master next? "I would enjoy learning the cuisine of Central America. There are many subtleties in the foods of the many countries, and usage of the herbs and spices which dominate the regions create unique nuances which only a well-trained palate can appreciate."
Where do you like to go out to eat? "I find that most of the meals I enjoy are at Dal Baffo. I am very critical of how a restaurant should be run. When I try other restaurants, I cannot help but notice all of the things done incorrectly. This detracts from my enjoyment of the meal. So why go out and pay for an experience that is substandard? This is not to say that there are no good restaurants in the area. There are many that are good at what they do; but you have to realize that you must lower your expectations before you enter. Otherwise, you set yourself up for a big disappointment. I find that hard to do."
What do you normally prepare at home? I love seafood. I enjoy making a special trip to the coast, either Half Moon Bay or Princeton Harbor. It reminds me of Sicily when I can handpick a few fresh fish from the day's catch, take them home, and delicately prepare them for my guests in a way that highlights the freshness of the fish. Then they wonder why they cannot create the same thing at home, it all looks so simple. All it takes is a little drive over the hill and a lot of finesse."
What food or ingredient is most overused today? "The trend is to give the customer everything all at once and to wrap it up in a neat bundle. As many as 10 ingredients are either wrapped in a tortilla, stuffed in pita bread, sandwiched between two pieces of bread, or thrown onto a pizza. Each ingredient in and of itself may taste great, but when so many are consumed in one bite, can one appreciate the qualities of each, or do we just not care anymore?"
What's the most challenging aspect of your job? "The challenge is always creating something new. It could be a new dish, a new technique of preparation, or a new concept in restaurant design. The secret is to stay current or actually ahead of the times. If you just stay with the times, by the time your ideas are actualized, they are already passe."
For what person, living or dead, would you most like to prepare a meal? "Cindy Crawford."
With what person,living or dead, would you most like to eat a meal? "Cindy Crawford."
When did you decide you wanted to become a chef? "I never really decided to become a chef. Circumstances dictated my destiny. When I was discovered as a stowaway on an ocean liner, I was told I had to work or swim back to shore. I didn't know how to swim; therefore, my decision wasn't too difficult. I told them that I had some cooking background, and because I spoke no English, they figured that the kitchen would be a good place to stick me. The rest is history."
What was your first job in a restaurant? "Having to clean up the messes the chef made. But this was when I really got a chance to observe and learn the first concepts of how to control waste and food cost."
What goes on in the kitchen that diners don't realize? "With the heat of the stoves combined with everyone wanting to dine at the same time, tempers can become very short in the kitchen. It is also hard to work every single night when I feel that, at this stage of my career, I should be among those in the dining room enjoying a wonderful evening with friends; however, I know I would only be worrying about the restaurant anyway. There are also big egos in the kitchen and sometimes there is friction among the staff. But part of being an owner/chef is to control the conflicts and flare-ups so that the customer goes away thinking that everything went smooth as silk."
What cookbook do you most recommend for the layman? "I really do not have one special cookbook I would recommend to a layman. Nowadays, the people who are not gourmets usually heat up frozen food or order out. The layman is not willing to spend the time nor put out the effort to prepare a multi-course meal. Don't get me wrong, there are several good cookbooks on the market. The better ones deal with specialized cuisines."
Three secrets to being a good chef: "1) Always strive to be the best. This also means being willing to change and adapt and having an eagerness to always learn something new. 2) Be strong in character and show that you are always in control of everything happening in the kitchen and able to handle any crisis with a cool level head. Even if you are panicking inside, never let it show. This will instill a solid confidence in your crew, and it will enable them to make educated split-second decisions on their own. 3) Be fair with your crew, but be firm and don't give an inch. Once you weigh the alternatives and make a decision, stand by that decision. If you are wrong, you pay the consequences. If you allow yourself to be swayed, and they are wrong, you're still the one who has to pay."
What is your most indispensable appliance or gadget in the kitchen? "My hand-held meat pounder. In order to make the perfect veal scaloppine, it must be pounded every day by hand."
Who is your culinary hero? "The one and only Auguste Escoffier."
What is your favorite ethnic, regional or national cuisine? "I love the cuisine of Sicily. After all, 20,000 members of the Costa Nostra can't all be wrong. They'll even kill for it."
--Colin Crook @sub:Cold Papaya Soup @quan: 6 whole ripe papayas 2 cups of ginger ale 6 Tbs. lime juice 1 Tbs. cinnamon 1 cup honey 1/2 tsp. of ginger 2 oz. Grand Marnier 2 cups whipping cream 8 each mint leaves for garnish Take four ripe papayas and cut them off at the neck. Remove the seeds with a spoon. Using the handle of the spoon, separate the meat from the skin, taking care not to pierce the skin. Place papaya meat, ginger ale, lime juice, cinnamon, honey, ginger and Grand Marnier in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Add whipping cream and blend until homogeneous in consistency. Pour the mixture into the hollowed papayas and chill for several hours. Peel the remaining two papayas. Cut in half and remove the seeds. Cut each half into fan shapes by making four or five lengthwise cuts from the neck to the base. On a plate, arrange the papaya shells filled with soup. Garnish with papaya fans and mint leaves.
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