Meet the Chef: Josh Belenchia
Photo by Michael Donahue
Interim sous chef Josh Belenchia's style is something that's fresh, simple, quick and flavorful.
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Title: Sous chef, Interim Restaurant & Bar
Age: 26
Hometown: Cleveland, Miss.
Who or what was your first cooking influence? Mother is a good cook. She would always cook pretty much every night. My favorite was meat loaf, mashed potatoes.
What was the first thing you ever cooked or baked? Christmas cookies, baking those and putting the icing on them. I had to have been 6, 7, 8.
What made you decide to become a chef and when was that? I've always been around good cooking. My family would take me to KC's in Cleveland (Miss.) We'd go there probably once, twice a month. I usually ordered beef tenderloin and French fries. We were at a James Beard dinner they were holding and I was watching all the chefs. Seemed like that was a fulfilling job. I went to CIA (Culinary Institute of America) in New York.
What was your first food-related job? I was 19. Fry cook. This was at Crescent City Grill in Hattiesburg.
What was something important that a fellow chef taught you? When I was in school, chef (Michael) Pardus, I had him in Asian cookery. I was asking him to do a demonstration: "Chef, will you show me how to do this?" And he came over and (said), "You don't have this." Then he'd walk away. I had to have everything laid out. I had to be properly prepared for him. Even if I had a ladle missing he wouldn't come back 'til I was absolutely prepared. That stuck with me.
What is the Josh Belenchia style? Fresh, simple, quick, very flavorful. The less ingredients the better. Well seasoned.
Describe one of your dishes? Saute bacon, add in your caramelized onions and your roasted sweet potatoes and toss all that together. It really complements each other so well. That with a little Swiss chard and roasted chicken jus.
What do you cook or bake at home, if anything? I like to grill during the summer like everybody does. I do pork loins. I make lasagna. We'll do fajitas a lot. My wife helps me out a lot when I cook at home. I'm trying to teach her at the same time, so she can cook for our daughter, too.
What's your least favorite ingredient? I don't like white chocolate. I don't like the taste of it. It's not even chocolate. I don't like to work with it. I love regular chocolate.
Contact Michael Donahue at 529-2797 or e-mail donahue@commercialappeal.com.
Interim Restaurant & Bar is at 5040 Sanderlin; 818-0821.
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