“You do best with the food you grew up with, but that doesn’t mean you can’t add your new influences”—Tony Chittum
“My family always served notoriously dry turkey, ham, canned corn, canned cranberry sauce, Grands! biscuits, bland mashed potatoes, and pretty bad gravy,” Chittum says. “That’s just the way it was!” But the chef has been slowly taking over the menu, incorporating flavors he discovered working in other kitchens while keeping the meal traditional. “I am not looking for anything trendy,” he says. “I am going for authentic handmade foods.” For his take on roasted cauliflower, Chittum pulls flavors from Italian antipasti to create a dish that can be done ahead of time and served at room temperature. “When my family tastes a dish like this—that’s new to them—their response is often ‘Oh, I didn’t think I liked that.’”
