Exploring Cooking Beyond the Kitchen | Wylie Dufresne

In Wylie Dufresne's speech from MAD2, he describes how realizing that he knew very little about cooking—and his desire to know more—has been his greatest inspiration. In this clip, he discusses how we must explore cooking beyond the kitchen and broaden our information base. He says "Understanding why you’re doing something is an important aspect of doing it well."

For over a decade, Wylie Dufresne provided perhaps the single most convincing argument for the importance of culinary risk-taking in New York City as the chef of wd-50 (2003-2014). In that restaurant’s kitchen, Dufresne developed a unique body of work, fostered young talent, and earned one Michelin star and a James Beard Award. The critic Frank Bruni once wrote of Dufresne’s methods, “he pushes hard against the envelope of possibility and the bounds of conformity to produce food that’s not only playful but also joyful and even exhilarating.” In 2013, Dufresne opened Alder, in the East Village. It is the chef’s take on the traditional American public house.

About MAD:
MAD is a non-profit transforming our food system by giving chefs and restaurateurs the skills, community, time, and space to create real and sustainable change.