TANTALIZING TREATS FROM Top Black Chefs - Recipe

Ebony, Feb, 2000 by Charlotte Lyons

Date With a Dish

During Black History Month, it is customary to look back and recognize the many accomplishments of African-Americans in a variety of areas. This month we salute the magnificence of some talented African-American chefs who have beaten the odds and are considered to be among the most respected individuals in culinary circles.

Tracey A. Hopkins Executive Chef Restaurant Associates at the Philadelphia Museum of Art

TRACEY A. Hopkins, one of the rising stars of the Philadelphia restaurant scene, is executive chef of the restaurant and banquet services at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, managed by New York-based Restaurant Associates.

Chef Hopkins showcases his creative talent by developing theme menus to complement major exhibitions. During the record-breaking Cezanne exhibition, he introduced the "Cezannewich" (Roasted Chicken On Fougasse Bread with Arugula, Pepper-Onion Relish and Aioli). During the India exhibition, Hopkins premiered the "Taste of India menu, which consisted of such dishes as Tandoori Chicken and Spicy Prawn Vindaloo with Lemon Rice and Vegetable Curry.

Hopkins, who attended Baltimore's International Culinary Arts Institute, began his culinary career in 1979, working as a pantry cook at Longfellows restaurant in St. Michaels, Maryland. In 1985, he became sous chef at Gianni's Restaurant in Baltimore's popular Inner Harbor. Two years later, he held the position of executive chef at another Baltimore spot, Vivande. A native of Maryland's Eastern Shore, Hopkins frequently creates such regional seafood specialties as Maryland Crab Cakes.

The award-winning chef received his initial experience with large-volume, high-profile events while a chef at the U.S. Open in Flushing Meadows, N.Y. (1990-1994). With a team of 10 chefs and 40 cooks, he prepared food for 20,000 people daily for banquets and hospitality suites.

Next month, Hopkins will showcase his creative talents again, when the Italian Renaissance exhibition opens at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Some of the dishes he will introduce include Shellfish Salad with Tomato, Basil and Red Onion, Porcini Mushroom Risotto, and Chocolate Salami.

Joseph J. Brown Chef/Owner Melange Cafe

Chef Joseph J. Brown, a graduate of The Restaurant School of Philadelphia, is the award-winning chef and owner of Melange Cafe in Cherry Hill, New Jersey.

Brown was born to feed a crowd. The youngest of 10 children, he learned to cook at his mother's side at an early age. Creative and good with his hands, Brown initially wanted to open an interior remodeling business. However, a summer job after high school graduation changed all that. He began working as a dishwasher at a popular seafood restaurant, and he was hooked. Although he hadn't initially considered cooking as a career, Brown's skills paid off and he eventually became the first African-American chef at the restaurant. Still, he felt the need for formal training. "Without education, a cook isn't a chef, but a piece of equipment in the kitchen," he says.

Brown wanted more than that. So he enrolled in The Restaurant School in Philadelphia. While in school, he continued his employment at the seafood restaurant and took on two part-time jobs, one of which was at Landmark Inn. There, he met his mentors--Elijah Dawes, an African-American executive chef who taught him a great deal about professionalism, and George Sideris, the owner of the Inn, who shared his knowledge of the restaurant business.

After graduation, Brown began to seriously plan for his own business and later opened Melange Cafe in 1995. He began his restaurant with dual vision, to provide exceptional meals at moderate prices.

The cuisine at Melange is a fusion of Italian and Louisiana flavors and influences. The result is simple, gutsy food that's served in an open atmosphere of true Southern hospitality. Some of Brown's specialties include Smoked Turkey Jambalaya, Crabmeat Cheesecake with Pecan Crust and Wild Mushroom Reduction and Sweet Potato Chocolate Ravioli with Pecan Bourbon Sauce.

Chef Hopkins' Chocolate Salami

1 cup sun-dried cherries
8 ounces semisweet chocolate
4 tablespoons butter
8 tablespoons sugar
2 ounces finely chopped almonds
2 ounces finely chopped pistachios
6 ounces crushed plain biscotti
2 tablespoons candied orange peel
1 ounce Grand Marnier
3 egg yolks

Soak cherries in warm water, about 30 minutes; drain. Place chocolate in bowl with butter, over a pot with simmering water until melted. Add sugar, almonds, pistachios, biscotti, drained cherries, candied orange peel and Grand Marnier. Mix well. Remove from heat, add egg yolk, and mix well. Cool completely. Form salami shape by rolling mixture in a sheet of wax or parchment paper. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight. Slice and serve.

Yields 4 servings

Chef Hopkins' Shellfish Salad with Tomato, Basil and Red Onion

1 cup white wine
18 mussels, cleaned
18 cherrystone clams, about 2 to 3
  inches in diameter
12 large shrimp
12 cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1 large red onion, thinly sliced
1 cup fresh basil, torn into bite-sized
  pieces
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped Italian parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
1 tablespoon capers
  Seasoning salt to taste
  Pepper to taste