Matisse, Basquiat, Vuillard, Christo’s orange curtains (brilliant!). With food, I like to give great importance to the visual aspects. We try to create as full an experience as possible, tapping into all the senses - textures, sizes, tastes, smells, music, the buzz of the crowd, and the sight of it all…
Right from the beginning, in the childhood books I read or the films I saw, I would remember the food as much as the characters and stories. I remember stacks of pancakes with cherry sauce and a dragon gingerly eating clumps of hay… those are the memories that stand out. When I was 10 I saw an episode of Wok with Yan. He showed a whole red snapper with a sauce made with corn. That night my mother and I prepared it - I seem to remember it turned out well. I guess food’s always been in my blood.
You start by understanding the need for seasonality, so that it’s always new and fresh. And you get to push the boundaries while respecting the life cycle of the produce. You are left with the most brilliant food combinations: Olive oil with chocolate, caramelized tomatoes for savoury tarts. It’s very much a traditional thing: you give proper respect to the produce while constantly reforming the techniques.
The produce itself and the seasons - they have a way of naturally keeping the palate fresh. Like any of your senses too much of the same thing dulls your interest. Seasonal vegetables offer optimal nutrition and the change makes eating fun and interesting.
You need it if you’re going to be in this industry – long hours and a lot of work…but I wouldn’t have it any other way.
You can’t just learn flavours. You have to know them inherently. You can refine technique, expand your palate, learn to be adventurous… but in the end you got to have the right instincts.
I once heard a saying “A life full of good work is preferable to a life of a few great works.” It’s a nice motto to live by; you end up getting more done. Of course, nothing satisfies more than knowing you did something worthy of being called “great.”
Food is only sustenance without gracious hospitality to back it up. Nothing gives me more pleasure than being able to cook for family and friends. Go ahead, wrangle up a crowd and get cooking. Any effort will be well worth the pleasure of a shared meal.
Outwardly my cooking style seems to be complex. But, often components are interchangeable and can be substituted for other produce, so you can create along the lines I lay down. Each micro step is easy to prepare. Each menu can therefore be easy and quick, or beautiful and elaborate. There is a lot of variety in my food. It works in a number of situations and depends on how much you want to do.
Cooking should be a joy. Too often people get themselves worked up over preparing a meal. With a good stock of easy-to-do meals anyone can come off as a great cook. The trick is just being prepared. When you’re organized, nothing seems too difficult.
What can I say? The kitchen is my most comfortable space. Whether I’m hosting a party or catering, I just about always end up in the kitchen. And, generally, that’s where my friends end up too.
I use food as a medium for art. But, I also like to produce art with more traditional mediums. I used to have a studio, which eventually became a gallery. Within a few weeks of the first show (The McGill Art Collective), the gallery went official and was named The Lotus Eaters (a play on the Iliad and vegetarian interests). We stayed open for 2 years, showing around 50 artists. When I left for culinary school in San Francisco we had to close the gallery. It has been a part of Montreal history ever since.
A thought-out menu can make a meal. Taking the time to plan out flavour combinations ensures that the palate stays sharp. And, of course, planning out the cooking process makes smooth sailing of what could be stressful endeavor.
Our society is governed by an ethos of productivity and change. Do do do. We tire fast and want things quickly. In the search for change, we overlook what is in front of us. We have to look again and make good use of what is around us. In place of alternative ingredients we should import styles of cooking. I use exotic ingredients more as a final touch to a dish: to accentuate flavours and textures - for example a salad of local greens spiked with an Asian pear.
I’m a big fool for olive oil. I eat it with just about everything…soups, salads, pastas…even ice cream and chocolate cake. This stuff goes with everything and it’s part of a well balanced diet – just as long as you don’t go overboard with it.
People like Charlie Trotter, Thomas Keller, and my friend Patrice Demers…for what they do with food, and in life. They see refinement in all things, and give every ingredient the respect it’s due. They bring abounding joy to our palates and our souls.
When I returned to Quebec, and I guess even before I left, I was convinced that the food industry is where I should be. The European nature of Montreal gave me an appreciation of terroir and then there is also its North American sense of exploration.
I love restaurants. I find them to be a luxury we often take for granted. I try to eat out as much as my budget allows me – and then sometime even when my budget doesn’t allow me. It’s a great way to see what food trends are in and what the movers and shakers are up to.
I chose the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco for my culinary studies because it was located in the centre of the city, and I need to taste and see what’s out there. I eat out often and like to see and be seen with the movers and shakers. People in San Francisco are prepared to pay for fine dining. They appreciate food as I do. We had brilliant instructors - I love how they loved food and loved teaching. In many other places in North America they lack that passion. Now look at the French - they talk of chefs as we talk of celebrities. That’s the environment I need to be in.
I studied Tang Soo Do, a non-mainstream Martial Art that’s mostly Korean with a Chinese influence. I fell in love with it as it’s such a balanced art, of upper and lower body techniques, hard and soft style movements. My instructor, Master Peter Desorda, was skilled in several other Martial Arts too, so I got a very well rounded education. I explored the art from all sides (the techniques, self defense, the spiritual, and the aesthetic) taking in the power of the hard style (Korean/Japanese - rigid, practical and powerful) with the Chinese soft style that’s fluid and circular. More recently, I spent some time in Chiang Mai, in Northern Thailand, training 6 hours a day, 6 days a week with some of the best fighters in the country. That was a pivotal experience in my life.
I had a blast at Uni. I studied Comparative Religion at McGill University. I am fascinated by cultures generally, but I have a great affinity for Eastern cultures specifically. I studied with some truly great professors (some I consider among my closest friends - Dr. Galli and Dr. Hori) and got to study with some local and visiting monks in different Buddhist orders. I even had the chance to cook for the faculty on several occasions.
Vegetarianism is increasing for a number of reasons. Lately there have been health risks associated with meat proteins (Mad Cow, bird flu, mercury in fish, listeria…) and it’s caused many to move away from meat. There are, however positive reasons to cut back on meat. A veggie diet reduces the threat of heart disease and cancer. Eating organic veggies allows for even greater health benefits as there are no pesticides and herbicides. It’s also a more cost-effective cuisine. I feel there is progress. There’s more exposure now. Vegetarian food can be every bit as sophisticated as the meat counterpart. It’s very complex, and I want people to know that. It also appeals as much to a wealthy bracket as it does to a younger, trendier crowd.
I work out 4 to 6 days a week with resistance training, Yoga, Pilates, and Martial Arts. I like to keep in shape, stay healthy and be able to eat what I want when I want. Exercise makes me feel great and I certainly enjoy my food more.
Yeah I know the skull bit isn’t quite in keeping with the whole food thing… but, that’s the point really. My food isn’t what you would expect, and that’s why people keep coming back for more.
Yeast – as in the little buggers that make bread what it is - perhaps the greatest culinary innovation period! Then again, they are also what make simple drinks into alcohol…either way, thumbs up in my book.
I had a chance to work a zoo for a bit. I took an animal husbandry course at Brown University in Rhode Island. It was one of the best experiences of my life. Really, when are you ever going to get the chance to hold a tree Kangaroo?