In the kitchen with … Steve Likerman

In the kitchen with … Steve Likerman

Recipes, demos, more provided by Mount Orab Kroger chef

By Sarah Allen

At the Mount Orab Kroger Marketplace, grocery shopping isn’t simply about marking items off a list. Thanks to Chef Steve Likerman, it’s about crafting delicious and memorable meals.

“I enjoy working here,” Likerman said. “Kroger is a good place to work. They’re a really good company.”

He has been with Kroger for eight years. Prior to that, he worked in several restaurants, as an executive and corporate chef.

“I’ve always liked to cook,” Likerman said, adding that he attended culinary school following an injury as an electrician. He graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in 1989.

At Kroger, Likerman has an array of duties. He manages new menu items at the store’s bistro, answers customer questions, provides recipes and ensures the various food products are fresh.

Likerman also makes samples of new products “so that (customers) can get the taste of it,” he said.

In addition, Likerman says he also does “a lot of demos on the new products and all the products we have here.”

Likerman said that many of his recipes at Kroger are centered on seafood and meat. For fall, Likerman unveiled a new recipe for flatiron steak pinwheels.

First, Likerman said, the steak must be hit with a tenderizer. Then comes a layer of provolone cheese, a layer of spinach, and finally a layer of roasted red pepper. It is then all rolled together, tied off with string, seasoned to preference, and then placed in the oven at 325 F for 20 to 25 minutes.

“It comes out really well,” Likerman said. “It has a real nice pretty swirl.”

Another recipe Likerman shared comes from one of his favorite types of food to prepare — Italian. He described a pesce (seafood) dish that includes shrimp, scallops, clams and a little crab meat. Those are all sautéed together in a red sauce and then poured over noodles.

Seafood is highlighted at the Mount Orab Kroger during seafood road shows, Likerman added. During those events, displays are set up and he is available to answer questions.

Likerman offered some advice on seafood, saying that “a lot of people have a tendency to overcook (it).”

Seafood should be served medium to medium-well. He said, “It’s got a lot better flavor that way.”

Likerman also shared some tips for grilling. He said meat should be set out until it is room temperature. Then, after it has cooked, the meat should rest “so all the juices flow throughout the meat.”

Whatever the dish, however, assisting customers with that perfect meal is all a part of the job for Likerman: “I pretty much try to help them as much as possible.”

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FLATIRON STEAK PINWHEELS

Ingredients:

1 flatiron steak

Provolone cheese, to taste

Spinach, to taste

Roasted red pepper, to taste

String suitable for roasting

Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

Prepare the meat by hitting it with a meat tenderizer. Layer cheese, spinach and roasted red pepper on the thin steak. Roll up the steak, jelly roll style, and tie it with string to keep it together and compact. Season as desired. Roast in a 325 F oven for 20 to 25 minutes.

Salt Magazine




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