Who is Chef Lou?

Chef Lou Rice is currently the Executive Chef for NorthWest Arkansas Community College in Bentonville. His career background includes over 12 years of culinary and hospitality educational teaching and administration. Prior to entering the education field, Chef Lou cooked at various country clubs, privately owned operations, several colleges and his own restaurant and catering operations, which is a book all in itself. Chef Lou has a solid background in catering, fine and casual dining and loves to play with ethnic foods and BBQ.

THE Q&A:

Tell me about your new initiative to bring culinary arts to the homes of Northwest Arkansas.

It’s a two part initiative to meet the corporate needs of our area’s companies. And the second part is to meet the wildly popular interest in food and entertainment in the homes around Northwest Arkansas. The hospitality industry has grown so fast in this area that a need for more training opportunities has increased beyond the capacity for local businesses to achieve. So by using our resources both in personnel and structure we’re able to provide both specialized and general training to the businesses and residents of NWA.

What made you decide you would become a professional chef?

Playing with food obviously is a lot of fun and an interesting field, but for me it was always about teaching other people and opening that world to others so they could share in it. Food makes the world go round. Wars have been started over food and wars have been ended because of food. At one time, pepper was more expensive than gold. There’s a whole history behind food that makes it so fascinating to me.

What is your favorite kitchen gadget?

Hands and a knife… because if you can’t do it with your hands and the basic knife, you’re probably doing something wrong! The “gadgets” that are out there usually don’t work and take up a lot of needed drawer space.

You are the Executive Chef in Residence at NWACC. Tell us about the business, including what you do.

My job is to develop the non-credit side of hospitality and culinary arts for the college in the community. Basically that’s helping the local industry with hospitality training as well as creating a vibrant opportunity for personal enrichment- those for the gourmand, families and those interested in improving their skills in the kitchen.

What are some tools of the trade that you have brought from the kitchen into this role?

An understanding of what makes up a good kitchen personnel and staff. Having worked in the industry and trained thousands of people, you develop an understanding of what employers want and need. Plus when you teach the basics for years and years you like to think you get pretty good at relaying those skills onto students.

Why would someone want to take a class in recreational culinary arts and cooking?

Well food is cool. Food is really “in” right now. And while going out and eating can be a wonderful experience, sometimes it can be just as much fun to stay in and cook at home. It’s a great way to get the whole family together and even get children involved in the experience. For a lot of people, it’s a great release. It’s a way to unwind after the stress of a hard week and throw yourself into something creative and exciting.

What benefit does a child get from attending your summer camps?

Getting kids in the kitchen at an early age is a great way to teach them responsibility. It also gives them a fun and creative outlet for their growing artistic abilities. Also, it’s important today for kids to learn about eating better and healthier. It can also be a great source of pride in children- to be able to create something they can show their family and friends- showcase some skill that they may have.

What are some of the classes you are offering?

Some of the more requested classes are Classical Sauces, How to Boil Water, Knife Skills and Barbeque & Grilling. We’re going to be offering classes for every skill level, from the absolute beginner to the advanced gourmet so everyone can enhance their current skills. The knowledge people have about the kitchen varies greatly, and we want to make sure we’re providing learning opportunities for everyone. We’re also going to be offering classes for a variety of interests from Healthy Cooking to Advanced Baking.

NWACC Corporate Learning offers several services for both businesses and individuals within the culinary and hospitality environment. For more information about personal enrichment courses, corporate team building programs, catering services or kids summer camps, call: (479) 936-5175 or e-mail:lrice@nwacc.edu

Grilled Romaine

Ingredients: 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil ¼ cup Balsamic vinegar 1 Tbsp honey 1 teaspoon dried rosemary 1 teaspoon dried thyme ½ tsp dry mustard 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 4 romaine hearts – washed and cut in half drugs without prescription lengthwise 2 Tbsp inexpensive olive oil 4 Tbsp freshly grated parmesan cheese 6 – 8 Roma tomatoes cut into wedges. salt and pepper to taste

Directions: In a blender or food processor combine all of the ingredients for the dressing and set aside. Preheat the grill for high heat. Brush romaine hearts with the 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Place romaine hearts on the preheated grill. Cook 4 to 8 minutes, turning frequently, until slightly charred but not heated all the way through. Drizzle with the balsamic vinaigrette and top with the grated parmesan and fresh tomato wedges. Serve warm on salad plates surrounded by tomato pieces and drizzled with the shallot dressing.

