Chef John Selick

Beachwood, OH, USA

Name: John Selick
Age: 39
Nationality: American
Country of Residence: USA

1. Your Restaurant/Business: Sodexo Healthcare at University Hospitals Ahuja Medical Center in Beachwood, Ohio, USA

2. About Your Kitchen: We are changing the way people think about hospital food. Simmering stocks for soups, the smell of homemade granola, scratch recipes and the use of local ingredients help us define our wellness philosophy.

3. Your Favorite Chef Works Item: The Chef Works Capri Premium Cotton Chef Coat. It’s all about the finesse…

4. First Job: Slinging hot dogs in to the Dog Pound section of the old Cleveland Browns NFL stadium.

5. Your Favorite Cookbook: My favorite is “Come In, We’re Closed” by Christine Carroll and Jody Eddy. It is loaded with great pictures, recipes and inspiration.

6. Your Awards: “Most Original Dish” at the Second Harvest Food Bank for Northeast Ohio: Heirloom Tomato Braised Mangalista Pork, Braised Mustard Greens, Ohio Corn Johnny Cakes with Micro Cilantro.

7. Your Cooking Inspiration: The changing seasons and the ingredients they bring.

8. Your Speciality Dish: Anything with vegetables, especially tough greens that require a lot of cooking and love.

9. Favorite Dish To Eat: Vietnamese Noodle Bowls.

10. Weirdest Thing You Ever Ate: Pig eyeballs.

11. Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: Mango Sorbet with Vanilla Ice Cream. I had it on my first date with my wife despite the server telling us the kitchen didn’t allow mixing sorbet and ice cream flavors.

12. Favorite Drink: Wine.

13. Favorite Wine: Sonoma Cutrer Russian River Chardonnay.

14. Who Would You Most Like To Cook For: Prince. I have been working on a dessert called “Starfish and Coffee” in his honor, plus I’m also a really creative vegetarian chef.

15. Who Would You Least Like To Cook For: Chef Charlie Trotter. I have always admired his cooking style and philosophy, but I think he would tear me apart!

16. Favorite Things To Do When Not Cooking: Laughing together with my wife and kids.

17. Your Latest Project:  Working with my hospital administrators to donate a salad bar to a local middle school and I’m going to donate some time to do some cooking classes for the parents, hoping to inspire them to have more meals at home as a family.

18. Favorite City and Why:  Chicago, USA. What an awesome food scene!

19. Your Greatest Indulgence:  My wife and I once ordered the entire dessert menu at the Greenhouse Tavern in Cleveland, because we couldn’t decide. Then the pastry chef sent out another one for good measure!

20. Your All Time Best Culinary Tip: When working with whole grains such as quinoa or farro, toast them first for better flavor.