About the Title

"Gonzo Cuisine" is a phrase that was coined by this chef's good friend Mr. Eames.

Mr. Eames described an idea he had to one of his culinary school instructors that was promptly poo-poohed: that fine dining creations can be created by a person with cooking knowledge and only objects found in one's pantry, cupboards, and refrigerator.

Now, that's within reason of course, but that idea--that nice food can be created from the bare essentials--is at the heart of this blog.  That "Gonzo Cuisine" was quickly dismissed also is at the heart of this activity: to participate is itself rogue.

So, what follows will be a collection of recipes and experiments from my and my friend's and family's kitchens, me trying to make some nice food with only what we've got at our fingertips. Maybe, fine reader, you may be inspired or taught a lesson from the culinary world.

I, unlike my friend Mr. Eames, did not attend culinary school. I learned the ropes of the fine dining kitchen working in them in New York City. I've worked for Jean-Georges, Johnny Schaefer of Grammercy Tavern, and Matt Weingarten of Savoy. I helped my friend Ben Burakoff, who's now on the Iron Chef's team, open up Wine:30 in Manhattan.

I always felt like an outsider in that world, though, since my "education" was of the old-school type. The mutual respect was always there, though.

Next time you throw some random things together and make something delicious, you'll have joined the Gonzo Cuisine movement, deliberately or not.