Young chef from rural Illinois plays by his own rules

Posted January 05, 2010 10:00 pm

By Deborah Pankey

For a kid who grew up in rural Illinois Joel Hetrick has acclimated quite well to city life. By day the 26-year-old culinary school graduate works as sous chef at the Classic Residence by Hyatt, a senior living community in Glenview. At night he trades his chef's knife for a microphone as frontman of a Southern rock band. Hetrick grew up in downstate Princeton and credits his grandfathers, both cooks during World War II, for passing him the culinary gene. At 16 he started waiting tables at a local restaurant, a gig that whetted his appetite for more. His mantra is never stop learning and in that vein he signed on with the Culinary Enrichment and Innovation Program, a cooperative effort between the Culinary Institute of America and Hormel Foods to teach an elite group of chefs skills to further their culinary exploration and lead a new generation. I caught up with him during those rare hours he's not in the kitchen or hanging with the band. What was your favorite meal as a kid? My parents both worked full time so we ate out a lot. When we did eat at home I really enjoyed my old man's meatloaf recipe. He really perfected it over the years. What kick-started your interest in cooking? My first real job at 16 was as a server in a restaurant called the Oak Room Cafe back in Princeton. The cooks told me that I was forbidden into entering the world without knowing how to cook. They showed be some basic techniques and I was hooked. Out in rural Illinois, Food Network was nonexistent with our cable company so PBS Saturday mornings was what you watched for cooking shows. What was your first kitchen job? My first kitchen job was a line cook for the Bureau Valley Country Club under Executive Chef L.C. Johnson Jr. I learned that in this business you can never stop learning and that there are a lot of interesting people in this business. I use the term interesting very loosely. Above all else this prepared me for my start of culinary school. Any mentors along the way? L.C. Johnson Jr. for taking a chance on a unexperienced kid and keeping me on the right path. Tim Campbell for teaching me a world beyond rib-eye steaks and those pesky nachos. Justin Turner for showing me how insane we could get with ice cream flavors and Shep Drinkwater for giving me the chance to create and lead others to do the same. Describe a typical day at Classic Residence? Check the coolers, check function sheets, check prep sheets, ordering, prep, schedules, help hot/cold line with lunch, menu writing, enter invoices, expedite at dinner service, write out prep sheet for next day, check coolers and go home. Oh and I wash my hands 87,000 times - the health department loves that. Are there any challenges cooking for mature palates? You have to figure out what's popular with the seniors and then try out new ingredients. It's the same with any restaurant. Start with something basic and then keep progressing into more complex flavors without ruining the integrity of the dish. Seniors know what they want and it's up to us as chefs to encourage change. We are not your typical retirement home; we serve filet mignon, rack of lamb, and fish from all over the world every day. Being able to create new dishes and improve the classics is what we do. Another challenge is educating them that Italian food consists of more than lasagna, spaghetti and meatballs and pasta, pasta, pasta. If there's no pasta then the assumption is that it must be Greek cuisine because of the oregano used. There is a whole world outside of the classic dishes of America. That's why chefs have to educate their patrons. Describe your involvement with the Culinary Enrichment and Innovation Program? I was one of 16 chefs from around the country that was picked for the inaugural CEIP program, it has really helped to finesse the practices that I use on a day-to-day basis. Our second class in April 2009 was about health and wellness. At Classic Residence by Hyatt we utilize high flavor profile foods without the use of high-sodium or high-fat products. Learning new innovative techniques to prepare foods beyond our current ones was very inspiring and really made the wheels turn. This is a real honor to be learning and working with successful chefs from across the nation. What is your favorite ingredient and how do you like to use it? My favorite ingredient is lemon grass; it has a very clean flavor not to be confused with your favorite cleaning solution. I love using it in cocktails, sauces, soups, marinades, vinaigrettes, custards even as a skewer. What was the last meal you cooked at home? Home. That place sounds familiar. Cooked at home? Working all day in a kitchen fills me pretty good. I usually have a turkey sandwich, some pretzels maybe a Coke when I'm at home. If it's days off then I'm usually helping cook dinner at a friend's house for