CHEF STORIES Q & A from some of our local best

The term chef has its orientation in French, shortened from chef de cuisine, literally “head of the kitchen . ”

To earn the title, you not only need deft knife skills and years of experience with all types of ingredients, but also the vision of how it all is put together . . . from the herbs and spices to the meats, the produce, the wine

Some of the best chefs in the world spend hours searching for just the right combination of flavors to make an everyday dish sing Some spend years at culinary schools learning the latest in technology and the art of preparing a meal Others work their way up from prep cooks to line cooks to sous chefs to chefs, learning from the best as they travel from one kitchen to the next Tough work, but the knife cuts, pan burns, stiff backs, and swollen knees from standing 10 hours straight are worth the pain when customers ask you to visit their table to toast the meal you prepared

So, we’re doing the same here — inviting the wizards from some of our local kitchens out to take a bow

Chef Mollie from Trattoria Mollie

As Santa Barbara has learned, life can change as fast as a flame, as fast as a flood But Santa Barbara also has learned how to carry on Just ask

Mollie Ahlstrand .

The longtime chef/proprietor of the famed Trattoria Mollie in Montecito had to make a tough decision after the Thomas fire and flood . “Three months, no business,” she said . “I had to close .” She had halfway decided to return to Italy, where her gastronomy began . But then her son Ali came to the rescue

“He surprised me,” she recalled “He called one night And when I saw [the surprise] I cried so hard It was beautiful Gorgeous I was working 14 hours a day, seven days a week ” And it wasn’t working

His surprise was a new location for Mollie’s, at 1218 State St , site of the former Tupelo Junction “He found the location, painted it, made it beautiful, updated the kitchen,” she said of her son “Without him I’d be off to Italy ”

Her many fans in Santa Barbara are glad she’s not (She’s still working 14/7, by the way, and loving it )

We asked her for a few moments for a few questions:

How long have you been a chef?

“Since 1990, almost 30 years ” Mollie was majoring in political science at UCSB when she and her husband, Bob, took a trip to Rome As she wrote in her cookbook, “Trattoria Mollie’s Primi Piatti,” published in 2012, “…once we got to Italy I had an epiphany: I didn’t just want to take a cooking class or two I wanted to stay for the duration that it took to learn to be a professional cook . ”

What got you started and how were you trained?

“For the next several years I undertook culinary training, apprenticing to chefs in Rome, Umbria, and Bologna,” she wrote “Often I was frustrated . Almost always I was exhausted . But the learning experience was so exhilarating . One of the chefs I apprenticed under (Vissani, in Umbria) was ranked number one in a field of 26,000 Italian chefs ”

What is your favorite tool in the kitchen?

“Copper pots .” Do you have a few? “Millions . I learned in Umbria, where the chef used only copper pots . So good with fish . ”

Your favorite ingredient(s)?

“Extra virgin olive oil . Parmigiano reggianno . Good tomatoes, fresh . Fresh bread Has to be every morning fresh, that’s it . And fresh pasta, of course . Very important in my kitchen ”

Your favorite meal to make for yourself?

“Pasta . Any kind . Carbonara or just a simple sauce . I cannot live without pasta . ”

Best advice for amateur home chefs?

“Just love what they do . Just love it If you’re doing it for money or just cooking, it’s not going to work . It’s very, very difficult to be in the kitchen unless you love it . Best advice: Love it or leave it If you don’t love it it’s stressful . I love being in the kitchen . I love the wonderful people, the wonderful customers .

“I serve what I eat, simply that No compromise, no cheating I have an ego I want it to be good I’ve had a very excellent response Santa Barbara has always supported me I’ve been in business 25 years and it’s been a blessing ” — by Jeff

Miller

Chef Greg Murphy from bouchon

How long have you been a chef?

My first chef job was at Seagrass in 2009 . However, my first serious cook job was probably around 1999 as a line cook at Outback Steakhouse . I say that with hesitation but it really taught me some fundamentals that still apply to work at bouchon today .

What got you started and how were you trained?

I’ve cooked all of my life . I think the first time I touched food as a profession was making and delivering pizzas in high school .

In my mid-20s, I began to have more of an appreciation of food and realized I could make a career out of something that I loved doing . Thatblead to enrolling in culinary school at SBCC around 2002 . What’s your favorite tool in the kitchen?

I am minimalist and like tools that serve many purposes I would say a chef knife is my tool of choice Early in my career I liked German steel, then found the world of Japanese steel and now look for a blend to get the best of both worlds

Your favorite ingredient(s)?

