Category: Chefs

Chefs, events, restaurants

Hierarchy of Taste Keynote at IACP (and academic discount!)

Understanding global shifts in chef-driven movements, including how the fine dining umbrella becomes larger, is at the core of much of my work. So it’s an honor to explore this subject with some of the finest minds in the land for the Saturday keynote of the 2018 IACP conference, on Saturday, February 24 in New York. Follow the link to register (day passes are available; … Continue reading Hierarchy of Taste Keynote at IACP (and academic discount!)

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books, Chefs, pastry, writings

Payard Cookies

Payard Cookies was published in November 2015. Third-generation pastry chef François Payard shares his favorite cookie recipes—the bestsellers at his popular New York City patisseries and cafés, the recipes he learned from his father, and the ones he makes at home. They range from the simplest sablés (butter cookies) to the most picture-perfect macarons, with everything in between: unassuming spice cookies, jam-filled linzers and other … Continue reading Payard Cookies

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Chefs, Mexico, non-New York, restaurants, writings

Memories of Mexico, Old and New

I first went to Mexico as a backpacker over winter break in 2007. My total budget for three weeks and 5,000 kilometers was $500, which ended up covering transportation, lodging, food, drinks, and a healthy dose of souvenirs and presents. Swiss friends drove down from Mississippi, picked me up in Louisiana, and drove on down to the border. We left the car in Laredo, Mexico … Continue reading Memories of Mexico, Old and New

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Chefs, events, non-New York, writings

Madrid Fusión 2013

The 11th edition of Madrid Fusión, which took place January 21-23, focused less on dazzling with technique and more on expressing sensitivity to one’s physical and cultural environment. It can be safely assumed that immersion circulators, rotary evaporators, and other modern technologies are very much part of the everyday repertoire of the chefs featured, and that for most of them, “creativity continues”—this year’s theme—beyond technology, … Continue reading Madrid Fusión 2013

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Chefs, CIA, events

Beaten, Seared, and Sauced

These days, it’s rare that I get to read a book that will keep me up at night because I just can’t put it down, not because I need to finish it to construct an argument around it for a presentation or my dissertation. Jonathan Dixon’s Beaten, Seared, and Sauced: On Becoming a Chef at the Culinary Institute of America initially caught my attention because … Continue reading Beaten, Seared, and Sauced

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Chefs, cooking techniques, Resources, writings

What to Say About Modernist Cuisine

I wrote an article about Modernist Cuisine: The Art and Science of Cooking, an interview with Nathan Myhrvold, and a profile of co-author Maxime Bilet for the ICE newsletter. I’ll post some of that when it comes out, but this is more of a stream-of-consciousness post to try and understand why it was so hard to write about a book I’ve been hearing about since … Continue reading What to Say About Modernist Cuisine

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Chefs, events

For Grant Achatz, Focus is on Emotions, Interactions

“Being creative as a chef is not mimicking what you see in Tokyo or Bangkok,” said Grant Achatz, the chef-owner of Alinea in Chicago, at the Institute of Culinary Education last night. “It’s being inspired by that. It’s reactions to influences, whether those are reading a book, walking down the street, or looking up something online. Creativity is really unpredictable, and can come from anywhere.” … Continue reading For Grant Achatz, Focus is on Emotions, Interactions

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Chefs, cooking techniques, events, Resources

Working with Natural Discoveries in the Kitchen: Ángel León

This afternoon, Blue Hill and the French Culinary Institute hosted a demonstration by chef Ángel León of Aponiente in El Puerto de Santa Maria, Andalucía, Spain, featuring his work with products from the ocean. León is the son of a fisherman and serves creative seafood preparation in his 25-seat fine dining restaurant, inspired by the great knowledge of the sea and its products that he … Continue reading Working with Natural Discoveries in the Kitchen: Ángel León

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Chefs, kitchen tools, Resources

Heston Blumenthal and Sous Vide

Today, I got to hear Heston Blumenthal talk about a new piece of equipment that will allow people to cook food sous vide at home. He consulted on the development of SousVide Supreme, created by Drs. Michael and Mary Dan Eades. I arrived late because I was attending a talk by Jurgen Habermas and Charles Taylor earlier that afternoon, so missed the founders’ introduction and … Continue reading Heston Blumenthal and Sous Vide

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