Three outsized, colorful, and unusual squash gathered from the farmers’ market from Halloween, welcome guests to Ris Lacoste’s cozy D.C. home, where for her year-long sabbatical from the professional kitchen she continues to cook long hours, but now for select events and for friends and family. Famous for putting Clyde’s 1789 Restaurant on the national dining map, and considered one of the city’s most respected and dedicated chefs, Lacoste deserves some time off, but she isn’t exactly winding down her culinary career. In fact, she notes, she’s signing onto her very own D.C. restaurant, location and name undisclosed.
That’s exciting news for her numerous fans, both professionals and those from the dining public at large, for who can forget her pork roasts, rack of lamb with creamy feta potatoes, or oysters and Champagne stew with walnuts?
A proponent of solid American regional cooking, Lacoste grew up in Massachusetts in a family that valued home cooking, thanks to her mother’s three good hot meals a day and her frequent entertaining. “She was always cooking in her tiny kitchen,” says Lacoste. And it was thanks to her mother’s food shopping at a neighborhood Polish market that garnered Lacoste her first food job at the age of 12. “The owner, Johnny Gorka, asked mom if I could help to work as the schlepper, so I said yes,” she says. “So Thursday and Friday nights and all day Saturday I worked at the market. I took care of customers, put up their order, checked in purveyors, and learned all about delicious Polish food.”
No one could have predicted, however, that this first job would lead eventually from working as a short-order cook at Friendly’s and in restaurant kitchens during her pre-med years in college to the Faculty Club at Berkeley, and finally to Paris’ La Varenne Écôle de Cuisine, the preeminent cooking school in France, where she started as a part-time typist. “Then Anne Willan offered me the full-time receptionist’s position, and I was offered my future,” she says. “I said ‘yes’ in one second. At some point, I said to myself, Ris, stay in the restaurant business. You love it.” She subsequently earned a Grand Diplôme from La Varenne.
After returning to the U.S., Lacoste ended up in Boston, where her first job was in Cambridge at the Harvest Restaurant cooking with Bob Kinkead. Her interview went like this: “We sat for two hours and talked, he hired me, and I started the next day,” she says. “He said, ‘Ris your cooking is magic, and you have one of the finest palates I’ve met.’” She stayed with him for 13 years, moving to Nantucket and then to D.C. to help him open Twenty-One Federal and Kinkead’s in Foggy Bottom. Next up? Clyde’s 1789 Restaurant, where Lacoste’s affinity for fine American cooking earned her such kudos as The Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington “Chef of the Year” in 1999 (she was nominated again for this award in 2005), and its award to 1789 Restaurant as “Restaurant of the Year” in 2000.
Will Lacoste miss working in her well-outfitted home kitchen? Maybe, but as she answers the phone call from a chef buddy acquiring for her 20 pounds of shrimp for an upcoming party, one suspects she’s really ready to manage her own Lacoste-style restaurant kitchen, turning out her very amazing American food to a casual, hungry crowd. Ris, please keep that oyster stew on the menu!
Meet the chef
Q How do you feel when you cook at home vs. cooking at a restaurant?
A They are very different animals. I have a great kitchen created in past five years with every piece of equipment. Cooking at home is very relaxing; cooking ina restaurant is enjoyable, but always under pressure. I love to cook, and I understand the addiction people have for cooking. It’s so relaxing and takes your full attention. I don’t cook at home for myself.
Q What is your cooking philosophy?
A I want flavors to be fresh and alive, not manipulated. The ingredients should be enhanced by a palette of flavors, layers of flavors, but simply adorning fabulous ingredients. In my restaurant, I will be focusing as much as possible on fresh, local ingredients.
Q Where do you get your cooking inspiration?
A From my childhood. I love those tastes and memories, and they help you to create taste combinations. One of my favorites is buttered toast with strawberry jam. Otherwise, I get ideas from eating out, looking at magazines, and from the farmers’ markets. Or going into the walk-in refrigerator to see what is there, and being as one with the food. And that’s how it starts. Then working with one flavor, or one ingredient, I think what am I going to do, to create.
