Chefs Without Restaurants
271 episodes - English - Latest episode: 7 days ago - ★★★★★ - 71 ratingsJoin Chris Spear as he interviews food and beverage entrepreneurs who've taken a unique path in the culinary world. His guests include caterers, research chefs, personal chefs, cookbook authors, food truck operators, farmers, and more – all individuals who've paved their own way in the culinary world. With over 30 years of experience in the hospitality industry, including his own personal chef business, Perfect Little Bites, Chris is dedicated to helping others grow and succeed in the food and beverage industry. Tune in to hear their inspiring stories and valuable insights on the road less traveled in the food and beverage industry.
Homepage Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Episodes
Stolen Recipes, Scrapple, Bill Murray and Bad Service
April 12, 2024 14:00 - 19 minutes - 13.6 MBThis week I'm sharing a clip from another podcast I was featured on a couple of years ago. I share a couple of funny stories that I've never shared before. The first story is about how actor Bill Murray inadvertently ruined my anniversary dinner. I love Bill, and this isn't something he intentionally did, but the story relates to good (and poor) customer service. The other story is about scrapple, an original recipe of mine, and how a large spice company might have appropriated this recipe,...
Exploring Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon with Bernie Lubbers of Heaven Hill Distillery
March 27, 2024 23:00 - 46 minutes - 31.8 MBThis week my guest is "the whiskey professor" Bernie Lubbers, Heaven Hill Distillery's national brand ambassador. If you want to learn more about bourbon, and one of America's oldest and best distilleries, this episode is for you. Bernie explains the criteria for bourbon, as well as the bottled-in-bond classification, something he's championed since beginning his bourbon career in 2005. We also discuss whiskey tastings and tasting notes in general. I asked him about the price of bottles, es...
Teaching Kids Culinary and Business Skills - The Fat Pastor Shawn Niles
March 21, 2024 18:00 - 42 minutes - 29.4 MBThis week my guest is Shawn Niles (aka The Fat Pastor). Shawn started his church in 2015, but his love of cooking led him to competing on MasterChef in 2016. What chef Gordon Ramsay told him would change his life forever. Wanting to combine his two passions, Shawn started a program for at-risk youth in Yakima, WA called Urban Kitchen, to teach them culinary and business skills. At the end of the program, the students would open and run a 3-night pop-up restaurant. He would later start Bit...
Make Better Pizza at Home with Women's Pizza Month Founder Christy Alia
March 14, 2024 20:00 - 46 minutes - 31.6 MBThis week my guest is pizza maker and founder of Women’s Pizza Month Christy Alia. Women's pizza month is an online party taking place the whole month of March on Instagram. Of course, you can follow along by checking out the hashtag #WomensPizzaMonth. Christy wanted to shine a spotlight on many of the women in pizza, so she took to Instagram to start this. Anyone can participate, and she encourages you to do a post, dedicating it to a woman that you’d like to highlight. In addition, she’...
Talking About The Chef Conference with Founder Mike Traud
March 07, 2024 17:00 - 38 minutes - 26.4 MBThis week my guest is Mike Traud, founder of The Chef Conference (formerly The Philly Chef Conference). We talk about the history, and evolution, of this food and beverage conference. You'll hear what you can expect from this year's conference which is taking place in Philadelphia from April 12th through 15th. Some of this year's guest are: Sean Brock, Tom Collichio, Alain Ducasse, Andrew Zimmern, Rob Rubba, and Rosio Sanchez MIKE TRAUD and The Chef Conference The Chef Conference on Instag...
Perseverance and Adaptation - Christine Van Bloem of The Empty Nest Kitchen
February 27, 2024 19:00 - 45 minutes - 31 MBThis week my guest is chef Christine Van Bloem. For 15 years Christine ran the successful Kitchen Studio Cooking School in Frederick, Maryland, a recreational cooking school. When the Covid pandemic hit, she had to stop doing in-person cooking classes. She pivoted to online cooking classes, hoping to go back to in-person. Then, her husband had a stroke, and she had a heart attack, On top of that, she was unable to agree on the terms of her lease renewal with her landlord, and left her kitche...
