Norman Van Aken is one of the most celebrated and consequential chefs in the country. Widely regarded as the founder of New American cuisine and a pioneer of "fusion," Norman has led renowned restaurants, published numerous books, and a nominee for and winner of countless awards, including an induction into James Beard Foundation’s list of “Who’s Who in American Food and Beverage" (where he's the only Floridian chef on the list). Sadly, Norman Van Aken has never won a Cubayashi Cup, but he counts this among his goals moving forward. Norman also happens to be among Michael Beltran's mentors. Mike refers to Norman as his "culinary godfather." In this conversation, Mike and Norman talk about the beginning of their professional and personal relationship, cooking in South Florida, having conversations through food, and the question of whether cooking is an art or craft.

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Visit Norman's website:

https://normanvanaken.com

Listen to Norman's radio series, "A word on Food":

https://normanvanaken.com/category/awof

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Production and editing: Nicolás Antonio Jiménez

Theme music: Carlos "Carluba" Rodríguez (instangram.com/carluba)

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