Creative people are drawn to advertising, but not necessarily to the creative department. Here at Peter Mayer, some of the most creative minds reside in places like the accounting department, strategy, account service and project management – as well as in creative.

When they’re not creating advertising, members of our team seek inspiration in other ways. Senior Art Director Blake Young has built a beautiful wooden boat. Senior Print Producer Nancy Agnelly designs jewelry. And Senior Proofreader Marc LaPorte plays in a local band. In this, the first in a series of interviews with Peter Mayer employees, Associate Creative Director Lori Archer-Smith sat down with Account Director Michelle Pucci to discuss her passion for the culinary arts. Watch this blog in the weeks to come to find out what inspires other Peter Mayer staffers after hours.

Lori: So, Michelle, for years I’ve been drooling over Facebook photos of meals you’ve prepared for your husband. How long has cooking been a passion for you? (Note: Michelle is married to Peter Mayer Creative Director John Pucci, who frequently posts photos of dishes with the line, “What’s for dinner, John?” on Facebook.)

Michelle: I’ve been really serious about cooking for – well, it’s been out of control – for the last five to seven years. But I’ve always been interested in cooking. I learned a lot from John’s father, who was a great Italian cook.

Lori: You’re from Minneapolis originally. Has living in New Orleans inspired you?

Michelle: Definitely. Having all this fresh seafood around me has really changed the way I cook. I’m also into barbecuing and the smoking culture of the South. I have an outdoor kitchen, and I’m usually out there all weekend watching a game and smoking something – meat, fish, whatever. I pretty much cook all weekend long.

Lori: So this truly is a passion.

Michelle: More like an addiction. And the more I cook, the more addicted I am to it. If I don’t cook, I go nuts. It’s like exercise is for some people. If they don’t get in that run, they don’t feel right all day. It’s gotten so bad that it’s hard for me to leave the house on weekends. Lori: Do you cook during the week or just on weekends?

Michelle: Oh, all week. That’s why I’m always bringing leftovers to the office. John can’t eat it all.

Lori: He is one lucky man.

Michelle: Well, he’s kind of the lucky recipient of my addiction. If I’m honest, I have to say I do a lot of this for me.

Lori: Does John ever cook?

Michelle: Actually, John’s a very good cook, but I don’t let him do it anymore. If he wants to cook, I’ll ask him for a week’s notice so that I can figure out something else to distract me from not cooking. His specialty is pasta and broccoli, which I have not been able to master for some reason. He’s teaching me, though.

Lori: Do you ask him what he wants for dinner?

Michelle: Yeah, but usually it’s just a formality. There are times when I do indulge John.

Lori: What is the most ambitious dish you ever prepared and how long did it take?

Michelle: Well, I cure my own meats so that can take six months. Also, I’ve roasted a whole pig. I’ve made a timballo from scratch. If you’re asking me about one single meal I would say a pastrami Reuben sandwich, better known as a Rachel sandwich. I made my own corned beef, by curing it for a week, then I spiced and smoked the corned beef which changes it into pastrami. I also made the rye sandwich bread from scratch. In total, this took over a week. But it was worth it because this was one of John’s requests that I actually fulfilled.

Lori: Do you cook all kinds of food or do you have a special area of expertise?

Michelle: I guess Italian is my main area of expertise – I make my own pasta – but I’m really into Asian cuisine. Wherever we’ve traveled last is usually my focus. We just got back from Vietnam, so I’m trying to replicate some of the cuisine that we experienced there. I live at Hong Kong Market.

Lori: What was the best thing you ate in Vietnam?

Michelle: It’s an amazingly simply dish called Banh Xeo. It’s basically a coconut milk and rice flour crepe filled with pork belly, shrimp and bean sprouts. I’m already trying to master this here at home. That and lotus tea, which I now make on a daily basis.

Lori: You seem to travel for inspiration as well as relaxation. Where have you been and how do you choose where you go?

Michelle: We’ve been to Thailand, Malaysia, Turkey, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Panama, Barbados, Ireland… We love the beach.  We tend to go places with a food and fishing culture. And when we go to these places, we eat where the locals eat. We eat street food and at local hangouts.

Lori: What’s that like?

Michelle: It can get uncomfortable sometimes – they’re like, “What are you doing here?” But that’s how we learn. About food, about people, about the world in general.

Lori: You said you learned a lot from John’s dad about Italian food. Do you yourself come from a long line of great cooks?

Michelle: My family cooks, but I wouldn’t say they’re addicted to it like me. I’m half Polish and half German, so there are some ancestral dishes I learned from my grandmothers.

