Build Your Culinary Mt. Rushmore

An idiom I learned from my family is that “Some people eat live, while others live to eat.” In some formulations, its a critique of those who are overindulgent. Within my family, its always been used as a description of the value we place upon good food. My family doesn’t eat gargantuan portions, but when we go on vacation, our money is more likely to go toward dinners at interesting (and expensive) restaurants than it is toward other forms of recreation.

So it’s possible I would have come to enjoy cooking regardless. But the man who jump started my love of cooking was Emeril Lagasse. I first watched his more traditional studio show, The Essence of Emeril, but grew more obsessed when he began to cook in front of a live studio audience on Emeril Live. If you know anything about him, it’s likely that his signature was tossing handfuls of spices into big bubbling pots of Cajun gumbo (or, really, anything else) with a theatrical “BAM!” But he wasn’t a one-trick pony, but the consummate combination chef-entertainer. The show ran for over a decade, and I was fortunate enough to go see it live once when I was 13 (it was a vodka-themed episode, and he was visibly drunk by the end).

Emeril was the first of a series of culinary heroes of mine, people whose work I wanted to slavishly reproduce, just as any young artist or writer might make their start by imitating a master. Over the years, I went through phases, adding new names to the list, many of whom appear in this self-help: Marcella Hazan as the maestra of Italian cuisine, Alton Brown for his scientific approach, J. Kenji Lopez-Alt for his rigorous recipe testing, Deb Perelman for her stellar baked goods.

All of those folks are accomplished chefs, but I also think it’s important to look beyond the professionals. My father, who cooked dinner for us nearly every night growing up, has his own personal style that’s a mishmash of influences. I had roommate who worked the line at a kitchen, whom I learned a great deal from. And YouTube has been a tremendous boon as well. Friends of mine with greasier, more populist culinary ambitions worship Chef John. If you want to learn about Mexican cuisine, you can watch a Mexican abuela cook in her home, or if you want to learn how to make kimchi, you can watch a Korean immigrant make a batch. Find the people whose work vibes with you and matches your style and taste buds; they’re out there, and can serve as your mentors or inspiration.