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West Virginia-based chef Richard Rosendale demands only the best from himself—and his kitchens. As the executive chef of the world-famous Greenbrier resort, he presides over 12 restaurants and bars that serve more than 5,000 meals every day. A fanatic for cooking from scratch, he creates dishes based on available ingredients from the resort’s 44-acre farm, including fresh stocks made daily and mint chocolate-chip ice cream that incorporates fresh mint from the farm. Rosendale is also a stickler for details in his kitchens’ design. He’s created five new onsite restaurants at the resort, for each of which “everything was measured out to the inch,” he says. “I’ve gone in with chalk before construction and drawn out where the gas connections were going, where the stove was going to be—I’m relentless about planning and organization.”
Though his kitchens are impressive, Rosendale begins his efforts toward excellence with himself. One of less than a hundred Certified Master Chefs in the country—a distinction that requires passing a rigorous eight-day-long exam—he’s been classically trained throughout Europe and in five-star restaurants across the U.S., including the French Laundry. He was also part of a five-person team that earned three gold medals in the 2004 World Culinary Olympics. His biggest test yet will come in January at the prestigious Bocuse d’Or, where he’ll be competing in Lyon, France, for a world title that no American has ever won. “It’s a test of a lifetime,” he says. “I’ve been steering toward it my whole career.”
So what does such an accomplished (and friendly) chef use in his own kitchen? Rosendale shared some of his top product picks with Cultivate.
1. A Perfect Pizza Stone
Photo: Courtesy of Williams-Sonoma
"In our Italian restaurant at the Greenbrier, our pizza oven is a showcase right in front of guests—it’s a coal-burning, artisan-style oven," Rosendale says. "It would be a lot easier to put in gas oven that doesn’t require someone to watch it like crazy, but we always do things that are driven purely by quality. At home, I use a pizza stone."
Emile Henry pizza stone, $49.95, Williams-Sonoma
2. Frozen Asset
Photo: Courtesy of Polyscience
"I see no reason that you can’t bring modern equipment into the home kitchen. I have an Anti-Griddle at home that freezes food instantly when you put stuff down on it. At a chocolate festival, I did pudding pops, folded in whipped cream and chocolate chips, put a lollipop on them, and people loved them. It’s so easy."
Anti-Griddle, $1,235, Polyscience
3. Iron Giants
Photo: Courtesy of Williams-Sonoma
"I like a mixture of both new and old—I have some cast-iron pans that my grandmother gave to me many years ago, and I use those for breakfast potatoes or cooking bacon. For my son’s birthday, we invited a bunch of people over, and I made a big batch of baked beans in the cast iron pan. I started them on the stove in the house, then took them out onto the grill and smoked them for the last 40 minutes. I pulled the pan onto the middle of the table, and they were delicious."
Lodge mini cast iron skillets, $19.95 for set of two, Williams-Sonoma
4. Spin Doctor
Photo: Courtesy of Williams-Sonoma
"I have a garden at home," says Rosendale, "and I love to go outside, pick kohlrabi or herbs, and make a really nice salad. My wife and I are particular about cleaning off the salad greens, so I use my spinner often."
OXO stainless steel salad spinner, $50, Williams-Sonoma
5. Starter Knife
Photo: Courtesy of Amazon
"I really want to get my son excited about cooking. I found this plastic lettuce knife—it’s kind of sharp, but safe for a kid to use. Cooking is really important for kids to get comfortable with; even if my son doesn’t choose cooking as a profession, it’ll make him a good catch for his future wife."
Zyliss Lettuce Knife, $4.99, Amazon
6. Stuff It
Photo: Courtesy of Williams-Sonoma
"I have a very old sausage stuffer that my grandfather gave me. It’s cast iron and huge, and it’s a constant reminder of my grandfather, who was very good at charcuterie. He had his own farm and cured his own bacon and hams. It’s an extension of me today—I’m a craftsman like my grandfather; he just applied it in a different way.
KitchenAid sausage stuffer attachment, $15, Williams-Sonoma
7. Under Pressure
Photo by: Courtesy of Williams-Sonoma
"Braising at home is a lot of work," says Rosendale, "but with a pressure cooker, it’s so convenient, and the product that comes out is so fabulous. I’ve been using it for braising veal cheeks and oxtails—it extracts so much of the collagen and gelatin and flavor out of whatever you’re braising making it widely tender, and it’s really quick.
Fagor 6-quart stovetop pressure cooker, $139.95, Williams-Sonoma
8. Chill Grill
Photo by: Courtesy of Big Green Egg
"I cook all this really refined food at work, but at home, I love smoking turkeys on the grill and cooking with wood and making paella. The things I make at home are comfort foods, really common stuff."
Big Green Egg grill, contact local dealers for prices
9. Turning Japanese
Photo: Courtesy of Williams-Sonoma
"Chefs have a tendency to buy tools even if we don’t need them," says Rosendale, "so I have no doubts I will be purchasing another knife after the Bocuse d’Or, even though I could not buy another knife for the rest of my life and be just fine. I’m trying to support the country and buy U.S.-made equipment, but in my dream kitchen, I would definitely have a pantry stocked with Japanese knives."
Shun classic paring knife set, $99.95 Williams-Sonoma
Bonus: His Source of Inspiration
Photo: Courtesy of Museum SOS
"My mom gave me this magnet the night before the Bocuse D’Or tryouts in New York. I thought it was cool and put it on my stove. At the awards ceremony, I told everyone we were taking the magnet to the finals in Lyon and that we were going to imagine being the first U.S. team to make it on the podium—that’s the goal."
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