Baron Ambrosia: Culinary Adventurer

Are any of you willing to sacrifice your life for the perfect dish? Will you venture to the heart of the Bronx to find tastes so delectable that you would be willing to risk your wellbeing? Meet Baron Ambrosia. His mission in life is to hunt exquisite cooking and share his findings with his audience. He has self-produced Underbelly NYC, a video podcast,  BronxNet’s Bronx Flavor and has a special on the Cooking Channel called The Culinary Adventures of Baron Ambrosia. I had to interview this man and find out why he is willing to go so far to bring culinary pleasures to his viewers.

Tell us about where you grew up. What was your childhood/teenage years like?

I grew up in Killingworth, Connecticut. It is a small New England town. In my younger years, I spent a lot of time exploring swamps, caves, and abandoned houses we heard were haunted.

When and how did you discover your love for food? What foods did you enjoy eating growing up?

Food was everywhere. It was a natural way for me to experience the world. I was always interested in eating anything new or different. I remember someone bringing a tray of sushi to my parent’s house for a party when I was about 9. When I realized that the purple tentacled discs were octopus meat I had a complete freak out. While pulling apart the tentacles, I was informed that the orange foam mounds wrapped in seaweed paper were sea urchin. Talk about not knowing when you woke up in the morning you’d be swimming in chocolate before noon.

It was always about the quest. I was a bit of a Slush Puppy fiend. Usually I did classic blue raspberry, often times I would request a squirt of grape. I had an obsession with blue liquids and searched desperately for the Blue Raspberry Slurpee from 7-11. I heard whispers of its existence but could never find it. If you lift the placard displaying the showcased flavor on a Slurpee machine they usually have the old flavor cards behind it. I would take all of the cards out and file through them like a detective looking for clues. When I found the blue raspberry card just one back from the featured flavor, I let out a gasp as I put it in my jacket pocket. It felt like the suspect had slipped through my fingers…damn the coffee was still warm! It would be years before I finally tracked her down.

At which point in your life did you realize you were “The Quaffer of Culinary Consciousness?”

We were filming a scene for my movie “Canzo Empyrean at 188 Cuchifritos” many years ago. Although the food had nothing to do with the actual plot, the sense of flavor really enhanced the scene. I thought, wouldn’t it be great if the cuisine was central to the story? As opposed to “throw me the idol, I throw you the whip”, it could be “throw me the chimi, I throw you the molinillo.”

The Ambrosia Family Crest reads “Less Looking More Touching Less Talking More Tasting.” Essentially, it is about engaging the visceral and throwing away this celebration of mediocrity we have come to embrace as a society. The term ‘Ambrosia’ was applied to the food of the Gods in Greek mythology. To be a Quaffer of Culinary Consciousness means finding the Ambrosia in your everyday life. It starts by realizing that much that we see as mundane and ordinary is actually sublime and extraordinary. There is passion, romance, and mystery all around us, but it can’t be seen when one wears cynical blinders.

Mainstream television have been embracing cooking shows: from Iron Chef to Hell’s Kitchen to Top Chef. What is it about the science of food that fascinates us? Do you feel that there is a science or art to food? What is your philosophy?

The art of cooking is modern day alchemy, you are taking these raw elements and combing them to create gold. It is a perfect balance of science and art. It is the only art form experienced by actually consuming the art. There is an incredibly high level of intimacy between chef and diner. Cooking is one of the languages of sensuality.

Out of all the many adventures you’ve been through to taste these wonderful dishes, what adventures do you feel were the most dangerous? Or unique?

We were in Yemen driving to the Village of Sweets between Aden and Sana’a and were informed by government officials that some folks were out to kidnap us. We were assigned a free military escort. It was a truck with about six soldiers with Kalashnikovs. As we drove up the mountain roads, we felt pretty tough until we noticed that most of the trucks going the other way had more guys with much bigger guns. I don’t have much of a sweet tooth , but I’ll tell ya those confections tasted pretty incredible when we finally got there.

