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Publicist Information |
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For All media inquires regarding Chef Bonnell
and his award wining restaurant, please contact: |
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Tom Estey
Tom Estey Publicity & Promotion
5924 Forest Lane
508-451-5246
TJE6464@aol.com
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08/11/2009 |
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Fort Worth chef Jon Bonnell’s signature Texas-centric style gets the glossy treatment in his first cookbook
BY ANDREW MARTON
amarton@star-telegram.com
Jon Bonnell, executive chef and owner of the 8-year-old Fort Worth restaurant Bonnell’s Fine Texas Cuisine, is proud to announce the birth of his first cookbook, Jon Bonnell’s Fine Texas Cuisine.
The 39-year-old Bonnell has harbored an adoration of beautiful cookbooks since his youth (he’s a fourth-generation Fort Worth resident), as his parents had a sprawling collection of culinary tomes.
Fast-forward a few decades later, and Bonnell’s first cookbook — which contains more than 100 recipes, each accompanied by a full-color glossy photo — mirrors his overarching culinary philosophy: create finely crafted yet unpretentious Texas cuisine executed with flair that is at once accessible and laid-back luxurious. Of equal importance to Bonnell is his loyalty to ingredients from local farms and ranches such as Gulf seafood, all manner of wild game, pasture-raised beef and that special Texas 1015 onion developed by the horticulturalists at Texas A&M University.
Bonnell recently put his whisk down long enough to talk to us about his new book.
Your first experience with cookbooks was, in fact, before you could read?
That’s right. I would just love looking at the pictures, and, on our 'kids cook with Mom’ nights, I’d gaze at the pictures and pick out what looked really good. And all these years later, for this book, I definitely wanted great, colorful photographs with every recipe.
Your acknowledgements page says a lot about your cooking philosophy.
On Page 9, you’ll see all the different farmers, ranchers, dairies, cheesemakers and fishermen among many others I credit with making my cooking a fresh farm-to-table experience.
Do you have some favorite recipes in the book?
Certainly one of them would be the pecan-crusted Texas redfish with baby shrimp, tomato and cilantro butter sauce. And our vodka gazpacho (see recipe below) is just a perfect one to make in the 100-degree summer heat.
Overall, what of your style and cooking philosophy do you want to convey in the book?
I want it to be about fine Texas cuisine — fine dining in a Texan setting — but I didn’t want it to be gimmicky or hokey. From an ingredient standpoint, I want it to stress fresh, farm-to-table kinds of recipes that are not overdone or filled with impossible presentations, yet they should result in fine dining that is still approachable. I never wanted it to be something where the home cook says, 'No way could I do that.’
Seems like you can’t swing a spatula without hitting yet another newly published cookbook. Ultimately, what will distinguish yours?
Truthfully, there haven’t been that many books that have addressed Texas fine dining. And my cookbook doesn’t contain your average recipes. I’ll take a familiar Southern favorite as plain grits and convert it into mouth-watering roasted green chile cheese grits — my most requested recipe by far. We just put our special touch on these recognizable dishes and they become truly original.
Vodka gazpacho
"When the summer reaches its hottest point, the tomatoes and cucumbers around here are simply perfect," Bonnell says. "This soup is not only refreshing but also one of the healthiest meals possible. The toasty bread crumbs or croutons make a perfect texture to complement crisp vegetables. I love to serve this soup with a spoonful of the bread crumbs in the bottom of the bowl and just a whisper of the frozen vodka floating on top to perk up and carry all of the crisp vegetable flavors."
Makes 2 to 3 bowls or 6 to 8 cups
For the soup:
12 roma tomatoes (remove seeds)
3 large cucumbers (peel and remove seeds)
1 green bell pepper
1 red bell pepper
2 small shallots
5 clean garlic cloves
Juice of 4 limes
Juice of 2 1/2 oranges
1 bunch fresh basil, leaves only
4 ounces red wine vinegar
5 ounces extra-virgin olive oil
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
Garnishes:
Vodka (premium brand recommended, and keep in freezer)
Toasted panko bread crumbs or croutons
1. Run all solid ingredients through a grinder with the smallest plate attached (there is an easy-to-use grinder attachment for KitchenAid mixers available at most department stores).
2. Combine all remaining ingredients and whisk well. Allow to sit refrigerated for 1 hour before serving. The onion and garlic will have very strong flavors at first that will mellow over time.
3. Serve cold with a topping of toasted bread crumbs or croutons for a little crunch, and drizzle a touch of vodka straight from the freezer on top right before service.
Nutritional analysis per serving, based on 6 cups: 323 calories, 25 grams fat, 25 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams protein, no cholesterol, 2,377 milligrams sodium, 5 grams dietary fiber, 66 percent of calories from fat.
http://www.star-telegram.com/living/story/1531895.html |
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