Recipe Development & Consulting
Experience Beyond
the Kitchen.
Menu and product work grounded in what actually happens on a busy service, from a chef who has run the line and the numbers.
Discuss a Project
The Perspective
Ideas That Survive Service.
More than three decades in professional kitchens gives Chef James a practical perspective on what makes food concepts succeed.
SOMA provides culinary consulting for restaurants, hospitality businesses, brands and food products requiring creative development grounded in real-world operations.
Alongside Soma Restaurant, James has built and run a market, a taqueria and food truck, a soda and an ice pop company — and developed recipes for two nationally published cookbooks. That range is the point: a dish has to be delicious, repeatable, costable and possible with the team and equipment you actually have.
Services
Where We Can Help.
Engagements range from a single menu rewrite to ongoing advisory work across a season.
- 01
Menu Development
Original menu creation, seasonal updates, dietary alternatives and refinement of existing concepts.
- 02
Recipe & Product Development
Recipe creation, testing, refinement and preparation for new products and launches.
- 03
Cost & Operational Consulting
Evaluation of food costs, waste, workflow and culinary operations with an emphasis on quality and sustainable profitability.
- 04
Culinary Team Development
Practical guidance and training designed to improve consistency and execution.
- 05
Ongoing Advisory
Continued culinary guidance as concepts, menus and businesses evolve.
Featured Culinary Work
From Santa Teresa to the New York Times Bestseller List
Chef James collaborated with Tom Brady and TB12 co-founder Alex Guerrero on the second edition of The TB12 Method, developing approachable, health-focused recipes and preparing and styling dishes for photography. His work with TB12 later expanded into evaluation and development work involving the company’s nutrition products.
James subsequently worked on Gisele Bündchen’s cookbook Nourish, developing recipes, overseeing recipe testing and refinement, and managing food preparation and styling for the lifestyle photography.
Both projects reflect an aspect of James’s work that extends beyond private dining: translating an idea about food, health and lifestyle into recipes that actually work — tested by people who are not chefs, in kitchens that are not restaurants.
Consulting Questions
Working Together, Answered
What restaurants, hotels and food brands ask before starting a consulting engagement.
- Do you consult remotely or on-site?
- Both. Recipe development, menu work and cost review can run remotely with test rounds and written documentation; kitchen assessment, team training and launch support are better done on-site, in Costa Rica or elsewhere.
- What kind of businesses do you work with?
- Restaurants, hotels and boutique properties, food and beverage brands, and product companies — from a single menu refresh to a full concept development and opening.
- Do you develop recipes for packaged food products?
- Yes. Recipe creation, testing, refinement and preparation for launch, including work on nutrition-focused products. Chef James has developed and tested recipes for two published cookbooks and for a supplement and nutrition brand.
- How does an engagement usually start?
- With a conversation about the actual problem, followed by a written scope: what gets developed, how it will be tested, what you receive and what it costs. Small defined projects are welcome. Start a conversation
Inquire
Tell Us About the Project.
Concept, product, menu or team — a short description of where things stand and what you need is enough to begin.
