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By Lisa Sokolowski
Kate Gabriele´s MySpace page (yes, we stalked her) calls her a "cooking show chef," but she´s more of a chef that is on a cooking show. When she´s not putting on her best Emeril Lagasse in front of an audience at Rustic Kitchen, one of the new restaurants in Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs, she´s in the back, chopping, prepping, and cooking like the rest of the cooks. So Gabriele isn´t just a pretty face. She went to the Baltimore International College´s School of Culinary Arts, but confessed that while studying in Maryland, she would come home for Abe´s hot dogs and Krispy Kreme doughnuts. Sounds unhealthy for someone with a minor in nutrition. If you see her show, "In The Kitchen," she´s not going to force calorie intake down your throat, but she will start you off with her pre-show ritual of Swedish Fish. That helps to get the party started. Meet chef and show host Kate Gabriele ...
How did you get started in cooking?
My family of course! I come from a large Sicilian family and all the best parties start and end in the kitchen. Attending culinary school to become a chef was a natural choice. Deep down, I really do love what I do. There is a lot of artistry and creativity involved in cooking. When you present a dish to someone you care about and they enjoy it, well, that´s the part I love the most. Food is love. Plain and simple.
Did you have to go through television training to get the job at Rustic Kitchen?
No. I have some background in theater by way of the Joan Harris Centre for the Gifted and Talented. Over the years, I had spent some time in front of audiences as a dance student and working as stage crew. After college, I worked with a national company for a few years traveling across the country performing live cooking shows. That brought cooking and theater together for me and it was a very comfortable fit. I was introduced to Rustic Kitchen by Jon Cadman (general manager) at Fox 56. After reviewing my portfolio and meeting with Jim Cafarelli, owner of Rustic Kitchen, the rest, they say, is history. The audience attending "In the Kitchen" seats 40 people, so it´s a bit smaller than the 2,200-seat house I had in Williamsport. That was my largest event. And with audience participation, anything can happen! Cooking for a live audience is just like a tap dance with food. Dinner theater with a kick I guess.
What exactly does a "cooking show chef" do?
Well, I´m technically the cooking show host of "In the Kitchen" who happens to be a chef. What do I do? I cook, we laugh a lot ... I am not sure that I am actually working or simply having a dinner party at the restaurant. It´s simply too much fun for one person to have. I do answer a lot of cooking questions from the audience, but it´s not a cooking class by any means. We will have classes with up to 12 people down the road once we settle in to a groove. The show is a little excursion from reality for the guests and it´s so close to home for most of them.
What can the diners expect?
They can expect to be seated in a broadcast-ready state of the art cooking studio, inside a fully functioning elegant and visually stunning Italian Bistro, not to mention inside of a world class casino. Along with that, they will receive a three-course meal prepared by our talented kitchen staff and under the direction of executive chef Peter Adams. They will also receive wine parings and an experience they won´t soon forget. I will show customers how to prepare each recipe and offer useful tips on how to re-create these items from "In The Kitchen" at home. In the near future, webisodes will also be available to be seen on www.rustickitchen.biz. And if the food doesn´t come out the way you like, just come back to Rustic Kitchen for dinner. No worries. We want to make food and wine accessible to our guest but with a little twist.
Do you know where the concept for having a cooking show in the restaurant came from?
Yes. Jim Cafarelli. He is the founder of his own restaurant company, owning and operating two Rustic Kitchens in the Greater Boston Area. This is the third location. He is an amazing and talented visionary and businessman. ... After the Mohegan Sun Tribe attended the show in Boston at Park Square, they were so impressed they wanted RK right here at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs. At this time, I believe we are the only establishment that has this type of kitchen studio inside their restaurant, not to mention being inside a casino.
Do you watch Rachael Ray?
I actually have, but not too much anymore. But I do love to watch cooking shows when I have time, especially the shows on WVIA like Yan Can Cook. I met Martin Yan last year. The first thing he said was, "I love your dress." I was wearing a traditional Chinese tunic. He´s such a sweet man. And if you´ve ever watched him cook, he can fabricate a whole chicken in 18 seconds. That´s fast. He´s is one of the many great chefs I admire and has so much knowledge to share. I learn something new every day. I think cooking shows have a way of inspiring people. I think it shows them that anyone can cook or do anything else in life if they put their heart into it. Look at our Olympic athletes.
Have the shows officially started?
Yes, the shows have started. We will be having shows on Thursdays and Fridays to start and ramp up from there. We have had quite the cast of characters in attendance. It has been a lot of fun. If anyone is interested in the shows they can contact the restaurant at 824-6600 or click on our Web site www.rustickitchen.biz.
I heard the shows will be broadcast on a local television channel. Has that happened yet?
We will be filming soon. When we are ready and the fantastic crew at Fox 56 is ready to go, we will begin that process. It´s going to be amazing and I am sure everyone will know when it´s ready to roll out. ... There is a lot of attention to detail and accuracy that needs to take place for a project to be successful ... the script, the content, etc. ... when everything is in place, we´ll hit the ground running.
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