Beyond Contracts, Invoices, and Deposits: Creating a Less Transactional Experience
February 19, 2024 17:00 - 8 minutes - 5.68 MBIn this week’s solo episode of Chefs Without Restaurants, host Chris Spear delves into the controversial yet effective business practices he's adopted for his personal chef business. Chris reveals how he's successfully run his culinary business without the reliance on contracts, invoices, or deposits, placing a significant emphasis on trust and personal connections over formal paperwork. While his method defies many traditional business norms, especially in the personal chef world, Chris e...
The Chef Who's Feeding Oceanside's Houseless Community - Sunny Soto-Brisco of Sunny Street Outreach
February 12, 2024 15:00 - 58 minutes - 40.4 MBThis week I have chef Sunny Soto-Brisco. With her wife, they started Sunny Street Outreach to cook and serve restaurant quality meals to the houseless and underserved communities in Oceanside, CA. They're currently working on fundraising for a mobile cafe trailer which, once open, will serve the Oceanside community with coffee and breakfast on the go. YOU CAN DONATE HERE SUNNY STREET OUTREACH The Sunny Street Outreach Website Sunny Street Outreach on Instagram Donate to help them with their...
Caribbean Flavors, Paleo Remixes with Althea Brown of Metemgee
February 04, 2024 14:00 - 1 hour - 42.6 MBThis week I have Althea Brown. After moving to the United States from Guyana, Althea started a blog called Metemgee where she shares traditional Guyanese recipes. Due to health reasons, Althea now follows a paleo diet. But you don’t have to follow a paleo diet to enjoy her recipes. In fact, Althea shares both traditional recipes, and Paleo remixes on her website, and in her new book Caribbean Paleo. Some topics discussed and key takeaways in this episode: Best practices that Althea swears ...
Taking a Creative, Culinary Approach to Craft Distilling with Scott Blackwell of High Wire Distilling Co (Part 2)
January 27, 2024 04:00 - 59 minutes - 40.7 MBThis week I have part 2 of my conversation with Scott Blackwell, owner/distiller of High Wire Distilling Co in Charleston, SC which he runs with his wife Ann Marshall. This part of our conversation starts with how and why he started the distillery. If you're interested in his entrepreneurial journey up to the point of starting the distillery you can find part 1 here. We talk about taking a creative, culinary approach to craft distilling, using premium, specialized ingredients such as Jimmy ...
Serial Entrepreneurship in the Food and Beverage Industry with Scott Blackwell of High Wire Distilling Co (Part 1)
January 19, 2024 19:00 - 24 minutes - 16.9 MBThis week I have part 1 of my conversation with Scott Blackwell, owner/distiller of High Wire Distilling Co in Charleston, SC which he runs with his wife Ann Marshall. This part of our conversation focuses on his entreprenurial journey up to the point of starting the distillery. Scott’s been a Ben & Jerrys distributor, owned a coffee roaster and bakery, and started a line of frozen doughs. He also holds the Guiness Book record for the largest cookie. Next week's episode will focus on the d...
Processed Food, Faux Meat, Culinary Nostalgia, and Reading the Room with Tony Moore of Winning at Work
January 08, 2024 18:00 - 27 minutes - 19.2 MBThis week on Chefs Without Restaurants I'm sharing part two of my conversation with Tony Moore. Tony is a seasoned marketing executive and the host of the "Winning at Work" podcast. I was a guest on his podcast, and this is a portion of that episode. Episode Highlights Using a blog as a tool for content marketing to provide people with insights into business and the behind-the-scenes aspects Positioning in the market Sharing personal aspects on the business social media pages The impo...
Exploring Mexico's Rich Flavors with Chef Sarah Thompson of Casa Playa
December 21, 2023 01:00 - 40 minutes - 27.6 MBThis week, we're venturing into the vibrant world of Mexican cuisine with executive chef Sarah Thompson of Casa Playa at Wynn Las Vegas. At Casa Playa, she presents a vibrant and creative menu featuring bright, California and Baja produce and seafood, woven together with a robust masa program–drawing upon her culinary expertise refined at New York City’s lauded Cosme. Chef Thompson graduated from the Culinary Institute of America, and amassed experience at some of New York City’s most notewo...
