Talented chef brings a latin flair to dishes at Cuba Libre

An Argentinean cooking Cuban food in Washington, D.C.? If that seems puzzling, consider that chef-partner Guillermo Pernot is married to a Cuban and he has successfully launched the highly themed Cuba Libre Restaurant & Rum Bar here and in Orlando, Atlantic City and Philadelphia. On top of that, Pernot deserves credit for introducing Nuevo Latino cooking in Pasi?n!, his Philadelphia restaurant.

Despite the color and passion of his cooking — to say nothing of all his awards, including his two James Beard Award for “Best Chef of the Mid-Atlantic Region” and for “Best Single Subject Cookbook” — Pernot seems a serious and sober chef, as devoted to fine cooking as an adult as he was when learning the culinary ropes from his grandmothers.

“Even as a child I cooked with both my grandmothers,” he said. “One day, I decided to make a cake. I used three dozen eggs. It was a disaster.”

That early kitchen experimenting certainly laid the groundwork for his eventual career. Although Pernot did not attend culinary school, he did stay in the restaurant business, working for several years in the front of the house.

“I always wanted to be involved in food,” he said. “I started doing dinners for a bed-and-breakfast in Glen Mills. Then it was breakfasts and dinners. Suddenly, I started getting great reviews. I thought, ‘I can do this.'”

With his career launched, Pernot started working in several pizza and pasta restaurants before moving to Miami, which he calls “a restaurant Mecca.” While there, he cooked in Gloria Estefan’s Latin restaurant, Allioli, in South Beach. Pernot returned to Philadelphia when his Cuban wife balked at living in Miami. After a short stint in a hotel’s restaurant, Pernot started his own, a place called Vega Grill.

“It just took off,” he said. The Vega Grill earned him the Food & Wine magazine’s title of one of “America’s Ten Best New Chefs.”

That led him to his triumphant restaurant, Pasion!, a Nuevo Latino place where Pernot used Cuban seasonings and his creativity to great advantage. According to the New York Times, says Pernot, Pasion! was considered one of the top restaurants in the world.

“It won two James Beard awards and I was named ‘Chef of the Year’ by Esquire magazine,'” he said. It was at this juncture in his career that the owners of Cuba Libre invited him to open one of their restaurants in Philadelphia; now he oversees the kitchens and menus in all four locations.

His signature dishes in the Orlando and Washington locations include five different ceviches and desserts.

“I’m excited about our menu,” he said, “because we added a selection of ceviches and piqueos (small tastings) that are exclusive to Washington, D.C. We did some research before we opened, and found that Washingtonians love small plates. These flavorful dishes are fun and perfect for sharing with family and friends.”

And for dessert: a Cuban flan, a banana tres leches cake and dulce de leche ice cream.

And just what are Cuban seasonings? As he explains, he found both African and Chinese influences in Cuban cooking, so he started playing around with multiple seasonings and ingredients, with an emphasis on using culantro (a West Indian herb similar to cilantro) and calabaza squash. Whenever he needed some guidance, he admits, he turned to his mother-in-law.

And just who does the cooking at home? His Cuban wife.

Q&A with Chef Guillermo Pernot

What is your comfort food?

I crave steak, pasta with tomato sauce, stir-fry with very spicy chilies. Food is just something you need. That’s why on our menu I cover many varieties.

What is your cooking philosophy?

To keep it simple and to let the ingredients speak for themselves. You send a clear message with the food. We have very honest food without weird sauces. You want fish on a plate? Just put it on.

Where do you get your inspiration?

I think and read a lot. Sometimes things don’t work and I will redo it until I get it right. But you cannot force it.

What do you do in your leisure time?

I don’t have much, except maybe sleeping.

What’s in your fridge?

Carrots for the dog, diced carrots with olive oil. I have leftover picadillo. Always rice, eggs and lots of fruit.

From the Chef’s Kitchen

Carbonada Del “Che” a La Criolla

Serves 8

1 pound peeled and sliced frozen peaches

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

2 Tbsp sugar

4 Tbsp flour

1 Tbsp paprika

1 tsp chipotle powder

1 tsp ground white pepper

1 Tbsp salt

1 Tbsp dried oregano

3 pounds boneless short ribs, cut into 1-inch pieces

4 Tbsp vegetable oil

1 white onion, diced

5 garlic cloves, chopped

3 celery ribs, diced

2 bay leaves

1 gallon beef stock

1 large calabaza squash, top removed, seeded and reserved plus one calabaza squash, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces (about 2 cups)

2 carrots, diced

2 ears corn, cut into 1/2-inch wheels

1 teaspoon ground cumin

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Mix the peaches, balsamic vinegar and sugar; set aside. Toss all dry ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Add the short ribs and toss to cover.

In a soup pot, heat the oil over medium heat, and saut? the meat a few pieces at a time; brown on all sides, remove and set aside.

In the same pot, add the onions, garlic, celery and bay leaves and saut? for five minutes until soft and golden; add the reserved meat and the beef stock and reduce the heat to medium-low. Skim the top of the stock as it cooks.

When the meat is tender, add the cut-up calabaza, carrots, corn, cumin and the reserved peaches and mix well. Spoon the mixture into the hollowed-out squash, cover with the reserved lid, and bake until bubbly and the vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes. Serve immediately.