Q/A With My Minimalist Brother

Daily uniforms, minimalist kitchen tools, and really good popcorn

I was fourteen when my brother Max was born, and I left for college when he was four. We barely knew each other or even shared the same roof growing up—so it seems wild that we ended up so aligned in our shared values and interests as adults.

As a private chef and culinary consultant, Max has spent most of his adult years globetrotting, living out of a single backpack, wearing the same all-black uniform day in and day out. I get plenty of questions about his unconventional lifestyle—probably because his brand of minimalism is way more extreme than mine, so hoping this Q/A will be illuminating, maybe even inspiring.

I’m so lucky to call Max my brother, and grateful he was game to chat about about his daily uniform, minimalist kitchen tools, and taking homemade popcorn very seriously. Off we go…

My favorite travel buddy in his uniform

Why Did You Decide to Become a Minimalist?

Years ago, I started traveling all over the world and never wanted to be encumbered by a suitcase—or even a backpack. My goal was to streamline what was in my possession down to what could be carried in one backpack, but without feeling like I was giving up anything I truly needed. It turns out that when I really started assessing what was a necessity, a lot of things could be cut. Almost everything could be cut, truthfully.

Living with less has made living on the road effortless and completely flexible. When I do occasionally put down roots for six months or a year, I get to start fresh every time and continue cataloguing what does and doesn’t work for when I inevitably have my own proper home in the future.

What’s in Your Current Wardrobe?

(12) black t-shirts
(12) black socks and boxer briefs
(2) black long sleeve henleys
(1) pair of black carpenter pants
(1) pair of oversized black trousers
(2) black overshirts and button-ups for layering
(1) black puffer
(1) black Birkenstock Londons for kitchen work
(1) black Salomon XT-6s for my extra-long daily walks
(1) black suede Japan-exclusive Clarks for every other time
(1) cream New Balance sneaker (unisex)
(2) cream t-shirts
(1) white henley
(1) vintage quilted military liner
(1) cream Stan Ray pants (unisex)
(3) earth-toned socks (for cream uniform days)
(2) hats – I often wear a hat, and for a while now, that’s either been a very simple black 6-panel from Ruby Wine in San Francisco, a spot I love dearly, or, more esoteric yet, a black dad hat from my favorite motsuyaki restaurant in the suburbs of Tokyo called Uchida.

What Prompted You to Get a Few Non-Black Pieces Recently?

I had been joking around a bit about the idea of wearing all white/cream for Halloween one year, but the joke was really on me because it turns out that once I actually did it, wearing all white immediately made me feel like I was on vacation, no matter the day or the place. It didn’t take long to get comfortable enough with all the whites that a few other neutrals and earth tones entered the mix, and right now I’m actually feeling like I might have a real brown era coming up. All that said, my wardrobe is very much still 90% black, and that’s unlikely to be changing anytime soon.

What Happens When You Need to Exercise or Go Somewhere Fancy?

Truth be told, I avoid the formality of both those instances like the plague. Exercise comes in the form of long daily walks and occasional hiking, both of which I’m happy to do in “the uniform.” Fancy restaurants are a much more common occurrence for me, but I can almost always get by in my all-black uniform. Despite how casual it feels for me at this point, it’s still importantly devoid of branding, distracting design, and always has a vague air of seriousness that gets me by without a jacket and tie. Worst-case scenario is that I’ll cobble something dressy together from a friend, but those situations are so wildly infrequent for me that it hasn’t seemed like a necessity to own that sort of outfit yet.

A suitcase full of Rancho Gordo beans to gift; a minimalist wallet

Do You Ever Get Bored or Crave More Variety?

Not particularly. While I’ve added just a touch of muted color over the years, I still really find a whole lot of comfort in my all-black uniform, and it really works for me on almost every occasion. If anything, I’ll look for some variety in fabric and feel to add a little texture and make an outfit feel ever so slightly more intentional. Also, I’m always on the hunt for a little accessory here or there—think keychain, wallet, etc.—but I make sure I’m still thinking about it for several months before I actually commit to buying because I’ve found if it’s too far afield from my daily uniform, I don’t really end up incorporating it. Truthfully, I think I enjoy the hunt for these kinds of things more than actually owning them because, at this juncture, if I really wanted something, I would probably already be wearing it daily.

Any Downside to Wearing the Same Thing Each Day?

