Barry Horton, Chef
We want to recognize Barry Horton who came to us from the Cordon Bleu Culinary program at Portland's Western Culinary Arts. He is our head chef and has held the position for a year and a half bringing integrity, creativity and a gentle hand to the Ravens' Restaurant.
Over three years ago, the placement officer at his school called to ask if we were interested in an intern from their program. We were and we did. Why he chose us remains shrouded in mystery. Unlike prior interns he was neither vegetarian nor vegan. Barry came: an avid meat eater and smoker who enjoyed long nights in the local pub. He tells us that he choice to intern at the Ravens' because it "just felt right;" that it was the thing to do - continuing his education in an organic, sustainable, vegetarian lifestyle.
Today, Barry is vegan and committed to creating the finest vegan cuisine. He pours through the Food Lover's Companion for ideas - finding a food term with its description and creating a whole food, vegan version. Our wait staff is often challenged to learn new words and their meanings. Not long ago, Barry found in the Companion the term Dukkah referring to a mix of ground hazelnuts, sesame seeds, cumin and coriander, which he tossed with zucchini, chickpeas, onions, capers and Kalamata olives and stuffed into an eggplant and baked.
Barry graduated at the top of his class from Western and has grown ever since. For those into historical information, Barry grew up in the middle of Kansas and migrated east after high school, enrolling in Johnson County Community College, where he began taking culinary classes and decided that he loved to cook.
He has since learned that a chemical-free, locally grown, plant-based diet is optimal for a long, sound, healthy life, and with this has been creating delicious, attractive, and nutritious cuisine. He has adapted his classical French culinary training to create amazing, delectable dishes for any and every palate. He was once told by a culinary instructor “Never trust a skinny Chef.” but this has proven to be false. Barry who is athletic and slim, feels that the instructor should have advocated, “always trust a healthy chef.”
Barry believes that a vegetarian diet is the key to mental, emotional, and physical healing. His passion for his food and health is thus transferred to family and friends. “Nothing will benefit human health and increase the chances for survival of life on earth as much as the evolution of a vegetarian diet.” – Albert Einstein