Greg Fox

Greg Fox | ROWHOUSE RESTAURANT

Greg Fox learned the restaurant business in Topeka, New York City and Nashville. After returning to his native Topeka, Fox in 2007 opened RowHouse Restaurant, where the menu is ever changing. He is ready to answer your food questions.
RowHouse's Greg Fox likes to let the flavors of the food he is cooking shine, but three of his favorite spices are dill, red pepper and cumin. (FOOD+FLICKS)

My three favorite spices

By Greg Fox
February 28, 2012

Lauren asks RowHouse owner/chef Greg Fox: If you could only have three spices in your kitchen, what would you choose and why would you choose them?

Greg: Is this a trick question?  I am hoping you are not counting salt, sugar and pepper.  If you are, those are my three.  I always use coarse kosher salt.  I like a pinch of pure cane sugar in most things.  Pepper — restaurant grind or fresh ground — I can take or leave, but if I only get three, pepper would have to be the third. Why?  These three bring out the ingredients but don't color or cover them.  I find many people over season with specialty spices.  The ingredients are the star in my book.  Many people feel that the spice is.

Now, if those three are a gimme, I would say my next favorites are, and again I'm assuming you are talking dried spices: dill, cumin and red pepper.  They are my three favorites, and if I could get a forth, my current infatuation is with celery seed.  I don't know why, but I'm putting celery seed in almost everything.  I like dill for it's simpleness.  It's a background flavor and so subtle, especially with anything creamy or tomatoey.  Cumin and chili are perfect partners.  Zip and nuance, but not too much of either.  Celery seed is again subtle and different.  it adds a earthy freshness without overpowering anything.

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Risotto is made with arborio rice, a short-grain Italian rice that when cooked, is firm, creamy and chewy. (FOOD+FLICKS STOCK IMAGE)

Unlocking the secret of risotto

By Greg Fox
January 22, 2012

Katy asks: We had an amazing Asiago Cheese Risotto at RowHouse recently, what is the secret to making a tasty risotto? Is there a way to make it quickly?

Greg: Risotto is delicious, but it takes time. I don't know a way around that, but I can tell you to cook it ahead of time, even a day or two and then finish it in just a minute with a little stock and the remaining ingredients.

When I make risotto I always feel like I'm having to work real hard, the steam is in my face and I'm tired of stirring, but then I taste it and I forget how much effort went into it.

Try this: Oil in a hot saucepan, just covering the bottom. Medium high heat. Stir in onions and garlic. Cook 1 minute. Stir in the Arborio rice (risotto) until rice is coated with the oil in the pan. Add 1/2 cup white wine. Stir until liquid is nearly gone. Add stock 1/2 cup at a time, and keep stirring. When risotto is al dente, (just about soft) remove from heat and stir in other ingredients such as cheeses and/or roasted veggies and make sure to season to your liking with coarse kosher salt and a pinch of sugar.

Put aside in the fridge until serving. Keeps a couple days max. When you are ready to eat. Put a saute pan over medium high heat, add 1/4 cup stock. Add cooked risotto and stir until creamy. Add any greens to finish, maybe a pinch of salt. Taste and serve it up. (3 minutes)

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The RowHouse's Greg Fox makes Roasted Brussels Sprouts by cutting the sprouts in half, tossing with oil and a big pinch of salt before roasting in an oven. (FOOD+FLICKS STOCK IMAGE)

Getting creative with side dishes

By Greg Fox
December 27, 2011

Karen K. asks: I absolutely love the holidays but am tired of the same old side dishes — green bean casserole, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce and such. You always have such wonderful sides at RowHouse and I'm wondering if you have a great holiday side dish idea I haven't thought of?

Greg: Sorry I missed the holidays with this one, but I am with you 100 percent.  The Thanksgiving "casserole" extravaganza is no bueno for me.  Not that I don't love them, but the bird is so beautiful when it comes out of the oven and everybody hacks it down and takes it apart to keep in the warmer, then serves it with the same side dishes we've seen for so long that are all the same color.

I love green bean casserole, but why not simple blanched and sauteed string beans.  Same with Sauteed Carrots in butter.  Or Butter Braised Red Cabbage.  I'm a big fan of Roasted Brussels Sprouts … cut them up, toss with enough oil to coat, big pinch of salt, and roast for 20 minutes at 375 degrees.  

Instead of stuffing this year I made a Roasted Pumpkin and Fennel Couscous with pistachios. It was the big hit of our table.  

I know the casseroles are convenient, but sometimes simple is better, and much less filling.  I hope this helps.  I also like to mash beets and or yams and do them up like mashed potatoes, no brown sugar or marshmallows. Delicious and so pretty.

