ONeale Shaun - My modern American table: recipes for inspired home cooks

Published in 2017 by Abrams, an imprint of ABRAMS.

MasterChef is a trademark of Shine Television, LLC and used under license. The MasterChef logo is a trademark of Shine Limited and used under license. All rights reserved. MasterChef is based on a format created by Franc Roddam in association with Ziji Productions.

2017 Shine Television, LLC
Photographs copyright 2017 Andrew Purcell

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, mechanical, electronic, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the publisher.

Library of Congress Control Number: 2016955656

ISBN: 978-1-4197-2400-8
eISBN: 978-1-68335-011-8

Editor: Holly Dolce
Designer: Danielle Young
Production Manager: Anet Sirna-Bruder

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Dedicated to the memory of my father,
Ronald K. Thalman, and to my mom

When I learned we were going to have a Las Vegas DJ in the running for MasterChef Season 7 I wasnt quite sure what to expect. Of course, Vegas DJs are known for entertaining, but for me that meant spinning the decks in glamorous clubs, not dishing out food across the dinner table. But from day one in the MasterChef Kitchen, Shaun ONeale grabbed my attention with his culinary knowledge, boundless enthusiasm, and genuine passion for cooking. In challenge after challenge he demonstrated his deep love and understanding of food.

The beauty of this book is that Shaun has adapted his more complex recipes so that even novice home cooks can have fun making his dishes in their own kitchens. Youll be able to recreate and taste Shauns delicious Bourbon-Braised Short Rib Ravioli, his Salted CaramelChocolate Tarts with Berry Sorbet, and his incredible woodland-inspired Ancho and CoffeeRubbed Venison that really put him above the rest for his MasterChef win.

Shaun is so excited to have the opportunity to share his unique recipes and creative ideas for presentation with home cooks around the globe, and I couldnt be more proud. Shaun has had an amazing journey to become Americas latest MasterChef, now its your time to get cooking!

Lots of love,

Gordon

My culinary journey doesnt start from a specific cultural heritage or family food tradition. It starts as a kid with a nerdy obsession for two things: music and food. Without a mentor, I taught myself about DJing and discovered my own personal style. The same goes with foodsure, we had turkey on Thanksgiving and made burgers on the Fourth of July, but without really being tied to specific flavors or cuisines, I eventually would find my way around the kitchen on my own.

Growing up, I was heavily involved in sports: I was an All-Conference soccer player, a pretty good basketball player, a defensive shortstop, and a Junior Olympic track and field athlete specializing in the javelin. Sports took me traveling around the country, and every time we would land in a new place, the first thing I wanted to do was go out for an amazing meal. From the restaurant at the top of the Space Needle in Seattle to the most amazing steakhouse in Houston to life-changing Creole food in New Orleans, my parents were always happy to join me on my food adventures. Maybe that is my familys culinary tradition!

When I turned seventeen, I was still competing in sports, but something new came into my life: electronic music and DJ culture. I was immediately hooked on the music and the control the DJ had over the crowd. It was like watching an orchestra conductor, but instead of musicians the DJ was orchestrating the dance floor, reshaping the energy of the room with every new song. Ultimately, the tie between music and foodall that mixing and blending and creating something new from scratchwas what pulled me into the kitchen.

Moving to Las Vegas turned out to be the best decision I could make, both for my career as a DJ and for expanding my culinary horizons. I have had the opportunity to perform at some of the most legendary nightclubs on the planet and have worked for Playboy, DreamWorks, and other top companies. My career culminated in the gig of a lifetime on New Years Eve 2011, but sadly the most tragic moment of my life would come at the same time.

I was asked to perform outside Caesars Palace that New Years Eve in front of more than one hundred thousand people. Just as I was about to say yes, on December 2, I got the call that my father was no longer with us. I had just spent Thanksgiving in Iowa with him, and although he had been very sick with COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease), during that last visit he seemed to be better. Maybe subconsciously he knew what was coming and he wanted those last days to be about life and not fear of death. That Thanksgiving, I cooked my father the best prime rib I have ever made, and in this book I share the recipe as a celebration of his life. I wasnt sure if I could go on with the Caesars Palace event, but after a few sleepless nights I knew my dad would have wanted me in front of that crowd. So the show went on. It was the best set I had ever played, capped off with the first stage dive and crowd surfing ever seen on Las Vegas Boulevard. My father was only fifty-nine years old, and with his loss it really hit me how fragile and fleeting life is. After the event, I went on to work for the biggest nightlife companies in Vegas and around the world. I hope I have made you proud, Dad!

With all that Vegas has offered me as a DJ, none of it compares to the influence the city has had on my outlook on food. Amazing food is everywhere in Las Vegas! From the celebrity chefs on the Strip to Chinatown and the sushi place a minute from my house, Vegas is quickly becoming a culinary capital and a reflection of the diversity of cuisine in America today. Restaurants here are on the cutting edge, modernist cooking techniques are featured on high-end menus, and the many Asian and Latin American markets give us access to many off-the-wall ingredients.

Vegas is where I began to experiment with new techniques and ingredients. I would come home after a dinner out and research how to replicate the meal Id just eaten, and this led to my interest in modernist cooking techniques. Also known as molecular gastronomy, modernist cuisine blends science and food to create new flavor and texture experiences, bringing the science lab into the kitchen.