As I watched my friend Joseph Yoon on the TV Series “Chopped” last week with my daughter, his culinary knowledge and expertise were quite apparent. I don’t regularly watch those kinds of shows, but my wife and daughter do. So, even though she knew what to expect, I had no idea what I was in for when I watched the program.
Suffice it to say that your creativity is challenged on that show, and it certainly looked challenging. But what was really amazing to me, was to watch these chefs run around under a timer and try and recreate these food “items” they are given (I’ll leave the rest about “Chopped” to you), and Joseph’s creativity and skill were most evident and on display for the world to see.
I was blown away. Impressed is insufficient to define my impression.
What stands out most to me, however, about Joseph, became apparent the first time I talked to him last December while interviewing him for our podcast (our interview lasted almost 3 hours. I had to cut over 75% of it, that’ll tell you all you need to know, right there), and it is this:
Pure, unbridled passion and enthusiasm for everything he does, especially when it comes to bringing the joy of entomophagy and the bliss of bug-based cuisine to the masses in such a beautiful, artistic, and unique way.
Joseph began Brooklyn Bugs last year and it has been pedal to the metal ever since.
“The perception is that insects are that creepy thing that live in your apartment,” Yoon said. “What I’m trying to change and bring awareness to is that these insects are farmed and harvested for human consumption.” Yoon supports this mission of normalization by incorporating edible insects into gourmet meals. For example, he serves barramundi sea bass with pear, olive oil and wasps and tops pound cake with Adobo-flavored grasshoppers…He wants edible insects to look like something that’s meant to be eaten.
Chef Yoon’s next big event is below. Click on the pic for details:
Saturday, March 31 at 8 PM – 11 PM EDT at Ripley’s Believe it or Not! Times Square: 234 West 42nd Street, New York, New York
Click here to hear my interview with Chef Joseph Yoon on the Ento Nation podcast.
~Cricket Man
