by Heidi Lee, March 2010

If you’ve never been to Lon’s at The Hermosa Inn in Paradise Valley, you’re really missing out.  It’s one of the premier dining experiences in Phoenix and a small step back in time should you take the time to look around. They’ve got several new attractions, one of which is Faith Wipperman. I popped in one morning and it seemed as if the entire staff was happy to help me locate her. In fact, they went looking with big, fat smiles on their faces. Faith makes people happy.

Not only is her optimism contagious, she embodies it for all the right reasons. “I choose to get up every day and be thankful and smile,” says Wipperman. “I work better when I’m happy and that helps a lot, especially in a restaurant kitchen.”

Faith graduated with Honors from Raymond S. Kellis High School and took her C-CAP scholarship to the Arizona Culinary Institute where she excelled.  From there she went onto to Lon’s for her externship and was recently promoted to Saute and Entrementier. Wipperman works like a horse, is passionately dedicated to her profession and has a vocabulary that rivals that of Ben Stein. Did I mention that she’s just 18 years old? Surprise!

 “I’m not a Food Network Star wanna’ be,” says Wipperman. “I just want to do whatever it takes to stay in the kitchen.”

After sampling her fare I want her to stay in the kitchen too – delicious.  She’s a self-proclaimed food science geek who adores Alton Brown and is “just dipping her toes” into the pool of advanced flavor pairings. As we all know, it’s those wonderful and glorious discoveries help to keep us Chefs entranced with the world of food. Says Faith,”Once I started really cooking with duck, I found an entirely new plane of joy.” See what I mean?

Faith admits that her life hasn’t always been easy. “There were good times and bad. I’ve had a lot of challenges and changes in my life and those things are part of me.” Just as she chooses to rise each morning with that signature grin, she’s made informed choices, set a course and stuck to it. Now, she is reaping the benefits of her spirit. When many her age are still trying to figure out on which side of the fence to sit, Faith built her own fence and added a gate.

She’s forthright and confident and a little disquieting if you’re not prepared for her sincerity, intelligence and poise. She’s got a great handshake and looks you in the eye when she talks with you. That’s a big deal with someone who just recently earned the right to vote.  

After a quick tour of the kitchen and the gardens, we took a table in the dining room and were served some Wipperman especialities: Duck Soup with Warm Beet Salad; Pan Seared Scallops over Rissotto with a Vermouth Butter Sauce; and White Truffles filled with Crème Brulee and Raspberries.  Perfection!

With all that she’s overcome and accomplished in her young life, I wondered where the girl was. Eighteen years of age, running Saute at a serious, high end restaurant, graduating with a 4.3 from High School at age 16, completing ACI with aplomb and winning the ACFAZ 2009 Student Chef of the Year; I asked who she strived to please – her mom and dad.  Well, whatta’ ya know? 

When asked her goals and plans for the future, she stepped right up and said, “I’m holding those cards close to my chest for now, thank you.

” Whatever she decides to do with her life, rest assured that it will be her decision, well planned, passionate and executed with a smile. Atta’ Girl!!

By Heidi Lee, February 2010

On an atypical blustery day in Central Phoenix it was a pleasant surprise to spy an antique bicycle perched outside D’Licious Dishes, its basket full of flowers.  What was not surprising were the wonderfully warm aromas that hit full on when walking through the door.

Two and four top iron tables dot the cozy dining room and an enticing little sitting area is in the corner surrounded by several shelves of very nice, yet affordable wines.  The menu and specials are colorfully presented on chalk boards and the display cases are filled with gorgeous pastas, salads, chicken and fish dishes, sandwiches and dessert.

Chef Tudie Frank-Johnson is the proprietress of D’Licious Dishes and she took some time out of her busy day to talk with into the Soup.

Like a lot of us, Chef Tudie started cooking at home.  Whereas most cut their teeth on mac-n-cheese or easy bake oven cupcakes, she was grilling up steak for farm hands and family on their ranch in Texas.  From these roots she moved down south to the coast and landed a job washing dishes at a restaurant in Turtle Cove where the Chef was grilling fresh fish straight from the Gulf. 

Chef Tudie moved up the ranks and was soon manning that BBQ and honing her skills.  A few years, a few jobs, and a few thousand grill marks later she landed in Arizona where she spent some time at Iron Springs Café in Prescott and eventually moved down to Phoenix to start D’Licious Dishes with her friend and neighbor Barbara Cook.  Together they prepare and sell ready-to-eat, ready-to-reheat and ready-to-cook food at this really funky market.

“Everything is fresh and made daily,” says Chef Tudie.  “It’s all about convenience and good food.  We’re all so busy these days and I wanted to show people that ready to eat foods can taste great, be healthy and not empty your wallet.” 

Conveniently located at 7^th Ave. and Missouri, you can pop in and sit down for lunch or grab it and go. While you’re there, you could pick up a beautiful eggplant parmesan and a made to order salad for dinner.  The people behind the display counter are knowledgeable and very friendly.  D’Licious Dishes offers an excellent selection of imported and domestic beers and well stocked cases of iced cold drinks for those hot Arizona days.  We would be remiss if we didn’t mention the fresh brewed iced tea on hand – a must for a Texas girls’ eatery.

Chef Tudie was recently featured in the Arizona Republic giving a little lesson on spicing up boxed soups.  As good as those must be, this reporter couldn’t wait to tuck into her signature Chicken and Andouille Sausage Gumbo; perfect for those rare, blustery days in Phoenix.

