Q & A with Chef Seamus Mullen
Chef Seamus Mullen played a crucial role in the tapas trend that hit New York, back in 2006. After all, it was Mullen who ran the kitchen at Boqueria, where he served classic Spanish tapas with a distinctly seasonal twist. Having recently left his executive chef post at Boqueria, Mullen is now a free agent, and this may just be his break out moment. While he’s well known for flare for Spanish food, he’s also well versed in cuisines from all over the map, including Indian. In fact, he spent time in Tabla’s kitchen with Floyd Cardoz and he’s crafted a Mediterranean-inspired menu for Crudo. This Thursday, October 21st through the 23rd, Mullen will be cooking at The Feast, a 1920s-inspired pop-up restaurant. “I am really intrigued by the 1920s,” Mullen explains. “I think of it as a golden age of
possibilities.”
Mullen grew up on a Vermont farm, so he’s always had a strong appreciation for food, especially local and sustainable food. He went on to cook with that philosophy at the restaurant Mecca in San Francisco. Right now, he’s writing a cookbook, called “Hero Food,” and when that’s done, he’s thinking of opening a new restaurant.
Single/Married/Divorced?
I have a girlfriend.
What did you want to be
when you
grew up?
Jones
Do you ever grow your own
produce?
I do. I have a garden on the roof of my apartment and have grown
tomatoes,
peppers, eggplant, greens, cucumbers and herbs, mostly for my own
consumption.
You were raised on
an organic farm in
so how important are your relationships with local
farmers?
They’re very important to me. I think now more than ever we have to know
where our food comes from. If you think the restaurant business is rough, try
being a farmer! The real heroes in the dining room are the folks that work
tirelessly to raise responsible meat and natural produce.
What’s the best part about
cooking
at a pop-up restaurant? Have you participated in this type of even
before?
I haven’t, though I’ve done a number of private events with special
menus. This
will be a new challenge: opening and running a restaurant for just three
days
with a new staff and with no ramp up. Should be fun! I also get to cook
food that’s slightly different from what I usually do.
What attracted you to the cuisine of
the roaring 1920s for the pop-up spot?
I’m really intrigued by the roaring ’20s. I imagine it as a golden age of
possibilities, with people dressed elegantly and great music. The foundation of
modern jazz was being laid, and there were oysters and marrow on every menu! Sexy
women in feather boas and dapper men in well polished wingtips, what’s not to like?
How is that type of old-school food
similar with your current cooking style?
It’s not too similar to my style, but it’s a fun challenge.
What region of
the most inspiration?
On my last trip to
I spent a fair amount of time in the South where they’re masters of fried food.
There’s a great simplicity to the food of
You’re well known for Spanish food, but
you also worked at Tabla with chef Floyd Cardoz. What did you learn from him, and do you draw from Indian cooking at all when crafting new dishes?
Floyd has an amazing palate and is a great teacher. I learned more about spice
from him than from anyone else. While there are a lot of differences
between our cooking, he is from
a Portuguese colony, and there are a surprising number of parallels between his
cuisine and Spanish food.
Where do you go for great Spanish
food in
Txikito. Alex and Eder are the reigning
king and queen of Spanish food in
York
Which
Chef Toshio Suzuki of Sushi Zen is an amazing chef. He has an incredible
palate, he’s dedicated his life to cooking and he’s an extremely generous
educator.
What was your favorite part about
competing on Next Iron Chef? Least favorite part?
Favorite part? It was a real challenge, unlike anything I’d ever done before.
Cooking under absurd conditions and cooking like an athletic competition. A lot
of fun. Least favorite? I had a really severe RA flare-up for the last
ten days of competition. It was really painful, to the point that I could
barely walk during the last battle. I hope I never have to go through that
again.
We heard you may be coming out with
a cook book, any updates on that?
I’m writing a book called “Hero Food” and it’s about how food impacts
wellness. It’s being published by Andrews McMeel and is coming out next
fall. I’m in the final stages of writing. It’s an amazing process, but a
tremendous amount of work. I’m really looking forward to finishing.
What’s the most important
tool to
have in the kitchen?
One tool? Hmm…sharp knife, spoon, microplane…in that order.
Any plans to open a new restaurant?
Stay tuned!!!
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