Grant Achatz
Grant Achatz
Grant Achatz is an American chef and restaurateur often identified as one of the leaders in molecular gastronomy or progressive cuisine. His Chicago restaurant Alinea has won numerous accolades, and Achatz himself has won numerous awards from prominent culinary institutions and publications including the "Rising Star Chef of the Year Award" for 2003, "Best Chef in the United States" for 2008, and a 2012 "Who's Who Inductee" from the James Beard Foundation...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionChef
Date of Birth25 April 1974
CitySt Clair County, MI
CountryUnited States of America
Grant Achatz quotes about
I wish that food trucks could exist here in Chicago like they do in Brooklyn and in New York, where you're actually cooking off the truck.
My personality was always such that I always look straight forward, never behind or to the side.
Part of becoming a little bit older and having the opportunities that I have, you want to start giving back to people who have been influential and helped you along the way.
My home kitchen is airy, with a gas stove, a stainless-steel island table in the center and granite countertops. It's very modest but there's tons of counter space, so you can slap down three or four cutting boards.
The popularity of the Internet and using it as an available resource has really changed the way chefs kind of gather information and look for inspiration. To me, a food trend is potentially a lot of people following an idea.
I hate stuff in my pockets, can't stand it. I'll carry stuff in my hands rather than put it in my pockets.
What makes the food that we do at Alinea so interesting on the outside is that we really don't let ourselves say no to an idea.
We all eat two to six times a day. Why? Because we are supposed to, we are programmed to, we want to.
To me, every kitchen appliance is useful and nothing's overrated. When I look at my little espresso machine, I don't see coffee. I see a steaming valve as an opportunity to make amazing creme brulee.
Most smoked salts are made with liquid smoke, which is a condensate, but really, really good smoked salt is literally smoked.
In a lot of ways, a lot of smells that aren't necessarily edible smell good, and they remind you of certain aspects of food. So making those associations with what smells good or smells a certain way and pairing that with actual edible ingredients is one avenue that we take creatively.
I had D minuses in chemistry and all of the sciences, and now I'm known as a molecular gastronomist.
If I had one piece of advice for people - if they are cooking from the Alinea cookbook, the Betty Crocker cookbook or the back of the box - read through the entire recipe first before reaching for any ingredients, and then read again and execute the directions.
It is critical to have a sound understanding of traditional culinary principles before attempting to push boundaries in cuisine. Larousse Gastronomique helps me execute the progressive cooking we do at Alinea.