Nabuurs also shares his passion of cooking with the younger generation at Montague Regional High School where he teaches Culinary Arts to eager students. I caught up to Nabuurs and had a great conversation with him, and this is what he said.
Q. Why did you decide to become a chef?
Q. Celebrity you would love to cook for or celebrity dinner party guests? What are you making? Dave Chappelle and Gord Downie. I feel like it would be incredible to be a fly on the wall listening to those two intellects converse. I’d make an Acadian meat pie.
Q. Five ingredients necessary in everyone’s kitchen, including yours?
To be completely honest, becoming a chef wasn’t really part of my original plan. For years it was something that I just viewed as my summer job before heading to school. Somewhere along the way I figured out that I actually enjoyed being able to work creatively alongside people who had the same interest in food as I did.
Montreal steak spice, eggs, onions, local low-bush wild blueberries and, homemade chicken stock
Q. Proud moment?
I had my young nephew Ethan work in the dish pit a couple of days this summer and that was pretty special. He made a great impression on some of our senior staff with his work ethic and they pulled me aside to tell me about it. Apparently, the kid’s got chops!
Q. Highlight of your career...so far?
It’s hard to pinpoint just one highlight. I think taking a moment to look out upon a full house at about 8:00 when the service push is starting to slow, and everyone is in a great mood is a pretty indescribable feeling. Throw a setting sun on top of that and it can make you take a second to take it all in and be grateful for all the positive aspects of the industry.
Q. What back-of-the-house positions have you previously held?
I was lucky enough to land my first restaurant job working in the dish pit when I was 13, and from there I just kind of hung around long enough to move my way up. I figured out early that if you are willing to do any task, and not think you are better than a job, then good things will come your way. I was a prep cook, and then spent most of my time as a line cook. I’ve had some interesting experiences catering, and once I started my own business I was soon “promoted” back to the dish pit!
Q. Who’s your biggest supporter?
I have been truly fortunate to have amazing people around me, and I have to admit that I may have the best parents in the world. They have been amazing role models and are incredibly supportive of my business ventures. From cleaning and maintenance, to running the roads, to blueberry harvest, to business advice, and everything in between, my parents always seem to be the dynamic duo that help me keep the wheels turning and on level ground.
Q. Guilty food pleasure(s)?
I’m a sucker for a good, hard-fought battle with a late-night poutine. And dumplings. Any and all dumplings. Q. What’s your absolute must-have kitchen tool, something everyone should have at home? A good set of metal tongs. And not one of those horrible pairs that have a square tubing hole at the end that you can’t even grab a boiled hot dog with. Most chefs will go to the ends of the earth to obtain the most expensive hand-forged knife chiseled by the hands of God, but before you do that, if you are looking for a pragmatic, cheap game-changer, a $10 pair of solid Browne tongs will be your new daily driver.
Q. What is your favourite ingredient to cook with?
Q. The greatest thing to happen to me in 2020 is…?
Why, the lowly onion of course. Laugh all you want folks - the onion is the best and most delicious ingredient known to mankind. Versatile, sharp, or subtle depending on how you treat it, and just a genuinely mandatory ingredient. Just don’t be that person that eats a whole raw onion like an apple. You have issues that need to be addressed if you do that.
I finally got my moped road legal. I get 70 miles to the gallon on that ole hog!
WINTER 2020 www.pei-living.ca
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