Cookshelf: Ana Caballero - Cooking off the Clock
Purchasing Manager and Cook, Fork & High Street on Market
LIKE A LOT OF KITCHEN PROFESSIONALS, Ana Caballero doesn’t always want to cook off the clock. Unless, for example, a friend gets overwhelmed with a CSA box and sends her a photo of a jam-packed refrigerator. And issues an SOS.
“That really inspires my resourcefulness and creativity,” Caballero says. She has a special interest in sustainability—a subject she focused on while earning a masters degree in food studies—and a pronounced distaste for food waste. Among her varied duties at Fork and High Street, in addition to leading the sustainability efforts, she makes staff meal most nights.
“Because I keep track of what we have and what we’re ordering, no one knows better what we need to use up,” she says.
The daughter of an American and Honduran who met in the Peace Corps and went on to run a restaurant in South America, Caballero learned kitchen economy and cooking skills at their apron strings.
After college in Mexico and graduate school in Italy, Caballero moved to Philly and worked at Marigold Kitchen and A.Kitchen before settling in at Fork more than three years ago. In addition, she’s continued her culinary education by immersing herself in a wide range of cookbooks from around the world.
Over the years, Caballero has developed a special affinity for the work of Diana Kennedy, who has written nine authoritative books about Mexican cooking. Kennedy’s first book, The Cuisines of Mexico, first published in 1972, remains an undisputed classic as well as Caballero’s personal favorite.
“I bought my copy used years ago when I was visiting Austin for just $3. I was so proud of the bargain, I’ve never removed the price tag.”
Where Ana Works
Fork
306 Market St.
215.625.9425
ForkRestaurant.com
High Street on Market
308 Market St.
215.625.0988
highstreetonmarket.com
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