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10 10 • In PHotos The Henderson Press • August 8 - August 14, 2013

ing) didn’t care for it. I’ll try anything. prepare a dish during competition? THP: You also lived in . VANOVER: I like pressure. I’m Tell us about Belgian . OK with it, but it is nerve racking. VANOVER: One of the things Everything seems like it takes longer, people would be surprised about is you’re not in your own . that started in Belgium. THP: Do the competitions spur They’re actually Belgian fries. During you to be more adventurous with , American and Belgian your dishes? soldiers were in an area and the Belgian VANOVER: Absolutely. It’s chal- soldiers prepared fried potatoes. The lenging because you want to make a Americans called them French Fries dish that’s new and creative, but it can’t because Belgian soldiers spoke French. be so different that you overpower it The origin of the dish is that they used with complexity. Or that an average to deep-fry a type of skinny fish, but cook couldn’t re-create it. Advice Christie Vanover of Zestuous appears on MasterChef Cookalong, one winter the river froze over and that one judge gave me is, ‘just keep June 2013 they didn’t have any fish. They cut up things simple, but find a way to make potatoes the same size as the fish and it interestingly simple.’ Local flavors got fried potatoes. THP: You also participate in cooka- THP: What types of were longs. What are those? Chef Christie Vanover prepares for the you most exposed to growing up? VANOVER: When I was at the World Championship in November VANOVER: From seventh grade World Food Championships last year, I By Buford Davis | THP to college I grew up in Kentucky, so met one of the judges who had a show it. He taught me to trust my palette, that’s where my southern roots come on Food Network called Health Inspec- Henderson’s Christie Vanover spends sense of smell and got me thinking in. I also lived in Mississippi and Texas. tors, Chef Ben Vaughn. And I also met her workday as a Park Ranger in the about sampling flavors and mixing THP: Tell us about your experience a woman named Beth Peterson, who Lake Mead National Recreation Area, them together. in the world of competitive cooking. was a competitor. I’ve worked with providing public information from the THP: I’d describe your dishes, gener- VANOVER: The World Food Cham- them on a cookalong. National Park Service. Off the clock, she ally, as hearty, but with a complex flavor pionship is coming up in Las Vegas. The next event is Thursday (Aug. is a chef who is preparing to compete in structure that often includes unexpected There’s a series of different qualifiers 8 at 8 p.m.). (Vaughn) is doing a four- the World Food Championship, hosted tastes. Is that a fair description? to get you in. I entered FoodChamps, along with another chef. by Las Vegas in November. VANOVER: I like that. I really and my sandwich won. That means I The final dish is going to be the dessert Vanover’s recipe blog, Zestuous.com, try to give a pop of flavor that makes am now qualified and will compete in (Riesling poached pears atop pecan boasts 20,000 individual visitors each you say, ‘what is that I just tasted? It’s November in the sandwich division. baklava). It’s really good. month. The Henderson Press sat down good, but there’s something extra in it.’ It’s on Fremont Street. I will be in a The agreement I wanted to have with the chef to discuss her work and My husband was in the army, and ten-foot by ten-foot tent with a table. I’ll with him, was that I wanted to have the upcoming competition. we traveled all over the world. Getting bring my equipment and ingredients. the recipe in advance so I could give THP: Has cooking been a lifelong the chance to try all these new You have 90 minutes to prepare your it to my followers on Zestuous. I did it interest for you? also inspired me. dish, plating it for four or five judges. step-by-step with pictures so they can VANOVER: It has. In college, I THP: What is the most ‘exotic’ dish That’s how it was last year, at least. now tune in live — it’s going to be on really began experimenting with it. you’ve had the opportunity to sample? THP: What was the sandwich? Youtube (Google+) and on my website. My husband’s dad is an outstanding VANOVER: I lived in South Korea VANOVER: A creamy Cognac steak It will be him in Chicago and me in Las cook. He taught me a lot. He’s the one for a few months and tried silkworms. sandwich. I believe it was because of Vegas. He’ll be instructed people how to who gave me the courage to cook. I They have push carts in (South) Korea. the horseradish bacon and the asparagus cook along and I’ll be interacting with would see a dish and was intimidated Instead of selling peanuts, they sell slaw that has a bacon vinaigrette. him and we’ll be answering questions because I didn’t think I could re-create roasted silkworms. I tried it and (laugh- THP: How nerve racking is it to along the way. 11 The Henderson Press • August 8 - August 14, 2013 In Photos • 11

THP: Can you talk about your using a creamy cognac and document my recipes and give other some cookbooks. I don’t want to be process of developing new recipes? mushroom. So I incorporated that into people a source to find them. And now famous. If I win some money in a VANOVER: I will think of the the dish. I like asparagus. I take those it’s grown to almost 20,000 unique food competition, that’s great. But I flavor palette I want to go with. The flavor palettes, taste the proportions viewers a month. I do my own pho- just want to share food. If I can take steak sandwich for instance — I knew and grow from there. tography and designed the site myself. something that I’ve learned and share that I wanted to re-create an awesome THP: Tell us about Zestuous. THP: What are your future am- it with others, and make them and their steak dinner into a sandwich. I started VANOVER: I started the blog in bitions? friends and family happy eating the with Filet Mignon and bacon. I like 2010. My intentions at first were to just VANOVER: I want to publish food, that’s my goal.

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