Spotlight on Wisconsin Chef, Tori Miller

Q: Throughout your childhood you worked in your grandparents' diner. What is the most important lesson you learned during that time?
How to be fast and work hard. There's a bit more pressure on when you feel like you might get grounded for not cleaning the grill when you're finished!

Q: What is the most comforting dish you can get at the diner?
"California" burger with cheese and bacon. My grandparents called it a California burger because it had lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise. I also always got a side of cole slaw. It was my grandma's recipe and I love it!

Q: After years as a chef in some of the most prestigious New York restaurants, you moved back to your home state, Wisconsin. How did your experience in New York better prepare you to deal with individuals who are dining alone?
I like single diners. I have worked for some chefs who would automatically VIP singles on the chance that they might be a critic. Here in Madison, I am grateful for the one-tops because it suggests that they may have been walking by and they made the decision to come in. I love the opportunity to introduce the restaurant and our food to that single diner and hopefully when they leave, they will want to come back with friends!

Q: At your restaurant L'Etoile the emphasis is on local food. What does "eating locally" mean to you?
If you want to "go green" and stay green you have to start by eating local food and supporting the people who grow it. "Eating Locally" means that I only buy food that I can see or talk to the farmer or producer who raised that ingredient. (At L'Etoile we carry that even further with staff trips to visit our farmers and producers to see their operations personally.)

Q: For many singles organic is considered too expensive. Any smart shopping strategies you can recommend to individuals who have a hard time going green?
Don't shop with a recipe in mind. Go to the market and see what is available to buy, and then decide how you want to eat it. If you go with $25, shop for a starch, vegetable, fruit, protein, and some bread and cheese. Go home and try cooking everything individually with salt and pepper and you will have a meal with enough to share or have left-overs, and I think that you will be hooked on the flavor. (When you buy food in season at farmers markets it is also amazing to see what you can get. Just at this past Wednesday's farmers market (a smaller one than Saturdays) there were piles of sweet corn - 14 ears for $4, bunches of vegetables at $1 per bunch (carrots, beets, broccoli, onions, swiss chard, kale, lots of herbs, etc.), zucchini, summer squash, cucumbers and kohlrabi were all 3 for $1, quarts of berries at $3, and all of the produce was gorgeous. The key to getting good deals on produce is paying attention to the seasons and buying your produce when it is abundant. Besides, saying that organic, local food is too expensive isn't really accurate, commercial food is just too cheap with way too many hidden costs!

Q: You are a cheese ambassador for the Wisconsin Dairy Board. Apart from cheese, what are some of the other local products or markets our readers should know about?
I am always trying to raise awareness for local meats. Compare the flavor of a local, grass-fed piece of beef with a commercial, feedlot one and I think you will taste the difference too.

Q: How can individuals preserve summer's bounty for those long and cold winter months?
Freezing food is one of the easiest ways to preserve summer's bounty. We freeze a lot of food at L'Etoile in the summer, fruits mostly. It isn't too hard for an individual to bag up and freeze a pint of blueberries once a week through the season and then enjoy them all winter long.

Q: At Café Soleil you serve up fresh fast food. What is a portable and affordable morning meal for individuals who are always on-the-go?
It really depends on the individual, but local bakeries like ours often have great whole grain rolls, pastries or other baked goods that make nice portable meals. At our cafe we add fruits, cheeses, and some meats to make a baked good into a more filling meal. A very quick, inexpensive and portable breakfast at Cafe Soleil might be a hard boiled egg ($0.50) and a whole grain roll ($1.25). The Ham & Swiss Market Bun is also a complete meal at $4.25.

Q: What has been the most rewarding part of building a successful your own business?
The sense of community that I have developed with our farmers and our staff is the most rewarding part.

Q: Care to share a single-serve recipe of one of your signature dishes?

THE CAFÉ SOLEIL GRILLED CHEESE
(Serves One)

INGREDIENTS:
2 slices whole grain bread
1 slice aged swiss
1 slice sharp cheddar
1 slice provolove
1/2 small onion
1-2 slices heirloom tomato
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter (at room temperature)

METHOD:
Peel and slice the onion and using one tablespoon of butter, saute with a little salt and pepper until nice and caramelized. It should take about 10 minutes on medium heat.
Pre-heat the griddle to 400°.
Butter each slice of bread on one side and place on the griddle buttered side down. Top each slice with your cheeses. Then add the onions and sliced tomato. Put the sandwich halves together and press down lightly. Turn the sandwich over once or twice to ensure even cooking.

L'Etoile Restaurant &
Café Soleil
25 North Pinckney Street
Madison, WI 53703