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Plant Talk

Inside The New York Botanical Garden

Seasonal, Regional Important to Gramercy Tavern’s Exec Chef

Posted in Exhibitions, The Edible Garden on June 17 2010, by Plant Talk

Michael Anthony is Executive Chef of Gramercy Tavern.

Plant Talk (PT) caught up with Michael Anthony (MA) to gain some insight into his creative process. He will give a cooking demonstration on Sunday, June 20 (Father’s Day), during the Get Out and Grill Festival Weekend of The Edible Garden: Growing and Preparing Great Food.

PT: What is most important to you when choosing ingredients for recipes at Gramercy Tavern?
MA: The most important thing when choosing ingredients is that they are grown close to home (in our region), that they are harvested and handled with care, and that they are cooked and served in the shortest timeframe we can possibly manage.

PT: How do you incorporate seasonal food into your favorite recipes?
MA: An ingredient itself is the origin of inspiration and the starting point of every new dish here. We find as many ways as we can to express an idea with that ingredient on each menu, so the same ingredients will appear in more than one dish although treated differently each time.
PT: What motivated you to begin incorporating seasonal, local food into your cooking?
MA: I started cooking professionally in Japan and fell in love with the connection to the changing seasons. I then worked in France for five years and found an immense amount of pride in regional ingredients. These feelings have always been at the heart of the way I look at food.

PT: What are you going to prepare for your Edible Garden cooking demonstration on June 20?
MA: On our menu for the day are Calamari and Carrot Salad, Grilled Kielbasa, and Pulled Pork with Pickles. Since the theme is grilling, we are going to use seasonal ingredients to enhance some basic grilling and BBQ techniques.

PT: What are your favorite tips for healthful eating?
MA: Allowing vegetables to play the starring role in a dish can be interesting, delicious, and healthy. No need to exclude meat or fish, but let them play the supporting role from time to time.