WAC Magazine

August 2013

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A la Carte By Peter Christian, Vice President Food & Beverage That thing called New American cuisine Bringing you the best from around the world—and the Northwest M 12 | Washington Athletic Club Magazine | AUGUST 2013 Mediterranean skewers with red pepper hummus. cooking incorporate these considerations well, and a few key ingredient changes are often all it takes to make a dish meet our members' special needs. The rapid rise in food allergies has made us hypersensitive to the number of ingredients and prepared products we put in each dish. I recently reviewed a full page of food allergy requirements for attendees of the annual Mother Daughter Tea. We take these restrictions very seriously, and we want all members and guests to enjoy a dining experience that's as safe as it is scrumptious. I hope to see you in one of our dining rooms soon. Don't hesitate to introduce yourself. While you're at it, consider trying our new happy hour menu. We're proud of the changes we've made, and we think you'll enjoy our new hours, too. L u k e R u ta n ( 2 ) aybe you've heard of New American cuisine. At the WAC, it's a phrase we embrace as we constantly look at our menus and consider changes—whether because of a shifting harvest or because we want to introduce new dishes we believe members will enjoy. When chefs and others in the restaurant business say "New American cuisine," they're talking about contemporary cooking that combines flavors found in the American melting pot with those based in Old World recipes. At the WAC we take this definition one step further. For us, New American cuisine also incorporates the bounty of ingredients found locally and regionally. Some of you might be wondering how New American differs from fusion. It's a good question, especially since the menus at Torchy's and Hagerty's are often sprinkled with a bit of both. The fusion approach combines elements of different culinary traditions—ethnic, regional or otherwise—into a single menu or menu item. Asian fusion restaurants are the leading example of what has become a popular trend of merging recipes and cooking techniques, such as that of Japanese and Vietnamese Peter Christian is foods blended into the same dish. Vice President The WAC is blessed to have an executive chef Food & Beverage. He who not only understands these varied components can be reached at of New American cuisine and fusion cooking, but pchristian@wac.net. who also developed an affinity for various ethnic food styles during his formative years in East Los Angeles. Executive Chef Eric Floyd often prepares internationally inspired dishes here at the Club, but his own cooking—at home and during frequent camping trips—is like an international laboratory of differing food styles. Eric is proof that American chefs are willing to take the best from other cultures and add their own spin until they have something that is uniquely theirs. When it comes to meeting the needs of WAC members, however, it's not enough to serve delicious food that's on-trend. Our members also want food that's healthconscious and considerate of dietary restrictions and allergies. Indeed, the desire to stay healthy and active starts with what we put in our bodies. To that end, our team continually evaluates current and future menu items in an effort to build diversity and include low-fat and gluten-free options as well as vegetarian and vegan dishes. New American and fusion Dining Highlights Happy Hour Sample the new menu in Torchy's bar and Hagerty's Happy hour 3–7 pm daily* *Torchy's closed Sundays UW Football Pregame Husky pregame parties start Saturday, August 31, at the WAC. See page 65 for details.

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