​This is part three of Rease Kirchner's Chef's Choice profile of Devi Gurung States. Part one can be found here. Part two, a Q&A with States, is published here.

Rease Kirchner

Fresh Mixed Vegetable Tarkari from Everest Cafe.

Chef Devi Gurung States of Everest Cafe is committed to healthy food and healthy living. He is also a serious vegetable lover. He claims that in his home country of Nepal, vegetables are often overcooked, which makes them lose not only flavor, but also nutrients. For this recipe, he would like to remind the readers that using fresh ingredients and not overcooking the vegetables is essential.

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Emily Wasserman

This is part three of Emily Wasserman's Chef's Choice profile of Jamey Tochtrop. Part one can be found here. Part two, a Q&A with Tochtrop, is published here.

Although Jamey Tochtrop of Stellina (3342 Watson Road; 314-256-1600) is best known for making handcrafted pastas, he is also known for making daily menu changes and creating innovative flavor combinations. He sources his ingredients from local farms and puts a unique twist on more classic fare. Tochtrop's beet terrine is one such dish, showcasing his culinary creativity as well as his commitment to sourcing local ingredients. Fresh beets, juicy Granny Smith apples and crunchy walnuts combine to form one colorfully presented tower, and the dish is garnished with olive-oil powder and a dollop of rich mascarpone cheese. You might ask: Why mascarpone, beets and olive-oil powder? We asked the same question. But we guarantee that with one taste, you'll appreciate the method behind Tochtrop's madness.

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This is part three of Stacy Anderson's Chef's Choice profile of Jason Tilford of Milagro Modern Mexican. Part one can be found here. Part two, a Q&A with Tilford, is published here.

Stacy Anderson

A big part of chef Jason Tilford's history as a chef and his current work at Milagro Modern Mexican (20 Allen Avenue, Webster Groves; 314-962-4300) is bringing the freshest and most authentic ingredients to his customers. The key to some of his best dishes is that they're often just as healthy as they are tasty. This is what inspired his ceviche; it's something he's not only proud to serve his customers, but himself and his family as well.

Tilford's son Julian watches with wide eyes as Tilford marinates the tuna and dices an avocado with the swiftness and skill of someone who's done this a few times before. Tilford works dutifully to layer the ceviche in the ring mold, and carefully laid strips of jicama (a Mexican root vegetable) atop the fresh fish and salsa. Served with fresh tortilla or plantain chips and a margarita on the rocks, this dish is the perfect example of the lighter side of Mexican fare that chef Tilford hopes to bring to those who visit Milagro.

And when Julian was asked whether he liked ceviche? He simply gave a sheepish grin and a nod.

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This is part three of Mabel Suen's Chef's Choice profile of Mike Warhover of Baileys' Range. Part one can be found here. Part two, a Q&A with Warhover, is published here.

Mabel Suen

Smoked onion rings with housemade chipotle catsup at Baileys' Range.

Chef Mike Warhover's approach to "simple food done right" takes classic American fare like burgers, french fries and onion rings to a whole new level with deliberate, effective flavor accompaniments. His recipe for smoked onion rings with chipotle catsup features many levels of subtly complex infusions. It starts with stove-top-smoked onions and a surefire beer batter and ends with golden rings fried to perfection served with a spiced catsup that would make its generic grocery-store counterpart shudder to the back shelves in shame.

Attempt Warhover's approach in your own kitchen and proclaim yourself a deep-fried- victual master! Perhaps the title of condiment king or queen would better suit your kitchen victory.

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This is part three of Stephen Fairbanks' Chef's Choice profile of Cassy Vires of Home Wine Kitchen. Part one can be found here. Part two, a Q&A with Vires, is published here.

Stephen Fairbanks

Crustless Buttermilk pie with lemon creme anglaise and lemon zest.

Cassy Vires, chef-owner of Home Wine Kitchen (7322 Manchester Road, Maplewood; 314-802-7676), spent summers at her grandmother's home in Chattanooga, and even today there's a strong Southern influence on her cooking style.

When asked to prepare a dish of her choosing for Gut Check, she selected Crustless Buttermilk Pie. "It's a Southern dessert," she explained. "Something you just kind of whip up on a Sunday morning. It's easy and quick to make." She adds, "I tell St. Louis people it's like the gooey layer of gooey butter cake."

Vires serves the pie sliced into a four-inch square, garnishing the plate with lemon crème anglaise and shaving some lemon zest onto the pie itself. The resulting flavor profile is predictable, but no less delicious for it. The pie itself is rich with butter and milkfat, with a hint of vanilla sweetness.

Most important, Vires notes, "It's idiot-proof!"

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Savannah Dodd

Read more about Marianne Prey and Extra Virgin: an Olive Ovation here.

Marianne Prey is an olive-oil enthusiast. She approaches the different varieties and flavors scientifically and is able to recommend the best oil to fit each customer's particular preferences and needs.

"My palate has become more sophisticated from having the store, more fine-tuned and discerning," she says. "I have learned a lot and gained technique, and my cooking has changed."

