AT THE TABLE WITH: MANEET CHAUHAN

By Sara Faith Alterman

Maneet Chauhan's food is just as adventurous as her personality.  After studying the culinary arts  and working at some of the finest hotels and restaurants in her home country of India, Chauhan came to the States to study at the Culinary Institute of America.  Her curiosity led her to Chicago, where she was quickly snapped up as Executive Chef at the renowned restaurant Vermilion.  Together, she and owner Rohini Dey craft the flavors of India and Latin America into a unique cuisine that has mouths watering all over Chi-town, seasoning her dishes with a spicy sort of passion that you can practically taste.

NAC: Your specialty at the Culinary Institute of America was baking and pastry. How do you infuse that knowledge into your menu at Vermilion? CHAUHAN: My experience at the CIA was so much more than learning how to bake or how to ice a cake; I learned a culture and the work ethic of being a professional chef.  It was amazing being under one roof with about 3000 other students and faculty who were as passionate about food as I was and am. I learnd how to look at food from both an artistic eye and from a scientific eye, how flavors complement each other, about the harmony in the diversity of flavors. And all these valuable lessons are what have formed my foundation.  And, of course, the most important lesson is no matter how big the roadblock we have to work around it and always produce results. There is always a way; all you need to do is stop for a minute and think.

NAC: What inspires your menu? Are there particular seasonal (especially summer!) ingredients that you get excited about? CHAUHAN: The owner and founder of the Vermilion, Rohini Dey, came up with this unique fusion of cuisines. I try to get inspiration from everything, be it magazines, books, cutlery and plates that I see in stores.I observe everything and then maybe in a few days when I see a particular ingredients, I am like, "Hmmm…will this work with...?" So it’s all a very exciting process. I get very excited about what is available in the market.  I am a big farmers market gal. I go to a lot of ethnic neighborhoods and go to their grocery stores and get ideas from the ingredients available on the shelves. lately, I have discovered this love for the Hoja Santa leaves (a Mexican herb commonly known as the "root beer plant"), which I am trying to incorporate in a new dish. NAC: What about drinks? Do you have a favorite? CHAUHAN: Yes, I do have a lot of favorites. My all time non-alcoholic drink favorite is our take on the traditional Indian yogurt drink, the lassi.  We serve a version on the lassi that is flavored with fresh mint leaves and mangos. I also love to experiment daily with our "agua del dia" (water of the day); we make such interesting combinations like "Jamaica" (hibiscus flowers), and, to name a few, cucumber-mint, tomato-lime, pineapple-ginger, watermelon-lemon, cantaloupe-basil.  In terms of alcoholic drinks we have an amazing "Herb and Spice" cocktails list where we have brought the ingredients of the kitchen into the bar. My favorites are the coriander pear martini, tamarind margarita and saffron coconut crème. NAC: What do you think about Chicago's dining scene? What do you find exciting? What would you like to see more of?  CHAUHAN: I think that the Chicago dining scene is very exciting! The people of Chicago are so adventurous and that makes it for a fast-emerging dining scene. People getting more conscious of and accepting of the flavors and not being afraid to try something unique and new. I think that working in such a dynamic and fast changing environment helps in getting your creativity to a whole new level.  It’s a constant challenge to better yourself. As for the culinary community in Chicago it is so very supportive. There is this amazing air of camaraderie among culinary peers. NAC:  What do you like to cook when you're at home, not working? CHAUHAN: I don't!  After cooking for 15 to 16 hours for five to six days, cooking is usually the last thing on my mind. I usually just relax, but when I let go of my lazy/tired demeanor I love to try to make new cuisines, like my latest try was a shot at Ethiopian food. NAC: You've said before that the flavors and spices of India and Latin America fuse nicely together. What other cultural culinary combinations interest you? CHAUHAN: To me, food, like life, is all about evolution. That’s why fusion is something that is very dear to me.  It represents the growth and the creation of something new; it represents a path un-trodden, which I will walk on. I am very interested in global cuisines--it can be any combination--and I personally think that any combination in skilled hands will work!! NAC:  For those of our readers who may be eager to experiment with new dishes and flavors, do you have any advice? CHAUHAN: Don't be afraid to try new ingredients. Taste them smell them and then when you are cooking with them understand them. Use your senses to cook, not only your sight, but your sense of smell and taste.