Behind the scenes with Chef Roland Hernandez, Executive Chef at Remington Park

1) When did you know you wanted to become a chef?

I always knew I wanted to cook just by watching my Mother cook growing up. I wanted to do this professionally when I was 16. I started washing dishes in a small restaurant in my home town. Seeing  the cooks on the line having a good time and leaving to go home before me,  I decided that's what I want to do.

2) What was your worst kitchen disaster?

1992…. The chef in a restaurant were I was working walked out. I had been working there for only 2 weeks. The manager came to me and said, "Roland, chef's out. You're in". I only new the pantry station, not knowing any of the rest of the menu, ticket times ran anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour. Needless to say, most of the guests ate a free lunch that day. It is still known today as "Black Sunday"

3) What would you say is your best masterpiece in the kitchen?

      "Hat Gala" 2010.

• Salad- Micro greens and mini herbs in a parmesan basket with lingonberry vinaigrette
• Entrée- Pan-seared filet of beef with with a savory zucchini pancake, bleu cheese mashed potatoes, and a red onion marmalade
• Dessert- "Shuss" Lemon pound cake layered with a raspberry mousse and a black pepper- balsamic raspberry reduction

4) Do you do the cooking at home?
No. My wife does. She is an artist. I teach her cooking techniques and she teaches me how to draw and paint.

5) If you had to cook a nice meal in 30 minutes, what would it be?

A seafood pasta dish in a white wine and garlic sauce.

6) Can you describe a prize-winning dish?

A simple dish with minimal ingredients, beautifully presented and true to it's nature.

7) What do you think is the hardest dish to cook?

I've been doing this for almost 25 years now, so cooking is second nature. Baking, on the other hand, is what I DON'T like to do. I can, but I don't have the patience. Baking is too much of a science and I'm more of an instant gratification kind of guy.

8) What do you love about your job?

The stress and pressure. I must love that, otherwise I wouldn't do what I do…
But, mostly I love the people I surround myself with. I have a great team of very talanted individuals, when put together run Remington Park like a well-oiled machine.

9) If you could dress any way you, what would you wear in a kitchen?

A chef's coat and blue jeans.

10) Your favorite kitchen joke?

Kitchen jokes are usually quite colorful and have to be censored for public consumption. My kids will be reading this and should not know what Papi says at work. LOL…  

Meet Dana Kirk, Our Team Member of the Month!

Overseeing basically anything that is printed at Remington Park, Dana has probably touched almost everything you see in the way of signage or other materials on property.   

Passionate and tireless, especially when it comes to the major presentations concerning the biggest events at Remington Park (like the Oklahoma Derby and the special color program insert that requires extreme detail) Dana will often stay through the entire night’s racing program to ensure a production project she is on continues to progress or gets put to its final bed. This includes the tremendous patience practiced while waiting for the writers she works with to turn their materials over so she can finish.

Dana began her run at Remington Park in 1997, joining the team in an event whirlwind of a Kentucky Derby weekend and getting married. Hired to compile the daily/nightly live racing program, her role quickly expanded to include all simulcast materials and eventually property signage, supervising printing and supplies, to assisting with all things marketing when that department had a much smaller staff than the current configuration.

A horse lover, Dana has added to her workload by taking on the second job of managing a racing stable and overseeing the well-being of her athletes when they are living on her property.


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