Thanks...and giving

I found it! My favorite holiday-appropriate post:

How a Cook Spends Thanksgiving.

While you're on the TastingMenu website, I encourage you to scroll through the archives. Dana Cree, Pastry Chef at Seattle's Poppy restaurant, also happens to be one of my favorite writers.

Dana and I met several years ago. She was living in England, and worked as a stage at the Fat Duck, which then held the distinction as "the Best Restaurant in the World." After a move back to Seattle, I spotted her class at a local cooking school...and enrolled immediately.

With her thoughtful approach to cooking, and teaching that was steeped in science, I was hooked! I drew diagrams of molecules in my lecture notes, and purchased every book she referenced. For months, I took every class she taught.

I was an early fan of Dana's work and it's been an incredible journey watching her career blossom. (Catch Dana's interview on Star Chefs.) Her work has been a major influence on my perception of food...and its execution.

While I don't see Dana nearly as much these days, reading through the TastingMenu archives is the next best thing.


Got some time on your hands over the holidays? Here's a collection of my favorite posts from Dana:

The Flavor of Color

Taste vs. Flavor; Splitting Hairs

Controlling Water

Perfecting Panna Cotta

Changing Viewpoints