By Eric Allen, News Staff

Hamburger? No. Pizza? No. Savory ham-and-cheese pastry with tomato jelly and microgreens? Um, yes.
Renowned Boston chef Barbara Lynch cooked that hors-d’oeuvre in the Xhibition Kitchen in Stetson West last Thursday.
‘I jumped at the chance to come down here [to the Xhibition Kitchen],’ said middler political science major William Joyce.
The counter was set with eggs, yams and herbs, among other things, when Lynch began cooking. She and her assistant made the ham-and-cheese appetizer for the audience that filled Xhibition Kitchen ‘- mostly adults, but there were a few students too.
First, she rolled out pastry dough and smeared on honey mustard she made on the spot, meanwhile suggesting alternatives like a savory chutney. Next, she added grated Gruyere cheese, layered slices of Tuscan ham that had been cooked with rosemary and topped that with another layer of pastry dough. That went into the oven, and after it came out, it was cut into squares and finished off with tomato jelly and a microgreens (tiny green leaves).
The dough was soft, not crispy, and the ham and mustard blended into a rich, deep flavor that pulled out with an aftertaste of fresh tomato and the microgreens had a slight crunch.
Prompted by an audience member’s question, Lynch made a pasta dough from flour, eggs and salt.
‘Watching her make the pasta dough [was my favorite part],’ Joyce said. ‘It helps seeing someone make it. It makes way more sense than reading in a cookbook.’
During her cooking demonstration, Lynch told the audience about growing up in Boston and her experiences as a chef. Her Fort Point restaurant, Drink, was her ‘version of a dive bar,’ she said. Her next venture, she said, will be a restaurant next to another one of her restaurants, Sportello, also in Fort Point.
After her demonstration, she signed her cookbook, ‘Stir,’ for audience members.

When she was finished, she answered three questions for The News:

Huntington News:’ Why did you come to Northeastern?
Barbara Lynch:’ Because I was asked to come here. Oh, and I heard about the kitchen.

HN:’ What is one essential tip for a beginner cook?
BL:’ Sharp knives. [For cooking only, she clarified.]

HN:’ What is your favorite meal?
BL:’ Seared duck.

[She said her favorite meal should be pasta, and after being prompted by an attendee, decided her favorite meal was seared duck with a side of pasta.]