Vegan inspirations

I really never thought I would be so inspired by vegan food, but working with my good friend Heather has really brought about such interesting challenges. As a chef, I have always worked in a certain way, much like most chefs do. No recipes, just instinct, a good palate and a lot of ‘a little of this and a little of that’. This is the ultimate chef way. I suppose it almost becomes difficult at times to actually sit down and write a recipe. You see, we don’t actually use them. We wing it! Chefs learn to understand food in a certain way, and over years of practice and many failures along with successes, we discover so much about the food we cook. The act of experimenting is really what good chefs try to master, I do believe. I think it’s this great concept of freedom, at the end of the day. We are free to try new combinations of foods, and free to dabble with flavors until we find new things that simply taste great.

So herein lies my challenge as a chef…..vegan food! It’s not simply a little of this and a little of that, but a serious effort to dissect food in a way that is not simple or basic, but quite the contrary. It requires the practice of a pastry chef often using exact amounts and a lot of consistency with each dish…something that can be foreign to most chefs. But I am learning and opening my eyes to a fascinating world that challenges me indeed.

Now, don’t get me wrong, anyone who knows me knows that I will absolutely never be a vegan or even a vegetarian, I simply love food way too much. But I do see the importance of expanding our definition of what good food is and can be. So I look forward to The 24 Carrot Dinner Club and our vegan endeavor and always welcome those with great vegan ideas along with us carnivores….I still always want to hear what people love to eat. After all, food is my love and always will be!