Earlier this month, during one of the coldest weeks of this winter, students at the Stratford Chefs School were lucky enough to experience some Italian warmth thanks to a visit from Chef Gino Minacapilli. He was here as our second and final International Guest Chef in Residence for this year. He is a chef and teacher at a school of hospitality in the region of Piedmont, an area of Italy renowned for the production of Barolo and Barbaresco wines, truffles and many other Italian delicacies.
A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to have lunch with Gabrielle Hamilton at Rene’s Bistro. We talked about food writing, being a chef and her process for choosing menus. These are the bits of the interview that weren’t just us rambling about drinking at the Boars Head and our mutual love Eddie Huang. It’s a lot to read, but a person like Gabrielle Hamilton has a lot to say.
Chef Gabrielle Hamilton came to the Stratford Chefs School for two weeks this January as the Joseph Hoare Gastronomic Writer in Residence and International Guest Chef. Students in both levels got to interact with her, learn from her and cook with her. There is a natural ease in how she speaks, both in her writing and to the people around her. As a student, this made everything I learned from her very clear and simple.