SNAPSHOT BIOGRAPHY
Moore’s culinary career began at a very young age. Finding its roots first in the Piedmont and Appalachia of South Carolina, sparked by a foundational understanding of Southern cuisine passed down by family. His pursuit of culinary and agricultural arts then takes him up a winding avenue through Western North Carolina in the high country, eventually landing Moore in the Southwestern region of the state. Moore currently resides in Greer, SC with his wife Amy and three children. Now with twenty-one years of gastronomic endeavors behind him Moore continues to look forward to gaining new knowledge, experiences and making “food memories” for others a daily priority. CURRICULUM VITAE
|
Q & A SESSION
Where did you learn your craft and who/what were your major inspirations?
I grew up in South Carolina scouting, hunting and fishing with my Dad, gardening with my Grandparents and scratch baking with my Mom; something I wouldn’t trade for the world. Most of the life lessons passed down to me throughout my youth found their roots in these important skills. Over the past twenty-one years I have adapted much of that knowledge to my pursuit of culinary arts. Long hours spent in the backyard cleaning dove, gutting brim or picking tomatoes have undoubtedly elevated the level of respect that I have for all things edible. This respect in turn changes how I approach any ingredient at the restaurant. My ultimate goal is to pass along those lessons. I want the chefs I help train to be able to feel the same passion and gratitude that I do when using my own food memories to create new food memories for each guest at every meal. How did you become a successful chef OR what inspired you to become a chef? Having the distinction “Chef” inherently encourages neither success nor inspiration. These attributes are best nurtured as goals and scrutinized daily if they are to be measurable. I have found time and again that inspiration is recurrently accompanied by a beautiful story . Gathering elegant narratives and using them to create lasting food memories for all guests is one way I would define constantly evolving achievement. As a chef, what are you focusing on right now; trend or technique? My philosophy is simply respect the ingredient. I focus aggressively on embracing the theories that impact that philosophy and this drives my creativity. Being observant of the sustainably sensitive nature of what we do each day is not lost on me. I strive to foster a level of foundational connectivity to ingredients, guests, and farmers that cultivates uninhibited innovation. Why are sustainable ingredients important? Understanding the importance of being well educated about all aspects of global cuisine is paramount in our business. Worldwide issues surrounding sustainability have taken center stage; garnering not only the end-users attention but placing each ingredient on the docket for investigation. We Chefs have a responsibility to every guest served; an obligation to nurture not only their bodies & hearts but also their minds. Sustainable ingredients are the correct choice simply because it is a step in the right direction towards the evolution of planetary food harmony. How do you feel about the rise of Southern cuisine? The Carolina’s side of the culinary world and its off shoots have really seen an extraordinary upswing in the last several years. We have the foodies attention and the South is really under that epicurean microscope now. I believe some long deserved opportunities will come to fruition and new ones will be infinite. How do you come up with a menu? When developing menus I tend to focus on seasons, ingredients and techniques that I love or find compelling. From there the creation process is a constant evolution full of culinary stimuli. It always begins as a conversation, a simple compilation of ideas and gradually culminates into a beautiful cluster of functional plates. What is your favorite dish to cook? My favorite things to cook are what we call in the kitchen “deep prep”; anything that takes an extraordinarily long time to produce correctly. I find gratification in refining those processes over and over again. I love to A/B test recipe methodology and sculpt the evolution of a dish. What is your favorite fish recipe to serve or eat? I love just barely grilling the bellies and slathering them in citrusy roe porridge made from prosecco, Amish yogurt, amaranth and raw kombucha vinegar pickled cilantro stem. What do you love most about the industry? How quickly everything can change! The food and beverage industry at its very best is perilous. Harnessing the level of adaptability needed to remain proactive, not reactive is something I take as a personal challenge each day. As a chef, what has been your greatest personal achievement? Defining your own measurable and tangible goals is imperative in any career. For me nothing currently sits on the “Greatest Achievement Pedestal”; however many targets are in the cross hairs. What area of cooking is your favorite? The opportunity to coach, teach and learn alongside my fellow culinarians. What advice would you give to someone who wants to go into your field? Any skill worth mastering whether it is practical, managerial or technical requires years of dedicated focus. Do not enter into the culinary field with preconceived notions of perfecting any specific set of skills quickly. Work for it. What are your strongest skills? My top five skills are information acquisition, strategy, execution under pressure, flavor profiling, and hands-on coaching What are the most important values and characteristics of a good chef? What do you think makes a good chef? Primarily thoughtfulness, honesty and willingness to uphold ones standards to no end. |