Henk Drakulich is our Chef of the Month for April!

April 7, 2016

La Brea Bakery Café La Brea Bakery Cafe

468 S. La Brea Ave. Downtown Disney

Los Angeles, CA 90036 1580 S. Disneyland Dr

Anaheim, CA 92802

When did you know you wanted to be a chef?

The chef seed in me was planted early when my mom took me to my first cooking class when I was 8 years old. That seed germinated while in college when I first stepped into a professional kitchen and knew that I had found my calling.

What are your hobbies outside of the kitchen?

I like to think that I have lots of outdoor activities to keep my mind busy but ultimately, my favorite moments away from work are spent cooking and eating with my closest friends…sprinkled with an occasional round of golf on a beautiful SoCal day.

Everyone remembers their first encounter with burrata. What is yours?

Even though I grew up in Italy, I never had the pleasure of trying burrata until I was in the US.The first time I remember trying it was when I moved back to LA after working in Europe and judging from where I had it, I think it’s a strong possibility that it was Di Stefano Burrata.Start with the best, right?

If you could make dinner for one person, who would it be?

Without a doubt, it would have to be my mother. I wouldn’t be in this business if she hadn’t taken me with her to those cooking classes at such a young age. I’ve been a chef for over 20 years and she still sends me recipes every couple of weeks. Our mutual love for food has led to many wonderful hours spent together in the kitchen.

What is your favorite dish to cook and why?

Coming from the Veneto region in Italy, I would have to say risotto.The versatility in flavor combinations make it fun to experiment with.The attention to detail it takes to get it cooked just right makes it a continuous challenge.I’ve comfortably resigned myself to the fact that the rest of my culinary days will be spent in pursuit of the perfect risotto and I’ll most likely never get there.It will be fun trying though.