My favorite ingredients would be fresh herbs and lemon . Herbs (marjoram is my favorite) really make dishes pop, especially in a farmto-table restaurant that focuses on local ingredients (thank you, B D at Earthtrine Farms) Lemon is an absolute must for me; I love its versatility It can provide the necessary acidity to perfect a dish or the zest can be used to lighten things up .

Your favorite meal to make for yourself?

As veteran in hospitality my favorite is to cook for others Meals shared with my girlfriend, family, and friends are always the best meals I feel like the company really makes a meal memorable If I was forced to pick one thing, I’d say making gnocchi or pasta would be it The process is great when it’s done leisurely, and homemade is head and shoulders above purchased

Best advice for amateur home chefs?

My advice to home cooks is to work on technique first Really understanding a process allows you to better riff with different ingre- dients and make it your own Also, don’t cut corners, you can taste the difference!

Chef Matt Johnson, San Ysidro Ranch

How long have you been a chef?

I have been cooking professionally for over 20 years and have been a chef for about 12

What got you started and how were you trained?

I grew up around food my whole life and enrolled at Santa Barbara City College Culinary Program when I was 22 After graduation I traveled around Europe and cooked in kitchens for six months

My favorite tool in the kitchen would have to be my knife It’s not really expensive but it’s sharp . I also have a knife that I love that’s been passed down from my grandfather and been sharpened so many times the blade is the size of a straw . It is perfect for deboning birds .

My two favorite ingredients are sea salt and lemon . At my work we have about 14 Meyer lemon trees, so I use lemon on almost everything And everything needs a pinch of sea salt

My favorite meal to cook for myself at home is a whole roasted chicken with whole-grain mustard and sherry with the pan drippings It’s comfort food at its best Just the smells coming from the kitchen when you’re roasting a brined and marinated whole chicken is incredible

For novice chefs when cooking at home, just pick a meal that you really like when you go out to eat, do some research on that through, and try and recreate it at home with your own personal touch . The more you do this the more dishes you will have in your artillery Try and do a new dish once a week on your night off and have fun with it .

Wine Cask Chef Jeremy Vankralingen

How long have you been a chef? I started 11 years ago while I was still living in Hawaii The place was a bed and breakfast How did I get here?

Growing up in Hawaii, I feel we have a special connection with nature Whether I’m fishing, hunting, or farming it all brings me back to the comfort of home I mean, this was my upbringing and it stayed with me . It’s only natural that this special connection nature and I have spilled over into my domain, the kitchen .

Favorite tool?

My five senses . Hands down Where would a great chef be without them? I am big on being able to taste my food I do not take these gifts for granted

Favorite meal?

I cannot have a meal without rice Breakfast, lunch, and dinner: rice Whole fried fish remind me of camping from back home When we have a favorite dish that also brings nostalgia, I feel we enjoy it more so

Advice for novice chefs: Don’t do it! No, I’m kidding . But if someone out there is reading this and they have got that itch and are a little bit of a masochist, then all I have to say to them is, it’s not rocket science . Find a kitchen and start cooking

Chef Pete Clements

How long have you been a chef?

I’ve been a professional chef for 33 years out of 37 total in kitchens Five years as a professional pastry chef also

What got you started and how were you trained?

I started as a busboy at Mr Stox in Orange County I hated it! But I loved watching Jimmy Cress, the pastry chef, making all the desserts for the restaurant He would be lightning to music, chatting up the waitresses all the while making beautiful desserts and baked goods

So I asked the chef, Charles La Forte, if I could work in the pastry department . He laughed at me and said, No way! It takes years of training to do this job . I told him I know I can do it . He laughed once again . So I called my mom, told her what I wanted to do She said she would pay my expenses and I could live free at home if they would allow an apprenticeship So I presented that to the chef and he agreed to let me work for free

Three weeks later pastry chef Jimmy went on vacation for two weeks and I took over the position while he was gone . Never looked backed!

I stayed after that shift and learned all the hot appetizers and soufflés at night on the hot line Then I was able to secure an apprenticeship at the La Vien Rose with the pastry chef from the Orient Express So I worked pretty much around the clock, except for three to four hours’ sleep, for two years

Once I got that under my belt I started going to LA to learn from Ken Frank (La Toque), Jacques Pepin for private cooking classes, Wolfgang Puck (Ma Maison), Nancy Silverton (Spago pastry chef), and so on All before I was 21 years old

What’s your favorite tool in the kitchen?

