SEASON AND TASTE with Chef Christina Murray

PHOTOS BY KAREN DAY

By Tim Atwell

Chef Christina Murray wears her passion on her sleeve—literally, she has a salt shaker tattooed on her wrist. The salt shaker, and Murray herself, are in constant motion at the Season and Taste Cooking School in Downtown Boise. During classes, she hustles around the small, 600 square foot space, slicing golden beets into perfect cubes, tilting a cooking pan to watch a layer of vegetable oil shimmer like waves under a helicopter, and dipping her fingers into a bowl of salt to season her dishes: beef au poivre, pan seared mushrooms, and a homemade Dijon vinaigrette, to name a few.

But in an era where even simple kitchen techniques like salting a steak have been dominated by over-the-top internet influencers (think Salt Bae), Murray keeps her approach more down to earth. She focuses on teaching practical cooking skills that regular people can use at home, regardless of their skill level or home setup.

“I grew up very low income, on food stamps,” Murray said. “I teach everyone to cook without anything, because maybe you don’t have an instant pot. Maybe you don’t have a big fancy kitchen…all the knowledge that I have with my education and life experience, I make it to where you can cut corners, but it doesn’t sacrifice quality.”

Murray knew for many years that she wanted to be a chef, but it wasn’t until after she had worked for 15 years in visual merchandising and cosmetology that she took a big leap into the culinary world. She sought out a formal education and worked her way up in the industry, fostering relationships and constantly seeking out opportunities to achieve her dream.

“I did some recipe development for a lot of businesses downtown, and then some national companies, where I just created recipes and then trained the staff,” said Murray.

When she found an available commercial kitchen downtown, she turned it into a space to share her knowledge and further foster her community. In addition to teaching cooking skills, she also uses her platform to educate people on topics including food waste, hunger, and advocacy.

“My goal is not being successful. I don’t care about the money,” said Murray. “I hate saying my goal is educating people, because that’s super cliché. But I want people to take action.”

Now, Murray has more than enough projects to keep her busy. She divides her time between teaching at the Season and Taste Cooking School, managing the downtown macaron shop The French Whisk, and appearing as Resident Chef on KTVB.

More than a way to elevate food, she uses her knowledge to elevate people. Her classes are focused on teaching techniques that can be readily applied in a home kitchen. The skills she teaches range from kitchen basics like knife safety and proper chopping techniques, to more deceptively clever techniques, like using organic waste to create a deep, flavorful broth.

Chef Murray is set to open a second location, just two blocks away from the first, in a larger space at 8th and Main. With the move to a bigger kitchen, Chef Murray will have more room, more students, and more opportunities to share her knowledge. She may have a salt shaker tattooed on her wrist to show her love for salt, but just as apparent when watching her teach is her passion for food, and for making a difference in the lives of her students.

“Everyone knows that food is medicine,” said Murray. “I want to help people with food.”