I've known Ronny (Ronald) for years now, dating back to high school that we attended (ironically?) just a few blocks from where the Rock and Roll Pig Roast will be held. I've tasted his food more than once at our Pig Roast Planning meetings, and I can't wait to try this menu!
How and why did you become a chef?
Food is always in demand. Good food is always celebrated. The ritual
of the dinner has remained a constant since the dawn of time. I have
always been fascinated by people, especially the way they eat. Anyone
who takes time to make sure even the simplest food is perfect will
understand why I choose this line of work. If you have ever taken two
hours to make something that should only take thirty minutes, you realize
that cooking is a process of trial and error but most of all
discovery. It shares a common ground with any craft, one must labor
incessantly, make choices and deal with the results, good or bad. I
have tried my hand at several crafts, yet the ceremony of dining
really pulled me in. I moved to New York when I was twenty years old
and needed a job bad. I got full time work running a bakery in
Tribeca. The bakery was part of a company that had three fine dining
restaurants all on the same block. It was not long before I was
hanging out with the bakers, the pastry team, the butchers and the
chefs. I was inspired.
I know you cooked in New York, and now Chicago. What's the main
difference in restaurant/kitchen culture, or are there any?
The kitchen is the kitchen no matter where you are. New York,
especially Manhattan, is really crowded with all walks of life. You
can eat foods from ten different cultures and not walk more than two
blocks. Chicago is the melting pot of America and is currently in a
culinary revolution. A lot of food trends start in New York and find
themselves reinterpreted around the country. Chicago is reaching a
level where what we do here will have just as prominent an influence
in the restaurant world.
You roasted a pig just a few weeks ago. What are your plans for the
menu for the Rock and Roll Pig Roast?
Yeah last month was sort of a test run for the real deal. This
Saturday everyone had better come hungry.
Rock and Roll Pig Roast Menu
• Three whole roast pigs
• Smoked Pork Shoulder
• Southern Fried Chicken
• Vegetarian Mac & Cheese
• Pancetta Potato Salad
• Coleslaw
• Warm Green Bean Salad w/ roasted peppers
• Sweet Roasted Corn w/ truffle oil
• Late summer Green Salad
• Ham Hock & Smoked Gouda Biscuit
• Chocolate and Bacon filled Beignet (doughnuts)
• Bourbon and Honey Glazed Bar Nuts
• Hand-Cut Chips with Blue Cheese Dip
• Deviled Eggs
• Watermelon
Our kitchen will also be making at least four different BBQ sauces.
One will involve Templeton Rye Whiskey, one sweet, one spicy and one
with a whole lot of mustard.
What's your favorite band/musician (alive or dead), and if you could
cook for them what would you make?
I tried to invite Pink Floyd to the Rock and Roll Pig Roast but they
have not responded to the Facebook invite yet.