Buerre mixer with whip attachment too Mandoline, large paella pans, rondeau braising pans, Japanese knives

Your favorite ingredient(s)?

Good stocks, fresh herbs, homemade bread starter

Your favorite meal to make for yourself?

Charred fresh artisan bread, heirloom tomato from Tutti Frutti Farms, fresh-made burrata, 25-year-old balsamic, Magni Tuscan extra virgin olive oil, fresh basil of course, Maldon salt, and cracked pepper (pairs great with Margerum Sauv Blanc too) .

Best advice for amateur home chefs? Learn the basics! Read Jacques Pepin’s “La Technique”! Really learn your knife skills Don’t be afraid of using high heat for cooking! Of course, use fresh local foods as much as possible too

Paul, Jack and Kathy Shields from Savoy Café & Deli

How long have you been a Chef?

Paul: I began working in a professional kitchen at the age of 14 I became a chef on Maui, managing multiple kitchen / outlets from the mid 80’s My wife, Kathy, has been a professional chef since 2005, when we opened Savoy

Kathy got her start in the industry with her Easy-Bake oven circa 1970 . .you could say she’s been working on her carrot cake for 40 someodd years . .

I got my start working in a commissary at a boy scout camp at age 13, prepping lunches for the scouts I followed my brother’s footsteps at Sambo’s in Goleta through high school In 1982, after a year at Humboldt State, I dropped out of college and moved to Maui I began resort work in Kaanapali, for the next decade

What’s your favorite tool in the kitchen?

My favorite tool in the kitchen is a beloved 8-inch Forschner chef’s knife with a rosewood handle

Kathy’s favorite tool is a pliable rubber spatula . Favorite ingredient?

My favorite ingredients are fresh herbs, particularly basil Sea salt I simply cannot live without . . .and the same goes for high quality extra virgin olive oil . I need to mention Chantrelles, Gruyere and fresh Ahi, too!!

Kathy’s favorite ingredi- ents are fresh walnuts, pecans and almonds . She really likes coconut sugar, too!

Advice for novice Chefs?

Kathy’s advice for home chef’s is to play around with recipes, using them as just a guideline Most certainly have fun with what you’re making, and most of all be thankful for the food

I would suggest treating all food as a gift, and approach all meals as if you were preparing a dish for your mother, not withholding any love Having fun, pouring your heart into the preparation, and enjoying the craft, usually shows up in the flavor and presentation of the meal

Chef Jack Shields:

How long have you been a Chef?

Well, I wouldn’t technically call myself a “chef” as I have only been cooking professionally for about 4 years now However, I have been fortunate enough to have grown up in the restaurant under my mom and dad and that has definitely given me a head start!

How did you get your start?

Before cooking, I was actually working a 9 to 5 in the finance industry with a degree in business administration Right when I was thinking that this may not be what I wanted to do with my life, a forklift; working on one of my neighbor’s houses, got unloaded onto my station wagon! (Good thing I took the scooter that day)

That gave me a nice insurance claim that I used to move up to San Francisco and the first job I found was in the kitchen .

What is your favorite tool in the kitchen?

The biggest pepper mill in the house

Your favorite ingredient(s)?

It has to be coconut sugar or Parmigiano Reggiano!! (Emphasis on Italian accent)

What advice can you give to novice home chefs?

Don’t use soap on a cast iron . Don’t use olive oil for Asian cooking Eat more oysters .

Chef Alberto Morello

How did you get your start/training?

My first job was working part-time in a bakery in my village, Custonaci, when I was 12 years old I’ve worked in just about every type of Italian venue imaginable, from the bakery to a small pizza place to five-star hotels I had the good fortune to be immersed in all aspects of Italian cuisine, helping my mother, aunts and family prepare meals from a very early age

Where have you worked?

Erice and San Vito Lo Capo in Sicily, Florence (Grand Hotel and Hotel Excelsior), and other regions in Tuscany

Once, in California, I worked at Celestino Ristorante in Beverly Hills (where my wife and business partner, Elaine Andersen Morello, and I met) and Prego Ristorante prior to opening our first restaurant, Olio e Limone

Favorite style of food to cook?

