Meet The Chef: Rahman “Rock” Harper

D.C. Central Kitchen (DCCK) prepares 5,000 meals a day. A day. With  just more than a dozen employees, and dozens more volunteers, these meals are served on-site or delivered to homeless shelters, rehabilitation clinics and kids programs throughout the city.

The man who makes sure all this magic happens is Chef Rahman “Rock” Harper, whom some of you may know better as the winner of the third season of the Fox TV program Hell’s Kitchen.

“It’s my job to make sure we’re doing what we’re supposed to be doing … better, and more efficiently,” says Rock.

And in the DCCK environment, that’s critical. I mean, what does one do with a pallet full of green peppers and eggplant? Much of what comes in is donated, so it’s not like ordering food for a restaurant. So you make those donations work, says Rock. Which means you’ve got to be prepared — and creative.

“I have no idea how it looks or how it’s going to be,” Rock says. “I have to make use of [what comes in] every day.”

The peppers are easy, he says, but sometimes a donated product can be completely random. Like 100 pounds of purple basil. The amount that gets added to sauce and soups only makes a dent, so Rock preserves the rest or makes flavored oils.

It’s this resourcefulness that landed him the spot on Hell’s Kitchen in the first place. He was working as the executive chef at D.C.’s B. Smiths when he decided he needed a change.

“I’d reached a certain level and I was plateauing,” says Rock. “I felt like I had to do something radical — I’m a radical dude.”

The Hell’s Kitchen producers later told him they weren’t wowed by the guy who showed up at the New York audition, dressed in slacks and a nice shirt. When they asked him why he wanted to be on the show, he said, “Because I’m going to win.”

Even now, he cringes a bit at the thought. He says he was sure he’d botched it when they said “we’ll call you.” He didn’t wait for the phone to ring. He went to another casting — Atlanta, this time — clad in jeans and a t-shirt. He laughs, remembering the other applicants he sat between: the manager at a Red Lobster and a ventriloquist wearing a kilt.

“Black guy in the middle? I’m gonna stand out!” he laughs.

He seems surprised when I ask him to share the one question he’s never asked about being on the show, dominated by chef Gordon Ramsay, a man not known for being calm and collected. Rock says people mostly want to know about the drama.

“Nobody really asks about the cooking,” he says. “I didn’t think it would be as hard as it was.” Describing how hard Ramsay works in the kitchen, Rock says the chef is in amazing shape to be doing what he does. It was that work ethic that Rock took away from the show.

“If you keep working hard at whatever it is you do — and you keep believing — you will have success,” Rock says. “You just have to expect greatness from yourself.”

These days, greatness comes in the form of serving others at DCCK. Rock was teaching at Stratford University in Woodbridge, Va., when the position came open. He felt he was young enough that he could take some time in his career to give back by working for a nonprofit.

“I love challenges. I love people. This place is about the people — how we can change lives through the power of food.”

And a challenge it is. Cooking thousands of meals a day for people who don’t get to choose what they’re eating can be incredibly trying. But Rock takes it all in stride, musing about the possibility of one day making enough fried chicken to serve at least the onsite residential program. It’s one of the most requested items from the homeless people the kitchen serves, Rock says.

That’s not to say that his “customers” aren’t happy with Rock’s meals. There are plenty of thanks and compliments. Rock says it’s the moments when someone names a specific meal, like thanking him for “that gumbo you did like my mother used to make,” that really stand out.

But as much as he appreciates doing what he’s doing here at DCCK, he says don’t worry: He’s a restaurant chef at heart, and he’ll be back there soon.

Chef Rock, we can hardly wait.

Chef Rock’s Tips for Eaters: What Every Kitchen Needs

  1. A good, sharp knife. “Spend a little money,” he says. You can get a good one for anywhere from $50 to $200. Then, keep it sharp. Rock’s favorites? Wusthof or Henckels.
  2. A cast iron skillet, Rock’s “all-purpose pan.” They conduct and retain heat well, are inexpensive and last forever.
  3. A pepper mill. He looks really serious about this one, and I agree: it tastes much better when you grind your own.
  4. A wooden spoon. Rock says they’re incredibly versatile, since you can use them on a Teflon surface and they won’t impart a metal taste to foods when you are sampling.

“I could take over the world with  those four things,” says Chef Rock. “It’s on my to do list!”

