BY EMMA GEARY - AUGUST 1, 2023

All photos courtesy of John Cybart & Glass House

On a sunny July morning, the crowd gathered early outside of Glass House to hear from our panel of local culinary rockstars. In the thick of summer, outdoor dining, and impromptu gatherings, LAB wanted to dive deeper into what the creative process looks like for chefs and home cooks alike in the kitchen. Besides bringing joy to others and working with your hands, cooking invites connection, expression, and a chance to experiment.

We wanted to know, how does Zoë François dream up delectable desserts for her cookbooks? What inspired the vibrant flavors in Ann Ahmed's Laotian dishes at her 3 restaurants, and why did Jamie Malone want to reinvent fine dining at home with a meal kit?

With coffee and pastries from Cooks Bellecour and the energy of over 200 community members, it was a morning full of flavor, color, and feeling. Here are a few of the takeaways that we’re still thinking about…

Get Visual

When Stephanie March of Mpls.St.Paul Magazine kicked off the conversation, one of the first things she asked was, “Where do you turn for inspiration in your work?”

Visual inspiration was a theme in all of the chef’s answers, but not in the way you’d expect. Firstly, I was relieved to hear that even the best of the best rely on Pinterest and Instagram for visual inspiration in their work - who doesn’t love a feed full of eye candy? In addition, Zoe shared how visiting museums is a tried and true source of inspiration for her. Looking at the colors, brush strokes, and composition of a piece of art is a perfect way to inspire outside the culinary field.

Zoe also shared that, “Just last week, I was late to a meeting because I couldn’t stop staring at a bag of carrots. The vibrant orange color was so inspiring to me, and while I had originally planned to use them as a dinner side dish, I knew I needed to make something else with them. What resulted was a carrot upside down cake, which turned out to be one of the favorite cakes I’ve ever made.”

Another sentiment shared by all was Ann’s inspiration, “I think about who my dish is for, and who I’d like to share it with. Whether it’s with guests of my restaurant or my family, how does that person inspire the meal?”

Creating a Flow State

Sharing a meal is a way to discover something new, and Jamie shared how “cooking is creating an oasis from daily life, and puts us in an emotional space to receive connection. I think about pleasure when developing a recipe.” When Jamie is designing a dish or writing a menu, she explained the importance of curating her space to create a flow state of work. Keeping cookbooks and visual inspiration nearby and giving herself the time to focus and try new things.

“If I’m feeling stuck,” Jamie shares, “it usually is a signal that I need to rest instead of to keep pushing.”

Ann confided that her toughest crowd is her 9-year-old twins, who would exclusively eat Five Guys and Chick-Fil-A if they could. “People say to me all the time, ‘Oh, your kids must eat so well, they must love having a chef as a mom!’ and that isn’t the case. Time in my kitchen, both at home and at work, are places for me to be creative, and sometimes I just have to accept that my time of feeling stuck is with my kids’ meals. And that’s ok.”

To keep in a flow state, Zoe shares that she tries to stay away from reading other people’s cookbooks as she’s building her own, allowing her ideas to flourish without comparing them to others. If she’s feeling stuck though, she’ll try to get into someone else’s world by cooking a recipe that’s not her own.

Going Global

One of my favorite questions that Stephanie asked the group was, “What city is the most inspiring for you culinarily?”

For Ann, Luang Prabang, Laos is her top choice, as it was both her home for a short time in childhood as well as a representation of her heritage that she revisits every year.

“The more often I return, the more grounded I feel. On my most recent trip, I understood the work of harvesting rice on a deeper level and the way it can serve as a foundation for every Laotian dish. It’s the reason it’s such an important part of my menu at Gai Noi.”

Zoe chose New York City as a favorite, explaining how the concentration of restaurants creates such a hub for creativity and new concepts. In a moment lacking inspiration, Zoe took a trip to New York and tasted every single slice of cake possible.

“I grabbed a few friends, walked 45 miles across the city, and ate over 300 pieces of cake. In the end, it inspired a book, a show, and countless other creations.”

Jamie had two favorites, one of which is Hong Kong. “I love the energy of the city, and how they mix old and new, which is something I’m always interested in blending in my projects.”

Another favorite of hers is Porto, Portugal for its simple, beautiful seafood dishes. “Eating there was a reminder of the elegance of cooking simply,” she says.

Beating Burnout

As we opened up the conversation for a Q&A, many wondered about how these three powerhouse women avoid burnout and maintain enthusiasm and confidence in their work. Especially in a field where your passion and career align, it can be easy to feel like the joy and magic of creating is taken away when it’s tied to your livelihood.

Zoe explained, “Therapy has been immensely helpful for me, and so has dancing. When I was younger, my mom would encourage me to do something physical to jolt me out of my anxious state. Now, I turn on a favorite song and just dance, and it always helps me come back to a more grounded place.”

Jamie brought up the idea that burnout is cyclical, sharing how she’s learned that without feeling purpose behind what she’s doing, burnout will come knocking. “If I’m passionate about something,” she says, “I feel like I can work forever when I believe in what I’m doing.”

Ann relies on the magic of her team to keep her going. She shared, “Sometimes when I’m having a bad day or feeling tired, all it takes is someone on my team who is excited about the work and doing an incredible job to inspire me and remind me of why I love what I do. If they’re committing themselves to this work, I can do it, too.”

It was a morning that left us hungry for more. Special thanks to all of our incredible panelists for sharing their time, talents, and perspectives with us, and thank you to our friends at Glass House for hosting! We’ll see you in October for our next LAB Talk!