Behind the Scenes of Pop-Up Dining with Chef Jonathon Merrick of Family Meal Boise
December 09, 2023 03:00 - 1 hour - 42.9 MBIn this episode we dive into the world of pop-up dining with Chef Jonathon Merrick of Family Meal Boise, an in-home pop-up restaurant he runs. You get a behind-the-scenes look at the challenges and triumphs of running the successful pop-up, and gain insights into menu creation, guest interactions, and the intricacies of hosting unique dining experiences. This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in the dynamic world of pop-up dining. Key Takeaways: Pop-Up Dining Experiences: Evo...
Mastering the Grocery Aisle: Tony Moore on Food and Beverage Marketing
November 16, 2023 02:00 - 44 minutes - 30.9 MBThis week on Chefs Without Restaurants we're diving into the world of food and beverage marketing with Tony Moore. Tony, a seasoned marketing executive and the host of the "Winning at Work" podcast, brings his extensive experience, sharing invaluable insights into the intricacies of brand marketing in the food industry. Episode Highlights Understanding Grocery Store Product Placement: Tony shares strategies for effective product placement in grocery stores and the role of brand ambassadors....
Unlocking Business Potential with Alex Hormozi's 'More, Better, New' - Insights by Chris Spear
November 11, 2023 22:00 - 6 minutes - 4.86 MBIn this solo episode, host Chris Spear delves into the 'More, Better, New' principle, a concept coined by entrepreneur Alex Hormozi. Chris applies this philosophy to his own business, discussing its impact on decision-making and efficiency, particularly in the realm of marketing his personal chef business. This episode offers valuable insights for entrepreneurs and culinary professionals looking to streamline and enhance their business strategies. ALEX HORMOZI Alex's free courses $100M Offe...
Get More Reviews for Your Business
November 02, 2023 01:00 - 7 minutes - 5.3 MBDo you want to get more reviews for your business? If so, this is the episode for you. I’ll tell you step-by-step how I started to get at least one review from almost every customer. This tactic uses printable QR codes, takes less than 15 minutes of work, and costs nothing. Listen to learn how you can employ this technique. Buy the Thank You Cards mentioned in this episode CHEFS WITHOUT RESTAURANTS If you enjoy the show and would like to support it financially, please check out our Spons...
Build and Grow Your Personal Chef Service with Larry Lynch of the USPCA
October 27, 2023 01:00 - 1 hour - 43.7 MBThis week, my guest this week is Larry Lynch, president of the United States Personal Chef Association. Topics Discussed: Food safety Regulations, the health department, and cooking in your home Customer acquisition Events and meal prep Pricing Chef-for-hire platforms and hireachef.com LARRY LYNCH AND THE UNITED STATES PERSONAL CHEF ASSOCIATION The USPCA Website Hire a Chef The USPCA's Instagram, X(Twitter) and Facebook CHEFS WITHOUT RESTAURANTS If you enjoy the show and would like to s...
What is Good Food?
October 19, 2023 23:00 - 10 minutes - 7.6 MBWhat is Good Food? On last week's podcast I spoke with chef Rollie Wesen. He's the executive Director of the Jacques Pépin foundation, as well as an assistant professor at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island. During our conversation we spoke about what "good food" is. This touched on seasonal cooking, and families having a sit-down meal together (or not). This side conversation didn't fit into our full-length conversation, but it was something we're both passionate ab...
The Jacques Pépin Foundation and Culinary Education with Rollie Wesen
October 13, 2023 17:00 - 55 minutes - 37.9 MBThis week on I speak with chef Rollie Wesen. He's the executive Director of the Jacques Pépin foundation, as well as an assistant professor at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island. Rollie is married to Claudine Pepin, Jaques daughter. In talking with Jacques, they thought it would be a great idea to start a foundation while he was still alive, and create something that would have a lasting, positive affect on the world. Jacques decided that he wanted the foundation to foc...
Competitive Cooking at the Highest Level with Chef Corey Siegel
October 05, 2023 02:00 - 58 minutes - 40.5 MBThis week we have chef Corey Siegel. You'll hear how Corey went from finishing dead last in his culinary SkillsUSA competition, to representing team USA with master chef Rich Rosendale at the Bocuse d'Or. This episode is a behind the scenes look (or is it listen?) into the world of cooking competitions at the highest level. But you also might know Corey from his TikTok and Instagram videos where he cooks a recipe after the ingredients and equipment magically seem to fall from the sky. We t...
