69 LONGISLANDPRESS.COM • MARCH 2020
something new and exciting.
What is your favorite food-related
memory? It started many years ago
when all of my friends would gather
together aft er school. I enjoyed the art
of preparing a meal as we all would
share stories of our day.
Are there any misconceptions
amongst foodies that
you’d like to clarify? Most
foodies will walk into a
restaurant with their
phone in hand ready to
take a photo of the most
elaborate dish or cocktail
to share with their followers.
I believe the most
delicious dishes are made
with simple recipes using
quality ingredients.
Christopher James
Cappello,
Executive Chef, Oheka Castle
What drew you to a career in the
kitchen? When I was young, my
family would often meet at my
grandmother’s house for
Sunday dinner and holidays.
I was always drawn into the
kitchen and would watch and
help my grandmother.
How would you define
your cooking style?
Eclectic. Especially
for weddings. We
get many requests
for anything from
English, French,
and Russian
dishes to New
Orleans- and
Asian-i n f luenced
food.
What di sh
do you enjoy
Christopher James Cappello
preparing the most? The dish I enjoy
preparing the most is the dish
I haven’t done yet, in an effort to
always learn more, be inventive and
creative, and most of all, have fun.
What is your favorite
food-related memory?
I would definitely say
decorating my own
wedding cake for my
wife on our wedding
day is pretty much a
number one!
Are there any
mis c onc ep -
tions among
foodies that
you’d like
to clarify?
It is not
always
a s
e a s y
as it looks. There are a lot of shows
that only show a small glimpse of
what is going on, but there is much
more to it than that, especially for
the larger venues of 500 to 1,000
guests.
Chef Francis Derby,
Prime
What drew you to a career in the
kitchen? My fi rst job when I was 14 was
a dishwasher at Varney’s Restaurant
in Brookhaven. Aft er seeing service
at a restaurant from that side, it’s all I
really wanted to do from there on out.
How would you defi ne your cooking
style? I try to focus on seasonality and
simplicity. I fi nd that more and more
lately I want to remove ingredients
from a dish rather than add to a dish. I
like letting the main ingredients speak
for themselves.
What dish do you enjoy preparing the
most? I’m a sucker for a properly made
pâté or terrine. I love this process as
it takes patience and time. It demands
that you slow down for a moment even
during the busiest of days, as you
can’t rush this process.
What is your favorite food-related
memory? Since I was a kid
my family has spent summers
at Davis Park on Fire Island. As
kids we would go clamming all
day and then my mother and
aunts spent the rest of the night
making baked clams, clams and
linguine, grilled clams, etc. This
is still pretty much my favorite
way to spend summer days.
Chef Spiro Karachopan,
Spiro’s Lounge
What drew you to a career in the
kitchen? My passion for cooking started
when I was a young boy, helping
my mom cook for weddings in our
village in Greece. It was from her that
I inherited my love of feeding people.
How would you defi ne your cooking
style? My cooking style is very traditional.
Running an American kitchen
with a touch of Mediterranean at
Spiro’s and seafood and Italian cuisine
at Sea Basin with my son Dennis.
What dish do you enjoy preparing the
most? My favorite dish to cook would
be whole black sea bass. I can eat fi sh
seven days a week. I would make that in
the oven on a bed of potatoes, peppers,
and onion with a touch of garlic, fresh
oregano, and olive oil.
Are there any misconceptions among
foodies that you’d like to clarify? Real
foodies who drive to you to have
a good meal and value
your dish, I love
cooking for
them. Other
foodies: Put
your phone
d o w n
NEW FOOD EVENT SIZZLE
Spiro Karachopan
Taste the Greats, 8 p.m.
to 10 p.m. on Saturday,
March 14, 2020 at Oheka
Castle. Tickets are $100.
Tickets can be purchased at
TasteTheGreats.com
Francis Derby
Get Tickets at
www.TastetheGreats.com
/TasteTheGreats.com
/LONGISLANDPRESS.COM
/www.TastetheGreats.com
/www.TastetheGreats.com
