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"Just because Johnny puts it on a recipe, doesn't
mean you have to follow it. I hate cookbooks," Carino told a crowd of about 130 members of the Junior League of Victoria
gathered Wednesday at the Victoria Country Club. "Cook with your heart. Cook with your allergies. Cook with what
you like. Have fun cooking. If you make mistakes, learn from them. I've made tons of mistakes," he said. Carino
was the featured presenter at the fifth annual Gourmet Soiree, a Junior League event underwritten by the Cooking Depot of
Cuero. "We try to present something the ladies can take and use at home," said Erin Hatley, event co-chair.
The theme of the event was "Holiday Cooking Italian Style" and Carino, who is no longer associated with the
chain of restaurants that carry his name, didn't disappoint. He prepared a spinach salad with warm pancetta vinaigrette,
penne pasta with crab, roasted peppers and gorgonzola, sauteed pork cutlet with vegetable ratatouille and Italian warm bread
pudding with brandy sauce. "I love it," said Pamela Orsak. "I'm learning so much. I was hoping to
learn recipes that are easy to prepare, and he's succeeding at that." Fellow Junior Leaguer Jenise Livesay,
agreed. "This is good. I am learning a lot from him," she said. As Carino demonstrated preparation of
each dish in front of the crowd, Victoria Country Club chef Matthew Reid and his staff prepared and served the same to those
in attendance. Carino, who has been a volunteer fireman, a Big Brother and worked with autistic children, said making
presentations at nonprofit events is part of his makeup. "It helps me give back to the community, whether it's
the community I live in or one I visit, too," he said. "I have had a very blessed career and I think it's important
to give back. It means a lot to me Celebrity Chef Johnny Carino bonds with UNT students at the Southwest Foodservice
Expo July 20, 2011 Twenty UNT students exhibiting at the Southwest Foodservice Expo at the Dallas
Convention Center in June had the rare opportunity to spend quality time with celebrity Chef Johnny Carino. While at the UNT booth, Chef Carino spent almost two hours talking one-on-one with the students about their
career aspirations. He gave them advice on how to prepare themselves for working in the hospitality industry, and he answered
their questions about his rise to success. He also talked with the students about key subjects that will allow them to become
successful such as networking, marketing, and drive. In addition,
Chef Carino shared his insights about the foodservice industry. "This industry's about passion; when someone cooks
with love, you can taste it." Also stressing the importance of cost controls, he stated that "in order to run a
successful business you have to understand the numbers." Dr. Lea
Dopson, Chair of the Hospitality Management program commented, "Students appreciate opportunities to network with industry
professionals and learn about their field of study at shows like this. Rarely do they get the opportunity to spend quality
time with such an influential and genuinely compassionate person as Chef Carino." Johnny Carino ended his time with the students sharing a simple, positive thought, "The best thing
in life is what happens next."
