Q&A With Jennifer Jaskinski at the Aspen FOOD & WINE

As part of the FOOD & WINE Classic in Aspen, we're coming at you live from the Eater Lounge at the Limelight Hotel. This year we're by the pool; if you're in the neighborhood, do come say hello. If you're not, watch for Q&As and more throughout the day.

We chatted with chef Jennifer Jasinski of Rioja today and she shared her plans at the Aspen FOOD & WINE, thoughts on her new restaurant, and her strategy for Grand Cochon. On July 8, her new restaurant, Stoic & Genuine, will open to the public in the new Union Station project. This coming Sunday, as the winner of Cochon 555 Denver, she will compete in Grand Cochon. Bring the crown home, chef Jen!

What is your strategy for Grand Cochon? Overall world domination. We are going to come in and crush it. Just world domination.

What are you making? It's three dishes. We took the two strongest dishes at the Denver event. People thought they were awesome and we are bringing them back. First, we have the posole, which is made with belly, some pork trim, and a chicharone tequila lime salt. And there's the fat-poached loin. We brined it first, rendered fat from the pig, and poached it in it. This is served with eggplant Xo sauce and a jelly dash. Our third dish is the mortadella sandwich, which we also had in Denver but we tweaked it a bit. We tried to get smarter on execution and create that perfect bite.

What are your plans while in Aspen? Tonight, I am meeting friends. We are definitely going to the Patron party. We normally hang out a the Sky Hotel a lot. Really what I am trying to do up here is hang out with friends and catch up. I really want to visit chef Bryan Moscatello at the Little Nell.

Tell us about the opening of Stoic & Genuine. We are still on track for the opening as planned. We should be up and running and open to the public on July 8.
We really should be in Denver right now getting ready for that.

What makes you nervous about the opening? At one point you figure out how many moving parts there are and how many things you still need to get done before the opening. When it comes to training 24 cooks on how to make things, it is not easy. That i just the back of the house part. There's the front of the house and the rest of the restaurant. Just a lot of moving parts.

What's the most exciting piece of the new restaurant? The granita bar will be off the hook because it is something completely different that anything else people are doing now. And the space looks amazing.

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