Project by Project

PbP SF had the opportunity to catch up with Chef Tyler Stone who hosted our Summer Soiree event at 111 Minna Gallery in San Francisco, CA on May 26, 2011.  Check out our video and the full interview here!

Chef Interview: Tyler Stone

PbP SF had the opportunity to catch up with Chef Tyler Stone who hosted our Summer Soiree event at 111 Minna Gallery in San Francisco, CA on May 26, 2011.

Chef Stone started cooking when he was 4 years old and graduated at a local culinary academy at 13 with a student degree in restaurant management and culinary arts.   He has made numerous T.V. appearances on local television and has prepared fabulous dinner parties for local and national celebrities, organizations, and politicians.

PBP SF: Hi my name is Carlie Chiu.  I’m here with Project by Project (PbP) and I’m here with Chef Tyler Stone today who has been cooking since the age of 4. We wanted to ask you today, how did you hear about PbP?

TS: Actually I heard about PbP last year and I was slated to be a part of the event but I had a prior obligation.  When this year rolled around I said I definitely have to be involved to some capacity so I’m really happy to be here and to help out with raising money for a great cause.

PBP SF: How did you start cooking at such a young age of 4?

TS: Everyone asks if there was somebody in my family who was in the business or had interest in culinary arts but nobody in my family was ever in the culinary business.  I just love to be very creative.  I felt that cooking was the tastiest way to create something because you get to eat it after you’re done so that’s kind of how I got involved.  I was very good with my hands and making things.

PBP SF: Who would you say are some of your culinary influences?

TS: I recently worked with chefs like Chef Morimoto, Daniel Boulud and Michael Symon at Pebble Beach Food &Wine.  I’ve always looked up to [people like that] for their technique, composition, and their profiles that they put on the plate.  I look to people who think about creativity and what’s next.

PBP SF: What is your signature dish?

TS: I have a couple dishes that I like to cook and I get requests for all the time.  One is an ahi tuna tartare that I make very simply with shallots and chives.  I serve it on yucca chips.  The secret ingredient is my own product –a lemon oil vinaigrette.  It’s very refreshing, very light.  The other one is a special product from South Korea called black garlic.  And it’s a really interesting product.  It’s an Asian ingredient that most have never even heard of.  It’s very sweet but also savory and I make a great sauce with some lamb or some beef.  It’s wonderful, people really love it.

PBP SF: How did you discover this black garlic?

TS: I’m a big researcher and I’m a big self-learner so I’m constantly looking for new things.  Typically I find that in books you might find something new and unique but I really go on the internet and have different sources to find new ingredients.

PBP SF: What would you say your approach is for creating new innovative dishes?

TS: My philosophy and my aesthetic are very presentation focused and very flavor focused.  I like to use lots of different flavors from all over the world and I might combine them with different techniques from different parts of the world.  I find that you find a great combination of new and unique flavors and great textures.

PBP SF:  I saw that you have really creative dishes on plating.  What advice would you give to a beginner who is starting to plate?

TS: I think food can be art.  It’s not just a craft because when you look at a blank plate, it’s like a canvas. Sometimes you might see a building driving by the street and you might look at that for inspiration for how to plate something architecturally.  Then again you might find something by throwing it on the plate almost abstractly.

PBP SF: Have you ever taught a cooking class to kids?

TS: Absolutely. I do a lot of kids cooking classes.  I love teaching kids because they’re very enthusiastic.  First of all, they’re like a sponge; they want to absorb everything and so they’re really willing to learn.  They also love to see someone like myself who’s doing what they see themselves doing in the future so it really inspires them to be successful and to do what they want to do in life.

PBP SF: And were you the youngest in your culinary class?

TS: I was. I was kind of an exception. It was kind of a small academy but it really got me excited about food.  The next person older than me was probably about 40 years old so I really was the youngest person there.

PBP SF: Since you’re in San Francisco, what would you say is the best thing you’ve ever had?

TS: I just went to a great place, Osha Thai, which was really good, but there’s a lot of good places in town.   There’s a lot of great food, this is a great food city of course.  It’s kind of like a melting pot, you’ve got something from everywhere.  It’s really great.

PBP SF: What’s your favorite dish at Osha Thai?

TS: They have a great Kurobuta pork and a great Tom Kha soup.  I thought it was terrific.

PBP SF: What’s in store for your culinary future?

TS: I’m doing all kinds of events, I’m travelling all over.  My next big event is going to be in Houston.  I’ve got some things in store that I can’t talk about unfortunately but you’ll be seeing a lot of big things coming from me soon.

Thank you for your support, Tyler!  We look forward to hearing and seeing more of you in the future.  Chef Tyler Stone will also host our 2^nd annual Plate by Plate event on September 16, 2011 at the Bently Reserve.  For up to date information on participating restaurants and wineries and to purchase tickets, visit www.platebyplate.org.

For more information on Chef Tyler Stone, please visit www.cheftylerstone.com.

For more information on our organization, future events and volunteer opportunities, please visit www.projectbyproject.org.