Jeremy Pittman, Palette Gourmet To Go & Catering
600 N. Tyler (Hillcrest)
Little Rock, Ark.
(501) 666-1885
www.PaletteCatering.com
www.GourmetToGoInLittleRock.com
Tues-Fri 10 am to 7 pm, or by appointment
“I remember always being in the kitchen, either watching my parents cook, or cooking on my own. Some of my earliest memories are cooking breakfast for my brothers; eventually cooking meals for the whole family. Once I discovered cooking shows like, ‘Yan Can Cook’ and the ‘Great Chefs’ series, I knew I wanted to be a chef. This led me to the Culinary Institute of America where not only did I become a chef, but I met my wife and partner. We make one hell of a team!”
Signature dish – Grilled lamb tenderloin served with a blue cheese potato gratin and minted peas and carrots.
Best compliment to the chef – A clean plate. If you’ve eaten everything that I served you, I know you enjoyed it.
My guilty pleasure – Cheese dip; I can’t get enough of it. Luckily, we make the best in town.
Weirdest thing i’ve eaten – Huitlacoche, a fungus that grows on corn; it’s a Mexican culinary delicacy I could live without!
Culinary pet peeve – Under-seasoned food.
Must-have kitchen tool – Immersion blender; I use it for everything—dressings, marinades, drinks!
Biggest cooking challenge – Portion size control. It’s something that I think challenges most people. We like our food supersized. I’m trying to get myself and others accustomed to more moderate-sized portions.
When I’m at home I eat – Tacos! I love tacos! Simple and delicious.
These days, i’m crazy about – Tomatoes! There is nothing better than a vine-ripened tomato. When they are in season, I eat all I can.
Where i eat on my night off – The Flying Fish and Capital Bar & Grill.
Chef recommends – “The Professional Chef”: It’s a textbook for chefs that is loaded with thousands of recipes and tons of information about everything. I use it every day.