House & Garden Tour
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The House & Garden Tour for Sunday, May 3, has been cancelled. Tours will resume on May 10. |
Food & Wine
Playful flavor combinations
By Kris Rudolph
Nirvana restaurant
Juan Carlos Escalante, chef/owner
Mexican Fusion cuisine
Open daily, 8:30am–11pm
Mesones 101
150–250 pesos per person
| Juan Carlos Escalante is the chef/owner of Nirvana restaurant. He adds flavor to San Miguel’s restaurant scene with his Mexican fusion cuisine. | |
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El Gallo on Hernández Macías, Chef Escalante’s other venture, was recently sold. It will re-open soon under new ownership as a Mediterranean restaurant.
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank all my loyal customers who supported me at El Gallo,” Escalante says, adding he is anxious to go back to his roots at Nirvana and concentrate on creating new dishes.
When interviewed, he answered a dozen questions, ranging from how he entered the restaurant business to cooking tricks. Then, to get readers ready for summertime, he shares a favorite recipe: Watermelon Gazpacho.
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Kris Rudolph: How did you enter the restaurant business? |
Juan Carlos Escalante: I started my professional training as a chef at the Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico City. I then went on to the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. My first chef’s job was with Camino Real Hotels. I moved around a lot: Mexico City, Acapulco and Cancún, before heading to a position in the Canary Islands. In 2001, I came to San Miguel to work at my aunt’s hotel, La Puertecita. The following year I opened my own place, Nirvana, with my wife, Ana Lara Gallardo, on Hernández Macías.
KR: What’s been your most interesting experience as a restaurateur?
JE: Meeting the diverse and interesting people in San Miguel. I’ve really enjoyed becoming friends with many of my customers and hearing about their lives.
KR: Do you have a favorite herb/spice or cooking trick?
JE: I like to mix Oriental and Mexican flavors together, as well as play with new flavor combinations. Two of my experiments are on our menu: hibiscus quesadillas and a variation of mole made with guavas.
KR: What engages you about regional Mexican cuisine?
JE: I love to work with traditional ingredients, such as nopales and chiles, showcasing them in a modern format. Some dishes, like Caldo Gallo (a broth made with pork rinds, chiles and xoconostle) cannot be improved upon in my opinion. It’s delicious just the way it is.
KR: What is the role of Mexico in world cuisine?
JE: Many of Mexico’s native ingredients are now incorporated into a variety of international cuisines. Chocolate, tomatoes and corn are just a few examples of what Mexico has given the world.
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KR: What is the most popular dish on your menu? JE: The creamy Thai soup: a mixture of red curry, coconut milk, octopus, squid, shrimp and scallops. It’s been our signature dish since we opened. |
KR: Do you feel there is a food that is overrated?
JE: Not really. There’s something for everyone, it just depends on your point of view.
KR: Who are the chefs or chef/authors you admire?
JE: First, there’s my mother and grandmother, who both had a great influence on what I do today. Then, I would have to say, Adrian Ferrar from Spain and Charlie Trotter of Chicago. Both chefs are incredibly creative and focus on new formats for food.
KR: What is your most memorable dining experience?
JE: Recently I went to Tampico and enjoyed a wonderful meal of freshly grilled lobster and fish. We also ate shrimp with huitlacoche and cheese tortillas (a thin, round slice of homemade cheese topped with squash blossoms). Using incredibly fresh ingredients is the only secret to meals like this.
KR: What would you cook and who would you invite to your ideal dinner party?
JE: I would invite my closest friends and family, the people I love the most, and invent something special for them. I would fly in fresh seafood and then go to the market and see what looks good on that particular day. If it’s a successful meal, it might end up on the restaurant menu.
KR: How do you recommend visitors find the best restaurants in San Miguel?
JE: I would emphasize to visitors that they should ask locals about the different restaurants before going inside. They always know what’s happening.
KR: What advice would you give to young people considering careers in the industry?
JE: First, they should know the business through personal experience. Then, they should study who their customers will be and how they can best meet their needs. Starting slowly, and learning through trial and error, is always best.
| Watermelon Gazpacho A tropical twist on a summertime favorite, this soup makes a refreshing first course for a light meal, as well as a perfect brunch dish. |
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4 servings
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/3 cup chopped white onion
1/4 cup chopped celery
3 cups seeded watermelon pulp
1/3 cup white vinegar
1/3 cup sherry
1 teaspoon Maggi sauce
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon powdered chicken bouillon
5 cups watermelon, seeded and finely diced
1. Place the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. When hot, add the onion and celery and cook for about 10 minutes.
2. While the vegetables are cooking, place the watermelon pulp, sherry and vinegar in a blender and lightly puree.
3. Add this mixture to the frying pan, along with the sauces and chicken bouillon. Bring to a boil.
4. Remove from heat. Chill. Stir in the diced watermelon before serving.
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