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Technique is imperative—in fact, it must be flawless. But the food still comes first. So declares the unconventional Christopher Kostow of the Restaurant at Meadowood, who became a Michelin-starred chef before the age of 30 and was named Best Chef in the Western United States by the James Beard Foundation in 2013. “Some chefs use technique to make things look unbelievably unique,” he says. “We put that on its head and say, ‘We have all this ability and know-how and too…