Chef Biography
Jasper White was born in 1954 on a farm near the New Jersey shore. He credits his love of good food to his Italian grandmother. He began his cooking career in 1973, and after graduating from the Culinary Institute and working around the U.S., he then relocated to Boston’s Copley Plaza, the Parker House and the Bostonian Hotel in 1982, where he and Great Chef Lidia Shire introduced Boston to contemporary American cooking. In 1983 he took over an old molasses warehouse on Boston’s waterfront and transformed it into his elegant restaurant “Jasper’s”.
Great Chefs taped Jasper at this location in February 1993 for their Great Chefs of the East and Great Chefs-Great Cities television series. Chef Jasper prepared Salt Cod Cakes as an appetizer for The East series, and a Portugese Mussels entree for The Cities series.
In 1995, in the midst of Boston’s decade-long “Big Dig”, he boldly chose to close Jasper’s in 1995, and took time to write two cookbooks and consult for Legal Seafoods. In 1996, Great Chefs returned to Boston with Weber Grills, to tape a BBQ special Great Chefs Grill Out Boston when Chef Jasper prepared a Grilled Lobster and Grilled Calamari.
In May 2000, Jasper surprised everyone by opening a crab shack in Cambridge called “Jasper White’s Summer Shack”, a loud, energetic clam shack that has become a Mecca for seafood lovers. Its success has spawned four more Summer Shacks in the Northeast.
Recipes
Grilled Calamari with Tomato and White Bean Salad
Serving: 4 Print Grilled Calamari with Tomato and White Bean Salad By Great Chefs May 2, 2014 Make the most of summer’s fresh tomatoes by serving them like this, spread across greens in bright red slices, accented by seasoned white beans. Marinated grilled calamari is added at the last minute. Ingredients Dry white beans – […]
Grilled Lobster and Yukon Gold Potatoes
Serving: 2-4 Print Grilled Lobster and Yukon Gold Potatoes By Great Chefs May 2, 2014 The stars of the celebration, bright red lobsters, are grilled and basted with tomalley. The lobsters are served with grilled potato slices. Two 2-pound lobsters will serve 2 or 4 people, depending on how hungry they are. Yukon Gold potatoes […]
Old-fashioned Salt Cod Cakes with Bacon and Wilted Greens
Serving: 6-8 Print Old-fashioned Salt Cod Cakes with Bacon and Wilted Greens By Great Chefs April 29, 2014 Cod cakes are as much a part of New England as baked beans or lobster. Traditionally, they are rather heavy and blandly seasoned, but these are light and fluffy, and the potato coating adds a crisp texture […]
Portuguese Mussels
Serving: 4 Print Portuguese Mussels By Great Chefs April 29, 2014 After harvesting mussels on the New England coast, Portuguese families would cook them like this right on the beach. Chef Jasper White taps into Portuguese traditions with this combination of mussels and spicy sausage. Ingredients Sauce Olive Oil – 1/4 cup Bay Leaves – […]
Restaurant Information
Phone : 617-520-9500
Address : 149 Alewife Brook Pkwy Cambridge, MA 02140