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What Is More Important: Techniques or Creativity?

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This is a very interesting episode. Techniques or Creativity? It’s very different from what we have done before. We are here at the Fairmont in Austin and I have with me around the table three chefs from Austin. Chef Kevin Fink from Emmer & Rye, Chef Fiore Tedesco from L’Oca D’Oro and Chef André Natera from The Fairmont Hotel. Thank you very much to the three of you for joining me here today. There’s going to be an interesting tasting and discussion around the table today.for

What we covered in this episode 3 Chefs in Austin Part One
Chef’s introductions.
  • Kevin Fink – “I think that’s a really important part to get the best out of our community is to make sure that those that are at different levels of it are continuing to steward people you know that are still striving to get there.”
  • André Natera introduces the French dishes that were served during the podcast (in my honor!): Shellfish Plateau, Toasty Artichaud, Simple Salad, Pomme Purée, French Bread, Rotisserie Chicken, Porterhouse, and Tarte Tatin.
    • Why French Techniques are important in the culinary world.
    • André Natera – “In the last 15-20 years, you started to see the emergence of the American chefs kind of taking over but still rooted in the fundamentals of French cooking so [French Techniques] are always going to be important based on the techniques that we learned, based on the flavors that we grew up with.”
    • Fiore Tedesco – “When you talk about French technique and French kitchen my mind first goes to a disciplined orderly space where cleanliness and order are king . There is a universal respect for that amongst chefs and so, the cuisine that ties together those principles is amongst chefs always revered.”
    • Kevin Fink – “French food is also that oversimplification of things that are different in a region and what it is more about ideals. And this mantra that we have looked back for some of the great gastronomes of history and they came out of France. But what France is today or France was five hundred years ago are totally different.”
    • Kevin Fink – “[Being a Chef] is not just something that is a possible skill set. It is a profession.  It is a calling. And the French have made that very clear that it is a part of their culture.”
      • Is it still important to teach the French Techniques at Culinary Schools today?
      • Fiore Tedesco -“I sort of look at like part of the French culinary training, the specific like all the mother sauces, it’s sort of like learning trigonometry. Is it really going to be applicable to the cuisine that you create? Well, if you’re a mathematician sure, if you’re not, then maybe in some more esoteric ways you know that having the knowledge helps you be more creative and have more tools to feed your creativity.”
      • “I would say that learning [culinary techniques] in the French way, is a more prevalent or important than learning system of equally refined Italian or Japanese technique? I’d say no, I think it’s having the discipline and the refinement of that technique ingrained in you is what’s important.”
      • André Natera – “I felt like that the techniques gave me a strong foundation. If you knew how to roast properly it didn’t matter if you’re roasting a chicken or a duck or a piece of meat. You could interchange that recipe based on the technique. So I think what the French did really well is that they brought those techniques and I would say especially here in the West if you look at 90 percent of the restaurants that exist, you’re probably using those techniques. However when you get to the higher-ends of the spectrum in the higher end kitchens, then I think that you start introducing more of the Japanese and more complex techniques that are no longer French.”
      • “It’s interesting to see how times have changed in terms of fashion but the one thing that hasn’t changed is that you still need to know how to dice. You still need to know how to stay. You still need to know how to braise regardless if you’re braising something that’s Asian influenced or something that’s French or Italian. Certain things don’t change.”
        • So, what is more important: techniques or creativity?
        • Kevin Fink – “This is what we are doing in America today, we’re taking guidelines and we are trying to make our own artwork that we have here right now. And I believe very much how we’re craftsmen more than artists.”
        • Fiore Tedesco- “There is nothing without the techniques. Without the techniques, you have no outlet. You could be the most creative person, you could be an absolute creative genius, without that technique, you have no way to play that out. I would venture to say that creativity is the easy part.”
        • André Natera – “If I’m hiring someone, I would almost rather hire someone with more technique and less creativity.”
        •  “If you have the technique then your creativity is is limitless. You could really go far but not everyone has it. But if you don’t have the creative part, you can always fall back on the technique and the fundamentals.
        • “Delivering consistently good food and delivering consistently good service and having a consistent experience might be more important, in the restaurant world than creativity.”
        • Kevin Fink – “Serving a guest is not putting plates out, taking silverware, or pouring wine. That’s not service. Service is about hospitality.”
        • We discussed their thoughts if the new generation of cooks is less motivated than the generation before.
        • The 3 Chefs from Austin give advice to young people who want to work in that industry.
        • André Natera – “My advice to someone  [wanted to be in the industry] is to find the kitchen that you want to be and define your top line. If you want to be the next Kevin Fink, then you’ve got to work under Kevin Fink to know what that’s like. You’re not going to learn how to be that by working in a taco shop for example. But if you want to be the best taco shop you’re not going to probably learn that working in my restaurant or any of our restaurants.”
        • Techniques or Creativity? What do you think? Please leave a comment in the box at the end of the show note page. Thank you!


          • Chef André Natera
          from Fairmont Austin

          If you are interested in discovering more about the Austin restaurant scene, check out these two additional episodes by clicking on the respective pictures:   Chef André Natera from the Fairmont Hotel and Chef Fiore Tedesco from L’Oca d’Oro.


          Chef Fiore Tedesco 
          from L’Oca d’Oro
          3 Chefs – Garrison Fairmont Austin
          Rotisserie Chicken – Garrison
          French Bread – Garrison Fairmont Austin
          Pommes Purée – Garrison Fairmont Austin


          Seafood Plateau – Garrison Fairmont Austin
          Rotisserie Chicken – Garrison Fairmont Austin –
          Kevin Fink / André Natera / Me / Fiore Tedesco
          Andreé Natera / Me


          Click to tweet

          When you talk about French technique and French kitchen my mind first goes to a disciplined orderly space where cleanliness and order are king.

          Click To Tweet

          [Being a Chef] is not just something that is a possible skill set. It is a profession.  It is a calling. And the French have made that very clear that it is a part of their culture.

          Click To Tweet

          It’s interesting to see how times have changed in terms of fashion but the one thing that hasn’t changed is that you still need to know how to dice.

          Click To Tweet

          This is what we are doing in America today, we’re taking guidelines and we are trying to make our own artwork that we have here right now. And I believe very much how we’re craftsmen more than artists.

          Click To Tweet

          There is nothing without the techniques. Without the techniques, you have no outlet. You could be the most creative person, you could be an absolute creative genius, without that technique, you have no way to play that out.

          Click To Tweet

          If you have the technique then your creativity is is limitless. You could really go far but not everyone has it. But if you don’t have the creative part, you can always fall back on the technique and the fundamentals.

          Click To Tweet


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          Chef Andre Natera


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          Chef Kevin Fink


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          Chef Fiore Tedesco


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          Links mentioned in this episode

          Fairmont Hotel Austin

          Garrison restaurant at the Fairmont

          Revue restaurant at the Fairmont

          Emmer & Rye

          L’Oca D’Oro

          Hestia Austin

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