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The Competitors

Professional Chefs in the 2007 competition included:

Firefighter Chefs in the 2007 competition included:

 

 

Who They Are:

 


Dino Redzic – Owner/Executive Chef, Momento Italian Bistro

    Taking generations of cooking knowledge plus exposure to some of the finest chefs into the world, Dino Redzic adds a flair for the dramatic to his global Italian dishes. For 300 years, his family has included butchers and chefs, making meals with as much drama and history as they have flavor. With his background, Redzic was confident in his abilities, but knew that there was much to learn in the vast pantry called America.

    “I thought I knew it all until a little gentleman from Santa Fe cooked the best French meal I’ve ever had,” he says. “America is so gifted with fresh food. In Italy in February, you can only dream about fresh tomatoes.” Born in Montenegro, he learned the trade from his parents who had a restaurant in Zurich for 30 years. After an apprenticeship in Europe, he ended up in New York, owning two restaurants there, Amici Amore and Butcher Bros. Steak House. He also worked at the James Beard Foundation, a place where self-taught cooks with a passion for food helped create a new generation of chefs. Redzic likes the Old World customs, where each village has its own tastes and seasonal changes dictate dishes.

    “They don’t cook alike. If you’re in Sicily, the only meat you can have is goat because the area is all rock,” he says. In his attempt to duplicate a true Italian restaurant in America, however, there are some things he can’t replicate, like 2 p.m. closings. “Try that here,” he says. “You’ll go out of business. It’s just the pace of life.

    Now a well-known figure in the world of fine cuisine, Dino Redzic has served as maître d'hôtel of the James Beard Society. He runs several successful restaurants in Naples, Florida. In New York City, Dino offers Momento Italian Bistro, an intimate dining spot in Astoria. You'll want to spend much more than a moment to savor the fine Italian cuisine at Momento Italian Bistro. Entrees range from classic Italian restaurant fare such as house made lasagna, ravioli and chicken or eggplant parmigiana to more inventive duck with risotto. Dino constantly strives to reinvent his fine cuisine to offer something new to his loyal patrons. At the same time, he keeps the fare authentic Italian with the help of family. The Redzic family has been in the butcher business for many generations. At their butcher shop on 30th Avenue, brother Argo uses centuries-old recipes to produce handmade sausages. At Momento, those sausages are incorporated into several dishes, including an appetizer of sausages finished with a cognac flambé. Orecchiete pasta, served with broccoli rabe and sausage is a patron favorite. [Sourced and adapted from various press articles]

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Ed McFarland

    Ed's Lobster Bar is the accomplishment of an idea stemming from Edward McFarland’s long love of fish cookery and Northeast seafood culture. He is an FCI (French Culinary Institute) graduate who studied directly under some of the most notable French Chefs of our day including Alain Sailhac.

    A quick study, Ed was able to create a growing role as a serious cook in some of the world’s best kitchens. At Le Cirque, he had the privilege of working with the esteemed Sotha Kuhn with his mastery of fine seafood handling. At Picholine, under Terrance Brennan’s Chef de Cuisine-Dave Pasternak, Edward learned the very valuable skills that would later direct his energies even more towards seafood and seasonal garnishes.

    Settling down with Rebecca Charles of the celebrated Pearl Oyster Bar in the west village, Edward would run the kitchen and restaurant as her Sous Chef for six years. This experience deepened his sense of New England's long cuisine tradition. It also prompted his purchase of land in northern Maine.

    Edward McFarland faithfully honed his unique style throughout his years of study, apprenticeship, and play. He would then realize his dream of owning a restaurant. On March 16, 2007 NYC got a very well received SoHo mainstay- Ed's Lobster Bar. There he continues to develop a close relationship with New England's food culture and New York City's insatiable quest to enjoy their long tradition. Here, he eloquently brings his love and passion for seafood in a delightful neighborhood setting.

   

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Eric Hara - Chef de Cuisine, davidburke & donatella

    Since first stepping behind a stove at the age of 16, Los Angeles native Eric Hara has developed the kind of innate understanding of flavor that distinguishes the nation’s best chefs. Demonstrating both the virtuosity of a seasoned gourmet and the vitality of youth, Hara comes to davidburke & donatella with the forthright attitude that has ushered him through esteemed kitchens from coast to coast.   

    Hara began his culinary career when he left the streets of LA for the hills of Santa Barbara where he attended a local hotel and restaurant school. After graduating, Hara would go on to work with some of the most established names in the nation’s culinary landscape. His early career was defined by stints working alongside chefs such as luminary Michel Richard at his flagship eatery, Citronelle, John Downey at the celebrated Downey’s in Santa Barbara and Camille Schwartz at Restaurant Mimosa. He then honed his skills at the Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel and at the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise in Canada.   