Exploring Maryland Foodways with Old Line Plate’s Kara Mae Harris
September 29, 2023 01:00 - 1 hour - 44 MBThis week I have Kara Mae Harris of the blog Old LIne Plate, where she's been exploring Maryland foodways since 2010. Last year, Kara released a book titled Old Line Plate, the same as her blog. It was a collection of some of her favorite posts throughout the years. But it’s more as a historical document, than a straightforward cookbook. This October Kara's back with a new cookbook called Festive Maryland Recipes. For this book, Kara worked with a recipe developer to make sure the recipes ...
Tiffani Thiessen on Getting Creative with Leftovers, and Her New Cookbook Here We Go Again
September 21, 2023 03:00 - 41 minutes - 28.6 MBOn this week's podcast we have Tiffani Thiessen. She’s probably best known for her roles as Kelly Kapowski on Saved By the Bell, and Valerie on Beverly Hills 90210. But today she’s not here to talk about acting. We’re talking about her new cookbook Here We Go Again (her second cookbook), which will be released on September 26th. The book tackles the topic of leftovers and how to creatively recycle and upcycle them. So, if you’re someone who cooks, which is pretty much everyone, this show i...
Exploring Scottish Cuisine with Scotland's National Chef Gary Maclean
September 14, 2023 07:00 - 50 minutes - 34.9 MBOn this week's podcast we have Scotland's national chef Gary Maclean, a role he was offered after winning season 16 of Masterchef: The Professionals. Gary recently released The Scottish Kitchen, a cookbook of traditional Scottish recipes adapted for a North American audience using ingredients they would be able to find. Topics Discussed Haggis- What it is and how to modify the recipe in North America The importance of culinary education and teaching children about food and nutrition at a...
Brad Leone on the Bon Appetit Test Kitchen and Launching His New YouTube Channel
September 06, 2023 08:00 - 57 minutes - 39.3 MBIn this episode of Chefs Without Restaurants, we have Brad Leone. Brad is known for his prominent role at the Bon Appétit test kitchen. Over time, he climbed the ranks to become the Test Kitchen Manager. It was during this period that Brad's magnetic personality and cooking prowess shone through in the form of the video series It’s Alive! This series, known for its humor and laid-back style, garnered a devoted fanbase and revolutionized Bon Appetit's online video content. My personal favorit...
How Complacency Can Kill Your Business
August 16, 2023 17:00 - 9 minutes - 6.71 MBThis week I want to talk about how complacency can kill your business (or at least hurt it). I run a personal chef business, and have been doing it for 11 years now. When I started out doing it on the side, I was a little scrappy. I did guerrilla marketing. I did a lot of networking. I was regularly sending out my email newsletter. As my business and customer base grew, I slowed down on some of those tactics. Fast forward to this summer...business kind of sucks, and I realized that I hadn...
Measurable Metrics For Success in the Kitchen, Structuring Your Business, and Finding Your Community with Justin Khanna
July 12, 2023 16:00 - 1 hour - 72.9 MBOn this week's podcast, we have Justin Khanna, the founder of Repertoire, a hospitality education company, and the host of The Repertoire Podcast. We talk about measurable metrics for success in the kitchen, including working clean. We also dive into the realm of podcasting itself. Justin shares valuable insights on guest outreach and workflow management. We discuss the dynamics of working with PR agencies, and why it's not always about landing guests with huge followings. We also talk abo...
Exploring the World of Immersive Culinary Retreats with Lisa Donovan and Julie Belcher of Rêverie Retreats
June 30, 2023 03:00 - 53 minutes - 37 MBOn this week’s show, I have Lisa Donovan and Julie Belcher of Rêverie Retreats. These retreats are the kind of trips that I want to take. Travel to the Loire Valley... Take a French pastry lesson with an acclaimed baker...Have a natural wine tasting. Plenty of time to eat and relax. Maybe make some new friends. You’ll learn how and why Lisa and Julie started this, and how you can join them on one of these excursions. We talk about how they select the partners and purveyors they work with, n...