Tagged with: , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Dear Diary, Meet the Chef

Meet The Chef: Drew Anderson

Drew Anderson, the culinary mastermind behind the delicious meals served from the kitchens of Wyoming’s Brush Creek Ranch, received his culinary training at Johnson & Wales University in Denver, Colo. He worked in restaurants, high end corporate dining and hotel restaurants and banquets — serving parties of up to 30,000 people — before signing on with White Lodging, Brush Creek’s parent company, six years ago.

But his culinary expertise isn’t what makes Drew stand out; it’s his demeanor.

You’d never think this buzz-cut 30-year-old, who’s more often than not clad in a baseball cap, was the executive chef of anything. He’s so humble and unassuming … until you get him into the kitchen. I mean, who else carries their kitchen knives around in a toolbox? The guy oozes subtle confidence, and you can tell by the way he carries himself that he knows what he’s doing.

“Some chefs are very arrogant,” says Drew, “I’m not like that. I trust my team … a lot. I have to.”

Maybe that’s because many of them work together 365 days a year, in Wyoming winters so harsh that food deliveries don’t always go as planned. Or maybe it’s that, at full capacity, his kitchen crew can serve about 700 meals a day — out of a kitchen that’s not much bigger than your local neighborhood restaurant’s. The point is — it isn’t always easy.

“I would consider this an art. It’s a stressful art, but it’s an art nonetheless,” he says.

And the food that comes out of his kitchen, well, if art had a taste, this would be its flavor profile. My family spent a week at Brush Creek Ranch in late June 2012, where you might expect the menu to be limited to red meat with a side of bacon. Now, I’m not saying there wasn’t bacon — there was plenty — but the things that sent my mouth into orbit might come as a surprise. Chicken Parmesan, definitely not something I would ever order when dining out, was cooked so perfectly that I swear my eyes rolled back into my head. Over Chicken Parmesan! And don’t even get me started on the scallops. Or the lamb meatballs. Or the elk burgers.

Let’s just say I didn’t lose weight on that trip.

Drew, who grew up in Northeastern Colorado’s South Platte River Basin, is committed to using the best natural, local and seasonal ingredients he can find. He says his heritage has a lot to do with his outlook on food. He was brought up on a family farm growing corn, pinto beans and alfalfa … and raising 1,000 head of Yorkshire, Hampshire, Duroc and crossbred hogs. That might explain the twinkle that creeps in his eye every time he talks to my bacon-loving cousin and brother about pork products.

I’ll admit it … his suckling pig? To die for. I overheard other guests shocked that they were actually eating pork. Growing up near a lot of farm country myself, I’ve been to a few pig roasts — but this was different. The meat was so tender it just fell apart. I was lucky enough to have Anderson share one of his favorite pieces with me … the pork cheek. I can only offer one description: meat candy.

There are a few things that Anderson says are critical for anyone in the kitchen — whether you’re a novice or a seasoned professional. Thankfully, he was kind enough to share them with us. Good luck, dear readers.

 

The Rules, According to Drew Anderson

  1. Seasoning. According to Drew, people underseason everything. His advice? Use salt. Taste the food while you’re cooking it. And don’t be defeated if it’s off — it takes practice.
  2. Temperature Control. Cook to the proper temperature, but also cook at the proper temperature. He describes the way the oil sheens across the pan, the ripple he looks for. If it smokes, it’s bad. Drew says, “You burn things enough times, then something just snaps in your head.” He describes an incident with roast beef, which he cooked at 450 degrees, torching the outside half. Inside, it was still raw. Even the salt was burned. The good news? He never made the same mistake again.
  3. Knife Work. Again, practice makes perfect. Potatoes are the easiest thing to practice on. Cut it into a square and then hold the knife against your fingers. And always, always use a sharp knife. “A dull knife is more dangerous than a sharp knife,” he says.
  4. Timing. For both professionals and home cooks. There’s art in this, too, Drew says. Take the meat out of the oven and let it rest while you’re prepping everything else. Timing is everything.

 

 

Posted in Dear Diary, Meet the Chef
photo credit to Aaron Otis Photography 2014


July
Watermelon is the perfect summer food. It hydrates, it cools, it's sweet and juicy. We have some great ideas for your table, including a salad, ceviche cups, popsicles and cocktails. Get ready to beat the heat with us!