Foodies’
delight: Chefs delight crowd at Flavors of Central Texas Posted On: Tuesday, Aug. 2 2011 11:17 PM By Rose L. Thayer
Killeen Daily HeraldThe scent of simmering onions
filled the air as the III Corps and Fort Hood Culinary Arts Team prepared bourbon meatballs during a cooking demonstration
at the third annual Flavors of Central Texas Tuesday night at the Killeen Civic and Conference Center. More than
20 food vendors from the Killeen area set up at the center to share their culinary creations with potential customers, alongside
cooking demonstrations, cooking competitions, live music and a silent auction. The event is hosted by the Greater Killeen
Chamber of Commerce. "We like to check out different restaurants throughout the area," said Killeen
resident Jason Greenthaner, who came to the event with his wife. "We thought this would be a great choice because everything
is right here. Perhaps we'll find a new place we haven't been to before." And while many visitors
were looking for new foods to try, many restaurants were hoping to meet new customers. Danielle Watts, owner of
the 3-year-old, home-based business Affordable Cakes by Danielle, said she got a booth this year to get the word out about
her creative cakes. "I'm hoping to expand my business," she said. "You can get something fun
and innovative and creative. I try to bring everyone's dreams to life." Texas-based
celebrity Chef Johnny Carino, namesake of the restaurant chain and host of KNCT's "Break Me Off a Piece of
That," rounded out the event with a cooking demonstration of shrimp scampi and orzo salad. "It's
important when you do recipes to show people it's easy to do," Carino said. "I make something gourmet-ish, but
something you can go home and do." Aside from his cooking show, Carino has strong ties to Central Texas College's
Culinary Arts Program, even providing an endowment scholarship. "I'm thrilled to be here. I call this
my home away from home," Carino said. Each year, vendors are invited to compete in a culinary competition,
with judges tasting the food live on stage. For the Top Chef portion of the competition, competitors were given a secret ingredient
the day of the event that had to be included in their recipe. This year's ingredient was corn. Reigning Top
Chef champions, The Mark, prepared banana leaf wrapped tamales with three different corn sauces to be served in banana leaf
boats. "We are trying to do something interesting," said Marcus Hollingsworth, the restaurant's executive
chef. "Anybody doing unique food raises the bar for the community. It creates friendly competition and the consumer wins." Flavors of Central Texas cooking competition winnersPeople's Choice Best
Entree: Let Us Do The Cooking — Shepherd's Pie Best Side Dish: Let Us Do The Cooking — Corn Casserole Best Dessert: Sweet Eats — Amazonica torte Grand winner (most votes overall): Let Us Do The Cooking
Top Chef Winner: III Corps and Fort Hood Culinary Arts Team — Pan-Roasted rack of lamb, paired
with a blackberry and red wine reduction; roasted corn and carmelized onion relish; applewood smoked bacon green beans; and
a corn, bacon cheddar croquet, topped with a polenta chip. Contact Rose L. Thayer at rthayer@kdhnews.com or (254) 501-7463. Follow her on Twitter at KDHreporter.
Islets Of Hope
Matt Windsor
A NEW PROCEDURE MAY HELP RELIEVE THE PAIN ASSOCIATED WITH ACUTE PANCREATITIS.
WHEN YOU CUT
YOUR FINGER, THE REDNESS AND SWELLING around the injury are signs of inflammation, a rapid reaction led by the immune system
against invaders such as bacteria and viruses. But sometimes these defenders turn inward and attack the body itself. This
is what happens in pancreatitis, or inflammation of the pancreas.
The pancreas is a long, flat gland that sits
behind the stomach.In addition to the hormones insulin and glucagon, which control blood sugar, the pancreas also makes enzymes
essential for digesting food. These powerful chemicals normally remain dormant until they move from the pancreas to the small
intestine, says Luis F. Lara, M.D., a gastroenterologist and physician on the medical staff at Baylor University Medical Center
at Dallas. But if they are activated while still in the pancreas, they irritate the Surrounding cells, which causes a major
inflammatory reaction.The enzymes can eventually start to digest the pancreas itself.
That autodigestion brings
the severe pain that is the chief symptom of pancreatitis. The pain is most common in the upper abdomen and is sometimes felt
in the back. It is often made worse after eating. Nausea, vomiting and abdominal tenderness are other frequent symptoms, Dr.
Lara says.
Acute pancreatitis, which is a sudden and often severe attack of inflammation, is most often caused
by heavy alcohol use over many years. (Alcohol is processed in the pancreas and overconsumption seems to stimulate the pancreas
to make more digestive enzymes.) Heavy drinking is responsible for 70 percent of cases of acute pancreatitis, according to
the National Institutes of Health.
“Acute pancreatitis is also commonly caused by gallstones, which block
digestive enzymes’ path from the pancreas to the intestines,” Dr. Lara explains. Other causes include abdominal
trauma, medications, infections, tumors and genetic defects.Physicians diagnose pancreatitis using blood tests that look for
increased levels of digestive enzymes, and through imaging tests such as abdominal ultrasound and CT scans.
