Behind the Scenes at Lyric: The Singing Chef

You already know that Lyric’s General Director, Leon Natker, is multitalented onstage and off. The talented singing actor also conducts and directs, and runs the company and the theatre. But did you know he happens to be a gourmet cook as well?

Leon calls cooking “a hobby I started at Juilliard because I was tired of eating canned tuna and hamburger all the time.” In those days, Leon explains, college students didn’t have computers and videogames to take up their spare time, so he thought he’d take some cooking classes to see what he could do on a tight budget.

Leon’s Juilliard roommate was the actor John de Lancie (now best known for his recurring role as Q on “Star Trek: The Next Generation”), whose father, the late John de Lancie, was the principal oboist of the Philadelphia Orchestra. De Lancie the elder helped pay for Leon and John to take cooking classes, in part, Leon thinks, because he was tired of constantly taking the perpetually broke students out to eat during his frequent visits to New York.

Cooking has remained a lifetime passion for Leon, who has continued to take every opportunity to learn new techniques and recipes. In Chicago, he was even the sous-chef for a time at the Halsted Street Fish Market, the first fish-only restaurant in Chicago. “I learned how to fillet a fish, shuck oysters, open clams, you name it.” Leon has also planned vacations around cooking classes, including a cooking school tour of Thailand and another in China. Although he says his favorite type of cuisine is “whatever I’m doing at the moment,” he has a special fondness for Chinese cooking. “I love the variety of Chinese cuisine, it’s imply amazing,” he says. “I also love what you might call Continental cooking – French/Italian, what the Italians would call ‘cucina povero,’ simple, poor people’s food. You can make a lot with a very little if you just know some techniques.”

Anyone who’s been lucky enough to be invited to a dinner party at Leon’s house can attest to his skills, which came in handy during the years of fundraising for the restoration of the Birch North Park Theatre. Intimate dinners for six or eight, with Leon as chef, proved a popular auction item at fundraising events. “Jack and I really enjoyed those dinner the most, although we also love giving large parties for the cast of whatever show is currently in production,” Leon says.

Here’s one of Leon’s favorite recipes of the moment:

Summery Grilled Pork Chops

4 thick cut boneless pork loin chops

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

2 teaspoons grated lemon zest

1 tbsp. fresh ginger, finely chopped

2 teaspoons prepared Chinese mustard (you can use Dijon if you can’t find the Chinese variety)

Mix to the marinade together well, place the chops and marinade in a

sealed plastic bag for at least two hours.

Sauce:

1/4 cup cider vinegar

1 tsp sugar

4 - 6 dried prunes, chopped

Grill the chops so that they are still juicy and just a little pink inside. The time will depend on your grill, five minutes to a side is a good judge. Place them on a plate and cover while you prepare the sauce.

In a skillet, bring the vinegar, sugar and prunes to a boil, lower the heat and reduce the liquid by 1/3, pour over your chops. They are ready to serve.

Serves 4

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“Jazz in North Park” Heads Into Summer with Denise Donatelli and the Geoffrey Keezer Quartet

Lyric’s series of jazz concerts, “Jazz in North Park,” heads into summer at the Birch North Park Theatre with Denise Donatelli and the Geoffrey Keezer Quartet, on Wednesday, July 7, 2010.

“The love for jazz is evident when Donatelli sings, as each note opens with the vibrancy of a lush flower and holds with the precision of a long-time student of the art. With picture-perfect pitch and a crystalline quality to her higher notes, she presents a vocal palette that is appealing, energetic, enticing, and sensual.” – Jordan Richardson, blogcritics.org

Born in Allentown, Penn., Denise Donatelli was drenched in music from an early age. She has performed in jazz clubs and jazz festivals across the country. Her first CD, “In the Company of Friends,” was released in 2005 on the Jazzed Media label and her 2008 release, “What Lies Within” on the Savant Records label, debuted on the National Jazz Week Chart at #15 and peaked at #11. Her upcoming release with pianist, composer/arranger, Geoffrey Keezer, who will join her on this double bill, is scheduled for a spring 2010 release. 

Keezer, who now lives in San Diego, is an immensely talented pianist who, at 17, joined the great Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, then went on to perform with Art Farmer, Ray Brown, Christian McBride, Jim Hall, and countless others. His own projects cover a wide range of musical expression from acoustic jazz to electronica to diverse world-music collaborations including his 2009 Grammy-nominated CD “Aurea.” Joining the quartet for this performance is San Diego’s favorite guitarist, 
Peter Sprague.

Jazz in North Park is presented by Lyric Opera San Diego in collaboration with Music Director Holly Hofmann, in association with KSDS 88.3 FM) radio. Tickets are $27 for adults, $15 for students. Show Lyric or KSDS membership card and save $5 off single show tickets. Tickets and information: www.birchnorthparktheatre.net or (619) 239-8836.