The Comforts of Home
There was a time not long ago when a visitor to Aruba might have found fish entombed in Gouda cheese on plenty of menus. Those days are most certainly over. Thanks to a very active collection of government officials, farmers and chefs, the native tastes and dishes of Aruba are front and center at more and more restaurants.
This year, we feature two chefs who have not only embraced the comforts of home but have made traditional Aruban flavors central to their cooking. One of them was literally born into Aruban fine dining while the other went abroad to see the world before he could see clearly how to bring the bounty of Aruba to the plate. They are both bold, accomplished and very much at home in Aruba.
— By Timothy Dugdale and Ivy Lerner-Frank
— Photography Kenneth Theysen
Chef Urvin Croes has a simple approach to cooking – think global, cook local. The winner of Aruba's first Iron Chef competition in 2013, Croes studied the culinary arts in Italy and the Netherlands. Then he came home to Aruba and his career blossomed on native soil. Croes made a splash with White, a restaurant that married highbrow gastronomy to locavore ingredients. He has doubled down on this approach at Infini while his casual spot, Po-Ké Ono, riffs on cuisines from Asia and the Pacific Islands. Croes is a man open to the world but in a love with the flavors and traditions of Aruban cuisine.
Birth place: Oranjestad.
Birth country: Aruba.
Favorite Aruban dish: Banana stoba. This is my mother-in-law’s sweet plantain and pork stew. Very Aruban and packed with flavors.
Favorite drink: It depends on the mood! If I want to chill, I would do a nice rum on the rocks. If I'm in a party mood, a nice gin and tonic would do it!
Your biggest culinary mishap (mistake): Waaay …before I became a cook, I tried cooking a dish of braised beef with rum instead of wine, I ended up putting in too much rum and it wasn’t that tasty. It was more like a rum stew with beef, hahahahaha, or a drunk man’s stew.
Favorite song to cook to: Faithfully by Journey. It brings back memories of my childhood, of Sundays at grandma’s, and weekend dinners at home before my parents divorced.
Best meal of your life: This is difficult, yet easy. The best dinner I ever had was at Jônt, a two-Michelin-starred restaurant in Washington, DC. Simply amazing!
Favorite local ingredient: My favorite local ingredient is roucou in Aruba’s native Papiamento, or achiote / annatto. It gives so much depth and flavor to dishes.
A recipe your mother still makes for you today: Aw yes! her beef and string bean stir-fry or her jachtschotel, a Dutch-style potato casserole.
On a deserted island, which 3 food produce would you bring: I would just bring my knife and a huge amount of drinkable water. Whatever produce I find on the island I’ll make edible! Give me a sea rock and I’ll make you a killer soup! This would be an awesome challenge.
Your comfort food: Soup! Whatever soup you serve me. I just love soups!
What would your last meal be: Since it would be my last meal, that means that I would be dying. I would LOVE to eat a lobster dish! I’m highly allergic to lobster. So it wouldn't matter anymore if I died from the allergy. Appetizer: a lobster roll, second course: lobster bisque, main course: lobster thermidor and dessert: a pint of Chunky Monkey ice cream.
Chef Eduardo Ellis is a true home cook. This is a guy who learned to cook in the family restaurant as a teenager and never left that kitchen. Indeed, the Ellis family home and its lush gardens host Papiamento, an elegant and popular restaurant. Ellis has embraced the growing farm-to-table initiatives of the Aruban government. Using the bounty of Caribbean spices, vegetables and herbs, Ellis creates wonderful dishes. He estimates that more than half his guests are faithful repeat customers. No surprise there. The Papiamento experience of hospitality is as captivating as the beautiful food Ellis serves.
Birth place: Oranjestad.
Birth country: Aruba.
Favorite Aruban dish: Stoba or sopi di cabrito bestia chiquito (young goat stew or soup).
Favorite drink: Gin and tonic with lime.
Your biggest culinary mishap (mistake): Serving a seafood bisque for hours without salt.
Favorite song to cook to: Dreadlock Holiday by 10cc.
Best meal of your life: An old Dutch-style dish prepared by Arlene (my wife) of braised meat and vegetables paired with a Château Meyney.
Favorite local ingredient: Coconut (water, milk, cream and the white flesh, both fresh and dried).
A recipe your mother still makes for you today: Sopi yambo, Aruban soup with fish, salted beef and pork, okra and yerbe hole.
On a deserted island, which 3 food produce would you bring: Leeks, garlic and red onions.
Your comfort food: Asian noodle soup (ramen, pho, Sukhothai, janchi-guksu or sotanghon).
What would your last meal be: French bouillabaisse with freshly baked bread and rouille.
