G. Garvin: The Hardest Working Chef in Showbiz

For most young boys, if given a choice between playing football and washing dishes, the answer's simple... ditch the dishes. And for super chef, G. Garvin, the choice was simple indeed. But instead of getting on a the field, at the young age of just of 13, he shelved his football aspirations and took a job at Atlanta's Vining's Inn, where he washed dishes and soaked up the inner workings of a four-star operation.

At the age of 15, Garvin found his way to the Ritz-Carlton where he became the youngest cook in the downtown Atlanta hotel. He would hold summer and extracurricular positions there until he turned 18.

Ambition is no question for Garvin as throughout the 90's, he's served as executive chef at Morton's in West Hollywood, Kassbah in West Hollywood, and sous chef at Ritz-Carlton Palm Springs at the age of 23.

Recently Blackvoices.com had the opportunity to speak to the exceptional chef and host of "Turn Up The Heat with G. Garvin" on his new show and his tremendous drive to be the best chef on television.

How did you get into cooking?

I got into cooking at a young age. My mother taught me how to get it in, because we were a single parent household and she worked a lot. She taught me and my sisters the in and outs of how to really get it started.

You've worked for several high profile restaurants, how did you translate your restaurant experience into your own TV show?

It's like everything that I do. I take a little bit from everywhere I've worked and put into my memory bank. What that does is that it makes you whole because there's a little bit of you at every spot. You leave a little something and you take a little something. From every place that I've worked I have worked a different recipe or I learned discipline or I learned how to just be cool. I was at a place in my career where TV was the next step.
One of the network execs came in my restaurant and we sat down and talked about it. So I was lucky in regard to the fact that they were looking for someone like me.

Tell me about the new show, "Turn Up the Heat with G. Garvin: Celebrity Dish"?

Well what we did was we changed things up and instead of filming in the studio in L.A., we got a loft in New York. We have a bunch of people that I know who will come through and hang out with me. We chose specific dishes for each person and we call it celebrity dishes... it's kind of laid back and fun.

Who are some celebrity's that your viewers can expect to see?

We got Musiq Soulchild, Talib Kweli, Amel Larrieux, Elise Neal, LaToya Luckett, are just a few of them. It's a good look to celebs sort of try to take on my profession. We'll have things like a game called the Five Game, which teaches you about the person in five questions.

You've cooked for a variety of famous people over the years, but who do you love cooking for the most? Who appreciates your food the most?

Definitely my daughter man. My daughter is four years old and although I've cooked for the president, had dinner at the White House and cooked for prime ministers, she doesn't really care about the G. Garvin. It's got to be my shorty for real.

With diabetes and hypertension being so high in the black community, what are some suggestions you may have for people who may be trying to improve their eating habits?

Any habit starts in the mind. That's one of the things I say to people and one of the simplest things. If you reach into your pocket and you don't have $20, you can't spend $20. If you reach into your cabinet and their's no salt there, then you can't use any salt. Stop purchasing things that are creating habits and if you already problems, you start buying things that are going to help it. The minute you say you're going to stop smoking cigarettes, you have to do it. The same goes for salt and similar products, it starts mentally.

How do you cook for people with special needs? People who don't eat pork or are allergic to certain things etc?

I lived in California man, so everybody wanted to be a vegetarian and modeled. Over the two decades I've been doing this, I've created a mental rolodex of items that I have to keep around for certain people. I can do a vegetarian dish for one of my clients today, but then two weeks from now I may have another client and I can just build off that dish that I already created. I accept the challenge because I think it's interesting.

What about people who are lactose intolerant, which is a large majority of African Americans and 30 to 50 million people in America today? Do you use specific ingredients?

You just subtract and take things out. You don't have to always substitute things. I tell people all the time, do things without things, you don't have to always cook with dairy. Each case can be so specific that you have to customize the dish. Some are super lactose intolerant to the extreme and there are others who can't drink milk but can eat butter. It's just a matter of being creative and talking to the person to get an idea.

Of all the many things and people you've cooked for, what would you say is your favorite meal?

I can tell you that I love seafood. I often think about Dr. Dre. He's got beats from NWA, he's got beats for Snoop, he's got his own beats, he's got beats for everybody. It's like asking him what's the best beat he's ever done... it's really hard to say. The dinner I made for the former prime minister of Israel was great as well as the one president Clinton. I've done some interesting things where I've done some meals over the side of a mountain with candlelight over a portable gas grill for my girl. It's less about which one is the favorite and more about making sure that they all mean something.

Turn Up the Heat with G. Garvin: Celebrity Dish, appears on TV One at 11AM on Saturdays.

And for more info on all things food, be sure to check out AOL Food.

