America's preoccupation with nutrition may have run its course, says Keith Keogh, executive chef at Walt Disney World's Epcot Center in Orlando, Fla.
"People come back to our 65 restaurants because the food tastes good, not because it's good for them," the 38-year-old chef said in a recent visit here. But, he added, that doesn't mean Americans will go back to the fat-laden foods of the 1950s. He predicts an increasing demand for back-to-basics "comfort" food that is more nutritious.Among his favorite "comfort" foods: Chicken and Leek Pie, "like Mom used to make," and Apple-Beet Salad.
"We've cooked French food and we've explored all the regional `hot' dishes," the certified executive chef said. "Baby boomers are now suffering from `boutique cuisine' burnout. They are seeking the flavors of their youth, the old things done right."
Keogh, one of Florida's well-known seafood chefs, says there will also be a greater awareness of the "ecology of food" in the coming decade, with concerns over pollution replacing the nutrition craze. He also predicts the return of one-pot cooking and a greater interest in a mixture of Asian and European foods.
Keogh, president of the American Culinary Federation, is scheduled to head the United States culinary team when it competes in the 1992 Olympics in Frankfurt, Germany.
Chicken and Leek Pie
2 tablespoons butter
1 small onion
1 stalk celery, cut on bias
1 medium leek, white and pale green part, diced
1 pound boneless chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
10 to 12 ounces chicken stock, fresh or canned
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
2 teaspoons salt
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 teaspoon thyme
10 ounces unsweetened pie dough
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon heavy cream
1/4 cup heavy cream Saute the butter and onion for a few minutes. Add celery and leeks; cook 5 to 8 minutes. Add chicken and continue to cook, stirring occasionally. When chicken is cooked, sprinkle in the flour, blending well. Add stock, parsley, salt, white pepper and thyme; bring to a quick boil and remove from heat.
Using a 1 1/2-quart casserole dish at least 2 inches deep, add chicken-leek filling to dish; let cool slightly. On a lightly floured surface, roll out pie dough about 10 inches round and 1/4-inch thick. Moisten the rim of the dish. Drape pastry over rolling pin, lift up and unfold over baking dish. Trim off excess with a small knife. With the tines of a fork or your fingers, crimp the pastry to secure it to the rim of the dish.
Gather scraps and use them for decorations. Brush the entire pastry surface with egg wash consisting of yolk and the 1 tablespoon heavy cream. Cut a 1-inch hole in the center of the pie.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Bake pie for 20 to 30 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Just before serving, heat the 1/4 cup heavy cream to lukewarm and pour it through the hole in the crust. Makes 4 to 6 servings.
Apple-Beet Salad
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 teaspoon salt
Dash pepper
1 cup Red Delicious apple, chopped
1 teaspoon lemon juice
3/4 cup beets, chopped and cooked, or canned
1/4 cup red onion
6 iceberg lettuce slices, 1/2-inch thick
6 red pepper rings, cut in half Combine mayonnaise, sour cream, salt and pepper; mix well. Toss apple with lemon juice. Add mayonnaise mixture, beets and onion; mix lightly. Chill. For each serving, place 1/3-cup salad mixture on lettuce slice; surround with red pepper. Makes 6 servings.
Note: To make lettuce slices, choose compact heads of lettuce and cut crosswise into slices about 1/2-inch thick. For added flavor, brush lettuce slices with Italian dressing before topping with apple and beet mixture.