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March 8, 2004

DAILY SHOUTOUT: MY BROTHER - KITCHEN KENNY

For the better part of the last 20 years I've been hearing a lot about how good of a chef my brother is. From kitchens in Connecticut all the way on down to the U.S. Virgin Islands, my older brother Kenny has been preparing meals for every population you can think of (okay, maybe not the "prison" population, but after tasting his food myself on a recent trip to Vermont, I wouldn't be surprised if prison inmates attempted to break out of jail just so they eat his food). But the final product--the plated dish, if you will--only tells a small part of the story about my brother.

Earlier this month, while I was visiting family in southern Vermont, Kenny--who is currently the Executive Chef at the Lodge at Mount Snow--treated me and host of family and community members to some of the best eats' I've had in a long time. Getting to spend time with him in the kitchen--where I got to see first-hand 'the master' at work--that was the really special part of the visit (aside, of course, from all the time I got to spend with my Mother). Like I said, for years I'd been hearing how great Kenny was at his craft, but like any younger brother is supposed to do, since it's always been my own brother telling me how great he was, I tended to listen to it all with a bit of brotherly skepticism (after all, this is the guy who had me believing for the longest time that he was *the person* who sang all of the songs on the radio when we were kids... apparently, Kenny had a trap door under his bed, which he used only late at night to make his way to *the* radio station, where he recorded each and every song I'd ever heard on my transistor radio... so pardon me for not always buying into this 'great chef' story I'd been hearing about all of these years). But you know what... it's not a story; my brother can cook, big time!

But like I said before, Kenny's plated dishes only tell half the story. Getting to spend time with him in the kitchen, and seeing firsthand the care, passion, and thoughtfulness that goes into each and every meal he prepares, was such a huge and unexpected surprise. The last thing that I thought would happen, as a result of helping out in the kitchen, was that I would walk away feeling proud of who my older brother has become... but that's exactly what happened! All these years--and I mean no disrespect when I say this--but all of these years I thought that my brother was some hack short order chef, which of course, couldn't have been further from the truth. He's nationally certified in food service sanitation, knows more about the chemistry of food than anyone I've ever met, and has even developed an entirely new style of cooking... a fusion of Classic French, American, and Carribian cuisines he calls "Triribbian."

The bottom line here is this... I have an entirely new appreciation for my brother. How he operates in the kitchen is a reflection of who he is outside of one. I love ya, bro. Thanks for the eats AND the lessons. Keep on keepin' on! You're the best.

Posted by Mikal at March 8, 2004 7:04 AM | TrackBack