Notes from the kitchen

Essays on cooking, satiety, and building a healthier plate, written the way Henry teaches: honestly, generously, and with flavor first.

Chef's Notes Table Talk

Chef's Notes· August 28, 2026

Cooking: Practical Recipes and Techniques for Real Life

The Cooking blog is where we focus on the how, always with the why in mind.

Table Talk· August 28, 2026

Table Talk: Food, Stories, and the Life Around the Table

That moment is what Table Talk is about.

Chef's Notes· August 26, 2026

Around the World in a Spice Rack

Flavor isn't universal. It's cultural.

Chef's Notes· August 25, 2026

Oregano: The Same Name, Three Completely Different Flavors

Oregano is not one flavor. It's not even one plant.

Chef's Notes· August 24, 2026

Cumin: The Flavor That Grounds a Dish

Cumin is not just a background spice. It's a structural one.

Chef's Notes· August 23, 2026

Basil: The Herb That Brings a Dish to Life

Basil is not a background herb. It's a finishing move.

Chef's Notes· August 22, 2026

Paprika: One Spice, Three Completely Different Directions

Paprika is not a single flavor. It's a category.

Chef's Notes· August 21, 2026

Cinnamon: Familiar Flavor, Unexpected Role

Cinnamon is not just a sweet spice. In many cuisines, it's a savory one.

Chef's Notes· August 20, 2026

Chili Peppers and Powders: Same Ingredient, Completely Different Worlds

Chili peppers are not just about heat. They're about flavor.

Chef's Notes· August 19, 2026

Spices: Bringing It All Together, From Flavor to Feeling

This series was never just about spices. It was about understanding.

Chef's Notes· August 18, 2026

From Bitter to Beautiful: A Chef's Guide to Cooking Garlic

No one has ever sent a plate back because of the garlic. Here's what actually causes bitterness, and what to do about it.

Chef's Notes· August 18, 2026

Black Garlic: Why I'm Always Looking for the Next Ingredient

I expected it to taste like roasted garlic. It didn't. It tasted like something I had never had before.

Table Talk· July 6, 2026

The Personal Greater Good: Why Some Days Aren't About the Perfect Plate

Days when the kitchen is quiet, but the growth is loud.

Chef's Notes· June 26, 2026

What Comfort Food Actually Is

Comfort food isn't a slip in judgment. It's doing a real job, and understanding that job is the first step to working with it instead of fighting it.

Table Talk· June 17, 2026

The Fire Inside: My Kitchen Is My Ecosystem. What's Yours?

There's a fire inside each of us. What people say less often is that the fire needs an ecosystem.

Chef's Notes· June 16, 2026

How to Stay Full Longer on a Diet: Satiety Guide

Managing persistent hunger is one of the most significant challenges individuals face when attempting to maintain a caloric deficit. When food intake is reduced, the human body naturally triggers a ca

Table Talk· June 10, 2026

The Structure That Sets You Free

Most people don't struggle with effort. They struggle with uncertainty.

Table Talk· June 10, 2026

Savor the Moment: Cultivating Awareness and Confidence in the Kitchen

Not because the ingredients changed, but because you did.

Chef's Notes· June 8, 2026

Why Brown Tastes Better: The Science Behind the Sear

The most important flavor in your kitchen is not something you add. It is something you build with heat.

Table Talk· June 4, 2026

Table Talk: On Comfort, Cooking, and Why It Still Matters

We talk about comfort a lot when it comes to food. Comfort food. Comfort meals. Comfort cooking.

Table Talk· June 3, 2026

Change What You Can: How I Kept My Culture and Still Flipped My Plate

We may not control our genetics. But we absolutely can influence the way we live. A chef on keeping his culture and still flipping his plate.

Chef's Notes· June 2, 2026

Why You Need Both for Appetite Control

We have all been there. You finish a massive plate of food, only to find yourself rummaging through the pantry looking for a sweet snack twenty minutes later. Your stomach physically feels full, yet y

Table Talk· May 27, 2026

The Perfect Trio: Where Wine, Jazz, and Cooking Come Together

Some nights, the world slows down just enough for you to notice the beauty in the little things. That's where I live. That's where I cook.

Chef's Notes· May 14, 2026

What Is the Protein Flip™? A Chef's Return to Balance

There was a season in my life when I didn't quite recognize myself.

Table Talk· May 13, 2026

My daughter, the kitchen, and the quiet way kids learn to cook

When my daughter was small, she used to stand on a stool next to me at the counter and wash lettuce. That was her whole job. She'd push the leaves around in a bowl of cold water while I worked around

Table Talk· May 13, 2026

Why Cooking Dinner Is the Best Love Language

There are certain smells that never leave you. For me, it's the scent of tomato and garlic hitting warm oil in a pan. It takes me back instantly to my grandmother's kitchen, watching her make Mexican

Chef's Notes· May 13, 2026

The Science (and the Soul) Behind the Protein Flip™ Method

There is science behind that feeling. And there is soul within that science.

Chef's Notes· May 11, 2026

Clean Cooking: It's Not About Your Ingredients. It's About How You Work.

Every kitchen runs on shortcuts. There's no way around it. But there are two very different kinds, and knowing which is which is half the work.

Table Talk· May 6, 2026

From Portion Control to Portion Smart

Control implies tension. It suggests that food is something to manage, to restrict, to brace against. The shift didn't happen in a research paper. It happened in my kitchen, while plating dinner.

Chef's Notes· April 28, 2026

“I Don’t Cook Because…” – Let’s Talk About the Real Reasons (and Why They Don’t Have to Stop You)

"I Don't Cook Because…" Five Real Reasons, and Why None of Them Have to Stop You