Accomplished executive chef and pastry chef Marshall Roth graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y. Since moving to Kansas City to be near family, Marshall has overseen the Hotel Phillips Chophouse, was corporate chef for the opening of several Power and Light District restaurants and currently oversees seven restaurants for the McClain Restaurant Group including Café Verona and Ophelia’s on Independence Square.
Tell me a little about Ophelia’s.
Comfort food with a modern twist. Our menu features “locavore” cuisine—featuring locally-grown and organic produce and dry-aged local beef. Ophelia’s was voted Kansas City’s most romantic restaurant by The Pitch, so the ambiance inside the restaurant is great, too. The Inn At Ophelia’s is upstairs and features eight large boutique-style hotel rooms.
Who’s the most famous person you’ve ever cooked for?
Goldie Hawn, Kate Hudson and Kurt Russell—at their house in Aspen.
What is your favorite type of cuisine when you eat out?
I actually oversee a total of seven restaurants on Independence Square, so I’ve got a lot of options, from fresh-made butternut squash ravioli at our Italian venue, Verona, to pork tenderloin at Courthouse Exchange. Off the square, I like to unwind at Bluestem and Webster House. The sweetbreads at Webster are amazing, and I love desserts at Bluestem. There are a lot of great dining options in Kansas City—and of course, Independence!
What five spices can you NOT live without?
Cardamom, Peruvian pink sea salt, saffron, coriander, cayenne.
Who was your biggest cooking influence?
Chef David Burke in New York (I worked with him for two years after graduating from CIA). And Chef Jesse Llapitan at The Palace Hotel in San Francisco.
What is your most favorite ingredient?
Mint—it’s so versatile, from meat dishes to desserts.
What items would we find in your pantry?
Oreos and Ramen noodles. I obviously eat out quite a bit. Fridge: Bubba John’s Alabama Wild shrimp. And limes and tonic.
What is your first memory of cooking?
Cooking escargot and popovers with my Dad. It’s a Roth family holiday tradition that continues to this day.
When you want to make something simple, quick and
delicious, what do you make?
A crepe-like German pancake filled with spices, powdered sugar and dessert. Good for breakfast, lunch or dinner!
What cooking secret or tip would you offer our readers?
K.I.S.S. Keep it simple, sweetie. Don’t cover up the true flavor of a dish by over-spicing or having too many ingredients. Let a tomato be a tomato, a potato be a potato.
The affable and outgoing Chef Jasper Mirabile is a popular player in Kansas City’s culinary industry thanks to the Italian restaurant that bears his and his father’s name, and his weekly radio show on KCMO 710. He is vice president of Gruppo Ristoratori Italiani and president of Slow Food Kansas City. Mirabile’s passion for good (locally produced) food, fine wine and entertaining sets him in a class all his own.
Tell me a little about your restaurant.
Jasper’s was started in 1954 by my father and grandfather. My grandmother did the cooking and my mother took care of the book work. The restaurant started with only 15 tables and sat 60 people. Over the years, my father studied and traveled and brought authentic Italian cuisine to Kansas City. The restaurant won many awards over the years, and today my family continues the tradition.
Who’s the most famous person you’ve ever cooked for?
Anthony Quinn, John Glenn, Ed McMahon, Rudy
Giuliani...the list is endless!
Where do you live now? Leawood.
Where did you grow up? South Kansas City.
Where is your favorite place to eat when you eat out?
My family loves Asian cuisine...Bo Lings...Sushi House.
What five spices can you NOT live without?
Basil, rosemary, fennel, cinnamon, saffron.
Who was your biggest cooking influence?
Definitely my Nana and my father.
What is your most favorite ingredient?
San Marzano tomatoes.
What items would we find in your pantry?
Many local items such as Louisburg Cider, Shatto Milk, Good Natured Farms Eggs, Tippin’s Pie, Wisconsin Cheese, La Bella & Lensi Pasta, Heritage Chicken from Frank
Reese, Amy’s Meats...can I keep going?
If you weren’t a chef, what would you be?
Advertising executive.
What is your first memory of cooking?
When I was 3 years old, I would sit at my Nana’s counter and watch her make rum cake...wow...so delicious!
Are there any gadgets you are particularly fond of?
My Grandmother Mirabile’s 100-year-old ravioli cutter.
What’s the one appliance/cooking element you couldn’t live without? Pasta strainer.
What cooking secret or tip would you offer our readers?
Be organized in your kitchen and keep ingredients to a minimum...recipes with just four to six ingredients are great...keep it simple and tasteful!
