My buddy, Burgess, is a sensitive guy. Together, we've made meals so good they have made him cry, but that's mostly because of the fun we had hunting, fishing, and foraging for the ingredients to make them.
As Burgess Smith and I have tramped the Napa Valley hills hunting, fishing, and foraging, Burgess has come to understand my style of cooking: that it's all about finding fresh ingredients— and the best are those that grow in your area and sometimes outside your back door — then doing only what's needed to coax out their natural flavors.
On the show, I share how an understanding of technique and flavor can transform a good dish of chicken, lemon, and rosemary into an extraordinary one. For example, roasting the lemons before juicing them gives their juice a rich, caramelized flavor.
Cooking Lemon-Baked Sea Bass with Spinach Salad in individual parchment packages seals in every bit of flavor and aroma. And if cooking in parchment feels too intimidating, follow Burgess's lead and just pop the fish and lemon slices in a paper bag.
A good dish doesn't have to be complicated. I use this formula for creating dishes — begin with a fresh main ingredient, add a secondary ingredient, and two supporting flavors. Then, most importantly, eat it with people you love.
