West Ashley chef Wyatt Gaus cleans up at Island Rice Cookoff
from Staff Reports
West Ashley-based private chef Wyatt Gaus recently competed in the Island Rice Cookoff annual fundraiser for Abundantly More Children’s Closet at the James Island Town Hall. The competition included 12 chefs—both professional and amateur—who entered dishes into three categories: meat, vegetable, and seafood, all incorporating rice, a centuries-old staple in the Lowcountry.
Gaus swept several categories, including first place for best vegetable dish, the People’s Overall Choice, and the chef’s blind taste/judges’ choice. His dish, Cajun Asian Fusion Rice.
“My dish was inspired by my desire to incorporate local ingredients in dishes from around the world,” says Gaus. “I took a southern vegetable gumbo and elevated it with the flavors and techniques from China.”
The dish incorporated local vegetables that he picked from the Fields to Families mini-farm, where he volunteers as a harvest leader for volunteers that regularly pick for local food banks.
Gaus’s work with Fields to Families helps deliver fresh vegetables to food pantries while simultaneously helping farmers by not letting crops waste in the field.
Gaus, who is from upstate New York, relocated to Charleston about a year ago and launched his private chef business Herbly Wonderful Culinary LLC. He studied at the Culinary Institute of America, earning an associate degree while learning from some of the country’s top chefs.
According to Gaus, his passion for local produce was sparked by working at a farmers’ market with his parents, and that experience led to him becoming a private chef that focuses on incorporating fresh, local ingredients to all dishes he prepares. More than just “cooking a meal,” Gaus says he’s committed to community-driven cooking, allowing him to create connections between the people consuming his meals and the local producers growing the ingredients.
For more information about Chef Wyatt Gaus and Herbly Wonderful Culinary, LLC, email visit www.Herblywonderfulculinary.com.
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