Sometimes
the body can heal the damage on its own and the pancreatitis goes away. Treatments for acute pancreatitis start with a few
days in the hospital, where patients get intravenous(IV) fluids so they don’t have to eat and drink and can give the
pancreas a chance to rest and heal. Patients also get antibiotics And medication to ease the pain.
Continued drinking
will bring about a relapse, and smoking can accelerate pancreas damage as well, Dr. Lara says. Patients whose pancreatitis
is caused by gallstones also are likely to have further attacks.
Repeated attacks of acute pancreatitis can lead
to chronic pancreatitis, Dr. Lara says. Chronic pancreatitis is marked by recurring bouts of increasingly strong abdominal
pain and other symptoms, including nausea, vomiting and weight loss.Treatments include pain medication and the use of IV fluids
to give the pancreas a rest. Surgery to remove part or the entire pancreas is necessary in severe cases.
POINTS
OF CONTACT
To learn more about pancreatitis causes, symptoms and treatments, visit the National Institute of Diabetes
and Digestive and Kidney Diseases website at digestive.niddk.nih.gov and search for “pancreatitis.”
For
a referral to a hepatologist on the medical staff at Baylor Dallas, visit BaylorHealth.com or call 1-800-4BAYLOR.
For more information on auto-islet transplants at Baylor, visit BaylorHealth.com/Transplant and search for “auto-islet
transplant.”
NEW PROCEDURE IMPROVES THE OPTION OF LAST RESORT
Johnny Carino, an executive in the
restaurant industry who lives in Dallas, Texas, struggled with severe pain and did not have a history of alcohol use or smoking.
He was diagnosed with hereditary pancreatitis in 2000. By 2010, he was finally ready to take the unalterable step of having
his pancreas surgically removed. “I’m a tough guy, a fighter,” Carino says. “But it got to be way
too much. The organ had swelled up, causing excruciating pain and fevers. It was taking over my life.”
Removing
the pancreas, in an operation called a pancreatectomy, reduces or eliminates pain in up to 90 percent of patients, says Marlon
Levy, M.D., medical director of the islet cell transplantation program and a surgeon on the medical staff at Baylor University
Medical Center at Dallas. But it also essentially turns patients into type 1 diabetics – they must rely on insulin injections
for the rest of their lives, Dr. Levy says.
But a new procedure, available at Baylor Dallas and only a handful
of other major medical centers around the United States, can change all that. Called auto-islet transplantation, it transfers
the insulin-producing islet cells from a patient’s pancreas to the liver, where they can continue to make this essential
hormone. Baylor’s program is one of the very few hospitals in the entire country currently performing islet transplantation
in its own FDA-approved laboratory.
After Johnny Carino’s pancreas was removed surgically in September 2010,
islet cells were Extracted from the gland, filtered to be free of contaminants and infused into his liver. The procedure was
originally developed as a treatment for type 1 diabetes, explains Dr. Levy. “Along the way our technology evolved, and
we became quite good at extracting islet cells from the pancreas. That’s when we decided to offer these transplants
to patients with chronic pancreatitis.”
The procedure lasts several hours, Dr. Levy says, and patients then
spend a week to 10 days on average recuperating in the hospital. “About 40 percent of patients need no insulin,”
Dr. Levy says. “And another 40 percent need insulin only once a day and have good blood sugar control.”
Johnny Carino is amazed at how the procedure has improved his health and his life. “My whole attitude has changed,”
says Carino, who attributes his rapid recovery and dramatic postsurgical success to the Baylor Dallas staff and physicians
on the medical staff.
Now virtually pain-free, Carino is regaining parts of his life he thought were gone for good.
“I used to body build, but pancreatitis took that away,” he says. “Now I have a complete six pack of abs
again. I never thought this day would come.”
Johnny
Carino dishes out tips on TV
11:12 PM CST on Saturday, November 11, 2006
By Lucinda Breeding / Features Editor
Johnny Carino might be best known for a chain restaurant that bears his
name, but these days, the North Texas chef is all about evangelizing the
ease and merits of home cooking.
