I feel that Southern food is very much representative of American food in general. I think it is to me the most indicative of what American food has been and continues to evolve. Personally I try to keep it much in line with who I am and what my background speaks to. I try not to appropriate cultures that are not mine. I understand that Southern food in general comes from a culture that is not my culture.  There are a lot of those influences in the food that I cook, I feel more comfortable that I’m not appropriating them because I’m seeing them through the lens of time.

Chef Fiore Tedesco – L’Oca D’Oro

Chef Andre Natera – The Fairmont Hotel Austin

Conversation with 3 Chefs in Austin (Chef Andre Natera, Chef Kevin Fink, and Chef Fiore Tedesco) – Vol 1

Conversation with 3 Chefs in Austin (Chef Andre Natera, Chef Kevin Fink, and Chef Fiore Tedesco) – Vol 2

I think that the greatest mistake that happens with rice most often is that it’s just not cook properly. So learning how to cook the rice in a good way.  It just requires you to think about cooking rice in a different way. What’s best for each individual rice. 

Seek out rice is that costs more money. Probably a great place to start with that is any of the Asian markets.

Chef Michael Fojtasek – I’m not going to do anything that nobody’s ever done before but I am going to do things my way and combine things that will be original.

I’m always trying to think about how do I keep the soul in the food. I don’t like to manipulate the food so much that it doesn’t feel like it’s got life within it. – Chef Michael Fojtasek

Chef Michael Fojtasek – To me Southern food is so much about soul and representing yourself is so much about soul. So food has to have that kind of touchstone within it that makes you feel like you know it.

Chef Michael Fojtasek

Olamaie

Matfer

Jonathan Benno

French Cheese “Mont d’Or”

Mignette

Bufalina

Suerte

Matt’s El Ranch

Joann’s Fine Foods

Taste of Country Cooking