June 16 – ROCHESTER – Few people like taking their work home, including chefs.
It’s easy to imagine a professional chef dicing onions and preparing other fresh vegetables and seasonings for a home-cooked meal.
This is also where it is most likely to occur – in your imagination.
“In all my years in food service, I don’t think I’ve ever met a chef who cooked at home,” said Jennifer Lester, co-owner of Bleu Duck Kitchen in downtown Rochester.
Bleu Duck co-owner and head chef Erik Kleven shared his tricks for low-prep meals in a special Bleu Duck Father’s Day “Sunday School” cooking demonstration on Sunday, June 17, 2024.
Kleven walked people through preparing six simple dishes that can be cooked and ready in about 30 minutes. They were paired with a light cooler, “lawn mower beers” – light beers that go down easily on a hot summer day.
Kleven had cans of soup, frozen garlic toast, and pre-cut vegetables ready for his demonstration.
“This is what I use at home,” he said, holding up a bag of chopped onions. “I spend the whole day chopping onions, I don’t do that when I get home.”
Scott Langston of Northfield attended with his daughter and son-in-law as part of a Father’s Day outing.
“I cook at home a lot, so having some ideas and shortcuts will be helpful,” he said.
Langston’s daughter, Katherine Houdek, said Bleu Duck is one of her favorite places for family events. The Father’s Day cooking class was a good reason to bring her dad to town, she said.
The class itself also made people rethink what they consider good cooking.
“It’s great to know that a trained chef will use pre-prepared ingredients but put together something that tastes great,” Langston said.
“It kind of gives permission,” said Jan Herschend of Branson, Missouri. “He’s making things easier, but it’s still good.”
Jan and Peter Herschend unexpectedly found themselves in Rochester over the weekend and attended the event. Although it was sold out, Lester and Kleven made room for out-of-town visitors on Sunday.
Jan said she generally follows recipes to a T and makes as much as possible from scratch. Sunday’s event changed the way she thinks about cooking.
For Lester, it’s a show she watches regularly, but she’s still impressed by Kleven’s ability to make something good and fast.
“I’m always amazed at what he can do,” she said.
