Culinary world has been more than just the food and the taste. It is a form of art. Grant Achatz, one the most recognized chef in the U.S, is one of the best artists in the world of food, pushing the boundaries of our sensory.
Achatz has a rather humble beginning but exposed to his field since he was a kid. He was raised in a restaurant family, serving food, cooking basic dishes and being mundane until he breaks out of the cocoon. With such humble start, he is now a 3-star Michelin chef with 3 famous restaurants, Alinea, Next, and The Aviary. In his restaurant, Achatz continuously strives for the impossible. The dishes created in Alinea is something “out of this world”. One of the pioneers in gastronomy movement in the U.S, he loves to use high-tech tools and science to create dishes no one have ever seen before. The element of surprise is the one thing you never have to worry about lacking in their menu.
Grant Achatz can somewhat be considered the Beethoven of the culinary world. Diagnosed with tongue cancer, potentially losing his taste sensory, Grant Achatz did not let that stop him. Even though he overcame cancer, his work during the period was still remarkable. With innate curiosity for food, Grant Achatz transfers his stories, his inspiration into food. During the cancer treatment, which renders his taste bud helpless. During this time, he usually sits on the bed, seeking inspiration for his dishes, thinking about food for the fall menu. His creative process is simple, yet it was efficient. He starts by capturing the idea first, then think about the ingredients for the dish. Next to ingredient is the manipulation art of flavors and textures, with everything goes on in his mind and imagination. After visualizing the dish, he would let his chef de cuisine work on it and collaborate with him until the work is completed. Achatz always tries to break away from the tradition, exploring the boundaries of food in many ways. He deviates from other restaurants, asking what they normally do, then renovates the idea.
His inspiration is limitless. He seeks inspiration in galleries, in a museum, in anywhere that art exists. Then the question has always been how can he translate that into the language of food. Achatz has kept on experimenting, trying and imagining until he has his revelation, the “eureka” moment that makes him feel like a kid getting his present for Christmas. To materialize his ideas, it requires collaboration with his team, but his imagination is still the main deciding factor.
With science as his dishes backbone, collaboration within his team is essential. He communicates with his team, continues to experiment and receiving feedback. This method of collaboration allows him to push his creativity to a whole new level. Just as discussed in the paper of Uzzi and Spiro, collaboration and creativity have a strong connection. Working together with his team helps him realize the ideas that work and those that do not. With science and collaboration such as a scientist, Achatz created a “floating dish”, an edible Helium balloon.
Grant Achatz is recognized as a symbol of creativity in the world of restaurants. His work always demonstrates his creativity and his collaboration with his team. With understanding in many different fields, Achatz’s dishes become extraordinary. Food becomes science. And from science, comes art. That is Achatz’s as a chef, a scientist, and an artist.
https://www.fastcompany.com/3020591/lessons-in-creating-surprise-from-pioneering-chef-grant-achatz
I really enjoyed this post! Learning even more about Grant Achatz in the blog fosters even more respect for his creative process and work. I really like how you talked about his collaborative work with his team and those around him, as we cited in class how collaboration is something that can very strongly influence creativity and the overall creative process. Also, reading about how he had to overcome major adversity within his life is something extremely inspirational as well as he has truly personified the statement that often times, adversity proves itself to be the ultimate key to success. Great work!
ReplyDeleteYour post was extremely interesting to read! We often forget that food is also an expression of art and creativity. I especially liked the comparison you drew between Achatz and Beethovan. His drive to create food even though he lost his sense of taste really speaks to his intrinsic motivation. I also enjoyed reading about how Achatz incorporates science into his dishes to create something completely unexpected. It really shows how seemingly different creative fields are related. Good job on your post!
ReplyDeleteThis was such an interesting post! I've heard a little bit about him in passing, but it was so cool to get to read this much more into his life and creative process. You can really see how intrinsically motivated his was by his love for food to continue to work in the culinary world after everything. I really liked learning about where his inspiration comes from. It was interesting to see the effects of different fields such as art or science on his dishes.
ReplyDeleteSuch a fun story and so interesting. It seems predictable for him to stay in the family business but definitely not predictable to do what he has accomplished now. The tongue cancer is definitely a terrible thing, but isn't is ironic how the diseases that seem to affect creatives the most are the ones that destroy their tools for their products? Loved reading this post and love that you brought attention to the fact that food truly is as artistic sometimes as paintings and sculptures! Thanks for sharing! Hoping one day I make enough to afford a meal of his!
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