CookingIsAnArt:WhatMakesAChefAnArtist,CraftsmanAndVisionary

ColtTaylor Jul3,2014

inCULTURE 12:30pm
IhavebeencookingsinceIwas8
yearsold,andyetIdidnotconsidermyselfachefuntiltwoyearsago.Ihave,however,alwaysconsideredmyselfan
artistwhodevelopedintoacraftsman.

Igrewupfocusingpredominantlyonmycreativityandembracingtheabilitytobringbeautifulthingsintotangible
formhowever,Ialsohadaverybalancedmindsetandnaturallygraspedscienceandnumbers.

Myfatherownsapalletmanufacturingcompanyhencebytheageof13,Ilearnedhowtooperateanailgun,butmore
importantly,Ilearnedworkethicandhumilityaboutbeingcompletelyselfsufficient.

Havingafamedfrescomuralistasamothergavemeafrontrowseatasachildtothelifeofanartist.Iwastaughtto
trulydrinkinthecreativenatureofmyItalianheritage.Inourhome,readingbooksfromthepenofPoeand
Hemingwaywasameanstoopenthemindandheart.

ThepieceofliteraturethatmadealastingimpressionwithmewastheprefacetoOscarWilde'sThePictureofDorian
Gray,inwhichhepostulatesaboutbeautyandartandstatesthat

Theartististhecreatorofbeautifulthings.

Ihaveneverbeenonefortitlesandlabels.Ibelievethatanindividual'slifecannotbeviewedthroughafew
accomplishments,atrophycase,oragivenmoment.

Rather,anindividual'slifeshouldbeviewedinitsentiretyasabodyofwork.Manypeoplegothroughlifewriting
multiplestories:theirprofessionalcareer,theirpersonallife,theirphilanthropicagenda.

Anartist,inthisgivenscenario,eliminatesallbordersandboundaries.Anartisthasoneclearpurpose:tousehisorher
talentstobringavisionintoconcretion.Allartistsarevisionaries,butnotallvisionariesareartists.

Theblankcanvasthatanartistusesasamediumvariesfrommusic,topainting,toarchitecturehowever,thatmedium
isalwaysusedtoevokeandstimulateoneormoreofthesenses.Thatsamemediumcantakeanonartisticformas
well.

Copyingachef'srecipe,anartist'spainting,acomposer'ssheetmusicdoesnotmakeyouanartist.

Acraftsmanissomeonewhohasmasteredskillsinachosenprofession.Thecraftsmen,throughmanyhoursofstudy,
practice,discipline,focusandpassion,canexcelinoneofanynumberofprofessionssports,dance,law,history,
plumbing,medicine,carpentryandonandon.

Tobeachefrequirescraftsmanship.Withoutadoubt,thehomecookwhohasattemptedtofollowaViennesepastry
recipeisawareofalloftheintricaciesandskillsinvolvedinpropercookingtechnique.
Watchachefchopvegetables,filetafish,ormakeasouffl,andyourealizewhatyouareseeingistheresultofmany
hoursofpracticeandrepetition,whichisanecessaryfoundationforsuccess.Knowingthechemistryofwhat
ingredientsworktogether.

Theseskillsaretrulythemostimportantforanyoneonthiscareerpathallthecreativityintheworldcan'tfaketheskill
ittakestosucceed.

Anartistisbornandacraftsmanismade.Thosewhohaveacreativedriveseetheworlddifferently,andfindawayto
bringtheirmind'svisionstoreality.Acraftsmanisanindividualwhoinvestsinalloftheskillsnecessarytoraisethe
standardswithinanindustry.

Allartistsarenotcraftsmen,andallcraftsmenarenotartistshowever,asuccessfulchefstraddlesbothlines,and
createsabeautifulandharmoniouspieceofworkthatappealstoallfivesensesandtakesaworldoftechnical
understandingtoexecute.

Themostaccomplishedcraftsmen,however,arenotnecessarilyvisionaries.Artistsareallvisionaries,astheyseetheir
mediuminwaysthathavenotyetbeenseen.

Tobeanartistinthekitchen,anindividualmusttakeallofthefoundationtechniques,andcombinethosewitha
progressivemindsetthatiswillingtotakerisks.Themostaccomplishedchefsofthemodernera,suchasFerranAdria,
GrantAschatz,MichelBrasandThomasKellerallfoundawaytoblazeatrailthroughnewapproachestofamiliar
ingredients.

Food,asanartform,isuniqueinmanyways.Whilepaintingappealstosight,andmusicappearstothesenseof
sound,food,whencreatedatitshighestform,appealstoallfivesensesatonce.Textures,flavors,colorsandaromas
allhavetoplayaroleinasuccessfuldish.

Theintricaciesofbeingachefdonotendhere,however,asthepalatehasitsownmazetonavigate.Merryingthe
perfectbalanceofuniqueflavorsandtexturesisthemosthighlysoughtafteraccomplishmentofagivendish.

Ontopofallofthat,foodasaformofart,istemporal.Createdplatebyplate,foreachcustomer,andcarefully
executedinitseyeappealingpresentation,onlytobeconsumedmomentslater.

SinceIbecameanExecutiveChef,andevenbefore,whenIwascookingmywayaroundtheworld,Ihavebeencalled
manydifferentthingsbydifferentpeople:anartist,acraftsman,avisionaryand,attimes,aservant.

Theonecertainty,however,isthatasachef,yourworkandyourlifecannotbeseparated.Youbecomeyourcareeror
yourcareerneverleavesport