by: Lindsay Cox
Betsey’s Bistro’s Head Chef, Jacobo Rodriguez-Rivera, has been a chef for over 32 years. His love for cooking originated in Spain when he was just a young boy. He remembers following his mother around the kitchen trying to learn as much as he could.
Rodriguez-Rivera went to Escuela de Cocina TELVA, a culinary institute in Madrid, for three years. During his time there, he secured an internship at a five-star hotel. For many years he learned repetition, which means lots and lots of chopping.
Most people want to jump right in and take control of the kitchen. He informed the Prospectus that chefs can’t start cooking immediately; they must start from the bottom like everyone else.
While working at his internship, he took the time to see if this career was really suited for him. Rodriguez-Rivera talked about how the hours are difficult in Spain since they eat late. He said that lunch doesn’t start until 3 p.m. and dinner starts at 10 p.m. Most restaurant workers start 10 a.m. and don’t stop serving food until midnight, and cleanup lasts until about three in the morning. The hours aren’t for everyone.
Rodriguez-Rivera came to the United States 24 years ago. He shared that a man from New York owned the restaurant in Madrid that he was working at. The man was revolutionary to him, because he was doing fusions and the young chef had never seen anything like that before.
He fell in love with the fusion style of cooking instantly. Rodriguez-Rivera said that shortly after starting his job in the U.S., he quit because they wanted him to use canned goods instead of fresh. He politely, but firmly let them know that he could not cook with canned goods.
Starting to rethink his career choice, he enrolled in Parkland to get a degree in graphic design. Shortly after, he heard about Hendrick House and was hired to work at the fraternity. He has been with Hendrick House for 22 years. He stated that it is a great place to work and that he can cook what he wants.
When he first started working at Hendrick House, it was like a mini restaurant for him and he loves it. Another thing that he loves about Hendrick House is that all the proteins are fresh, and Hendrick House has its own farm. Many of the foods used at Betsey’s Bistro are from that farm.
Rodriguez-Rivera loves being able to play with different recipes, where he can choose from hundreds of ingredients and is able to implement a variety of different techniques. The difference between the fraternity and Betsy’s Bistro is that Betsey’s Bistro is a retail. The hardest thing that he has had to learn since working here is how to become a people person.
“He doesn’t cut corners, he does whatever he can to make sure that he delivers quality food every time, and the customers appreciate that”
When he started the global special, the managers told him that he needed to serve the food. At first, he wasn’t happy because he is very busy; a lot needs to get done to run a kitchen. But the managers felt that it was important for customers to see him and for him to be there in case the customers had any questions.
He changed his mind once he saw everyone’s reactions and how much they love his food. He said he doesn’t cut corners, he does whatever he can to make sure that he delivers quality food every time, and the customers appreciate that.
The chef also doesn’t take breaks. He comes at 6 a.m. and leaves at 1:30 p.m. without taking even the slightest break. He says that if he stops, that’s when he starts to get tired.
Another interesting thing about Rodriguez-Rivera is that he tries to accommodate every type of eater from gluten free to vegan to meat-eaters. Betsy’s Bistro has something for everyone which is evident in the different food stations.
It’s hard to cook for one person and the chef never knows if people are going to come in on a budget, so he must create menus that are affordable. When asked how he came up for the idea of global dishes, he revealed that no matter where you come from, everyone has a comfort food. He launched a demographic survey and came up with a menu so that everyone gets that little piece of home.
Since opening, global has served dishes from over 40 different countries. This semester they have already served meals from 12 different countries. He has a kitchen staff of about 16 people. They do not come from a cooking background, but he is very proud of them and their willingness to learn.
Chef Rodriguez-Rivera wanted to provide these home-cooking tips to the student body:
- If you use different spices and a rich broth, then you can reduce your sodium intake.
- The perfect way to cook a steak is to leave it at room temp for an hour before cooking, cook on a hot flat surface (not a grill), give it a coat of sea salt and pepper to make a crust, then sear it to make it crispy, but tender on the inside. Bleu cheese goes great with it, no need to ruin it with ketchup.
- Plan before you go shopping. Life gets busy. A plan makes everything easier. Get everything ready. Take your time. Prep by placing everything into bowls. Put on your favorite music and focus just on the meal.
- Once you learn how to use and control the heat, you can do anything. That’s the secret.
- What you eat today fuels you for tomorrow.
