By Susie Timm, Chief Operating Foodie
The older I get, the less my important my birthday becomes. This must be a significant sign of maturity?
This year, amidst insanely hot and humid weather, and other various stressors, I was offered to chance to celebrate in style. I figured, “Hey, what the heck?”
So, I threw caution to the wind and headed up to the Four Seasons at Troon North to experience the “Chef du Jour” program on Saturday, August 14.
This program gives the average home cook, food nerd, or just average citizen, such as myself, the opportunity to spend 3+ hours in the kitchen at Talavera, one of the Valley’s most delicious restaurants, cooking right along side the staff.
To say that I felt excited is the understatement of 2010.
I got up early on Saturday morning and packed for my Four Seasons adventure. My business partner Jay was a Four Seasons veteran. I was a Four Seasons virgin. I had been to the property several times for events and dinner, but never for a staycation and certainly NEVER to cook in the actual kitchen!!
Stunning views!
I arrived around noon and checked into our beautiful suite. I immediately felt like a high desert princess. The rumors are true. The service at this hotel is beyond anything I have ever experienced. I’m surprised I didn’t have a personal sweat-mopper at the pool. Which would have been cool, but sort of odd…I digress.
I spent the early afternoon lunching at the pool and eavesdropping on conversations of the rich and famous. Well frankly, I’m not sure if they were rich or famous, but the people I was seated next to certainly had a lot to listen in on. Ahem.
At the pool, I ordered the cold bento box from the Saguaro Blossom restaurant. It was a square box of joy! From the ceviche to the tuna tacos, I loved every bite. I also discovered a new cocktail: the Divot. It’s basically an alcoholic Arnold Palmer, but I loved that the vodka in it was Sweet Tea flavored. Simply awesome.
I headed back to the room around 2:00 to get ready for my cooking extravaganza.
I met Executive Sous Chef Jesse Hansen in the Onyx Bar and he handed me my chef’s coat. Emblazoned upon the lapel were my name and the Four Seasons Logo. I felt completely legit and I had not even entered the kitchen.
Hansen offered me a cocktail (yes please!) and we headed into the expansive kitchen of Talavera.
Executive Chef Mel Mecinas was on vacation the day I experienced Chef du Jour, so I spent my time with Hansen and various other cooks and chefs in the kitchen.
I started out at the pastry kitchen with Chef Lance Whipple and his crew. I figured my experience was not going to be anything like an episode of Hells Kitchen, and I was thankfully, correct.
Whip it good!
These guys are as far from “tyrants” as imaginable. In fact, everyone should have been humming “Whistle While You Work” because it felt so positive and uplifting.
I got to work on creating apricot tiramisu with Pastry Chef Eric Gamage. He walked me through the entire from scratch process whilst I sipped on some chocolate stout that Whipple scrounged up from the chocolate room for me. Yes, they have a chocolate room.
It’s pretty much a walk in fridge filled with chocolate goodness. Next summer, I plan to ask them if I can live in that 50-degree room and exist on chocolate alone for a few days. I am certain that’s not a health code violation.
Whipple about to light stuff on fire!
We also lit a big pot of stuff on fire to make ice cream from and they showed me how to make their delicious banana and Nutella Panini dessert.
Nutellas+Bananas=love
Hansen came back to check on me and asked a question I’ll not soon forget, “Do you want to come hack up some rabbits?”
So, some background about bunnies and me: For whatever reason, my husband and I have adopted “Bunny” as a pet name for each other. As a matter of fact, I rarely call him Eric. We are friends of bunnies. I have an aversion to eating bunnies. And actually, the idea of “hacking up some” really was unappealing.
All lined up and ready...
However, I was in good spirits, and decided, one man’s cow is another man’s bunny.
So I dove in.
The boys were hard at work removing the rabbit filets and then cutting them up to use in a very complicated terrine of rabbit to be served at one of their upcoming wine dinners.
Just finding the filet is a challenge!
They asked me if I wanted to slice and dice. I declined and opted to use my journalistic skill set to interview them instead.
We discussed how incredibly difficult it is to make a dish like terrine (sear, braise, dry, chop, wrap, store etc) and it turns into a tiny serving.
The longer I watched them with the rabbits, the more respect I had for the amount of care and time it takes to scratch make food.
After about 30 minutes, we took the rabbit parts over to the meat station and at this point I was pretty much over the trauma of rabbit slaughter.
It was now time to sear and then braise the rabbits to be later shredded for the terrine.
Searing the rabbits!
My observations of the meat station were that it was immaculate and hot. Very, very hot. My respect increased even more for the cooks at the meat station, as it was likely well over 100 degrees standing in front of the broiler and burners. We stayed there for another 30 minutes until we had seared all the rabbits and had them ready for the oven.
It took two large men to heave the gigantic pot into the oven for 2 hours to braise the bunnies.
A big pot of bunnies goes into the oven.
Next, I spent some time learning how to create the perfect steak. Since I am a big fan of cow, it was a lot of fun. We talked about searing and creating the hash marks on the steak and then finishing it in the broiler.
meat. yum.
I also had the chance to pound out some raw beef for Carpaccio wrapped crab.
Overall, the experience on my “Chef du Jour” was simply amazing. The kitchen staff at Talavera all seemed to genuinely love their jobs and each other. I’m sure it can get intense during dinner service, but it was harmonious and highly entertaining during prep.
Bonding w/ the staff!
I sat with them during their pre-service meeting and was very impressed with how much they really cared about who their guests were going to be in the restaurant that night, looked out for special requests and took special care with seating.
Don't I look menacing?
At this time, I checked the clock. It was almost 6:30 pm so I headed back to our hotel room to get ready for dinner.
I was really excited to share the tales from the kitchen adventure with my husband.
I took off the chef’s coat (reluctantly) and we headed back to the dining room for our meal.
Dorky self portrait. You can see giddy on my face.
Hansen had asked me if he could just cook us a meal and serve up some Talavera specialties. Of course I agreed and we embarked upon a delightful culinary journey.
We sampled everything from foie gras to a mammoth rib eye steak and perhaps every single side dish the restaurant has on the menu.
Between mouthfuls and “ooos” and “ahhhs” my husband and I remarked on the beautiful setting, sunset and the over the top service.
Such a sunset.
We were stuffed after dessert, but Hansen came out and asked if we wanted to taste the rabbit that I had worked on that afternoon as it had just came out of the oven.
Of course, I had to. It was utterly scrumptious. I think I may have overcome my rabbit aversion.
My experience at the Four Seasons was unlike anything I have ever done. It was top notch from the cocktails, to the Chefs to the dinner at Talavera. I felt like I was part of the kitchen crew and I was welcomed with open arms by the entire staff of the hotel.
If you want to have your own “Chef du Jour” experience (I highly recommend it!), here’s more information! Thank you to the Four Seasons for this incredible opportunity!
The “Chef du Jour” experience concludes with a private dinner in Talavera, complete with chef-selected enhancements sent throughout the meal. The entire “Chef du Jour” is arranged for the price of $550, including the dinner for the guest chef and one additional guest. The price for up to two additional guests, or four total individuals, is $750. A booking time of one week prior to the guest chef’s night in the kitchen is required, and participation is limited to one individual per evening.
To schedule “Chef du Jour” or to learn more about the program, kindly phone the Talavera Group Coordinator Vaughn Allen at (480) 513-5029. The program is inclusive of tax and gratuity, but not of alcohol.
