Chef Grant Achatz, owner of the remarkable Alinea in Chicago, was diagnosed with tongue cancer last year. He’s in remission and slowly regaining his palette. The exchange of Achatz learning on his sous-chefs is bittersweet:
“How’s it taste?” Achatz asked the three chefs.
“Not there yet, Chef,” one said.
Achatz put his nose deep in the bowl. “More drops,” he said. He stood back again, his concentration intense.
One sous-chef added more lavender, while another took out a spoon and swiped a bit off the top of the mixture.
“Do you taste it yet?” Achatz asked him. He danced around his staff.
“Not really,” one answered.