Culinary Creativity: The New Edition

What is the wellspring of inspiration, the source of creativity?

As a writer, I have some understanding of the creative process, but creativity is not for writers alone as it exists in all professions. Each person derives inspiration from a variety of sources as well as undertaking their own unique processes. Their backgrounds and experience often affect these matters. If we better understand someone's creative process, I think that can make us more appreciative of the work of such individuals.

Chefs can be very creative individuals, concocting new recipes and dishes, or cleverly altering an existing recipe. However, there are restaurants where the menu never seems to change. A chef at such a place will make the same dishes, day in and day out, and the act of cooking becomes repetitive and routine. But I believe that the truly passionate chefs will not be not satisfied working in such restaurants. They will want to be inventive, to expand their own culinary horizons. They will constantly be seeking to better themselves, to improve their dishes. They will relish the challenge and their patrons will benefit. Their menus will constantly change, with new dishes continually being added.

I greatly appreciate and admire the culinary creativity of such chefs and desire to gain a better understanding of their creative process. I want to delve into their methods of crafting new dishes and to seek out their inspirations. I hope to gain even more admiration for their profession through analyzing their creative process.

Sixteen years ago, in 2009, I began such an endeavor, to enhance my comprehension of such matters and to share my findings with my readers. Over the course of nine years, I interviewed nineteen chefs, who were different in many ways. This allowed me to obtain a better overall perspective on culinary creativity. However, I haven't added to this series in seven years, and feel its time to resurrect it for 2026, to interview more chefs, to add to our understanding of culinary creativity. 

Here are the basic questions I ask each chef, noting that the chefs don't have to answer any specific question if they did not want to do so. They are also free to expand into related areas that I might not have asked about. 

• How important is culinary creativity to you? Why is it important?
• What are your most significant inspirations for your culinary creativity? What makes those matters so inspiring?
• Where do you get your ideas for new recipes/dishes?
• What is your process of creating a new recipe or dish?
• Do other members of your staff assist with creating ideas for new recipes/dishes?
• How do you test new recipes/dishes?
• What is the most difficult part of culinary creativity?
• Do you ever experience “writer’s block,” an inability to be creative, and if so, how do you deal with it?
• Relate an unusual or interesting anecdote about the creation of one of your dishes.

I will be contacting some local chefs, hoping to find some who are willing to participate in this process. And if you're a chef interested in participating, feel free to contact me as well. There are no specific deadlines so please don't feel rushed. Besides answering the questions, I'll also request a photo for the article, as well as a brief bio. 

For those chefs who choose to participate, I will then highlight each chef and their inspirational answers. I hope my readers find their answers to be both interesting and informative. If you enjoy this series, or even if you don't, please post your comments here. With your feedback, I can hopefully make this project even better.

I should also give much thanks to the chefs who previously agreed to participate in this endeavor!

Chef Interviews:
Chef Peter Ungár: Part 1 & Part 2 of his Answers
Chef Matthew Barros: Part 1 & Part 2 of his Answers
Chef Vittorio Ettore: Answers
Chef Marisa Iocco: Answers
Chef Jacky Robert: Answers
Chef Shingara "Peppino" Singh: Answers
Chef Rebecca Newell: Part 1 & Part 2 of her Answers
Chef Evan Percoco: Answers
Chef Jacob Zachow: Answers
Chef Denise Baron: Answers
Chef Scott Hebert: Answers
Chef Anthony Caturano: Answers
Chef Susheela Raghavan: Answers
Chef Chris Chung: Answers
Chef Franck Iglesias: Answers
Chef Keith Pooler: Answers
Chef Matt Louis: Answers
Chef Steve Zimei: Answers
Chef Brian Poe: Answers