about

I’m just a simple home cook.
Nothing more!

No, I’m not trying to be Heston…sigh…

I’m just playing around with techniques from a whole bunch of ingenious chef’s.  Creative thinkers and experimenters like  René Redzepi, Heston Blumenthal, José Andrés, Thomas Keller …most of all; Chef Ferran Adrià.  I was introduced to the work of Ferran Adria some years ago, and was very unsure of what I was seeing.  Now that I’m playing around, I kind of understand it…

Molecular Gastronomy – Modernist cuisine – food science – I’ve heard all the terms…
science + food = fun.  It’s as simple as that for me.

For years I’ve played around with food…experimented if you will.
There was “booze by Jayson”; Chapter11; “CacaoHeaven″…  and now this.

Why Chapter11Lab ?

I’ve always loved fine food, but you call me a hipster or foodie; and I’ll probably get very very surly.  I hate those labels.  Also, I’m not a fan of being called a Chef – I am a home cook – I did not study or do my time, I don’t deserve that title.
But I digress, it was sometime in the late nineties when we were travelling… we were taken to an amazing restaurant in Blackheath, London called Chapter 2 (now just Chapters).  I walked away from that Sunday lunch inspired…I became curious…and I started to have fun cooking.  We started hosting dinner parties at home, I created some menus and needed to call my “restaurant” a name. I was inspired by Chapter2…but thought to myself, What could be better?  Turn it up to ELEVEN. …and Chapter11 was born. (Yes, that was a “This is Spinal Tap” reference.)  I’m very aware that in the United States, Chapter 11 refers to Bankruptcy law… but reference to that was not intended. I’m not really intending on sharing recipes…I may at times, but not always.  I’m just playing with my food…not taking it too seriously… and just keeping a track of the fun along the way.

Thanks for stopping by.
Jayson

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