Q What ingredients are your “must-haves”?
ADijon mustard, and pork of any form. Cabbage, but maybe that is not be a must. And cauliflower.
Q What is your comfort food?
A Plain cheeseburgers and French fries.
Q Where do you eat out?
A These three — Palena at the bar, Marcel’s and Citronelle at the bar. If I am entertaining I go to Kinkead’s.
Q What’s in your refrigerator right now?
A Yogurt from the farmers’ market, skim milk, water, broccoli, cherry tomatoes, a head of red cabbage. Thousands of condiments. Eggs maybe, and some Parmesan cheese.
Q Where do you see yourself in about 10 years?
A In my own restaurant here in D.C.
Q What do you do in your leisure time?
A I walk my dog named Gennie. I go to the opera. I love theater and live entertainment, and sports, including baseball, football and tennis. And I read. I have thousands of tomes.
Chef Ris Lacoste shares one of her best recipes
Onion, Walnut and Roquefort Tart
By Ris Lacoste
Serves 8-12
This tart is delicious and always a hit. This recipe makes one whole tart and is great for lunch with a salad but do not hesitate to make mini tartelettes as hors d’oeuvres or individual servings. All of the ingredients can be prepped ahead. leaving you to just assemble and bake.
Makes 1 11-inch tart
1 pound pie dough or puff pastry
1 T butter
1 T peanut oil
1 pound Spanish onions, peeled and cut into julienne
2 oz sweet sherry
8 oz Roquefort or a domestic blue cheese such as Maytag or Great Hill, crumbled
4 oz walnuts, roasted, chopped, and dusted
8 oz heavy cream
4 extra-large egg yolks
Salt to taste
Freshly cracked black pepper to taste
Pinch cayenne
1 11 x 1 1/2-inch tart pan with removable bottom
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. On a floured, cold surface, roll out the pie dough to a 14-inch circle, about 1/8-inch thick. Roll the dough onto the rolling pin and unroll onto the tart pan. Gently mold the dough around the edges to completely line the pan. Roll the rolling pin over the edges of the pan to cut off the excess dough. Patch any spots with the extra dough and then freeze any remaining for later use. Chill the molded pie shell for about 20 minutes before baking or freeze, well wrapped until ready to use. When ready to bake, score the bottom of the tart shell with fork marks to prevent the dough from bubbling. “Blind bake” the tart shell by covering it fully with a sheet of parchment paper and filling the tart with rice or dried beans, making sure to completely fill in the shape of the shell with the beans. This weighted process will allow the crust to bake without shrinking or losing its shape. Bake for about 30 minutes, until shape has set and the dough is lightly colored. Remove the beans and parchment and store for later use. Return the tart shell to the oven and bake another 10 minutes until it is golden brown.
Meanwhile, heat the butter and oil in a heavy based sauté pan. Add the onions and cook gently over medium heat, until the onions are caramelized, about 30 minutes. Allow for the slow cooking time to bring out the natural sweetness of the onion and to soften. The sweetness is an important part of the balance of flavors of the tart. Once caramelized add the sherry and cook until the liquid has evaporated and the onions are dry. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove to a plate and chill in the refrigerator. The onions can be made two or three days ahead.
Toast the walnuts in the oven until lightly colored, about 10 minutes. This will activate the nut oils and help bring out their natural sweetness. When cool enough to handle, coarsely chop the nuts and then place in a colander or large holed strainer and shake until most of the bitter skins or “dust” is removed. Set aside until ready to use. The nuts can also be prepared ahead and kept well covered.
To make the custard, simply whisk together the yolks and the heavy cream until mixed and season with salt, pepper and cayenne.
To assemble, cover the bottom of the tart shell with an even distribution of the caramelized onions. Repeat again with the walnuts and then the Roquefort. Cover with the custard and bake in the preheated oven for about 40 minutes, or until just golden. Eggs love gentle heat. They curdle if overcooked. Remove from the oven and allow to set before serving.
Suggested accompaniment is a nice bitter green salad with tart dressing combined with a little something sweet such as apple or pear. Delicious!
