Chris Najmola, why be a restaurant owner?
It’s just been a lifelong love story with food and its ability to bring people together and make them happy. The first time a server came back to the kitchen to tell me how much the guests enjoyed food I had prepared, I knew that this life, as crazy as it is, was the life for me. 20 years later I still get the same satisfaction every time. Being the guy, professionally or otherwise, who cooks the food for a gathering, is just something that I find extremely rewarding. We all have our parts to play in this life, and I guess being a nurturer is mine.
What food inspires you?
Whatever the next thing is — the hunt for the next wow moment. The first time I had real Mexican food is an example. My whole life, I had the standard crunchy-shell ground-beef taco-night kind of tacos. Then one day I found myself in Tijuana, paying 25¢ apiece for some of the best tacos I would ever have — on the street, no less. Simple ingredients done well — fresh corn tortilla, fire roasted beef (pretty sure it was beef), tomatillo, cilantro, and onion.
Right now, I am super fascinated with primitive cooking — like just meat and fire. I’m also getting into extremely brothy dishes (like our pho-Inspired pot roast) with almost medicinal qualities that just feel right. Inspiration comes from everywhere. There are so many takes on so many dishes, and it is very much our thing at Fuse to explore them all.
So what is the new thing?
The last great wow moment I’ve had was when we made pierogi. We have been diving into the study of dumplings — every culture has at least one. Pot stickers, ravioli, empanadas, wontons, samosas, etc. Being Polish, I’ve always loved pierogi, but it’s intimidating to try and recreate a childhood memory. My sous-chef finally pushed us over the ledge, and stuffed some of my house-made sausage, Trail Ridge feta, brussel kraut, and potatoes in a pot sticker wrapper. (Sorry Nan-Nan!) We browned them in butter and onion and served them with sour cream. As simple and stupid as it was, the whole kitchen had a real wow moment, and we couldn’t wait to serve them to our guests.
Cream of Rebecca’s Mushroom Soup
This recipe is simple, flavorful, and a crowd-pleaser. If you are lucky enough to have 6 guests for dinner, it should be a great start to your night. Also, it demonstrates how it only takes a few great ingredients and a little love to make something special.
You will need:
- 1 – 2 tbsp salt (I prefer kosher or coarse ground)
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 small sweet onion (about 1/2 cup minced)
- 1 clove of garlic (about 1 tbsp minced)
- 1 quart heavy whipping cream (This may be vegetarian, but it is not good for you!)
- 1 lb of Rebecca’s mushrooms, thinly sliced (Rebecca grows mushrooms at Woodland Valley Mushrooms in Jackson, South Carolina; I would recommend using her oysters and shiitakes.)
- 4 quart saucepan or stock pot
- blender or stick mixer for pureeing
- wooden spoon
Where the magic starts:
- Have all your ingredients and tools gathered and ready to go.
- Get your Saucepan or Stock Pot nice and warm before doing anything else — I’d say 7 out of 10 on the dial.
- Add the vegetable oil — the pan should be warm enough to fry in immediately.
- Add the Mushrooms — resist the urge to push them around for a minute or two and let them brown, then add about 1 tbsp salt and give them a good stir or two.
- Remove about 1/2 cup of the sexiest browned shrooms and reserve for garnish.
- Add the onions and follow with the garlic — you are looking for the point when they are browned. They may want to burn, but do not let them. Have the cream at the ready to stop the browning.
- Add the heavy whipping cream, stir, and reduce the heat to a simmer — 2 or 3 on the dial.
- Allow your soup to simmer for at least 10 minutes,
stirring about every 2 minutes or so. - Give it a taste — it may need a little salt, so add as necessary.
- Puree the mushroom and cream mix to your liking. I prefer to go for a smooth, creamy soup, but you may like it a little rustic, and its your soup now.
- Allow the soup to simmer down to your liking, tasting frequently.
- Garnish with the reserved browned mushrooms.
Enjoy what is hopefully a much better version of what I’m sure was a childhood favorite.