Even the title of his cooking show, Break Me Off a Piece of That, encourages
viewers to see how simple cooking can
be.
"It's a show about taking cookbooks and throwing them out the window," said
Carino, who
relocated to Corinth from Austin. "In one of my shows, I
literally take pages of a recipe and throw them in the
air. You can cook
without a recipe. People get freaked out by these recipes, and they end up
following them exactly
and using ingredients they don't really like. Where's
the joy in that? I'm all about getting people to be
creative, using
ingredients they like and having fun."
Carino grew up in New York City, where his Italian-American
family observed
the family dinner religiously. He comes from a family of firefighters and
has long been a volunteer
firefighter himself. He says his family dinners
are the root of his cooking show both in name and spirit.
"When
we sat down at the table, we didn't do any of this," Carino said,
miming slicing with a knife. "If we wanted
something, if something looked
good, we were like, 'Hey, break me off a piece of that.'"
Carino
is no longer involved with the popular chain of Italian restaurants
that bear his name. He applied his background in
fine dining to casual
dining, injecting the changing menus and seasonal flavors into the
consistency-centered chain
restaurant experience. He helped launch casual
dining restaurants in the states and as far away as Asia. Now, the energetic
New York native works for a Dallas-based company that develops new recipes
and dining strategies for chain restaurants,
including the no-frills Pizza
Hut.
His dream, though, is to get his casual cooking show from KERA to what
for
him is the big time.
"I'm not going to lie," he said. "I want to get on the Food Network.
That's
my dream. It's driving me crazy."
The weekly show is a half-hour cooking program that
typically features the
chef making two different meals. He'll often take a fusion approach,
blending simple
Asian flavors with American or Mediterranean foods. In a
recent show, he turned out pork tenderloin with side of boiled
red cabbage,
and made simple quesadillas dressed up with atypical cheeses. He also gives
tips on presentation.
"Use your serving spoon to hold the meat and cheese in place while you fold
the tortilla," he said,
directing the assembly of the quesadilla.
He's also conscious of cooking light, and frequently gives alternatives
that
reduce fat and calories without sacrificing flavor. Carino respects diners
and would-be cooks who keep an eye
on their waistlines, because he's
concerned about it himself. He's a trim, compact and muscular chef who
hasn't
a trace of a paunch.
"One of my goals is to be the best built chef in America," he said. "You can
enjoy great food and still live a very healthy life, I promise."
In his cooking classes at North Texas Central
Market locations, students are
mostly female. In the classes he donates to charities for silent auctions -
Carino
is a habitual advocate for animal rescue organizations and
firefighters - it's mostly men who come to his Corinth
home.
Adventure, Carino said, is the way to get people back in the kitchen.
Carino isn't kidding
about dumping recipes. He teaches a laid-back but
rapid-fire method, showing viewers that they can eyeball ingredients
without
catastrophe, because cooking can and should be intuitive, he said. If you
like cilantro, use cilantro to
your taste, he said.
For the wary viewer, however, recipes are posted on the show's Web site.
"I'm
all about getting people to cook with their feelings, you know? Follow
their feeling while they're there," he
said. "If you go to a restaurant and
you have a tomato basil soup that you enjoy, you can make that at home. You
taste it and smell it, and you can figure it out - they used a cream, a
tomato stock and they threw in some fresh herbs.
I'm all about fresh herbs.
Everything I cook on the show just about gets fresh herbs in it. But you can
recreate
these dishes at home."
Bill Young, the vice president for television programming at the Dallas-Fort
Worth
affiliate of KERA-TV, said the show was the top-rated cooking show in
Dallas the day it premiered and remains a popular
part of the lineup.
"As with all of our shows in any genre, it complements or supplements what
we're
already doing," Young said. "Our cooking shows do very well. This show
brought something to our lineup we weren't
already doing. With this show,
you watch it and you're thinking, 'My gosh, I could make them,' when you see
what he's doing."
