Episodes

March 8, 2023

It's Time to Stop Nickel and Diming Your Clients - Provide an All-Inclusive Experience Instead

On 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…
March 1, 2023

How to Become a Successful Personal Chef

I 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…
Feb. 22, 2023

Cooking Up Retro Recipes with Bobby Hicks

This 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 Y…
Feb. 8, 2023

Starting a Pop-Up Restaurant with Sam Fore of Tuk Tuk Sri Lankan Bites

On 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 …
Feb. 1, 2023

Monetizing Chef Referrals with Derrick Fox

This 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, fol…
Jan. 25, 2023

Punk Drummer Turned MasterChef - Private Chef Derrick Fox on Epic Mega Cookies and Gordon Ramsay

This 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 a…
Jan. 18, 2023

Terence Tomlin's Road to Recovery After a Stroke, and Launching a Line of Ice Creams

This 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…
Jan. 11, 2023

How a Vegan Diet and Lifestyle Change Literally Saved Her Life with Christina Pirello of Christina Cooks

On 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 un…
Jan. 4, 2023

Should You Work For Free?

This 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…
Dec. 28, 2022

The Future of The Chefs Without Restaurants Podcast

As 2022 comes to a close, I want to thank all of the listeners, guests, and people who have supported this podcast. As I get ready to continue with shows in 2023, I want to know what you want to hear. Please take 5 minutes t…
Dec. 21, 2022

All About Olive Oil with Master Miller David Garci-Aguirre of Corto

This is the olive oil episode. This week, I speak with David Garci-Aguirre, the master miller at Corto. This one ingredient probably touches more dishes than any other ingredient except salt. But how much do we know about it…
Dec. 14, 2022

Start and Grow a Successful Personal Chef Business with Imrun Texeira

Chef Imrun Texeira is the chef and owner of Wanderlust , a personal chef service based in Toronto, Canada focused on blind tasting menus. Whether you currently have a personal chef business, want to start one, or are any typ…
Dec. 7, 2022

Bringing Filipino Food to Charleston with Nikko Cagalanan of Mansueta’s

On this week's episode, we have chef Nikko Cagalanan. Born and raised in the Philippines. Nikko grew up in a family that loved food. His dad cooked. His aunt cooked. And his grandmother, Mansueta, cooked. Sure, he didn’t alw…
Nov. 29, 2022

A Look at Culinary School Today with Johnson & Wales University Chef Instructor Russ Zito

On this week's episode, we have chef Russ Zito. Russ has been a culinary instructor at Johnson & Wales University for 26 years. You might have heard our "What is a Chef" mini-episode. Chef Zito was one of my instructors and …
Nov. 23, 2022

Community, Collaboration, and Education- Three Years of Chefs Without Restaurants

Thank you for three years and 100,000 downloads. This week marks the three-year anniversary of the podcast, and last week we hit 100,000 total downloads, so I thought I'd do something a little different. This is a re-post of…
Nov. 16, 2022

Chef Carla Hall Talks Top Chef, the Shift from Caterer to Food Media, and How to Make Amazing Biscuits

On this week's show, we have chef Carla Hall. She was a contestant on Bravo's Top Chef and Top Chef All-Stars. Carla spent 7 years co-hosting ABC’s Emmy award-winning, popular lifestyle series “The Chew”. She's been on mult…
Nov. 9, 2022

Learn to Garden and Cook Italian Food with Ciao Italia Host Mary Ann Esposito

On this episode, we have chef, author, and TV personality Mary Ann Esposito. She's the creator and host of the nationally televised PBS series Ciao Italia with Mary Ann Esposito. The author of fourteen cookbooks, most recent…
Nov. 2, 2022

Bringing Global Flavors to Tulsa, Oklahoma and Beyond with Chef Shannon Smith

This week's guest is Shannon Smith. She’s a cook, teacher, and traveler based in Tulsa, OK. She's traveled to more than 50 countries, meeting and cooking with people, from home cooks to restaurant chefs, while documenting it…
Oct. 26, 2022

Mentorship and Leadership in the Food Industry - What is a Chef with Russ Zito of Johnson & Wales University

On this week's "What is a Chef?" episode we have chef Russ Zito. Russ has been a culinary instructor at Johnson & Wales University for 26 years. I asked him what his definition of a chef was, and his response revolved around…
Oct. 19, 2022

Foraging, Transplanting Ramps, and Snail Farming with Clark Barlowe

Clark Barlowe is a seventh-generation North Carolinian. Growing up learning how to hunt ginseng with his grandfather, Clark learned to look at the plants around him for the potential nutrients and delicious ingredients that …
Oct. 12, 2022

What is a Chef with Carla Hall

This week we have a "What is a Chef?" episode with Carla Hall. Carla is a chef, cookbook author, two-time Top Chef contestant, and former co-host of The Chew. Our full conversation will be released in a few weeks. Subscribe …
Oct. 5, 2022

How to Make and Use Masa with Masienda Founder Jorge Gaviria

This week’s guest is Jorge Gaviria, founder of Masienda, and author of the new book Masa . On the show, you’re going to get the Masienda origin story, and find out why it all started with the corn. Jorge explains nixtimaliza…
Sept. 28, 2022

Chefs as Leaders in the Community - What is a Chef with Clark Barlowe

This week's "What is a Chef" episode is with Clark Barlowe. He’s a chef, former restaurant owner, cooking instructor, forager, and now... law student. Stay tuned for my full episode with him which will be released soon. CLAR…
Sept. 21, 2022

A Restaurant Closure, Recipe Development and How to Work with Brands with Chef Taffy Elrod

This week's guest is Taffy Elrod. She’s a chef, restaurant owner, cooking instructor, recipe developer, and food writer with 20 years of experience in the food industry. We discuss the closure of her restaurant in upstate Ne…