BY TISHIN DONKERSLEY, M.A.
“Food is the living embodiment of a family culture within a culture.” ~ Chef Deborah Schneider
In the kitchen of a San Diego restaurant, line cooks, primarily of Mexican descent, talked through their shifts about their pueblos, culture, families, and home-cooked meals. It was here that Deborah Schneider, a classically French-trained chef from Le Cordon Bleu, began to fall in love with the Mexican culture. Each time one of her cooks would prepare a dish from their particular region, Schneider became even more intrigued and inspired. Already a history enthusiast, Chef Deborah took this inspiration and began to study traditions, cuisines, and ingredients found throughout the regions of Mexico. Now an accomplished chef and author of five cookbooks, Schneider is using her rich experience to slowly, but decisively, shift the mindset about Mexican food─meaning beans, rice and an entrée all mashed together on a plate (what she refers to as “sludge”) to a more fish-centered, healthy, and fresh cuisine reminiscent of that found along the Baja coast and throughout regions of Mexico.
Chef Deborah was really able to spread her wings with this type of cuisine when she became the first female executive chef at Hilton Hotels and headed up the six restaurant & lounge at the Kimpton Hotel in San Diego. Her goal was to create a “San Diegan” experience and a menu that had a “border influence,” focusing on raw fish preparation and fresh ingredients.
During this time she wrote her first book “¡Baja! Cooking on the Edge” which was named one of “The Best of the Best” of 2006 by Food & Wine magazine. This book caught the attention of Rich Howland and Matt Baumayr, who conceptualized SOL Mexican Cocina restaurant while they were hanging out at K54, their favorite taco stand and surf location in Baja, Mexico. Now Chef Deborah’s partners at SOL, Matt and Rich had called her up soon after returning from their trip, a connection was made, and “the rest is history,” said Deborah. “They just got it.” In July 2009 they opened their first restaurant in Newport, CA, and expanded in 2012 to Scottsdale, AZ, at the Scottsdale Quarter.
During the development of the menu for SOL, Chef Deborah traveled throughout Mexico on a fan tour hosted by Chef Patricia Quintana, who Deborah refers to as the “Julia Child of Mexican cuisine.” She returned with a new understanding and zest for southwest cuisine, which is reflected in the dishes at SOL. Through the flavors you’ll experience a celebration of traditional Baja cuisine that is ocean-inspired, and a modern Mexican interpretation with a focus on fresh ingredients, grilled meats, and seafood. At SOL, guacamole and salsas are made daily, often with locally-grown ingredients. From drinks to main courses, freshness is guaranteed. “The only thing at SOL that is premade is the mayonnaise and soy sauce─everything else is from scratch. We don’t want to compromise our health and environment,” Chef Deborah said.
With a fish-centered menu on the table, the question about the use of sustainable fish inevitably came up. Without missing a beat, Chef Deborah revealed her inner passion and advocacy of this practice. “I grew up with fisherman. My great grandfather was a fisherman from the 1840s. I also grew up in Canada around the Great Lakes─lakes that are now poisoned from industrial pollution. Our lakes are being invaded and there are so many dead fish zones. Also, our oceans are being overfished and the fishing methods aren’t regulated enough. At SOL I will use Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certified fish, or local fishermen.” Chef Deborah makes a point to know the source of the fish, who caught it, and what fishing practices are being utilized. There are some fish she won’t serve─ swordfish, any type of tuna, Chilean sea bass or Mahi Mahi─fish that are primarily caught by longline fishing fleets which, in unregulated international waters, are known to produce immense amounts of bycatch, including endangered turtles, seabirds, and sharks. She also encourages people to choose sustainable fish within their region and to refer to seafoodwatch.org for a list prior to patronizing a restaurant.
Chef Deborah’s insistence on using only fresh ingredients at SOL also stems from her passion for kids’ health, and her great resolve to encourage parents to remove processed foods and high-fructose corn syrup from their diets. She encourages parents to watch “Sugar: The Bitter Truth” by Dr. Robert H. Lustig, professor of Clinical Pediatrics in the Division of Endocrinology, and Director of the Weight Assessment for Teen and Child Health (WATCH) Program at the University of California at San Francisco (UCSF).
Chef Deborah’s latest book, The Mexican Slow Cooker, will hit shelves July 31. The book can be preordered at Amazon.com and, once available, can be purchased at stores everywhere, including Barnes & Noble and Williams-Sonoma, and at SOL Mexican Cocina in Scottsdale and Newport Beach.
solcocina.com