Young said the station airs two kinds of television shows: the gourmet
shows,
which show "the obvious, incredible art of cooking," and the cooking
shows that feature a personality, like
Jacques Pepin's show. Carino's show
borrows from the fine-dining sort with its endorsement of fresh food and
more exotic ingredients, but ultimately banks on Carino's charisma.
Young said the affiliate is showing
its first season of the cooking show,
which originally aired in another Texas market. Though negotiations aren't
complete, Young said KERA would happily pick up another season.
Carino answers all e-mail from viewers himself,
giving further tips and
helping neophytes through the process. He also uses viewer critiques to make
the show better.
The production team has added more overhead shots - Carino
calls it his "sizzle cam" as a result of viewer
feedback. In this second
season, he lost the chef's coat in favor of jeans and a short-sleeve shirt.
"I
just want people to see that it's me, just me. I want to take all the
snobbery out of the chef thing and show people
they can do this, too," he
said.
LUCINDA BREEDING can
be reached by calling 940-566-6877. Her e-mail address
is cbreeding@dentonrc.com
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Gay telechef Johnny Carino shares his
ideas for Thanksgiving dinner
Dallas
Voice Saturday, November 18, 2006 NOW WE'RE COOKING: Johnny Carino's kitchen at his home in Corinth is as warm and open as the one used
on his TV cooking show, "Break Me Off a Piece of That."
Whatever the differences among TV chefs, one thing most of them have in common is a silhouette to accompany
their appreciation of food. Paul Prudhomme, Emeril Lagasse, Mario Batali and the perfectly descriptive hosts of "Two
Fat Ladies," each boast a girth that comes from years savoring good cooking and licking the beaters.
So you
might think a label like "the best built chef on TV" is faint praise at best.
But that's only if
you've never seen Johnny Carino.
Carino, the North Texas-based host of the cooking show "Break Me Off
a Piece of That" (airing locally Saturdays on Channel 13), has the physique of a gym-rat: A squat frame with arms that
look carved out of granite — five-feet-five, 200 pounds of solid muscle. It is not surprising Carino is built like a
fireplug: He comes from a long line of professional firefighters (until recently, he was an enthusiastic volunteer fireman
himself).
The man who now says he hates the word "diet" admits that in the not-so-distant past, he would
enter into a 16-week program for body-building where he consumed almost no food every day, a low-carb, no-fat system. After
all, a body like his takes work.
"When I was training, I was very disciplined. I did not put anything in my
mouth that didn't make me cut," he says.
In 2000, he placed second among 16 competitors in a national
bodybuilding competition.
Those days ended in 2002 when Carino, then 40, developed a pancreatic disease that was
causing his organ to fail. The diagnosis forced him to drop his competition regimen, although he still works out almost every
day, and wants to keep what he calls "that Men's Fitness look."
With that kind of background, how
is it that for more than a dozen years, Carino has made his living working primarily in the — gulp! — fast-food
industry?
"Until 1994, all I did was fine dining," says Carino, a New York native who now lives in Corinth,
near Denton.
That year, he "went corporate" through his association with Brinker International where
he developed his eponymous Italian-food chain Johnny Carino's (he's no longer associated with it). He's currently
involved with Pizza Hut-KFC-Taco Bell in the corporate office, "reinventing dining concepts for them," he explains.
But even in the presence of trasnfats and megaportions, Carino has always kept one eye focused on eating well. He
worked for a year with Darden Brands, conducting research before the opening of the Orlando-based concept Seasons 52, which
specializes in portion-controlled, low-calorie, flavorful dishes. And his TV show, which has been broadcast statewide since
September, zeroes in on comfort food made as healthful as possible.
THANKSGIVING WITH MUSCLE:
Carino, left, and partner, Chris Miklos, are planning a big Turkey Day spread this year
— featuring a Carino family tradition: lasagna.
"I'm
Sicilian, and I've eaten Sicilian food all my life," says Carino, who was born in Brooklyn to two Palermo-bred families.
