Episodes

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 nixtimalization, which is the process of turning corn into masa, and how to nixtamilaze and grind your own corn at home. For those who just want to buy the masa harina, I asked him about water temperature, hydration, and the differences between the corn types. We also talk about brand p...

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. CLARK BARLOWE Clark’s Website Potential Pantry Clark's Instagram CHEFS WITHOUT RESTAURANTS If you enjoy the show, and would like to support it financially, check out our Patreon, or you can donate through Venmo or Buy Me a Coffee. Get the Chefs Without Restaurants Newsletter V...

Chef Taffy Elrod shares her story of closing her restaurant due to COVID-19 and transitioning into food writing and recipe development. In this episode, she discusses the challenges of running a small business during the pandemic, working with food brands, and how chefs can pivot to content creation. Tune in for valuable insights and advice on navigating the post-restaurant world.

This week, I speak with Luladey Moges. She's the author of the new cookbook Enebla: Recipes From an Ethiopian Kitchen. Growing up, first in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa and then in the United States, she learned the art of traditional Ethiopian cuisine from her grandmother, mother, and aunts. She has long been an enthusiastic home cook, introducing the tastes of Ethiopian cuisine to her friends in North America. At the same time, her career in hospitality and fine dining management has t...

This week, in preparation for Season 5 of Cobra Kai, we're re-releasing our episode with Dan Ahdoot. who plays Anoush on the show. He’s a standup comic, actor, writer, producer, and podcast host. He's also the host of Food Network's Raid the Fridge. He's garnered fans as a character actor on the shows The Crew, Bajillion Dollar Propertie$, Shameless, Workaholics, and Disney Channel’s Kickin’ It. On his podcast Green Eggs and Dan, he takes a new look at “you are what you eat,” and brings listene...

This week we have a short episode about how to make better sourdough bread. This was part of a much longer conversation with Andy Roy of Twin Bears Bakery in Frederick, Maryland. At Twin Bears, they make 100% naturally-leavened bread. When I asked about how to make better bread at home, Andy shared his tips for making better sourdough, which isn't just reserved for home bakers. The rest of our conversation will be released shortly. Below you can also find links to the books Andy mentions in the...

This week's guest is chef Anna Voloshyna. She's a Ukrainian-born, California-based chef, blogger, and culinary instructor. Her upcoming cookbook Budmo! (out September 27th) celebrates classic Eastern European recipes with a modern, creative twist. On the show, we discuss her upbringing and life in Ukraine, where she lived until she was 21. We talk about the food she grew up with and loves, but also the current war with Russia. Food is political, and you need to understand some of the history to...

This week I talk about how you can grow your personal chef business using vacation rental properties like Airbnb and VRBO. This has been where the majority of my business has been coming from for the past five years. I’ve talked about it as part of other podcast episodes but thought it warranted a standalone episode. If you want to make more money cooking as a personal chef or caterer, tune in to find out my top tips for acquiring more customers staying at rental properties. Do you have tips y...

This week's "What is a Chef" episode is with Taffy Elrod. She’s a chef, restaurant owner, cooking instructor, recipe developer, and food writer with 20 years of experience in the food industry. Stay tuned for my full episode with her which will be released soon. Taffy Elrod Taffy’s Website Taffy’s Instagram Taffy’s Twitter CHEFS WITHOUT RESTAURANTS If you enjoy the show, and would like to support it financially, check out our Patreon, or you can donate through Venmo or Buy Me a Coffee. Get th...

This week's guest is Daniel Liberson of Lindera Farms, a nature reserve in Delaplaine, Virginia. There, Daniel forages for items local to the area, and creates fermented pantry items for both restaurants and home cooks. His products include vinegar made from ramps, paw paws, and Virginia berry, as well as items like crab apple verjus, pecan tamari, and applewood soy sauce. Besides discussing vinegar-making and fermentation, we talk about business topics like the cost of running restaurants, how...

This week's guest is Josh Sharkey. He's the founder of Meez, an online recipe tool that helps you save time, cut costs and improve execution. Josh talks about how he started Meez, and gives a rundown of its functions and how it works. Josh has a culinary degree from Johnson & Wales University, and has worked in some of the best restaurants in the U.S. Besides an overview of Meez, we also discuss the customer experience, how he built and grew his business, some of his favorite resources, and wha...

This week's guest is Eli Kulp. He's the co-founder and culinary director of High Street Hospitality Group, as well as the host of both The Chef Radio Podcast and Delicious City Philly Podcast He has been a finalist for JBF Best Chef Mid-Atlantic, Best New Chef- Food & Wine Magazine, Chef of the Year- Eater and Philadelphia Inquirer. We recently released our "What is a Chef" episode with him. On this full episode, we discuss how one moment can change your whole life. Hear Eli talk about the Amtr...

