Food Storytelling: Powered by Purpose, Possibility, and Precision

Cooking is more than craft—it is an intersection of memory and method, heritage and ambition. It’s where our roots meet our reach. In The Chef’s Reference Guide, Classical French Cuisine, and La Cucina Regionale, three foundational ideas—purpose, possibility, and precision—serve as beacons on the journey from technique to storytelling. These are not just skills to master, but philosophies to embody, and memories to cherish.

Whether retracing your family’s recipe, mastering a classical canon, or creating something entirely new, these principles are a way to cook—and a way to connect.

1. Purpose: The Why Behind the Plate

Every dish begins with a story. As The Chef’s Reference Guide teaches, purpose and knowledge anchor our cooking into meaning—it’s why my grandmother Sheena made Cottage Pie (#502) on chilly nights, or why Aunt Yolanda’s Italian Meatballs (#456) and Cavatelli (#700) were rolled lovingly.  Each bite honored a family tradition, a memory worth preserving.

My former student Chef Tristen Epps and now acclaimed celebrity, James Beard Nominee , and fellow Greenbrier Alum exemplified his purpose on Top Chef. this season. In Milan, he understood the assignment for the quick challenge a risotto. He delivered a Western African inspired Risotto with dressed heirloom tomatoes, and charred buttered greens. Chef Tom Colicchio said the texture is “right on” a key factor in making risotto. His Oxtail Milanese with Carolina Rice Grits with Curry Butter, with bone marrow and gremolata was more than technique—it was a narrative of home, heritage, and identity. By sculpting oxtail into an Italian favorite and blending it with Southern‑rooted Carolina grits, Tristen honored his journey and told a story of cultural fusion—and judges felt it emotionally. They connected Tristen’s dishes to the iconic dish Osso Bucco Milanese with Saffron Risotto, this was the classical foundations for Chef Tristen’s dish. Both of these dishes can be found in La Cucina Regionale .

2. Possibility: Where Tradition Meets Innovation

Purpose leads us to tradition—but possibility invites us to experiment. Tristen didn’t stop at preserving his roots—he stretched them. His Monkfish with Baccala Mbongo blended Mediterranean and West African cultural threads, an unexpected yet seamless marriage. His Chicken “Dorengo” with Injera Shrimp Toast traversed continents—from Ethiopian Doro Wat to Italian fire—in one intelligent dish. "Dorengo" was inspired by Classical French Cuisine and Escoffiers Chicken Marengo, Recipe 1245 in The Chefs Reference Guide.

3. Precision: Technique as the Foundation

Without precision, purpose and possibility falter. A perfectly cooked dumpling may contain heritage and creativity—but if it’s soggy or under-seasoned, the story is lost.

In The Chef’s Reference Guide, fundamentals—knife cuts, sauce emulsion, sear technique and temperature control are the foundation on which a great dish is built.   The guide focuses on Knowledge, Repertoire, and Skill.

Tristen’s win hinged on that precision. His Oxtail Milanese wasn’t just conceptually brilliant—the sear was even, the grits perfectly creamy and balanced, the gremolata fragrant. Every detail was exact. His Restaurant Wars win, accomplished while grieving, showed that precise execution can turn raw emotion into excellence—a signature of master and resilience. Chef Tristen learned these principles at Johnson and Wales Charlotte and perfected them in through the Greenbrier Apprenticeship Program. The motto of the program is “Keep Pushing Yourself”.

Perspective

Look back at your families Christmas cookies—the ones mention in Flavors of the Season. They weren’t perfect circles—they were gestures of love. But if you want to recreate them with intent, you need to measure the sugar-to-flour ratio, note baking time, test oven temperature. That is precision.

Reverse-engineer the recipes that raised you—croquetas, cassoulet, or carnitas. Write down each technique. Then, cook them again and again. Through practice, flavor becomes instinctive. From there, possibility takes over. You might stuff the protein into dumplings, bake it into hand pies, or serve it unaltered—framed with care and reverence. As long as it’s intentional, it’s valid

Cooking with Purpose, Possibility, and Precision

At the heart of great cooking is the belief that food is more than sustenance—it is connection. It is expression. It is memory made manifest.

The Culinary Innovation Cycle: Purpose → Possibility → Precision

1. Begin with Purpose: Ask, Why does this dish matter? What makes the memory special? How can I connect with the customer by telling them the story?

2. Unlock Possibility: Once the “why” is clear, ask, How can I enhance or re-interpret it? What else can be used for a filling in an Agnolotti or Tortellini. Maybe its duxelles and foie gras with a Perigueux sauce for an Agnolotti, or maybe the Tortellini is filled with smoked buffalo mozzarella and basil served with tomato water for the Tortelllini

3. Execute with Precision: Apply technique. Weigh, refine, taste, test. Cook until the fish is perfectly done, the sauce properly emulsified, and the merinque is perfectly browned.

   
   

The Chef’s Reference Guide offers more than technical training. It is a blueprint for how to tell your story—clearly, passionately, and with skill. Because in a crowded world, diners don’t just remember what you served. They remember what it meant. And when done right, that meaning lasts longer than the meal itself.

James Beard once said, “Food is our common ground, a universal experience.” But it becomes something greater when told with purpose, explored through possibility, and delivered with precision. Tristens grand finale the root pone with charred plantain pushed the boundaries of a typical dessert, but in the end his story we will remember this season. In his own words " The first person to pull of Afro- Caribbean Cuisine on Top Chef and win."

You can preview The Chefs Reference Guide here and the iconic dish that inspired Chef Tristen in Milan- Osso Bucco Milanese.