Chef Of The Month May and June: Chef Barret Beyer
Recently, I had the pleasure of interviewing Chef Barrett Beyer; Long Island native, sous chef and contender on Hell’s Kitchen season eleven. We spoke at length about how his past has shaped his passion, experiences on Hell’s Kitchen and future plans for the Chef Beyer brand.
EwE: Describe your experience on Hell’s Kitchen in three words.
CBB: Life changing moment…
EwE: If you had $200 to prepare a meal for two, what would you prepare?
CBB: $200 is more than an ample amount to spend for dinner for two. I would prepare
one of my signature specialty dishes – pan seared scallops in a wasabi cauliflower
purée with roasted corn pepper salsa, peppadew gastrique and micro greens. I could
do all that for $75 for two people.
EwE: What was your take away moment from Hell’s Kitchen?
CBB: Winning the challenges…being able to impress the judges with my dishes and
recipes and having Chef Ramsey approve of them were the highlight moments
while appearing on the show
EwE: What is the most overlooked bargain item in the grocery store?
CBB: Oil. Grape seed oil, especially.
EwE: What are the three staple items every cook should have in the kitchen?
CBB: Flour, eggs and heavy crème – you can always make pasta and a dessert.
EwE: What would you consider your most embarrassing cooking moment?
CBB: While preparing for a huge catering event, I confused the crème of mushroom and
lobster bisque and mixed them. That was VERY embarrassing.
EwE: Are there any plans for a restaurant in the metro NYC area?
CBB: I am currently meeting with investors and looking for space in the Greenpoint
area of Brooklyn. If not an actual restaurant, I would love to get my own food
truck.
EwE: Any plans for a cookbook?
CBB: No current plans for a cookbook. However, I am getting published in a cookbook
that is a collaborative effort, including recipes from chefs worldwide. My book
plans are for an audio book – more of a success story because I have done a
complete 180° change from where my life was six years ago. From 1998 to 2008, I
was arrested every two years – whether it be for drugs, fighting or just not doing
the right thing. In 2006, I woke up on life support and in 2008 my daughter was
born. Her birth was the reason for change and gave me reason to wholeheartedly
pursue my passion.
EwE: What would you be doing if you were not cooking?
CBB: Be dead or in jail – that’s a fact. Cooking gave me an outlet to express myself.
Simply put, it’s my passion.
