At The Pass with Coulson Armstrong
At The Pass is a weekly series showcasing Toronto’s best chefs. You won’t find any celebrity chefs featured here. Perhaps you already know these fine cooks, but maybe not. They’re not famous - yet. But it’s time these talented, passionate, hard-working chefs got a bit of the spotlight. Meet Maria Janelle Marquez.
🕒 3 min read
Currently
Culinary Director, Matty’s Patty’s Burger Club
Formerly
Tamarack Farms, Mister Jiu’s, Noma
Favourite dish to make right now
Fish cooked over charcoal.
Last cookbook purchase
Mukoita II, Cutting Techniques: Seafood, Poultry, and Vegetables by Japanese Culinary Institute
Have you read it/tried any recipes
Shiitake Dashi.
One dish or ingredient you’d like to see gone from menus
Year round Caprese Salad.
And one dish or ingredient that you’re excited about right now and would like to see on more menus
Fava/Broad beans.
Biggest influences
Ester Restaurant & Bar in Australia, Angler Restaurant in San Francisco.
If you could eat at any restaurant in the world
Yardbird, Hong Kong.
Last thing you ate
Multigrain toast, scrambled eggs, hot sauce.
Three must-have ingredients always in your fridge
Soy pickled ramps, white anchovy, Dijon mustard.
Maple Caviar Cruller.
Guilty pleasure
Cheeseburgers; Chicken, rice, soy; Ice cream.
Top 3 favourite Toronto restaurants
Bernhardt's, Skippa, Crosley’s
Top 3 favourite Toronto bars
The City Pool, Paradise Grapevine, Montauk
Go-to drink
Wine.
One habit you have in the kitchen that you should lose, but can’t seem to shake
Tasting with your fingers.
And one habit you have in the kitchen that will inspire young chefs
Washing the dust pan after every use.
Hidden talent
Best career advice you ever received
Travel.
Worst career advice you ever received
Don’t be a flash in the pan, stay here and get paid minimum wage.
Your advice for a young cook starting out in the business
Eat everything, try everything, read books non-stop.
In order to support chefs during this time, the monthly At The Pass series is now WEEKLY. Know someone in Toronto or GTA who should be featured? Submit their name for consideration. And yes, you can nominate yourself.
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