Tools

Jeremy Pittman, Palette Gourmet To Go & Catering
600 N. Tyler (Hillcrest)
Little Rock, Ark.
(501) 666-1885
www.PaletteCatering.com
www.GourmetToGoInLittleRock.com

Tues-Fri  10 am to 7 pm, or by appointment

"I remember always being in the kitchen, either watching my parents cook, or cooking on my own. Some of my earliest memories are cooking breakfast for my brothers; eventually cooking meals for the whole family. Once I discovered cooking shows like, 'Yan Can Cook' and the 'Great Chefs' series, I knew I wanted to be a chef. This led me to the Culinary Institute of America where not only did I become a chef, but I met my wife and partner. We make one hell of a team!"

Signature dish - Grilled lamb tenderloin served with a blue cheese potato gratin and minted peas and carrots.

Best compliment to the chef - A clean plate. If you’ve eaten everything that I served you, I know you enjoyed it.

My guilty pleasure  - Cheese dip; I can't get enough of it. Luckily, we make the best in town.

Weirdest thing i've eaten - Huitlacoche, a fungus that grows on corn; it's a Mexican culinary delicacy I could live without!

Culinary pet peeve - Under-seasoned food.

Must-have kitchen tool - Immersion blender; I use it for everything—dressings, marinades, drinks!

Biggest cooking challenge - Portion size control. It’s something that I think challenges most people. We like our food supersized. I'm trying to get myself and others accustomed to more moderate-sized portions.

When I'm at home I eat - Tacos! I love tacos! Simple and delicious.

These days, i'm crazy about - Tomatoes! There is nothing better than a vine-ripened tomato. When they are in season, I eat all I can.

Where i eat on my night off - The Flying Fish and Capital Bar & Grill.

Chef recommends - “The Professional Chef”: It’s a textbook for chefs that is loaded with thousands of recipes and tons of information about everything. I use it every day.