Chef Tudie is also a competitor in the “WestSide ThrowDown”  a no holds barred cook-off on March 22^nd at the Arizona Broadway Theatre.  Without revealing too many recipe secrets, she gave us an idea of the chicken wing she’ll be bringing to the match – you won’t want to miss it!

D’Licious Dishes, located at 5345 N. 7^th Ave. (SE Corner at Missouri) is a great place to find excellent food to go or to enjoy your meal in their charming dining area.  Either way, you will most definitely be satisfied and although the dishes are D’Licious, you won’t have to wash them!

Chef Tudie’s Chicken and Andouille Sausage Gumbo

• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup salad oil
• 2 cups celery
• 2 cups green bell peppers
• 2 cups white onions
• 1 qt. okra
• 1/4 cup garlic, chopped
• 4 cups canned diced tomatoes
• 1 cup Worcerstershire sauce
• 1 oz. Tobasco
• 1 Tbsp. Cajun/Creole seasonings
• 2 Tbsp. black pepper
• 2 Tbsp. Italian seasonings
• 1/4 cup parsley, diced
• 1 gallon chicken stock (or seafood stock)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 lb. cubed chicken breast (may substitute seafood)
• 1/2 libs. Andouille sausage, sliced thin (may substitute seafood)
• 1 qt. rice, cooked

Instructions
Make roux by baking flour at 350 degress for 25 to 30 minutes or until light tan in color. Warm oil and whisk into flour. Set roux aside. Lightly oil bottom of a large stockpot.  Add vegetables and sauté for 5 to 8 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered for 30 to 45 minutes. Uncover and whisk in prepared roux.  Stir well to avoid any lumps.  Simmer 15 to 0 more minutes. Add chicken, sausage and any other seafood or meats you desire.  Simmer an additional 10 minutes and serve with rice.

by Heidi Lee, January 2010

For this month’s “Whose Cookin’ Now,” we are interviewing two women who may just be the busiest people in town. They are student culinarians Julie Fiedler and Katelyn Remick. On one hand they are typical students trying to get through classes, get their homework done and work their way through school. On the other, they are top competitors flying off to Seattle, New York, China and  New Mexico to attend culinary competitions. Catching up with them was difficult, but we finally got them both on the phone.

ITS: You two are a bit busy these days:

K&J: Yeah, it’s crazy with work, school and competitions.

ITS: So let’s start off with the obvious, Iron Chef America. You guys are the first students to compete on the show. Did you feel a lot of pressure?

K&J: Our team from the Art Institute of Phoenix was invited and there were three of us including Tyler Burke. It was on television in the fall, but we filmed in July.

J: The show is all a blur to me. I know I was excited but then I slipped right into competition mode. The day of the announcement was pretty amazing. We were told months before to cancel our summer vacations but weren’t told why. Then they called the whole school together and announced it in front of everyone. I was mostly nervous because of all the chefs that would be watching.

K: During the filming, I didn’t feel the pressure as much as I did the day before. You would think it would be tough with all the cameras in our faces, but we held it together pretty well. We’ve competed with Certified Master Chefs looking over our shoulders, that’s nerve racking.

ITS: You just got back from a competition in Shanghai, China as well.  Rumor has it you did really well.

K&J: Yeah, we won 8 out of 34 awards competing in the FHC International Culinary Competitions, the oldest and largest culinary competition in China.

ITS: Do you get a chance to tour around when you go to these places?

K&J: In Shanghai we did go site seeing and do a little shopping and stuff. It was awesome. In New York we got a few days off, too. Of course, we always find a way to eat at the local restaurants. 

ITS: So what got you interested in cooking?

K: For me, it was visiting my Grandma Joy. Whenever I would go visit her, there is always something going on in the kitchen. Plus, she owns a diner in Libby, Montana. She doesn’t run it anymore, but she used to, and my mom even worked there. It had a small eating area but mostly was drive through.

J: My parents both worked so sometimes it was kind of fend for yourself. I learned to cook basics, and it made me curious. Even as a kid, I would watch Julia Child on television. Both of my grandmothers were good cooks too, and I am half Greek and half German, so there was always food around.

ITS: Are there any local chefs that particularly inspired you?

J: I went to EVIT (East Valley Technical Institute), and my senior year Chef Mike Turcotte helped me train for C-CAP to get a scholarship. He was the best and I owe him a lot. And, of course, Chef (Eric) Watson at the Art Institute.

K: Chef Watson, definitely. He is our competition coach. At first, he was very intimidating, and he pushed us to our limits and sometimes beyond. He challenged us all the time, but every day we would come back stronger for it.

ITS:  So you work as a team, are you close?

K&J: When you are together every week you become like family. We don’t see as much of either as we used to now that we are kind of doing our own thing, but we are always talking (phone, texting, Facebook).

ITS: Do you have specific roles on the team when you are competing?

K&J: Not really. Our personalities are different. Katie is the planner and Julie is the “in the moment” person. When the competition starts, we have each other’s backs. Like with the cookies in Seattle and the apricots on Iron Chef.

K:  When I messed up cookies in Seattle, Julie fixed them. When Julie had a problem with apricots on Iron Chef, I helped her.

J: Yeah, I overcooked the poached apricots and didn’t think I would have time to do them again. Then I turned around and there they were. It was like the apricots just magically appeared.

ITS: So where do you want to go with all of this

K: I want to pay off my student loans in two years and then go to London to work and travel.

J: I want to travel too, maybe Italy or Europe in general, but I am happy to play it as it comes.