the taggart table

Cheese, Crackers and Chef Chris… at the Taggart Table

Chris Singlemann’s interest in cooking goes back to his youth coming from large family and spending the summer’s with his Grandfather who was a Chef developing recipes for Bickfords in New England.

Chris started his career at the four star French restaurant, La Mascotte in Commack and worked for some of the finest French & Italian Chefs in the industry. Chris obtained his AOS in Culinary Arts at Johnson & Wales University, had the opportunity to train a short stint in France and he became the Executive Chef at Watermill Caterers in 1995. 
Currently, Chris is the Vice President of the Eastern Long Island Chapter of the American Culinary Federation. In 2014 he received the Presidential award and more recently was named Chef of the Year by the Eastern Long Island Chapter.

Read more about 
Chef Chris Singlemann 
http://www.watermillcaterers.com 

Chef Chris Singlemann has had the friendly courtesy to share some creative thoughts with Frank Duffy from the Taggart Table.....

The Taggart Table: So, what was breakfast today?
Chris Singlemann: My wife was kind enough to make me pancakes with fresh blueberries from our backyard, turkey bacon and cranberry juice.

Taggart: High school was in Hauppauge?
Any creative memories there?
And a Johnson & Wales University graduate?

Chris: High school culinary memories go back to Boces Culinary program, I was fortunate enough to have Mr. Arcery as one of my instructors. He was a man who inspired all his students to be the best they could be. It did not matter weather you wanted to do fine dinning, casual, a la carte, catering or just good home cooking, just do it with passion and do it to the best of your ability. 
Johnson & Wales was a great opportunity and I am grateful for the foundation it has given me.

Taggart: You come from a family, of nine. Lots of food, lots of cooking …and no leftovers? 

Chris: Never leftovers & you learned to eat quickly. If you did not eat quickly you did not get seconds, everyone else did. This suited me fine, as any Chef knows, you eat quickly & on the run.

Taggart: Watermill Caterers
since 1995....
That’s a labor of love…

Chris: So often I am told I am an enigma, nobody in this industry stays in the same job for that long. For me; my career and life has to be about relationships and balance. I have come across many individuals  who think the grass is always greener on the other side and not appreciating what they have in front of them. I have been very fortunate to have a family, an employer, colleagues and friends who have supported ALL my efforts, excursions, growth, and education through out my culinary journey. This keeps my passion alive, I believe the greatest aspect of our industry is the sharing of ideas and experiences. 

Taggart: When did you know you wanted to be a chef?
Chris: At a very young age, I always loved hanging out with my Grandfather in the kitchen or making different dishes for my family to try. We would pick items from the garden, Pepe (that was my grandfather) was big on making stocks, soups and we did a lot of canning, preserving! 

Why is everyone taking pictures of their food?
(A chef’s perspective): So our society has become an extremely visual community, technologically and media based. If you do not keep up with this you are dead in the water. We take pictures of our food to show what we can do, how we may be experimenting and to once again not only share ideas but hopefully inspire each other to reach out of our comfort zones.  

Taggart: If you were not a chef, what would you be doing?
Chris: I cannot imagine not being able to do something without food! It is a crazy and demanding industry; not only on us who live it everyday, but maybe more so one the ones who love and surround us. This is what makes me happy, to this day my wife does not understand when I say how just cooking at home relaxes me!

Taggart: Whats your favorite area of Long Island?
Chris: East End, wineries and farms, beaches!

Taggart: What is your favorite vacation spot?
Chris: My Backyard!

Taggart: Name a few creative and inspirational heros:
Chris: Steve Jobs and Bill Gates! Two men who not only changed any industry but changed how the world thinks!

Taggart: What ticks you off in the kitchen?
Chris: Complacency! 

Taggart: What do you do for fun away from cooking?
Fishing? Golf?
Chris: Yoga, bike ride, golf!

Taggart: Who in the food world do you most admire?
Chris: I admire Thomas Keller, a man who stuck to what he believed in, when others did not understand what he was doing. I also believe Chef Keller combined new techniques and technology, while staying true to many traditional methods and never sacrificed flavor for flare!

Taggart: Favorite foods to cook with?
Chris: Venison, a variety of game meats, fresh tomatoes and vegetables

Taggart: What do you like to eat when you’re at home?
Chris: Very simple, healthy, basic natural flavors!

Taggart: Are there any foods you just don’t like?
Chris: Brains, just cannot relate to the texture of them.

Taggart: Backyard veggies are exciting. I hope the term “Farm to Table” is accurately used.

Chris: I think it is a term extremely abused. I love to eat from my own garden in my backyard & I am trying to develop stronger relationships with different Long Island Farmers, but we are not even close to farm to table. I believe I could count one one hand, how many restaurants on Long Island TRULY represent this term. 

Taggart: Any books that you may write?
Chris: Hmmmm!

Taggart: What do you most love about your job?
Chris: I love the aspect that you can never know everything. It never gets boring, aside from such a variety of cuisines (individual regions), ever changing techniques, personal interpretations and styles, we also have an expanding global market (making more intriguing product available).

Taggart: What’s your proudest accomplishment?
Chris: I feel my greatest success has come from using my talents and those around me to benefit others. I am proud of being part of the teams that put together Sweet Dreams (fundraiser for Autistic Children, ran 5 years) and more recently SEED (Sustainable East End Development). I believe one of the greatest assets of our industry is giving back to the community.

Taggart: Do you give cooking demos or cooking events?
Chris: I have done numerous cooking demos and events in the past and I am always eager to share in any in the future for a good cause.

Taggart: A Harry Chapin Quote… "So, in a world that has enough food to feed everybody twice over, and yet half a billion people are starving, and a country where there is enough food to feed everybody six times over and yet 20 million Americans are malnourished, there is something really basically wrong in the structure; otherwise we wouldn't have these symptoms."

Taggart: I spent time, years ago with Harry Chapin at his house. Would you do a cooking demo for Long Island Cares?
Chris: It would be my pleasure and honor to be a part of it!

Taggart: Let’s wrap up with a good dinner. (besides Watermill) Where do we go?
Chris: There is so much talent on Long Island, I like Orto in Mt Sinai, East-West Bistro in Hicksville, Lola in Great Neck, has a great new young chef de cusine.

Christopher Singlemann…
Certified Executive Chef
and Vice President ACF Eastern Long Island