The renowned Food Network celebrity chef treats AU to his favorite dishes once more.
He’s back!
American University welcomed Food Network chef and television personality Jet Tila on campus for the second time in three years. Tila brought along a righteous resume: he has authored four cookbooks and appeared on over a dozen shows.
Tila’s expertise was evident throughout his visit.
He held a cooking demo at the Mary Graydon Center where he revealed the secret to making perfect spring rolls. He also raffled off signed books and mingled with breathless fans throughout the day.
But even students who didn’t catch a glimpse of the legendary chef still got to enjoy his food. The Terrace Dining Room served up his signature recipes until closing time.
Here are Spoon University’s highlights from the special menu.
Resplendent rice
A year ago, this publication ranked AU Dining’s best rice dishes. If we were to repeat that exercise today, Tila’s brown fried rice would be #1.
“Light and fluffy are words that should describe well-made fried rice,” writes Tila. “It shouldn’t be weighed down with soy sauce or oil”.
Tila delicately seasons his rice with garlic, oyster sauce, soy and white pepper. Snow peas and carrots add to the complex flavor.
To go along with the rice, TDR offered black cod misoyaki, a dish almost never found in college dining halls. I enjoyed the luscious fillet of northeastern-Pacific seafood, especially once grilled and drizzled in salty miso.
“It’s super buttery!” Tila told viewers upon this recipe’s debut. He’s careful not to overcook it: “I just want to get the fish from translucent to opaque”.
Hordes of foodies like me found themselves making two trips to the dining hall in one day; fish like this is too good to miss.
Oodles of noodles
Pho is a labor-intensive dish.
That’s why Tila made his own recipe that’s perfect for when you want pho fast.
“You don’t always want to take a whole day to source the ingredients,” he writes. “Slicing beef paper thin can be a pain.”
The recipe he served at AU used long, stretchy rice noodles and mild vegetable broth. Crispy fried tofu and shredded cabbage took the dish to another level.
But Tila had more than just savory plates up his sleeve. When in the company of a chef with his renown, always save room for dessert.
Perfect pudding
The dining hall served coconut pudding to round out a magnificent meal.
Vanilla extract, milk and butter made for a sweet and filling dessert. It came adorned with shredded coconut and Golden Grahams cereal—an unlikely combination that worked surprisingly well.
It’s no wonder Tila has garnered such strong national acclaim. His kitchen demeanor isn’t harsh or grating; he doesn’t chew out cooking show contestants for failing to meet some arbitrary standard. Instead, he simply puts his passion for great food on display.
Anyone observing the chef in action can tell how much he loves to cook, and how happy he is to share his culinary brilliance. Those of us fortunate enough to try his cooking were not only satiated but inspired.