Blue Hound Kitchen and Cocktails executive chef Dushyant Singh wants people to stop staring at their phones and socialize over good food.
That’s why he created his new cooking series, “In Season.” On the second Wednesday of every month at 5:30 p.m., the patio of the Downtown Phoenix dining establishment will transform into a scene straight from Singh’s backyard.
“Most of the series that you see, it’s very formal. What if people just come and have conversations with the chef and talk about anything and everything like you were at my house?” he says. “I just want you to kick back and relax and have a good time and not feel like it’s a stuffy environment.”
The series will feature a different theme every month. For March, Singh focused on his favorite seasonal produce like asparagus, Brussels sprouts and fava beans.
“I like to keep my ingredients simple for people to understand and relate to, but the flavors that I put in there might be unexpected for them,” he says.
For example, the Blue Hound menu features a grilled pork tomahawk that combines a sweet blackberry barbecue sauce with savory cornbread croutons.
The next event in the series will take place on Wednesday, April 8 and the theme is “Eat Your Greens,” at which Singh will demonstrate different ways to prepare green vegetables like artichokes, kohlrabi and green garlic and how to highlight their varying flavors.
On Wednesday, May 13, Singh will host a “Savor the Summer” event, which will focus on proteins you can enjoy by the pool like ceviche, sashimi and carpaccio.
Each “In Season” event will include beer and wine pairings. Singh didn’t want to complicate things with heavy, complex cocktails. “I wanted it to be easy,” he says.
Ultimately, he hopes to partner with other local chefs, brewers and winemakers to bring more awareness to the culinary community in Phoenix. His goal for the series is to introduce people to new cooking techniques, but also bring people together.
“I really do hope people make new friends out of me doing this,” he says. “Put your phone away, talk to somebody that you’ve never talked to, learn about their life, their experiences, talk to me about food… and have a great time.”
Tickets for each event are $30 and include tax and gratuity. Guests will receive a selection of bites prepared by Singh, a variety of beer and wine tastings and a small takeaway. “In Season” is limited to 25 people and can be bought out for events. Tickets can be purchased at eventbrite.com.
