Cedarbrook Lodge’s Roy Breiman on “Beat Bobby Flay” tonight

This is the week Seattle chefs dominate food TV’s hottest screens. As we reported earlier this week, Mamnoon’s executive chef Jason Stratton is a cheftestant on Bravo’s “Top Chefs,” which airs part two of its season premiere tonight. Also vying for your culinary TV time tonight is Cedarbrook Lodge’s culinary director Roy Breiman, who will compete for a chance to battle Iron Chef Bobby Flay on the Food Network’s “Beat Bobby Flay.”

In advance of the Season 6 Episode 9 show, we caught up with Breiman, a cookbook author who once led the kitchen at Salish Lodge & Spa, to chat about the secret ingredient, his head-to-head with a New Jersey chef, and why he chose to cook Mediterranean.

Seattle magazine: How did you connect with Bobby Flay and the show?

Roy Breiman: I’ve got a network of friends and colleagues and most of us are hooked up with various casting agents. Usually I’m not interested in all that stuff. Some of the techniques used on TV are more for entertainment – it’s a fabricated environment with degradation of technique – but I knew I wanted to compete against Bobby because he is super competitive like I am. He’s an Iron Chef. I’d love to be able to say I beat Bobby Flay.

 

SM: You were pitted against Chef Vaughn Crenshaw of New Jersey. What was he like?

RB: He was a really great guy. He’s since come and visited us at the hotel. Good family man. Loves what he does.

 

SM: Your episode is titled “Hook, Line, and Sinker.” So, we’re assuming fish is. Can you tell us what the secret ingredient was and what else you had to work with?

RB: Yes, the ingredient on the first go around was a Northwest product, that’s all I’ll say. Once Bobby picks the secret ingredient, you’re able to see what cheeses, herbs, produce and oils and other products are available. I love to cook Provencal-style Mediterranean cuisine. Olives, anchovies, fresh herbs, so I picked a style of cuisine and set my mind to it. It was an extremely smart move. I knew I would win on taste and execution. I didn’t want to cook molecular or do anything weird. That’s not who I am. I like fresh vibrant foods with high flavors.

SM: What is Bobby like? Any good stories?

RB: He likes to have fun on the set. He’s Bobby. What you see is what you get. SM: What was the overall experience like? RB: It was intense. There was anxiety. It’s supposed to be about sharing who you are so I just tried to use the best technique I could all the way through. It was a really good day for us and Seattle.