It feels almost monastic to wake up each morning and have a uniform of sorts. There’s no thinking or decision-making because what I’ll be wearing is already established. The only downside that comes to mind is that on a weekly basis I’m mistaken for an employee of literally any given establishment due to my all-black uniform.

When You Do Splurge, What Do You Invest In?

Almost all of my money goes to food. My life revolves around making food, eating food, and spending time with the culinary community at large. Travel is the only other constant in my life, but travel is also entirely predicated on eating.

Trying all the pastries on our annual sibling adventure

What Kitchen Appliances Do You Own?

Not many… a Vitamix, a KitchenAid stand mixer (though I hated how much space it was taking up in my rather small cottage, so it’s on indefinite loan to a friend), and a WhirleyPop (if that counts), because that’s the one that really sees heavy use! Nothing makes me happier than a big bowl of freshly made popcorn—fried in a generous amount of ghee or coconut oil and finished with salt that I’ve run through the Vitamix until very, very fine so it adheres better. Also, I often prefer to pop the large, globe-shaped kernels referred to as “mushroom” popcorn over the traditional “butterfly” popcorn. You didn't think you were getting so much popcorn content, did you?

Top Kitchen Tools You Can’t Live Without?

One perfect, large kitchen knife, preferably Japanese. You do not need a knife set—I absolutely promise you, you do not. I cook for a living, and 95% of the time, no matter what I’m making, I’m using the same 240mm gyuto to tackle the job. From precision work with the tip (goodbye, paring knife) to butchering a chicken with the base (goodbye, cleaver) to everything in between (goodbye every other silly knife they put in a set).

Favorite Go-To Meal?

I did mention that WhirleyPop earlier, right? I think there’s a big misconception that chefs must be making these amazing meals at home all the time, but in reality, we typically love to cook because we love feeding other people—not ourselves. Not to mention that we’ve probably been cooking all day long for work already. So, if I’m being honest, the other thing that comes off the stove the most is eggs: soft scrambled with lots of butter and finished with chives; hard-fried and topped with marash chili, black salt, and marjoram; soft-poached and gently spooned over a very seedy slice of bread with dill.

Favorite Pantry Staples?

I order Bordier demi-sel butter in bulk because it isn’t so easy to find and, well, it’s the best. Capezzana olive oil—I use it for everything from salad dressings to frying eggs, to finishing a steak, to making an olive oil cake. It’s pricey, but it’s worth it. Soft herbs. I use a lot of fresh herbs in my cooking, and there is always some rotation of tarragon, chervil, chives, dill, etc., that I’m babying in the fridge.

Max wears a color! Wine and ice cream at Foderol in Paris

What’s Always Stocked in Your Fridge and Pantry?

We’ve already knocked out a bunch of the basics, but let’s fill in the gaps. Mostly, it’s lots of fresh fruit and vegetables from the farmers market—always and only what’s in season. You will not catch me with a single strawberry or an ear of corn in winter. Instead, I keep a perfect little jar of strawberry jam (I’m looking at you, Harry’s Berries) and the absolute best bags of heirloom grits and polenta (thank you, Anson Mills) as memories of summer. Yogurt (Strauss Whole Milk Greek) and the nicest honey I can find - right now, that’s a Greek thyme honey from 10am Apotheke that’s been blowing my mind. Belazu rose harissa and Boon chili crisp are probably the condiments that get the most use in my kitchen when I want extra flavor without having to work for it. Likewise, there is always a jar of plump Cantabrian anchovies around for making almost everything savory taste just a little better without anyone noticing what exactly it is that made it that way.

Any Tips to Simplify Meal Planning or Shopping?

I assure you no one wants my shopping tips. My job involves going to various markets almost every single day so that everything I make is as fresh as possible. This is perhaps my favorite part of the job. I love talking to all the specialty vendors about what’s new on the shelves or to the farmers about what’s good not just this season, but at this exact moment. I do recognize that it isn’t a realistic daily or weekly shopping experience for almost anyone with a busy life that doesn’t strictly revolve around food, though.

Thank you for sharing, Max! I always find it so fascinating to see how other people live, and now I feel inspired to clean out my closet and upgrade my butter…

P.S. Also! I am out of my mind excited to collaborate with Max on a very special in-person retreat on the California Coast - details coming next week!

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