Meal choice closes tonight at midnight, have you picked your menu? Next week features an exciting dish by another one of our amazing guest chefs, Rob Stauning of Gran Electrica in Brooklyn, NY.

Pescado Veracruz with Olive Ragout, Burst Tomatoes, and Basmati Rice

As the title would suggest, this dish hails from the city of the same name, Veracruz.  Inspired by the Spanish city’s music, architecture and of course, the cuisine, Rob first had a version of Pescado Veracruz while he was in Oaxaca, Mexico on a research trip. Rob says,

“I was staging at Origen restaurant at the time, and one of the fellow team members made his mother’s version of this dish for family meal.  The flavors were familiar and yet exotic simultaneously.  I was in Mexico, but I was surprised to be eating a dish that contained olives and capers.  Fusing indigenous ingredients like tomatoes and epazote with imported delights from abroad made for a tasty and comforting dish.   Upon doing more research, it all made sense – the city of Veracruz and its vast port in the Gulf of Mexico was a gateway to the old world and its flavors.  This recipe is so satisfyingly simple to prepare and so delicious every time – I never get tired of eating and making it.”

Even better than the dish itself, we had the opportunity to sit down with Rob and ask him a few questions to get to know a little bit more about him and his inspiration.

On Food Philosophy:

My food philosophy has been shaped by an aphorism written by French gastronome Curnosky.  He stated “Good cooking is when things taste of what they are”.  This statement has been a guiding light to my career as a professional chef.  Keep the ingredients honest and the integrity of the dish will shine.

On Inspiration:

I have three muses of inspiration for creativity, they are: Eating, traveling and reading.  I am religious about reading the food section, which is found in the Wednesday edition of the NYT.  This helps keep me informed on trends and restaurants to check out.  Traveling is also of tantamount importance, whether it’s a research trip to Oaxaca or a bike ride to Sunset Park Brooklyn to investigate a food truck serving the best tortas in the 5 boroughs.  Explore near and far, and always eat your way in between.

On Advice for Home Chefs:

Buy quality and buy local, and always cook seasonally, your food will simply taste better.

Check out Rob’s amazing dish on our menu and don’t forget to select it before midnight cutoff.

While you’re waiting for your box to arrive, why not try your hand at homemade popcorn? Or maybe even nice cream!