Chefs:

Jaime Gutierrez - Cool River
Miguel Ravago - Fonda San Miguel
Charles Bloemsma - Green Pastures
Sean Bradshaw - The Oasis
Marion Gilcrest - La Traviata

Jaime Gutierrez - Cool River

Jaime Gutierrez, Executive Chef at Cool River Café, in Austin, TX, has traveled an interesting road to arrive at his career destination. Born in Montreal, Canada, to a Cuban father and an American mother, he moved to Victoria, TX as a child, where his doctor-father was interning. He spent time growing up in Coastal waters (Texas Gulf and Dominican Republic) spear fishing. This exposure to seafood, and watching his grandmother cook, planted a creative seed for cooking that would take years to blossom. Jaime attended Texas Tech University, where he completed a Bachelor's Degree in Advertising and Marketing in 1986. Though he worked in this field for six years after graduating, spending most of his time setting up and managing photographic dark rooms, the love for food and his inner passion for cooking never left him. He worked as a butcher in a family owned smokehouse for the first two years of his college life.

After leaving the advertising world, against the advice of an old friend, Jaime moved to New York City, to work with an uncle in the wholesale produce industry. This experience just deepened his love for the culinary field, and in 1993 he went to work in a restaurant as a server and prep cook. His kitchen experience there sealed his fate. In 1994, Jaime enrolled in the California Culinary Academy, and in 1995 graduated second in his class.

Jaime left California Culinary Academy, and moved to Mendicino and the Café Beaujolais. He strengthened his aptitude for traditional Mexican, Asian, and French cuisine. From there it was on to Napa, to Rutherford Grill, where he was both line and prep cook. His career there was brief, as he was recruited by Patricio's in Dallas.
Wanting to move back to Texas, he accepted the position, and began his chef career as a sous chef. He stayed at this Highland Park landmark for a year and eight months, until an opportunity for a new restaurant concept (Cool River Café) came about. He and another sous, wrote the menu and the recipes to open the first restaurant in Las Colinas. He later assisted in opening their Denver store, and landed as Executive Chef in Austin, where he has been for five years.

On a personal note, Jaime not only puts his hands to use as a chef. He also builds Jeeps, and on days away from Cool River, which are rare, can be found four-wheeling through the Hill Country. He loves welding, and fabricating parts for his Jeeps. So, as you see, Jaime Gutierrez is as at home in the kitchen as he is on a dirt road. With his sense of adventure in both areas, who knows where his road will lead?

Favorite Recipes:

Cool River Café
Chicken Poblano Soup

Ingredients:
2 qt poblanos, diced
2 qt carrots, diced
2 qt celery, diced
3 gal. water
3 cup chicken base
¼ cup Tabasco
4 each bay leaf
8 cup flour
8 qt heavy cream
½ cup garlic, minced
1 cup oil

Heat oil, add poblanos, carrots, celery and garlic. Sauté until clear, add flour. Mix well and cook until flour develops an almond color and flavor (white roux). Heat water and add chicken base. Slowly add water to flour and veggie mix. Add Tabasco and bay leaf. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add heavy cream and bring to a simmer. Season to taste.

Serve with tortilla strips and shredded mixed cheese.

Cool River Café
Balsamic Marinated Mushrooms

Ingredients:
2½ pounds Button Mushrooms
1½ cup sun-dried tomatoes, Julianne
1cup chives, chopped
1½ cup balsamic vinegar
3 tblspn garlic, minced
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tblspn black pepper, cafe
4 tsp thyme, fresh minced
3 tsp oregano, fresh minced
3 tsp rosemary, fresh minced
1 tsp Salt

1) Steam mushrooms for 2 minutes and shock in an ice bath.
2) Heat olive oil in sauté pan and blanch minced garlic (do not brown).
3) Combine remaining ingredients and mix. Allow to marinate for 20 minutes before serving.
4) Great served cold with a baggett or hot on top of ribeye steaks.

Miguel Ravago is the Executive Chef and Co-Founder of Fonda San Miguel. His career as a chef started with cooking native dishes in his Phoenix, Arizona home. As a young man, he began learning regional dishes of Mexico from his grandmother, a native of Sonora, Mexico. In 1975, Miguel opened Fonda San Miguel with Tom Gilliland. Under Miguel's guidance, the kitchen immediately set the standard in the United States for authentic Mexican cuisine. Fonda San Miguel has been honored on a national level many times in its history, including appearances at the James Beard House in New York City, and cooking for the Mexican Embassy in Washington, DC.

Miguel Ravago - Fonda San Miguel

Miguel co-authored "Cocina De La Familia" with Marilyn Tausend which was published by Simon & Schuster and won a "Julia Child Cookbook Award" in 1998.

Favorite Recipe:

Cochinita Pibil
Yucatecan Barbecued Pork

5 lb boneless pork shoulder or butt, cut in serving pieces, scored
1 tbsp.achiote (annatto) seeds, softened
¼ cup cumin seeds
¼ Mexican oregano
12 peppercorns
3 whole allspice
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1/8 tsp. hot paprika
1 tbsp. salt
¼ cup white vinegar
¼ cup orange juice
¼ cup lime juice
2 large banana leaves
½ cup cold water

Soften achiote seeds by soaking in vinegar overnight. Combine softened achiote and all seasonings in a blender and blend into a smooth paste. Rub the scored and portioned pork loin with the seasoning paste. Allow to season overnight in the cooler.

