Young, creative chef full of energy and ideas, too

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade, or so the saying goes. That's pretty one-dimensional thinking if you ask me.

Hand chef James Papadopoulos a lemon, or a just-picked ramp, or a fresh-caught halibut for that matter, and he'll whip up a range of dishes from appetizers and soups to salads and entrees.

Papapopolous loves the creativity that cooking brings and exudes a youthful energy (he's still a yearling in the culinary world at 24) that infects the crew at Sam & Harry's in Schaumburg.

Despite his youth the Downers Grove native brings of boat load of experience to his new role as chef de cuisine. Before joining the opening crew at Sam & Harry's he put in time at the Chicago Oak Brook Marriot and at De La Costa, the now-shuttered acclaimed seafood house in Chicago.

What inspired you to become a chef? Some of my earliest memories were thumbing through my mother's "Frugal Gourmet" cookbook. The photos of bright red lobsters, raw chickens and vegetables sort of etched in my brain. I've been drawn to food in every job I've had since.Where did you attend culinary school? I attended the Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago. The most valuable lesson I learned was to continually taste my food; that's a critical point of cooking...(the ability) to identify "bland," "over-seasoned" and "just right" is paramount.What was your first restaurant job? How did it prepare you for what you do today? My first restaurant job was as a dishwasher at a little mom and pop pizza place in Woodridge when I was 15. I then moved up to pizza oven cook and have worked other jobs around food such as at the fish counter at Whole Foods.I think my first job really exposed me to the addictive energy that a restaurant can have, and I've carried that sense of excitement to the kitchen at Sam Harry's, but now I have the pleasure of working with fresh, interesting ingredients. The complexity and versatility of food absolutely fascinates me so I decided to pursue it as a career, and it evolved into my passion.Describe a typical day at Sam Harry's? I walk into work around 11 a.m., hit the coolers and check to see what amazing fish we got in for the day. Opening the doors and seeing an 18-pound rock bass from the East Coast or a 40 -pound Alaskan halibut starts my day off pretty well!I'll stop and check with our breakfast and lunch cooks (usually sneak a bowl of Martin's soup of the day). I will then take a minute to get some inspiration from our produce cooler and start plugging away some ideas for our two rotating fish specials and vegetable of the day. Our produce selection right now ranges from everything from amazing fresh beets and carrots to more exotic items like took turnips and fresh fiddlehead ferns.After we have established our dishes for the day, I'll take a look at the evenings parties and prep lists to make sure we are lined up for success, and then begin fabricating our fish. When the cooks arrive around 2, we go over the fish entrees, collaborate and tweak any ideas, and we set up for dinner service. Half an hour before the restaurant opens, our staff meeting begins. We discuss the menu for the evening, any fresh oyster changes, sorbet selections and upcoming events.At the end of the night, we all get together and discuss the evening from both successes and what areas we can work on.What is most challenging part of your job? Racing against the clock! There's always seems to be something that needs to be done with limited hours in the day.Describe your culinary style.A focus on local, fresh, seasonal ingredients is really important to me. I'm very excited for all the amazing produce that we are going to be getting in with the upcoming spring and summer seasons. Whether it's using one ingredient with several different preparations in one dish to enhance the flavor of that star ingredient or creating an intricate presentation of a dish for a customized menu for guests, I always try to apply a refined, fresh take and style to a dish.Some of the produce we have received and worked with recently were cucumbers the size of a match stick, with their blooming flower attached, German butterball potatoes the size of my thumb nail and baby purple carrots. We received 10 pounds of fresh fiddlehead ferns (a seasonal spring vegetable that has a super quick season). We have been implementing them in a lot of ways from pickling to blanching and sauteing with some butter and herbs.We are looking forward to morel mushrooms and my favorite, ramps, and fava beans, and English peas and fresh chickpeas; I could go on and on!What is your favorite ingredient and how to do like to use it? Right now its fresh honeycomb from Wisconsin. It has such an unmatchable flavor. I love it on top of a goat cheese-filled crepe or with roasted beets and pecans, even mixed with baby carrots, rosemary and almonds.What three items should no home kitchen be without? A vita-prep blender (it can turn a brick into dust), sharp knifes (nothing worse than attempting to slice a tomato with a dull one) and quality pots and pans (they do all cooking).Do you have a pig-out food, a guilty pleasure? A medium-rare extra Swiss and mushroom burger on a griddled brioche bun and homemade onion rings... with a Goose Island Matilda.If you weren't a chef, what would you be doing? Something that involves hands on creativity. I love the way an idea becomes an action, and develops throughout the creative process.Tell us about this recipeThis is a classic combination of flavors and one of my favorites. Roasting the beets really deepens their flavor and brings out their sweetness; I balance that with tangy goat cheese and peppery arugula. The honey comb is a perfect match in this salad. Pair it with a sparkling sweet Moscato or a bubbly Belgian saison and you have yourself a great first course.Try this at home or at Sam Harry's, 1551 Thoreau Drive North, Schaumburg. (847) 303-4050.bull; To recommend a chef to be profiled, write to food@dailyherald.com.True11531733Chef James Papadopoulos adds fresh honey comb to a plate that will hold his salad of arugula salad, roasted beets, goat cheese and pecans.Bob Chwedyk | Staff PhotographerTrue <div class="infoBox"><h1>More Coverage</h1><div class="infoBoxContent"><div class="infoArea"><h2>Recipe</h2><ul class="links"><li><a href="/story/?id=371781">Salad of Roasted Beets with Arugula, Goat Cheese, Pecans and Local Honeycomb</a></li></ul></div></div></div>