On a warm summer afternoon, Chef Jeff Keys stood in his kitchen prepping dinners for a busy summer evening at Vintage, his Ketchum-based restaurant. An unexpected guest arrived to change the course of Keys' cooking career.
"I had never contemplated doing a cookbook before," said Keys. "I didn't think there was time."
Publisher Gibbs Smith entered the restaurant and approached the chef about writing a cookbook. The two sat and discussed the idea over the same table used to conduct the interview for this story.
Keys obliged and wrote the book after sensing that he had creative liberty to compile more than an ordinary recipe book. He put together "Vintage Restaurant: Handcrafted Cuisine from a Sun Valley Favorite," a captivating collection of recipes, food inspired essays and photography.
The cookbook reflects Keys' long culinary tenure in the Wood River Valley. In the spring of 1985, he and his wife, Sheila, gutted and rebuilt a historic cabin on Leadville Avenue in Ketchum. In the restored cabin, Keys opened the Soupçon restaurant.
He later sold the operation, opened Mountain Decadence Ice Cream and later the Bellevue Bistro. Then he left the valley for a brief stint in Montana, only to return. He then reopened the same Leadville space as Vintage.
The cookbook offers recipes from all of Keys' culinary endeavors.
"Many cooks come into the kitchen, and by what they do, manipulate everything out of food," he said. "I want everything to be light and airy. I don't want humans to imprint too much."
Keys' thoughtful approach to cooking is apparent through his original food-inspired essays. Throughout the book, his writing intertwines memories, relationships, and travels with food. An honest voice paints a deep appreciation for handcrafted cuisine, both the experiences of preparing and enjoying exceptional dishes.
Each section of the cookbook leads with a personal vignette. Keys shares his love of culinary expression with descriptions of each recipe, like the story of a decadent chocolate concoction called "Delights of the Naked Stranger." A story accompanies the recipe to offer credit to his former assistant cook, Buncy Jeffrey.
"I didn't invent cooking. A lot of cooking is influences," he said.
Acknowledgement of the influences gives life to the edibles. The photography further infuses the recipes with vitality. Keys opted against bringing a New York-based food photographer and food stylist to arrange the book's visuals. Instead, he recruited Ketchum-based photographer Glen Allison to take pictures.
"We all worked together. It was a total collaboration," he said.
Now, Keys is working on another food book detailing the recipes and stories of Mountain Decadence Ice Cream.
Converse with the cook:
Jeff Keys signs his cookbook, "Vintage Restaurant: Handcrafted Cuisine from a Sun Valley Favorite," 5 to 7 p.m. Saturday, June 17, at Chapter One Bookstore in Ketchum. Refreshments are provided. The cookbook is also available at Iconoclast Books and Ketchum Kitchens.
Chef Jeff Keys recently released a cookbook compiling recipes from his culinary endeavors throughout the Wood River Valley. Photo by David N. Seelig
