Interview with Chef Matthew Zboray

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Matthew Zboray knows his way around a kitchen, and it’s taken him around the world as well. As an instructor at the California School of Culinary Arts in Pasadena, Matthew leads students through the Introduction to Culinary Arts 1 and International Cuisine courses. He also serves as the chef of Restaurant 561, the fine dining restaurant staffed by students finishing their Le Cordon Bleu curriculum.

Matthew on his recent trip to Italy

Matthew has been working in kitchens since he was 14 and held his first executive chef position in the early 1990s. His career has taken him to jobs in Los Angeles, San Diego, Spain, Russia, and Washington, D.C. We caught up with him as he returned from a recent trip to Italy where he picked up even more recipe tips.

Interview

LTK: When did you realize you wanted to become a chef? Have you always enjoyed cooking?

Matthew: I started cooking in earnest when I turned 16. I had decided to become a vegetarian (and remained one for six years). My parents did not initially support my decision and so I learned to cook vegetarian fare for myself. To this day, I still think vegetables are wonderful.

We often have "black box" or "mystery box" exercises along the lines of Iron Chef here at the school. The main focus is, of course, the students, but some instructors also like to complete to keep the edge and secure bragging rights. I still feel myself drawn to vegetables and the protein (if present) feels like an afterthought or I use a pork product for the seasoning effect on vegetables.

My first job was decorating pies and cakes at age 14. Since that time I have been cooking professionally and for fun. I studied Political Studies and Russian History in college and toyed with the idea of pursuing a doctorate in Russian History. I was accepted to a PhD program at the University of Chicago, but I realized that the kitchen jobs I was taking to make ends meet were my true passion. It just felt right. The kitchen finally won over academia.

LTK: Is your recent trip to Italy work-related? Did you pick up any new dish ideas there?

Matthew: I understand from my travels in Italy how truly regional the place is. A couple of hundred miles from Milan, I was told that Risotto Milanese was basically "rice with food coloring," that they had to put "lots of cheese and butter in their rice to make it taste like anything." There is a lot of cultural and culinary chauvinism in the regions of Italy. In Tuscany, they derided Sicilian olive oil: "My God, they put mats below the trees and let the olives fall to the ground before they harvest!" As a spectator, it is fun to watch. It's like "Okay, show me what you got." Some of the great ingredients I had were cheeses from Murazzano, a Balsamic Vinegar of Modena dating from 1871, and wines from the Coppo and Marchessa di Barollo wineries.

LTK: I know your specialty is Mexican food. What makes you like it so much?

Matthew: I love comfort food. For whatever reason, Mexican rice, refried beans, tamales...these are like mother's milk to me. Specifically, the food of a restaurant called Maritza's in San Diego, my hometown. I have been a customer there for about 20 years. I have seen the owner have children and her children have, in turn, grown up and have taken my order. My best friend from high school and I were frequent patrons of Maritza's. When he died of cancer, the owner of the restaurant, Carmen, came to the funeral. My mother's food was nothing to shout about growing up, but Carmen was a surrogate mother in that respect. In all of the years I have dined there, the thing that has struck me most is the consistency. Nothing about the food has changed, and that's the way I like it.

LTK: What is your favorite meal to make for yourself? Can you share the recipe?

Matthew: I love to cook elaborately layered foods, with echoes of many different flavors and different textures. I love using exotic spices and seldom-used ingredients-—it's like a game for me. When I want to eat, however, it is usually very simple food. I love a great fresh bread with a good crust and crumb, spread with some slightly chilled European style butter.

My guilty pleasure is Top Ramen. I also love Spanish Piquillo peppers, a well cooked potato with good salt, perfectly cooked mashed potatoes, basmati rice cooked with plently of salt and butter, a really ripe piece of cantaloupe, white bean soup with a drizzle of really grassy olive oil...simple, poignant ingredients.

LTK: What’s a common problem that you see with people new to the kitchen?

Matthew: The number one problem new cooks have in a professional kitchen is moderating heat. I like to tell students that part of what I love about cooking is the amazing heritage we share. As long as people have glommed together in groups, we have needed cooks. These are people who regulate the elements…hang meat in the air to dry…stuff a cleaned animal into its own stomach and cook it over a pit fire…put food on ice to keep cool…pull fish out of the water, vegetables out of the ground. This is still a professional that gets to play with the elements on a daily basis. But people are afraid of fire. It is a natural fear, but one that you must overcome to be an effective cook. Most students are reluctant to use enough fire to get the job done. And seasoning. Don't even get me started on salt...