Hello & Welcome!
I can remember being completely fascinated by nature, the forest, and the tremendous vast space of the wilderness ever since I was young. Every intricate part, from the moss on the tree to the lizard under the log, my eyes and mind got lost in every single part.
Growing up in the Ozarks, you are surrounded by these things because of our mass diversity. I remember being very young, wanting to spend every hour I could flipping logs and rocks to look at everything that crawled and moved. I have always felt like I was at one with nature like I didn't belong in the city and all the concrete it has to offer.
When I was just ten years old, I caught and skinned my first copperhead to give to a friend who the snake had bitten just a few days prior. Since then, I have never feared nature; instead, I have respected it and known the dangers it presents while knowing that I can be at one with it but not fear it.
At about 11 years old, I remember coming home from school with no one home but a small, maybe 14-inch TV. There was a show called "Good Eats" on at the time, featuring Alton Brown. The show broke down the science of cooking in practical ways. I was utterly fascinated and knew that I wanted to be a chef.
At about 15 years old i remember walking out into my backyard in Branson and looking down on the ground to see a bright cherry red mushroom with white spots on it. It looked like a little piece of candy just sitting there. So distinctive and bright, it could not be mistaken for anything other than a Amanita Muscaria.
Everything online at the time didn't give much information, and said they certainly don't grow in Missouri. I was utterly fascinated by this. And eventually grew a fascination with mushrooms in my life. I since found occurrences of several Amanita Muscaria var. Being found in Missouri on the nationwide mycological database.
At 16, I got my first job in a real restaurant, an authentic Thai place called "Thai Thai Cuisine" in Branson, Missouri. As a dishwasher and busboy, I learned a lot, but it wasn't till I was asked to peel a box of mangos that I learned the most crucial lesson in my career.
"I'm done, Chef," I said as he proceeded to go to the trash and look at the mango peels. "Look at all this meat wasted," as he pulled the peals out of the trash. He made me filet the rest of the mango flesh from the skin, then throw it all back away. Don't waste; every tiny detail matters when prepping and cooking in a professional kitchen.
The next ten years of my life are filled with the story of most line cooks. Addiction, depression, and divorce riddled my life as I begrudgingly worked my way in and out of the complex, sweaty work of the professional kitchen.
Then, at the age of 27, I found myself at my end, desperate for something; I knew I was made for more. About a year or so after I made this decision to pull my life together, I found myself being asked to manage a kitchen. Me? I'm just a good line cook, a good dishwasher. But, manage and be the chef of a kitchen? Yes, soon, I found myself through a series of events pushing myself to be the very best I could in the food I created, borderline obsession—ok, yes, I became obsessed.
I had always been fascinated by nature, and I was always interested in foraging. At this time in my life, I decided to combine the two and learn how to create and use what nature provides to the fullness of its depth. Both of my loves combined in one.
During this time, I also decided to get a mentor, Rob Connoley, with Bulrush in St. Louis. A restaurant that offers Ozarks cuisine with contemporary techniques while incorporating foraged and hunted foods. I decided to complete my culinary degree, which I had started 10 years prior, learning classical French and contemporary techniques and diving into every aspect of culinary arts applied to wild foods.
I have a wife and three wonderful sons, living in Springfield, MO. Yup, I am still in the Ozarks, I don't think I will ever leave the Ozarks, even though I have several times. The Ozarks endlessly fascinates me with its biodiversity and wildlife it offers. I dont think I will ever leave here, and i hope to bring the flavors of the forrest and field to people through fine dining and education.