Grilled Oregano Chicken with Orange and Olive Salad

Ingredients: 1 Tbsp grated orange zest 1/3 cup orange juice ¼ cup finely chopped fresh oregano (or 1 Tbsp. dried) 2 Tbsp olive oil coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

Directions: In a small bowl, combine the orange juice, zest, olive oil and oregano. Place the chicken breasts in a plastic bag and cover with the marinade. Let sit over night if possible, but at least 4 hours. Preheat grill to medium. Remove chicken from marinade and grill over medium heat until golden and an internal temperature of 165 degrees is hit. Cut the chicken into 5 or 6 slices and lay on top of a bed of the orange-olive salad.

Mediterranean Orange – Olive Salad

Ingredients: 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil Salt and freshly ground pepper 6 ripe medium oranges, peeled 1 small red onion, sliced fine 6 tablespoons golden raisins, covered for 20 minutes in hot water, then drained 20 black olives sliced thin 20 green olives 4 tablespoons almonds, lightly toasted and chopped

Directions: Whisk together the vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper and set aside. Cut the peel and pith away from the orange leaving the exposed sections clean. Carefully cut in between each section of orange to remove the segment. Set the segments in a bowl. Into the orange segments add in the onions, olives, raisins, and nuts. Add in the dressing and toss together. Spoon salad onto a plate and top with sliced chicken breast. Serves: 4

Pork Loin with Blackberry Sauce

Ingredients: 3 Tbsp olive oil 2 1/2 lb pork loin 2 pints fresh cleaned blackberries 2 cups port wine 1 cup chicken stock ¼ cup sugar ¼ cup minced onion 2 cloves garlic, minced Salt and pepper

Directions: Preheat oven to 475 degrees. In a large deep ovenproof skillet, heat the olive oil. Rub the pork loin with salt and pepper. Place the pork loin in the skillet and brown all sides. Place the skillet directly into the oven and roast at 475 degrees for 18 minutes. The pork, when ready, should read a temperature of 145 on an instant read thermometer. Remove the pork from the sauté pan, cover and set aside. In the hot skillet add the garlic, onion and a touch of olive oil and saute over medium heat until onions are starting to brown. Add in the wine and scrape the bottom of the pan. Add in the stock. Reduce heat to medium-low and add in the blackberries and the sugar. Cook the mixture until the liquid is reduced by about half and develops a nice glaze texture. Slice the pork for service and drizzle on the blackberry glaze.

Tropica l Fruit Pavlova

Ingredients: 4 egg whites 1/4 Tsp cream of tartar 1 Tsp vanilla extract 2/3 cup sugar 2 Tsp finely grated lemon zest 2 cups cut-up, seeded, peeled fresh mango; cut-up, peeled kiwi fruit; sliced fresh strawberries, blueberries or blackberries ½ cup vanilla yogurt Fresh mint cut into fine, thin strips

Directions: Separate egg whites and egg yolks taking care to keep all yolks out of the whites. Let the whites come to room temperature in a medium sized bowl. Preheat oven to 275 degrees. For meringue shell: add cream of tartar to egg whites. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form. Add in the vanilla. Add in the lemon zest. Gradually add the sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating on high speed until stiff peaks form. Using a pastry bag, pipe the meringue onto the small circles on the paper, building up the sides to form shells or use the back of a spoon to spread the meringue over the circles, building up the sides. Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes then turn off the oven. Let shells dry in oven, with door closed, for 1 hour. Cool completely on a wire rack. To serve spoon a dollop of yogurt onto the pavlova shell then top with the cut fruit. Garnish with the cut mint and serve.