And while Italian food might not sound heart-conscious, that environment helped him develop an appreciation for
family-friendly cooking.
"We always ate and had family meals together," which often included odd dishes
like squid and octopus. "We had a big pot of sauce which had pigskin in it. We weren't the most popular house among
my friends because we ate such unusual food," Carino says.
But it led him to explore unusual ingredients
and alternative preparations. In his career, Carino has traveled the world in search of everything from inventive okra dishes
to the best crab.
"I like Italian, of course, but I like Pac Rim cooking a lot, too," he says.
Given such a wealth of experience, the well-traveled TV chef embraces the chance to do Thanksgiving dinner right. And as
you might expect from someone who designs corporate menus, it's no small affair.
"Thanksgiving at our
house is really different," says Carino, who has been with his partner, Chris Miklos, for five years. "It's
the one holiday I usually celebrate. So every year — except for last year — I have had our employees over. That's
60 to 80 people at the house."
With that many guests, Carino usually ends up doing a buffet, including ham,
turkey, roast beef and — here's proof of his Sicilian heritage — lasagna.
"We always had turkey,
but my grandparents weren't used to turkey, so they would overcook it," he says. "But I grew up with lasagna
on Thanksgiving. Sometimes it was manicotti, but we also always had antipasto salad with different imported olives and salamis.
I'm really into salamis."
Still, Carino is willing to try new things. He even fried a turkey — once.
"My dad taught me how to do it. It was real moist, but for me turkey has had to have that brown skin," he
says, pausing to add: "I'm kind of a control freak when it comes to cooking."
But he's not inflexible.
Sure, Carino offers up such nontraditional fare as stuffed artichokes with parmesan for his Turkey Day guests, but years of
work in the corporate food service industry have led him to give the people what they want. Since arriving in the South, Carino
has altered what you find on the menu at his house on Thanksgiving.
"After I moved to Texas, I had green bean
casserole, and broccoli with cheese and rice — all of which was new to me," although they now find a way into his
rotation of side dishes, he says. "Cornbread stuffing — I didn't even know what it was, and I still don't
like it. But I serve it — only ours has garlic and herbs."
And Carino heartily endorses a bone-in ham
with a glaze made of brown sugar and that true Texas ingredient: Dr. Pepper.
"I picked that up from my ex,"
Carino says. "Dr. Pepper eats through the meat, so softens it up and makes it very tender."
He says he's
"not big on desserts," partly because he doesn't have a sweet tooth and partly because he doesn't like the
precision of baking. But guests are invited to bring a pie or cake to his feast. That's another thing Carino's family
taught him: Diversity is always welcome at the table.
"Break Me Off a Piece of That" airs Saturdays on
Ch. 13 at 4:30 p.m.
Johnny Carino:
putting out fires inside and outside of kitchenby Ron Ruggless Many people nave heard Johnny Carino's name even if they don't
know anything about the man. Carino had a hand in developing the Johnny Carino's Country Italian concept, which now has
more than 100 locations and is owned by Fired Up Inc. in Austin, Texas. Meanwhile, Carino has turned his attention to a new
venture. Today he oversees five Truluck's Seafood, Steak and Crab Houses and two Florida Seafood Grills for Truluck's
Restaurant Group, also in Austin. The company recently opened two Florida Seafood Grills to showcase products from the company's
Florida fishery. Carino has worked with such multiunit companies as Brinker International, La Madeleine French Bakery
& Cafe and Carlson Restaurants Worldwide. Despite his impressive resume and his passion for foodservice, Carino
says he now is finding a great deal of satisfaction in his newest role as a volunteer firefighter in the Austin area. Title:
vice president of culinary development, Truluck's Restaurant Group, Austin, Texas Birth date: June 14, 1962 Hometown:
Great River, Long Island, N.Y. Education: Johnson & Wales University, Providence, R.I., 1981 Highlights: moving
to Austin and working for Truluck's; traveling in Asia and opening units for Carlson Restaurants Worldwide How did
you first get interested in cooking? My grandfather was from Sicily. My mom's parents were from Palermo. I grew
up in a very Italian home. As a kid, I always watched my family celebrate cooking-making sausage, preparing squid and octopus,