about 12 people. Here is my refrigerator: six eggs, peanut butter, apricot jam, yogurt, milk, Samuel Adams Cherry Wheat and aloe vera gel for burns. There's a bag of pretzels and cereal in the cupboard. I'm a single a chef who uses home for sleep and showers. Besides I live next to a pancake house if I'm ever really desperate. Where do you like to eat out? For sushi, Blu Coral Contemporary Sushi Lounge on Milwaukee Avenue (in Chicago) #173;#173;- cool atmosphere and fantastic nigiri and very creative rolls. I hit up El Presidente on Ashland in Chicago after band practice. There is one thing to say about good carnitas and tortas at 2 a.m. when I'm dead sober: AMAZING! I recently dined at Elate in the Hotel Felix (in Chicago). Nothing on that menu is bad and I mean nothing. The skirt steak was beautifully prepared and the smoked chicken was flavorful and juicy. The brussels sprouts with grapefruit and mushrooms were delectable and the Maker's Mark Old Fashioned ice cream was just WOW! Yes, I am drooling remembering each course. When I first started cooking I used to critique everything on the plate. Now I just want to eat good food, drink good booze, have good conversation and laugh till it hurts. That's what it's all about. What do you do in your spare time? In my spare time I golf. I've been playing since I was 4 and really stopped playing consistently when I was 16 and needed to start working. I still play when the weather is nice or not, just as long as the course is clear. In the witching hours of the night I am the frontman and co-founder for the Steel Chops. We are a rock band from Glenview with Southern rock influences, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Marshall Tucker, Blackberry Smoke, Johnny Cash, etc. We have a catalog of classic rock covers and originals with plenty more in the works. We hit the studio the end of January and will be working on a demo, hopefully an EP by the summer. Primarily we play the suburbs to bring in cash to pay for recording and equipment. We love playing the city so we can crank out our original tunes. Would I rather be a chef or a singer? Honestly I love doing both so much and my schedule works for both that I will wait until the time comes to decide. What advice would you offer to kids wanting to become chefs? A creative mind with unquestionable love, passion and business sense is what it takes. This is not a job, this is a lifestyle. Family vacations? Holidays off? Weekends off? Forget about it. Anyone who wants to become a chef will know after the first quarter of culinary school whether or not it's for them. For those of you that have begun the journey, please stay organized and work clean. Keep your head down and take direction. You know that note book in the front pocket of your chef coat? Use it. Tell us about this recipe. This is a dish that I added to our lunch menu titled the "Rainy Day" It's composed of a Smoked Sun-dried Tomato Soup with a Crostini topped with La Quercia Heirloom Proscuitto and Melted Gruyere. It's an adult version of the classic tomato soup and grilled cheese.True20001380Improvisation in the kitchen and on stage fuels Joel Hetrick. Check out his food at The Classic Residence by Hyatt in Glenview; his music at steelchops.com.Bill Zars | Staff PhotographerTrue <div class="infoBox"><h1>Recipes</h1><div class="infoBoxContent"><div class="infoArea"></div><div class="recipeLink"><ul class="moreLinks"><li><a href="/story/?id=348564" class="mediaItem">Smoked Sun-dried Tomato Soup and Crostini </a></li></ul></div></div></div>"Chef's kitchen playlist, advice"I believe music is a powerful force in the overall dining experience. Wildfire has Frank Sinatra playing which brings takes me into the 40s steak house realm. Blu Coral Lounge has live jazz playing while I eat sushi and drink sake. Something about live jazz that just seems right no matter the situation. I mean real jazz not this new age smooth sleepy time elevator music. If I go to a burger joint I want to listen to rock music while I'm eating my juice dripping ground beef delight with a pint of good brew. Music can tie a restaurant's theme together and create memories for everyone. How many couples can honestly say they remember the song that was playing on their first date, first kiss or engagement? That becomes their song and that will stand the test of time.""Ramble On" Led Zeppelin"Hey Boy! Hey Girl!" Louis Prima"Just What I Needed" The Cars"Possum Kingdom" Toadies"Dead!" My Chemical Romance"Life in the Fast Lane" The Eagles"Love/Hate Heartbreak" Halestorm"Cocaine Blues" Johnny Cash"I Wanna Be Sedated" The Ramones"Two-Lane Blacktop" Rob Zombie"Black Betty" Ram Jam"I've Got You Under My Skin" Frank Sinatra"Radar Love" Golden Earring"American Woman" The Guess Who"Mason Creole" C.C. Adcock"Bad Things" Jace Everett"All Along the Watchtower" Jimi Hendrix"Fortunate Son" C.C.R.

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