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Episode 7: Michael Fojtasek

Olamaie Austin

I feel that Southern food is very much representative of American food in general. I think it is to me the most indicative of what American food has been and continues to evolve. Personally I try to keep it much in line with who I am and what my background speaks to. I try not to appropriate cultures that are not mine. I understand that Southern food in general comes from a culture that is not my culture. There are a lot of those influences in the food that I cook, I feel more comfortable that I’m not appropriating them because I’m seeing them through the lens of time.

What we covered In this episode

His roots are in the South (Mississippi and Tenesse) and the importance of his mother’s and grandmother’s influences.
Southern cuisine celebrates Seasonality and Local Ingredients.
The constant evolution of Southern cuisine with new influences like South East Asian in Southern Louisiana and East Texas.
The deliberate choice from chef Michael Fojtasek to ground his creative process in local ingredients that are important to him.
He made a decision not appropriate cultures that are not his.
Discover the moderne twists he applies on buttermilk and benne seeds.
He like to keep the soul in the food and do not like to “manipulate” the food.
Discover which tools in the kitchen are important to him.
The parallel that exist between being part of a sport team and a kitchen.
Chef Michael talks about his mentor Jonathan Benno.
His relatively long creative process starts at the market on Saturdays.
His menu is based on small plates and on a series of “sets” (fish, chicken, pork, beef and vegetarian).
One aspect of the creative process is about problem solving.
Dairy ingredients (butter, cream, buttermilk, crème fraîche) are irreplaceable to him.
Listen to Chef Michael talking about his dish called “boiled peanut” that has been constantly evolving since he created it.
Chef encourages everyone to seek different type of rice and to learn how to cook it properly.
5 rapid-fire questions.

Links to other episodes in Austin

Chef Fiore Tedesco – L’Oca D’Oro

Chef Andre Natera – The Fairmont Hotel Austin

Conversation with 3 Chefs in Austin (Chef Andre Natera, Chef Kevin Fink, and Chef Fiore Tedesco) – Vol 1

Conversation with 3 Chefs in Austin (Chef Andre Natera, Chef Kevin Fink, and Chef Fiore Tedesco) – Vol 2

Start by learning how to cook rice properly...

I think that the greatest mistake that happens with rice most often is that it’s just not cook properly. So learning how to cook the rice in a good way. It just requires you to think about cooking rice in a different way. What’s best for each individual rice.
Seek out rice is that costs more money. Probably a great place to start with that is any of the Asian markets.

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Chef Michael Fojtasek – I’m not going to do anything that nobody’s ever done before but I am going to do things my way and combine things that will be original.

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I’m always trying to think about how do I keep the soul in the food. I don’t like to manipulate the food so much that it doesn’t feel like it’s got life within it. – Chef Michael Fojtasek

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Chef Michael Fojtasek – To me Southern food is so much about soul and representing yourself is so much about soul. So food has to have that kind of touchstone within it that makes you feel like you know it.

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