Archives for November 2017

Guests at Savor Borgata experienced firsthand why Michael Symon might not mind being called a Mama’s Boy.  An interactive seminar, “Cavatelli Making 101” at Angeline restaurant, payed homage to his mother, Angel, who The Iron Chef and The Chew co-host named his Borgata establishment after.  Guests were treated to a behind-the-scenes look at how to make one of Chef Symon’s signature pastas, cavatelli, and learned some culinary tricks along the way.

Several long tables with pre-measured ingredients and an assortment of kitchen tools served as an interactive classroom for Savor guests to cook alongside Chef Symon.  He shared some of his “tricks of the trade” for any type of cooking, many of which where inspired by the kitchens of his mother and grandmother. Symon explained that his grandmother cooked whatever was fresh in her yard, and emphasized the importance of using a seasonal methodology when designing dishes.  For example, it isn’t quite natural to have tomatoes in New Jersey growing outdoors in the middle of winter, so only use them when they are seasonally available.  In sort, eat seasonally and respect the environment.

With that in mind, the Chef emphasized learning techniques, not recipes.  With learning a single recipe, you only have that specific recipe in your culinary arsenal, whereas if you learn a technique that can be adapted, you have a bevy of recipes that you can adjust as needed with the changing seasons.

Chef Symon also made clear that quality ingredients are critical when cooking.  If you have a bad steak, even if an Iron Chef prepares it, it’ll be mediocre at best.  However, if you start with a good steak, even a novice home cook will most likely be able to produce a nice meal.

The participants of the seminar eagerly soaked up the practical knowledge and advice of Chef Symon, all while preparing the Chef’s canatelli recipe and enjoying a lunch of Angeline favorites.  It was an insightful afternoon of culinary secrets and great food.