Cook of the Week: His passion is getting others hooked on fish
Even while working full-time as an options trader, John Stowick couldn't keep his mind off cooking. He'd take part-time jobs at restaurants working as a busboy, line cook or bartender to be around it.
Two years ago John quit his day job to focus solely on his culinary passion and landed behind the seafood counter at Foodstuffs, a gourmet grocer and caterer in Glencoe.
A native of Arlington Heights, John learned to love fish as a kid while spending time at his grandparents' home along the Menominee River in Wisconsin and vacationing in Florida.
Today he draws on those experiences and the skills he learned from his dad to get others hooked on simple, flavorful ways to cook seafood.
“I do everything from cooking various types of fish to selling mostly raw, which means filleting and skinning fish,” he said.
Seafood can be intimidating, he admits, trying to sort out what to buy and how to prepare. But John said just like any other protein it requires a little bit of care.
“You can't slap it on a hot grill and expect it will flip over. It may stick to the grate. There are easy ways to prepare it and people often say, 'oh, that never occurred to me,'” he said.
Two tips he offers: brining so the fish can absorb extra moisture and he corrects those who douse the fish with extra-virgin olive oil prior to cooking.
“Put a quarter size dollop on your hand and rub the flesh of the fish and a little on the skin. You don't want to saturate your fish with oil. It breaks the fish down or it causes flare ups — neither of which you want,” he said.
At home, you wouldn't think John would want to see another filet of fish. But he said there are so many varieties he doesn't think he could ever satisfy his curiosity.
“You wouldn't ask a butcher if he's a vegetarian. A butcher is still going to go home and have a steak or burger for dinner,” he quips. “I've incorporated fish more into my diet ... now I know more from working with it every day.”
He said he stays away from frying fish, which was the most common way he ate seafood growing up. Instead he follows one rule, KISS or Keep It Simple Stupid.
“You can KISS it and you can't really mess it up, and it still looks impressive and tastes great,” he said.
One of his favorite KISS recipes is for salmon marinated in a mixture of brown sugar and soy sauce then grilled or roasted. Teriyaki Chilean sea bass and combining tuna and swordfish for fish tacos are other favorite recipes.
That doesn't mean he doesn't still enjoy meat.
Beef remains a top pick and he relies on grilling tips his dad shared and learning to make a perfect hamburger watching his mom, Anola. But whether he's preparing fish or beef, what he loves is to be creative.
“The best thing you can do is never be afraid to screw up. Try changing things up,” he said. “There is nothing wrong with going small. Once you've hit it, now you have something you can show off with. That's what I try to do.”
• To suggest someone to be profiled here, send the cook's name, address and phone number to food@dailyherald.com.