IN MY 20+ YEARS AS A PROFESSIONAL ARTIST I’VE LEARNED THAT THERE ARE MANY AVENUES THAT CAN BE TAKEN TO DESIGN A SUCCESSFUL COMPOSITION. THERE IS NO FORMULA. THERE IS HOWEVER A SYSTEM IN SELECTING THE ELEMENTS THAT ARE IN HARMONY OR IN DISCORD. BEING THAT ART IS SUBJECTIVE, THERE ARE NO RULES. A COMPLEX DESIGN CAN BE AS IMPACTFUL AS A SIMPLE ONE.

ALL OF THIS APPLIES TO COOKING AS WELL. THE VISION OF THE ARTIST OR CHEF AND HIS/HER ABILITY TO EXECUTE THE CONCEPT IS THE ART. THE ACT OF CREATING IS THE ART. THE RESULT OF THE PROCESS MAY BE BEAUTIFUL, INSPIRING AND/OR TASTY, BUT IT IS A BYPRODUCT OF THE ACTION OF CREATION.

CASA MAYABELA TEST KITCHEN IS NOT A RESTAURANT. MY VISION IN CREATING AND DESIGNING THIS CULINARY VENUE FOR US IS MULTIFOLD. THE AIM OF THIS ENDEAVOR IS TO ELEVATE THE DINING EXPERIENCE TO THE LEVEL OF A FINE ART GALLERY INSTALLATION. MY PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND AND FORMAL TRAINING WAS AS AN OIL PAINTER.

FOR 22 YEARS I WAS FORTUNATE TO HAVE MADE MY LIVING AS A FINE ARTIST. I HAD SPENT 14 HOURS A DAY AT THE EASEL, 6 DAYS A WEEK TOILING OVER THE PERFECT BALANCE OF ELEMENTS. COLOR, LINE, SHAPE WERE THE PARAMETERS I CONFINED MYSELF TO WITHIN MY STUDIO.*

IT WAS THE HOURS AFTER WORK WHERE I FELT MOST AT EASE. NO PRESSURE TO CREATE A MASTERPIECE IN MY KITCHEN. THE SAME PRINCIPALS OF TWO-DIMENSIONAL FINE ART STILL APPLIED THOUGH. MY SENSE OF BALANCING ELEMENTS IS OMNIPRESENT, BUT THE PARAMETERS IN COOKING ARE INFINITE. SEASONAL ELEMENTS WERE AND ARE THE TRICKIEST. WHEN WAS A MANGO THE BEST? OR WHY THE FUCK CAN’T I USE OYSTERS IN JULY JUST IRKED ME. I’VE SINCE EMBRACED THE SEASONALITY OF INGREDIENTS, BUT SOMETIMES I MISS OCTOPUS IN AUGUST.

HARMONY AND DISCORD ARE INTEGRAL IN ALL OF MY DESIGNS. PLAYING THE SAME NOTE IN A DIFFERENT OCTAVE IS EQUALLY POWERFUL TO JUXTAPOSING NOTES IN A COMPOSITION. A STRAIGHT FORWARD 2:4 BEAT MIGHT BE WHAT A COMPOSITION CALLS FOR, BUT WHY NOT TRY A 5:9?

THE DISCORD OF WHAT CAN BE SUCCESSFUL IN THE CULINARY ARTS IS FASCINATING TO ME. WHY NOT TRY THE BACON COTTON CANDY? OR THE BLUE CHEESE ICE CREAM? DON’T BE AFRAID OF THE BEEF CHEEK SOUFFLÉ. A CRICKET RAGÚ MIGHT BE AMAZING.

WE DON’T KNOW UNTIL WE TRY AND THAT’S THE POINT OF CASA MAYABELA TEST KITCHEN. EXPLORATION AND TO BE BOLD! IF WE CONTINUE TO ACCEPT “WHAT IS” AND DISREGARD “WHAT COULD BE”, NOTHING CHANGES. COMPLACENCY IS NOT AN OPTION FOR ME IN ANY REGARD. THERE ARE INFINITE POSSIBILITIES AND TRAJECTORIES TOWARD A SUCCESSFUL EDIBLE MASTERPIECE. THEN IT IS GONE AND TIME TO RESUME THE RESEARCH AND EXPERIMENTS.

I INVITE EVERYONE TO PARTICIPATE IN OUR TEST KITCHEN. ESPECIALLY OUR VAST ARRAY OF EXQUISITE LOCAL AJIJIC CHEFS AS WELL AS NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL CHEFS. THIS IS NOT A COMPETITION. IT IS AN ADVENTURE! LET US EXPLORE AND CONQUER NEW TERRITORIES! OPEN THAT BOTTLE OF WINE AND GET DRUNK BEFORE IT TURNS TO VINEGAR! CARPE NOCTUM!

“AN UNEXAMINED LIFE IS NOT WORTH LIVING.” -SOCRATES

*MY PASSION FOR PAINTING AND 2-DIMENSIONAL DESIGN HAS NOT DETERIORATED. I’VE SIMPLY TAKEN THAT ASPECT OF MY LIFE BACK FOR MYSELF. *MY PASSION FOR PAINTING AND 2-DIMENSIONAL DESIGN HAS NOT DETERIORATED. I’VE SIMPLY TAKEN THAT ASPECT OF MY LIFE BACK FOR MYSELF. KARLGERZANDESIGNS.COM IF YOU ARE INTERSTED IN MY WORK AS AN OIL PAINTER