Chef “Red” – aka Heather Modell of Red Rocks the Kitchen – is a classically trained pastry chef who works freehand without stencils, projections or transfers; that takes some serious creativity!
Her culinary expertise though isn’t limited to baking – the woman has got it going on in all areas of the kitchen. Which no doubt contributed to her being the first ever female chef appointed at the Palace of Auburn Hills. She’s also made personal cakes for Grant Hill, Gordie Howe, Joe Perry of Aerosmith, vegan desserts for “Prince”, and a special plated dessert for the President of Spain’s delegate dinner. Not too shabby if you ask us.
Now she’s clearing plates and taking names on her website, Red Rocks the Kitchen. She’s also this month’s feature culinary creative, our feature food innovator.
Can you briefly tell us how you came to do what you do?
I decided to go into the culinary field while in high school. I got my start in the kitchens at a family restaurant when I was 17yrs. old, and was fortunate enough to attend a high school that partnered with a Technical School that offered a Culinary Arts program in my senior year.
Can you share where you find inspiration online?
So many places!! The things I discover on social media platforms like Facebook, Pinterest and Google+ all inspire me.
Also, by simply doing research by visiting other blogs or websites. I really enjoy Desire to Eat, TikkiDo, Kulinary Karnet, and Provegolose.
Your website features a lot of history with respect to food. Why is that?
I’m very passionate about history! I do a lot of geneology and ancestry research as a hobby. 
Food is memories; it’s not just a substance that we need for survival! It’s fascinating to look back at different time periods in history to understand the foods available in different cultures, methods of preparation, and significance of items of that time and place. There are recipes in different cultures that have been passed down for many centuries – it’s important to keep that going!
How has your specific history with food influenced what you cook in your own kitchen?
I think we all have grown up with foods that our moms or grandmas would make that were comforting, or spark memories of good times. It’s nice to be able to cook some of those same meals or recipes for our children, who will share with the next generation.
What’s your most memorable food experience?
There’s been a few, but I would have to say that it was the cruise my husband and I took for our honeymoon on the “Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines” to the Bahamas in 1996!
I had always heard that the food was amazing and our experience with the many talented chefs was nothing short of that! Every food item and meal we experienced was just so impressive.
What’s the first thing you do when you are coming up with a new dish?
Research!!!! I research a lot to see if anyone else has already had the same idea!
If it has, I’m bummed, but I go back to the drawing board to see if I can come up with a way to make the item my own. If I can’t think of something, I move on to another idea, (putting it on the back burner), and may or may not re-visit the idea later. There are so many ideas!
….What’s the last thing you do?
Experiment, until I get the desired result.
What’s one thing you just can’t live without in the kitchen?
That’s tough, but I’d have to say eggs (they are a must in my household!!), and my white KitchenAid Mixer. That poor mixer has been through it all over the last 19 years, and it’s still hanging on!
What’s the one thing you CAN live without in the kitchen?
Lamb.
…Sorry Lamb lovers, but it’s not for me!
Do you have any food or ingredient obsessions?
Recently, I’ve been coming up with more ways to use quinoa, Greek yogurt, and rainbow chard. Once you hit on seriously healthy items, you can’t help but try and incorporate them in more recipes!
I also like to throw nuts in a lot of things, so I’m trying to watch that!
Is there anything you refuse to cook with or eat?
Well, I already mentioned lamb, but I have to throw in oysters and organ meats as well.
What’s the most interesting or important thing in your food world right now?
For me, I’m really trying to focus on eating healthier foods – cutting out the carbs, etc.
Have you ever had a WOW! Or “light bulb” moment with food or in the kitchen?
Yes!! I think there have also been a few of those, but my most recent was doing a “bacon rose” garnish on my frittata plate. I have never seen one before, and thought it would be cool to do!
Ooooh! Tell us more about that!
Well, I had a package of bacon, and already decided to do something different as a garnish for my Quinoa Frittata using bacon. First, I actually tried a “twist”, but wasn’t feeling the idea.Then, the idea literally just came to me to try a rose! I just took a normal strip of bacon, started rolling the center of the rose (bud), and just continued manipulating, and wrapping it around until it resembled a rose! (It’s sort of my signature garnish – making a rose or flower out of different edible objects!)
I set the finished “rose” (flat side on tray- of course), on a foil lined sheet tray, and baked it at 350F for about 15min. or so. I was surprised it held it’s shape without toothpicks or anything after it was cooked! I featured it in as a garnish in this recipe.
That is bacamazing! haha.. What’s been the hardest (and most valuable) lessons you’ve ever learned?
In high school and college it was the competitions/ culinary salons.
Then, finding a job out of college in the professional kitchens was hard. Vying for the Executive Chef position and beating out 2 male counterparts in a very male dominated workplace was really difficult, but extremely gratifying!
And lastly, being a mom of 4 has been the hardest of them all. It’s a 24/7 job while still trying to maintain my own spark and passions in my career!
Every night we recommend a dinner idea for our audience with a drool worthy photograph. What’s your go-to dish for your supper?
Grilled Portobellos stuffed with Rainbow Chard & Quinoa.
We also have a series where people tell us about the last meal they’ll ever eat (if given the option, of course). What would be yours and why?
That is just too tough for me to answer!
Fair enough – I don’t know if I could choose just one myself! Can you name some people who are making innovative moves or doing something different?
There are so many, but celebrity Chef Robert Irvine comes to mind. His show “Restaurant Impossible” is just crazy!
A chef I’ve seen on social media outlets that I think is very impressive is Christopher Konkel– he has some really great stuff!!
What do you think is the next BIG thing in food?
Food is a total evolution. We’ve gone through a tremendous change in the way we eat since foods became processed. But, with the “Organic” and “Whole Foods” movement, in conjunction with issues of obesity, and severe food allergies, it appears that foods are moving in a more “pure” format, and so many more options for “gluten-free” and products due to Celiac and other diseases have taken over grocers and markets!
What’s the one thing you would tell someone who is inspiring to follow in your footsteps?
Set goals for yourself, stick to your path, and believe in yourself!! Nothing is easy, but if you keep working at it, giving it your all, you can truly achieve anything you set your mind to!!
That’s fantastically inspiring advice Heather! We’d expect no less from you of course. The first step to making our culinary (or any other) dreams real is actually doing them! One foot in front of the other and the path will lead you to where you want to be. Thank you so much for taking the time to speak with us today – it’s an honor.
Find Heather Modell : Red Rocks the Kitchen | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Google+ | LinkedIn
**************************************
Do you want to be our next Feature Food Innovator? Check out what it takes here.
Keep Eating! Keep Innovating!
The Culinary Exchange can be found on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Google+ and YouTube.
Come on! Follow Along!
