Wherever you are, take a look around your office.
What do you see? Walls … flowers … hanging portraits? No matter where you work — whether it’s a cubicle in a high rise office building, on a rolling golf course or farm, or somewhere in between, chances are what you see from your work space pales in comparison to what greets Chef Wilwore Jordan every morning.
Jordan is the chef de partie at the acclaimed L’Acajou Restaurant inside Sandy Lane Hotel and Resort, recognized as one of the most beautiful pieces of property in the world by a number of travel publications. It’s nestled along brilliant blue waters on the shores of Barbados.
Among the many feathers in his cap, Jordan is an ambassador for the Certified Angus Beef ® brand. He recently participated in a ranch tour to see first-hand how a high-quality steak gets from farm to plate. Jordan won the brand’s 2011 competition at Taste of the Caribbean in Miami, and this captain of the Barbados competitive culinary team recently sat down with us to discuss something we all love — food.
Q: Aside from your own, what’s your favorite restaurant?
A: Waterside Restaurant, Barbados.
Q: What’s the hottest trend in food right now?
A: Reductions and vinaigrettes.
Q: How would you describe your cooking style?
A: Contemporary Caribbean.
Q: If you could have any meal, what would it be?
A: My mothers’ pigeon peas and rice with fried chicken leg.
Q: Are there any chefs you try to emulate?
A: Masaharu Morimoto
Q: When you’re not in the kitchen, what are you doing with your free time?
A: Thinking about food and playing with my children.
Q: The one book every chef should have in the library is?
A: On The Line by Eric Muhlke and Christine Ripert.
Q: Food Network is … ?
A: Educational.
Q: If you could have only four ingredients in your pantry, what would they be?
A: Herbs, spices, ginger, Scotch bonnet.
Q: What five staples should folks keep in their pantry at all times?
A: Sweet potato, Basmati rice, corn meal, cassava or yucca, long grain rice.
Q: What’s the most expensive meal you’ve ever prepared?
A: Beluga Caviar.
