East West - The Asian American Lifestyle Magazine

He has degree in mechanical engineering, but his dream is to use his kitchen abilities to cook for a television legend. "I want to one day cook cookies for and with the Cookie Monster," chef Ming Tsai says, laughing. "If I can do that, I know I have made it! Everyone has their goal; that's mine."

But for now, Tsai - who took occasional breaks from our meeting at the bar of a posh Scottsdale hotel to chat with fans and autograph one of his two cookbooks - is mixing up batter on his own and he seems to be doing just fine. Tsai made the leap from chef to "celebrity chef" as the Emmy award-winning host of Food Network's "East Meets West" and "Ming's Quest." He since has left Food Network, but millions of food fanatics still can catch Tsai's spicy style on television. Now on public television, Tsai hosts and produces "Simply Ming" and is a judge on the reality cooking show "Cooking Under Fire."

"It is absolutely a blast to do, " Tsai says about the prime-time reality series that tracks 12 contestants on a coast-to-coast cooking competition, stopping in the culinary capitals of Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Miami and New York. "I am so happy to be on public television. It is a true reality series, and the viewers are voting. But it is not sensationalistic,"Tsai adds. "It is like the 'American Idol' of cooking."

As far as Tsai's television consumption, he says he is a fan of "Desperate Housewives," but doesn't' watch much other than what his kids tune in to. "I watch a lot 'Arthur,' 'Sponge Bob,' and actually I am going to be a character on 'Arthur' coming up." Tsai says he hopes to play a dragon on the popular children's cartoon, but no word yet on what he will star as.

While the cartoon negotiations continue, I decided to shift the focus back to food, a topic the gregarious chef obviously is never shy about. We talked about today's hottest food trends, his upcoming projects and his favorite summer staple - heirloom tomatoes.

EWW: What is the hottest trend in cooking right now?

Tsai: In the '70s it was Chinese restaurants, in the '80s Japanese, the '90s Thai, and now it is Korean and all southeast Asian and the Nuevo Latino is in there. The basic idea is that everyone is eating better now. Because of television people are seeing what food is all about and they can get the ingredients more easily. Like lemongrass. There was no such thing as lemongrass or ginger in the stores five years ago. So television is raising the bar.

EWW: What is next for you?

Tsai: Well my mechanical engineering background is coming full circle as I am starting to design kitchen equipment. I was never going to be good as a mechanical engineer; it was always cooking for me. But this brings them both together.

EWW: So why did you go the engineer route?

Tsai: Look I am Chinese, it is either lawyer, doctor or engineer, and you can get any grade you want as long at it is straight A's! (laughing)

EWW: What is your goal, food-wise?

Tsai: My goal is to get this country cooking East West cuisine easily in their homes. It is inherently healthy. I hate the word diet, it should just be about balance and East West style cooking is.

EWW: What is your favorite summer food?

Tsai: Heirloom tomatoes are phenomenal. My favorite to have or prepare is gazpacho. Or take a good piece of meat and lightly marinate it in vinaigrette. Vinaigrettes make great marinades because it has the oil, the acid, the salt and the pepper all in there. Grill off the meat and serve it over an heirloom tomato salad, it is awesome. And it is good for you, too.

MARINATED TOMATO SALAD WITH SESAME-CRUSTED GOAT CHEESE

Serves 4

• 4 large ripe heirloom tomatoes, sliced 1?4-inch thick
• Sea salt
• Freshly cracked black peppercorn
• 1 small onion, white or sweet (such as Vidalia, Maui, or Walla Walla), halved and very thinly sliced
• Leaves from 1/2 bunch of basil, sliced into very thin ribbons
• 1/2 cup Five-Herb Vinaigrette (recipe below)
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 eggs lightly beaten with 2 tablespoons water
• 1/2 cup sesame seeds
• 1 large log (8 to 12 ounces) of goat cheese, cut into 12 1/2-inch slices
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1. Arrange half of the tomatoes on four serving plates and season with the salt and pepper. Top with half the onions and half the basil, and drizzle with half the vinaigrette. Layer over the remaining tomatoes, season again, and top with the remaining onions and basil. Coat with the remaining vinaigrette. Set aside at room temperature for one hour. 2. Meanwhile, separately place the flour, egg and water mixture, and sesame seeds on three plates. Dip the cheese rounds into the flour and the egg mixture and then coat the flat surfaces of the rounds with the seeds. As you work, place the cheese discs on another plate. (These can be done in advance and stored in the fridge.) 3. Heat a large, nonstick sauté pan over medium heat. Add the oil and swirl to coat the pan. Add the goat cheese discs and sauté, turning once until brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side. 4. Arrange the goat cheese on top of the tomato salads and serve immediately.

FIVE-HERB VINAIGRETTE

Makes 3 1/2 cups Lasts two weeks, refrigerated

• 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup minced shallots
• 1 cup rice white vinegar
• 2 tablespoons Chinese black vinegar or balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons mirin
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 tablespoons dried mint
• 2 tablespoons dried cilantro
• 2 tablespoons dried basil, preferably Thai
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 tablespoons dried tarragon
• 2 cups grapeseed or canola oil

In a medium nonreactive bowl, combine the mustard, shallots, vinegars, mirin, sugar, mint, cilantro, basil, thyme, and tarragon. Whisk in the grapeseed oil. Use or store.

*Recipe from "Simply Ming" (Clarkson Potter, 2003).

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