Paul Gerard

Wooden spoons evoke strong feelings for chef Paul Gerard. "This wooden spoon was grandma’s favorite, so that alone brings it closer to my heart," he says. "And it’s well-seasoned—just like me." As a tool, he says wooden spoons are uniquely suited for dishes that require longer cooking times, such as stews or risottos. "The sound of a metal spoon on the pot is like a dentist's drill," he points out. "The wood had a softness to it that hugs the pot."

Gerard has stayed grounded by the call of “three-chord cuisine” — just like music, he feels that the most beloved dishes sing with well-tuned simplicity. To compose his Spoonful, Gerard reached for humble ingredients that, together, make one of the most perfect foods: bread. "There isn't a chef alive that isn't stopped in their tracks at the smell of toast or the taste of bread and butter," he says. "In this day and age of prissy plates and molecular extravagance, I'm an analog guy—I want fire and fat, salt, spice, acid, and wood."