ON COOKING

Cooking to me is not just about combining one ingredient with another, completing one dish and then another.  It is about learning, developing and understanding the complexity of foods.  It's about learning to be comfortable and confident in your palate, your instincts and your skill level.  It's about learning through trial and error what foods work together, and which do not.  It's about understanding how Mother Earth provides a balanced order to food from which so many benefit each day.

ON BEING A CHEF

From the age of 16, I knew that I wanted to be a professional chef.  By age 18, I knew I wanted to own my own restaurant.  Few people are so fortunate to know at such a young age what they really hope will be their career path.  It wasn't until years later, though, that I learned that the role of a chef is much greater than the ability to chop vegetables or reduce a stock.  It goes so far beyond having the know-how to fillet a fish or master a savory soup. 

The role of a chef is so incredibly multi-faceted: it incorporates elements in being an explorer, a discoverer, an adventurer, a historian, a mathematician, a chemist, a teacher, a coach and a mentor.  I believe this variety - the sheer excitement and complexity of it - helps to explain the draw of becoming a chef for so many young and aspiring cooks today.  The years have matured me, and in the process, I continue to discover each day that the role of a chef is ever-changing; it means always learning, constantly growing, and continually nurturing oneself as well as others.  I have learned that the role of a chef can be extremely rewarding on a personal level, and that one is able to take great pride in this field - each and every day - by delivering a job well done.

ON BRINGING ONE'S PERSONALITY TO COOKING

For me, a sterile white plate has always been my canvas, and food my medium.  I believe that with each new dish I create, I have the opportunity to become better in the kitchen than I was the day before.  Indeed, this mindset and outlook is what keeps cooking fresh, dynamic, and challenging. 

I believe that although my cooking style has grown and changed throughout the years, my approach to cooking has always remained the same:  to treat each dish as if I created it just for my own pleasure, my own enjoyment, and my own palate.  How can I expect anyone else to delight in a meal from my kitchen if I don't find pleasure in it myself?  For me, I feel the most at peace, the most at rest, the most fulfilled when I am at work in the kitchen each day, pushing myself to perfect my craft.

About Chef John Hughes:
John Hughes, long considered one of New England's foremost chefs, continues to earn widespread acclaim throughout the region for his creative, high-energy, seasonal American cuisine.  Hughes maintains his active, pioneering involvement in sustainable agriculture efforts and in Maine's influential "Farm-to-Table" movement, and offers dynamic menu selections which incorporate only the freshest and most seasonal of organic and all-natural ingredients.  His popular "What's Cookin'" newsletter, sent to several thousand enthusiastic subscribers each month, illustrates his firm commitment to sustainable agriculture, quality ingredients, and the importance of offering genuinely relaxed and enjoyable dining experiences. 

Hughes, who has earned appointment to the prestigious Master Chefs Institute of America (the only chef in Maine ever to be so honored), continues to garner praise for his culinary talent.  Having earned impressive coverage in a variety of regional and national publications, Hughes also has achieved a variety of national awards throughout his career.  In addition to earning AAA's prestigious Three Diamond Award, the talented chef has been presented with the esteemed Epicurean Plate Award from the Culinary Guild of the Americas, the distinguished Award of Excellence from the North American Restaurant Association, has won both Gold and Silver medals at The Maine Culinary Festival, and recently received the Maine Restaurant Neighbor Award from the National Restaurant Association.  

John, his wife, Cynthia and their three children reside in Kennebunk, Maine.

For further information, or to schedule an interview with Chef Hughes,
please email inquiries to: john@cookwithjohn.com.