The Guru of Gastronomy

Photos: Chris Emeott

Ken Galloway whips up high-end cooking and dining experiences.

A delicate fried potato ring sits atop a piece of tender, pork tenderloin glistening in a savory, glossy glaze. Through the aroma of roasted root vegetables with a spritz of lemon wafting in the air, chef Ken Galloway was in his foodie paradise. Dashing from the residential home kitchen through the cool, crisp autumn air to the small wedding reception in the backyard, Galloway’s passion was put to the test—in this unconventional set-up, he made sure that despite the lack in professional equipment, each guest received their gourmet food piping hot.

He was definitely in his element.

With an emphasis on healthful and passion-filled cooking, Galloway through his business, Galloway Culinary, develops consulting plans and creates gourmet, multi-course meals for customers in intimate settings, such as small occasions and dinner parties. Using his expertise as a certified wine and spirits professional, and a former chef, Galloway, who describes his food as “high-end, creative, festive and artistic,” emphasizes that his work skews toward a more personalized cooking experience rather than large-scale catering and services.

Drawing inspiration from current trends and the skillsets of other top chefs around the world, he says that he gets most excited when he pursues new things like trying unfamiliar foods and different approaches for preparing it.

And what makes his experiences so unique is his ability for his customers to craft the experience themselves. In addition to his personalized experiences for small parties, Galloway Culinary also provides training for small country clubs and restaurants, and creative services for individuals like wine education, cooking classes and digital tutorials on YouTube.

“I’ve always liked to eat,” Galloway says. “And I think that this is just an outlet for my creative abilities to do things hands-on.”

And he creates wonderful memories for his customers.

Falling in Love With the Food

After spending nearly two years planning her October 2020 wedding in Colorado, bride Gabrielle Bunten, and Jayme Vainer, event planner with Stylish Details, had to quickly alter plans due to COVID-19. Transforming the large out-of-state wedding to a small 25-person gathering in the yard of Bunten’s parents’ home, they began to reach out to friends and family for local suggestions on catering and other wedding services. Through Bunten’s hairdresser they discovered Galloway Culinary, and a dinner test-run was scheduled.

Falling in love with the food and impressed by his skillset, Bunten knew that Galloway Culinary was the perfect fit for the occasion.

“He was very creative, and you can tell that he had a really big passion for what he does,” Bunten says.

And Vainer also had high praise for Galloway.

“He was so great to work with,” Vainer says. “He was so organized, he had a game plan, and he was very professional.”

The Wedding Menu:

• Elaborate charcuterie spread
• Tuna poke (pronounced poh-keh; a raw-fish salad) on a caramelized pineapple slice
• Warm autumnal salad with confit tomatoes (slow cooked with olive oil), arugula, basil pesto and seasonal squash topped with burrata cheese
• A choice between a roasted pork tenderloin on a bed of whipped potatoes with roasted root veggies and a short rib croquette (a small roll of chopped vegetables, meat or fish, fried in breadcrumbs) drizzled in a red wine demi-glace (a rich brown sauce), topped with a fried ring of potatoes, or a miso-glazed (miso, a paste made from fermented soybeans, soy sauce, ginger and sesame oil) Chilean sea bass on a bed of spinach, and farro risotto (a hulled wheat grain cooked in stock) with roasted root vegetables in a lemon tarragon Beurre Blanc (a butter-based sauce) with preserved lemon confit
• Homemade pistachio honey ice cream to accompany the catered wedding cake

Ken Galloway shares one of his favorite recipes:

Seared Salmon Cakes with Sweet Chile Sauce
Serving: 6 Patties

• 2 lbs. of fresh Atlantic salmon
• 1/2 cup of fresh chives
• 1 tsp. of fine lemon zest 
• 1-inch piece of peeled
  and minced ginger
• 1 ½ Tbsp. of chopped capers 
• 2 Tbsp. of cilantro
• 1 Tbsp. of lemon Juice
• 1 fresh lemon 
• 1 Tbsp. of canola or avocado oil
• 6 oz. of sweet chili sauce
• Sea salt and black pepper to taste

1. Rough chop 1 Tbsp. of cilantro and dice the salmon into small cubes.
2. Pulse half of the salmon, chives, lemon zest, ginger, cilantro and capers in a food processor and mix until it is the consistency
   of a rough mousse. 
3. Transfer the salmon mixture into a bowl with the remaining diced fish and add lemon juice, salt and pepper. Mix by hand until it is well blended together.
4. Don’t overmix. The natural oils and the process of mixing half of the meat into a mousse holds the patties together, eliminating the need for fillers or eggs.
5. Form the mixture into 6 patties and place in the fridge for 15 minutes, or until firm.
6. Preheat the oil in a thick-bottom sauté pan or griddle on medium-high heat.
7. Cook each cake for 4-6 minutes on each side, or until they are 150 degrees F in the center.
8. Remove from the heat and let each cake rest 5 minutes.
9. Serve with sweet chili sauce, a cilantro sprig and lemon wedge for garnish.