Magazine

John Vollertsen (aka Chef Johnny Vee) grew up on dishes that relied on sauces made from Campbell’s soup. Lucky for us, he dedicated himself to learning the culinary arts in places like New York City, Sydney, Australia, and Santa Fe. Since 1993, he has led the Las Cosas Cooking School, and his first cookbook, Cooking with Johnny Vee, recently came out in its second edition. He still remembers his first bite of a red chile enchilada at a New Mexico truck stop. Eschewing the cooling power of a sour cream garnish, he dug in. “My sinuses immediately cleared, and I tasted such complex flavors and textures that the bland food of my upstate New York youth was forever forgotten. It is that sense of discovery, surprise, wonder, and anticipation I hope to impart in all my teaching and writing.”