His friend Tom Colicchio notes in the foreword to the book that in the way Mr. Waxman handled ingredients, "Jonathan has always been, without talking about it and maybe without realizing it himself, an Italian chef".
Even in a company producing "greener" building materials made primarily from recycled cardboard, our workers were exposed to hazardous airborne dust and gases, and handled ingredients whose chemical composition was a mystery to everyone on the factory floor.
Jeremy Sewall, the executive chef and a co-owner, is equally adept at handling terrestrial ingredients, and there is a small section of the menu titled "From the Land".
The pleasures of handling raw ingredients, making things with your hands, and building relationships is hard to resist.
Wear gloves when handling these ingredients.
Wash your hands properly in preparation for handling the ingredients.
Wear protective gloves while cooking and handling the ingredients.
Do not breathe dust when mixing or handling dry ingredients.
Hot water and steamed or heated milk will be very hot, so use caution when handling these ingredients.
Definitely don't start with liquid ingredients or things guaranteed to cause an irreversible mess the first time you try this, but even toddlers love to pour dried mac & cheese powder over noodles while older kids enjoy the responsibility of handling hot ingredients (such as gravy) on their own.
