International House Berkeley

Crème Chantilly, a sweetened whipped cream of French origin named after the Château de Chantilly, a historic castle located in the town of Chantilly, north of Paris. The cream was created by François Vatel, a chef who worked at the château in the 17th century. Crème Chantilly was a favorite of his mother's to whip during an elegant gathering at their home, where they showcased their family heirloom recipes from Louisiana. That was when I realized where Victor's in-depth passion for food emanated from. Through the years of our endeavors as chefs, I recognized Chef Victor's intricate relationship with the food that he grew up eating and how he applies it to our evolving generation. I was fascinated by his vast knowledge of American Cuisine from the South, a staple to many of us called "soul food." I then met Chef Aarash Zarrabi and instantly thought he'd be a great addition to our team as a sous chef. He is of Persian descent, was born in the United States, lived his life traveling different parts of the world, and resided in various states in the U.S. I related to his stories of how his grandmother made the most loving and soothing dishes from Iran and taught Aarash as her kitchen helper when he was a toddler. I see the depth of passion he has when speaking elaborately about his family heritage in Persia and how the family adapted to living and migrating to the United States. Somehow, I can smell the aroma of Aarash's grandmother's kitchen, the crunchy tahdig, and the green bean loobia polo, I can picture little Chef Aarash handing his grandmother the green beans and being her sous chef. When we celebrated Nowruz (Persian New Year) at I-House last semester, the fond memories of some residents from Iran were brought to life by his food. Some residents who had never tasted Persian cuisine before found a closeness to the dishes. It somehow reminded them of home. FOREWORD BY I-HOUSE EXECUTIVE CHEF ABIGAIL SERBINS Welcome to Chapter Three of our International House Cookbook. This chapter signifies some of the many memorable interactions I've had with the dedicated and passionate chefs whom I work alongside day in and day out. Since I-House's reopening after the pandemic in Fall 2021, I had the opportunity to experience their thoughts, feelings, heritage, and taste buds. The recipes on the pages that follow were cooked by ancestors and passed down to our generations for us to bring remarkable memories and flavors into each other's lives. Chef Victor Taylor is a longtime colleague of mine. We worked in some of the most renowned kitchens in the corporate dining industry here in the Bay Area. I still vividly recall the first time he showed me how to make 2

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