Rick Yoder
Claim to Foodie Fame: Owner, Wild Ginger, Seattle and The Bravern
Quote: There is something warming and relaxing about the blend of cumin, cinnamon, ginger, and turmeric; it's almost tranquil.
What is the first taste you remember?
Definitely mom's cooking. Growing up in a household where fresh dishes were cooked nightly, I remember most of our dinners changed with the seasons. In the fall, we would eat roasted squash or mashed sweet potatoes dollop'ed with butter and sprinkled with ground black pepper.
What is your earliest memory of cooking?
My earliest memory of cooking would be the smell of fresh peaches in the summertime — that smell still evokes a sense of nostalgia. For our family, summer meant it was canning season, during which my mom would can and preserve various fruits and vegetables.
The first time I distinctly remember cooking was in college when I started experimenting with cuisine on my own, and on a budget. While in college, I developed an affinity for rice because it's so easy to make and is inexpensive. I got really creative with all the various types and figured out how drastically the flavor profiles of a dish can change depending on which type of rice you use.
What is your idea of comfort food?
Curry. There is something warming and relaxing about the blend of cumin, cinnamon, ginger, and turmeric; it's almost tranquil.
If you were a dish, which one would you be?
Roast pork, because it brings people together. One person doesn't make roast pork for himself — he makes it for a group of people. For me, dining is about coming together.
Sweet or savory? Sour or spicy?
Sweet and spicy.
Food or meal you would happily die eating, or, what is your last meal and testament?
Perfectly good dim sum.
If you had to eat only one food for the rest of our life, what would it be?
Roast chicken.
What do you consider to be the ultimate flavor?
The flavors of seafood found in Asian cuisine. The cooking techniques and use of ginger, cumin, and turmeric creates a unique and profound taste that's hard to mimic elsewhere.
How did your family honor food traditions in your household?
We ate locally sourced, freshly prepared meals almost every day. Knowing where the food came from and honoring its resource was a big tradition for me growing up, and I still honor this tradition today.
Who first taught you how to cook?
I taught myself after I moved out of the house at 18, with little in life and an insatiable palate for good food. I figured the only inexpensive way to create quality cuisine was to experiment with spice.
Who do you credit with inspiring in you a love of food and cooking?
My mom.
Share an example of one of your family food traditions.
We have family dinners almost every night together. It's a good way to spend time with each other and share what's going on in each other's lives.
What is your favorite dish or meal to cook?
I like to cook what my family likes to eat. Our daughter likes steamed fish, so I'll season a salmon fillet with various spices and wrap it in a banana leaf and steam it for a few minutes before I place it on the grill. While steaming, the salmon absorbs the flavors of the spices and banana leaf. It turns out really good and is easy to make. We actually serve a dish similar to this at Wild Ginger — it's called the Otak Otak.
If you could invite anyone to Thanksgiving dinner — living, dead, or imaginary — who would it be?
Nelson Mandela.
Wild Ginger's Chicken Curry
Undeniably one of our most popular preparations. Serve with plenty of steamed white or brown rice.
For the marinade:
1 tsp. Wild Ginger curry powder
1/2 tsp. white pepper
1 tsp. sesame oil
1 egg white
1 Tbsp. rice wine
2 tsp. corn starch
1 1/2 lb. chicken breast
For the curry:
2 green onions, bulb and greens, thinly sliced
1 shallot, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
2 Tbsp. rice wine
1 1/2 cup chicken stock
3/4 cup coconut cream
1 1/2 Tbsp. Wild Ginger curry powder
1 tsp. sugar
Fish sauce, to taste
Method:
Marinade chicken for 30 minutes. Cut into bite size pieces.
Heat wok and sauté green onion bulbs (save greens to be used for garnish) and thinly sliced shallots over medium high heat until slightly brown
Add yellow onion and garlic to wok, sauté for 1 minute
Over medium high heat, sweep onions to the side of the wok and add chicken. Brown on all sides
Deglaze wok with rice wine. Add chicken stock, coconut cream, Wild Ginger curry powder and sugar
Bring to a boil and let sauce reduce and thicken. Season with fish sauce, to taste
Serve your curry over steamed jasmine or brown rice and garnish with reserved sliced green onions
