Cooking Clutter #2: Henry
Henry, a Rhode Island based artist, shows us his kitchen and talks cooking.
Henry is an artist - illustrator, ceramic sculptor, and maker of pottery - based in Providence, RI.
Cooking or baking?
I prefer cooking! While I love baked goods, I enjoy a greater sense of freedom and in the moment improvisation while cooking. I feel more involved in the process and I get more excited about the different things I can cook.
Who, what, or how did you get into cooking?
My partner, Rena, and Matty Matheson’s YouTube videos where he is cooking at his home got me much more into cooking. Rena expanded my tastes greatly and she has such excitement and appreciation for food. That got me excited about cooking with her and for her. She frequently daydreams about fishes, grilled meats, rice, soup, clams, oysters, and etcetera; and will remark about her desperation for these things at unusual times. Matty Matheson makes cooking seem so fun, and his sense of humor about cooking and eating resonated with me. He made me realize how fun cooking really can be, and it’s best to make something you really want to eat.
Favorite cookbook in the collection?
My partner and I have numerous cookbooks, more than are on our kitchen shelf. I am a big fan of Fish by Mat Follas. It is a fairly straightforward recipe book but it has fantastic pictures that make me extremely hungry. Follas shares personal anecdotes on each recipe and suggestions for the process of cooking and plating, as well as a short but poignant section that highlights his appreciation for fish as animals and sustainability environmentally and economically. His rustic sensibility and hint at context for recipes always gets me excited and running out the door to see whats left at my favorite fish market. I use most of our cookbooks that way, I love the one’s with stories and quality photographs. It’s less about the specific recipe for me and more just finding inspiration!
Staple ingredients you always keep on hand?
Sesame oil, mirin, ponzu, pickled vegetables, gochujang, rice vinegar, and a giant bag of rice! You really can’t go wrong with just these ingredients when you are feeling lazy and tired after work, or staring at an empty fridge.
That concludes our tour of Henry’s kitchen. We hope you enjoyed it, and maybe it inspired you to share yours? We would love to see what you have cooking.