Portland, Maine is considered one of the “foodiest” small cities in America, according to Bon Appetit magazine, and its many restaurants are frequently featured on The Travel Channel and Food Network. Portland can brag it has some of the best restaurants and chefs in the country, and one of Portland's rising stars is openly gay chef Kate Squibb.
Portland, Maine is considered one of the “foodiest” small cities in America, according to Bon Appetit magazine, and its many restaurants are frequently featured on The Travel Channel and Food Network. Portland can brag it has some of the best restaurants and chefs in the country, and one of Portland's rising stars is openly gay chef Kate Squibb.
A Maine native currently working at The CafĂ©, above Pat’s Meat Market, Chef Squibb received mention in Portland Press Herald’s Arts & Entertainment “10 From ‘11” list, and her appearance on Food Network's Chopped was cited under “Culinary Coups” as helping to advance Portland’s food presence on national television. Kate will appear on Maine’s own 207 Kitchen this February, and be filming her next appearance on The Food Network in May 2012. Be it opening her own restaurant, driving a slow-food truck across the country, or becoming a Food Network star, one thing is for sure: Chef Kate Squibb is already great.
We spoke with Chef Squibb about her career, being on TV, and how her family is at the core of her cooking.
Interview: Wil Whalen
Photos: Sailor Moon Photography
SheWired: You took place on Chopped and appeared on The Travel Channel's Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern. How did that come about?
I’m a part of an underground chef death match here in the Portland area. We have a Godfather who runs it, who shall remain nameless. Chefs from different local restaurants meet up and have amazing cook-offs. We’d been doing this for a few years when Andrew Zimmern caught wind of it and asked the Godfather to host a death-match on his show Bizarre Foods. Everybody did some weird stuff. I did “June bugs three ways.” There was duck tureen, moose tureen, and coffee brandy whoopee pies. One of the best things I ate that day was a raw oyster, sea beans, and rose petals dish. It was delicious! Talk about an aphrodisiac! I wanted to get naked.
What have you been doing since then?
I worked at the 158 Bake House in South Portland. We received national recognition from the New York Times for our bagels. We were also featured in Bon Appetit. That put not only us on the map, but me as well.
And then Food Network called and flew you to New York for the filming.
Yes, they did. It aired six months later, and keeping that secret was a very hard thing to do. Win or lose, you can’t say anything to anyone. They friend you on Facebook, watch your page to see if you talk about the show. They’re very concerned about the Internet, because it’s the easiest place to let something slip. They had nothing to worry about with me, though. Me and computers don’t get along too well.
When did you first become aware that food was going to be your career?
When I was brought home from the adoption agency, Grandma Squibb took a look at me and said, “This girl will love her groceries.” [laughs] I really do owe it to my family, where as soon as you could see the kitchen counter, you helped in the kitchen. It was great to grow up working at Scarborough Farm and at farm stands. It instilled in me an appreciation and even greater passion for food. I learned the background of ingredients, where they come from. I was always experimenting, and my dad encouraged new meals. He was a great cook, did most of the cooking. My mom wasn’t so great. Sorry, Mom!
Was food a big part of your family get-togethers?
Everything my family did revolved around it.
How old were you when you made your first complete meal for your family?
Way too young to be slinging knives and handling hot things, but I’m sure my Dad was right there. We used to spin the lazy Susan and pick random ingredients, then make a meal. I grew up playing Chopped!
What’s your philosophy on food?
Like I said, I grew up in a large family where food was the center of everything. It kept our family close. Food brings people together, so why not make everything — from its preparation to its consumption — an enjoyable experience for everyone to share? And don’t let anyone ever tell you not to play with your food. That’s the best part! Play with your food. Learn what it’s capable of, and what you’re capable of.
How is cooking for yourself or people you know different from cooking for people you don’t know in a restaurant?
When I cook at The CafĂ©, I kind of treat it as if I’m feeding myself. I try not to get upset when I’m cooking professionally. At restaurants where you can see the kitchen staff, and the chef is yelling, the cooks are miserable — and you can taste that in the food. To me, that detracts from the whole experience.
So, there’s no screaming in your kitchen?
Well, you know it does get tense in the kitchen. I’m not going to lie. That is part of the heat of the kitchen. You know what they say, “If you can’t handle the heat...”
Get out of the kitchen.
Bingo! You have to be on your toes, be a well-oiled machine with your co-workers. Communication between the front of the house and back of the house is key.
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