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The phrase "passionate about food" often gets thrown around as the main characteristic that sets culinary professionals apart.

I am not suggesting there is anything intrinsically wrong with this. However, the way people define such passion varies so greatly that the phrase seems to have lost its meaning and, consequently, significance.

What is passion for food- Surely it cannot simply refer to a life governed by thoughts of food.

While I will not pretend to have the answer, when I think of my passion for food, the word "respect" comes to mind.

Not only must I understand each ingredient and how to bring out the best in it, I also must diligently cultivate the skills and know-how necessary for a successful outcome.

Respect demands nothing less and nothing more. Unmindful treatment of ingredients is an insult; embellishment to the point of distortion also is an insult, albeit more beguiling.

In creating restaurant dishes, the line between creatively intertwining the chef's personality with the food and narcissistically manipulating it at the cost of integrity can be so precariously thin that sometimes, even the best intentions succumb to pressure. A commitment to respecting food is what I strive to keep daily.

But what does the tangible outworking of respect look like in the kitchen-

One question I get asked very often is, "How do you devise a dish- " Honestly, much of it is improvisation within certain bounds. I rely little on flavor pairing theories and much more on accumulated memories from years of professional cooking.

In a nutshell, I first identify one or two main ingredients and the most suitable cooking method. Once those are in place, supporting elements are added to create a final sum that I hope will be greater than its parts.

It really does not need to be complicated in the home setting.

For example, I have in my hand an imaginary pumpkin. I am thinking of cutting it in half and scooping out its seeds.

I want to roast 90 percent of the unshelled seeds until dark brown, then turn them into roasted pumpkin seed consomme by cooking them in a light vegetable broth. The remaining seeds will be deep-fried, salted and set aside for garnish.

I'll shave some of the pumpkin flesh into paper-thin slices and dehydrate them to make pumpkin chips. The rest of the flesh is diced, cooked risotto-style with shallots and garlic and garnished with the pumpkin chips and seeds, with the reserved consomme poured over it tableside.

The pumpkin flesh also could be infused with different flavors, cooked sous-vide, pureed, turned into a savory custard and served as described above, in lieu of the risotto.

These are but a few examples of how to creatively prepare pumpkin with respect for its integrity as the overarching principle.

Pumpkins now are in season. With the passion you have for food, what will you make with them-

Curtis Duffy is the chef at Avenues in the Peninsula Chicago, 108 E. Superior.