Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/56679
L 40 eah Caplan is, in a word, measured. No culinary pun intended; it's the truth. Not showy or flashy, she is calm and considered. As she walks the aisles of Metcalfe's Market on the near west side, she surveys the work of her team: A deli case full of items made entirely from scratch using local organic dairy products, local produce bursting with color dis- played like a miniature farmers' market, and fresh specialty foods flown in from culinary meccas such as Italy. They are products that have come to be expected at the family-owned grocery store, thanks in large part to Caplan. It may be the last place you'd expect to find a renowned chef with an international back- ground, but for her, the store has become a second home. With more than two de- cades of culinary expertise, global travels BRAVA Magazine February 2012 and food innovation under her belt, it's the place where Caplan's lifetime of ad- ventures in the world of food have come together. More than just a chef who can whip up a delicious work of art, Caplan has made an art form out of supporting the local food scene—creating connections between farmers, restaurateurs, casual diners and the booming business behind it all. While all this might be in line with cur- rent trends throughout the food world, for Caplan, the business of fresh eats has been a lifetime in the making. Caplan didn't grow up on American clas- sics like meatloaf and mac-n-cheese. So it's not surprising that as she lingers over coffee and muffins at a café not far from her east side home she answers the first question without skipping a beat: Her favorite local restaurant? Himal Chuli. "It's like comfort food to me," she says of the Nepalese dishes served at the State Street eatery. Today, she is back in Madison, the city she has called home on and off throughout her life. A childhood that started in Rock- land County outside of New York City took her around the world. Her middle school years were spent in Hong Kong and she graduated high school and enrolled in college in Japan. It was a childhood where exotic flavors and new cultures gave her a decidedly global perspective on traditions found the in kitchen. Couple this view with her family's in- volvement in foodie endeavors—includ- ing two aunts who built careers in food magazine editing and food styling, and her parents' passion for fine wine and good food no matter what country they called