Introducing Chopped Junior Champion Daniel Kligmann
I had the great pleasure to interview this young man in July of last year. I thought perhaps you all would enjoy meeting this wonderful, young chef.
Meet Daniel Kliggman, Chopped Junior Champion, Season One, Episode Four.
Salt Lake Catering Company
www.saltlakecateringcompany.com
(801) 688-1341
info@saltlakecateringcompany.com
You can watch the Chopped Jr. episode by clicking here.
What was your favorite part about being on Chopped Jr. ?
Winning!
It was so much fun to meet the other competitors and cook with people
who are equally as talented as I am. It was also great to meet the
celebrity chefs Geoffrey Zakarian, Martha Stewart and Chris Santos. I
have admired them and watched their shows for years. It was a 12 hour
day and it was hard, but it was cool to see how they put together all
the video they shot and how they told the story.
We hear that Martha Stewart loved your entrée! What happened?
In
the entrée round I cooked smoked turkey brussel sprout chowder, and
when I brought it to the judges Martha Stewart called it stellar and she
loved it. So much so, that I was told that when the round was over and
we had a catered lunch, instead of eating that she ate the leftover soup
that was in my pan. When I heard that happened I was so excited because
it was a dish I made in 30 minutes out of weird ingredients, and again,
I mean, Martha Stewart called *my* food stellar!
You have a catering company at the age of 15. What is that like?
It's
a lot of fun! With school and the catering company it is difficult
sometimes, but I really love doing it. We have to limit the number of
events. But every job we do, our clients are very happy and I take pride
in a job well done. My brother Jake and I are young, he is only 21, but
our older brother who owned it first passed it to us almost 2 years ago
when he left to go be a missionary pastor in the Philippines. We worked
together for awhile before he left, so we had a pretty good idea of how
to do it all. He still advises us when we need it. I just love being a
chef!
What do you plan do to next?
Well
I am only 15 so I plan to graduate from high school first. Later on I
will decide which culinary school I want to go to. In the meantime I am
going to continue to grow my catering company and see where the road
takes me.
I
will be bringing you that amazing recipe that Martha Stewart loved so much soon, courtesy of Daniel, but
in the meantime, here is a great favorite chicken kabob recipe used in
his catering service just in time for your Fourth of July cookout!
1 cup soy sauce
2 cloves of garlic
2 T minced fresh ginger
2 cups of pineapple juice
Take 6 chicken breasts and slice lengthwise into 1/2 inch thick strips.
Put in a bowl and marinate 1 hour in the fridge.
Boil remaining marinade for 1 minute. Thread lengthwise onto skewers and broil 3 minutes on each side, brushing with remaining marinade until done and caramelized. Sprinkle with finely chopped green onion to serve.
On a personal note. I have spoken to this young man, and if our youth is the hope of our future, our future is looking very bright. An exceptional human being, Daniel believes in service to others and has a moral code and work ethic found in men three times his age. I'm proud to say that I know Daniel Kligmann.
1 cup soy sauce
2 cloves of garlic
2 T minced fresh ginger
2 cups of pineapple juice
Take 6 chicken breasts and slice lengthwise into 1/2 inch thick strips.
Put in a bowl and marinate 1 hour in the fridge.
Boil remaining marinade for 1 minute. Thread lengthwise onto skewers and broil 3 minutes on each side, brushing with remaining marinade until done and caramelized. Sprinkle with finely chopped green onion to serve.
On a personal note. I have spoken to this young man, and if our youth is the hope of our future, our future is looking very bright. An exceptional human being, Daniel believes in service to others and has a moral code and work ethic found in men three times his age. I'm proud to say that I know Daniel Kligmann.
