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| Celebrity Chef Austin Rocconi in his kitchen |
What are your earliest memories of childhood? Ask anyone
this question and odds are that the answers will include something about food.
A favorite dish, a certain delicious aroma, or more importantly- the feelings
that remain long after the meals were finished. Ask this year’s A Taste of
Glynn Celebrity Chef, Austin Rocconi, what he remembers and his answers go
beyond the menu. Beyond the
recipes handed down through generations. His memories are all about love.
“There’s
something wonderful about someone you love preparing a meal for you. Or making
someone you love feel good by preparing a meal for them,” he shared. “It
doesn’t have to be fancy. No parlor tricks required.”
Austin
grew up in Mississippi, in a “huge” Delta rice-farming family. In fact, at the last gathering of his
father’s Italian family, he counted 52 people. And all of them have an
appreciation for food that goes deep to the point of reverence. In particular,
his grandmothers and Aunt Mary would have been top-rated professional chefs, if
they had the chance, Austin believes.
“In
their time, most farm wives stayed home and raised their families rather than
going away from home to work. But any of them could have been a fantastic chef
anywhere in the world.”
Chef
Austin worked alongside his family members and learned how great food comes
from careful skill, from growing to harvesting to the work done in the kitchen. His memories are of bountiful spreads of fresh food, made
entirely from scratch. Fresh pasta- tortellini rolled out on the kitchen table,
stuffed with savory chicken and roasted garlic. Eggplant tenderly cooked to
perfection. Not just for holidays. Every day.
“The
women in my family would work for hours and hours on a single meal,” he
recalls. “They did it because they cared. They did it for love. And when you
ate those meals, you knew somebody loved you.”
There
is no doubt that his comprehensive knowledge of food from the agricultural side
to the kitchen influenced his emerging prominence in the locally sourced food
movement. In his case, however, the draw of the kitchen was stronger than the
interest in farming. His background and training at the Cordon Bleu Institute,
and years honing his craft in some of the most exciting restaurants in the
dynamic Atlanta food scene have made him capable of creating astonishing meals.
As Executive Chef at the famous LeVigne Restaurant at the Montaluce Vineyards
and Estates in Dahlonega, Chef Austin has acquired a loyal following and
growing recognition. He will bring his dedication to using fresh local foods
with him as he selects the winning entry for the Celebrity Chef’s Choice
Award.
He
is gratified that the locally sourced philosophy is gaining momentum, and that
more whole foods are becoming available on the shelves of all grocery stores.
Cooking with these ingredients doesn’t have to be trendy or expensive, he
pointed out. It is more about paying attention to the characteristics of the
food itself, balancing the spices, allowing the textures to meld and adding the
secret ingredient: soul.
“There
is something deeply comforting about eating with family,” Chef Austin
believes.” It’s about more than simply refueling your body. It’s really a
primal thing. We gravitate toward cooking for one another to celebrate the
important things in our lives.”
On
March 24, 2013, from 5:00 to 8:00 PM, the Golden Isles will gather to celebrate
the 13th annual A Taste of Glynn. This favorite culinary event
gathers the most talented local chefs to compete for top honors in five new
food categories, selected by our guests. Plus the coveted Celebrity Chef’s
Choice and Tablecape awards. A Taste of Glynn is the annual fundraiser for the
Glynn Community Crisis Center, which operates Amity House, a domestic violence
shelter, Hope House, the extended residence program and Outreach programs.
Tickets are available at local merchants, or through the website at www.atasteofglynn.com
Residents
of Amity House know Chef Austin is correct about eating with family; they prepare
dinner and eat together every night. It is more than a meal. It represents
caring for one another. And that is where the healing starts.
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