Just What the Heck is All This?
Hello and Welcome, and Thanks for asking. It’s more than just recipes with casual swearing. But it’s probably a bit of that, just for fun.
This whole website is the work of one dude (with a very supportive wife). One really nerdy dude, with a deep love for food.
Chef Charles Ellenwood has a degree in Culinary Science! But he hates working in restaurants, so now he braves the virtual frontiers of the internet in order to bring his many many years of experience and expertise to whomever may collide with his site.
He’s the type of dude who finds sticking to one style too constricting, like those singer/songwriters that only play acoustic guitar. Some say he’s ADD. Others, say… I dunno, something, I forget.
Do date, he has written everything on this site, which he also made himself with WordPress, Elementor, and the help of some Indian guy on YouTube. He also took all the pictures, which are largely unfiltered on principle, and some just unfiltered out of laziness.
In addition, he shoots, writes, voiceovers, and edits all of his own videos on Instagram, and everywhere else they may pop up. So, much like a one-man Coen Brothers, he may occasionally claim a pseudonym, refer to himself in the third person, or by using the Royal “We”.
He offers none of these things as professional services, but can very likely be bribed. Drop a line on the Contact Page.
When Ingredients Collide - Chaos as a Culinary Catalyst
Or: The Theory of Cooking with no Theory
In the serene realm of a well-organized kitchen, chaos is often seen as the enemy. Precision, measurements, and step-by-step instructions allegedly reign supreme. But what if we told you that chaos could be your secret ingredient? Buckle up, because we’re diving headfirst into the delicious chaos theory of cooking.
1. Interconnectedness in the Oven
Remember the butterfly flapping its wings in Brazil, causing a tornado in Texas? Well, that same chaos principle applies to your pot roast. A pinch of extra herbs, a dash of red pepper flakes—little variations can lead to flavor explosions. Embrace the chaos! Let your taste buds ride the waves of unexpected delight.
B – The Strange Attractor of Fusion Cuisine
Chaos theory thrives on unexpected connections. Enter fusion cuisine—the wild child of culinary chaos. Imagine sushi burritos, curry tacos, or kimchi pizza. These flavor mash-ups defy tradition, creating new attractors in our taste universe. The chaos of fusion cuisine invites us to explore uncharted territories, one bite at a time.
III. Emergent Properties in the Saucepan
When ingredients collide, magic happens. Emergent properties—those delightful surprises that emerge from chaos—are the stars of our kitchen show. Take bread, for instance. Flour, water, yeast—simple ingredients. But when mixed, kneaded, and baked, they birth a crusty, crunchy, yet soft and chewy loaf with a myriad of flavors. Sometimes a couple of ingredients when put together will equal more than the sum of their parts. And Chaos cries out, “Expect the unexpected.”
Four: Entropy on the Plate
Entropy—the measure of disorder—plays hide-and-seek in every dish. As you dice onions, entropy increases. As you plate a delicate dessert, it decreases. Chaos dances between the knife strokes and the final garnish. The more chaotic the process, the more alive the dish. So, just throw in that extra last bit in the spice jar, measure with your eyes, things spill, rice gets everywhere, it’s okay. Let your entropy soar. Your taste buds will thank you.
(v). Stirring the Cauldron of Creativity
Cooking chaos isn’t about culinary anarchy—it’s about liberation. It’s about breaking free from recipes and letting intuition guide your ladle. So, next time you cook, throw caution to the wind. Add that extra pinch of chaos. Let flavors freak out, molecules mambo, and entropy waltz. Your kitchen will become a canvas, and you, the artist.
So I wish you Happy Eating, Chaos Creators!
And remember, chaos isn’t chaos if it’s predictable. So, embrace the culinary risk, savor the flavor quakes, and cook like nobody’s watching. Your kitchen is your chaos canvas — paint it with delicious abandon, and if it doesn’t work, blame the weather! 🎨🔥
“One must have Chaos within oneself to be able to give birth to a dancing star.”
-Friedrich Nietzsche