| When you meet Chef Cliff Crawford he looks just like a person who was destined for his profession. Clean cut, young and confident in everything he does. You can sense the talent and creativity immediately. So I was very excited to meet him. He is a warm and friendly person, not what you would expect for such a high powered chef. He has won numerous years of “Best of Awards” and runs 1 of 10 AAA four Diamond Steakhouses in the world, the Waterlot Inn. This Week had a chance to sit down with him. |
| Tell us about yourself? |
| I’m 37 years old, Canadian; I graduated from the culinary institute of Canada and I have been cooking since I was 16. I appreciate Bermuda a lot and I’m very comfortable here considering I grew up on Prince Edward Island with a total population of 139,000 people. Fishing is the third-largest industry there- about 10 million oysters a year are harvested for Canada and the world. So food was my life. |
| Did you cook growing up? |
| Yes, my parents owned restaurants and at an early age I started cooking, helping out in the restaurants on my summer vacations from school. I was very comfortable in all of my skills in the kitchen and became very passionate about the styles and types of cuisine I enjoyed working with. Food was simpler back then but it still needed to taste and look amazing. |
| What made you decide to become a professional chef? |
| Passion and desire! I loved to cook and the career brings with it the opportunity to travel and experience new foods and culture. When I was growing up, my folks always preached to be content at what you do for a living: “You’ll work for the remainder of your life, so be happy with what you choose,” they said. |
| For those of us who want to cook more at home, what’s your advice for getting started? |
| Enjoy it! Cooking is all about friend’s family and fun. Also, I would say start with a decent cookbook. Pick something you really like, and make the effort to be successful; you want positive reinforcement. Read the recipe carefully, set aside the time and make sure you’ve got the ingredients and the equipment and really walk yourself through it. What takes you two hours the first time may only take 15 minutes the third time. |
| What is your favorite kitchen gadget? |
Micro rasp, it helps to finely shave things like orange zest, hard cheeses and even frozen goat cheese. It is one of those fortunate culinary accidents.
What originated as an excellent smoothing tool for woodworkers proved to be an indispensable grating tool for chefs. |
What is your favorite secret ingredient to cook with? |
| If I have to pick just one, it would be smoked paprika. I love the flavor and smoked paprika has a delicious robust aroma. Use smoked paprika in small quantities to give added depth for a variety of dishes, including stews, casseroles, pasta dishes and pizza. |
