Famous Faces, Famous Places and Famous Foods
Food Fling with Chef Ming: Culinary Bootcamp with Bermuda's Top Toque
"Ideally, the fish should be succulent, Sharon," Chef Frederick Ming booms, "not fried beyond recognition." Giant red lobsters dance on his tie, adding color to a white chef's jacket emblazoned with Bermuda's coat of arms. Chef Ming's drill sergeant voice gives me chills, until I see that mischievous grin. Brandishing a Zorro knife, he says, "Your fruit salsa is too chunky! Mince it finely, like this." An entire cantaloupe becomes a perfectly cubed quivering heap.
An amateur home cook, I've
abandoned Bermuda's pearly beaches and enticing turquoise ocean for a cooking class with
the island's Best Chef of 1999. As a guest at The Stonington Beach Hotel, a lovely resort
with a stunning beach, I've enrolled at The Bermuda College next door for a class in their
Culinary Arts Department. Students train at the college for two years to become pro chefs
at hotels and restaurants worldwide, but I'm taking Chef Ming's two-hour vacation class.
"Bermuda's cuisine is unique," Chef M. says proudly, "so you won't be cookin' or eatin' any boring food today."
Yellow chalk on a wall board announces our island feast: Bermuda leek and potato soup, johnny cake, pan fried fish with fruit relish, poached fish with fennel, grilled chicken with mango, pumpkin fritters, Bermuda bread pudding, strawberry cream tarts. Our training kitchen is named for Auguste Escoffier, the French chef who created haute cuisine during his lifetime, 1846-1935. His book, Le Carnet d'Epicure, led to his legendary title "King of Chefs, Chef of Kings."
"Now let's work!" Chef M. commands. Other recruits learning the drills with me are Darlene Donloe from California, Warren Lieb from New Mexico, Jessica Chapman and Gloria Pastoriza from Florida. We chop, slice, simmer, and poach snapper, papaya, leeks, chicken, chiles, strawberries, Bermuda onions. Chef Ming lectures on Bermuda's culinary history while he oversees our tentative efforts.
"In 1609, the English
ship Sea Venture sailed for Jamestown, Virginia to rescue the starving colonists.
Unfortunately, she was wrecked by Bermuda's reefs. Fortunately, the crew feasted on the
island's abundant hogs, fowl, prickly pears, mulberries, and an ocean of mullet,"
Chef explains. "By 1623, English colonists living here grew potatoes, tobacco, sugar
cane, parsnips, radishes, cassava, pumpkins, watermelons, pineapples, plantain and
pawpaws. By the 19th century, the Portuguese brought their own lusty recipes. Bermuda
became home to immigrants from Italy, India, Germany, Austria, Singapore, China, Malaysia,
Korea and Singapore. Bermuda's fusion cuisine unites us with a love for great food."
Lecture over, General Ming spots a wayward soldier.
"Gloria, never cook chicken on a cold grill! Take it all off, 'til the grill is smokin'." Nothing escapes his eagle eyes. Sheepishly, Gloria removes each piece and waits.
"Don't worry," I try soothing her mangled ego. "I almost ruined my fried fish..."
Two hours pass into four. Jessica's potato leek soup smells heavenly; Warren's baby lettuce and rosemary salad is decorated with nasturtiums from Chef M.'s garden. Darlene is frying pumpkin fritters. And Gloria's tangy chicken is perfectly grilled...
"Think carefully about presentation," Chef says, motioning us to command central. "Good food is like a refined woman: got to have a fragrant bouquet, and a fine appearance." (We feminist chefs roll our eyes.) "The food has to all work together on the plate, not be separated in clumps."Chef M. stylishly snuggles a chicken breast against a potato pancake, leaning next to an artistic dollop of puréed pumpkin. On a second plate, he stacks fried fish onto a perfect circle of beans and rice, adding broccoli flowerets and fried plantain slices like rabbit ears.
"The dish has to
captivate the diner's interest," he announces. "Appearance reinforces excitement
of the taste, which of course is everything."
Five hours into Chef Ming's culinary bootcamp. We're exhausted, famished, still hanging on his every word. Chef wannabes, kitchen soldiers, we obey our commanding officer. Finally, he escorts us to a beautifully set table where we devour every savory exotic bite of soup, fish, chicken, johnnycake, fritter, banana bread pudding and strawberry tart.
You want a low calorie, low fat vacation? Go to a spa. You want incredibly high cholesterol, high fat cuisine worth every calorie? Have a food fling with Chef Ming, a man in love with fine food, expertly prepared and presented.
"Just one last
question, Chef," I raise my hand. "Do we have to wash those pots and
pans?"
"Nah. Just get on home and start cookin' Bermuda style."
Flashing that mischievous grin, Chef Ming dismisses us with a booming Bermudian laugh.
Chef Ming's Pumpkin FrittersIngredients:
Flour, 1 cup
Sugar, 1/2 cup
Salt, generous pinch
Nutmeg, freshly grated, 1 tsp.
Baking powder, 1/2 tsp.
Water, 1 cup
Pumpkin purée, 16 ounces
vegetable oil, 2 cups
Cooking Instructions:
In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, salt, nutmeg and baking powder. Make a well in the center, then add the water, slowly drawing in the flour until well blended. Mix in the pumpkin until well mixed. Let stand 20-30 minutes at room temperature. Heat the oil in a deep fryer or iron skillet until it is hot but not smoking. Drop batter by tablespoons into the oil, don't crowd or they won't brown nicely. Turn each fritter after 2-3 minutes onto the other side and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Removed from oil with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels for several minutes. Enjoy while warm, or reheat and enjoy the next day.
When you go:
For information on Chef Ming's cooking classes, contact Stonington Beach Hotel Bermuda,
P.O. Box HM 523, Hamilton HM CX, Bermuda. Tel: 1-800-648-0799. E-mail: bav@triton.bercol.bm
Web site: www.bermuda-best.com/StoBeach/
For information on Bermuda, contact the Bermuda Dept. of Tourism, Global House, 43 Church Street, Hamilton HM12, Bermuda. Tel: 1-800-Bermuda. Web site: www.bermudatourism.com.