Chef Walker developed his cooking skills over 20+ years of traveling in Thailand, where he learned from the best street vendors and home cooks. Back home, his Thai food has earned him a James Beard Award and a Michelin star for his restaurant.

I used to spend a lot of time in the kitchen. I mean A LOT. Before we had kids, back when I was a grad student, I would spend 1.5-2 hours per day making dinner. If we were having friends over I’d start pre-making things a week in advance. I loved every minute of it.

I knew that I needed to spend less time cooking but I was afraid that the food wouldn’t be as good or that I wouldn’t love cooking as much. I had to stay true to my inner cook and continue to make delicious homemade food. I just had to do it more simply and more quickly.