It’s been so many years since Nora Pouillon and I met, that neither of us remembers where or when. What I do recall is that Nora’s always been a champion of organic cuisine.

Nora was born and raised in Austria where she spent several years on a self-sufficient farm. That experience influenced her understanding of the role of food and its impact on personal and environmental health. In 1979, Nora opened Restaurant Nora in the heart of Washington, DC, which twenty years later, became the nation’s first certified organic restaurant.

She was a founding member of Chefs Collaborative in 1993, initiated the Fresh Farm Markets in 1995 and was a board member of Women Chefs and Restaurateurs where she established an organic internship.

Her most recent book — published this April — is her story, “My Organic Life: How a Pioneering Chef Helped Shape the Way We Eat Today.” With the release of this memoir, Nora has been featured on various national TV shows.

I caught up with this amazing, accomplished fellow Dame — a member of Les Dames d’Escoffier, a society of professional women involved in the food, wine, and hospitality industries — just before her vacation to her home in Austria, asking to featured here.

– bonnie
BonnieBOTB

 

 

Which food product or gadget would you never give up? I would never give up my ceramic chef’s knife. I think that is my favorite. I need a wooden cutting board. I can do a lot with that combination. A knife and my cast iron sauté pan because you can do everything in this pan. You can sear at a high heat, you can make your sauces, stir-fry, put in the oven. And it’s healthy – there’s no plastic coasting. Ingredients: spices and herbs and lettuce. All types of salad ingredients – I’m a real salad person. I like herbal teas because I don’t do coffee. I like yogurt with salsa.

What do you like to serve when you entertain? For an appetizer, in the cold months I might bring some pate from the restaurant or our Blue Circle smoked salmon.
 In the summer I would probably make a tomato salad with burrata or some form of shrimp or scallop ceviche. For a main dish and especially during winter, I like to roast something – it could be a chicken, it could be a duck, or even a beef roast that I’ll surround with vegetables so it’s a one or two pan dish. I can bring it in the baking dish to the table. I have nice, colorful Le Creuset dishes that are great for entertaining. I would serve this with a big salad, all kinds of different greens in and fresh herbs, scallions, and a simple lime, olive oil, and salt and pepper dressing. In summer, I like to prepare all different kinds of salads like potato, green bean, tomato, cucumber – whatever is in season. Then I will simply grill or pan sear a piece of fish or even a steak. For dessert in the summer, I bring whatever I have left over from the restaurant, which is usually a fruit pie (all organic). 
During the winter, I might have a cheese plate. Or for people who really need something sweet, a chocolate dessert like my Austrian chocolate almond cake – although it’s delicious year-round.

Describe your “last meal?” It really depends on the season. But if it were a last meal, I would likely want something similar to what I cook at home for myself and guests. 
It sounds bizarre but I like caviar with a glass of champagne. I would have an appetizer of roasted porcini mushrooms with goat cheese. For a main, a simple really perfect roasted chicken. Of course everything would be organic and local if possible and available.

What food is your secret guilty pleasure? I love hot sauce and sambal — I put it on nearly everything. I like corn chips (of course, organic). I like popcorn at the movies.
 I love the wine from my son, Domaine Pouillon Winery. I like sparkling not plain water. 
I don’t have a sweet tooth, I prefer spicy and sour. Luckily I don’t have a need for chocolate and cookies.
 I will indulge in cheese and sourdough bread occasionally.

What is your go-to neighborhood restaurant? I like to go to restaurants in Washington where I know the chefs, especially chefs who have worked for me. For example, Haidar Karoum at Estadio and Doi Moi in Washington’s Logan Circle/14th Street neighborhood. Another favorite in that neighborhood is the very picturesque Le Diplomate. 
I enjoy the Greek/Mediterranean tapas at Zaytinya in Chinatown, but it’s often too noisy. In Chinatown, I like The Source, which is Scott Drewno’s place. In Bloomingdale, The Red Hen has amazing housemade pasta. 
In Georgetown where I live, I like Café Milano.

What is one food product most people don’t know about, but should? I like Austrian toasted pumpkin seed oil – it gives my salad dressings a great flavor. Ethiopian berbere spice is a key ingredient in Ethopia and Eritrean food – it’s a delicious and versatile spice blend with coriander, fenugreek, chiles, and more. I feel people don’t really know much about Iranian and Persian cuisine. It is wonderful. 
I would recommend cookbooks by Najmieh Batmanglij, who is the guru of Persian cuisine.

Describe your worst kitchen disaster and how (if possible) you saved it: Years ago, on New Year’s Eve, we ran out of beef tenderloin. I mean that was pretty embarrassing. We had to serve hamburgers on this special night instead of tenderloin. 

Through the years I’m sure there were many others: burning, overcooking, people getting cut in the middle of service and going to the emergency room during a busy evening.

Who was your most influential mentor? Elizabeth Davies and James Beard. People who inspire me now are chefs like Jamie Oliver and Yatoum Ottolengahi who wrote “Plenty: Vibrant Vegetable Recipes from London’s Ottolenghi.” My chef had the book on his book shelf, so I am always looking for new sources of inspiration.