Interview with a Chef

So I'm sorry to say that there will be no recipe this week. I know, you are all crying bitter tears. However, I do have something that may be interesting to some. I had the privilege (don't I sound pretentious) to interview Chef Aurore at the Vogue Bistro here in Surprise for my culinary class. Basically, we had to interview someone in food service to learn more about the realities of a career in culinary arts. Now, keep in mind these are not quite direct quotes, but are comprised of what I took from my notes. So without further ado, here it is:

What is your position in the kitchen?
Executive chef and co-restaurateur (she owns the Bistro with her husband).

What inspired you to enter into a culinary career?
It is my passion. I always loved cooking. I began when I was 14, when I worked. My grandparents had a foie gras factory (foie gras is a pate of goose liver from a goose that is fed a lot of grain so it has a very fatty liver), in France and [an uncle in her family] was a Duke, so his crest was the symbol on their pate packaging. Their pate was famous in France and was considered a fine delicacy, which people came from around the world to try. 


What are the daily functions of your job? What kind of things comprise your day?
I grow all of my own herbs and some produce. We own a market near the 101. Tuesdays, I go to the farm to see what I will use from my own farm. On Wednesdays, I visit several farmers markets around the valley to find ingredients (produce, meat, cheese) for what I will be making the next week. On Thursdays, I come in early so I can prepare for the weekend. On Fridays, we have artisan-made bread which I go to pick up. I also plan my menu for the next week on Fridays. It is important that I am also prepared. 
 
I was here the other night with my father for dinner, and had on of the special dishes for that night, which was the California halibut. How do you produce ideas for recipes?
I base my menu on what is fresh and ripe that week. If there are shallots at the market, I incorporate them into the dish. The halibut you had had been caught that morning at about 7, and was here by 12, so it was very fresh.

How do you integrate with other employees to achieve completion of service?
Our servers are our mouths. They are who the customer sees first, so they represent us, the chefs. On the weekends, I make the dishes we will be serving the next week for them to try so they know how they can recommend dishes. We really depend on the waiters. Every minute of every day is important, and it is all about communication. Communication is one of the most important parts of a restaurant. We send the waiters/waitresses messages from the kitchen to let them know what is going at all time. On days like this when it's not as busy (Tuesday afternoon), we try to train and teach as much as possible.

What do you find enjoyable about being a chef?
Everything. Seriously, it's tough sometimes, but educating the customers, listening to what they have to say inspires me. Really, everything from interaction with the customers to training employees. I find it all enjoyable.

How do you manage your kitchen so that things do not get out of hand?
The kitchen should never become so bad that it becomes out of hand. Like I said, it is all about communication. Everyone is responsible here. If we give them the tools to work, they should be able to know what to do with it. Everyone works together to keep problems from happening. [In short, Hell's Kitchen is sort of a far cry from reality.]

How do you go above and beyond to provide excellent service?
My motto is "never let the customer leave angry". If they are angry, do everything you can to appeal to them unless they simply did not enjoy anything at all and they are uncompromisable. If someone got a bad meal, give them a gift card to try it again, or fix it for them. Never let them leave with a bad impression because one person who has a problem will tell their friend, and eventually that one person will become 20 prospective customers who will never come try your food. It could ruin your business if you don't work with them. Never let it become a lose-lose situation.


Chef Aurore definitely showed her dedication to customer service. I was there to interview her for my grade, something she was already giving to me that she didn't necessarily have to. My interview was scheduled for 2:30, but she got caught in traffic on her way back to Vogue from one of the farmers' markets she gets her produce from. While she was on her way, she called to waiters and told them to put me on the phone. She apologized for running late, and asked if I had eaten yet. I told her no, but that it was not necessary to give me anything because I had no money, but she insisted, saying that "you haven't eaten lunch. You need to eat something!" She asked me to put the waiter back on the phone again and told him to have the chefs there make me anything I wanted. Of course, maintaining my manners, I ordered a salad, which was cheaper than the other choices I had.
I chose the Vogue Salad, which was comprised of arugula, warm sherry vinaigrette, candied walnuts, apple-wood smoked bacon, pumpkin seeds, and dried cranberries.
The menu's description said nothing about an herb-grilled chicken breast, but nevertheless, there was one thinly sliced next to the salad. I have to say it was the best salad I have ever had. The vinaigrette was balanced perfectly between sweet and acidic, and it had an essence of some kind of spice which was delicious with the candied walnuts. The chicken breast was juicy and seasoned perfectly, and paired well with the leftover vinaigrette.
If you're looking for somewhere nice, but still somewhat semi-formal to go on your next date, I recommend Vogue Bistro, located on Reems and Waddell, on the west side of the Bashas. They are opened Monday-Saturday for Lunch (12-4), and Dinner (4 PM-12 AM).

Now hopefully, I will have another recipe for you all next week!