The Story

This exhibit is called Food Porn, and despite the title, it's really about tools.

The tools we use to create the things we love.

On the right is one of my favorite guitars, a 1979 Ibanez PS10 Iceman.

Anyone who knows guitars will recognize it immediately. It's an instrument that represents a lifetime of music and songwriting.

On the left are another set of tools.

Pots and pans.

Maybe not as glamorous as a vintage guitar, but just as important.

Those were the tools I used every day in the kitchen.

Looking back, it's interesting that I've spent my life working in two very different businesses.

Music.

And food.

Yet they have far more in common than people realize.

Whether you're standing on a stage playing the same songs night after night.

Or standing in a kitchen preparing the same dishes every evening.

The goal is exactly the same.

To make people happy.

To give them an experience they'll remember.

And if you care about what you do, it never really becomes repetitive.

You simply keep trying to make it a little better every time.

For this exhibit, I included one of my favorite techniques rather than just another recipe.

Roasted vegetables sound simple.

But getting them to taste like they do in a great restaurant isn't nearly as easy as most people think.

People are often afraid of three things.

Heat.

Fat.

And salt.

The truth is, when they're used properly and in balance, all three are essential.

That's what gives roasted vegetables that beautiful caramelization, rich flavor, and perfect texture.

It's one of those dishes that's incredibly simple.

But surprisingly difficult to master.

Looking back now, this exhibit reminds me that the tools may change.

A guitar.

A frying pan.

A chef's knife.

But craftsmanship is always the same.

You learn your tools.

You respect them.

And then you spend a lifetime trying to get a little better at using them.