Chef Chris Cosentino

Food Does Not Need To Be Difficult

April 1, 2020
Chef Chris, thanks a bunch for taking the time to connect with our HocTok community especially in a time of crisis like this.
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A Chef with the list of achievements like yours knows how to surprise and awe with everything you prepare and present from your kitchen. What has been your course of action these past 2 or 3 weeks when most of us have been caught off guard in the most unthinkable of ways finding ourselves in unchartered waters? 

As chefs, our job is to adapt at a moment’s notice, but this is a huge curve ball that we never anticipated. This is a difficult time for all operators. It’s all about staying positive, trying to do the right thing, and taking the proper steps for our teams, farmers, in hopes we reopen and stay a part of the communities that we love.  
 
In ways, we are very fortunate. We are living in a time where we have opportunities to stay in constant communication, through technology. We continue to get things done and be productive without leaving the safety of our homes. Imagine what our grandparents had to go through without any of the technology we have now! All these very serious times that have helped shape the way we do things now.
 
Just remember this is one for our history that our future generations will be reading about, so let us come out of this stronger together.
 
What kind of advice have you shared with colleagues and employees at your restaurants: Rosalie in Houston, Acacia House in Napa Valley, Cockscomb in San Francisco and JackRabbit in Portland?  

Right now, it’s all about staying safe for our teams and our communities. Planning out how we will push through this and reopen, to continue to give our best to our staff and our guests.
 
What initiatives have you embraced to help minimize losses across the board in the restaurant world?  
 
We closed our restaurant for the safety of our staff and the community. We provided meals, with the food we had available at Cockscomb, to help serve the Emergency room staff at 3 local hospitals.
 
At this moment, I am collectively trying to get all cities, nationwide, to band together with the same message, to receive aid for the restaurant community from our local state & federal government.
 
Who are the people you've turned to for motivation when needing someone to look up to in trying times like these? 
 
I have been speaking to many Chefs and organizations, daily, both locally and nationally. Ed Lee with The Lee Initiative, Tom Colicchio, Chris Shepard with the Southern Smoke Foundation, Andrew Carmellini, Jose Andres and World Central Kitchen, are all setting great and strong examples.  
 
Our daily routines have changed drastically as a result of the global pandemic. Our kitchens are stocked up with canned and frozen food. Does Chef Chris have a manageable recipe for our Quarantine Edition in the Kitchen with a Chef? 

To me, the simplest thing anyone can do is a classic pasta dish. Food does not need to be difficult. It can be simple and delicious.  Here's the recipe:

Rigatoni & kale pesto


​Serves 4
1 lb rigatoni pasta
2 bunches kale, stems removed
3 large cloves garlic
1⁄4 cup toasted pinenuts
1⁄2 cup freshly grated pecorino toscano 1 lemon, zest fine
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
pinch alleppo pepper
kosher salt
fresh ground black pepper 
Directions
Combine the blanched chopped lacinato kale, garlic, and pine nuts in a blender and blend until coarsely chopped. Add 1/2 cup of the oil and process until fully incorporated and smooth. Season with salt, alleppo chili and black pepper.
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Transfer the pesto to a large mixing bowl and mix in the cheese and lemon zest.

In a large pot bring salted water to a boil, follow the pasta directions and cook until al dente. When straining the pasta save some of the water to adjust the pesto. Add the pasta back into the boiling pot and feed in the pesto over a medium heat cooking the pesto with the pasta to boost the flavor. Serve in a large bowl and top with fresh grated pecorino and fresh ground black pepper. 
You are an avid cyclist for many good reasons such as raising funds and awareness in support of No Kid Hungry. Have you done any cycling in the past couple of weeks maybe just to distress or refocus? What other activities have you filled your days with to relax and gain new perspectives under these extraordinary circumstances?  

I am currently recovering from hand surgery I underwent a few weeks ago and was informed to refrain from doing anything too strenuous. However, ever since the shelter-in-place mandate has been put into place, I’ve been doing my best to comply.

This is bigger than just staying at home, it’s to help reduce the spread of the virus to others who are more vulnerable to contracting it.

Instead, I have been using my Wahoo indoor trainer, which has been great because I can do a workout in my house without having to put any added pressure on my hand.  This has helped me immensely, a healthy option to de-stress and refocus through exercise.
 
We have ordered your book Offal Good and watch all tasty recipes on your website. What have you been reading, watching and listening to recently? 

There are so many good things to read. I am currently going through a few different cookbooks, and few books on physical performance. This is my present list:

Endure: Mind, Body, and the Curiously Elastic Limits of Human Performance by Alex Hutchinson
The World’s Fastest Man: The Extraordinary Life of Cyclist Major Taylor,
America’s First Black Sports Hero by Michael Kranish
Black Axe Mangal by Lee Tiernan
The Epicurean: The Classic 1893 Cookbook by Charles Ranhofer
 
#HowWeCope We'd really appreciate your take on this new campaign born out of necessity as we deal with the quarantine and social distancing. How do we cope? What do we do to push ourselves forward in search of the light at the end of this terrifying tunnel? 

I’ve been getting in the habit to stop and think before I speak. To slow down and really look at what the big picture is. I think this is a good time to take a step back and find the best ways to deal or improve on things in a time of uncertainty. 

Some of the innovative and creative ideas come in a time of need, and this is that time. A need to help, a need to be positive, a need for love and guidance, just to name a few basics. It’s a great time to look within ourselves and see how we can be better people and become better at what we do. I had so many things that came to mind, spinning with so many thoughts and ideas, that I had to write everything down.

The goal is to come out of this as a ball of energy and positivity, to help everyone get back to their lives again with excitement, and not fear.
 
#WhatMatters A line or two about what matters most in these times of uncertainty due to COVID19. How has your daily routine changed? Have you realigned your objectives to reflect your mood and the overall priority list of what matters? 
 
I have changed my daily routine for sure. I am trying very hard to be focused on the task at hand and to stay positive. I have learned to address my head space in a better way, to know when not to get fixated on something and to focus on something else.

Cooking at home, spending time with my family, reading, working, trying to achieve a balance during a time when everything is in question. It’s very difficult, because our world is all about resolving problems at moment’s notice, yet here we are, with no answers, no solutions. This is challenging but I’m learning to change gears and try being creative in new ways.

#BeatTheBlues Knowing that you have opened up on Mental Health in the Kitchen, we'd like to hear a few words from you with regards to this topic. 

It's very important for people with mental health, anxiety, and depression to be able to speak to someone openly about it. It's a time to realize that "it's ok to not be ok". Learning to ask for help is very important, doing so will not only help yourself, but others in your life.

We need to remember that during this time, everyone is affected and going through different hardships. I know there are a lot of things unknown for the time being, with a multitude of variables leading to uncertain outcomes. However, as things develop, we are still learning and figuring out how we can rise above this; but understand, we will get through this together.
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Here is a link to warm lines all over the United States if you need to speak to someone www.mhselfhelp.org  ​