True Food Kitchen chef favors healthy, ethnic foods

Chefs can be both informative and entertaining. Chef Q&A offers a peek into the kitchens and minds of top Valley chefs.

Chef: Arik Markus of True Food Kitchen.

What are a few of your favorite local eateries? It really runs the gamut. I love True Food Kitchen's focus on healthy, fresh foods, and the salads and desserts at Juby True are killer. I may be a bit biased (both are Fox Restaurant Concepts brands). My family loves Joyride Taco House, but I get cravings for Tacos Jalisco that won't be stopped. Thankfully, they're open late. I also love the Penang curry and green papaya salad at Thai Basil, and enjoyed a really interesting meal at SumoMaya. And I'm still discovering new places.

Why did you become a chef? I get so much pleasure out of feeding and taking care of people, plus it's my creative outlet ... and I'm kind of an adrenaline junkie. I don't have any desire to jump out of a plane or drive a race car or anything, but the thrill of a busy service and driving the team to greatness is a rush that I just can't get enough of.

What's your new favorite ingredient? I've been playing a lot with Moroccan flavors lately, and finding a multitude of uses for preserved lemons. There's really no flavor profile quite like them, and they play so well with rich spices, whether with vegetables or proteins. I'm hoping to introduce them into my cooking in more ways.

What's the meal you dream about? I fantasize about cooking a feast alongside a Thai grandmother and taking copious notes and pictures. There's only one right way to make each Thai dish, and it's a cuisine that's been refined over hundreds of years. I want to learn the most authentic preparations from a master, and who knows better than Grandma?

Is there anything you would never eat? I'm already hyper conscious about what we buy for our home fridge. I'm very concerned about genetically modified foods and wish the Food and Drug Administration would insist on GMO labeling. I mean, there is a huge set of strict and specific rules around how frozen peas are labeled, but no requirements to label genetically modified foods. When I see a product like a GMO salmon that grows to 50 pounds in two months, I'm not touching it. No way. It's just wrong on so many levels.

What's your favorite comfort food? I was born in Israel, and there was always hummus in my family's house growing up. It's amazing how prolific the spread has become. Thankfully, it's a healthier alternative to so many processed snacks, and something I always feel good about putting in my son's lunchbox.

Details: Biltmore Fashion Park, 24th Street and Camelback Road, Phoenix. 602-774-3488. Scottsdale Quarter, Scottsdale Road and Greenway-Hayden Loop. 480-265-4500, truefoodkitchen.com.