What are three ingredients that you simply couldn’t live without?
Three ingredients I couldn’t live without would be salt, eggs and the pig. Salt just brings everything to life and I love adding a little extra salt to my desserts as well. I love the balance between salt and sweet. Eggs are important for numerous reasons, but without eggs we wouldn’t have mayonnaise. And the pig—well, pork brings us so many amazing cuts, textures, richness and flavors.
We love the art behind plating. What do you love about designing the perfect dish?
I love the entire process and how much thought goes into creating a dish. When I write a menu or come up with an idea for a dish, I’m not only thinking about flavors—but also textures, colors, first impressions (for the guest) and finally a couple of ways to plate the dish. I typically prepare the dish the first time and then get the team involved in how the dish is plated as well as how the dish eats. I typically plate a dish 4-5 times before it makes its way on the menu just to make sure as many senses as possible are reached. I feel it’s important to have the whole team involved when plating a dish and believe that each dish represents us, not just me.