When people ask where my ideas come from, they usually expect me to say another chef, a restaurant, or a trip. But, that’s rarely how it happens. I find the most inspiration in life’s tiny moments. Sometimes it’s a song, a piece of art, a party, or even a recalled childhood memory. Sometimes, it’s the toughest moments in life that spark my creativity.
When I moved to Detroit from Buenos Aires, it was one month before the pandemic hit. Immediately, I was pretty f**ked. I came here — an immigrant — to cook and to open a restaurant, and I had nowhere to go. Nowhere to work. Nowhere to express my creativity and my fire. The only kitchen I was running was the one inside my home.
But the pandemic gave me a lot of time to think about my future. Time to plan and to develop a menu for the restaurant of my dreams. During this time locked inside, I read a lot — about Detroit, about its history, people, architecture and agriculture. I actually miss reading so much. Today, it’s very hard for me to get into a book. With two restaurants, I just don’t have the concentration; my brain is somewhere else most of the time. But back then, stuck inside with nowhere to go, my inspiration came from books. That’s when I first read about the Detroit beet.
The Detroit Beet is an extraordinary seed. First introduced in 1982 by D.M. Ferry Seed Co., it grows in almost any condition, producing a smooth, spherical root vegetable with an intense, crimson color and a remarkable sweetness. Detroit beets are biennial, meaning they have two harvesting seasons: early summer and late fall. They’re grown in home and urban gardens all around Detroit, sustaining life for hundreds of years in North America during the winter months. The more I learned about this resilient heirloom beet, the more I realized it embodied the same qualities I saw in Detroit: strength, perseverance, and character. In the planning stages of Barda’s menu, I knew the beet would be central. In fact, I was initially going to list it on the menu as “Blooming Detroit.”
This story of the Detroit Beet became one of Barda’s earliest dishes. I sliced the beets one by one and arranged them into the shape of a blooming flower, garnished with raspberry dust and served with ajoblanco. To me, it symbolizes a city that continues to bloom no matter what challenges it faces. The dish is my love letter to Detroit.
Years have passed, and that beet has become one of Barda’s signatures. Every time it leaves the kitchen, with pedals trimmed like a rose, it reminds me why I fell in love with this city in the first place. Cooking has never been just about feeding people, you know? I like to call myself an entertainer, and what’s more entertaining than a good story? There’s written history and oral history, but there’s also culinary history. Telling stories through food. I love to do that.
Inspiration is all about paying attention. It’s not about looking, but harnessing. It’s about finding meaning in the places, people, and ingredients around us, then transforming those moments into something you can share at the table. Moving here during the pandemic was a challenge, but in the end, it really worked to my favor. I took time to learn, plan, and cook. And I found inspiration in the toughest moments. Had it not been for the pandemic, I may have never picked up a book and learned about this fascinating beet!
Today, I receive most of my inspiration through collaboration. Friends, this is the secret sauce to life, and I continue to harness it at Puma. As many of you know, Puma is my playground, and the next Friendly Fire with Paper Sons is already sold out! The response to this monthly dinner series has been incredible, and I’m excited to keep partnering with interesting chefs and artists.
If you didn’t get a reservation for July, I want to tell you about the next one in August: Puma’s Friendly Fire will feature Catalonian cooking with chef, author, and educator Alba Sunyer. Born in Barcelona, she is the author of The Catalan Table, and a Detroit resident. Alba also works as a U.S. ambassador for Catalonian gastronomy! So book your seat for this incredible dinner now, before it sells out.
Life is more exciting when you’re reading, cooking, collaborating — and of course — eating and drinking well. Detroit is such an energetic, global city. If you can’t find inspiration here, you won’t find it anywhere.
To the flames of inspiration, and the resilience of this great city…
Yours,
Javi