How To Make Simple Dishes Stand Out According To Top Chef's Kwame Onwuachi

There are times when you want to closely follow the recipe as written — if you're a total beginner to baking with yeast, for example, or crafting a notoriously fussy concoction where there's plenty that can go wrong. But other times, you'll want to go rogue and break the rules — so says Kwame Onwuachi, pioneering chef and founder of renowned Afro-Caribbean restaurant Tatiana in NYC, who is hosting a Brooklyn block party with Guinness on August 24.

Onwuachi knows a thing or two about crafting memorable, noteworthy flavors, and his emphasis on creative "rule-breaking" has certainly served him well. He's won James Beard awards for his culinary achievements, published acclaimed cookbooks, and was a featured judge (as well as a past contestant) on "Top Chef." In other words, he's a seasoned pro.

The Bronx-born chef shared some of his most salient wisdom for home cooks, and it might not be what you expect. "Being uniquely yourself in your cooking can yield something special," he says — and advises people to always make things from scratch so you can tweak, edit, and customize along the way, straying perhaps a bit from the recipe as it's written to create dishes that break the mold.

Among his many accomplishments, Kwame Onwuachi is known for putting some highly unique flavors on the map. At Tatiana, he's known for turning out some highly unconventional options, like his beloved showstopper dessert, the Cosmic Brownie. This fudgy nod to the highly nostalgic Little Debbie's snack served with ice cream flavored like powdered donuts, has won acclaim from diners and critics alike. Retired New York Times restaurant critic Pete Wells called it his "favorite dessert" and a "knockout." Tatiana also serves up an oxtail chopped cheese sandwich served with shaved truffles and appetizers like sweet and zesty crispy okra flavored with hot sauce, honey, and mustard. These inventive plates are the perfect encapsulation of his sage advice come to life.

Onwuachi advises those cooking at home — whether it's an inherently adventurous dish or even the most basic mac and cheese or homemade pasta sauce – to improvise along the way. When cooking from scratch, you'll have plenty of opportunities to impart more imaginative flavors and make adjustments. "You may choose to use more chocolate, or less, for example, and tailor it to your taste buds," he says, his own famed brownies being the perfect example of a dish made with this advice in mind.  Not only will your guests be impressed, but your simple recipes will bloom into something truly memorable — because life's too short for boring dishes.