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opened the
elegant peach-toned dining room of San Francisco's Campton Place Hotel
in 1984. He was featured again on the Great Chefs of the West series.
The Traverse City, Mich., native is a graduate of the Culinary Institute
of America, where he received the distinguished Richard T. Keating Award.
In 1979 he became chef at Kansas City's An American Restaurant, jewel
of Hallmark's Crown Center. It was a natural pairing of concept and chef:
Both emphasized the changing seasons with appropriate dishes; in addition
both restaurant and chef were dedicated to New American cuisine before
it even had a name.
Ogden's move
to California in 1983 put him in the nation's capital for fresh fruit
and vegetables, and he quickly included the state's beautiful fresh produce
in sauces and reductions and used the produce as the focus of dishes.
In close proximity to Alice Waters and Mark Miller, Ogden joined the two
chefs in fueling a move toward dishes that celebrated the flavors of their
perfect ingredients, used seasonal ingredients, and were lighter than
traditional fine food.
Ogden's side
dishes are chosen specifically to complement the flavors of the main dish,
so that the plate becomes a unified statement. Ogden attributes the greatest
influence on his cooking to his early exposure to fresh, native American
foods. "Coming from the Midwest, I grew up with freshly caught trout,
free-range chickens and hand-picked fruits and vegetables. As my culinary
training exposed me to new techniques and ingredients, I never lost my
appreciation for those basic tastes." Ogden left Campton Place to
open Lark Creek Inn in Marin Country — across the Golden Gate from
San Francisco — in 1991; his first cookbook, Bradley
Ogden's Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner , was released by Random House.
Bradley Ogden
is one of the giants of the American culinary world, winning worldwide
recognition. He has traveled to Europe to participate in the Robert Mondavi
American Chefs series, and to Hong Kong to represent San Francisco's culinary
talent. Articles featuring Ogden and his views on American cuisine appear
frequently in such publications as Food & Wine, Cooks, The Wine Spectator,
Gourmet and Life Magazine. His television credits include NBC's The Today
Show, AM/San Francisco, Dinner at Julia's, Good Morning America and, of
course, Great Chefs.
Ogden frequently
participates in cooking demonstrations and seminars around the country
and is particularly pleased to contribute his cooking skills to charitable
events such as those benefiting the March of Dimes and Meals on Wheels.
His basic philosophy sounds like a description of New American cuisine:
"Keep it simple: Use the freshest ingredients available and put them
together in such a way that the flavors, colors and textures combine to
bring out the best in each other."
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