The graphic serving as the logo for my blog is something I designed in December 2010 to capture my culinary philosophy.

Because every Seattle chef (eyes rolling ironically) has to have a tattoo, I had this graphic put on the inside of my right bicep.

The two main parts of cooking are represented here by the chef’s knife and the whisk (savory and pastry). They’re crossed to indicated that they overlap and connected. The crossing also acknowledges the unfortunate conflict sometimes found between the two sides.

The stars represent the chefs themselves. The large one in the middle is the executive chef, the leader. But he’s not alone, he’s flanked by his two sous chefs, one for each type of cooking. Together they make a team and are the stars of the kitchen, no challenge too great.

The entire graphic is surrounded by a circle to reinforce the belief that each concept is just part of the greater whole of what it means to be part of this industry. It also echoes the thin elegant gold or silver inlay often found on heirloom china plates.