Dish I Do Best Slow-braised meat. It’s wonderful comfort food.
Drink of Choice I love red wine. My favorite is a Médoc from the Bordeaux region in France.
Favorite Guilty Pleasure Food Foie gras. My favorite way to eat it is cold on toasted brioche. I love it so much that I put it on the menu; we serve a duck foie gras terrine with onion confit and ginger.
Favorite Cuisine Classic French because it is my training, but I love Vietnamese and Thai food, because it is light, simple, and the flavors are really clean.
If Not a Chef, I’d Be a… Woodworker or carpenter. My father was a farmer and, like me, very good with food. But, he also was very handy, fixing things around the farm and building things with wood. From the time I was very young, I’d follow my dad around and help him make repairs. I still love using tools today.
Favorite Kitchen Utensil The immersion blender because it helps to give sauces a foamy consistency that’s not over the top.
Last Book Read Turning the Tables by Steven Shaw.
I Never Eat… Kidneys. They’re actually a delicacy and some people are crazy about this dish, but it’s just not for me.
Favorite Place to Dine Out There’s a small Thai place right near my house in Shrub Oak that I absolutely love called Bangkok Spice. It’s a very tiny place, nothing fancy, but their Thai food is the most authentic and the best I’ve tasted in the United States.
Le Château
1410 Rte 35, South Salem
(914-533-6631)
