Jasper White - Remembered
2016
Lifetime Achievement Culinary Icon Award
Jasper was my friend and mentor.
His many contributions to the Boston and American food milieu cannot be ignored. He changed the way we eat and he certainly brought respect and elegance to New England food traditions and ingredients.
He guided generations of chefs and restaurateurs and supported them as they made their way on their trajectories.
His contributions as a writer are numerous - cookbooks, magazines, newspapers - all benefited from his pen
I did my culinary internship at Jasper’s when it was in its heyday. He had just won the first “Best Chef Northeast” from the James Beard Foundation. His cookbook was selling well. His restaurant had a waitlist. His wife Nancy had just had another baby.
On the Saturday night of Harvard graduation, every table was a VIP.
He expedited like Arthur Fiedler conducting the Pops.
He knew who was sitting in what chair on table 12.
He knew when to fire the four pan-roasted lobsters with bourbon butter on table 3. He also knew that table was waiting too long for their grilled sea bass and he let me know in stern, not belittling words that I’d better get that on the plate perfectly cooked and plated TK.
He knew how many bottles of 1991 Nickle and Nickle Chardonnay were in the wine cellar.
During the week I was prep and garde manger or grill on Fridays and Saturdays. He called me “Annie of a thousand potatoes,” because of all the potatoes I prepped.
He watched me struggle to de-bone cases of quail using a paring knife, taking 2 to 3 minutes per bird. When he saw I was nicking my fingers with that small knife, he showed me how they could be done with one knife stroke in 45 seconds.
He showed me how to cleanly open raw and oyster with ease and speed.
Later as my friend, we shared great meals on our “date” nights.
He loved supporting our local kitchen teams. And he didn’t mince his words when shysters or arrogance tried to set up shop.
He worked hard.
He played hard.
He told the people he loved that he loved them.
He did not suffer fools.
He faced his demons and he won the battle.
He did not stay with us long enough.
