Arms burned by sizzling oil were a rite of passage for Rich and
Steve Janisch. Nowadays, the brothers shuffle past each other with
the ease of veterans, tossing mouth-watering ingredients into giant
pans while dodging 8-foot flames.
Gilroy – Arms burned by sizzling oil were a rite of passage for Rich and Steve Janisch.
Nowadays, the brothers shuffle past each other with the ease of veterans, tossing mouth-watering ingredients into giant pans while dodging 8-foot flames.
The Janisch brothers are among the 18 “pyro chefs” who dazzle crowds by searing calamari at Gourmet Alley, the massive food operation at the heart of the Gilroy Garlic Festival.
“People are fascinated by those flames,” said Steve Janisch, 46, “I’ve seen guys sit there for hours and just watch.”
The older brother has a few more years under his belt than Rich, having started his career as a pyro chef at the second garlic festival in 1980. For the last 17 years, he has served as the lead organizer for the group, training chefs in cooking techniques and safety.
Rich Janisch, 37, went through the training 13 years ago, after spending several years parking cars, working the Garlic City Fun Run hot rod show, and helping with other volunteer tasks related to the festival. But fire was his true calling.
“I always remember when I was a kid coming here and leaning on the fence,” Rich Janisch said, referring to the barrier separating wide-eyed crowds from the line of pyro chefs. “I’d watch my big bro’ cook and I’d say ‘One day I’m going to do that too.’ ”
Outside the Garlic Festival, Rich works as a youth probation counselor for Santa Clara County and Steve is the golf pro at San Juan Oaks Golf Club, near Hollister. But for one weekend out of the year, the brothers attain the closest thing the festival has to rock star status, performing for crowds that often stop up foot-traffic in the passageway between the north and south sides of the festival grounds at Christmas Hill Park.
On the cooking line Friday, the brothers wove past each other heaping garlic, pesto, marinara sauce and spices into each others pans before dumping out a steaming pot of seafood.
The secret to a tasty dish is to avoid over-cooking, said Steve Janisch, explaining that the calamari takes no longer than three minutes (They know it’s done when the pieces start curling into the shape of small seashells).
The synchronized maneuvering of the chefs captivated festival-goer David Pinto for several minutes Sunday afternoon.
“I like how they’re handling the hot pans without getting burned,” said Pinto, 51, of Fremont. “It’s all about safety, safety, safety. The flames are cool, too.”
The Janisch brothers are among the most visible members of the massive food operation known as Gourmet Alley.
More than 1,000 people work under the sprawling tent at the heart of the Gilroy Garlic Festival, cooking and selling everything from calamari and scampi to garlic sausage and penne con pesto.
Though the festival packs in a full roster of bands, cooking shows and other entertainment, the pyro chefs have managed to attain a legendary status above the rest.
What is it that draws people to the pyro chefs?
“It’s the fire,” said Steve Janisch.
His younger brother has a slightly different take.
Said Rich Janisch: “It’s the show.”
