From Our Kitchens Ed Sura, Chef de Cuisine

1 pound mushrooms, cleaned. (Personal favorite: Hen-of-the-woods) 1 cup grapeseed oil 1 bay leaf

10 sprigs thyme 1 teaspoon smoked paprika

3 tablespoons sherry vinegar Salt and pepper

STEPS:

1. Heat oil up to 170F and add mushrooms, herbs and paprika 2. Transfer to hotel pan, cook in 350 oven until mushrooms are tender, 30-40 minutes

3. Remove heat, season and add vinegar 4. Cool to room temperature

For chef Ed Sura, great cooking is all about relationships. He first learned about the grower’s connection to fresh produce as a child helping in his family’s garden in Mt. Pleasant, Mich. He learned the importance of strong relationships in the kitchen while studying at NMC’s Great Lakes Culinary Institute. After graduation in 2009, Sura took those skills to the diverse and energetic Chicago restaurant scene, where he worked his way to executive chef at NoMi, overlooking the city’s Gold Coast. There he explored the latest culinary trends, but found his own style infused a playful approach into classic Midwestern comfort food, like the mushroom conserva (preserve) that accompanied the shortribs he prepared as a guest chef for the 2017 Great Lakes Great Chefs dinner. He established strong relationships with local farmers to ensure a menu built on fresh, high quality ingredients. Sura’s strengths have earned him several honors, including 2016 Rising Star Chef semi-finalist from the prestigious James Beard Foundation. This year, he embarked on a new venture as Chef de Cuisine at Uchiko, a Japanese farmhouse restaurant in Austin, Texas, where he’ll continue to show the world what the chefs of the Great Lakes Culinary Institute bring to the table. N