| From the Restaurant Digest | |
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You Can Have It Both Ways -
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| Chef Peter Stogbuchner wears two toques, one in the city, one in the country. His urban realm is a prestigious private club in Chevy Chase, while rural pursuits transport him to a bucolic bed & breakfast near Culpeper, Va., which he operates with his wife, Karen. As overnight guests at Hazel River Inn, we've just finished an elaborate breakfast of freshly squeezed orange juice, fruit, scones, jam-filled crepes and poached eggs rolled in crumbs and fried. Plus lots of strong, fresh-brewed coffee. | |
| We are now relaxing by the swimming pool,
as chef Stogbuchner's fascinating story unfolds. Born in Mozart's birthplace
- Salzburg - 47 years ago, Stogbuchner decided to become a chef when he
was 14. He knew at that young age that cooking was his ticket to see the
world. "My friends made me jealous," he recalled. "They were working on
cruise ships and in places like Jamaica and Hong Kong." To realize his dream, young Stogbuchner signed on as an apprentice at Salzburg's Gaeblerbrau hotel while enrolled in Klesshiem hotel school. After graduating from the three-year program, he launched his travels. After working for a year in Lausanne, he journeyed to London, where he apprenticed at the White Hall Court private club. |
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| From England he crossed the big pond to Freeport, Bahamas, bound for the kitchen at El Casino. There he befriended a Swiss chef who invited him to help launch a restaurant in Kenta. After Stogbuchner completed two years in Nairobi, another colleague invited him to Singapore, where he fulfilled another two-year contract before the Marriott Corporation whisked him to Amsterdam in the early 1970s. Around then, the Swiss Development Agency was opening a hotel management school in Nairobi, so Peter returned to Kenya for another two years. Whew! In 1982, this circuitous odyssey finally landed the well-traveled chef in the United States. Well, Peter wanted to travel, and he certainly got his wish! His first stateside stint was with the now defunct Henry Africa restaurant in Old Town, Alexandria. | |
| Then came the country club (which requests that its name not be used) where Stogbuchner has worked for the past 14 years. "After all that traveling, I've found my spot!" he says. At the club he supervises a staff of 34. He's grooming about 15 of them - mainly culinary school graduates - for eventual chefdom. With their assistance, Stogbuchner presides over three dining areas, each with a different theme. "I do a lot of banquets and private parties," he says. | |
| The country club is where Peter Stogbuchner met his wife Karen, a gardener/landscaper who was working on the club grounds. The couple has been married three years. While Karen still gardens at the club and also in Manassas, Peter commutes to Chevy Chase five days a week. It's an hour drive each way. His days are long. He arrives at the club around 10:30 a.m., and doesn't leave until 9:30 p.m. Not surprisingly, the pair do not see much of each other except on weekends. But the beauty and tranquillity of the Blue Ridge mountains and their lovely bed and breakfast are worth their grueling schedules. Not surprisingly, Karen maintains an extensive garden, and her fresh herbs enhance her husband's cooking. If arranged ahead of time, Stogbuchner will prepare a gourmet dinner for Hazel River guests. | |
| He also offers afternoon tea, often consisting of black currant scones, sachertorte, apple strudel, croissants filled with hazelnuts, watercress sandwiches, assorted teas and apple most, a tart wine which Stogbuchner makes and bottles himself. It makes a refreshing summer beverage and also goes well in sauces. He pours us a taste. | |
| We ask about his favorite dishes: "I do native Virginia foods, especially seafoods like rockfish baked in a fennel and tarragon crust," he said. "But my favorite dish is game, in season, especially venison and hare - hasenpfeffer." | |
| That culinary penchant has not always been shared. "I almost got fired for introducing rabbit to the club menu when I first arrived," Stogbuchner recalls. "Now rabbit is the norm ... people's tastes are changing. Also, the club's clientele is getting younger, better traveled and more sophisticated." | |
| Stogbuchner shares his cooking philosophy: "I strongly believe that when you have a dish with 10 different ingredients, each should stand out with it's own distinctive flavor," He says. "For example, for rack of lamb, you need strong, contrasting sauce and a side dish like red currents." | |
| We are returning to Hazel River for Peter Stogbuchner's hasenpfeffer. | |
Article Written By Celeste McCall |
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