Lori: I went to school in Wisconsin. German food can be amazing.

Michelle: Yes! I love making my own brats from scratch. John also loves this Polish dish I make called Halusky. It’s homemade dumplings with sautéed cabbage, onions, bacon and butter…delicious.

Lori: Describe a couple of other dishes you make.

Michelle: This past winter, I was really into making beef pho. It takes a whole day just to make the broth. I made it pretty much every weekend. I also make pasta and meatballs quite often. This is John’s favorite meal and I learned how to make this from his father. However, I’ve evolved his version of the meatball recipe by using brisket. The fat content of the brisket gives the meatball this amazingly rich flavor.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lori: Has John ever not liked something you’ve prepared? If so, does he tell you the truth?

Michelle: Oh, yes. There are plenty of things that I make that don’t turn out.The one thing I insist on is the truth about my food. I want constructive criticism. Failing is part of the creative process.That’s why I love feeding leftovers to our coworker and friend Mike Heid. He tells me the truth.

Lori: Do you bake as well as cook?

Michelle: I bake my own bread but baking really isn’t my thing. It took me five years to make bread the way I like it. You have to be too precise with the ingredients. I like things where I can experiment more.

Lori: What kind of bread do you make?

Michelle: Ciabatta, French bread, Middle Eastern flatbreads. I make my own hot dog buns. I try to make everything I serve from scratch.

Lori: Don’t tell me you make your own hot dogs.

Michelle: Yeah, I do. And lots of other sausages like brats, Polish sausage and boudin.

Lori: So Fourth of July at your house must be quite an event. Do you do any other special dishes for holidays?

Michelle: Christmas at our house is known as “the five-day cooking extravaganza.” I made my own turducken once. I deboned the duck, the turkey, the chicken, made the boudin stuffing. It turned out pretty good.

Lori: I debone one chicken breast and I’m done. Are you a patient person by nature?

Michelle: I’m fairly patient – especially when it comes to cooking. I kind of have to be, given the way I like to challenge myself.

Lori: What other stuff have you done for the holidays?

Michelle: Well, we now have this traditional Christmas morning breakfast of bagels and lox. I make the bagels from scratch and cure the salmon myself. You’d be amazed at how simple it is to make homemade lox.

Lori: Wow! I’m usually running around looking for the tape dispenser on Christmas morning. What about desserts?

Michelle: I’m not that big on desserts. I’ll do requests but mostly I make homemade ice cream. Pear pistachio is my favorite. I’m going to try pomegranate and chocolate chip next.

Lori: So how do you stay so thin?

Michelle: Most cooks will tell you that when you’re cooking and tasting all day, the last thing you want to do is eat what you just made.

Lori: So you really don’t eat it?

Michelle: I sit across the table from John and watch his reaction. Then I make something simple for myself that has a completely different flavor profile than what I’ve been tasting all day. I’m big on pasta with butter and a little salt.

Lori: Let’s talk some more about how New Orleans has influenced you.

Michelle: The culture of New Orleans is all about food and sharing that food with your friends and family. You can walk down any block in the city at any given time and there are always these delicious aromas wafting from people’s backyards and kitchens. Lots of other cities in this country are food-obsessed or foodie towns, but food is central to the culture of New Orleans. It inspires my obsession on a daily basis.

Lori: I love that, when New Orleanians evacuate for a storm, they bring the photo albums and the recipe box.

Michelle: Actually, before every evacuation I end up cooking like mad to get everything out of the freezer in case we lose power.

Lori: Who is your favorite local chef?

Michelle: I love what Donald Link is doing at Peche, Herbsaint and Cochon. He works with the local farming and fishing communities to source his ingredients. His cooking is also firmly rooted in the cuisine of South Louisiana. His cookbook Real Cajun is one of the best cookbooks I have. I also really respect John Besh for similar reasons.

Lori: Do you eat out a lot?

Michelle: Not that much. Mostly I check out menus online and try to make the food at home.

Lori: If you had to choose, what is your favorite New Orleans restaurant?

Michelle: I love Coquette. It’s inspired by traditional New Orleans cuisine but the chef makes it eclectic and eccentric somehow – taking New Orleans to a different place.

Lori: Do you have any tips for any would-be chefs out there?

Michelle: Keep it simple and start with the freshest ingredients (I learned that from John’s dad). Experiment, always taste and be ok with making mistakes – that’s the only way you’ll get better.

Lori: Is there a restaurant or a B&B in your future?

Michelle: That’s the dream. Hopefully on a beach somewhere. John is an amazing designer of spaces. He’ll create the space, I’ll cook for people. John will also wash the dishes.