Ciabatta slices soaked in a mixture of sugar,
vanilla, almond extract, salt, milk, cream
and egg become almond-crusted ciabatta
French toast, one of Gale Gand’s signature
brunch items.
“Many IAIA students are from various
pueblos in the U.S. and Canada, so we
do Native American food on a regular
basis throughout the year,” Lambelet says.
“Our Spirit of the Indian Harvest recipes
alternate with international foods, including
Italian, French, German, etc.”
A brunch buffet is offered each Saturday
and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., with an
array of hot breakfast and lunch items set
out, including a make-your-own waffle bar
that alternates with made-to-order omelets.
Lambelet, who hails from the French border
area of Switzerland and claims some Italian
ancestry, as well, has a full repertoire
of international dishes at his command.
But he has worked hard to gather Native
American recipes during the past year since
Bon Appétit took over IAIA’s foodservice
contract. He finds the Spirit of the Indian
Harvest focus—with recipes culled from
students and faculty and gathered through
his own research—a good one for winter
as it features hearty grains, sweet potatoes
and other root vegetables. Pueblo Indian
Pork Roast with maple mashed potatoes
and grilled zucchini or Mohegan succotash is
always a popular choice. The Red Chili Lamb
Stew he prepares is from an authentic New
Mexican recipe that came from a local Native
American woman. “We use pre-trimmed lamb
shoulder from Talus Wind Ranch, just outside
Santa Fe. We cube it, brown it with garlic,
onion and mushrooms, then combine it with
red chili,” Lambelet says.
To prepare the traditional red chili recipe,
he soaks red chili pods (seeds removed) in
warm water to rehydrate. Then, the pods
are oven-roasted for about five minutes
before being puréed with a bit of garlic
and onion. Lambelet has learned that New
Mexican chili—without beans—is more of
a sauce; with beans, it becomes the so-called Tex/Mex version. “We’ll serve it with
different varieties of rice or various types
of potatoes or even beans, but they’ll be on
the side, not right in the chili,” he says.
At IAIA, lamb and pork are the more traditional
proteins, with beef and chicken menued
occasionally. “I’d rather use lamb instead
of mutton for brunch. Although mutton is
less expensive, it’s also gamier,” Lambelet
explains. “We also do a stew or soup of ground
buffalo for lunch or brunch, and leave it nice
and chunky, thickened with potatoes and
vegetables, for a hearty winter meal.”
HEARTY BRUNCH
In San Diego, winter is more a state of
mind than a reality, but a hearty meal is
Cherokee Brunswick Stew is one of several
stews and soups that executive chef
Guido Lambelet makes as Sunday winter
brunch items for students at the Institute of
American Indian Arts.
nevertheless thoroughly enjoyed. Peter
Robson is chef/instructor in the culinary
arts/culinary management program at San
Diego Mesa College, and under his direction,
students run the faculty dining room Monday
through Thursday. In the morning, second-year students prepare lunch, then first-year
students finish the prep and plate and serve
the dish. Together, they run all aspects of
front- and back-of-the-house operations.
“Although we’re not doing winter brunch,
per se, I stress the use of winter greens,
such as Swiss chard,” Robson says. “And
we’ll prepare a hearty quiche with root
vegetables, or an authentic quiche Lorraine
made the traditional way with Black Forest
ham, Gruyère and Parmesan or other hard
cheese grated on top to create a golden-brown crust to set off the creaminess of the
egg yolks and heavy cream base.”
The college doesn’t serve brunch on
weekends, because few students at
this commuter college are on campus,
but Robson has been providing R&D
for a decade for Chicken of the Sea
International (both foodservice and retail),
and among his various recipes are two that
fit the “hearty brunch” tagline: The Perfect
Brunch Strata, featuring flaked salmon, and
Smoked Salmon Frittata.
In his strata recipe, Robson suggests using
fresh asparagus, which is not typically
available in the winter. “If you’re using frozen,
instead, drain it really well,” he cautions. “Or,
par-cook rutabaga, turnip or beets, but don’t
overcook them—you want them to retain
their shape. Also, if Gruyère cheese isn’t
available, use domestic Swiss, if need be.”