My cooking technique is simply Italian . We keep high-quality extra-virgin olive oil (we have our own label; the olive groves are within sight of my village in Italy), tomatoes, pasta, and fish on hand and not use too many ingre- dients in any recipe or preparation . We do not go for “palate overload .” When the ingredients are of high quality, the preparation should enhance the focal point of the dish (vegetable, seafood, poultry, game, meat — everything) so the beautiful unique flavours can be tasted and enjoyed, not masked and overwhelmed

Favorite kitchen tool?

Paring knife .

Favorite dish to cook for yourself? Eggs fresh from our chickens with sautéed pasilla peppers and onions .

Favorite three ingredients?

Tomatoes, onions, oregano

Advice for novice cooks? Keep it simple; stick to just a few ingredients .

Chef Edie Robertson

How long have you been a Chef?

I have been in the food industry on and off since 1982, taking many detours along the way I became a full-time chef in 1996 when I became co-owner of The Sojourner

I left in 2008 (The sojourner closed in 2010) .

I have been a full-time private chef since that date .

What got you started and how were you trained?

I started at Pierre Lafond in Montecito to sup - plement my musician’s income . An amazing culinary group that were there at the same time . Christine Dahl, Eileen Randell, Lydia Gaetan and Chad Stevens and of course Pierre Lafond who had the foresight to bring in some amazing food products We all went on to own our own businesses A magical time

I went to Western Culinary Cordon Bleu in 1996 to get my formal culinary training and trained under Chef Michael Mina in San Francisco

What is your favorite tool in the kitchen? A sharp knife

Your favorite ingredient(s)?

I love aromatics like coarse garlic and incorporating seasonal foods into simple bold flavors Your favorite meal to make for yourself?

I don’t cook for myself often, when I do a nice piece of grilled salmon organic brown rice with an heirloom tomato diced in it I do like to go out for sushi quite a bit

Best advice for amateur home chefs?

Don’t be afraid to experiment…some of my best recipes came from veering from what has already been written Keep learning and keep practicing your knife skills

Chef Michael Hutchings:

How long have you been a chef?

I’ve been in the food business since 1963 when I washed dishes in exchange for lunch at school . My first food prep job was 1968 when I was a soda jerk at Disneyland, Anaheim . So the short answer is 42 years under the chef designation but almost 50 years in food service . Remember, a true chef is a master of the craft, not just a person in a white coat

What got you started and how were you trained?

My career began when I took a job in a restaurant at Disneyland to work my way through college, was apprenticed to the master chef Rudolph Stoy, and eventually became the executive chef of Club 33, followed by stints working with notable Los Angeles chefs .

In 1978 I went to London to work at Le Gavroche . The Roux brothers were so impressed with my seriousness and ability that after only a few months they promoted me to sous-chef and told me that when they would back me financially in a partnership The result was Michael’s Waterside in Santa Barbara

What’s your favorite tool in the kitchen?

My sense of taste Or my food processor

Your favorite ingredient(s)?

Salt, seafood, caviar, truffles, wild mushrooms, game of all types, prime-aged beef, salt marsh lamb, wild strawberries, etc Great cooking is 70 percent fine ingredients

Your favorite meal to make for yourself?

Depends on the time of year or mood Typically: Belgian endive, apples, watercress, walnuts, roquefort, walnut oil vinaigrette Roasted free-range chicken with a porcini mushroom cream with potatoes rösti .

Best advice for amateur home chefs? Cooking at home is somewhat more difficult for several reasons . My ingredients are delivered, I have professional equipment and someone to clean up after me a feel for your knife . Always know where your fingers are . Practice mise en place In others words, stay organized at all times — makes everything more efficient . Love what you do .

How long have you been a chef and how were you trained?

I started my culinary career in 2008 at the Institute of technology in Clovis California My first sous position was in 2015 in San Antonio Texas at il Sogna Osteria under chef Chris Spenser and Andrew Weisman

What’s your favorite tool in the kitchen?

The best tools you have are your hands of course . If I pick one other it would be my Shun premier eight-inch chef knife

Your favorite ingredient(s)?

I love ingredients that come in variety. I’m very simple, like potatoes and onions . They’re versatile and come in huge variety

Your favorite meal to make for yourself?

I like to cook dishes I grew up with like chorizo and beans or pork stew in a bunch of chilies with nopales . Burgers are my favorite . I have to have one a week .

Best advice for amateur home chefs? Advice to anyone who loves cooking is to get

How long have you been a chef and how were you trained?

I’ve been cooking for 14 years now .

I got started in the kitchen after delivering flowers to a restaurant called Bogarts and offered to work for free until I was worth paying .