Sear banana leaves over a flame to make them flexible. Wrap the pork in the leaves and allow to season overnight in the cooler.

Place wrapped pork on a rack in a Dutch oven. Add ½ cup cold water, cover tightly. Cook in a 350'F over for 2 l/1 hrs. Turn meat over and baste with cooking juices. Cook another 2 ½ hrs. or until tender.

Shred meat roughly and moisten with cooking juices. Serve hot with corn tortillas and pickled red onions.

	Charles Bloemsma b. November 11, 1969 Married: Christine 1 child: Sanne
Charles Bloemsma - Green Pastures

Education

The Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park, New York
AOS with honors in Culinary Arts
Certificate in Food and Environmental Sanitation
Internship, Maxime¹s La Petite Affaire, Briarcliff Manor New York
Worked with 1992 Chef of the Year Maxime Rivera,
Chef¹s Association of France in the United States
Externship, Simsbury Inn, Simsbury Connecticut

Texas A&M
Process Control, Acidified Foods Certification

Grand Rapids Junior College, Grand Rapids, Michigan
Working with Chocolate: Truffles, Chocolates and Decorations
Deserts and Pastries for Volume Production
Instructor, Executive Chef Giles Renusson, advisor to US World Cup Pastry Team

Work Experience

Executive Chef, Green Pastures Restaurant since 2000
Executive Sous Chef, Omni Austin Hotel Southpark, Austin, Texas
First Cook, The Cafe at the Four Seasons, Austin, Texas
Banquet Sous Chef, Hyatt Regency Austin, Austin, Texas
Executive Chef, Lodge at Lakeview, Austin, Texas
Executive Chef, Lupine, Austin, Texas
Chef, Ruffinos, San Antonio, Texas
Chef, Topaz Cafe and Porch, Flagler Beach, Florida

Favorite Recipe (so simple, yet so good):

Heirloom Tomato Salad (4 people)

4 Heirloom Tomatoes,
Prefer 4 kinds, black, green, yellow and red; various sizes
1/3 Cup Balsamic Reduction...
--(1 Cup Balsamic Vinegar reduced to 1/3)
--Fresh Coarse Ground Black Pepper
2 pinches Kosher or Sea Salt
2 Sprigs Fresh Basil... chiffonade
2 oz Spanish Manchego... grated
2 T Pistachios toasted and chopped

Slice Tomatoes and lay out on tray
Sprinkle with salt and fresh pepper
Place Tomatoes on plate
Sprinkle with basil.
Drizzle with balsamic reduction
Grate Manchego over tomatoes
Sprinkle with Chopped Pistachio

Sean was born February 13, 1967 in Ogden, Utah. He moved with his family to Austin in 1976. He attended Austin High School. The aspiring young chef received formal culinary training at the Texas Culinary Academy in Austin. While Sean was attending the TCA he apprenticed at the Barton Creek Conference Resort & Spa and The Stouffer Hotel. Chef Bradshaw has also worked for Macaroni Grill, Truluck's and presently with The Oasis. The Chef's favorite foods are Southwestern and Mediterranean. Chef Bradshaw's favorite new Oasis recipe is Beau's Tacos. More than anything, Sean Bradshaw has taken a restaurant that's always been "great view-bad food" and turned it around to the kind of place where you can do a whole lot more than wait till they ring the bell at sunset. And that is quite an accomplishemnt.

Sean Bradshaw - The Oasis

His Recipe of Choice: Beau's Puffy Tacos

Press, roll and lightly fry totillas until "puffy".

Taco Beef
8 oz. ground beef- browned
4 oz. onion
1 oz. garlic
½ can Rotel
½ tsp. crushed red pepper
salt and pepper to taste

Simmer all ingredients for 10 minutes.

Top with
Lettuce
Tomatoes
Cheese

Marion Gilchrist, head chef and co-owner of one of my very favorite Italian restaurants, La Traviata (downtown on Congress near 3rd). Phone: 479-8131 Marion brings a flair and enthusiasm to her kitchen that she translates into creative and enormously pleasing dishes. Marion knew she wanted to cook at a relatively young age. While she received formal culinary schooling, her OJT at very trendy restaurants in San Francisco and Santa Fe laid the groundwork for her craftsmanship at La Traviata.

Marion Gilchrist - La Traviata

Marion combines down to earth sensibilities with a genuine gift in the kitchen. The result is what Italian food should be: simple and incredibly tasty.

Her Recipe of Choice: Spaghetti Bolognese (serves eight)

Brown meat. Drain fat from meat. Add meat, chicken stock, water, bay leaf, and dried mushrooms. Cook for one hour. (Simmer.) Saute bacon, carrots, onion, and celery. Add to meat.

Add tomatoes . Simmer for an additional hour and add, nutmeg, salt, fennel, and cayenne.

Let sit overnight.

Cook pasta. Al dente of course. Heat up sauce and add heavy cream. Add sauce to pasta.

Finish with grated parmesan.