SOULCYCLE, TEA DRINKING, plant whispering and yoga don’t necessarily jibe with the widely held image of a chef—the sort that swaggers in after an all-night bender and wields the biggest knife. But then, Daniela Soto-Innes has always charted her own path through the kitchen. The well-being of her guests, her staff and herself is central: “That’s what I’m more into when it comes to cooking,” she said, “just making sure we care about how people are thinking and how they’re doing.”
She was only 23 when, as chef de cuisine, she helped the celebrated Mexican chef Enrique Olvera open Cosme in New York. Now 28, she’s received the James Beard Award for Rising Star Chef, in 2016; opened a second restaurant in New York, the all-day cafe ATLA; and co-authored Mr. Olvera’s cookbook, “Tu Casa Mi Casa” (Phaidon). Later this summer, Ms. Soto and Mr. Olvera plan to open side-by-side restaurants, Damian and Ditroit, in Los Angeles. Her apartment in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, is her plant-filled oasis. No matter how busy, she finds time to cook and decompress. “There’s a lot of natural light,” she said. “It makes the kitchen very inviting.”
The kitchen tool I can’t live without is: my Fellow Stagg kettle. I’m a huge tea drinker and love that you can set it to a specific temperature. It’s a fast little machine and boils water in a minute.
The cookbooks I love: Thai cookbooks like Kris Yenbamroong’s “Night +Market,” Jean-Pierre Gabriel’s “Thailand: The Cookbook” and Andy Ricker’s “Pok Pok.” They relate a lot to Mexican food because the processes of cooking are very similar. My fiancé and I did a Thai Christmas last year, cooking from “Pok Pok,” and it was the most delicious holiday meal.
Other resources I turn to over and over again are: psychology and yoga books about how the mind works. I have to deal with a lot of people and different scenarios all day long; each one has to be treated differently. I still read cookbooks that come out to stay informed, but learning about the mind is just as important in kitchens.
My refrigerator is always stocked with: a lot of ferments, like kimchi and different types of bacteria, to help with digestion. There are also a lot of liquids: coconut milk, Harvest raw coconut water and oat milk. In my freezer I keep kale, spinach, broccoli and all kinds of berries, ready to go into the blender for a smoothie.
The pan I reach for most is: anything cast iron. Of course, Le Creuset is my favorite. I have one in every size. But my favorite kitchen equipment will always be a comal (cast-iron griddle). You can buy a flat comal in Mexico for about 20 pesos. It heats everything up so fast.
My favorite ingredient of all time is: avocados. I will never get over avocados. A scoop on a fresh tortilla will be my forever obsession. Cosme opened almost five years ago. When I go into work, I still eat the guacamole every time.
If I’m not in my kitchen, I’m probably: on the second floor meditating, reading a book or sleeping. When I get home, I like to put my phone down. During the day, there are a million things coming at me at once. I’ve been meditating for a few years. It’s easy to forget to do because you don’t think you have enough time, when, really, five minutes will give you the energy to get through the day.
A beverage I love is: Mezcal. You never get too drunk on it or become rude with people. It’s magical in that way. Sometimes a little cold mezcal right before you go to sleep is a nice thing. I also love simple, drinkable light beers like Tecate. Evil Twin makes great light beer too.
I have been interested in food since: forever. I never had a chance to not be interested in food or cooking because I was always surrounded by it growing up. My mom wanted to be a chef and my grandmother owned a bakery, so I grew up around food. In Mexico City, there are so many markets and people selling tacos. The smell of salsa verde is everywhere.
My approach to cooking is a lot like my approach to: yoga. I view a cooking station the way I do a yoga mat. You have to think about what your body allows you to do and how your movements in that space work in order to feel comfortable.
—Edited from an interview by Eleanore Park
Mussels in Escabeche
Escabeche, a pickling technique, prolongs the viability of mussels. Ms. Soto-Innes keeps these in her fridge at all times
2 pounds fresh mussels
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
1 small white onion, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, sliced
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 serrano chile, sliced
1 very small habanero chile, minced (optional)
4 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1. Rinse mussels with cold water, and remove beards along with any sand. Add mussels to a large steamer pot, along with about 2 inches water. Steam over medium heat until shells open, about 5 minutes. Let cool. Discard any mussels that do not open. Chill until ready to use.
2. Make escabeche: In a medium pot, heat oils over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onions, garlic, paprika, serrano chile and habanero chile, if using. Cook until fragrant, stirring constantly, 1–2 minutes. Carefully add both vinegars and salt. Bring to a simmer and remove from heat. Let cool to room temperature.
3. Pour cooled escabeche over mussels. Refrigerate up to 1 week in an airtight container. Bring to room temperature before serving as a snack with toast or tostadas.
—Adapted from “Tu Casa Mi Casa: Mexican Recipes for the Home Cook” by Enrique Olvera with Daniela Soto-Innes, Gonzalo Goût and Luis Arellano (Phaidon)
https://www.wsj.com/articles/why-cooking-is-like-yoga-11555683175
2019-04-19 14:12:00Z
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