{"id":151448,"date":"2021-10-01T16:41:31","date_gmt":"2021-10-01T20:41:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fourseasons.com\/magazine\/?p=151448"},"modified":"2021-11-17T17:00:48","modified_gmt":"2021-11-17T22:00:48","slug":"comfort-cuisine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fourseasons.com\/magazine\/taste\/comfort-cuisine\/","title":{"rendered":"Comfort Cuisine"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Few things have been proved to be as good for the soul as the familiar flavours of beloved dishes \u2013 foods that envelop us with a sense of nostalgic comfort, reminding us of special moments and good times. Sometimes these dishes are indulgent: meaty pastas, creamy cheeses, rich stews. Other times, they\u2019re meals we associate with the security of childhood: poached eggs like Mom used to make, Grandma\u2019s chicken soup, warm crusty bread.<\/p>\n

Four Seasons chefs understand the power of food to boost our moods, and they\u2019re always looking for ways to elevate traditional comfort foods for your plate and palate. Here are a few ways they share their experiences with guests.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Delicious desserts in Chicago<\/h2>\n<\/header>\n
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Growing up in Cartago, Colombia, Pastry Chef Juan Gutierrez loved making brownies with his mother on Sunday mornings. \u201cMy mom would always have two spatulas \u2013 one for her and one for me, so we could both lick the batter,\u201d he says. \u201cNow, when I smell rich brownie batter or take a bite of one fresh from the oven, I am filled with warm memories of my childhood. It\u2019s these special, personal and nostalgic moments like this that make a dish comfort food.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gutierrez tries to infuse that sense of comfort and belonging into his desserts at Four Seasons Hotel Chicago<\/a>. \u201cLiving abroad, a sense of home is dear to me. I want to make people feel like they are at home,\u201d he says. For a taste of home at the Hotel\u2019s new Adorn Bar & Restaurant<\/a>, he suggests the Milk Chocolate and Coffee Profiterole. The coffee mousse, malted vanilla ice cream and dark chocolate sauce are childhood favourites all grown up. \u201cWe\u2019re elevating these ingredients in a way that gives guests a new experience,\u201d he says, \u201cwhile keeping the personal connection and the meaning of the flavours intact.\u201d<\/p>\n

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On the menu in Chicago<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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A taste of home in Lisbon<\/h2>\n<\/header>\n
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There are two dishes that remind Chef Pedro Pena Bastos of his childhood home in the Ribatejo region of Portugal. \u201cDishes like molhenga \u2013 a thick tomato and onion soup served with toasted bread, poached eggs, fresh oregano and green olive oil \u2013 is one of the highlights of my childhood and reminds me of late, hot summer nights, eating family dinners around a large table,\u201d he says. \u201cWe also ate petingas assadas \u2013 tiny sardines covered in corn flour on a bed of olive oil, garlic and fresh bay leaves, roasted until brown with a splash of aged vinegar for a hint of freshness paired with the punchy fish flavour \u2013 which is even better three or four days later, served on a slice of cornbread with coriander leaf on top.\u201d<\/p>\n

He draws on these culinary roots when crafting his menus at CURA<\/a> at Four Seasons Hotel Ritz Lisbon<\/a>. \u201cThese memories influence the creative process when I build a new dish or flavour profile \u2013 using simple ingredients but seasoning them properly and letting them shine,\u201d he says. \u201cI love to bring the same flavours from my past and present them in different ways but keeping the taste and memories the same.\u201d<\/p>\n

Other chefs at CURA are also embracing sentimental flavours. Pastry Chef Diogo Lopes is testing recipes to add his favourite comfort food, French toast, to the dessert menu. \u201cIn Portugal, we usually eat French toast during the festive season, but my mom would make it year-round, especially on weekends.\u201d Lopes says his mother would let the bread dry out overnight so that it would better soak up the milk in the morning. \u201cShe would surprise us with it \u2013 I would jump out of bed in the morning on the first scent of freshly fried French toast. The sweet smell plus the sugared cinnamon we dusted on top \u2013 few things make me happier.\u201d<\/p>\n

He\u2019s playing with recreating that sense of happiness with churros \u2013 traditionally made of fried dough rolled in cinnamon sugar. His version for CURA would include boletus fungi and pine sugar. \u201cIt\u2019s a different flavour, but the inspiration is there.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Savour the flavour of Lisbon<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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Simple pleasures in Athens<\/h2>\n<\/header>\n
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\u201cI consider pasta my first love, after my wife, Charlotte,\u201d Chef Luca Piscazzi says. His favourite pasta? His mother\u2019s spaghetti alle vongole \u2013 pasta with clams \u2013 which he especially loved cold from the fridge the next day.<\/p>\n

Clearly pasta is his comfort food of choice. \u201cYou can eat pasta every day for lunch and dinner,\u201d he says. \u201cIt can be a different dish every time, but it\u2019s always an Italian classic.\u201d Guests at Four Seasons Astir Palace Hotel Athens<\/a> can find a dish inspired by his mother\u2019s recipe on the menu at Pelagos<\/a>: The Spaghetti With Caviar is served cold \u2013 just the way Piscazzi likes it \u2013 with a clam emulsion. He added the caviar for rich umami flavour, or \u201cthe wow factor that makes the dish unforgettable,\u201d along with an almond sauce and bronze fennel and chives from the Hotel\u2019s garden.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe beauty of life in Greece and the Mediterranean is that simple pleasures lie at the core of everything,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Enjoy a taste of Athens<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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Flavours of family in Austin<\/h2>\n<\/header>\n
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For Chef Gerardo Lopez at Four Seasons Hotel Austin<\/a>, family time as a child in Mexico City meant going out with his parents and siblings for tacos al pastor, made from pork shoulder marinated in achiote paste with orange and pineapple juices and roasted on a vertical charcoal pit. It\u2019s one of the few dishes that can be found any time of day in Mexico City \u2013 \u201cone of the reasons it\u2019s so comforting to me,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

To interpret his memory in Austin, he created Quail al Pastor for the menu at Ciclo<\/a>. \u201cOur version is made with Texas quail, presented on a skewer with fresh pineapple and red onion \u2013 these represent the trompo skewer of the traditional charcoal pit \u2013 and roasted over mesquite charcoal,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s served with two fresh corn tortillas and pineapple compote, fresh red onion, avocado and a green tomatillo salsa cruda.\u201d<\/p>\n

The sizzling meat is delivered to the table on a spit \u2013 an interactive feast for the senses and for the soul.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Plan your meal in Austin<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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YOUR JOURNEY BEGINS HERE<\/h2>\n

Where will your appetite for adventure take you?<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\"City <\/picture>\n

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