How does thick-sliced bacon strips twisted up like a peppermint stick, glazed with melted fig paste, dusted with gochujang powder and slowly baked for a crispy treat sound? Or, good ole bubble and squeak with the addition of cakes made from purple Peruvian potatoes, goat cheese and Linguica sauteed golden brown and charred savoy cabbage topped with breakfast eggs?

One more: Grilled lamb sausage blended with shishito peppers, beetroot powder and aged nutty gruyere served over Israeli couscous and freshly picked bitter greens. (I’m fasting right now so this is rough to write while my stomach is being very vocal.)

If asked, I would say I am a traditionalist in many ways. I've written numerous times about traditional dishes near and dear to my family roots. As a chef and forever a student of food, I've always been taught to be open to new experiences and to push the boundaries of flavor and taste. I must also add an ideology fundamental to my culinary foundation: Perfection is a quest we strive for and something never achieved. There is always room to improve, hence our quest.

This idea is broadly taken from one of the great chefs of the world: Fernand Point. He was a French chef and restaurateur who was considered the father of modern French cuisine.

One of my favorite kitchen challenges is exploration and experimentation. Fusion is basically exploring the never-ending contrast of flavors and textures by taking a familiar dish that uses one culinary technique and introduce an array of new ingredients creating a completely different result while still using the bases. We see this is a common thread across our country in today's American cuisine, in which everyday ingredients and culinary disciplines introduce another component from another cuisine and this creates something new and exciting.

My inspiration for writing this piece was some information I happened upon. One of the world's first fusion recipes hails from Macau, China. There, they blended local Cantonese flavors with olives and Chorizo from Portugal and that combination dates back more than 400 years! The Silk Road trading route and Portugal’s long occupation of Macau had a lot to do with this mash-up that is still served in various forms today.

Fusion is rooted in history and in the consciousness of a generation who wants to experience new fresh and exciting types of foods — daring, playful and popping up everywhere, from food trucks to fine dining.

What are the different mash-ups in your repertoire? I'm always looking to try something new.

Live well ...

Food puzzles and mash-ups

Join for free* to continue reading.