Colby Rottler of Mattapoisett is a chef, not a baker. This was professed clearly on December 29 when he gave a presentation on cooking at the Mattapoisett Public Library. Nonetheless, he was not always a chef.
His first career – and one that he was involved in for decades – was as a banker. But like many people who are good at analytical pursuits, he had a creative part in his brain that wasn’t being fully exercised.
All that changed when Rottler and his wife attended a dinner at a culinary school. He became enthralled with the manner in which the students presented the dishes they had made: food as theater, food as nutrition, food as gifts one gives to another.
“I told my wife, ‘I think I want to go to culinary school,’” he said with a wide grin. He was in his early 50s; today he is a well-seasoned chef, pun intended.
“My kids came to my graduation from Johnson and Wales,” Rottler said. And while he might have been a bit of a curiosity to the other students in his class, as well as the president of the school, Rottler shined. He was in his element.
“The president said, ‘You’re pretty old for this,’” Rottler remembered. But as an honor student, he was also one of the best. “It was a fun thing to do.”
Today, Rottler teaches classes at Upper Cape Regional Technical High School, primarily in food safety where he hammers home the importance of cleanliness in the kitchen.
“Wash your hands, wash your hands, wash your hands!” he repeated.
Rottler’s style of cooking isn’t fussy, making the home cook feel at ease attempting new twists on old favorites such as meatloaf or macaroni and cheese, which he fed to the participants on this date. Those “comfort foods,” along with apple crumble and a soup he called “pasta fagioli” scented the air in the library’s conference room. It made a gray winter afternoon feel very warm and cozy.
As for spices, Rottler said that, as a whole, New Englander’s don’t like the hot spices commonly found in traditional New Orleans dishes. He recommends using a small amount of some hot spices such as cayenne pepper.
“You can always add more, but you can’t take any out,” he cautioned.
Imparting more practical wisdom, Rottler said that while he has a large library of cookbooks, which he said he “loved”, he does tap into the worldwide library of culinary delights via the Internet.
“I can travel through thousands of recipes,” he said.
Rottler encouraged his audience to try different things, explore unafraid, and use up leftovers – but not after five days. Food safety dictates that leftovers should be tossed out after about five days, he said.
Above anything, Rottler is sensible when it comes to food preparation, telling everyone that expensive spices, unless used regularly, aren’t worth the investment and that many canned items, especially vegetables, may be used when making a main course such as a hearty soup. For his meatloaf recipe, he shared one of the ingredients: dry onion soup mix.
When buying fresh fruits for his apple crumble, his Yankee thriftiness shown through once again.
“I buy whatever apples are on sale,” said Rottler.
As the participants lined up to sample the foods warming over the hot plates, Rottler continued to emphasis the concepts of food as a creative journey of trying different flavor combinations. After all, what’s the worst that can happen?
“Just throw it out. Don’t beat yourself up,” he said, and “Try again.”
On the point of being a chef, not a baker, Rottler explained, “Nay, I’m a chef – bakers are chemists!”
Rottler can be found cooking for various church venues in the Tri-Town area, as well as continuing as an instructor, imparting his culinary wisdom to the next generation of chefs. But he hasn’t given up completely on the financial side of life: he is an appointed member of Mattapoisett’s Finance Committee.
By Marilou Newell