For the Exploring Comfort Food miniseries, 蜜桃视频app interviewed D.C.-area chefs on their favorite comfort foods, and how the tastes and smells from life experiences influence the way they cook and eat today.
[Part 1: A chef鈥檚 connection to Cuban, Cajun and frozen Oreos]
A few years ago, Chris Morgan and Gerald Addison embarked on the culinary journey of a lifetime. In Morocco, they dined in private homes on harira, bastilla and lamb tagine. And in Georgia, they ate roasted goat at outdoor parties and attended supras with strangers.
But on the last night of their food-filled trip 鈥� research for the soon-to-open D.C. restaurant 鈥� the two chefs were finally able to lead the cooking at a small party. A guest brought a few rib-eyes to the feast, so Morgan and Addison raided the host鈥檚 spice cabinet and rubbed the beef with blue fenugreek and adjika before cooking it over an open fire.
鈥淚t was one of those moments where we were like, 鈥榃ow, we have to bring this one back home,鈥� because it was so cool,鈥� said Morgan, a co-executive chef at Maydan who was originally against including a steak on the restaurant鈥檚 menu to encourage diners to venture outside the familiar.
鈥淚t was such a beautiful experience. We ate for like five hours and drank for forever and eventually sang 鈥楥ountry Roads.鈥� But that dish, to me, brings back this beautiful memory, and it鈥檚 just something that we scraped together,鈥� added Addison, also a co-executive chef at Maydan.
Travel has always been a source of inspiration for Addison鈥檚 palate. The D.C. native traveled often with his parents, and when he was home, would try new cuisines at friends鈥� homes. At 15, he landed a summer job in the kitchen at Restaurant Nora, a fine-dining establishment in Dupont Circle.
Morgan鈥檚 foray into food wasn鈥檛 as direct. He took the more traditional post-college route until he fully realized his love of cooking.
鈥淚t is one of those things where you kind of just know you鈥檙e meant to do that,鈥� said Morgan, who also grew up in the D.C. area.
In 2017, the chefs launched Maydan 鈥� a Middle Eastern concept in the historic Manhattan Laundry building from restaurateur Rose Previte. In 2018, Bon App茅tit named it one of .
The menu is filled with spreads like labneh and hummus, which are scooped up with warm bread. There are also small plates 鈥� ground lamb kebabs with pistachio, carrots with lemon and haissa, and shrimp with dried lime, tamarind and chile 鈥� plus a few options to share, including a rib-eye, rubbed with blue fenugreek and adjika. Nearly everything is cooked over a large hearth in the middle of the restaurant.
Morgan, Addison and their team brought more than recipes back from their journey through Morocco, Georgia, Tunisa and Beruit. Maydan mirrors the warm hospitality the chefs experienced in the homes of their hosts.
鈥淚t鈥檚 completely comforting just going to someone鈥檚 house that you don鈥檛 know, who welcomes you and brings you in for seemingly no reason,鈥� Addison said.
鈥淲e want to give people an experience more than anything. The food, obviously we want it to be great and we work really hard at that, but the overall feeling that you get when you come in and you see the fire and you sit down and have this crazy spread of a million things 鈥� that鈥檚 something that is really really hard to translate.鈥�
At the end of a long night spent cooking over the fire, Morgan and Addison don鈥檛 usually have the energy (or appetite) for a warm pot of lamb tagine or a grilled Georgian-style steak. That鈥檚 when they reach for a few other foods that bring them comfort.
Morgan gravitates toward a BLT (his wife makes him several at a time and keeps them stashed in the refrigerator) and Addison opts for a grilled cheese sandwich or, when cooking for his family, a roast chicken.
鈥淚t鈥檚 easy and comforting and everybody鈥檚 going to like it. It鈥檚 a very safe option, and that鈥檚 kind of what I want in that scenario,鈥� Addison said.