Make It Super Simple with G. Garvin

G. Garvin's new recipe book, Make It Super Simpleprovides 200 hundred "super-quick" recipes for any occasion.

Start to finish: 15 minutes / Serves 18
1 loaf brioche (about 16 ounces)
12 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1teaspoon minced garlic

1. Cut bread into 3-inch-long bite-size strips. In a large skillet heat 2 tablespoons of the butter and teaspoon of the garlic over medium heat until melted. Add one-quarter of the bread strips; sauté until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Repeat three more times with the remaining bread strips, butter, and garlic.

Start to finish: 35 minutes / serves 2
8 ounces fresh medium shrimp in their shells
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon vermouth
1 teaspoon black pepper
Kosher salt
1 cup shredded lettuce
1 medium tomato, diced
2 tablespoons red bell pepper cut in short julienne strips
2 tablespoons green bell pepper cut in short julienne strips
2 tablespoons red onion cut in short julienne strips
2 tablespoons scallions, chopped
8 black olives, sliced
2 8-inch flour tortillas

1. Clean shrimp, removing shells; use tip of sharp knife to remove veins. Pat dry with paper towels; set aside. In a medium sauté pan heat 1 teaspoon of the olive oil. Add garlic; sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove pan from heat; stir in lemon juice, vermouth, and black pepper. Season with salt. Add shrimp. Return to heat; cook, stirring constantly, about 1 minute or until shrimp are done and firm to the touch. Remove from heat; cool.

2. In a large bowl combine lettuce, tomato, bell peppers, red onion, scallions, olives, and the remaining 1 teaspoon olive oil. Add shrimp mixture; toss to combine. Divide mixture between tortillas. Wrap to serve.

G's note:
If you like, chop some fresh herbs and stir them into light mayonnaise to serve as a dipping sauce for the wraps.

prep: 15 minutes / grill: 10 minutes / serves 4

4 beef T-bone steaks, cut 2 to 3 inches thick (about 12 ounces each)
Parsley-and-Garlic Sauce

1. Place steaks on the rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium coals. Grill as desired. Allow 10 to 13 minutes for medium-rare (145F) or 12 to 15 minutes for medium (160F). Serve steaks with Parsley-and-Garlic Sauce.

Parsley-and-Garlic Sauce: In a saucepan bring water to a boil; add 1 bunches fresh flat-leaf parsley. Cook for 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, quickly remove parsley from water; cool in ice water. Drain on paper towels. In a food processor combine parsley; cup minced garlic; of a bunch fresh rosemary, stems removed; of a bunch fresh thyme, stems removed; and cup olive oil. Cover and process until smooth. With the food processor running, alternately add 4 ounces fresh baby spinach and 1 cup olive oil, a little at a time through the feed tube, processing until all is combined. Stir in 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper, and teaspoon crushed red pepper.

G's gotta-be-quick tip:
The parsley-and-garlic sauce can be made and refrigerated up to a week before using. For a great meal, serve the steak with roasted herb potatoes.

Prep: 20 minutes / Roast: 20 minutes / Serves 8

3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons minced shallots
1 teaspoon G's Salt Seasoning
1 teaspoon fresh chopped rosemary
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into eighths
12 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 bunch fresh chives, finely chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Salt
Black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 475F. In large bowl combine olive oil, garlic, shallots, Salt Seasoning, rosemary, and crushed red pepper. Add potatoes, tossing to coat. Arrange seasoned potatoes in a single layer in a baking pan. Roast for 20 to 30 minutes or until potatoes are golden around the edges, crisp, and tender when pierced with a fork.

2. Transfer potatoes to a large bowl; toss with melted butter, chives, and parsley. Season with salt and black pepper.

G's note:
These potatoes are great on their own, Or you can serve them with a simple aïoli. To make the aïoli, combine 1 cup mayonnaise; 3 tablespoons lemon juice; 3 cloves garlic, minced; and a pinch salt. If you like, add some chopped fresh herbs and paprika.

Start to finish: 25 minutes / serves 4

5bias-cut baguette slices
1tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
2red heirloom tomatoes, sliced into small rounds
2yellow heirloom tomatoes, sliced into small rounds
4medium balls fresh mozzarella, cut into small rounds
3cups fresh arugula leaves
1cup fresh basil leaves
14cup balsamic vinaigrette

Salad dressing
1. Preheat oven to 425F. Spread one side of each baguette slice with some of the butter. Arrange baguette slices, buttered sides up, on a baking sheet. Bake for 3 to 5 minutes or until lightly toasted. Remove from oven; set aside. Cut into bite-size pieces for croutons.

2. On a large platter arrange tomato and cheese slices alternately in a circle. In a bowl toss together arugula, basil, and balsamic vinaigrette. Serve greens mixture with tomato and cheese slices. Sprinkle with croutons.

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