What’s your go-to breakfast when you have time to truly enjoy it?
Hot chocolate and Tortang talong with a side of jasmine rice. It’s a Filipino dish with roasted eggplant, ground beef with garlic and onion omelette.
Is there a childhood dish or flavor that shaped the way you cook today?
Yes, bay leaf. My family cooked a lot of dishes with bay leaves, and it turned out to be my favorite spice. In Rue Claire’s early years, I was inspired to incorporate bay leaf into our handmade chocolates. Bayleaf – hazelnut truffle was the first original chocolate recipe I released for Rue Claire. It is still one of our best sellers. I realized then that there are no boundaries in utilizing ingredients in creating chocolates.
Before becoming a chef, did you ever imagine a different path for yourself?
Yes, a few. When I was in kindergarten, my teacher asked us to draw what we wanted to do when we grew up. I made a drawing of having my own fashion boutique and living above it. When I was in High school, I wanted to be a psychologist. I wanted to learn how the human mind works and understand human behavior. In college, I wanted to be an Environmentalist.
Of all the French pastries, which one do you most love making—and why?
Hazelnut – Pear Tarte Tatin is my comfort French Pastry. It is easy to make, yet there is a certain elegance to it. It’s such a decadent dessert. You may serve it cold or warm. It’s perfect to enjoy anytime of the year.
Is there a food or ingredient you’re secretly obsessed with keeping in your kitchen at all times?
Yes, fermented garlic and fermented red-pepper paste.
Is there a food trend or dish you just don’t love—no matter how popular it is?
Yes, overstocked and overstuffed burgers.
If you could unlock one chef’s secret recipe, whose would it be—and what dish?
There is this one recipe, however, it’s not a dish – it’s a bread recipe. My late grandpa Eli’s Pandesal bread.
What’s the most unforgettable meal you’ve ever had—whether cooking it or being served?
Alain Passard’s – L’Arpège – He treated his vegetables with such grace and finesse. Chez Passard can transform a simple ingredient such as celery root into something unforgettable. All the dishes he served during my visit were delicious.
Who has mentored or influenced you most in your culinary journey?
My husband Mark influenced my culinary journey. His passion for cooking and learning for different delicacies inspires me.
Have you noticed differences in the atmosphere or leadership styles in kitchens led by women vs. men? How has that shaped your experience?
That’s a great question. Quite frankly, I grew up in an environment where both women and men led the kitchen. So that thought never crossed my mind. However, come to think of it, I was trained by both women and men chefs, and they were both equally pleasant. I am friends with both women and men chefs locally and globally, and there is only one significant style that is obvious to me – their core value – to serve good quality food.
Where do you turn for creative inspiration when you’re in a cooking rut?
I go for a nice nature walk with my dog, and I fantasize about what is in season.
If you could give one piece of advice to the next generation of female chefs, what would it be?
Be yourself – find your passion, stay humble and kind.
Instagram: @rueclaire_lavender_chocolate
Rue Claire Lavender Farm and Artisan Chocolates
9403 Route 414
Lodi, New York 14860
(702) 897-8909
[email protected]