Celebrity Kitchen

In the Kitchen with Rob Carson
of MIX 107.3

Carson's remodeled kitchen is now on par with the quality of his cuisine.

Written by Marion Butterworth
Photographed by Omar Salinas

If a good cook is one who puts something of himself in the preparation, then MIX 107.3 afternoon host Rob Carson is a great one. His passion for cooking prompted him to remodel his kitchen to create a workspace that comfortably accommodates at least two cooks and lots of friends.

Carson takes a moment away from cooking to
nuzzle daughter Avery.

Wanted: Function with Flair

Carson and his wife Kelly’s move to D.C. a few years ago brought with it some surprises.

“Coming from Cincinnati, we had a bit of a culture shock because of the price of homes here. We chose this house because of its large lot,” Carson says. “The kitchen’s layout was functional, but it had dated appliances, worn surfaces and a ceiling damaged by water.”

Although this self-taught cook can turn out a gourmet meal for eight on a hot plate set atop an orange crate, Carson wanted a kitchen that was as stylish and sophisticated as his menus. He and Kelly wanted new appliances and a more contemporary look, but they “had a budget.”

Kitchen Confidential

The first thing they did was remove a little railing that separated the eating area from the family room. “We didn’t change the floor plan,” says Carson. “We didn’t move any walls.”

Instead, the improvements were largely cosmetic. “We replaced the tired vinyl flooring with 12 x 12 inch tumbled tiles and put in a central rectangle with smaller tiles in a herringbone pattern,” he explains. “We got that tile and the 1 1/2 inch square backsplash tiles that come in 1 x 1 foot sheets from Maryland Tile. We randomly placed metal tiles to break the monotony in the backsplash.”

Granite selection was effortless because Kelly knew exactly what she wanted. “We figured black wouldn’t look dated as fast as other colors might,” says Carson.

The flat-panel, amber-glazed maple cabinets combine smartly with stainless steel appliances and nickel pulls. “I call it ‘mission meets industrial,’” Kelly says.

In testimony to an organized cook, gleaming
stainless steel pots are staged for action atop the
Kenmore stove. Randomly placed metal tiles in the
backsplash repeat the sheen of the stainless steel
GE Advantium® oven.

All of the appliances are new. “My ideal would have been a six-burner range with a hood, but we didn’t have room for that. Instead, we got a GE Advantium® oven that is both a microwave and convection oven and has an exhaust in the bottom that vents the Jenn-Aire cooktop,” he says.

A deep, stainless steel double sink accommodates large stock pots, and a Kenmore Elite dishwasher speeds cleanup. “I overruled Kelly, who wanted a refrigerator with a bottom freezer drawer, and got a Kenmore side-by-side instead because they have more freezer space,” Carson says.

Kelly came up with the idea of putting a wine rack flanked by glass-front cabinets under the raised bar that separates the kitchen from the family room, increasing storage space and enhancing the view from the family room.

They also installed some glass-front cabinets in the kitchen, choosing “rough glass with bubbles in it. We wanted it to look antique-ish, and we didn’t want to be able to see the sippy cups and Barney plates” for toddler Avery, Carson says.

It’s All About Food and Friends

Carson loves to cook for—and with—friends.“ I love entertaining and having friends over to enjoy a meal,” he grins. “The reason I started cooking is that I like watching people enjoy the food.”

Friends and fellow gourmands Mike Mattison and Kathy McPherson and MIX 107.3 co-host Chilli Amar joined the Carsons on a recent evening for a feast and fete. “I don’t cook well for two or four,” he says. “I cook well for six to eight.”

Mattison and McPherson are unconventionally found friends. New to town a couple of years ago, the Carsons didn’t know anyone. Since the move coincided with the airing of the final episode of “Friends,” MIX 107.3 held a contest to help them make friends. People wrote in explaining why they should be the couple’s new friends—and win a catered meal for 50 and a flat-screen TV.

Carson and his MIX 107.3 co-host Chilli Amar
engage in lively banter whether at the dinner table
or in the studio.

A longtime MIX 107.3 listener, McPherson’s short winning entry said that she loved to cook, her husband was a home-brewer and they had a swimming pool. Carson was won over by McPherson’s brevity, lack of guile and their mutual interests.

What started as a contest ended in friendship, cemented by a mutual love of cooking and good food. After Carson delivered the prizes and dined with them, McPherson and Mattison reciprocated the hospitality by inviting him and Kelly to their yearly crab feast.

Carson dissolves into gales of laughter recounting how Kelly, a Midwesterner like himself, dressed in “white linen” to pick crabs. That’s become a favorite joke between the couples, who now cook together most weekends.

That evening, as McPherson bustled from stove to fridge to sink beginning preparations, Carson held court and orchestrated the action. “A lot of times when you have friends over, you feel like you have to do everything,” Carson says. “The best is when you get comfortable enough that you can cook together. We know each other’s kitchens by heart.”