all that unusual stuff. That opened my eyes up to different types of food. I always had that passion. When did you earnestly
get started? In high school I did half my day at my regular required courses, and the other half I learned the trade
at a foodservice school. What was your first professional job? I apprenticed
at Harrah's, Lake Tahoe [Nev.]--back then it was a five-star hotel--working hands-on in the fine-dining restaurant as
well as in room service. After Lake Tahoe I moved to Houston and joined the Hyatt, and later I moved to California, where
I spent about 13 years. I was sous chef for the Hyatt Regency Embarcadero in San Francisco. What is the advantage of
working in a hotel? It gives you a chance to see many different concepts in one place. You also can work with different
chefs. How did you end up in multiunit restaurants? I was a chef for three years at a private club in Sacramento,
Calif. I answered an ad for Brinker International at its Spageddie's concept and its Italian division. Rick Federico told
me to reinvent the wheel, and the concept eventually evolved into Johnny Carino's in Fort Collins, Colo., in 1995. Nine
of the Johnny Carino's were purchased from Brinker and became the Kona Restaurant Group. [Those later were sold and became
the core of Fired Up Inc. of Austin.] What lured you to Truluck's? I did consulting for a few years. I saw
an ad for Truluck's corporate chef. I interviewed and found it to be a good fit. Your newest concept is Florida
Seafood Grill. What is the idea behind that concept? We have two units, one in Piano and Austin, Texas. We have ties
to Florida with our ownership of Capri Fisheries. That supplies our restaurants with stone crab, day-caught fish and other
seafood. We decided to do a Florida-style concept in Texas. It's all based around Florida cuisine and fresh fish. What
were the challenges of taking over Truluck's? The corporate chef had been here 11 years. His style was very different
from mine. The challenges were high food costs and labor costs. There were a lot of different steps in assembling plates.
The first challenges were tackling costs and making the menu my own. I'm into very direct cooking and making everything
on the plate edible. The food is to the point. [Carino's pager goes off during the interview.] Do you have to get
that? No, it's my pager. I'm a volunteer fireman. Why did you become a volunteer fireman? My family
[members] are New York City firemen. My dad, who had two brothers, was a New York City fire chief, and his two brothers were
fire chiefs. My two brothers are firemen. One is a lieutenant, and one is on the captain list. I have cousins in the fire
department. I have so many ties with the fire department. There are seven Carinos in the New York City fire department. After
9/11 it really hit home with me. I felt like I needed to get involved. What did you do to become one? I had bought
a new home here in Austin back last year in March. I realized there was a volunteer depart ment, and I tracked it down. I
joined six months ago. Manchaca is the area. I've been going on calls. It's the most fun I've had in my life ever.
I meet new people and help the community. It's very fulfilling. What's the greatest satisfaction with your two
concepts now? One was developing the chef program. I have a great chef team. They live and breathe a passion for food.
We change our menus every week. I push them, and they push me. Another is working with the owners, Stuart Sargent and David
Tripoli. They always want to do better. We've done so much in the past three years. What advice would you give to
someone interested in a culinary career? The first thing would be to have a passion deep down in your heart for what
you are doing. Also, tour the world and see different cultures and appreciate what goes on around you. The hours are long,
and it's a lot of hard work and dedication. Everyone I work with has a tremendous amount of passion. What's
your favorite ingredient to work with? I love working with crab and fresh fish in general. You can push the culinary
envelope. We always want to give our customers great service, great quality and something new all the time. CHEF'S
TIPS * To give a new dimension to hot crab, steam and then grill it to add a smoky character. * Try using different
ground nuts and cereal with Japanese bread crumbs to give crusted fish a unique texture and taste.
COPYRIGHT 2004 Reproduced with permission of the copyright holder. Further reproduction
or distribution is prohibited without permission. COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning
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