June 2007

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Photo by Lesle Tomlin for Studio Midwest Inc. Hair by Brooke Ferrin. Makeup by Katherine Sterrett. (Click to view larger image)



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     by Patti Denton

     Erin Kem relishes the many sides of her position as a chef's right-hand person.

     "I'm glad that I'm a sous chef that still gets to cook," says Kem, sous chef at the fine-dining Massachusetts Avenue eatery, R Bistro. Often in larger restaurants, according to Kem, the sous chef does more managing and expediting.

     A 2002 graduate of the New England Culinary Institute, Kem worked as a line cook at the former Tavola di ToSa in Broad Ripple before joining the staff at R Bistro. About a year and half later, she was named sous chef by proprietor/executive chef Regina Mehallick.

     Kem has absorbed a lot about the Indianapolis restaurant in that time and considers such experience important in knowing what to convey to others when the head chef's not available. "I'm in charge when she's not here," Kem explains.

     So what else does a sous chef do? At the bistro, she makes contributions to the seasonal menu that changes weekly, helps with orders from purveyors, keeps track of inventory, serves as a representative for the restaurant at outside events and cooks on the line.

     "I love cooking big slabs of meat," says Kem, who often works the grill station at the restaurant. Kem studied pastries in Germany during an internship and loves doing desserts - just not full time.

     Kem says it's a common misconception that a restaurant's executive chef must do all the cooking.

     "It's insulting to their ability to train their staff," she says.

     Since working with Mehallick, Kem has found they can just look at each other and be on the same wavelength.

     "The easiest thing is we're both women," Kem says. "The hardest thing is we're both women."

     She says her boss often quips "with fake tension" that they are too strong-willed women working together. The 18-year difference between their ages has had Kem joke that Mehallick could be her mom. She says her own mother has always been an adventurous cook and she credits her with teaching her how to make crepes, one of her signature dishes.

     According to Kem, the two chefs do a good deal of collaborating.

     "We keep each other in line," she says.

     When fellow chefs suggested she become the new Indiana exchange coordinator for Women Chefs & Restaurateurs, it made perfect sense to her.

     Active in WCR since 2004, Kem has attended two national conferences and finds the experience has inspired her to keep creating. She relishes networking with other women in all sorts of culinary careers and her goal is to get more people involved.

     "If I ever run my own business, it's a good group to be involved with," Kem says.

     Watermelon, Feta and Mint Salad

     In this recipe, Kem features French feta cheese that she says is not as salty as

     regular feta. Look for it in your local supermarket cheese case.

     Makes 8 servings

     8 cups diced red watermelon, chilled, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch dices

     4 cups diced feta cheese, cut into 3/4-inch dices

     2 cups chopped fresh mint leaves,plus additional mint for garnish

     3/4 cup fruity extra-virgin olive oil

     2 limes, juice and a little zest

     Freshly ground pepper to taste

     Prepare ingredients and then toss them all together before serving. To serve, place approximately 1 cup of salad in a martini glass. Garnish with fresh mint leaf.

     Rhubarb Shortcake with Rhubarb Ice Cream and Compote

     Kem took the top citywide spot in the Garrison Keillor Rhubarb Competition

     in July 2005 with this recipe.

     Makes 6 shortcakes and about 1 quart ice cream

     For the shortcake:

     2 cups all purpose flour

     1/4 cup sugar

     1 tablespoon baking powder

     1/2 teaspoon baking soda

     1/2 teaspoon salt

     1 teaspoon ground ginger

     1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

     10 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

     Zest of one orange

     2/3 cup buttermilk

     Milk for brushing biscuit tops

     For the ice cream:

     1/2 cup half and half

     1 cup heavy cream

     3/4 cup sugar, divided use

     3 egg yolks, beaten

     1 pound rhubarb, diced

     1/2 cup water

     Juice of one orange

     For the compote:

     Reserved rhubarb syrup

     1 pound rhubarb

     1 cinnamon stick

     Sugar to taste

     To prepare shortcakes: Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, ginger, cardamom and orange zest. Add the butter and rub it in with fingertips until it resembles coarse meal.

