Hi Allan,
Good to hear from you.
I guess travel has been my biggest influence. During college I spent a lot of time in Europe and developed a genuine love of Italian and Greek food. Several years later I studied cooking with a Moroccan chef; she taught me a lot about using spices in balance, plus she always insisted on the absolute best of everything. I remember her saying in a thick French-Moroccan accent, "Jamie, if you are going to make anything --- a ham sandwich, a roast chicken, pie dough, ANYTHING --- make it the best.” That was a good foundation. I have also traveled many times to Southeast Asia. Each cuisine there has distinct influences, but again, what I tend to take away is a sense of balance --- the various ways of combining hot, sweet, spicy, sour, and salty. Lately, I've been digging deeper into Korean food. My wife and I adopted three kids from South Korea, so I feel compelled to learn more. I am also really motivated to learn more about various style of Latin American cooking. The world is a big place and I'm just getting started. I've got to try more regions in Canada. So far I've just eaten in Vancouver (what a great food town!), Toronto, and Quebec. What do you recommend?
Jamie
