David Adjey is best known for his tough and direct approach, as the passionate chef on Restaurant Makeover (on the Food Network). From being the executive chef and running top hotels in New York and California as well as his own award-winning restaurant in Toronto, David has proven himself a successful chef in Canada. David travels North America as a restaurant consultant. He has appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. He was the personal chef to actor Dan Aykroyd.
His latest cook book, Deconstructing the Dish for Modern Day Cuisine, went into its second printing after only three weeks on the shelf. David recently hosted a bistro party and cooking demonstration with the new GE Café series of appliances.
Q: What is your fondest memory from your family kitchen?
A: Fondue Night in the ’80s. It was the perfect combination of diced meat, hot oil and sharpened skewers for my sister and I to use at the occasional dinner table jousting match. What were my parents thinking?
Q: What kitchen aromas bring back fond memories?
A: Sunday night pot roast. You can’t beat home cooking when it takes all day in the kitchen to prepare.
Q: What is your favourite food to cook?
A: It changes each day depending on what cool things I find in the market. Sometimes it’s pea tendrils or something as simple as double-smoked bacon and fresh cod.
Q: Do you use cookbooks?
A: Yes, I have approximately 800 cookbooks in the house. Some are on book shelves and some are propping up one end of my couch.
Q: How did the first meal you prepared turn out?
A: Disastrous! All I can say is thank G-D for family. They choked down a few of my first inspirations in the culinary world.
Q: What kitchen appliance can you not live without?
A: Mandolin or commonly referred to in my house as, “Japanese Finger Slicer.” And my All-Clad pots and pans, a must-have for all chefs.
Q: What rituals from your background involving food do you partake in?
A: Never cook with wine that’s unfit to drink. I grew up in Scarborough (Ontario) and if you had a bottle of wine with a cork in it, you knew it was a special occasion.
Q: Is there a cultural dish that you prepare which ties into a holiday?
A: Being a chef, whenever you create a special menu for Christmas, Thanksgiving or even Valentine’s, we tend to choose a theme. My last Christmas dinner included flavours of the Deep South. Think “Creole-Cajun.”
