Tag Archives: engineering

On September 1, world-renowned chef Jose Andres will start teaching a course at Harvard’s School of Engineering.  Engineering?  Yes, engineering — culinary physics, to be precise.  Andres has been credited with bringing both molecular gastronomy and small plates to America.  He owns eight wildly successful, top-rated restaurants from Beverly Hills to Washington, D.C., and has won every prestigious culinary award imaginable.

His perspectives on food and business have broad application and are worthy of note.

To be even the slightest bit successful with molecular gastronomy, a chef must truly understand food—not just know about food.  Andres has spent decades understanding the cellular structure of everything he works with, from mayonnaise to sugar.  He knows why certain processes work and where they’ll work best.  It is that depth of understanding that allows him to innovate.  No matter what your title is, make sure you have a comprehensive understanding (not knowledge, but understanding) of your business and your products; use it as a platform for innovation.  As with Andres, it’s your innovation that will make you famous.  Read more...