Chef J Hugh McEvoy is a world-class cook, teacher, columnist, artist and consultant to some of the biggest chains and upscale clientele in the world. A recognized expert in the fields of culinary arts, bakery and food science, Chef J was named President-Emeritus of the Chicago Nutrition Association, and has helped found and sits on the board of the new chapter of the American Culinary Federation, the Windy City Chefs. He was inducted into the Chain des Rotisseurs, the world’s oldest and most prestigious culinary society. Chef J and partner Ginny Erwin are the creative minds behind The Enlightened Chef, a consulting company that teaches fitness, nutrition and healthy lifestyle choices.

elements Living spoke with Chef J about his successful career and how he promotes better living with healthy, delicious cuisine and exercise.

Thanks so much for speaking with us. First of all, who or what has most influenced your cooking style?

My mom was a professional chef, who retired at 72. I grew up in a family of chefs, restaurateurs, and bakers. My family owned pizza restaurants in Cape Cod, so I was either always cooking at home or working in a restaurant since I was 12. I grew up in Boston, and when I was younger I actually worked as a helper for Julia Childs, which was a pretty big influence on me. Later on, when I was a corporate chef for Au Bon Pain, Julia and I even once made croissants together for a segment!

I also went to school with Chef Emeril Lagasse, we sat next to each other at Johnson & Wales University, and he was another influence on me. Then, when I joined the Sheraton Hilton chain, I worked all over the world, and this definitely influenced by cooking style.


Do you have a favorite cooking style or focus on a particular world region?

I had an apprenticeship in Paris and I worked in Amsterdam, London, Dublin. I consider my cooking style to be what I call “Pan-European.” I use classical gourmet techniques with influences from a lot of different European cuisines….Spanish, German, French. When I worked for Sheraton Hilton, I traveled to many Asian countries and this also added to my global style.

I’m classically trained in French cooking. The French have studied food as an art or a science for years and years, and they’ve refined it. They’re so concerned with presentation and flavors, the whole experience…what we’re doing right now, they’ve been doing for 500 years!


You currently live and work in Chicago. What is the culinary scene like out there?

Chicago always has the best restaurants. Every year, all the magazines, they always name Chicago the best! I think it’s because Chicago doesn’t have its own cuisine; Chicago chefs are more interested in “show us what is the greatest and we’ll learn it.” They embrace everything and they’re very humble about it.


How do you and Ginny work together in your consulting company?

Ginny is Director of Fitness for a major fitness club. She was born in California and learned fitness there, and she’s got several degrees. Right now, she has a very upscale clientele. She’s very personable and is more interested in “lifestyle redesign”, not telling you what to do. She teaches her clients through example. Working together, we came up with a very simple “pyramid” approach to lifestyle: at the bottom “Enjoy your life”, the second level is “Move more”, and finally “Eat Less.” If you don’t have that foundation, nothing else is going to work for you.

Ginny teaches fitness and I physically teach cooking techniques. Ginny and I go to a client’s house and we physically teach them fitness and cooking techniques. I learn their favorite food. I take that favorite food, redesign it so that it looks better, it tastes better and it’s better for you. Then I come back and show the client how to make it and provide a nutritional analysis so they see the difference between the old recipe and the new, improved recipe. It’s really successful, because you’re gonna keep making that recipe not because you have to, but because all I did was take your recipe and improve it!

We do a lot of stage shows and I like to say it’s a combination of Richard Simmons and Emeril Lagasse. On one side, we’ve got Ginny teaching fitness and on the other part of the stage, you’ve got me teaching healthy cooking. It’s all high energy and we’re giving the audience fitness and diet in a one hour show.


You and Ginny are both adjunct professors at Kendall College in Chicago. What do you prefer: teaching, cooking, or consulting?

I just love working with people. Ginny Erwin and I both enjoy teaching; it’s why we do what we do.

I tell people that I don’t need a vacation because my life is a vacation. I could easily been working at a big hotel somewhere, but it wouldn’t have been as fulfilling to me. I want to pass on my knowledge to others.


Because fitness is such a big part of your job, what fitness tips can you share with elements living?

I walk up stairs. I walk to the market. It’s just little steps to getting fit. I park in the farthest shopping space. I took the batteries out of my remote. You get the benefit of two things there: you don’t have someone channel-surfing and you have to stand up and sit down just to change a channel.

It’s funny because my neighbors see me walking back to my building from the market, which is about a mile away. They ask if they can give me a lift and they don’t understand when I say no. They ask me how I stay fit, and then they get in their cars and drive home from the market!

 
Chef J’s High Plains Bison Meatloaf

You don’t have to skimp on flavor or satisfaction just because you’re trying to eat healthier. By substituting lean bison meat for typical ground beef and adding more vegetables, you can whip up this delicious, healthy comfort food for a brisk autumn evening.

1 ½ cups bread crumbs
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
1 Spanish onion, diced
2 cups celery, diced
2 cups sweet red pepper, diced
4 whole eggs
2 lb. 90/10 Ground Bison
       

1.    Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2.    Mix bread crumbs, salt, garlic powder and black pepper together to disperse evenly.
3.    Blend dry ingredients with onion, celery, red pepper.
4.    Mix in eggs.
5.    Add mixture to ground Bison and mix till just combined. Over mixing will result in a tough meatloaf.
6.    Place in oven-safe pan and bake in 350 degree oven until an internal temp of 160 is reached, about 30 minutes.
7.    Allow to rest 10 minutes before portioning and serving. Makes 4-5 servings.

Nutrition Facts for Serving Size 5 oz. (140g)
Calories: 270, Calories from Fat: 160, Total Fat: 18g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Trans Fat: 0g, Cholesterol: 125mg, Sodium: 250mg, Total carbohydrate: 5g, Dietary Fiber: 1g, Sugars: 1 g, Protein: 21g, Vitamin A: 7%, Vitamin C: 10%, Calcium: 4%, Iron: 20%


Discover more about Chef J on his website, The Enlightened Chef .