I saw that you made an appearance at the New York Comic Con. How have nerds or geeks reacted to your show? What about your show is relatable to them?

I loved comic books from a very young age. I would go to a small flea market every Sunday after church and buy Spider-Man comic books from the 60s and 70s. The guy I bought them from was a dead ringer for Captain Lou Albano. He worked the suspenders over a t-shirt look like a pro. He operated out of the side of a blue van. I was really in tune with comic back then. I could walk into a pharmacy and tell if they sold comics just by smell. I would even dream about comic books. I remember one dream where I was in Max’s Comics in Middletown, Connecticut. I picked up a book with fire on the front cover. I stood there and read it. On the last page there was a man that was repeating the word ‘blood’ over and over. I went to Max’s a few days later and saw the exact book from my dream. It was Marvel Team-Up #123. I already knew what was on the last page. The story is really one of premonition without purpose, at least as far as I can tell.

Making my own comic book with Bronx artist Ray Felix was really like living a childhood dream. I have worked in film for a long time. It was such a joy to speak in a new medium and reach an entirely different audience. We will be selling a second run at the Bronx Heroes Comic Con on May 3rd, 2012 at the Bronx Museum.

http://www.bronxheroescomiccon.com/

This was my first time at the Comic Con and I enjoyed seeing people stepping out as they see themselves. The majority of society follows strict cookie cutter guidelines of how to dress, how to act, all the while beneath the surface their superhero self is buried in their own fear of how the world perceives them. I respect when people aren’t afraid to do their thing and be themselves to the utmost.

Sometimes at conventions I’m not sure about what foods will be good enough, to not just sustain me, but also add to my convention experience. As a survivalist, what would you recommend so that my experience is satisfactory?

I would just bring some high protein low sugar power bars. Stay hydrated. At the end of the day, go uptown to the Bronx and throw down an overindulgent feast.

Is it tough being Baron Ambrosia, Culinary Adventurer, in the land of the Bronx? I grew up in the Bronx, and the Bronx has a way of being less forgiving to those that stand out, that are creative and that doesn’t conform. How are you able to be you, without compromise?

You need to be comfortable in what you wear. If it is not who you are inside, it shows; people smell that discomfort from a mile away. I usually will step out of the house wearing a purple or pink suit. Sometimes I’ll wear rollers, a sword, or a floor length Kurta. The funny thing is that someone is less likely to talk s**t in the Bronx because if you are walking around in a pink suit they know you can handle your business. Most little crews talk shit when they see somebody walking by staring at the ground. “Oh I can say something when this guy walks by.” Whenever I step out of the house, I am supercharged and on the attack. If there is someone in the Bronx who doesn’t watch the show, I am doing something wrong, so I always carry a pocket full of postcards with the show times and website. If I see a group of dudes standing around, I walk over and recruit them into the Ambrosia army. It is fun to watch them whisper out of the side of their mouths and brace themselves as I get closer like, “I know this dude ain’t walking over here.” In five minutes, you have loyal viewers for life. Loyalty comes from being a real physical presence and not some imaginary character in a costume.

Where can one go you to view your shows, either on television or online?

You can get all the Bronx Flavor information at www.bronxflavor.com. We are doing a new show with the Cooking Channel entitled “The Culinary Adventures of Baron Ambrosia.” All updates for that project can be found at www.baronambrosia.com.

Last and very least, what are your thoughts about the whole “is pizza a vegetable” controversy?

I am sure there are ways to make the argument both ways. If you are treating pizza as a vegetable you are only fooling yourself. You should consume 6 ounces of green vegetables a day. If not have 8 ounces of Matcha green tea. Once you see enough young people living with illness it seems like a really good idea. It’s not that hard to do. People get sick and suddenly it turns into would of, could have, should have. It’s not about living forever, it’s about feeling great and utilizing the gift of your body to the fullest while you are alive.

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Check out The Cooking Channel’s The Culinary Adventures of Baron Ambrosia (for free) here!