Matthew Kenney

Founder, Matthew Kenney Cuisine

Recipes by Matthew Kenney
Banana Almond Butter Cup Smoothie
Best Smoothie
Super Goji-Cacao-Maca Bars
Cumin Flatbread
Strawberry Tart
Vietnamese Pho Broth with Tofu
Yellow Corn Chowder
Cold Spicy Long Life Noodles with Ginger Sauce
Shitake Ravioli w/ Broccoli Rabe, Balsamic Fig Puree, & Ginger Cream
Sweet Pea Samosas, Mint – Almond Chutney, & Pickled Lime “Yogurt”
Banana Almond Butter Cup Smoothie
Plum Carpaccio with Vanilla-Agave Syrup and Ginger Cream

Coming of age in the era of the celebrity chef, Matthew Kenney remains one of the culinary world’s most dynamic and innovative talents. Born in New Haven, Connecticut, Kenney grew up on the coast of Maine where he graduated from the University of Maine with a B.A. in Political Science. He was always drawn to the excitement and energy of New York, a city that he enjoyed visiting and when it came time to select a school to pursue a law degree, Kenney seized the opportunity to relocate to the city that he loved.

“Although my food preferences have changed dramatically over the years, my culinary influences have not. Many years ago, the staff at my first restaurant used to make fun of how often I would use the words “clean” and “sexy” to describe how I wanted our food to be presented. I haven’t wavered in my preferences on that level: I like food that is somewhat light, or lighter than usual, and very intensely flavored, yet not muddled with too many components. If an ingredient does not have a real purpose in a recipe, I prefer to leave it out.”

Once settled in New York, Kenney found that his interests were gravitating towards the culinary world. These interests soon developed into a passion for cooking and restaurants in general, which he began to explore as a line cook at Malvasia, a small Sicilian restaurant. Consumed by the idea of pursuing a culinary career, he enrolled in the French Culinary Institute, which led him to a job at La Caravelle in 1990, and eventually to a chef position at an Upper East Side Italian Restaurant, Alo Alo.

In 1993, 28 year old Kenney opened his first restaurant, Matthew’s on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. The upscale, Mediterranean influenced cuisine soon received two stars from The New York Times among other enthusiastic reviews. During the following five years, Kenney built and opened several restaurants with a focus on regional Mediterranean cooking: Mezze in Midtown, Bar Anise on the Upper East Side, Café M at The Stanhope Hotel, and Monzu, underneath Soho’s Guggenheim Museum. Kenney’s magic touch continued when he conceptualized Metrazur in Grand Central Station. Shortly before Metrazur opened, Kenney sold his interest in the project to his partners in order to focus on other projects.

In 1994, Kenney was named one of the Ten Best New Chefs in America by Food and Wine magazine. He also received two James Beard Nominations for Rising Star Chef in America. In 1997, Kenney published his first cookbook, “Matthew Kenney’s Mediterranean Cooking.”

In 1999, Kenney shifted his focus to regional American cuisine. He opened Canteen in Soho in 1999, followed by Commune in New York and Atlanta and Commissary in New York and Portland, Maine. Sugar in Portland, Maine, soon followed in 2000. During this prolific time, he also launched the very upscale Matthew Kenney Catering and Events, a line of gourmet products called Modern Fare, and authored “Matthew Kenney’s Big City Cooking.” However, in 2002, Kenney had a life changing experience that altered the course of his culinary career.

“The far most important element of raw food, or any food for that matter, is the sourcing of high quality, seasonal, local when possible, organic ingredients. Without them, you are already limiting your chances of preparing great, healthy food.”

After several professional setbacks which included the collapse of his restaurant group, he accompanied a friend to a “raw vegan” restaurant. Though hesitant at first, Kenney not only found his raw meal enjoyable, but was struck by the mental and physical clarity he found upon dining. Bursting with renewed energy, Kenney learned all he could about raw cuisine and organic ingredients, and opened Pure Food and Wine in 2004. What at first sounded like an unusual idea, took the culinary world by storm and become a wildly popular critical success

Almost instinctively, Kenney came to the realization that his mission as a chef was to introduce more people to the benefits of an organic lifestyle. This switch to “innovative organic cuisine,” a gourmet style of cooking developed by Kenney, not only reflected itself in his culinary interests, but altered his entire way of living. With this newfound knowledge, he co-authored “Raw Food, Real World,” a recipe and lifestyle book that has quickly become one of the leading references in the raw food movement. He also consulted and partnered on several ventures, including The Plant, a raw food production and educational facility, and Blue/Green, a small group of organic juice cafes. He was named Chef of the Year in 2006 by Veg News.

Matthew Kenney Cuisine is the next chapter in Kenney’s culinary evolution. Conceived as lifestyle company from which to collaborate on ventures promoting organic living, Kenney currently works with several brands in New York, Colorado, Madrid, Mexico, Florida and Oklahoma. Last year, he launched Free Foods NYC, an upscale organic retail and catering business in New York City, which recently opened its second location nearby. He developed and consulted on a casual raw food café, Café 118, in Winter Park, Florida, last fall, and is currently involved in the development of an upscale Raw Food Café, Shop and Culinary Academy, 105 Degrees, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

“Everyday Raw,” a casual raw food cookbook, was released in May 2008.  Matthew  recently completed “Entertaining in the Raw” (released in August 2009), and he is currently writing “Everyday Raw Desserts,” which will be published in early 2010.

More information may be found at his website, www.matthewkenneycuisine.com, at his online magazine, www.matthewkenneylifestyle.com, and at his new academy, restaurant and shop called 105degrees, www.105degrees.com.

To purchase unique and sustainable products such as Raw Ohgave! Nectar and other products and items aligned with the 105degrees philosophy of health and sustainability, visit http://105degrees.com/theshop/.