Chef Q and A
Executive Chef Dave Dennis
Matador Cantina
111 N. Harbor Boulevard
Fullerton, CA 92832
www.thematador.com

Question: Who or what inspired you to become a chef?
Answer: I was in a small café in Paris, eating the simplest, yet most elegant of meals, and half way through my bottle of 1965 Bordeaux, I had an epiphany….food is my life and I must be a chef.

Question: Where did you learn your craft?
Answer: I have been cooking since I was a kid. I also cooked a lot in college due to necessity. My formal training was at Scottsdale Culinary Institute, but the experience coming up through the ranks in kitchens has been the most beneficial to my craft.

Question: Did you cook growing up?
Answer: Yes I did. I cooked with my mother on a regular basis. We baked, made sauces and cooked meats of all varieties.

Question: When did you realize you wanted to be a chef?
Answer: See reply to answer #1, but to add to that It was the summer of 1994. I met the most beautiful girl and I thought to myself, how can I impress her? I decided I would cook for her. It made her so happy I decided I wanted to make people happy through food.

Question: What was your first restaurant job?
Answer: Santa Barbara Shellfish Company located on the end of Stern’s Wharf. The first week of my employment I peeled shrimp, non-stop.

Question: Do food trends affect your cooking style?
Answer: Food trends often inspire new ideas but I like to put my own twist on them.

Question: What is your most popular dish?
Answer: Tortilla Crusted Chile Relleno. It is stuffed with Oaxaca and cream cheese, marinated chicken and green chiles. It is new twist on an old Mexican favorite.

Question: What is your secret ingredient? Why?
Answer: If I told you, I would have to kill you.

Question: Do you have a favorite kitchen gadget?
Answer: A real chef only needs one good chef’s knife.

Question: What annoys you most in the kitchen?
Answer: Grime. Everything has to be spotless, floor to ceiling.

Question: What do you enjoy most about your profession?
Answer: Being able to express my art through my food and sharing it with new people.

Question: Is there a food you can’t bring yourself to like?
Answer: I believe the palate can be trained. Throughout the years I have tried again and again the foods I do not like, and most of these foods I now love. But if I had to pick my least favorite it would be tripe.

Question: What are some of your favorite restaurants?
Answer: I enjoy cooking at home, but if I had to pick, Willi’s Wine Bar in Santa Rosa, Samurai Sushi in Fullerton and The Cat and the Custard Cup in La Habra.

Question: What is one great cooking tip you can share with home cooks and foodies?
Answer: Brine your meat. You will get a moist juicy meat every time.

Question: When you’re not in the kitchen what are you doing?
Answer: Spending time with my family, going to the beach, riding my motorcycle, mountain biking and hiking and hosting dinner parties.

Question: Last meal on Earth would be??
Answer: As much as I love Mexican food, probably Sushi and a large Sapporo.

What recipe can you share with OCfoodies?
(Please give full directions and details along with ingredients)
Water 3 gallons
Black Beans 2-1/2 pounds
Salt, Kosher 4 fl. Oz.
Jalapenos, fresh, whole 2 each
Cilantro, fresh 1 cup
Onion, yellow ½ each
Garlic Powder 1 Tbl.
Black Pepper, ground 2 Tbl.