THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, February 1, 1996 TAG: 9601300044
SECTION: FLAVOR PAGE: F1 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: Morsels
SOURCE: Ruth Fantasia
LENGTH: Medium: 85 lines
I'VE ALWAYS thought chefs have to be politicians to gain a competitive edge, diplomats to please customers, and artists to create cuisine. Add savvy businessman, and you have culinary adviser Victor Gielisse. A certified master chef, he's one of only 52 in America.
Gielisse may not be a household name in these parts, but that's because he's playing on a different field from your average chef-cum-celebrity.
When Gielisse closed his acclaimed Actuelle restaurant in Dallas after eight years, he didn't head for the television studio. Instead, he opened Culinary Fast-Trac Associates, a support, marketing and creative design group for the hospitality industry. He's a walking think tank for corporations such as Boston Market, United Air Lines, Tyson Foods and KFC.
Gielisse was in town last week to be honored as the Distinguished Visiting Chef at Johnson & Wales University in Norfolk. During his brief visit, Gielisse spent time in the kitchens, lectured and demonstrated.
He discussed restaurant trends, using terms such as ``empowerment,'' ``total quality management'' and ``total employee involvement'' - words more often applied to car manufacturers than to restaurants. He also demonstrated nutritional cooking techniques that won't set off ``a nutritional backlash'' from customers who want ``real'' food.
Debi Gray, president of the Norfolk campus of Johnson & Wales University, sums it up this way: Sports has Deion Sanders, entertainment has Clint Eastwood, and culinary arts has Victor Gielisse - a man who can do it all.
Here's a sampling from Gielisse's discussions at the local school.
``Too many infusions cause confusion. The customer wants food they can trust. People want food that looks good and is good for them.
``There's a masochistic influence in America when it comes to food service. We accept being shoved in a corner, and bad food is accepted. Yet if we spill hot coffee from McDonald's on our lap we sue. Never accept bad service; there are plenty of restaurants out there that will take your money.
``When you're at a restaurant with an open kitchen, watch the chefs. Are they tasting the food before it goes out? Do they care how the food they're serving tastes?
``Designer Paul Draper told me `The best decor for a restaurant is people.' ''On cooking:
``In some ways, the refrigerator has ruined us. It was invented to preserve food. But now there are people out there who buy fresh garlic and ginger and preserve them until they shrivel up to nothing.
``Peel your celery. Those celery strings are uncomfortable stuck in your teeth and you can use the celery peelings, carrot peeling and other vegetable trimmings to make stock. Freeze some of it to use later. It's not only nutritious, it's cost efficient.
``Stock provides very little calories. If you don't want to make your own, there are very good products in the stores. Just buy low-sodium ones.
``There's nothing wrong with sugar, butter and eggs. You can cook nutritionally and still use these products. Instead of three parts olive oil and one part vinegar, use two parts vegetable stock, one part oil and one part vinegar.
``Always season food at the last minute.''
Oat boasts
They're B-A-A-C-K!
The purveyors of the biggest health craze of the '80s, oat bran, received a boost recently when the Food and Drug Administration said it may adopt a ruling that allows makers of foods high in oat bran or oatmeal to make health claims.
The proposed rule, if adopted, may allow General Mills, Quaker and other manufacturers to print the following health claim on packages: ``Diets high in oat bran or oatmeal may reduce the risk of heart disease.''
Bigger Twinkie
If bigger is better, then Twinkies must be grand.
Hostess has announced it will increase the amount of cake and filling in its snacks - yes, cupcakes and King Dons, too - by 10 percent, at no extra cost.
Cost being measured in monetary terms, that is. They don't mention what it will cost in additional calories. ILLUSTRATION: HUY NGUYEN
The Virginian-Pilot
Chef Victor Gielisse
by CNB