Episodes

This week, we have a mini-episode about what it means to be a chef. Today's answer comes from Andris Lagsdin of Baking Steel. You can hear my full episode with him here, and another mini-episode where we talk about health and wellness here. I'm currently out of town on vacation and have been having some technical difficulties. So, today's episode jumps right in without any real intro. Sponsor- The United States Personal Chef Association The Covid pandemic has clearly redefined the world of din...

This week, I talk about free food and failure. 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 might not be 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 and the ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new car dealership? There are a lot of people looking to trade your services for "exposure", but does it actually ever help move the n...

This week my guest is Cody Marwine of The Perfect Truffle, a chocolate shop he owns in downtown Frederick, Maryland. You might’ve heard my mini-episode with him a couple of months ago about what it means to be a chef. On this full episode, we dive into the chocolate business. We talk about how he ended up taking over the shop that he had been working at on and off for almost a decade. We discuss chocolate percentages, supply chain issues, tempering chocolate, and how to work with it at home. We...

This week's guest is Philadelphia chef Kiki Aranita. You might know her from her Poi Dog food truck and subsequent restaurant of the same name. Unfortunately, due to the Covid pandemic, she had to shut down her restaurant. But Poi Dog has returned in the form of a line of bottled condiments including guava katsu sauce and chili peppah water. We talk about the evolution of her business, deciding to close the restaurant, and what it was like to start a consumer packaged goods product line Kiki wa...

This week I have a bonus episode with Andris Lagsdin of Baking Steel. During our full conversation, we talked primarily about pizza making, and how he created the Baking Steel. While recording the episode, we discussed health and wellness, abstaining from alcohol, and why he no longer follows a vegan diet. I also asked him about vegan cheeses. I thought that part of our conversation was great, but it didn’t make sense to leave it in as part of the whole show. However, I had always intended it to...

This week, we have a mini-episode about what it means to be a chef. This is something I'm asking many of the guests as part of my upcoming season 3 interviews. I thought it would be great to get as much insight on this as possible, from many different people in the food and beverage industry. Today's answer comes from Jensen Cummings, the creator, and host of Best Served Podcast. On his show, he talks to hospitality industry leaders to learn about the trials and triumphs of their lives and care...

This week, we have a mini-episode about what it means to be a chef. This is something I'm asking many of the guests as part of my upcoming season 3 interviews. I thought it would be great to get as much insight on this as possible, from many different people in the food and beverage industry. Today's answer comes from Matt Collins. Born in Freehold, NJ, Matt has been cooking since he was a child. As a student of the culinary arts program at Freehold High School, he excelled and ran the cafe at ...

On this episode we have cookbook author and food writer Cathy Barrow. She has written for the New York Times, Garden and Gun, The Local Palate, Modern Farmer, Saveur, Southern Living, NPR, and National Geographic, among others. Her first cookbook, Mrs. Wheelbarrow’s Practical Pantry, won the prestigious IACP Award for best single-subject cookbook. She has also written the cookbooks Pie Squared, and When Pies Fly. Cathy's newest book Bagels, Schmears, and a Nice Piece of Fish: A Whole Brunch of ...

This week I have Baking Steel founder Andris Lagsdin. It’s the inspiring story of how Andris built his successful business. He spent a number of years working in restaurants, which included being on chef Todd English’s management team. Tired of the restaurant industry, Andris decided to go work at his family’s steel manufacturing business. But it was an a-ha moment that led to the creation of what’s now known as the Baking Steel. In addition to hearing his origin story, we also talk about pizza...

This week, we have a mini-episode about what it means to be a chef. This is something I'm asking many of the guests as part of my upcoming season 3 interviews. I thought it would be great to get as much insight on this as possible, from many different people in the food and beverage industry. Today's answer comes from David Pollack. He's a chef in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania region. After experiencing kidney failure in 2003, and undergoing dialysis, David finally received a kidney transplant...

This week, we have a mini-episode about what it means to be a chef. This is something I'm asking many of the guests as part of my upcoming season 3 interviews. I thought it would be great to get as much insight on this as possible, from many different people in the food and beverage industry. Today's answer comes from Virginia Willis. She was the TV kitchen director for Martha Stewart, Bobby Flay, and Nathalie Dupree and executive producer for Epicurious TV on the Discovery Channel. She’s made ...

This week I have James Beard Foundation Award-winner, chef Virginia Willis. She was the TV kitchen director for Martha Stewart, Bobby Flay, and Nathalie Dupree and executive producer for Epicurious TV on the Discovery Channel. She’s made cookies with Dwanye “The Rock” Johnson, foraged for berries in the Alaskan wilderness, harvested capers in Sicily, and beguiled celebrities such as Jane Fonda and Bill Clinton with her cooking -- but it all started in her grandmother’s country kitchen. Virginia ...

