Chef Brian Piasecki

BRIAN PIASECKI
CHEF DE CUISINE
CALIFORNIA GRILL

Brian Piasecki heads the culinary team at California Grill, located at Disney's Contemporary Resort. His passion for cooking started early, watching his mother as she prepared stews, roasts, chicken and dumplings and other comfort food for the family in Toledo, Ohio. At 15, he took a job in a local restaurant. “I felt so at home in the kitchen,” he says, “I never really considered another career.”

After high school, Piasecki entered Owens Technical College in Toledo to work toward an associates; degree in foodservice management. In 1991, at the age of 20, he left Ohio to join Disney's Culinary Apprenticeship program at Epcot where he worked in The Coral Reef, Land Grill Room, Farmer's Market and Odyssey restaurants. In 1992 he moved to Disney's Yacht & Beach Club Resort where he continued the apprenticeship program in the resort’s restaurant and banquet kitchens.

Piasecki’s on-the-job training next took him to Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa before he was elevated to restaurant chef at Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort in 1994. In 1996 he moved to the ESPN Club at Disney’s Boardwalk Resort as restaurant chef and was named head chef for the restaurant in 1997.

In May 1999, Piasecki became the chef at Coral Reef restaurant in Epcot’s Living Seas pavilion where he not only cooked, but also managed the receiving, culinary, bakery/pastry and stewarding departments. His Coral Reef experience further ingrained his growing appreciation of freshness, fully developed flavors and seasonal products.

From Coral Reef Restaurant, Piasecki traveled to World Showcase and the Canada pavilion as chef for Le Cellier Steakhouse in 2001.

Piasecki took the helm in 2007 at Jiko - The Cooking Place as Chef de Cuisine. Jiko means "cooking place" in Swahili, and the restaurant's masterful dishes pay homage to the African theme: berbere-braised lamb shank with toasted couscous and baby spinach; chermoula-roasted chicken with preserved lemons, kalamata olives, roasted garlic and harissa, and seared jumbo scallops with golden mealie pap and spicy tomato-onion chaka-laka. Traveling to South Africa to explore the cuisine, wine, and culture of the people while cooking with award winning South African chefs was a career highlight. Jiko - The Cooking Place attained AAA Four Diamond status and was awarded Wine Spectator’s Award of Excellence.

In January of 2009, Piasecki was named the Chef de Cuisine of the California Grill at Disney’s Contemporary Resort. Located on the 15th floor of the Resort, the on-stage market inspired kitchen boasts breathtaking views of the Magic Kingdom, Seven Seas Lagoon and nightly fireworks. The ever-evolving menu reflects the latest and freshest produce and seafood available. Piasecki leads his team of chefs and cooks to create inspired selections within the restaurant’s menu of award winning sushi, wood-burning oven flatbreads, unique first courses, seasonal cheese selections, and creative entrees. Since joining the California Grill, Piasecki has ignited the palates of many guests with game meat options. He has brought in many different types of sustainable meat to let the average guest explore the depths of his food. Piasecki has brought in ostrich, local rabbit, and bison to this resort restaurant. He has changed the dining element from a top-of-the-world aspect to one of the most unique and treasured dining experiences at Walt Disney World.

Recipes by Chef Brian Piasecki

Sonoma Goat Cheese Ravioli
Makes 8 large ravioli

1 pound soft mild goat cheese, crumbled
2/3 cup aged goat cheese, shredded
1/2cup seasoned bread crumbs
2 tablespoons store-bought basil pesto
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons roasted garlic puree (recipe follows)
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
⅛ teaspoon freshly ground pepper, or to taste
16 egg roll wrappers
1 large egg
1 tablespoon water for egg wash

Clear Tomato Broth with sauteed vegetables, optional (recipe follows)
4-8 teaspoons aged goat cheese, shredded
4-8 sprigs or pinches of baby basil leaves
4-8 teaspoons of high quality extra virgin olive oil
1. In a large bowl, stir together the fresh goat cheese, aged goat cheese, bread crumbs, pesto, olive oil, roasted garlic puree, salt and pepper until well combined.
2. On a work surface, lay out 8 egg roll wrappers and brush each with the egg wash.
3. Divide up the goat cheese mix into 8 equal portions or scoops and place those in the middle of each egg roll wrapper square.
4. Cover each square with the remaining 8 egg roll wrappers and use a round cookie cutter or ring mold to press down over the cheese mix to aid in the sealing. Ensure all of the air is removed from the ravioli. Then press all of the corners down all around the rest of the wrappers and use a larger cutter to cut the ravioli into a large round circle.
5. If you are not using the ravioli immediately, sprinkle them lightly with cornstarch, and store refrigerated between layers of waxed paper.
6. When ready to serve, cook the ravioli in a large pot of boiling salted water for 1 to 2 minutes. Drain completely.
7. Serve with Clear Tomato Broth and sauteed vegetables or chopped, seeded, ripe tomatoes.
8. Finish the plate with a sprinkle of the aged goat cheese, baby basil (optional), and a great quality extra virgin olive oil

Cooks’ notes: If you don’t want to make the tomato broth, top the ravioli with chopped, seeded, ripe tomatoes or a tomato juice “cocktail” also makes a suitable broth.

Clear Tomato Broth

Yields 4 cups

15 whole vine-ripened tomatoes
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil, 100%
3/4 cup red onion, julienne (about 1 small onion)
3/4 cup shitake mushrooms, stems removed and discarded, julienne
3/4 cup sun dried tomatoes, pack in oil, julienne
Kosher Salt to taste
Fresh ground black pepper to taste

1. In a blender, in batches, coarsely chop the tomatoes with the salt.
2. Place the chopped tomatoes in a large sieve lined with a double layer of damp cheesecloth, set it over a bowl, and let the mixture drain in the refrigerator for 24 hours to collect the liquid. Discard the tomato pulp and reserve the liquid.
3. In a medium to large saute pan over high heat, add your olive oil and start to saute the red onion and shitake mushroom together, seasoning well with salt and pepper for 2-3 minutes.
4. Lower the heat to low and add the sundried tomatoes and continue to cook for about 2 minutes.
5. Add your vegetable mixture to the clear tomato broth as you heat it for final serving of the ravioli.

 Roasted Garlic Puree

Yields 2 tablespoons

1 whole head garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Cut off the stem and top third of 1 whole garlic head.
3. Place the garlic on a sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil and drizzle with olive oil.
4. Wrap the garlic with foil, seal the edges tightly, and roast for 1 hour.
5. Remove the package from the oven, open carefully, and let the garlic cool slightly.
6. Scrape or squeeze the pulp from the garlic cloves.

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