Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Telling your food story

I finally got around to watching the finale of Top Chef Masters last night. Out of 24 Chefs who have been in the industry for a long time and who have James Beard Awards, Michelin Stars, and have owned restaurants for years, it was down to three. Their final challenge, to create a four course meal that told their food story.

Course 1: Their first food memory.
Course 2: The first time they cooked something, and they knew they wanted to be a chef.
Course 3: The first restaurant they opened.
Course 4: Where they are now and where they are heading.

From making gnocchi with an Italian mother, to living over a Pastry shop in France, to taking 20 years to get the perfect black mole sauce, every moment was exquisite. My mouth watered the entire time. I would have killed to be at that table taking that journey with them. I loved the true artistry and passion each chef had for food.

So, now I have a challenge for you--write a post about it, post in the comments, send me an email as a guest post--whatever, but I want to know! You do not have to answer all of them.

Course 1: Your first food memory.
Course 2: The first time you cooked something and knew you loved to cook (or ate something and knew you loved food).
Course 3: The first time you had to cook something all by yourself (whether it turned out well or not).
Course 4: What you wish you could cook if you had the chance.

This may just be a dream menu, or maybe we'll have a dining in and you bring one of the above mentioned dishes. I just love the idea of food telling a story, starting relationships, and bringing people together who are passionate about life, love, and everything around them. What will your story be?