Are there truly any ORIGINAL ideas in food anymore? Are there any undiscovered flavors, any creations that have not been created, or combinations that have not yet been…combined? This is the question, and one of the things that keeps me intrigued and searching for an idea that is all my own. Of course, I get inspiration from a vast array of sources, be it other chef’s recipes, something I had in a restaurant, saw on a TV show, or passed by in the window of a French café. It’s okay to take inspiration from someone else’s creation, just as long as you find a way to put your own twist on it.
What makes a dish unique, I believe, is when you tailor it to your own taste. Your own preferences will develop, define your style, and be what makes people want to cook YOUR food. It’s like an artist who has a specific eye, or style that become the signature trait in his work. You want a piece of their work because it’s that very style that makes his work something special, something unique. It’s the same for a chef. I remember falling in love with Jamie Oliver’s cooking. He played up the big, bright flavors of lemon, coriander, and red chili; it was a combination I hadn’t experienced before and I was hooked. I kept coming back for his creations because it was his signature, and no one else had that specific profile.
When the creative blockades are up, I wander around the grocery store or the farmer’s market. I look for what is in season, a key to my creative sensibilities. Sometimes it’s the color of a beet, or the texture a gnarled fall squash, other times it’s a calling from the past when I see a simple potato and think of a hearty dish from my grandma’s kitchen. Whatever form it comes in, I feel free in the kitchen. I don’t like to be too rigid with my recipes. Most of my measurements are “to taste,” allowing you to play and develop your own profiles. The kitchen is my lab, my playground, my place for uninhibited creations to come to life. My advice, practice creatively daily. Find your flavors. Put your stamp on it.
