Andy's path to not burning down the house or yourself explained...

Andy Knudson hails from Texas y'all and graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park New York. He began his professional career at Restaurant Daniel which brought him to Las Vegas where he opened Wynn Las Vegas at DB Brasserie, and then went on to work for three-star Michelin famed chef Guy Savoy.

After several years of learning and gaining experience throughout the kitchen at Restaurant Guy Savoy he then landed in Aspen at the world famous Little Nell. In the beginning of 2015 Andy shifted gears from the snow-capped Colorado Rocky Mountains to the crystal blue waters of the Bahamas and went to work for chef Bobby Flay at the world famous Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island which led to a move to New York City to work at Bobby Flay's Bar Americain. In the beginning of 2016, Andy joined the team at Restaurant Marc Forgone as Chef de Cuisine. @andyknudson

First memory of campfire cookery?

I was in a group in Dallas, Texas called the Indian Guides when I was 6 years old. We would do trips to different camp areas and build fires and cook. Not always in tents but kinda fancy camping in cabins. However I think it was more for the dads to cook on fires. We would grill steaks and burry potatoes in foil in the fire. Most importantly would cook cans of beans right on the fire. 

Favorite memory around a bonfire?

Growing up in Texas you have lots of space and my parents would tell me two things. Don't burn down the house and don't burn yourself. Well that would lead into a college trip to a buddies ranch moving brush out of areas for a control burn. Well we used heavy earth moving machine tie and built a Pyle of dead trees about 20 feet high and about 5 gallons of gasoline and a Molotov Cocktail. I am sure you can imagine what happened from there. Let's just say that has brought me down a path of controlling the fire and now applying it cooking foods.

Worst experience in the outdoors?

There was a hut trip that we did back in 2012 in Aspen Colorado in the spring. Group of us left some on snow mobiles packed with food, beer, sleeping bags, ext. High avalanche day because the sun was out conditions were perfect. However a group of people sliming up to the hut got separated off and got lost on the trail. Sun went down and they had no food or water. They had to build a small camp fire and huddle around it, and make it through a heavy snowstorm. Sleeping so close to the fire that ski pants, jackets and even ski boots melted. Several people with frost bite the following morning. We all went out to search for them and luckily found them unharmed. These were several of my closest friends that were stuck out there over night. One of the scariest moments when you realize the power of Mother Nature. 

Can’t wait to?

Get out of NYC for a weekend. Feel the smoke in my eyes and the power of fire and what it can transform meats, fish and vegetables into.