SOBEWFF: Menu Masters, Half 4

Timon Balloo

Chef at: The Katherine (723 E. Broward Blvd., Fort Lauderdale)

SOBEWFF Occasions: Dinner hosted by Balloo, Tiffany Derry and Jeff Masanz (Feb. 24); The Cookout, hosted by JJ Johnson and Dwyane Wade (Feb. 25); and Farmer’s Market Brunch, hosted by Michael Schwartz (Feb. 26). After taking part within the dinner at The Bathtub Membership that’s a part of the Eater Occasion Collection, Balloo heads to the Cookout for a walkaround occasion at 1 Seaside Membership that celebrates African-American delicacies. From there, Balloo concludes his busy SOBEWFF weekend at a walkaround brunch that honors the group’s farmers and cooks who place a precedence on sustainability and regenerative farming.

The Dish: Caribbean-style curry pumpkin served with black lime, curry leaves, citrus and garlic. “At a sure level in my profession, I reconciled with my father—I used to be raised by my single mom—and I discovered extra about his heritage in Trinidad [his father is Indian; his mom is Chinese, Indian and Black, also from Trinidad]. Professionally, I hadn’t cooked Caribbean meals. It was all the time saved for the house. I didn’t wish to function it within the kitchens I labored as a result of I used to be slightly embarrassed of my tradition in culinary phrases. A lot of my profession had concerned wonderful eating and Euro delicacies. In these kitchens, it was thought-about avenue meals, peasant meals. However right now, there’s a lot extra understanding, consciousness and acceptance for ethnicities. I’ve discovered this joyful platform to lastly specific all of me.”

About Timon: The James Beard nominee has been the toast of the Miami foodie group since launching Sugarcane Uncooked Bar Grill, the worldwide small-plate sensation between Wynwood and the Design District. He’s equally revered for elevating Caribbean delicacies (with Southeast Asian influences) at Balloo in Miami, which closed as a result of COVID (Timon is hoping to revive it). His Broward outpost, the Katherine, “is all of the layers of our hospitality group and its progress.”

Opening Eyes and Palates: “Between know-how and all of the cooking exhibits, individuals are turning into extra accustomed to new elements, new cultures,” Balloo says. “As we see eating places open all over the world, there’s extra willingness to strive these completely different cuisines. Meals is soul; we discover one thing we join with in numerous cultures. In that sense, it’s like a type of diplomacy. So, cooks are stewards—we will present diners the place dishes and elements come from. We discover relevance and similarities [amid cultures] in our cooking, and we kind these bonds. You see it with all of the multicultural eating places rising.”

Love Story: Although he’s had profession highlights in Miami, Broward stays essential to him—it’s the place he met his spouse, Marissa, as a teen.

The Cookout: “It’s nice to see an occasion that represents the African-American and the Afro-Caribbean footprint in South Florida,” Balloo says. “It’s one other layer of tradition that wants recognition. To be a part of that platform and to assist to unfold that message by my car, delicacies, is humbling.”

Contact: 723 E. Broward Blvd., Fort Lauderdale; thekatherinerestaurant.com

Images by Eduardo Schneider