Some people just know early what they want to be when they grow up. As a youngster, when Rae Rosbough’s mom encouraged her to go outside and play, she found excuses to stay inside and organize the kitchen cabinets. She says she knew it was where she belonged. Going to high school in Miamisburg, she couldn’t wait for her junior year so she could register for the vo-tech cooking classes. Upon graduation she headed to Johnson & Wales to pursue her culinary education in 2000. By 2002, degree in hand she returned to Dayton and got her first job at the now defunct Mediterra. From there she moved to Cafe Bouelvard, then to Cena for a 1 year stint, and then back to usher in the new concept of Bouelvard Haus in the Oregon District. This month Boulevard Haus celebrates teh beginning of their third year in business.
Chef Rae was kind enough to take on our 10 questions:
What is your favorite ingredient to cook with?
whole shallots
Shallots- I love the flavor that shallots add to almost any dish hot, cold, savory and sometimes even sweet. They add so much to a dish, without overpowering it, that it may not be a single recognizable flavor, but one that blends and enhances each dish.
What ingredient do you dread?
Fillo dough- I do not care for working with is dough because it shreds, crumbles and dries out quickly…But I love to eat it!
What’s your favorite dish to make?
Duck confit- I’ve loved this dish since the first time I tasted it at Napa Valley Grille in Providence Rhode Island back in the nineties and I’ve been perfected my technique for it ever since.
What’s your favorite pig out food?
I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream! Any flavor anytime.
What restaurant, other than your own do you like to dine at in the Miami Valley?
I’ve eaten at Rue Dumaine several times and have loved it! It is a comfortable environment with immaculate food and professional, friendly service. what else could you ask for?
What’s your best advice for home chefs?
Watch or buy the cookbook of the show America’s Test Kitchen on PBS. it is a great learning tool that takes you step by step through making delicious dishes and teaches you the science behind the techniques. I love the show and own the book. My husband, sister and brother in law, all home cooks, use it religiously as do I.
If you could invite any 4 guests to a dinner party who would they be and why?
Dinner party, who has time for that? I can’t name just 4. I’m not a very star struck person and I feel like food is a comfort and something that brings people together.
Who do you look up to in the industry and why?
Gordon Ramsey– I want to be a household name and a millonaire duh. He also gets to help people achieve their goals. Which is nice no matter how big of a jerk he likes to appear to be.
What do you do in the Miami Valley on a day off?
I’m a very simple person I like to hang out at home with my husband, we also enjoy hanging out in the Oregon District or during the season we love going to Dragon’s games.
Share a kitchen disaster, lucky break or other interesting story:
The crewe relaxing after work at Boulevard Haus
It seems like all disaster stories end in a lucky break, or you just make your own luck. There are so many of them, why can’t I think of one? Refrigerators going out, no dishwasher, people not showing up for their shift, power going out in mid service. convection oven down. So, so, so many but that’s life in the restaurant biz. As for a lucky break, I think that knowing that this is what I wanted to do from a young age and pursuing that dream is a lucky break! The fact that I can get up each day and make food, and enjoy what I do for a living, and get paid for it is an amazing feeling. There are a lot of people out there that can’t say that.
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