My Cooking Philosophy:
The Best Ingredients Make the Best Meals At the heart of my cooking is a core belief: the best ingredients make the best meals. Just as a vintner can’t make great wine from mediocre grapes, a chef can’t create exceptional dishes from subpar ingredients, no matter how skilled the technique or advanced the tools. |
The foundation of great cooking starts with selecting ingredients at their peak — when they are in season. This ensures the freshest, most vibrant flavors, and the highest nutritional value. But peak flavor and nutrition also begin in the soil. I believe in sourcing food from naturally occurring polycultures — growing environments rich in diverse organisms, microbes, and ecosystems. These healthy, biodiverse systems produce food that’s nutrient-dense and naturally more flavorful. I also make it a point to abstain from using GMO ingredients or anything that isn’t certified organic. This is the way our ancestors did things — growing food that was clean, pure, and nourishing. I honor this tradition by supporting producers who sustainably farm and raise food organically, which in turn helps build a healthier food system. By doing so, we not only increase nutritional values and enhance flavors, but we also contribute to a healthier planet. |
Simplicity and Balance: The Heart of Great Cooking
As Julia Child famously said, “You don’t have to cook fancy or complicated masterpieces — just good food from fresh ingredients.” I wholeheartedly agree. A great meal doesn’t require excess fuss or complicated ingredients. It begins with the very best ingredients, paired with good technique and a careful balance of sauces, oils, herbs, spices, and ferments — like lovers dancing in harmony. I am fascinated by the science of flavor, balancing salty, sweet, sour, bitter, umami, and fat. Mastering this is the key to creating the most satisfying and entertaining dining experiences — where every bite delights and every flavor sings. Add to that an intriguing paring with wine and nothing could be more satisfying! |