Chef Matthew Lake Of Besito At Loaves & Fishes Cookshop

Executive Chef Matthew Lake of Besito (1516 Old Northern Blvd., Roslyn, NY 11576, (516) 484-3001, 402 New York Ave., Huntington, NY 11743, (631) 549-0100) will be doing a cooking demonstration at Loaves & Fishes Cookshop (835 Franklin Avenue, Garden City, NY [516] 877- 1010) on Saturday, September 20th from 12 - 2 p.m. Chef Matthew Lake will demonstrate a few specialties from his authentic Mexican cuisine menu and provide tastings.

Matthew Lake graduated at the top of his class from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park N.Y. After completing his formal training, Lake worked with some of the nation's top American regional chefs. He apprenticed with Marcel Desauliers at the Trellis restaurant in Williamsburg, Virginia, a James Beard Chef of the Year recipient and author of numerous cookbooks. Chef Desauliers was instrumental in teaching Lake the importance of running a professional and profitable fine-dining restaurant. From Trellis, Lake moved to Washington D.C. to work with Chef Mark Miller of Cayote Caf� fame. Miller, also a James Beard winner and cookbook author, hired him to help open Red Sage. Featuring wild game, wood burning ovens and the use of many exotic ingredients, Red Sage was considered to be a Mecca for southwestern cuisine. Miller took Lake under his wing and taught him to use all his senses when cooking and, to trust his palate. While at Red Sage, Lake worked with Miller to develop his cookbooks, researching, testing and finalizing recipes. Lake was also exposed to many of the nation's top chefs while at Red Sage. He fondly remembers a dinner with "Alice Waters, Wolfgang Puck, Larry Forgione, Jerima Tower and Jasper White, all my idols at one table, and somehow at 20 years old, was cooking for them." Lake moved to New Heights, a popular Washington D.C. restaurant, after spending three years at Red Sage. He took the position of sous chef, and within six months became the executive chef. Lake relished the increased responsibility and culinary freedom, experimenting with many different cooking techniques and ingredients. The following year Food & Wine named Lake one of the "Best New Chefs in America." In 1997, he was further honored when Restaurants & Institutions named him one of their Rising Stars. And in 1998, the National Restaurant Association nominated Lake for Chef of the Year. During this time, Lake was featured in many local and national publications, including USA Today, Gourmet Magazine and The Washington Post, as well as numerous TV programs. Upon leaving New Heights, Lake set his sights on New York. Drew Nieporent approached Lake to consult on the opening of the first W Hotel in New York. While consulting for the hotel, Lake started to look for a new kitchen to call home, which he found at 27 Standard and Jazz Standard in the autumn of 1998, where he received three stars from the New York Post. As well, Lake appeared on The Food Network, CBS and ABC, and his recipes were featured in the book "Chef on a Shoestring" named after the popular segment on the CBS morning show. In the summer of 2001, Lake left 27 Standard to work on a ground up construction of a private resort community on Long Island. The project included a fine dining restaurant, catering facility and home delivery. He saw this as a great opportunity to learn the "ins and outs" of restaurant construction and design. Lake moved back in to the city and in 2002 took the stoves of Rosa Mexicano, upon the completion of the project. While at Rosa Mexciano, he was able to not only improve its product, but again garnered great reviews with Zagat calling Rosa Mexicano the gold standard for Mexican cuisine in New York and the Village Voice saying "wonders of wonders a chef change has made Rosa Mexicano, the best expensive Mexican in the city." In 2