How many chefs can you name who have risen from the kitchens of a Red Robin eatery to those of the famed — but now closed — Restaurante El Bulli in Spain? If you cannot summon a name, here is one for you: Christopher Edwards, executive chef of the Restaurant at Patowmack Farm in Lovettsville, Va. Located in the Loudoun countryside, the restaurant’s location give patrons a glimpse of woods and farmland, plus a peek at the Potomac river far below. Working is such a setting would be a big plus for any eager chef. For Edwards, he gains yet another benefit — he can shape the day’s menu around produce just picked from the restaurant’s adjacent farmland.
A Woodbridge native, Edwards launched his culinary career back when he was in preschool. “I made Winnie the Pooh peanut butter balls, a no-bake cookie,” he said. “I made butter and ice cream in kindergarten, too. That sparked my interest in cooking.”
| If you go |
| The Restaurant at Patowmack Farm |
| » Where: 42461 Lovettsville Road, Lovettsville, Va. |
| » Info: 540-822-9017; patowmackfarm.com |
| » Hours: Dinner, 5:30 to 9 p.m. Thursday to Saturday; brunch, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday |
He also watched his mom, someone who follows recipes to the letter, cook — and enjoyed having a batch of recipes handed down from his grandmother. “She was a very good cook,” he said. “She was much more accustomed to having to cook on the fly and using what was available … creating with what she had to take care of a larger family.”
By the time Edwards reached high school, he began to seriously think about a future career. After all, as he says, he spent all his time in the kitchen working on recipes. His post-grad choice? Culinary school, enrolling at Johnson & Wales University when it was located in Charleston, S.C. After graduation, he remained in South Carolina, working at McCrady’s Restaurant, for then-executive chef Michael Kramer. “He was from California, so the food he cooked was not like the regional foods of the South,” Edwards said. “His food was California cuisine: light, fresh, and he had a California style that stood out.” In addition, Edwards said, he learned from Kramer the art and style of fine-dining cooking. “We were well recognized as one of the best restaurants in Charleston. We had a good run,” he said.
When the time came for Edwards to move on, he chose to head to Spain — because he was both fluent in Spanish and intrigued by the Spanish culinary revolution launched by Ferran Adria of El Bulli fame. “I grabbed a guidebook and started researching which chefs I wanted to work for,” he said. “I received four letters, and El Bulli came through.”
Upon his return to the United States, Edwards worked for another high-profile restaurant, at the Ritz-Carlton’s now-closed Maestro with star chef, Fabio Trabocchi. All these kitchen experiences helped shape the chef Edwards has become: equally dedicated to hard work and to using fresh and from-the-farm ingredients.
Q&A
What is your comfort food?
One of my favorites to eat it tacos, and I must cook them myself with all the condiments and with sour cream. And barbecue.
Do you have a favorite cookbook?
I’m always looking at El Bulli’s cookbook, and I even bought it in Spanish. That’s not as useful to me, but I am always looking through it. Fabio’s cookbook [Fabio Trabocchi, formerly chef at Maestro, now owns Fiola in DC]. I use that a lot and I like cookbooks with stories.
What’s in your fridge?
Dr Pepper, and it’s diet, too. I have way too much cheese, because we do make quesadillas, so a Mexican blend of cheese, and so many condiments you can’t even imagine. My refrigerator door makes lots of noise when I open it up.
Which chef do you admire most in the world?
Ferran Adria, because of all he has accomplished and to have been a part of it, even though I am not cooking the same way he does. That [El Bulli] was the ultimate; he has achieved what no one else can ever do again. He transcended being a chef.
Where is your favorite place in the world?
I would say any place in the Caribbean. I have only been to St. Thomas, St. John and Jamaica. I love fresh foods …. seafood, tropical fruits.
Recipe
Jamaican Jerk Marinade
Yields about 2 cups marinade, or enough for 5 pounds of meat
Scotch bonnet pepper sauce can be found in the international section of many local supermarkets — chef Edwards prefers the brand Grace or Tropical Pepper Co. This paste will season up to 5 pounds of pork, chicken or shrimp
1 cup sliced green onions
1/4 cup fresh thyme leaves
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon scotch bonnet pepper sauce
1/2 lime, skin and all
2 cloves
10 allspice berries
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
In a blender, blend all the ingredients together into a coarse paste. Massage this paste generously to coat the meat, and let it marinate preferably overnight, or at least 1 hour. The meat should be cooked on the grill preferably.
