You may know James Beard Award-winning Chef Hugh Acheson as a celebrity chef, author and judge on Bravo’s Top Chef.
If you live in or have visited Georgia, you may know him as the restaurateur behind the city of Athens’ Five & Ten, The National, Atlanta’s Empire State South and Savannah’s The Florence.
If you’re a cookbook collector, you might have his “A New Turn in the South” on your shelf – which puts a fresh spin on signature Southern dishes, including his daughter’s favorite recipe, Fried Chicken with Stewed Pickled Green Tomatoes, or “The Broad Fork,” which makes the most of your farmer’s market bounty of seasonal fruits and vegetables. Mmmmmmmmm!
But did you also know about his work with children in school settings, teaching cooking, nutrition education, and gardening? In 2014 we even had the honor of Chef Acheson participating in the Building a Healthier Future Summit, where he discussed his vision for a “vegetablecentric” world where cooking is second nature to children. When it comes to favorite foods, kids’ meals and exotic cooking ware, here’s how he filled in the blanks.
1. I think the most underrated vegetable is: Beets.
2. On the subject of healthy food crazes, my guess is that “the next quinoa” will be: Wheatberries.
3. The most exotic ingredient and most interesting gadget you’ll find in my kitchen are: Korean hot pepper bean paste and a large fermentation crock.
4. Two wow-factor family meals that beginner cooks may find easy to master are: Egg in a hole with spring salad (check out this picture and recipe on Find. Eat. Drink.) | Minestrone soup (Del Monte has a fantastic 20-Minute Minestrone recipe).
5. If I had to cater a kid’s birthday party, the healthy-but-fun menu would be: Carrot, cucumber salad | Ants on a log w/cashew butter | Crisp tofu w/soy | Strawberries.
