Kristen Kish has worked in many high-profile restaurants including Michelin-star Chef Guy Martin’s Sensing and Barbara Lynch’s Stir as Chef de Cuisine. She competed on Bravo’s Top Chef Season 10 where she won the coveted title, becoming the second female chef to win.
Kish recently went on tour with her first cookbook – Kristen Kish Cooking – which launched October 31, 2017/ And currently, Kish has partnered with Sydell group to launch her restaurant, Arlo Grey.
Delicacies is beyond thrilled to have this exceptional talent kick off the 2018 Chef’s Table lineup!
Kristen's Charity
Keep Austin Fed is a nonprofit organization that gathers wholesome surplus food from commercial kitchens and distributes it to area charities that serve people in need.
Their volunteers rescue thousands of meals each month, feeding hundreds of our neighbors living with food insecurity — the 1 in 7 people in Austin who do not know where their next meal will come from. In addition, they are starting to put a dent in the approximately 30 percent of food in the U.S. that ends up in a landfill and produces methane gas.
Elbow macaroni is one of those shapes that you see and immediately think of your childhood, and these are the memories that stick with me the most. As a chef and with new dish creation, I pull an immense amount from my childhood memories. To me, the elbow is also a reminder to see the world through the eyes of a child, with innocence, curiosity, acceptance, growth, and resilience.
To make the béchamel, in a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat, then add the flour, and whisk together until incorporated. Cook for a minute until you have a blond roux. Steadily stream in the milk (having it at room temperature or warm helps prevent the formation of clumps) while whisking constantly. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer for 3-4 minutes or until the flour is cooked and you can no longer taste it. Reduce the heat to low and add the cheese. Whisk until the sauce is smooth. Season to taste.
In a small sauté pan, heat olive oil over medium heat until it begins to shimmer. Add the sage leaves and fry for 1–2 minutes or until crisp. Remove and drain the leaves on a paper towel. When the sage has cooled to room temperature, crumble it a bowl, add the walnuts, cheese and fried shallots. Gently toss. Season with salt and pepper.
TO SERVE
Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and salt the water aggressively. Add the pasta and cook for approximately 6-8 minutes or as directed on the box. Warm the béchamel and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pasta directly into the béchamel. Using a ladle of pasta water to thin out the sauce if required. You want to coat the pasta with a generous amount of sauce, more than just a coating. Divide the pasta and sauce into portions. Sprinkle equal amounts of the walnut sage garnish over each plate.
Kristen Kish was born in South Korea and adopted into a family in Kentwood, MI. She showed an affinity for cooking at a young age. Her mother suggested she go to culinary school and since attending Le Cordon Bleu in Chicago, Kish has never looked back.
After moving to Boston, Kish worked in many high-profile restaurants including Michelin-star Chef Guy Martin’s Sensing and Barbara Lynch’s Stir as Chef de Cuisine, overseeing all back of house operations, including the design and execution of nightly menus and demonstration dinners for 10 guests. Kish competed on Bravo’s Top Chef Season 10 where she won the coveted title, becoming the second female chef to win the prestigious competition. She went on to become Chef de Cuisine of Menton, Chef Barbara Lynch’s fine dining restaurant. She left this position in 2014 to travel the world and write a cookbook.
Kish was co-host of “36 Hours,” a Travel Channel show that partnered with The New York Times to bring the hit newspaper column to television. In each episode, co-hosts Kish and Kyle Martino arrived in a new city where they had 36 hours to explore the most delicious foods and hot spots, and experienced the best attractions unique to each place.
Kish recently went on tour with her first cookbook – Kristen Kish Cooking – which launched October 31, 2017.
Currently, Kish has partnered with Sydell group to launch her restaurant, Arlo Grey. A collaboration between Executive Chef Kish and Sydell group, the restaurant will reflect Kristen’s playful yet refined cuisine pulling inspiration from a French and Italian cooking background paired with a nostalgia of dishes from her upbringing to her love of travel that helped her gain an outlook on how people cook to tell their story. Kish is eager to dive into the ingredients of Texas and the Gulf and marry it with her style to create a place for diners to enjoy.
