Alan Roettinger has been a private chef for over 28 years. He has cooked in private homes, catered parties and provided specialty desserts for a broad spectrum of high profile clients, from entertainers to presidents. A world traveler, he absorbed elements from many cuisines to synthesize a unique creative style of his own. He is the author of Speed Vegan and Omega 3 Cuisine. We are quite grateful for Alan’s time to having spoken with us.

Do you feel that having spent your formative years in Mexico City those sensory memories continue to influence your personal palette?

Absolutely! The contrast between the fairly limited American food my parents ate and the wide variety of Mexican foods that surrounded me proved that there is always more to be experienced than what I already know. So my palate is an adventurous one, eager for new flavors, textures and combinations—and willing to acquire tastes that are not an automatic sell the first time around. A good example of this would be bitter-tasting herbs and vegetables. The first time I tried bitter melon, my palate was unaccustomed to such intense bitterness, yet I could also detect an underlying flavor that was intriguing. I subsequently learned that bitter melon is extremely good for cleansing the blood and strengthening the immune system, so after a few tries and a few good recipes, I now love the stuff. Mexican food is strong-flavored, with spicy-hot, sweet, sour and pungent elements constantly at play. My palate will always favor these kinds of highly sensational notes, especially the spicy, endorphin-arousing ones.

Why was it important for you to list your list of staples in Speed Vegan without the assumption people had things on hand?

I didn’t want to assume anything about my readers. My goal with both Speed Vegan and Omega 3 Cuisine is to encourage and enable the widest possible range of people to cook and eat at home. With Speed Vegan, as the title indicates, there is the additional element of quick and easy preparation. For this, it’s very important that one have most if not all of the ingredients at hand. Many home cooks are already familiar with most of the pantry items I list, even the more exotic ones, but my hope is that by making the recipes as accessible as possible—including the ingredients themselves—I will ensure that anyone can make my food. So far, I’m glad to say that I’m getting encouraging remarks from people who’ve tried the recipes and gotten enjoyable results.

What region of the world challenged you the most on your assumptions about pairings and textures?

I can’t say that I’ve had any particular assumptions about food, with the possible exception of the concept of an “entrée.” This is a rather limited view because it assumes there will be a piece of meat or fish at the center of the meal, and everything else will serve as a backdrop—perhaps also eaten, perhaps left on the plate. I was only marginally influenced by this notion, because although my parents were American, most of the food I enjoyed growing up was very different, and far from entrée-centric. In any case, I would say that Indian and other Asian cuisines challenge this culturally entrenched model, because rather than one element taking center stage and virtually crowding out all others, each element stands on its own as a complete and richly flavored dish in its own right.

What do you pursue in your free time that no one would guess you’d be interested in doing?

I don’t really have any big secrets, but perhaps people who don’t know me well could be surprised that I enjoy practicing martial arts. Free time is scarce at this point in my life, as I’ve taken up writing as well as cooking—two rather consuming activities. However, I do manage to get out and hike in the mountains, ride the trails on a bicycle, and practice Kung Fu. I like archery a lot, although my back yard is a steep mountain and this makes practicing a bit of a challenge—especially in the winter. Sometimes I dream of getting out my jewelry making tools again and creating something unusual with precious metals and stones. I also hope to own a fine camera again, and capture beautiful images. I haven’t ever learned to play a musical instrument, so that’s still a pursuit I aspire to—maybe even some of my closest friends have not guessed that I want to play the oboe someday. Must get busy; time is running out!

Is there an element about cuisine that resonates with you in such a way it is almost intangible?

The central element, of course, is fulfillment—satisfying the hunger we all have, not just for food, but for joy. The tangible part is easy; any fast food joint can play a role in it (although ultimately not a constructive one). But the intangible is where the real fun is: recognizing the profound need for completion and making every day count in the quest for it. I can’t make anyone’s life complete, but I can participate in their quest by making their food healthful, surprising and delectable. Producing cookbooks that empower people to make food like mine at home is a quiet thrill, and richly rewarding to me in a way I never imagined.

What dish is your comfort food? Why? Have you ever tweaked it?

I’m glad to say that many dishes are comfort foods to me, and I have tweaked them all (it’s what I do). But there is one that I suppose will always be the mother of all comfort foods. When I came home from elementary school, the maids used to make me a couple of tortillas, lightly charred over an open flame, with a little butter and salt. The flavor of that simplest of foods is embedded in my taste memory, sparking images of uncomplicated youth, caring hands, exotic lands, lucid dreams, and the eternal promise of a life fulfilled. It would be nearly impossible to tweak such a pure delight, but having eschewed dairy products, I now complete the ritual with a dab of coconut oil to replace the butter, and a sprinkling of Celtic salt. Yum!