That restaurant sold to Robert Dixon and became Petite Valentien I offered Robert the same deal: work for free until I was worth paying Cut to 12 years later and I was running the whole restaurant front and back Ordering wine and beer, hiring and consulting Most of my learning in the kitchen came directly from Robert and a Sunday supper four-course dinner that I ran with different menus for seven years Lots of trial and error

What’s your favorite tool in the kitchen?

Knives, knives, knives, and more knives

Favorite ingredient?

Duck is so dang tasty, that’s probably my favorite ingredient to play with

My favorite meal to make myself has to be my mom’s chicken noodle soup on a cold evening It’s like a time machine back to childhood .

Advice for novice chefs?

Don’t rush, take the time, and respect the ingredients .

Chefs Robert Dixon and Serkaddis from Petit Valentien

You won’t find a more interesting duo in any Santa Barbara kitchen that the twosome at Petit Valentien, Robert Dixon and Serkaddis Alemu Make that a foursome when you add their daughters, Nib and Desta What makes them so unique? The answers below tell the story

How long have you been a chef?

Dixon: 35 years

Alemu: 7 years

What got you started and how were you trained?

Dixon: “I was always interested in cooking, but I got started in restaurants in New York

Mostly French: La Reserve, Mirabel If you’re lucky some chef gives you a job and you learn the trade I was really fortunate at La Reserve, at the time on of the two four-star restaurants in New York City The chef, who spoke about six words of English, was expecting somebody who’d been recommended to him Within five minutes he knew I wasn’t him but he had a sense of humor . I was there about five years . It was great but the chef was absolutely crazy . ”

Example: “He would rub cognac in his eyes . He would grab an oxtail, run up to dining room, and pretend he was playing the sax with it . ”

Alemu: “I was born and raised in Ethiopia . I grew up in a house with women and men both cooking When my mother wasn’t looking I would run in there That got me interested I started cooking when I was seven, learning from my mother and grandmother – the old recipes that died when they moved from the country to the city ”

She moved to Santa Barbara and met Dixon shortly after he opened Petit Valentien “We met and laughed a lot,” she recalled of a partnership that began almost 10 years ago At the time the restaurant was closed for lunch on weekends They decided to try opening then and serving Ethiopian recipes That was a commitment, because the dishes tend to be labor-intensive “But it’s taken off,” she said “It worked perfectly . ”

What is your favorite tool in the kitchen?

Alemu: “Without a doubt it’s the knife I have some good ones ”

Dixon: “Tongs You can use them for grilling meat but they’re also wonderful for fish if the fish is firm . You don’t have to put things down and grab a spatula . I’s an all-around instrument ”

Your favorite ingredient(s)?\

Dixon: “Fish more than anything else ”

Alemu: “Without a doubt, Spanish red onion . It’s in everything in Ethiopian cooking . You can’t go without it . ”

Your favorite meal to make for yourself.

Alemu: “It’s not a meal, but black coffee ”

Dixon: “Definitely a pasta I grew up Italian It’s hard to shake It’s in the blood ”

Best advice for amateur home chefs?

Dixon: “Try to keep things as simple as possible In a restaurant everything’s done in advance At home it’s one thing after another Make things as simple and flavorful as possible Don’t complicate your meal or your life ”

Jeff Miller

Alemu: “Trust your palate Know your own taste buds and go from there ” —By

Chef Felipe Barajas from Opal Restaurant & Bar

How long have you been a chef?

25 years

How did you get your start and experience?

Working with master chef Norbert Schulz at Brigitte’s Restaurant (the predecessor to opal restaurant and bar), I was thoroughly trained in all aspects of cooking I feel fortunate that everything about cooking came naturally to me, so after I was grounded in technique I became fascinated by the endless creative possibilities of working with different tastes and textures, and get to do what I love best, which is starting with a blank slate or the germ of an idea and bringing an entirely new dish into creation

What’s your favorite tool in the kitchen? the Cuisinart

Your favorite ingredient(s)?

It’s hard to pin it down to just a few because I’m always discovering the magical synergy of combining elements in ways I haven’t tried before and getting the reward of a new and delicious flavor profile that has elements of familiarity but is also surprising and fresh . But I do particularly like to use cilantro, curry, various chili peppers, ginger, and lemon grass

Chefs Mark, Margaret Huston with chef Jane Chapman

How long have you been a Chef?