    At the age of 26, having already amassed nearly a decade of experience on the line, Hara arrived in New York, claiming an Executive Chef position at the two-star eatery, Chez Josephine. Rounding out a career marked by a series of gifted tutors, Hara sharpened his skills alongside Rick Laakkonen before joining David Burke as Chef de Cuisine at davidburke & donatella. In his commitment to the simplicity of American flavors, Hara is a fitting companion for Chef Burke’s innovative cuisine. “Eric is a talented, ambitious young chef, who possesses great knowledge of the classics and a desire to create and experiment in a mature mind set,” says Burke. “It is a pleasure working together, and we look forward to Eric’s energy and enthusiasm becoming part of our menus.”

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Mark Lahm - Owner/Executive Chef, Henry's End

    Mark Lahm began his career at Henry's End in 1981 as a dishwasher and busser. He eventually became a waiter, then manager, then chef. In 1986, he graduated from the Culinary Institute of America and took over the restaurant.

    He began an annual game festival which continues to this day. The restaurant also features an award winning American wine list. The 2006 Zagat awarded the restaurant 26 for food and an earlier edition stated "this is why they built the Brooklyn bridge". In 2002, Mark and his staff hosted an event at the prestigious James Beard House. Mark lives in Brooklyn with his wife and two daughters, and enjoys doing any event that promotes Brooklyn.

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Sue Torres - Executive Chef/Owner, Sueños

    Sue Torres finds Mexican cuisine endlessly fascinating. So much so that she’s devoted her entire culinary career to it. And diners in New York City have benefited enormously - getting to eat what New York Times’ writer Eric Asimov once called, “the most exciting Mexican food in the city.” In 2003, she’s poured all of her passion, knowledge and talent for this beloved ethnic cuisine into a place that’s all her own. Spanish for “dream,” Sueños is the realization of Torres’ dream to open her own restaurant where she can devote herself to creating and exploring innovative Mexican dishes. In just 10 years since obtaining her degree from the Culinary Institute of America, Torres’ star has risen at a steep incline. A protégé of chef Miles Angelo, the king of Southwestern fare, Torres’ discovered her love for Mexican ingredients while working as his sous chef at Arizona 206 and Arizona Café. She learned to creatively compose flavors, textures and presentation, and was introduced to the wide array of chiles and their breadth of possibilities. A decade later, she displays that knowledge in Sueños five-course chile tasting menu. Each dish celebrates a different chile.

    Torres began receiving acclaim for her Mexican cooking when she became executive chef of New York’s Rocking Horse Café Mexicano in 1997. In addition to praise from the likes of Asimov, Torres’ skill earned the restaurant three and a half stars from the New York Post, and a place on Time Out New York’s “Restaurant Critics’ Top Picks.”

    Torres’ understanding of her favorite cuisine was further developed by a trip to Mexico in 1998 to study with Mexican-cooking authority and cookbook writer, Diana Kennedy, who taught her the roots of Mexican food. By learning the classics, Torres was able to apply her creativity and innovation to produce contemporary interpretations. She explores the individuality of ingredients and will often develop dishes that feature sauces that contain no more than five ingredients, concentrating on an individual flavor. She uses traditional Mexican techniques to get the most flavor out of ingredients and is not afraid of big contrasts, such as sweet and spicy or sweet and smoky, as well as contrasting textures.

    From Rocking Horse, Torres moved to Hell’s Kitchen in 2000 and in no time she had caught the eye of such publications as Working Woman, who wrote of her in their “20 Under 30” feature: “Blending creativity, dedication and ambition, Torres has managed to stand out in the cutthroat world of New York’s food professionals.” The New Yorker’s assessment was equally complimentary: “The chef, Sue Torres, has a modern touch with traditional ingredients which gives them a worldly air.” The New York Times’ Asimov followed her to her new post and remarked, “If you’re interested in what Ms. Torres can do when she’s inspired, head directly for the interpretations of Mexican dishes.”

    Despite the success Torres experienced in other restaurateurs’ kitchens, she was itching to fulfill her dream, and in 2002 she left Hell’s Kitchen and began the daunting task of creating her own restaurant from scratch. Where did this drive come from in a woman barely into her thirties? A native of Long Island, Torres is the daughter of an Italian mother and Puerto Rican father, both of whom celebrated the foods of their homelands with their children. Torres grew up between the smells of fresh basil and cilantro leaves. Her mother, a chocolatier and cake decorator, passed on her love of cooking and taught her daughter to put her heart into everything she creates. Her maternal grandfather’s dedication to growing tomatoes, herbs and vegetables taught her to revere the importance of fresh ingredients.

    With Sueños, Torres is able to put all her passion for Mexico on display, not just on the menu, but on the walls where artist Lucas Moran created ‘dream boxes’ that feature items Torres has collected over the years. Torres also decided that, though it would be more expensive to do so, her restaurant would feature a raised platform on which a cocinera, or tortilla lady, would prepare fresh tortillas on a traditional comal, as well as make fresh guacamole. In this way, Torres is able to share with her guests the beauty and art of Mexican cooking - and thereby share her dream.