     Slowly add buttermilk, mixing with a fork until just combined. Do not over mix. Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface. Gently pat or roll dough to 1/2- to 3/4-inch thick and cut with a floured 3-inch biscuit cutter. Brush with milk and bake 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on wire rack.

     To prepare ice cream: Over low heat, scald half and half and cream until bubbles form around edges of the pan. Whisk 1/4 cup sugar into egg yolks. Slowly whisk hot cream into yolks. Return to pan and stir over low heat until mixture coats the back of a spoon. Strain into clean bowl, cool to room temperature, then chill 2 to 3 hours.

     While ice cream base chills, cook rhubarb in 1/2 cup water, orange juice and 1/2 cup sugar, about 10 minutes or until very soft. Strain off liquid and reserve. Mash solids, cool and stir into chilled base. Add enough reserved liquid to restore pink color. Freeze in ice cream maker.

     To prepare compote: In a saucepan, combine all ingredients and simmer until rhubarb is tender. Do not boil or let rhubarb break down. Cool and serve over shortcake and ice cream.

     Lavender and Peppercrusted Seared Tuna with Salad Bowl Leaves

     This recipe is an appetizer that features the lavender flavor the chef has incorporated in a variety of dishes.

     Makes 4 servings

     12 ounces sushi quality ahi tuna cut in four 1-inch thick steaks

     1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt

     2 teaspoons black peppercorns

     1 teaspoon white peppercorns

     2 teaspoons fennel seeds

     1 1/2 teaspoons lavender flowers

     3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

     For the mustard seed dressed salad leaves:

     1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

     1/2 cup prepared whole-grain mustard

     1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon toasted mustard seeds

     1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar

     1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons water

     2 teaspoons honey, to taste

     Coarse kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

     2 handfuls salad bowl greens

     Cut tuna into 3-ounce steaks. Crush the salt, peppercorns, fennel seeds and lavender with a mortar and pestle or rolling pin. Lightly oil the tuna steaks with 2 teaspoons of the olive oil; evenly coat the tuna with the lavender-pepper mixture, patting off any excess.

     Sear tuna in olive oil in a high heat pan for 1 minute on high. Turn over carefully, reducing the heat to medium. Sear the other side for 1 minute until medium rare. Remove from heat and immediately refrigerate the tuna for at least 1 hour.

     While tuna chills, prepare dressing. Toast mustard seeds in the oven or on the stovetop but do not burn. Let cool. Whisk together all dressing ingredients other than greens and adjust the seasoning to taste.

     To serve, thinly slice tuna and place on four plates. Toss dressing with greens and serve alongside chilled tuna.

     The Inside Dish

     What is your favorite tool in the kitchen? "A good food processor; I make a lot of dressings."

     When you're not in the kitchen, what do you enjoy doing most in your spare time? "Belly dancing. It's a good thing for adults to get into. It's good exercise and a stress reliever and I love performing out in public." As a member of the Midwest Belly Dancing Superstars, Kem will be performing at the Indiana State Fair again this year.

     If you weren't in the food business what other profession would you consider? "I would be teaching French or English as a second language."

     If you could cook with anyone, who would that be? "I think a lot of Mario Batali. He knows so much and is so down to earth about it. I think he's a good teacher."

     What is your favorite guilty pleasure? "I love Burrito Supremes at Taco Bell. For years and years they have been comforting to me somehow." Another favorite is R Bistro's bacon panini.

     Chef's Choice:

     Lavender caught Erin Kem's culinary interests when she heard about the Willowfield Lavender Farm at the Orchard in Bloom garden show a couple of years ago. She loved the flavor and the Mooresville-grown product.

     She uses lavender to make vinaigrettes and to infuse cream for truffles. For homemade truffles, she suggests, add lavender to cream that has been scalded and allowed to steep for about 10 minutes. Then strain it out before continuing to make the truffles.

     Choose pesticide- and herbicide-free lavender, Kem says, who bruises the flowers in a mortar and pestle or with the flat part of a knife to help determine the flavor level before adding it to a dish. Her advice: Use a little at a time and then taste. "You don't want your food to taste like soap," she says.

     Denton has an insatiable culinary curiosity fed by more than 17 years of experience as a food journalist. She is host of Too Many Cooks! on WICR (88.7 FM).

Article appears as published in the IW June 2007 issue.