This week's guest is Christopher Curtin, the certified master pastry chef, and chocolatier behind Éclat Chocolate, which he founded in West Chester, PA in 2004. After attending culinary school, he spent 14 years honing his skills alongside the world’s top chocolate makers across Belgium, France, Germany, Switzerland, Spain and Japan. Éclat has received acclaim including being named one of the “Best Chocolates in America” by Bon Appétit magazine. Christopher has collaborated with the likes of Ant...

This week's "What is a Chef" episode is with Eli Kulp. He's the co-founder and culinary director of High Street Hospitality Group, as well as the host of both The Chef Radio Podcast and Delicious City Podcast He has been a finalist for JBF Best Chef Mid-Atlantic, Best New Chef- Food & Wine Magazine, Chef of the Year- Eater and Philadelphia Inquirer. Stay tuned for my full episode with him which will be released soon. ELI KULP Eli's Instagram Chef Radio Podcast Delicious City Podcast CHEFS WIT...

This week I’m talking breakfast tacos with Liz Solomon Dwyer, founder of King David Tacos. An Austin native, Liz brought her love of the breakfast taco to NYC. What started as a drop-off catering business, then grew from two breakfast taco carts to over 50 locations across NYC. Her tacos can now be found at retail partners like Whole Foods and Stumptown, as well as their brick-and-mortar location. We talk about what makes a good breakfast taco, the challenges of hot-holding eggs, and working wi...

This week is a solo episode. The topic was prompted by Ray Delucci of Line Cook Thoughts who posed the question "How do you motivate your staff in the food industry?" My reply was "Find out what their goals are, and where they see their path going. Then, try to help them get to that place, even if it means that they’ll leave you and go elsewhere eventually. Too many bosses try to hold their employees back." But I wanted to dig deeper, so here's a little more. I talk about mentorship, knowing wh...

This week is a solo episode. I discuss the time I was fired from a job and the subsequent anxiety that I experienced due to that. It took a long time before I came to terms with the whole experience. But there was also a silver lining... It ultimately led to me starting my own personal chef business, and this community. If you've been fired, or if you're a hiring manager, I'd love for you to listen to this episode. If you have feedback, you can get in touch by contacting me on one of the platfor...

This week's "What is a Chef" mini-episode is with Sara Hauman, You might know her as the yogurt queen from season 18 of Bravo's Top Chef, or the owner of The Tiny Fish Co. You can find last week's full episode with her here. =============================== Sara Hauman =============================== Sara's Instagram Sara's Website The Tiny Fish Co Instagram The Tiny Fish Co Website ========================== CHEFS WITHOUT RESTAURANTS ========================== If you enjoy the show, and wo...

This week I have Sara Hauman, You might know her as the yogurt queen from season 18 of Bravo's Top Chef, or from her highly entertaining Instagram cooking videos where she's making some delicious-looking food. After high school, Sara moved to the south of Spain. Upon returning to the US, she decided to go to culinary school, (which she doesn’t recommend). She spent the next few years working in restaurants including Brandon Jew’s Bar Agricole. With some experience under her belt, Sara returned ...

This week my guest is Jonathan Bardzik. He was first on the show on the show in July 2021, and I wanted to have him back. He’s a storyteller, cook, and author. He’s a performer, speaking and cooking for private and corporate audiences, creating customized experiences that build connection. He’s appeared with more than 900 audiences, been on the TEDx stage, written 4 books, and his television series, Jonathan's Kitchen: Seasons to Taste recently debuted on Revry. On this episode, we talk about b...

This week we have a mini-episode with Taste Network's Brady Lowe. If you haven't heard our full episode with him, you can check it out here. During our conversation, I asked him what it means to be a chef. In this quick episode, you'll hear what Brady has to say. Sponsor- The United States Personal Chef Association While the pandemic certainly upended the restaurant experience, it provided an avenue for personal chefs to close that dining gap. Central to all of that is the United States Persona...

This week my guest is Sena Wheeler of Sena Sea. Sena’s part of at least a third-generation fishing family. With her husband Rich, they’re bringing premium quality seafood directly to their customers. Sena has a master’s degree in nutrition and food science with a specialty in quantifying omega 3's in fish, and determining preferred handling practices for premium quality. Rich does most of the fishing for Sena Sea, but they also source from fellow fishermen who share their high-quality standards,...

This 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. On the show, we talk about opening a restaurant, and then the d...

Today I have Brady Lowe, founder of Taste Network. Started in 2002, he’s currently on a mission to disrupt, and rethink the typical food marketing strategies, forge new online possibilities, and partner with and help promote sustainable, ethical, and delicious food and drinks from around the world. You might know Brady from the Cochon 555 events that he put on. But you might not know that he separated from the Cochon 555 brand a couple of years ago, which was one of the things I wanted to talk ...