Writer Aki Kamozawa and H. Alexander Talbot of Ideas in Food - Biography

Aki Kamozawa and Alex Talbot, the duo behind Ideas in Food, met in the kitchen of Clio in Boston in 1997, and they’ve been cooking and brainstorming together ever since. Kamozawa and Talbot care about the explanations behind cuisine. They specialize in sharing creative techniques with chefs, cooks, restaurants, food service companies, and even home cooks—clarifying both the why and the how of expressing oneself through food. And though they tend to focus on modern ingredients, equipment, and innovative approaches, they remain grounded in the fundamentals of technique and a deep appreciation for ingredients.

Before it reached its current status, Ideas in Food began as a blog in December 2004. Originally a digital notebook to record the couple’s work in their kitchen, it evolved into a clearinghouse for ideas gleaned from various sources: restaurants, blogs, books, people, and the interactions and accidents of everyday life. Though it began under the radar, the blog now has a cult-like professional following.

In 2010, Kamazawa and Talbot crystallized their ideas in book form. Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work blends stories, science, and recipes, all aiming to teach chefs and cooks how to unleash their imagination and intensity of flavor. Beyond this measurable achievement and their constantly updated blog, the couple has contributed essays for both Food and Philosophy and The Kitchen as Laboratory, and wrote a regular online column for Popular Science from 2008 to 2009. In fall 2013, Kamozawa and Talbot released their latest work, Maximum Flavor, a cookbook dedicated to revolutionizing home cooking. The only rival to their written contributions to the culinary conversation are their speaking and lecturing appearances, from episodes of “Foodography” on the Cooking Channel and the Flemish Primitives to the StarChefs.com International Chefs Congress and beyond.