This is a mini-episode about showing your work. I made this episode for the new creators out there. Whether you’re blogging, podcasting, or posting photos on Instagram, there are going to be people out there (usually strangers) who will be critical of your work. Some of it might be justified, but some might just be mean. Regardless, you need to rise above it and keep pushing on. Do the work, and show your work. Sponsor Looking to make better pizza? How about bagels, bread, or English muffins? T...

This week I have personal chef and cooking instructor Matt Finarelli. Matt was a guest on our show way back in March 2020. In fact, he might’ve been the last in-person show that we recorded before the Covid shut down. If you’re interested in hearing that episode, it was number 24, and you can find the link here. Due to the situation with Covid, Matt didn’t feel comfortable going into people's homes to cook or provide lessons. But, like most people, he needed some form of income. So, Matt turned...

This week, we're joined by Lana Lagomarsini. Lana is the chef and owner of Lana Cooks, a personal chef business based in the New York City area. Lana comes from a fine-dining background, having cooked at Blue Hill at Stone Barns, Gramercy Tavern, Daniel, and Momofuku Ko. Like many chefs, when restaurants began shutting down due to Covid, Lana explored the personal chef sector. After this podcast aired, Lana was one of the chefs featured on the Netflix series Pressure Cooker. On the show, we dis...

This week, we have a mini-episode about what it means to be a chef. This is something I'm asking many of the guests as part of my upcoming season 3 interviews. I thought it would be great to get as much insight on this as possible, from many different people in the food and beverage industry. Today's answer comes from Justin Khanna. He is the co-founder of Voyager's Table, a bespoke event production company. He’s also the host of The Emulsion podcast, and has a YouTube channel that has more tha...

This week, we have a mini-episode about what it means to be a chef. This is something I'm asking many of the guests as part of my upcoming season 3 interviews. I thought it would be great to get as much insight on this as possible, from many different people in the food and beverage industry. Today's answer comes from Cody Marwine. He's the owner and chocolatier at The Perfect Truffle in Frederick, Maryland. My full conversation with Cody will be released in the upcoming months as part of seaso...

This week, we're wrapping up 2021, and ready to welcome in 2022. Listen to this episode for an update on the Chefs Without Restaurants podcast, and what you can expect in 2022. Wishing everyone a healthy, happy, and safe holiday. Sponsor Looking to hire employees for your restaurant? This week's sponsor is Savory Jobs, a job site only for restaurants. For just $50, get unlimited job postings for an entire year. Use discount code SAVORY10 to save 10%. ========================== CHEFS WITHOUT R...

This week, we're joined by David Orozco. David owns Orozco Nutrition, a nutrition and wellness practice in Atlanta Georgia. David’s been in practice for close to 20 years as a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, and he’s a Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor and Exercise Physiologist. He’s also the host of One Small Bite, a podcast that seeks to help people build a positive relationship with food and their body through an anti-diet, self-compassion driven approach to vulnerable conversations ab...

On this episode, we're joined by Louis Remolde, otherwise known as The Single Baker. Louis is someone who's worked in the food and beverage industry in Philadelphia, PA since he was 14 years old. At the age of 39, he decided to get sober, and eventually started his own baking business, as well as a personal training business. Louis talks about his path in the industry, and how he came to start his business. You'll learn about how he landed cooking spots on local tv stations, and eventually a sp...

On this episode, we're joined by Gabrielle Jenkins. She's the chef and owner of Pot Liqueur, a catering, personal chef, and meal prep business that serves the DMV (Washington DC, Maryland & Virginia) area. We discuss her culinary style, inspiration, and what she wished she knew before starting a business. We talk about culinary school, and who some of her favorite local chefs are. Sponsor Looking to hire employees for your restaurant? This week's sponsor is Savory Jobs, a job site only for rest...

On this episode, we're joined by Jerrod Cline of Bub-B-Que, a food truck based in Frederick, Maryland. Jerrod was the 2nd guest we had on the podcast way back in Dec 2019. The food world, and the world in general, has changed so much in two years. I wanted to get Jerrod back on the show and hear how things have changed for him. From rising food costs to pivoting, we talk about running a food truck in the year 2022. Jerrod talks about how he's changed his menu, and what he thinks about competiti...

On this episode, we're joined by chef Dave Arnold. He’s the host of the Cooking Issues podcast, author of the cocktail book Liquid Intelligence, and creator of the Searzall and Spinzall. Dave is also the founder of the Museum of Food and Drink, and the man behind the NYC bars Booker & Dax and Existing Conditions, sadly , both of which are no longer in operation. As I kind of expected going into this show, I let Dave lead the way. I leaned into all those weird and intriguing food science topics....

On this episode, we're joined by chef Dave Arnold. He’s the host of the Cooking Issues podcast, author of the cocktail book Liquid Intelligence, and creator of the Searzall and Spinzall. Dave is also the founder of the Museum of Food and Drink, and the man behind the NYC bars Booker & Dax and Existing Conditions, sadly , both of which are no longer in operation. As I kind of expected going into this show, I let Dave lead the way. I leaned into all those weird and intriguing food science topics....