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RowHouse owner and chef Greg Fox says cooking with wine requires patience and practice. (FOOD+FLICKS)

How to: Cooking with wine

By Greg Fox
December 12, 2011

Maury62 asks: What is the secret of cooking with wine? I'm never sure I am doing it right.

Don't go too cheap, but not too expensive. You shouldn't in my opinion, cook with a wine you don't want to drink. That way you can have a glass while you are cooking. The wine has to be reduced, otherwise all you tend to taste is the alcohol. I also add a pinch of sugar to dishes in which I use wine.

Start with the wine in a warm pan over medium high heat, add garlic, and onion if you wish, and let this bubble till the pan is nearly dry. Then whisk in butter or oil, and whatever else you are making.

Getting the wine concentrated first is the big step. Many people add the wine at the end which is not the best way because it doesn't cook down. Patience and practice.

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RowHouse chef and owner Greg Fox loves going out to eat for comfort and to be with family and friends. (FOOD+FLICKS STOCK IMAGE)

Finding comfort in eating out

By Greg Fox
October 13, 2011

Steve T. asks: When you go out to eat, are you always trying new dishes or do you stick with favorites?

Well ... hmmmm, truthfully, if I go to one of my regulars, 90% of the time I eat the same thing (or my "favorites" as you said).  I go out to eat for comfort, and I hate choosing. I'm about the company, and I hate the painstaking process of looking through the menu.  If a menu has more than two pages, I'll get frustrated and definitely go to a dish I know (this is one reason RowHouse has so few decisions to make). 

I hate when you are meeting friends for dinner and are super anxious to greet each other and catch up, and then comes the, "oh, we better stop enjoying ourselves and look at the menu" line. If I like something, that is often the reason I go back.  If I'm traveling, I always search for something new. 

So, I eat favorites.  At Tuptim Thai I always have the appetizer sampler and the Panang Curry with Tofu.  At El Mezcal I always have queso, a Side of jalapenos and Number 6.  At Quintons the Smokestack, or a bistro burger.  At Celtic Fox, the Spicy Chicken Salad or the Shepard's Pie.  At College Hill Tavern the Crab Rangoons, and a burger with a side salad.  At Henry T's, the Street Taco's or the Asian Salad.  At New City, I have the Plantains with guac and the beef.  So, I'm a favorites orderer, and I usually suggest my favorites to whomever is with me. 

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RowHouse owner and chef Greg Fox is a self-proclaimed fennel fanatic. (FOOD+FLICKS STOCK IMAGE)

A life as a Fennel Fanatic

By Greg Fox
September 20, 2011

Sarah C. asks: My grandmother is growing fennel. Do you have any suggestions on a great way to prepare it?

Well, Sarah ... fennel is my current favorite vegetable, so you will find it almost every month in some form or two on my menu. I love it raw or roasted and think it is perfect in soup. I like to treat it like an onion or celery, it is a dramatic base note. It is awesome raw in salads and salsas. It is a beautiful nuance in bases of soup. It is perfection roasted for twenty minutes in the oven with a bit of salt and oil (and a pinch of sugar ... the love). Again, I love when fennel gets a bit of char on it.

A couple of weeks ago on the menu we had a fennel, red onion, and cilantro slaw. I served it over fish. I also made the same ingredients as a salad for folks who couldn't have dairy.

I could name a million ways to use it, but mostly I would say if a dish has onion or celery, add or substitute (most often add) fennel. Maybe think of it as 1/2 the amount of the onion or celery. A lot of folks shy away from fennel out of uncertainty, but if they try it, I have found 99% of folks love it in the dish and think it tastes especially "fresh and alive."

Seriously, I am a Fennel Fanatic ... and I am a huge fan of celery as the star in
dishes as opposed to a base ... both have awesome texture, green flavors, and
work harmoniously with many, many different things.

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Slow roasted tomatoes fresh out of the oven. (FOOD+FLICKS STOCK IMAGE)

Rocking tasty roasted tomatoes

By Greg Fox
August 23, 2011

Robert43 asks: What is an easy way to make roasted tomatoes?

Depends on the tomato, in my opinion. Grape tomatoes you can easily roast whole, anything larger and I like to cut it in half and roast it skin side down (tomatoes roasted and catching their own juice) or "confit" in fancy jargon).

Here's how I do it quick:
Set oven to 375 degrees
Toss your halved tomatoes in just enough oil to make them shiny (1/3 tablespoon oil). Add a good pinch of (don't be stingy) salt, a dash of sugar and a sprinkle of pepper. I usually add some chopped garlic (3 to 4 pieces) but not necessary.

Spread this onto a baking sheet, skin side down (use cooking spray or parchment paper) and roast in the oven for approximately 20 minutes. I like the edges of the tomatoes to start to blacken, so I'll often go to 25 minutes to get the char. If you don't like the black edges take them out in about 18 minutes.

