CULINARY SERIES: Where Chefs Find Inspiration

January 10, 2023

Cooking and baking are art forms, very much like composing music or constructing a sculpture. And the visual presentation of a finished dish or dessert is just as important as its taste. Developing new recipes requires creativity, innovative thinking, and visual forethought. Even recreating popular or nostalgic recipes commands ingenuity to make each one signature. So, where do chefs find inspiration to continue to reinvent themselves?

In this first culinary series blog, we’ll explore a few notable chefs to learn which resources they use as inspiration and discover how they blend traditional forms with modern technology.

CHEFS GET SOCIAL

Social media has revolutionized the way food and recipes are shared. The rise of apps such as Instagram and TikTok means that food enthusiasts have access to myriad photos and videos of food from every cuisine right at their fingertips. It’s become evident it’s not just food lovers who are using Instagram—chefs are wisely leveraging the platform, too. In fact, #chefsofinstagram has become a well-known resource for chefs to find inspiration and share and capture artfully crafted food. Social platforms are now a means to drive creativity and allow chefs to network with other chefs and actually see what inspires them.

How are chefs utilizing these platforms?
@mikel_anthony, Chefs Roll Executive Chef, uses Instagram to share recipe videos and demonstrate cooking techniques. @claudetteazepeda, award-winning, San Diego-based chef and culinary entrepreneur, goes beyond sharing beautiful photos of completed dishes. She posts about the ingredients she’s using, what happens behind the scenes, and the journey she takes through her creative process. Even celebrity chef, @chefdeclanhorgan, uses both Instagram and TikTok to showcase his love of Irish cuisine and his personal journey to a healthier lifestyle.

Other chefs, like Ryan Pfeiffer (@ryanfivefour) of Big Kids Sandwich Shop, tells Nation’s Restaurant News that “Instagram is a really good platform to show people what we are doing in the restaurant and gets them excited to come in. I’ve found it useful for networking with some pretty incredible chefs and for promoting the people who work for me.” Additionally, CJ Jacobson (@bigceej), chef at Ema, Chicago, and Aba restaurants, adds that he likes Instagram because “it contributes to the free flow of ideas of food. It shows our possible patrons what we’re working on, new menu items, and what we’re excited about.”

TRADITIONAL SOURCES STILL INSPIRE

While social media has become an important resource for chefs, educational books and cookbooks offer chefs a foundation to build from. Today’s most renowned chefs and notable up-and-comers have published cookbooks that include tips, techniques, and tasty inspiration for other chefs. Simon Jewitt, head chef at Crafthouse, tells The Staff Canteen, “I still read a lot of books. When I look at books, I tend to look for technique rather than product, that way I can adapt the recipe for what’s in season and keep it original”.

Lacademie references 25 Best Cookbooks for Chefs in 2023, and here are a few worth sharing:

• Best Vegetarian: The Vegetarian Flavor Bible, by Karen Page
• Best About Food Flavor: The Flavor Matrix: The Art and Science of Pairing Common Ingredients to Create Extraordinary Dishes, by James Briscione and Brooke Parkhurst
• Best With Meat Recipes: The Whole Beast: Nose to Tail Eating, by Fergus Henderson
• Best With Q&A: Julia’s Kitchen Wisdom: Essential Techniques and Recipes from a Lifetime of Cooking, by Julia Child and David Nussbaum
• Best For Pastry Chefs: The Baking Bible, by Rose Levy Beranbaum

IN SUMMARY

Chefs consider myriad resources for inspiration and education. Social platforms offer space for chefs to express their culinary vision and aptitude as well as to promote and tease their signature menu items – which also help grow both followers and traffic to their restaurants. In addition, cookbooks allow chefs to highlight their own culinary prowess along with exploring new trends, tips, and techniques from their chef peers. Wherever and however chefs get their inspiration from, we cannot wait to see what they’ll have cooking in 2023.

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