Many inspirations, a lot of hard work

Recently taking over the helm of D.C.’s swank restaurant-as-supper club-as-restaurant 701, executive chef Adam Longworth, a Vermont native, is another of Washington’s young, hip chefs. Like many of his colleagues, Longworth said his parents were good cooks. In fact, he added, his dad was a chef and often pressed the son into helping out.

While many of his buddies headed off to college, Longworth felt that his career lay elsewhere, and after some months of decision-making, he applied to culinary school.

“I knew cooking,” he said, and the Culinary Institute of America seemed like the right direction. Longworth found success at the CIA and accepted a job in London two days after graduation. He worked there for chef Chris Tumbling.

“He was so nuts,” Longworth said. “After the initial shock, I thought, ‘Wow, this is what you get to be.’ He was really passionate.”

That experience was invaluable in another way: He worked with chefs from other countries and saw it all come together.

As he looks back after his few short years in the profession — Longworth is just 28 years old — he can pick out three major influences on his cooking style and what has shaped him into the chef he is today. The first, of course, is Tumbling, who taught him to be passionate about food.

The second is famed chef Alfred Portale at New York’s acclaimed Gotham Bar and Grill.

“He really is my mentor through and through,” Longworth said. “He had an impact on my style. … All on his plate makes sense. He built flavors from the best ingredients. Without Alfred, who knows what I would be doing?”

As for the third source of inspiration, Longworth pointed to Philadelphia chef and James Beard award winner Chris Lee of Striped Bass.

“He taught me how to think outside the box,” he said. Lee now is at New York’s Aureole restaurant.

But Longworth reserved praise for a fourth person: his dad.

“My dad is the hardest-working guy I know,” he said. “That’s what I got from him. I can work six or seven days a week, and it doesn’t affect me. It’s that work ethic.” His dad, he added, was a basic cook and didn’t really understand anything his son has been doing, though he was proud of his son, nonetheless.

And given all the influences that have shaped Longworth’s culinary style, how does he think Washington’s environment will affect his menu approach?

It may well be his proximity to the Chesapeake Bay and its abundant seafood, he surmised.

Q&A with Chef Adam Longworth  

Which is your comfort food?

Burgers are my go-to food.

What is your favorite dessert?

It is a pumpkin pie with a huge, HUGE amount of whipped cream. That is a family favorite.

Which is your favorite cuisine?

I am a big fan of Thai flavors, plus noodles are easy to eat. So is rice. And I am a big fan of Indian food.

What’s in your fridge?

Sliced bread, every condiment in the world … 45 to 50 cans of Pabst Blue Ribbon. I run, come home and have a beer.

What is your luckiest moment?

When I was through working at the Gotham, I got to travel the world and do events in Singapore, China, Japan and Germany. … Traveling and getting experiences helped me to understand flavors.

From the Chef’s Kitchen  

Baby Spinach Salad With Roasted Pears, Shaved Fennel, Goat Cheese and Cider Dressing

Serves 4

2 pears, peeled and halved

3 Tbsp sugar

2 Tbsp clover honey

2 Tbsp fresh lime juice

Pinch ground black pepper

2 cups washed and drained baby spinach

1 cup washed and drained frisee lettuce

1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, quartered and sliced

1 small head fennel, cut in half and sliced thinly with a Japanese mandolin

4 slices bacon, cooked crisp and chopped

12 pecans, toasted

4 oz. soft pasteurized goat cheese

1 cup (8 oz.) apple cider dressing (see recipe below)

Cut each pear half into three wedges for a total of 12 wedges. Remove the seeds and set the pears aside. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and sprinkle in the sugar. When the sugar melts and starts to turn golden, add the honey and let it bubble. When the honey turns a dark amber, add the pears and toss them to coat them evenly with the sugar/honey mixture. Add the lime juice and pepper. Transfer the pears to a plate and let cool.

Meanwhile, make the apple cider dressing and allow it to cool.

To serve, in a medium-size mixing bowl, add the spinach, frisee, fennel and sliced apples. Dress the greens with about 1/3 cup of the cider dressing. Season with salt and pepper. In the bottom of an individual serving bowl, place three pear wedges. Sprinkle the pears with the chopped bacon. Next add four pecans and 1 oz. of crumbled goat cheese. Top this mixture with some greens and spoon in some reserved dressing. Repeat this procedure with the remaining three servings.

Apple Cider Dressing

2 cups good-quality apple cider

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

3 Tbsp maple syrup

1 pinch ground cinnamon

Salt and pepper to taste

Put the apple cider into a saucepan and cook over medium heat until it reduces by half. Let the cider cool and whisk in the remaining ingredients. Set aside to cool.