While the food we create at Alinea falls clearly on the contemporary side, we never forget the importance of classic cookery. My culinary foundation was formed by the education I received at the Culinary Institute of America, and further established at my four years at the French Laundry. Some of my fondest food memories, both on the preparation and consumption sides, involve very classic preparations.
My friend Eric Ziebold (today the chef of Citizen in Washington, D.C.) and I would often challenge each other to mental and physical duels in the French Laundry kitchen. Races to tourne all varieties of vegetables, truss boned-rolled-tied lamb loins (and then measure the consistent distance between the strings), and trivia games based on ingredients in Georges Auguste Escoffier's recipes would often help us stay motivated through the busy prep days.
