Drigo the Alchemist

I first met Drigo about three years ago at the Miami Farmer’s Market. I used to go just for his food. He’s originally from St Croix, and since I lived in St Thomas, we had a lot to talk about. I first admired him as a chef and then learned more about his concept of culinary alchemy. We made plans to collaborate on some vegan popup dinners…and then COVID hit. I am happy at least to be able to introduce him and his company, The Culinary Alchemist, to readers of the Cook’s Gazette.

–Rebecca Purro

Food is cultural, it is spiritual, it’s at the focus of energy in our gathering places. Our food choices reflect who we are and how we treat ourselves. The choices we make also impact our environment, local economy, and families.

The Culinary Alchemist

I’ve always been fascinated with food and grew up in St Croix eating everything from turtle soup to iguana. At 16 I move to the US and tried to recreate my favorite recipes with the different ingredients available here. During college in 2002, I took over the kitchen of a local Jamaican restaurant. I also developed my knowledge and culinary skills working at gourmet catering companies and African, Thai, and Chinese restaurants. With a focus on nutrition, I set out to recreate flavors and pour all I had learned into plant-based dishes.

My study of plants, along with a growing understanding of African spirituality, has created major shifts in my thinking about the mindful preparation of food. This work has become the foundation of my systematic organic approach to Culinary Alchemy. It is not just a diet, but also a way of life like keeping kosher or preparing Buddhist temple cuisine.

From a young age I was aware of the relationship between food and health. My father was diabetic and also had a heart condition. I saw how his practices of juicing and intermittent fasting, his study of Deepak Chopra’s writing, helped him to optimize his life. Other family members who did not make changes to their diet died one after the other from similar diseases.

My dedication to prolonging human life necessitated the elimination of harmful ingredients such as MSG, sulfates, and processed food and/or sugars. We should not allow our palate to be hacked! I stress this in my pantry patrol class.

My work is based on the implementation of sustainable practices for sourcing plants. The use of organic produce and foraging for wild-harvested ingredients are critical to The Culinary Alchemist process. Using basic and sometimes neglected ingredients, my team creates a wealth of nutrient-dense plant based dishes. All recipes are prepared from scratch with the freshest ingredients. My goal is to optimize the health benefits of consuming plants while creating palate worthy explosions of flavor.

Incorporating behavior that will optimize your time, energy, and quality of life starts with what you put in your mouth. There is a symbiotic relationship with mindful intent, food preparation, and nutrition. The result is a chemical response that will reverberate between all of your senses.