40 years Mark and Margaret met in culinary school in San Francisco as young adults . They have worked in kitchens ever since . They opened their first restaurant, the beloved, Montecito Café in 1985 and have since opened Jane on State St, which will be celebrating eleven years this November and Jane in Goleta at the Camino Real Market Place four years ago Along with their daughter, Jane, they collaborate to create the recipes for both locations

What got you started and how were you trained?

Mark was inspired by a trip to Paris he took when he was 19 and decided then and there to enroll in culinary school on his return home to California Margaret was also inspired by French cuisine form a class she took in high school Jane grew up being encouraged in the kitchen at home from her chef parents and from an early age was responsible for making family meals and trying out recipes

What is your favorite tool in the kitchen and why?

Hands down a cast Iron skillet It is so versatile and lives on the stove at all times Mark relies on his well-sharpened chef knifes

Your favorite ingredient(s)

High quality olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and fresh Italian parsley These are staples but really keeping it simple with the best quality products is what will make any dish shine

Your favorite meal to make for yourself.

Fresh Salads made from local organic produce We are salad fanatics in this family

Best advice for amateur home chefs. Keep it simple and don’t be afraid to experiment . Cooking evolves over time and we are constantly inspired to create and try new things in the kitchen .

How did you get your start as a chef?

I started as a dishwasher in a hotel in Las Vegas while attending culinary school and worked for several restaurants and hotels, with cuisine from American, Southwest, Mexican, California farm-to-table, and French cuisines

After moving from Vegas I headed down to San Diego to cook for the Estancia La Jolla Hotel & Spa where I developed many skills, from the pantry to banquets and eventually hot line I eventually moved to Santa Barbara and worked with chef Crystal “Pink” DeLongpré at Square One until I was hired on at Stella Mare’s as sous chef and then was promoted to executive chef . Stella Mare’s has been my home for the past eight years . Through it all, I’ve developed my own style of traditional French wine county fare

Do you cook much at home? If so, what do you like to make?

I don’t cook very much but when I do, the smoker is on or the grill is lit up I’ve been trying different cuts of meat in the smoker for long periods of time, such as brisket, tri tip, pork butt, pork shoulder, whole turkeys

What’s your favorite tool in the kitchen? A well seasoned iron pan and a good set of tongs

What is your favorite ingredient(s)

Fresh herbs and root vegetables are the foundation for most of my cooking . A little salt, pepper and well sourced proteins . Good cooking starts with good buying .

What’s your favorite food memory growing up? Flipping/spilling omelets in my mom & dad’s kitchen

What cooking advice can you give novice chefs Season your food, and there’s no substitute for butter . Use lots of it!

Chef Craig Lingham, Roost.

How long have you been a chef? Cooking professionally, about 25 years

What got you started and how were you trained? A love of food from a very young age I’m sure is what got me started I vividly recall the comfort and aromas of sitting in my grandmother’s small ranch cottage kitchen, warming myself by a floor heater on cold winter mornings while she cooked bacon and popovers I remember eating big platters of fresh trout we caught that day in the streams, and helping her prepare pheasant for a holiday meal I recall being excited when we got to eat chicken liver sandwiches for lunch, and getting to help make the delicious cookies that always filled her big yellow ceramic cookie jar in the shape of a jolly, rotund chef

I began cooking professionally in 1991 at a family business started by my grandparents in 1954 A boat rental and marina business with a small underutilized commercial kitchen became an obsession, and soon was becoming a destination burger shack and small catering company

The serendipitous meeting of my lifelong friend and mentor in Monterey led me to a connection at the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco where I was lucky enough to attend and concurrently work as assistant to a certified master Chef . During that period in San Francisco, getting to know and work with a large band of supremely talented and experienced chefs, I gained the confidence I needed to realize that cooking was going to be my path

Favorite Tool: Hard question! Right now, a sharp Santoku knife

Favorite Ingredients: tomatoes, chills, fresh herbs, citrus, wine

Favorite Meal to make myself: The first burger of the tomato season – beef, bun, tomato, mayo

Advice for Home Chefs:

List your favorite meals, and seek out how to cook them really well with no shortcuts There are many approaches and techniques to each dish, and if you learn your favorites, you will learn different techniques along the way Practice those dishes all the time and apply the techniques to other dishes Seek advice of trusted chefs you know and get advice on developing your SALT palate . Salt awareness is a key difference between restaurant chefs and home cooks . And love what you are doing – the love will show in the food!