- June 7th, 2016
- Comments Off on Meet Tracey – Our New Preservationist
We’re thrilled to introduce our new preservationist Tracey. She started here last month, and comes to us with almost 10 years of kitchen experience, most of which has been at fine dining restaurants such as Blackbird and while she lived in New York; Café Boulud and Torrisi Italian Specialties. Southport Grocery is her first real foray into a more casual dining setting, which she’s excited about since she’s a big believer in elevating every day food. “That’s what preserves are all about. A sauce or condiment is what makes a dish interesting and really pulls you in when you’re checking out a menu.”
Tracey has been obsessed with food every since she was a little kid; playing with plastic food toys, watching Julia Child on TV and making pancakes for her friends before class in high school. Culinary school created a solid foundation for her many years spent in high end kitchens, where she she learned the art of focus and execution necessary to create world class food. She also loves cooking at home and has been known to make a mean pickle. Her knowledge and level of focus made her a perfect candidate for preservation at Southport. “I love the amount of focus that preserving requires. To make a great product, you need the right ingredients at the right time, and a perfectly planned process. There is a lot of intention behind it.”
Now she’s excited for all the learning curves ahead, as she navigates the busy season of fresh fruit and veg arriving every few days! “I LOVE peaches so I can’t wait until they’re in season! There’s nothing better than that first taste and the dribble of juice running down your arm.”
We’re excited to see where Tracey takes our preservation program. She’ll be creating all the Southport favorites like Smoked Onion Marmalade, Bread & Butter Pickles and more, but she’ll also be doing some research and development in the kitchen, coming up with new ideas for future preserves.
Welcome to Southport Tracey!
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