Chef Q and A
Executive Chef Lulu DeRouen
Pinot Provence
686 Anton Blvd., Costa Mesa, CA 92626
Phone: (714) 444-5900
BREAKFAST: Monday - Friday, 6:30am - 10:30am Saturday, 8am - 11am
A LA CARTE BRUNCH: Sunday, 8am - 1:30pm
LUNCH: Monday - Friday, 11:30 am - 2:30 pm Saturday, [closed]
DINNER: Sunday - Wednesday, 5 - 9pm Thursday - Saturday, 5:30 - 10pm
Date: June 12, 2009
Website: www.patinagroup.com


Question: Who or what inspired you to become a chef?
Answer: I became a chef solely because my father has always been an amazing cook. He is from New Orleans, so cooking is something my family takes very seriously. Some of the best meals I have ever had in my life have been at home. Since I was a little girl, my dad has been training me to become a chef, from my plait to my technique. Cooking is in my family’s blood, and I wouldn’t be the chef or woman I am today with out my father as a mentor.

Question: Where did you learn your craft?
Answer: I was trained at OCC culinary school right here in Costa Mesa. I graduated with my advanced degree and participated on the OCC hot food team for two years. This is a competitive team of culinary students that compete in various competitions. I received 5 gold medals and one silver medals in my two years on the team. I was awarded the gold medal when my team won the National competition in 2004. I also traveled to France and Spain on a work internship for two months during the summer of 2008. I learned so much about the culture and what true Provencal cooking is all about.

Question: Did you cook growing up?
Answer: I cooked more as a child then most people do in their 30’s. My father made me his little apprentice. I would peal, cut, and stir as my father taught me about seasoning and how to “kick it up a notch!” The famous words from Emeril Lagasse have boomed in my kitchen since I can remember. It must be a Southern thing because my father said it all the time, even if he was just washing the car. My favorite dish to make with my father when I was little was “Gumbo,” a classic dish from the South consisting of seafood and sausage stew served over red beans and rice. You can never go wrong with “Gumbo” paired with cast iron cornbread!

Question: When did you realize you wanted to be a chef?
Answer: I knew I wanted to be a chef when I was in Efurt, Germany at the culinary Olympics. As I apprenticed for team CA and team USA, I was impressed and touched by the sacrifice and heart that was poured into the mission of the team. It just made me feel as though I was approaching my goal, which is to be one of the best female chefs around.

Question: What was your first restaurant job?
Answer: My first restaurant job was a small Italian pizzeria, where I was a dishwasher. I started there when I was 14 years old. I soon worked my way up to cook, then to manager. It was a great learning experience for me at the age. I got to learn the worth of a dollar by working so hard for so little in return. But the food knowledge and work ethic I learned was priceless.

Question: Do food trends affect your cooking style?
Answer: I believe food is like fashion. Trends come and go but the classics stay forever. Everyone is buzzing about the new gastronomy style of cooking from foams to spheres and so on. I like the idea and look of the food but I don’t think it will last. My style of cooking is just about great product and execution of a dish. Food should be simple and make sense to the guest.

Question: What is your most popular dish?
Answer: The most famous dish at Pinot is our Angus beef boneless short ribs. This is a recipe that has been passed down from the old chef Florent Marneau, who was my mentor. It is a slow braised dish that it served with pommes aligot, wild mushrooms, braising jus, and is finished with a touch of white truffle oil. It is a great comfort dish to many of our guests.

Question: What is your secret ingredient?
Answer: My secret ingredient would be lemon juice. Many people believe that is used only to make things have a tang or sour flavor. But the truth is that it is great to balance many sauces, vinaigrettes, and even desserts.

Question: Do you have a favorite kitchen gadget?
Answer: My favorite kitchen gadget would be the paco jet. There are so many things you can do with it. It’s a great tool in the kitchen

Question: What annoys you most in the kitchen?
Answer: The only thing in the kitchen that annoys me is the FOH. The constant chatter between the servers, which is usually unrelated to the restaurant, can be a huge distraction. But it’s a classic battle. The servers are always the chef’s worst enemy.

Question: What do you enjoy most about your profession?
Answer: The one thing I absolutely love about my job is the freedom to create dishes. I am very pleased that the Patina Group is a chef-driven company that gives the chefs independence and freedom when creating menus. This makes our job fun and competitive. I love that I can come into work and make a beautiful dish that was created in a dream during the previous night. When my guests respond with rave reviews, it adds to the satisfaction.

Question: Is there a food you can’t bring yourself to like?
Answer: I can honestly say there is nothing I don’t like to eat. It sounds too good to be true, but I’m easy to please when it comes to food. I am adventurous and not scared when it comes to eating different cuisine.

Question: What are some of your favorite restaurants?
Answer: My favorite restaurants are Anjin, a small hole-in-the-wall Japanese-Korean BBQ right here in Costa Mesa. As for everything else, I love sushi and dive Mexican restaurants.

Question: What is one great cooking tip you can share with home cooks and foodies?
Answer: My cooking tip would be to let food that you are you going to use especially produce like tomatoes ripen outside. If you put an heirloom tomato in the refrigerator you are shocking it, which slows down the natural ripening processes. This will diminish the juice and flavor in the vegetable. Always remember that leaving produce out at room temp will shorten the shelf-life of the vegetable.

Question: When you’re not in the kitchen what are you doing?
Answer: If I’m not cooking, I’m usually fishing, surfing, snow boarding, or playing golf.

Question: Last meal on Earth would be??
Answer: Last meal on earth would be my fathers Gumbo with cast iron corn bread.