In the kitchen with Brooke Williamson

As “Top Chef’s” Season 10 runner-up, it’s safe to say that Brooke Williamson is a Chef that we’d love to have in our kitchen. While Brooke has been named a culinary mastermind by numerous media outlets, her life isn’t just about food — it’s also about family. Brooke owns three LA-area restaurants with her chef-husband Nick Roberts: The Tripel, Playa Provisions, and Hudson House, which is named after her son.

We spoke with Brooke to find out what sparked her love for food. Surprisingly, her answers lead back to one thing. Family.

Foodstirs: ​What’s your first memory of being in the kitchen?

Brooke: I have a very vague memory of sitting on top of the kitchen counter at the age of 4 or 5, watching my mom make dinner while eating a huge tomato… Not that that really answers your question, it’s just an image that has always stuck with me. My first hands-on memory would have to be following the exact directions from the betty crocker cookbook for buttermilk pancakes to surprise my family for breakfast before they woke up on a Sunday morning. That was probably around the age of 7.

F: What originally sparked your interest in cooking/becoming a professional chef?

B: As a kid my parents made a point of having family dinner together every night. As I grew older I began to understand the significance of spending a meal together catching up on the day. I always had a love for food and an interest in cooking, but I think it was what food did to bring people together that first sparked my interest in doing it for a career.

F: What do you think young chefs can bring to the culinary world?

B: A fresh perspective. There is so much to gain from understanding the fundamentals of food and cooking, but it’s the new generation of chefs who are the ones spinning food in a way that opens my eyes to a completely new way of thinking.

F: If there’s one piece of advice that you’d give to an aspiring chef, what would it be?

B: To read, to stay current, and to see and eat as much as possible. That, in my opinion, is the best way to stay passionate in a business that can suck the passion right out of you.

Print
Honey-Harissa Roasted Carrots and Parsnips with Greek Yogurt
Author: 
 
Ingredients
  • 20 multicolored baby carrots, peeled
  • 4 parsnips, pealed and cut into sticks approx. the size of the carrots
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon harissa paste
  • ¼ cup honey
  • 1 cup whole milk greek yogurt
  • salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F
  2. Place the carrots and parsnip sticks into a baking dish, and drizzle with olive oil. Mix until the carrots are completely covered with olive oil. Add in the honey and harissa, then season to taste with salt and pepper; mix until evenly coated.
  3. Bake in the preheated oven until just tender, or cooked to your desired degree of doneness, 20-30 minutes
  4. Season the yogurt with salt and pepper and use as a dipping sauce for veggies.

~Text by Jessica Schuster; Photos courtesy of Brooke Williamson

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