He Cooks, Therefore He Is…
January 2008, Now You’re Cooking Section
Oklahoma Magazine – Shuman Publishing
Tulsa chef cooks for fun, sometimes necessity, but always demonstrates in an artful manner.

When James Shrader, chef and owner of the Palace Café, moved to Tulsa in 1996, he never thought he would own a restaurant.

Growing up, Shrader’s mom would work late and he would cook to pass away the hours before her arrival. “I liked cooking eggs,” he explains. “I wanted that perfect over-easy egg.” After mastering over-easy, he moved on to poached eggs, then steeped and then what he calls, “the perfect scramble.” Shrader says his mother inspired him to cook for himself. He would cook roast chicken, pot roast and a many casseroles for his family. “My first real dish to cook on my own was spaghetti with red sauce,” Shrader recalls. “I spent months perfecting my red sauce.”

In high school, Shrader learned to cook professionally. His school, in Kent, Wash., had a fully functioning commercial kitchen. “I trained under a Culinary Institute of America graduate and president of Washington State Chef’s Association at the time,” Shrader says. The CIA graduate inspired Shrader to cook professionally. He graduated from CIA in 1995.

Any day of the week, in Shrader’s kitchen you will be sure to find vegetable stock, seafood and local produce as these items are ingredients that Shrader could not live without. “With the global market being what it is today, I can serve fish in my restaurant that was swimming in the Pacific 48 hours ago,” Shrader informs. He also notes that local produce is the pride of Tulsa.

Shrader’s goals for the Palace Café include opening a full-service bar next door to the restaurant, improving consistency and service standards and realizing his dream of becoming one of the top fine dining restaurants in the Midwest.

The Palace Café serves brunch on Sundays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Shrader says this is the best time to bring the kids as French toast, scrambled eggs and bacon are on the menu, and kids can easily recognize these items. Shrader says he started with the goal of providing the absolute best food in Tulsa with a menu that changes constantly. For example, his Copper River Salmon is only in season for about a month a year. “When the salmon is gone,” Shrader explains, “Tulsans don’t get mad, they come back in for Halibut season or whatever else is fresh that month. Tulsa has made the Palace Café successful.” Shrader not only prides himself on his cooking, his “warm, inviting and private” restaurant and the ability to accommodate vegetarians, restricted diets and those with food allergies, but also his staff. “Our wait staff is knowledgeable in all aspects of our seasonal menu,” Shrader affirms.

So, what is in store for Shrader and the Palace Café in the future? “In 10 years, I will rule the world,” Shrader jokes. “Seriously, I’ll be on the corner of 15th and Peoria cooking the best food in Oklahoma.”

Apple Tart Tatin
10 Granny Smith apples
2 cups sugar
¼ cup water
¼ cup bourbon
¼ cup cream
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 ½ cups flour
1 cup butter
1 tsp. salt
½ cup water
Ice as needed
Equipment needed: vegetable peeler, measuring spoons, measuring cups, cutting board, knife, sauce pot, large mixing bowl, rolling pin, round cookie cutter muffin pan and quart measure.
METHOD:
1. Peel and core apples. Slice in 1/2, core and set aside.
2. Combine sugar & water in a thick bottom sauce pot.
3. Stir until sugar & water are blended. **Make sure not to stir the sugar mixture while cooking as it will cause the sugar to caramelize.
4. Boil sugar until caramelized. (dark golden brown).
5. Pull the hot sugar off the heat. Carefully, carefully add a little cream at a time to the lava hot sugar. Then carefully add the bourbon.
6. When the sugar mixture is settled down, return it to the burner & simmer until the caramel is smooth & silky.
7. Drizzle the hot carmel into a oiled muffin pan. Layer sliced apples over the hot carmel.
8. Top the apples with the pastry dough. (Recipe follows).
9. Bake @ 400 degrees until the carmel is bubbling and the pastry dough is just starting to brown.
10. Remove from oven & let rest for 10-15 minutes. Cover with a cookie sheet & flip over (carefully). Let the apples fall onto the cookie sheet slowly, allow the pan to stay flipped for about twenty minutes before removing it.
11. Reserve the apple tarts for dessert service in a covered container on the counter for service.