By Mary Thayer Haugen
Jason Fernandi
Chef de Cuisine
Fireside Restaurant
Seabrook,
Tinton Falls, New Jersey
Training: Atlantic Culinary Academy
Experience: Jason has worked in a variety of settings including several restaurants in Manhattan such as the Grammercy Tavern, Café Boulud, and Park Avenue Café. “I was lucky enough to work with some great chefs in those jobs and learn some of their techniques.”
Inspiration: “My mother and grandmother were born and raised in Lithuania. They were poor and so when they butchered an animal, they used everything. As a result, my mother can cook anything!
“I often helped them in the kitchen as a child, and I developed a love of cooking. I was in college majoring in Fine Arts when I realized that cooking could be my profession. I left college and started over in culinary school. My mother was not thrilled, but it worked out okay in the end.”
Favorite Type of Cooking: Contemporary French
His Job: “When you’re working in the city (New York), you can get an ego about your work. For instance, I never thought I’d work in a retirement community. But when I visited Seabrook the first time, it was nothing like I expected. It blew me away. It looked like a college campus. It’s beautiful. And everyone is warm and friendly. It’s been a great experience.”
On His Own: “Well, I was a Fine Arts major so I still like to paint, draw, and sketch. I also play jazz guitar, though I no longer play with a band.”
Recipe:
Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta
Ingredients:
1 and 3/4 teaspoons gelatin powder
2 cups heavy cream
6 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 vanilla beans (or one tablespoon vanilla extract)
¼ cup water
1 pint raspberries
Directions: