I guess the thing I miss most about the restaurant business is the interaction with the patrons. Most everyone I know in the food industry doesn’t do it for the money, they do it because they love what they do. There is no better feeling than the one a chef gets from gazing at a full dining room of happy, satisfied customers and knowing that you are responsible for it.

Chefs belong to an odd fraternity. It is one of the most stressful jobs in the world, ranking in the number four position just behind air traffic controllers. Chefs can be very open and secretive at the same time. Most of us tend to be show-offs, though, and like nothing better than sharing our knowledge (but not necessarily our recipes) with others. I’ve dined in some of the best restaurants in the world and the callous on my right index finger from wielding a chef’s knife for 25 years is all the ticket I need for a tour of their kitchens.

I’ve been out of the business for over a decade now. Except for a few special occasions, my cooking has been confined to preparing meals for family and friends. As satisfying as that can be, I still miss cooking for the public. I miss the camaraderie of the professional kitchen and the knowledge gained from working with other cooks, for fine dining is a team effort. No successful chef can do it without the help of a good staff.

Living as we now do prevents me from participating in intriguing  food trends like molecular gastronomy and pop-up restaurants. There are things I can learn from watching cooking shows like Iron Chef America and Top Chef, but the only way I can test what I learn is by putting it out there. Friends and family tend to be very forgiving and not always forthcoming.  That’s why I’ve decided to start my own trend -the Guerilla Chef - I strike without warning.

A couple of days ago, I got a hankering for tapas, the little dishes of Spain. I fixed a half dozen traditional Spanish tapas and took them just down the road to West Wind Farm so Anne and I could have a glass of wine and share some food with our friend David Manley. It wasn’t long before Alisa Potts came in for a short meeting with David, after which she joined Anne and me for a glass of wine and tapas. On the way home later, I felt that inner satisfaction I get when someone eats my food for the first time, and I know they enjoyed it.

For years now, long before the small plate wave hit American restaurants, I’ve been playing with the idea of American tapas. Recently, I’ve been experimenting with traditional Appalachian ingredients, giving them a modern twist in a small plate format. It’s time to test those ideas, maybe at the Farmers Market, the Winery, or who knows where?  So look for the Guerilla Chef in the coming months to strike at a place near you.