58 LONGISLANDPRESS.COM • JANUARY 2020
MEET THE CHEFS
LI’S NEWEST FOOD
Food lovers, rejoice!
Taste the Greats, a new food festival
celebrating all things sweet and
savory from Long Island’s leading
chefs, is coming to Oheka Castle in
Huntington this March.
Matching the incredible cuisines to
be served up will be unique wines,
craft beers, and spirits, rounding out
an evening showcasing the best of the
region’s dining scene.
In preparation for this simmering
celebration presented by the Long
Island Press and its parent company,
Schneps Media, here are five of the
more than a dozen chefs who will be
among the stars of Taste the Greats:
Chef Kyle Koenig, Preston
House & Hotel in Riverhead
What drew you to a career in the
kitchen? I spent a lot of time on my
maternal grandparents’ farm as a
child and my paternal grandparents
were foodies before this was even a
term. I remember going with them
to Fredericksburg to pick peaches,
climbing the tree for pecans, or
picking vegetables in the garden.
But they were always in the kitchen
cooking. I was close to flunking out
of high school, so I took a Food Science
Technology (Home Economics)
course as a joke, thinking it would be
an easy class and also a way to meet
girls. Much to my surprise, I aced
the class and was awarded academic
honors that year. My aptitude test
also said I would make a good chef
or football coach. I took my first job
as a dishwasher in Dallas about two
weeks after graduating high school
and haven’t looked back.
What’s your favorite food-related
memory? Most of my favorite food
memories are with my grandfather.
I started culinary school in the
summer, so by Thanksgiving I’d
completed the basics in butchery
and cooking. I was trying to show
off my skills. My grandfather, who
had always been the chef, made just
one thing: mashed potatoes. He was
just taking his time, making the dish
perfect, while I was doing everything
else, and I remember getting a little
angry. But I after dinner, I noticed
that the only dish that was licked
clean was his potatoes. I realized that
the most important thing is to cook
with all your heart.
How would you define your cooking
style? My cooking is defined by four
principles: seasonality, simplicity,
precision, and care. I use only seasonal
products. There’s not much froufrou
in my cooking, because I give the most
attention to the ingredients and technique.
So when you’re cooking simply,
it just needs to be perfect. I care deeply
about making people happy when they
come to Preston House.
What dish do you enjoy preparing
most and why? Right now, on the
menu, I’m in love with the duck. It is
my favorite thing to cook and eat. The
duck breast is aged, which develops
flavor and helps give it a nice, crispy
skin. Salsify is one of my favorite
winter vegetables to work with and
it’s on the plate three ways: fried,
pureed, and roasted. There’s an orange
puree so we have a little duck a
l’orange thing going on. The sauce is
made with honey from the hives right
here on the property, and there’s a
surprise nugget of seared foie gras.
Are there any misconceptions
among foodies that you’d like to
clarify? If you want to learn about
food, it’s like Marco Pierre White
said at the beginning of his book: “If
you want to learn how to cook put
this book down and pick up a f***ing
sauté pan!” And just because you
read something online or watch it
on YouTube doesn’t mean you’re an
expert. Try to stay humble and learn
from anyone. Just yesterday, for example,
I had one of my dishwashers show
me how she makes her escabeche. I’ve
made spaghetti and meatballs a thousand
times and I still don’t think I’ve
perfected it. I feel that way about all
my food. There’s still a long way to go.
The Preston House & Hotel is located
at 428 E Main St. in Riverhead. It
can be reached at 631-775-1500 or
theprestonhouseandhotel.com
Chef Guy Reuge, Mirabelle
Tavern in Stony Brook and
Sandbar in Cold Spring Harbor
What drew you to a career in the
kitchen? Mainly my natural love of
food, taking an ingredient and transforming
it into something delicious.
Cooking uses all of your senses and if
you like it as much as I do you never
get tired of it.
How would you define your cooking
style? My approach as always
leads me to figure out the process of
bringing the maximum flavor from
an ingredient. I am quite conservative
and respect vigorously the rudiments
learned many decades ago. However
I love to complement my knowledge
with genuine ideas often brought to
me spontaneously from different
foods. In my head I visualize, smell,
and taste a dish, therefore my style
is not easy to describe.
What dish do you enjoy preparing
most and why? There is not one dish
that I prefer to cook but going back
time and time again to a dish and
trying to improve it each time can
give me great satisfaction. People
ask me often what they should eat
so I ask them in what kind of mood
they are today and always find a dish
appropriately.
What’s your favorite food-related
memory? I remember vividly some
of the best meals I had throughout the
world and that is essential, the rest I
forget. The artichoke and truffle soup
at Restaurant Guy Savoy, The roasted
beet of Yannick Aleno, or the soup
V.G.E. of Paul Bocuse — those account
for dishes I would not forget.
Are there any misconceptions
among foodies that you’d like to
clarify? Just the word foody is a misconception
and at time a little pompous.
“He's a real foodie!” I heard that
so many times and it usually applies
to people who take themselves very seriously
when it comes to food. I enjoy
TASTE THE GREATS
“I like bold flavors with clean flavors,”
says Chef Craig Attwood.
Chef Guy Reuge.
Chef Kyle Koenig.
Oheka Castle Sat March 14 8PM
/LONGISLANDPRESS.COM
/theprestonhouseandhotel.com
