Chef Derik Moran of the Dakota’s Essentials

Five things chef Derik Moran of the Dakota can’t live without

Unexpected flourishes: I’ve been using sumac, which is really popular in Turkey and Hungary. It’s a garnish on our beef short rib. I’m also a huge fan of pollens, like fennel and dill.

Inspired ingredients: It depends on what our farmers are excited to grow. If a farmer wants to let a potato sprout shoots, I’ll use that on our menu. We have young sunflower-seed sprouts right now.

Mentor: I’ve only met Marco Pierre White once, but I’ve read all of his books and studied his career. He leads by example. Eventually, people will emulate you and that only helps with whatever you’re trying to do.

Kitchen gadget: A 70-year-old sausage press I bought online. It’s in original condition from the 1940s.

Cheese plate: For so long, everyone was importing all of their cheeses, but the United States has amazing artisan cheese makers—I only use domestic. The Fawn from Deer Creek is a white Cheddar aged like Parmesan. While it’s young, it tastes like a 2- to 4-year aged Cheddar. Dunbarton blue is a Cheddar that’s injected with a blue strain. I love a good buttermilk or sheep’s milk creamy blue.