Home › Entertainment › Restaurant News & Reviews
The Dish: A conversation with Gary Minteer
Sheila Mesulam/Staff
Gary Minteer
STORY TOOLS
More Restaurant News & Reviews
- Let’s Talk Food: Finding comfort at the dinner table
- Happy Hour: Conversation with Tom Armentrout
- The annotated menu: EVOO Market and Bistro
Share and Enjoy [?]
Title: Executive chef of the Classics Country Club at Lely Resort, 7989 Grand Lely Drive, Naples, 732-1200
Hometown: Pittsburgh
Education and experience: “I am a graduate of the Johnson & Wales Culinary Institute in Providence, R.I., and was fortunate to work for Culinary Concepts in Naples for 10 years.”
What is your favorite thing to make: “I love Thai food and also really enjoy making homemade pasta.”
Is The Classics Country Club open to the public? “No, this is for members only, but our other club down the road, The Flamingo, is open to the public.”
What is your favorite utensil or pot? “I would have to say my Japanese French knife. It is made of steel and is harder than most knives.”
What is your inspiration for cooking? “There are two parts to this question. Number one is what got me into the artistic side is the aesthetic value of food. I love the decorative stuff. And the second reason is I just love to cook.”
What is the hardest part of your job? “There is a fine line between pleasing yourself and making a profit.”
What is the best part of your job? “The biggest thrill I get is the feedback from the people who eat my food. It is the genuine compliments.”
What is your favorite time of day? “Sunset. I only get to see it one or two days a week when I’m off.”
What is your food indulgence? “Beef jerky. I make my own.”
Who would you like to cook for? “There are two people I would have liked to have cooked for. The first would have been my father. I would also love to cook for and sit down and eat with Neil Young. I would want to talk politics and music with him. I can relate to him, because we both had an aneurysm and stroke. I would like to know how it altered his life.”
What would you make? “Nothing fancy. He eats pasta before he goes on stage, so definitely homemade pasta.”
Where do you eat when you go out? “Thai or Chinese food. I also want to go to Angelina’s in Bonita Springs. They opened a short time ago and my friend is the chef there, and I heard it is very good.”
What’s in your refrigerator at home? “Milk for my young kids and lots of veggies.”
Are you using any new ingredients? “I am going retro. I worked for 10 years on Fifth Avenue, and we were under pressure to use new ingredients and come up with new ideas. Now I am simplifying things. I’m doing more baking and reinventing myself.”
What is your most used ingredient? “I cannot do without fresh herbs, good cheeses, especially Parmigiano-Reggiano, tomatoes and extra virgin olive oil.”
Do you have a favorite cookbook? “I enjoy going to Barnes & Noble and browsing through the cookbooks and seeing what grabs my attention.”
Have you ever cooked for a celebrity? “I cooked for George and Barbara Bush and Jeb Bush at Robin Cook’s condo in Naples. I made Macadamian-coated yellow snapper. The former president came into the kitchen and told me he was an avid fisherman and this was one of the best fish meals he ever had.”
What do you need to run a kitchen? “A good staff and a positive attitude.”
What do you do after you leave work? “I get out in time to spend time with my children.”
What is your perfect meal? “I would love to go to Hong Kong, Bangkok or Singapore and eat street food. That’s what grabs me.”
What would you never cook? “Haggis.”
What music plays in your kitchen? “They frown on it here, but Neil Young of course. Music and food go hand-in-hand. Especially the creative end.”
Minteer gave us this recipe that serves 12:
SAVORY LEMON HERB CHEESECAKE APPETIZER WITH JALAPENO AND LIME MARGUERITE
SALMON
Cure salmon three days before using
INGREDIENTS
Salmon cure
6 ounce fillet of salmon
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup kosher salt
1/2 fresh jalapeno pepper, diced
Zest of three limes and the juice
Zest of one orange
PREPARATION
Mix all the ingredients together.
Place the salmon on a wire rack and pack it with the mixture.
Refrigerate uncovered for three days.
Remove from refrigerator and wipe off the mixture.
Slice as thin as possible. Put aside and make cheesecake.
Cheesecake ingredients:
1/4 pound cream cheese
1/4 pound goat cheese
1/4 pound boursin au poivre cheese
1/2 tablespoon each of finely chopped dill, chives and fresh chervil
1 egg yolk plus 1 whole egg
Zest of two lemons
2 baking potatoes, peeled and sliced paper thin
12 sprigs of fresh chervil and 12 pieces of chives, two to four inches for garnish
PREPARATION
Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Whip cheeses, egg yolk, whole egg and zest together.
Grease a 12-muffin tin or two six-muffin tins with vegetable spray and line the potato slices in each muffin round.
Bake for two to three minutes, until potatoes brown slightly.
Fill the muffin pans with the cheese mixture. Place pans in a pan of water and bake at 375 degrees for approximately 15 minutes. Remove from oven and chill.
Pop the cheesecakes out of the muffin pan.
Bake potato side up in a 375-degree oven for four minutes to warm.
Plate the cakes potato side up.
Top each with a rosette of the salmon. If desired may also add a teaspoon of tomato salsa.
Garnish with a sprig of fresh chevril and chives standing crisscross against the cheesecake.
Comments
This site does not necessarily agree with comments posted below. Comments are the sole responsibility of the person posting them. Break our rules, and we will ban you. No exceptions, no second chances. Read our privacy policy & user agreement.
Post your comment
(Requires free registration.)