Knife Drop with YouTube Sensation and MasterChef Finalist Nick DiGiovanni
June 21, 2023 03:00 - 59 minutes - 40.6 MBThis week my guest is Nick DiGiovanni. Nick was a MasterChef finalist on season 10, which he did while attending Harvard. Since then, he’s been creating food and cooking content online. His YouTube channel recently passed the 10 million subscriber mark, and he has over 11 million followers on TikTok. His videos are both educational and funny, often done in collaboration with other celebrities and and YouTube personalities. He’s made slushies with Mr Beast, chili with Kevin from the office,...
A Middle Eastern Pantry with Lior Lev Sercarz of La Boîte Spice Shop
June 16, 2023 07:00 - 59 minutes - 40.6 MBThis week, my guest is Lior Lev Sercarz. Lior is the chef, spice blender, and owner of La Boîte, a spice shop in New York City. He's previously released the cookbooks The Art of Blending, The Spice Companion and Mastering Spice. This week, he released his 4th book, A Middle Eastern Pantry. In this new cookbook he focuses on the everyday ingredients used throughout this vast region, including Turkey, Tunisia, Yemen, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Armenia, Jordan, and more, as he offers an homage to the...
A Middle Eastern Pantry with Lior Lev Sercarz
June 16, 2023 07:00 - 59 minutes - 40.6 MBThis week, my guest is Lior Lev Sercarz. Lior is the chef, spice blender, and owner of La Boîte, a spice shop in New York City. He's previously released the cookbooks The Art of Blending, The Spice Companion and Mastering Spice. This week, he released his 4th book, A Middle Eastern Pantry. In this new cookbook he focuses on the everyday ingredients used throughout this vast region, including Turkey, Tunisia, Yemen, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Armenia, Jordan, and more, as he offers an homage to the...
Salad, Pizza and Wine with Ryan Gray and Janice Tiefenbach
June 09, 2023 03:00 - 54 minutes - 37.3 MBThis week on Chefs Without Restaurants I speak with Ryan Gray and Janice Tiefenbach of Elena, Gia, and Nora Gray restaurants in Montreal. They recently released a cookbook called Salad Pizza Wine. During our conversation, Ryan and Janice shared their insights on the evolving Montreal food scene and how they've embraced change in their own establishments. We discuss the importance of cultivating a healthy restaurant culture for both staff and customers, emphasizing the crucial role of leaders...
Quitting Social Media with Chef Krimsey Lilleth
June 02, 2023 18:00 - 12 minutes - 8.33 MBThis week I have Krimsey Lilleth. She’s the author of The Cajun Vegan Cookbook, and was the owner of Krimsey‘s Cajun kitchen, the world's first vegan Cajun restaurant. Due to Covid, Krimsey made the tough decision to close her North Hollywood restaurant in Spring 2020. She knew she wanted to share her recipes with her fans so they could re-create their favorite dishes at home, which is what inspired her to write her first cookbook. Last year I released my full episode with her, which can be...
Locally Sourced: Chef Andre Uribe's Recipe for Culinary Success
May 26, 2023 07:00 - 46 minutes - 32.2 MBIn this episode, I speak with Andre Uribe, a personal chef and the co-owner of Sustainable Meals Oregon. We delve into Andre's journey as a chef and his foray into video and storytelling, which now includes his own audio and video podcast, Chef Therapy. During our conversation, Andre talks about how he crafted his business model, devised a pricing structure, and strategically positioned himself in the market. His culinary enterprise places a strong emphasis on meal prep using locally source...
Deposits, Payment Methods and Horror Stories with Chef Matt Collins
May 12, 2023 07:00 - 34 minutes - 23.8 MBThis week I speak with chef Matt Collins about payment methods and deposits, with a side or horror stories. Whether you work in the food industry or not, if you receive payment for your services, you won't want to miss this. We cover various options for payment methods, including cash, check, Venmo, Zelle, Paypal and Square. We talk deposits: when to request them and how much to ask for. Additionally, we discuss fees and gratuity. Tune in to gain valuable insights and practical tips on hand...
