The idea of preservation may conjure up images of canning, drying, storing, and literally preserving food—especially for the chef or home cook—and these processes are not so different than how we protect our memories. In this issue of Finesse, our eighth, we explore the act of preservation in and out of the kitchen. The conversation is rich, ranging from lost arts and those who fight to preserve them to how we maintain and reference culinary traditions to how we protect and recall our own histories.
With the same intensity as his “Knives at Dawn” that tracked the United States’ attempt for gold at the Bocuse d’Or competition, Andrew Friedman reflects on Team USA’s historic silver podium placement this past January and the global legacy of the competition’s founder, Paul Bocuse. Bronx-born chef David Waltuck reflects on the vibrant life, as well as death and afterlife, of his beloved New York restaurant Chanterelle. Michael Murphy profiles his friend of 30 years, Chinese-American restaurateur and chef Cecilia Chiang, who graced us with her presence one afternoon for cleaver lessons and the essentials for a proper larder.
Other contributors include NPR host Peter Sagal, CIA president Dr. Tim Ryan, cookbook author Claudine Pépin, restaurant critic Gael Greene, and chefs Carlos Salgado, Joshua Skenes and Eric Ziebold.
