A Brief History

Before I discuss the new things that I have been experimenting with, I thought it would be a good idea to mention exactly how and why I got into cooking.


Early Years
I have always had a passion for food. My grandmother was famous for her apple pies and my mother used to work at a bakery. Some of my earliest and fondest food memories are watching and helping my grandma make pie. When I was five years old, I remember waking up early in the morning before school to go down to the bakery and watch my mom make cookies, scones, cinnamon buns and other delicious breakfast treats at the MayDay Cafe.
When I got older, I would help cook dinner and eventually make meals all by myself. The cooking I did was somewhat guided by my parents but mostly just me trying new things, some of which worked and some of it didn’t. My parents were okay with this; in fact they encouraged my experimentation and enthusiasm in the kitchen.

"You're a food geek."
For my 13th birthday, my parents took me to eat at Restaurant Levain, which was a new yet highly acclaimed Contemporary American restaurant. Our meal was outstanding. The kitchen was run by Chef Stewart Woodman at the time and he allowed me to come back and see the kitchen. This was an amazing experience! We went back next year for my sister's graduation dinner. By then Steven Brown was the Head Chef and we had an equally outstanding meal, which included--after my parents told the waiter about my love of food--a free dessert and a chance to go back in to the kitchen and just watch.

Chef Brown
At 15, I knew I really enjoyed cooking, however, to tell you the truth I was still somewhat embarrassed of my lack of talent; this was all about to change. That summer I wrote a letter to Chef Steven Brown reminding him of my experience at Levain telling him of my love for food and asking if I could have a job. When I handed it in, he was curious about me but unsure if he had the room. After two weeks, I had an internship at one of the best restaurants in town. I wasn't paid but that was fine with me because I was willing to do whatever I needed to get in the door.

And so began my apprenticeship with Steven brown. For the next six months, I came in every Saturday and did whatever I could. If there was nothing for me to do, I simply watched and tried my best to take it all in and stay out of the way. In the beginning, I did some prep work and I washed dishes during service. Occasionally, Liz, the pastry chef, would let me help plate desserts, but other than that, it was washing dishes or watching how the line worked. Each week, I would learn something new and would be given more responsibility. I learned how to properly use a knife and all the different cuts. I learned how to butcher rib eye, pork loin, rabbit, duck, and lobster and many others delicious animals. I learned how to make ravioli, dumplings, gnocchi and agnolotti. I learned how to properly make stocks, and demi glace, the list goes on and on. Most of what I know, all the basics anyway, I learned in those six months.

The Line
I was only a couple of months in. It was a busy Saturday and Steven called me (yelled to me) to come and help him on the grill station. I had no idea what to do. At first, I was just getting more miz from the back for him. But then, somehow, I was plating. He showed me each dish and told me to do it. Imagine a now 16-year-old 5'4" kid on the line with a bunch of hardened, professionally trained cooks. It was overwhelming, a feeling I had never felt before. My adrenalin was pumping and my heart racing, but I didn’t know how to use that to my advantage to move faster. So, instead, I panicked. Chef would tell me something and I would do it, but then I would forget and not know what to do next. It was at this point that the yelling and the hazing began. In retrospect, it really wasn’t that bad. Everyone there understood that I was just a kid and didn’t expect me to know anything. I had read enough to know by now that this was what happens in kitchens. I learned not to take it personally and to just try not to screw up. And I really learned from it. If I did screw something up, you can be damn sure I didn’t do it again.

A Real Job
Sadly, Restaurant Levain closed its doors on New Year's Eve 2007. I was no longer cooking anywhere, I had no idea were I would go. I had been working at Levain for 6 months but had planned on working there for much longer. And so I kept cooking at home and reading. But it was during this time away that I realized that this was truly what I wanted.
I really missed the kitchen. There was nothing that will ever replace the feeling of a hot stove, the yelling and the silence, the camaraderie, and the search for perfection and happiness.
I figured I would wait it out until summer when school was done and I had more time. Luckily enough, Eric Sturtz, a former line cook from Levain, emailed me telling me that Levain was to reopen as a bistro with him as Head Chef, and he offered me a job. I accepted the offer, and have been working there for a year now. Sturtz has since moved to Duluth and is now working at the New Scenic Cafe. Adam Vickerman (also from Levain) is now Head Chef.


Today
I was given an extraordinary opportunity to learn and build on my passion for cooking at a young age. During this past year, I have been perfecting and building on the techniques I learned in the first six months of my career, as well as learning some new ones. Because of school I can only work two days a week, so the time I have at home is devoted to reading and experimenting (and of course, homework).

Although I am still young, what I have learned has given me the confidence to try new ideas and be more creative with my cuisine.