There to Here: Mark Stern, Soup Nation

(In the first installment of a series, Che Underground: The Blog considers how a young San Diego show promoter became a Eugene, Ore., soup titan. Plus: a bonus after-party recipe from Mark! If you’d like your story told, e-mail cheunderground@gmail.com!)

The last time we were in the same town, you were playing in the Frame and promoting gigs in SD and Orange County at spots like Greenwich Village West, Big John’s and Club Cult. How did you move from there to the culinary arts?

I started at a steak-and-seafood joint as a dishwasher in Mira Mesa when I was in 10th grade, moved into doing salad station. There were all these “college” girl waitresses who would flirt with the new kid.

After that I got a job across the street at Chuck E. Cheese, doing pizza, and I would go out and do promos as the rat. My favorite was when they had me do an event for kids with Daryl Strawberry, then a Padre, who took me aside roughly when he thought I was upstaging him and whispered, “Take it easy, Chucky.”

Scotty Nichols and I opened a then brand-new Denny’s in Ranch Bernardo, where I learned how to line cook and expo. Since then, I’ve worked in hotels, Spanish, veggie, Greek, up-scale deli, wine bars, catering, private chef, etc. Throughout my career, I’ve had the good fortune of working with a lot of talented chefs, from old-world grandmothers who brought their best into their restaurants to cookbook celebs.

From you to Jason Seibert to Tommy Clarke, a lot of the people in our scene have moved to cooking. What do you think is the connection between the DIY of rock ‘n’ roll and cuisine?

With the freedom afforded by poverty, I’d say the manipulation of all things Top Ramen.

Tell us about the birth of Soup Nation and Carte Blanche Caterers. How’d you become the leader of the band?

Ha. I never have liked people telling me what to do, I suppose, especially when I believed I could do better for myself, by myself. I started Carte Blanche as a Soup Carte on the UO Campus in 1997. I had graduated from college at a ripe old age and didn’t know what on earth to do with my humanities focus (great conversationalist, lousy job ops) and combined my culinary skills and penchant for organizing events into a business. Viola!

The soup emphasis came out of the flexibility of soup as a vehicle for a wide array of different cuisines, its ease to scale, and its unique concept as a comfort food everyone can relate to, from Bangkok Sweet Potato to Vegan Split Pea to Home-Style Beef Stew to Feta-Stuffed Lamb Meatball.

I built the soup cart with a friend of mine, and would shop, cook, vend, clean up and repeat every day, all by my lonesome, for the first year and a half.

I built the catering company off of the business interest of one pharma rep who enjoyed the soup carte. It’s now a full-service, off-premises catering company that does everything from boxed lunches to formal, plated events.

Speaking of which, how is running a kitchen like promoting a show?

Timing? Love of dissonance? Beauty from chaos? I like co-ordinating things, I like seeing schemes come to fruition, whether it pertains to my business or someone else’s. I love brainstorming, I love when seemingly disparate elements jive. I love talking about things I have no idea about, and seeing what sticks.

Did your experiences as a promoter shaped your work ethic and career choices?

As a business owner, most definitely. I am satisfying both the creative side and the coordinator/bullshitter side of myself. I’m in a place in my life where I accept the perfectionist, A-type, alpha, Virgo in me. I was 17 when I put together my first show at Greenwich Village West; just a kid trying to make a party happen. On that level, not much has changed.

Crock Pot Carnitas

This recipe is frickin easy. A one‐pot, all‐purpose Mexican feast. This is for all the working musicians and all of us hacks who wish after 30+ years they could be satisfied with their musical prowess. Some play, others can simply cook your grandma under the table. — Mark

Download this recipe as a PDF!

Go to your local Latino Mercado. Do not buy this stuff from Safeway, etc. Ever.

Brine:
1/3c Kosher Salt
T Whole Peppercorns
2 cloves Garlic, smashed
8c Cold H2O
2.5‐3# PORK shoulder, Butt
2‐3 cups Chicken/Beef broth (make your own or not)
1 lg Yellow Onion, diced
2 Bay Leaves

Spice Rub:
2T Cumin, ground
2T Oregon, Ground
3 cloves, Garlic, minced
1tea Cinnamon, ground
1tea Epazote (optional)

Wash your Butt. Always. Mix brine ingredients together, put yer Butt in it, leave in fridge a minimum of 4 hrs, max of 8. Drain, pat dry, ditch brine.

Rub yer Butt with spice mix to coat well. Put yer Butt in the crock pot. Cover with Bay, Onion, Stock. Turn on.

Cook 4,5,6,7,8, overnight. Whatever. It will make your whole house smell amazing and will make you the envy of your neighbors and an honorary Mexican (not really).

Accoutrements: FRESH corn tortillas, Cotija Cheese, Red, Green, Habanero Salsas and Hot Sauces (if you don’t already have these in your fridge, you never have lived in SD and should not read this blog ever again), Avos, Cilantro, Crema, Beans, Rice, and an Horchata.