20 Questions with Doug
Doug Toliver can pinpoint the exact circumstances of when we first met. “It was your espresso brownies, I’ll never forget it! I ate so many that I couldn’t sleep that night. I’m obsessed.” We catered hundreds of parties together with our friend Luisa, Charleston’s caterer to the stars. When one of Luisa’s clients was in search of a private chef, she sent Doug in to interview. He worked for them for 12 years and recently switched gears to cheffing at the Saint John XXIII Pastoral Center.
Cooking is a second language to Doug. He grew up in the kitchen and recalls picking lettuce from the backyard garden to make the salad right before dinner. Tonight he is bringing dinner to the home of a mutual friend whose wife is going through cancer treatment. Rather than drop off a covered dish, Doug offered to cook in their kitchen and have the kids play along. He’s a gem!
What’s your 20 minute recipe? Chicken Marsala with mushrooms, garlic and Marsala wine or Chicken Piccata with white wine, lemon and caper sauce. It’s quick and easy, boom boom boom and I’m eating.
What’s your favorite city? I’m gonna say Frederick, Maryland in the Allegheny Mountains. It has great food with an eclectic restaurant scene. I have friends there who I visit regularly. It’s 17th century old, really fascinating. with great shops.
What’s your Favorite restaurant in your current city? It was the South Hills Market and Cafe. It’s no longer open. It’s where I always took my friends from Maryland. I haven’t been going out much lately.
Treasured find in the back of your fridge? Buttermilk. I’m in this buttermilk phase now. I soak chicken in it, make cornbread.
Who taught you to cook? My mother. I was Spanky in the Little Rascals. I was ALWAYS in the kitchen! My family can’t tell my cooking apart from my mother’s. I was in charge of Sunday dinner. We always had a garden growing up. After the summer harvest, we planted all the greens.
Surf? or Turf? SURF! I can’t tell you the last time I ate a steak.
What’s on your cooking playlist? 80’s R&B. I love my 80’s R&B!
Coffee, tea, or Kombucha? Coffee, French roast. I love a strong intense smoky brew.
Most stained cookbook? I download a lot of recipes, mostly from the Food Network. I’m amazed that I can print from my phone! I love the Neely’s potato salad recipe. It’s better than my mama’s!
Indispensable kitchen tool? A Spurtle, it’s a ladle and spatula in one. I can flip, stir or mix with it.
Staple childhood comfort food? There’s so many! I remember having chicken noodle soup and PB&J when I wasn’t feeling well. When I have that now, it takes me right back to my mom.
What’s your go-to dish for company? When my friend group gets together they say, “Doug, you’ve gotta make your kale and collard greens.”
Who would you most like to share a meal with? past, present or fictional? I would love to sit down with Patti LaBelle. I would love to cook with her and then sit down and eat with her. I would thoroughly enjoy that!
Best thing you’ve ever eaten in an airport? I had a great breakfast on the way back from San Francisco.
Ideal grilled cheese? I just made one the other day. I like Muenster and double up with another cheese. I like a big ol’ slice of tomato with a little dollop of Duke’s. Butter on the outside.
Favorite pizza topping? Caramelized onions and roasted whole garlic cloves.
Where would you want to take a cooking class? Your kitchen. I LOVE April’s kitchen! I want to learn those broth recipes and red beans and rice, dirty rice, too! You are my sensei!
What’s your Counter Intelligence cooking tip? Keep your knives sharp and clean as you go.
Three things next to your stove? Butter dish, olive oil, pepper grinder.
Favorite Sports Team? I’m a tennis fan. I like Grigor Dimitrov from Bulgaria. Wimbledon is my favorite tournament. The grass, the lawn, the prestige!
Chicken Piccata over a bed of linguine and broccoli in twenty minutes flat.
Chicken Piccata
Doug likes to serve this with linguine. Start your pasta water, gather your ingredients and in 20 minutes you’re ready to feast. I add broccoli to the pasta cooking water a few minutes before the al dente timer.
8 ounces linguine
2 cups fresh broccoli florets
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
4 boneless chicken breast cutlets
1/3 cup white wine
1/2 cup chicken stock
zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon butter at cool room temp
1 tablespoon drained capers
thin lemon slices for serving
BRING a pot of salted water to boil and cook the linguine until al dente, adding the broccoli 3 to 5 minutes before the pasta’s finished cooking time. Drain and set aside until the sauce is ready.
HEAT 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
COMBINE the flour with the salt and pepper in a large shallow plate. Dip the chicken into the flour mixture and press lightly to coat on both sides, shaking off the excess flour. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the flour for the finishing sauce.
COOK the chicken in the hot oil until golden brown and turn to just cook through, about 4 minutes per side. Cook in batches if necessary to avoid crowding the skillet. Transfer the chicken as it’s cooked to a plate and repeat with remaining olive oil and chicken if working in batches.
POUR the wine into the skillet and scrape up any brown bits. Reduce the wine for a minute or so, then add the stock and lemon zest and juice.
MASH the butter with the reserved tablespoon of flour and roll it into 5 or 6 small marble sized balls. One at a time, whisk the butter-flour balls into the sauce in the skillet, then stir in the capers.
LIFT the cooked linguine/broccoli into the sauce in the skillet and toss well to coat. Lay the cooked chicken breasts on top and place a lemon slice on each.
SERVE a twirl of linguine/broccoli onto each plate and top with a chicken breast. Drizzle any extra sauce over each serving.
