Top 3 Chefs in San Diego Reveal Life in the Kitchen & Family

During recent conversations with some of the best chefs in San Diego, I sought insight from Chef Jeffrey Strauss of Pamplemousse Grille, Chef Jesse Frost of Fairbanks Ranch Country Club, Chef Bernard Guillas of The Marine Room, and Chef Paul McCabe of Delicias (previously of  Kitchen 1540).  Find out how these chefs in San Diego come up with their signature dishes and balancing life outside the kitchen. 

Q: What gives you the most pleasure in the kitchen?

Jeffrey Strauss [Pamplemousse Grille]: When guests come in and say "make a great menu for me." That is when we shine our best. I consider myself one of the luckiest people alive. I get to wake up and do what I love to do every day. I am surrounded with people I love to work with.

Jesse Frost [Fairbanks Ranch Country Club]: One of the great things about being a chef is taking raw food and creating art and then having people ingest it. [He also indicated that he likes being a mentor to young chefs, aiding them in their culinary development.]

Bernard Guillas [The Marine Room]:  Endless creativity. Chefs are like scientists, artists and magicians. A white canvas is replaced with a sleek white plate. On our palette, we use the natural color of ingredients and textures to awaken all of the senses. It is a journey through the magic of cooking.

Paul McCabe [Delicias]:  Watching my team grow and learn, and become completely invested in what we are doing and watching them grow as chefs. I love to cook.

Q: What chef had the most influence on you in your training?

Strauss: Jean Claude Nedelec of New York City, the chef and owner of Glorious Food, who opened my eyes to remarkable ingredients of quality and what can be done.  This was after stints at restaurants in France. Nedelec was the first chef that I became disappointed when he was not in the kitchen cooking side-by-side with me.

Frost: Roland Passot at La Folie in San Francisco [who is skilled, creative, and steeped in culinary tradition that he learned in Lyons, France.] He taught me a lot about discipline and having respect for ingredients.

Guillas: [Indicated that he did an apprenticeship in the Michelin two star ‘Restaurant Le Bretagne’ under the tutelage of Georges Paineau.] It was a fantastic platform for me to embrace my passion. For three weeks I would be working at the restaurant and then go to the Chamber of Commerce Cooking School in Vannes [France] for a week each month. This is where I discovered the art of cooking.

McCabe: Michel Blanchette at Hermitage. He saw something in me and brought it out and without that, I don’t know where I would be.

Q: Anything new in the kitchen you have been playing with?

Strauss: I took a lamb belly and made lamb bacon and then used it for a recent wine dinner.

Frost: I have been using veal cheeks; braising them in red wine, and then serving them with Branzino.

Guillas: Global spice such as fennel and dill pollen, Middle Eastern blends including zaatar, dukkah, baharat and island spice are the hot trends. Wattleseed – an Australian outback bush seed traditionally used by the Aborigines; grounded, I create a blend with spices and use it as a crust on elk and venison medallions on my menu. I also use it with vanilla crème fraîche gelato. [He also discussed using] lemon myrtle oil, red quinoa from Ecuador and plum powder.]

McCabe: [Indicated that he is using "ultra tex3."] It is a modified tapioca starch with zero flavor, does not need to be heated to activate and can work into puree and other dishes as well.

Q: What is the most interesting meal you have ever prepared?

Strauss: I have cooked for seven different presidents. However, my two favorite meals are ones I prepared for Sugar Ray Leonard in his home and the other was feeding carrots to my horse, Pamplemousse. [The dish that he served to Leonard, of which he was very proud, was a roasted acorn squash with a casserole made of lobster, scallops, blue prawns and jumbo lump crab.]

Frost: A state dinner for Columbian President Uribe. [He described a frozen ice plate that he prepared, featuring a trio of Baja seafood, including abalone frite served in abalone shell, sea urchin with white foam and white prawns ceviche.]

Guillas: The first dinner that I prepared at the James Beard House in New York City with Chef Ron Oliver. It was a seven course tasting menu prepared in a very small kitchen for 110 of the most influential culinary aficionados in the City. [McCabe commented about similar experiences in that venue, as the kitchen is so tiny it creates a real logistics challenge for chefs; however, the honor of preparing a dinner at The Beard House was greatly appreciated and savored by each of them.]

McCabe: Eddie Murphy – who is a big snacker and loves green M&M’s. However the most challenging dinner was prepared for Barbara Streisand featuring a spa-inspired tasting menu with vegan dishes and all biodynamic wines.

Q: What gets you excited about the holidays?

Strauss: The hustle and bustle; not having enough hours in the day and watching our whole team (both front of the house and back of the house) come together and put out an amazing amount of food of terrific quality.  That gets me excited.

Frost: I enjoy how festive the [Fairbanks Ranch Country] Club is, with decorations and everything else. The whole Clubhouse is transformed and it is very special with carolers and lots of festivities.  I enjoy the family aspect, families spending special time together and then my opportunity to be with family [as well].

Guillas: The buche de noel is my zen way of relaxing in the kitchen.  

McCabe: The change of season really gets me going! The aromas coming out of the kitchen are like aroma therapy taking me back to my childhood cooking with my grandmother and gathering with my family!

Q: What have you planned for your holiday menus?

Strauss: [Indicated that dishes with white truffles from Italy or black truffles from France – depending on availability, will be featured; especially a dish with sautéed gnocchi with parmesan cream, served with either white or black fresh truffles. He also noted that he will have an acorn squash, and one dish that he prepares that is terrific is roasted acorn squash filled with a casserole of lobster, scallops, blue prawns and jumbo lump crab.]

Frost: [Indicated a whole range of dishes for all of the special functions at Fairbanks that occur during the holidays as well as in the dining room for the Club’s members and their guests.]  

Guillas: For Christmas, a roasted whole goose with chestnuts and cipollini and, of course, my Uncle Gilbert’s [the baker] signature recipe – buche de noel with Griottes and Callebaut chocolate. For New Year’s Eve it will include Champagne, caviar, oysters, baked whole spiny lobster, venison loin with cassis glaze, St. Agur blue cheese and absinthe chocolate soufflé and, of course, super wine to pair with and a great port with cheese.

McCabe: [Indicated that menu planning for the holidays is a work in process, but] for the family it will be Christmas ham with a glaze and sweet potatoes.

Q: What holiday ingredient is a must for the kitchen?

Strauss: Truffles; but with their cost, they are not for anyone watching their spending.

Frost: Fresh nutmeg grated with a micro planer.

Guillas: A divine fennel pollen blend that I created a couple of years back. It is amazing and fantastic for the holidays. This quintessential vibrant aromatic blend of ancient spices and herbs will create a culinary explosion of flavors. It can be used for seasoning baked goods, pie, puddings, cookies, muffins, coffee cake and it is fantastic to season pot roasts, vegetables, preserves and pickling.

McCabe: Chestnuts are a must; you have got to have them. They are so versatile.

Q: Any plans for the holidays?

[All of the chefs responded with their work schedules and lots of holiday festivities.]

Strauss: Now that I am homeless [as a major remodel of his home is underway], I am going to spend my days watching them rebuild my house when I am not in the restaurant.

Frost: No plans yet. However, my Dad has a 25-acre ranch in Jamul. All of us go there for Christmas. I have seven brothers and sisters. All the males are very good cooks [Jesse is the only professional among them], so we will prepare some wonderful food.

McCabe: The day after the holidays is when I get to be with my family! [He also commented about his new restaurant locale, at Delicias, and that he will be working on new menus to be available in February].