Nourishing People and the Planet: A Conversation with the Twin Chefs Behind Servis Events
May 03, 2023 07:00 - 49 minutes - 33.8 MBOn today's show, I have Nicolas and Stephen Servis, identical twin brothers who founded Servis Events, a private dining service based in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. You’ll learn how the brothers pivoted during the early days of the pandemic to start their business. Nicolas and Stephen's passion for farm-to-table cuisine flourished during their time as chefs de partie at The Mainland Inn, where they tackled full animal butchery, gardening, and more. Later, while volunteering at Quarry Hill F...
Easy Allergy-Free Cooking with Kayla Cappiello
April 06, 2023 07:00 - 42 minutes - 29.1 MBDo you or someone you love have a food allergy or intolerance? Or maybe you're a chef who cooks for people and wants to get better at accommodating customers with dietary restrictions. In this episode of Chefs Without Restaurants, Chris speaks with Kayla Cappiello, the author of the new book "Easy Allergy-Free Cooking," about food allergies and how to cook delicious meals that are safe for those with dietary restrictions. Kayla has celiac disease, is lactose intolerant, and is allergic to t...
The Best Hire You Can Make For a Personal Chef Business
March 29, 2023 08:00 - 8 minutes - 6.19 MBThis week on Chefs Without Restaurants we have chef Kyle Shankman. Kyle is the chef and owner of Speak Easy Supper Club, an exclusive dining experience in the Atlanta area. As tickets for Speak Easy are hard to come by, Chef Shankman also finds a way to feed folks as a private chef and cooking class instructor. A chef for two decades, Kyle has run multiple restaurant kitchens as an executive chef and consultant, taught hundreds of cooking classes for home cooks, been the personal chef to A-...
Chef Kyle Shankman on His Home-Based Speak Easy Supper Club
March 29, 2023 07:00 - 57 minutes - 39.3 MBThis week on Chefs Without Restaurants we have chef Kyle Shankman. Kyle is the chef and owner of Speak Easy Supper Club, an exclusive dining experience in the Atlanta area. As tickets for Speak Easy are hard to come by, Chef Shankman also finds a way to feed folks as a private chef and cooking class instructor. A chef for two decades, Kyle has run multiple restaurant kitchens as an executive chef and consultant, taught hundreds of cooking classes for home cooks, been the personal chef to A-...
Elevated Home Cooking: Approachable and Affordable Recipes with Chef Christine Flynn
March 23, 2023 07:00 - 49 minutes - 34.4 MBThis week on Chefs Without Restaurants we have Christine Flynn, the proprietor of The Good Earth Winery in Ontario, Canada, and executive chef and partner at iQ Food Co. She recently released her second cookbook, "A Generous Meal." We talk about her culinary background, including her early love of food and cooking, and how her parents' three-bite rule helped her develop her palate. We discuss her cooking style, which she describes as elevated home cooking that is both approachable and affor...
An Intro to Thai Food and Cooking with Chef Pailin Chongchitnant
March 16, 2023 07:00 - 54 minutes - 37.2 MBThis week I have chef Pailin Chongchitnant, host of the YouTube channel Pailin’s Kitchen, and author of the companion website Hot Thai Kitchen. She recently released her 2nd cookbook, Sabai: 100 Simple Thai Recipes for Any Day of the Week. This episode is a primer on Thai food and cooking. She dispels some Thai food myths, and shares her top five items for stocking a Thai pantry at home. We discuss why she was compelled to write another cookbook, and she shares how she grew her YouTube chan...
It's Time to Stop Nickel and Diming Your Clients - Provide an All-Inclusive Experience Instead
March 08, 2023 08:00 - 5 minutes - 3.96 MBOn this week's podcast, I address the issue of nickel and diming your customers. Instead, I offer the alternative, which is providing an all-inclusive experience. I believe that many costs, such as providing china and linens, or covering travel expenses, should be considered a part of the cost of doing business. If you want to position your business as high-end or luxury, you should figure out your total costs, and give the client one number instead of an itemized bill. What do you think? H...
How to Become a Successful Personal Chef
March 01, 2023 08:00 - 8 minutes - 6.17 MBI started Chefs Without Restaurants to help other people grow their food businesses. Because I’ve been working as a personal chef for 11 years now, I have a lot of firsthand knowledge about what you can do to grow a personal chef business. I was recently interviewed by meez for their blog about some do’s and don’ts of the personal chef business. If you’re not familiar with meez , they’re an online tool that lets you digitize all of your recipes and keep them in one place. You can easily sca...
