GOOD STOCK : Life on a Low Simmer

“The common thread between my cooking mentors—parents, grandparents, Culinary Institute of America instructors and the grand French chefs of New York City—was flawed genius. This helped make them the challenging, colorful characters that would drain the life out of me on a daily basis. It was an environment that I didn’t just embrace, but actually thrived in. My book, written as a personal narrative, will hopefully evoke interest, reflection, and laughter.  Each one of the 14 written chapters is followed by 5-7 corresponding recipes which show the evolution of seedling ideas and experiences into fully developed recipes.

The recipes in GOOD STOCK embody my basic philosophy in cooking:  That it doesn’t matter whether you are preparing a Grilled Hot Dog or Pan-Roasted Monkfish with Paella Rice, if you are a true craftsman, you treat them with equal care, love and soul; this will elevate each dish to its ultimate delicious pedestal.

The stories in GOOD STOCK reveal the fact that I was learning my craft before I even realized what the word cook meant.  I was lucky enough to taste and learn from a bevy of talented cooks that were craftsmen in their own right, even though the majority never entered the portals of a professional kitchen.  I want to empower the readers of GOOD STOCK to discover the inner chefs in themselves by drawing from their personal taste memories and surrounding mentors, some of whom they may not yet recognize.”