It becomes 'Here are these kids that are here for a learning experience. It takes some pressure off, in a sense. I'm less concerned with the end result and more interested with the process. Wilder is enthusiastic about taking the flavors of the Southwest to the Northeast for one night. But he admits he doesn't favor chefs outside the Southwest anchoring their restaurants with the cuisine.
Regional restaurants belong in their region.
My interest in it came from wanting to cook French food. But the heart and soul of French cooking is the relationship between the chef and gardener. So it had to be transformed to include chilis, corn and cilantro. We had to get a whole new vocabulary and palate. It's been an organic evolution.