Cooking Up Retro Recipes with Bobby Hicks
February 22, 2023 08:00 - 59 minutes - 41.1 MBThis week I speak with Bobby Hicks, the man behind Retro Recipes Kitchen, the online video series where he cooks up the good, the bad, and the weird from vintage cookbooks. His videos can be found on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube (all linked below). As a food content creator, we talk about how he came up with the idea, and some of his challenges. I ask him about some of his favorite, and least favorite, recipes he's made. He also discussses his "Antiquated or AI-Generated" recipe experimen...
Starting a Pop-Up Restaurant with Sam Fore of Tuk Tuk Sri Lankan Bites
February 08, 2023 08:00 - 49 minutes - 34 MBOn today’s show I have chef Sam Fore, the Sri Lankan-American chef and recipe developer who’s known for her wildly popular Tuk Tuk Sri Lankan Bites pop-ups. She was recently honored by The James Beard Foundation Awards as a semi-finalist for best chef in the southeast. On today’s show you’ll find out how this former marketer made the jump into the pop-up restaurant world. In 2016, after hosting a number of traditional Sri Lankan brunches at her place, Sam decided it was time to move these g...
Monetizing Chef Referrals with Derrick Fox
February 01, 2023 08:00 - 9 minutes - 6.84 MBThis week is a follow-up episode with Chef Derrick Fox. You might have heard my full episode with him last week. Derrick went from being a punk rock drummer to cooking on MasterChef season six where he was the runner-up, followed by a season of all-stars. He currently works as a private chef, and is also the man behind the Epic Mega Cookie Co, and host of the podcast A Bunch of Losers. In this short episode, we jump right into the topic of getting paid for chef referrals. Should you ask f...
Punk Drummer Turned MasterChef - Private Chef Derrick Fox on Epic Mega Cookies and Gordon Ramsay
January 25, 2023 05:00 - 56 minutes - 38.7 MBThis week we have private chef Derrick Fox. You'll learn how this punk rock drummer went from playing the Warped Tour to cooking for Gordon Ramsay, Derrick was the runner-up on season 6 of MasterChef, and then returned for all-stars. He's since started a private chef business, the Epic Mega Cookie Co, and a podcast called A Bunch of Losers where he speaks to other non-winning reality show contestants. DERRICK FOX Derrick's Instagram Epic Mega Cookie Co A Bunch of Losers Podcast Derrick's Yo...
Terence Tomlin's Road to Recovery After a Stroke, and Launching a Line of Ice Creams
January 18, 2023 17:00 - 34 minutes - 24 MBThis week I speak with chef Terence Tomlin for the second time. In 2017, Terence suffered two strokes while working at his restaurant, leaving the right side of his body paralyzed. Despite this setback, Terence has been able to regain much of his strength and has even gone on to compete in Baltimore's Mason Dixon Master Chef Tournament, and winning the seafood competition at The Maryland Foodie Fest. Terence has spent the last few years hosting both private and public dinner parties. Now, h...
How a Vegan Diet and Lifestyle Change Literally Saved Her Life with Christina Pirello of Christina Cooks
January 11, 2023 08:00 - 59 minutes - 41.1 MBOn the Chefs Without Restaurants podcast this week I have chef Christina Pirello of Christina Cooks. After already losing her mother to cancer, Christina was diagnosed with terminal leukemia in her mid-20s. Not wanting to undergo traditional treatment for cancer, she ultimately changed her diet and lifestyle, and her cancer went into remission. She’s been cancer-free for more than 37 years now. Christina wanted to share what she’d learned about food and cooking, and Christina Cooks was born...
Should You Work For Free?
January 04, 2023 08:00 - 8 minutes - 5.58 MBThis week I talk about working for free. More specifically, I discuss why giving away free food, and doing events for free didn't work out for me. I'm not saying that there isn't a place for it. But before you do an event, I think you need to make sure it's a good fit. Does it make sense to give out free cupcakes at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new car dealership? There are lots of people looking to trade your services for "exposure", but does it actually ever help move the needle from ...