Prey, an enthusiastic cook, relies on olive oil for most of her recipes and does not keep any other oil in her house. She concedes that "some recipes need butter," but does not rely on butter as a primary ingredient in her cooking.

"I buy butter once or twice a year," Prey confesses. "It stays in the freezer for so long that I end up throwing it out. Despite the myth, you can most definitely cook with extra-virgin olive oil."

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This is part three of Mabel Suen's Chef's Choice profile of Jimmy Hippchen of The Crow's Nest. Part one can be found here. Part two, a Q&A with Hippchen, is published here.

Mabel Suen

Chef Jimmy Hippchen's pulled-pork sandwich with cilantro barbecue sauce.

Anyone who's been to the Bleeding Deacon Public House knows that its claim to fame is stick-to-your-gut American-style comfort food made with a fistful of enticing flavors. Chef Jimmy Hippchen learned his stuff in the Deacon's kitchen, and he stays true to it at the helm of Bleeding Deacon proprietor Mike McLaughlin's brand-new venture, the Crow's Nest.

"We have something for everyone but aren't necessarily catering to everyone," says Hippchen, explaining that his eclectic menu hits the basics expected at a bar-and-grill type eatery but with different components than merely traditional fare. Such is true of one of Hippchen's latest concoctions: a pulled-pork sandwich with cilantro barbecue sauce, which varies from the norm with the adventurous addition of a fruity slaw topping dressed in apple-mint vinaigrette. Try Hippchen's recipe at home to get a new flavorful profile for a favorite American dish in a fresh, delightful light.

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This is part three of Mabel Suen's Chef's Choice profile of Todd Lough of Bixby's. Part one can be found here. Part two, a Q&A with Lough, is published here.

Courtesy of Bixby's

Chef Todd Lough's cooking is likened to the overall setting at Bixby's. Located on the second floor of the Missouri History Museum with a serene view of Forest Park outside its floor-to-ceiling windows, the restaurant presents itself as simple and clean with a heavy emphasis on localism.

"I think it's traditional American fare that's all about being seasonal, locally grown and locally harvested," says Lough. "We try to be family friendly, and we also like to have great stuff for people who really like good food."

Lough's shrimp soft tacos dish, featured on Bixby's new fall menu, displays an array of colors to match the autumnal view, with enough flavors to call to life the vibrancy of the city itself. Bring the feeling to your own kitchen with chef Lough's recipe below.

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This is part three of Emily Wasserman's Chef's Choice profile of Steve Komorek of Trattoria Marcella. Part one can be found here. Part two, a Q&A with Komorek, is published here.

Courtesy of Trattoria Marcella

After spending 12 weeks in Tuscany, it's safe to say that Trattoria Marcella's (3600 Watson Road; 314-352-7706) Steve Komorek knows his Italian food. And when we say Italian food, we're not talking about your average spaghetti and meatballs. Italian cuisine varies depending on the region, and ranges from hearty rabbit stews to wild-chick peas. Of course, there's always the same standout ingredient: extra virgin olive oil.

Komorek's recipe for meatballs with creamy polenta is no exception to this rule, as the meatballs alone call for 6 tablespoons of Olive Oil, and another 6 are used to make the sauce. Soft, milky breadcrumbs and a generous helping of Parmigiano Reggiano round out this Tuscan-inspired dish. The recipe is perfect for a crisp fall evening, and will keep you warm through the upcoming winter months. After only a few bites, you'll be living la dolce vita.

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This is part three of Emily Wasserman's Chef's Choice profile of confectioner Casey Shiller of Jilly's Cupcake Bar. Part one can be found here. Part two, a Q&A with Shiller, is published here.

Emily Wasserman

Banana toffee cupcake.

Walking into Jilly's Cupcake Bar (8509 Delmar Boulevard, Ladue; 314-993-5455) is like walking into a proverbial minefield. Except instead of being bombarded by bullets or other hazardous items, your nose is invaded with the smell of freshly baked cakes, and your eyes will widen at the enormous selection of sinful treats. The bakeshop's "Everyday Delights" range from the "Bee Sting," a vanilla cake with honey lemon curd stuffing, to the Reese's, where Reese's Pieces cover practically every square inch of the peanut butter and chocolate buttercream swirl frosting. Guests can also sample executive pastry chef Casey Shiller's newest cupcake creations featured during Jilly's appearance on the Food Network's Cupcake Wars. A standout favorite is the banana-toffee cupcake, known on the television show as the "Space Monkey."

The soft, moist banana-toffee cake is filled with a crunchy, caramely dulce de leche center, and is topped with a generous portion of caramel cream cheese swirl and chocolate astronaut ice cream. In keeping with the War's mandated outer-space theme, a small chocolate star poses on top of the veritable mountain of sweet icing. This cupcake is not for the faint of heart, but then again, neither are the rest of Shiller's creations. If you've been searching for bananas foster rolled up into cupcake form, or just have been yearning for the melt-in-your-mouth taste of caramel, toffee and cream, look no further than this cupcake.

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