Born in Gettysburg, S.D., Michael Smith grew up familiar with the daily grind of the kitchen, from peeling potatoes and shrimp to cleaning bathrooms and washing dishes, thanks to his mother’s position as a restaurant manager. Smith went on to earn a psychology degree, however it was cooking that would turn out to be his true calling. After living and working as a chef in Denver, France and Chicago, Smith was recruited in 1994 to serve as executive chef and corporate chef for The American Restaurant in Kansas City. Today Smith owns Michael Smith Restaurant in Kansas City’s historic Crossroads Art District, as well as Extra Virgin, also located in the Crossroads Art District. Smith continues to rank among the nation’s most recognized and respected chefs and in 1999 won the James Beard Award for “Best Chef in the Midwest”—a first for him and for Kansas City.
Who is the most famous person you’ve ever cooked for?
Chevy Chase, Mario Andretti, Kathleen Turner,
Michelle Obama, Tommy Lee Jones, Julia Child.
What is your favorite cuisine when you eat out?
I like all ethnic foods. I can find something about all cuisines that is appealing. Mexican cooking is my secret passion. I love all the flavors of authentic Oaxacan and Yucatan cooking.
What five spices can you NOT live without?
Chili flakes, cumin, smoked paprika, cinnamon, celery seed.
Who was your biggest cooking influence?
My mother and my stepfather’s mother. My mother cooked from scratch, but it was never gourmet…just simple American/Southern cooking. My stepfather’s mother cooked big meals from scratch all the time. Tables filled with greens, black-eyed peas, meats, potatoes, fruit pies, corn, fried chicken, gravies, etc.
What items would we find in your pantry and/or fridge today?
Quality olive oil, white corn tortillas, cheese, Italian prosciutto or Spanish Serrano, garlic, onions, scallions, rice, Ramen noodle soups, crackers, linguini, rigatoni, Parmesan, olives, Serrano chilies, lettuce, scratch Caesar dressing, lemons, limes, steaks, pork loins, crab meat, Christopher Elbow chocolates, lentils, beans, soups, kids’ stuff for school lunches (sandwich meat, chips, pickles).
What is your first memory of cooking?
My mother taking tostadas out of the oven golden from the broiler, fresh blueberry muffins.
When you want to make something simple, quick and
delicious, what do you make?
Usually it’s pasta. I can create a simple sauce with olive oil and Parmesan cheese, or jardinière and olives, crab meat and basil, summer tomatoes and guanciale.
What cooking secret or tip would you offer our readers?
Cook meats slowly in the oven at low temperatures. Don’t be afraid of salt unless it’s a medical reason. Use plenty of fresh herbs, AND don’t overcook the pasta!!!!
Christopher Elbow’s success has been shaped by experience in some of Kansas City’s most well known dining establishments including Shiraz Restaurant and The American Restaurant. But it was Elbow’s chocolate-making skills that led him toward a path of a sweeter kind. Elbow eventually started his own company, and the rest is chocolate history. His confectionary mini masterpieces have garnered interest, accolades and sales from chocolate enthusiasts near and far.
Tell me a little about your amazing chocolates and
what sets them apart from other chocolates?
We produce our chocolates in small batches using the finest chocolates and ingredients from around the world. We explore unique flavor combinations that you might not normally associate with chocolate. Then we hand-paint and decorate our chocolates with colored cocoa butter to set them apart from your ordinary chocolate.
Who is the most famous person you have ever cooked for?
I made a dessert for Lance Armstrong when I worked in Las Vegas at the Eiffel Tower restaurant. It was shortly after he won his first Tour de France.
What is your favorite type of cuisine when you eat out?
My favorite food to eat out would be a close tie between pizza and Mexican food....but only authentic Mexican food. We usually go over to some of the Mexican restaurants in Kansas City, Kan. for really authentic experiences.
What five spices can you NOT live without?
Sea salt, fresh garlic, fresh basil, olive oil and curry spices.
What is your least favorite ingredient?
Not really an ingredient, but I despise ketchup!
What items would we find in your pantry?
Probably the strangest item in my fridge would be starter dough from a 200-year-old yeast culture that I use to make pizza dough and breads with. I always keep a variety of cheeses and olives on hand for a quick snack and always have several varieties of beers from around the world and the U.S. I also have several varieties of mustards, my favorite condiment!
What is your first memory of cooking?
My first memory of cooking is learning how to make pancakes from my Dad.
Did you custom design your kitchen?
My wife and I custom designed our kitchen, as well as did a majority of the construction. I chose the appliances and layout, and she chose the colors, materials and the cabinets.
When you want to make something simple,
quick and delicious, what do you make?
Usually a piece of fresh fish with some vegetables is our go-to quick/healthy meal.
What cooking secret or tip would you offer our readers?
Always start with the freshest and best-quality ingredients.
words: Rachael Hedgcoth
photos: William and Jill DiMartino