With David Von Holten, The Artisan
Snowmass Village

Spring is upon us. As the chill of winter recedes to distant memories, the earth warms and fills the nose with the sweetness of the soil. Some of my favorite ingredients to play with are arriving and in their prime. Fava beans, English peas, wild arugula, asparagus and artichokes abound, and I can’t wait to start hunting for morels.

I am a Colorado native and my middle name happens to be Denver (really). I grew up just outside of Denver and have fond memories of my mother’s garden filled with peas, waxy beans, tomatoes, zucchini, radishes, carrots, strawberries, rhubarb, squash and potatoes. Something about those ingredients coupled with the goods from a sour cherry tree made for great home cooking. But, it was a little different back then. As with most children, I was a picky eater. My top “hated foods” were mushrooms and tomatoes.

What made me decide to be a chef? “Jack Tripper” is always my answer to that question. As a child, I watched “Three’s Company” and thought Jack’s setup was pretty cool. I was a bit of a late bloomer in terms of finding my passion for food. I’ve always loved art and motorcycles, and I eventually found the balance of both artistic and mechanical endeavors through the art of cooking.

Favorite time of year: fall, porcini and chanterelle hunting time.

Favorite ingredients to work with: mushrooms and cheeses.