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Andres Flores - Engine 65, Manhattan

    Andres Flores, 34, began his culinary career at eleven years old by cooking rice for his parents, who worked in factories all day. Encouraged by his parents’ appreciation for his effort, Mr. Flores soon began preparing entire meals for his family and developing his own style, which he describes as Latin with a significant fusion influence. Mr. Flores has been with Engine Company 65 for 17 months.


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Paul Lang - Ladder 115, Queens

    Eight years ago, Paul Lang, 41, joined the FDNY as a member of Ladder 115 in Queens, New York. In the beginning, Lang was just "the new guy," but once the other brothers discovered he could cook, he soon became the chef of the house. With so much experience under his coat, he can even make cardboard taste good--literally.

   "A while back," Lang says, "I decided to play a practical joke on a friend who had kept asking me to make veal parmigiana. Instead of veal I cut up pieces of cardboard and breaded, fried and baked them. When he was done he commented on how tender it was. I couldn't stop laughing and had to confess it was cardboard."

But don't get him wrong: Lang hasn't used the cardboard trick since, and he takes competition seriously. Today, Lang continues to cook and loves the influences of Italy with the addition of his signature touch. Watch out for his Chicken and Shrimp Ashley with Roasted Spaghetti Squash at the Iron Skillet Cook Off--one can only imagine what the real deal tastes like.

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Salvatore DePaola - Engine 160, Staten Island

   Salvatore DePaola, 29, has been a firefighter at Staten Island’s Engine 160 for just over two years, and already he’s taken over as chef of the firehouse. Although he’ll modestly tell you that “besides the firehouse, I really don’t have much professional cooking experience,” his history in the kitchen says otherwise. DePaola first learned the basics from his cousin, the head chef of Emma’s in Cranford, New Jersey. He developed hands-on experience over the years, cooking in his father’s sandwich shop for two years before entering the FDNY academy, and making plenty of time to serve home-cooked meals to his family and friends.

    DePaola knows his way around the kitchen, but in the first years of his career as a firefighter, he’s had to learn the rules of the firehouse. His brothers have made sure he’s learned them the hard way, but he’s not one to take his lessons sitting down. “I’m kind of a health freak,” he admits, “and one morning I decided to make protein pancakes just for myself, figuring noone else would want any. Little did I know that the guys were so big on, ‘if you’re going to make something for yourself, then you have to make enough for everybody.’ I didn’t see it as a big deal at first, since I knew nobody would like them. The guys got on me for weeks after that. Every day they would get on the speaker and ask for pancakes.” But the lesson didn’t end there: “One day, I figured out how to get them back and how to get them to stop bugging me about these pancakes,” he recalls. “I made a large batch, enough for everyone who was working to enjoy them—only this time I added extra protein and less milk to make them really tough. They were so dry and tasteless that I didn’t even eat them. After that day, nobody has ever asked me again to share my pancakes if they see me making them.”

   For DePaola, food is a family affair, both at home and at the firehouse. He cooks for his health, but he knows how to have fun with it too. He also welcomes cooking as a stress reliever and an outlet for his creative juices, with which he has developed a fusion Latin-Italian style of cuisine. But ultimately, he shines in the kitchen because his penchant for the culinary arts has led him to a do-it-yourself immersion approach, with a healthy dose of experimentation: “Over the years I learned from watching cooking shows and experimenting. I’m always looking for new recipes and testing out different flavors. I pretty much fall asleep to the cooking channel every night!” We can’t wait to see what he cooks up for us on the evening of the Iron Skillet Cook Off.

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Salvatore Lignore - Engine 38, Bronx

   Salvatore Lignore, 49, has been a firefighter for 25 years, with 24 years in Engine 38 in the Bronx and currently is in Division 7. Notably, he has been cooking almost as long as he has been a firefighter. He cooks for the brothers in the firehouse and occasionally cooks for his family. He quickly learned the art of cooking since the rule in the firehouses is “if you don’t cook, you have to clean all the pots and pans.” He would make frenzied calls to his wife and mother to get recipes and some cooking tips and quickly won over the brothers with real home cooking. As the saying goes, “the rest is history.”

   Lignore's cooking is “off the hook and kicked up.” He had an unforgettable experience cooking garlic bread on a night tour. He had to light the broiler on the stove (the kitchen facilities were antiquated and the pilot light was out), and he proceeded to light it with a match unaware that his colleague had turned the gas on earlier. As he went to light the broiler, a huge fireball engulfed his head. In a panic, he asked one of his brothers if his face was okay and the brother simply shrugged it off and replied, “it’s nothing.” As it turned out, his eyelashes were gone and his moustache and hair were burned. His eyelashes eventually grew back but not his moustache. This experience became known as the “garlic bread from hell.”

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