Mike Mattison and Carson trade quips as they
tend the slowly roasting salmon.

A Meal in the Making

Outside, “grill master” Mattison flambéed mussels for the first course in an iron skillet over the blue-hot flame of a Cajun cooker. Carson loves this dish because of its simplicity. “This is so good and so easy; we should copyright the recipe.”

De-bearded mussels are tossed in the hot pan. As they begin to open, olive oil poured over them flames up dramatically.

Carson’s co-host Chilli Amar was given the unenviable job—for a novice cook—of throwing kosher salt on the mussels as they flamed, and she was clearly in fear of catching her hair on fire. But the resultant shellfish were succulent and the sauce perfect for soaking up with hardy French bread.

Inspiration: One Dinner at a Time

Back inside at the granite-topped bar that doubles as a table, the kitchen was redolent with the divinely comforting perfume of shallots sizzling in butter. “A lot of guys don’t cook. I want to serve as an inspiration for men to pick up their game a little bit and expand their horizons,” Carson says, describing his raison d’être. “Cooking is not just for women.”

And with that, the party moved to the dining room, where Carson and McPherson served herb-stuffed, slow-roasted whole salmon accompanied by chipotle cream sauce, creamy saffron risotto and haricots vert with caramelized shallots.

Crowned with pear compote, Kelly’s almond cake à la mode delivered a sweet end to a lovely evening.

Celebrity Dish

Salmon with Chipotle Cream Sauce



• 4-6 cedar, apple or pecan wood chunks or 4 cups wood chips
• 1, 4-6 lb. whole salmon, scales removed
• 10 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 20 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 lemons, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon coarse sea salt
• 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted

For the salmon:

At least one hour before grilling, soak wood in enough water to cover. Drain before using.

Season the salmon’s cavity with salt and pepper and place 1/3 of the lemon slices and 1/2 of the rosemary and thyme inside it.

On a piece of folded heavyweight foil that’s slightly larger than the salmon, put the other 1/2 of the rosemary and thyme and 1/3 of the lemon slices. Lay the salmon on top of the herbs and lemon. Brush the fish with melted butter and put remaining lemon slices on top.

Prepare grill and wood chips for indirect grilling. Test for medium-low heat above the drip pan. Place the foil with the fish on it on the rack and grill for 40-50 minutes, or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.

Remove from grill, cover with foil and let stand 5 minutes.

For the chipotle cream sauce:

In a small bowl combine 8 ounces of sour cream, 2 tablespoons of milk and 1 tablespoon finely snipped fresh chives. Add 1/2 of a canned chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, drained and finely chopped, and 1/2 teaspoon adobo sauce (or more for more heat). Makes one cup.

Saffron Risotto



• 4 cups vegetable stock
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup Arborio rice
• 1/2 cup chardonnay
• Generous pinch of saffron threads, crushed
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon hot water
• 1/2 cup of mixed Parmesan
• Asiago and fontina cheeses (optional)

Bring the vegetable stock to a simmer in a small saucepan.

Melt the butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion. Cook, stirring occasionally until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the rice and stir to coat with butter. Stir and brown for 5 minutes. Add the wine and simmer, stirring, until it evaporates.

Soften the saffron in hot water and add to the rice. Pour 1/2 cup simmering stock into the rice and cook, stirring constantly until water is absorbed, about 2 minutes. Continue adding stock 1/2 cup at a time, stirring until it is mostly absorbed before adding more. Continue adding stock as needed until rice is tender but still firm, about 25 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Mix in cheese, if using.

Individual Almond Cakes
with Pear Compote

For the cake:



• 11 oz. almond paste, cut into small pieces
• 3 eggs, room temperature
• 6 oz. brown butter, melted and cooled
• 4 oz. sugar
• 3 oz. all purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

Using whisk attachment, combine almond paste and sugar in mixer. Slowly drizzle in melted butter, making sure that all lumps disappear and that the batter does not separate.

Add eggs one at a time. Mix well for several minutes on medium-high speed to incorporate air so that the cakes will rise properly.

Sift flour and baking soda over mixer and mix on lowest speed, very briefly, only until ingredients are combined.

Spray tins or molds with cooking spray, then fill 1/2 to 3/4 full with batter. Bake at 350° until golden brown and cake has pulled from the sides, about 20-30 minutes. Makes eight 3 x 1-inch cakes.

Note: This batter will keep, refrigerated, for up to one week.

For the pear compote:



• 4 pears, peeled and sliced
• 1 1/2 cups to 2 cups sugar
• Pinch cinnamon, clove, nutmeg
• Dash Amaretto

Toss pears with sugar, spices and liquor. When juices begin to release, place fruit into saucepan over low-medium heat. Cook until pears are soft and juices have thickened. Serve cold over warm cake with a scoop of top quality vanilla ice cream on the side.

Recipe compliments of Lia’s Restaurant in Chevy Chase

To find out more about Rob Carson, visit his website at robcarsononline.com