A better, more patient way:
Set oven to 200 degrees
Do all of the above, but let the tomatoes cook for up to 4 hours. The taste is awesome, I just lack the patience, but if you've got the time, I'm telling you, slow roasting tomatoes ROCKS. Serve hot or cold, or keep in your warmer.

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RowHouse owner and chef Greg Fox loves great food from the grill and the people who make it seem effortless. (FOOD+FLICKS STOCK IMAGE)

What I love about grilling ...

By Greg Fox
July 20, 2011

Kelly asks: When you grill at home, what do you like to cook, and do you have any secrets?

I grill, but I grill embarassingly simply. I'm a burger, dogs, and brats guy when I'm doing it at home, and usually after (and during beers). I think there are expert grillers, I love the people who casually can put together a slab of ribs and perfect porkchops.

What generally happens to me, is that I only take the time to grill when I'm having a party. Therefore, I get easily distracted, which inevitably means I over cook stuff ... luckily, also embarassing, I love the taste of char. Not too much, just a bit of black on things. All this is probably not what you're expecting to hear, but I'm a truth teller and I'm an "in the kitchen cook."

Grills facinate me, but once the grilling starts — the smells, the sizzles — I just want to relax and not think too hard.

Now if you asked me what I like most about other people's grilling it's a different story. I love ribs on the grill and ribeye on the grill. I love corn on the cobb from a grill, and onions off the grill make me swoon. I love someone who knows not to "play" with the food and someone who inherintly knows when to turn things over. (I personnaly, because of the libations, need a timer when grilling, but not when roasting ... weird).

I love someone who knows just the right amount of sauce to put on what they are grilling and I'll propose to anyone who makes a tasty, tangy, BBQ sauce of their own. A master of the dry rub on a grill is my hero. I also love when Bobby Flay makes pizzas on his grill — and I don't generally allow myself to say that in public — but I'll watch him do it, without blinking ... and I'll want to eat, I just won't want to do it
myself.

Grilling is about fun. Grilling is, well, an art.

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h warmer months ahead, lots of fresh produce is readily available including delicious asparagus. (FOOD+FLICKS STOCK IMAGE)

Seasonal produce, fresh fish du jour

By Greg Fox
May 11, 2011

Sarah asks: With Spring here, what produce are you excited about cooking with?

I am most excited for the herbs, but we still have a long wait for most of those. My chives, Thyme, and Parsley are starting to peek at me, so they will be first. Then of course, of love when the Rhubarb comes in, and of course asparagus is right there with it. Mostly I love the anticipation that spring gives us all, and the relief that we made it through another winter.


Janice W. asks: It seems like your menu almost always has a really interesting fish dish. How do you create such amazing seafood when you are so far from the ocean?

I have a great supplier and I use fish that I know they can provide me, we don't see a lot of exotic varieties on our menu, Halibut, Sea Bass, Mahi Mahi, and Salmon are the fish we use the most. There is a good supply, and I know the quality of the product I buy. The secret is in changing up sauces and sides. The fish is the base, but the rest is what makes the dish exciting.

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Crostinis topped with cherry tomatoes make a great party appetizer. (FOOD+FLICKS STOCK IMAGE)

Quick and awesome party appetizers

By Greg Fox
April 18, 2011

Karen S. asks: I'm hosting a party later this month and was wondering if you would be willing to share a simple yet incredible appetizer with me?

Crostinis are super easy and yummy. Here's a basic. Slice a baguette and toast the slices, brushed with olive oil, for 10 minutes in your oven and then cool.

Whip cream cheese, or use spreadable cream cheese, and spoon that on the crostini. Top with pesto (cup herb, cup parmesan cheese, cup nuts, 2 tbs. olive oil, splash lemon juice, splash vinegar, pinch each sugar and salt, and 4 cloves garlic, whirred up in a food processor) or buy it. Top with a cherry tomato (roasted if you have time).

I also like to put out a few things I don't have to make, that not everyone has. Pickled veggies ... asparagus, okra, olives, pepperoncinis ... I toss feta cheese in with these.

Hummus is always a hit, (I do make mine always, but there are good ones at the store). Sam's has these new Pita Bites that look like Carr's Water Crackers, but are super inexpensive, and have the most yummiest crunch of any cracker I've had. Foccacia Bread Pizza also easy.

And I like to put out pasta dishes, which is more of a meal thing, but it always goes quick. (I roast whatever veggies I have on hand, with some chopped garlic and onion, oil, salt, pepper, sugar, and a dash or two of balsamic vinegar for 20 - 25 minutes at 375 degrees, cool and toss, liquid and all with pasta. Penne, and orzo both work great. Throw in some parmesan or feta for a little extra yum. Taste and season as you need.

Hope this helps.

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