Episodes
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ChefsSteps co-founder Grant Crilly’s exploration into sous-vide is just one way he, and his business partner Chris Young, help people cook smarter. ChefSteps is a food tech company devoted to bringing smarts to cooking by demonstrating the “simplicities” of basic through complex techniques one step at a time. Or, each Chef Step of a given technique, at a time.
Before we continue, let us reveal our bias: we believe everything ChefSteps creates has style. Not the prancing-around-the-plate-naked-with-a-streak-of-pretension-style, but the tastefully-delivered, substance-paired-with-the-perfect-soundtrack kind of style. Whether the “everything” is a YouTube video that shows how easy dinner preparation can be, a premium class that walks you through each step of baking macaroons like a pro, a well-designed sous-vide immersion circulator named Joule, or her smart companion app that makes cooking with Joule a breeze, it is all done with style. Indeed, Joule exemplifies the ChefSteps style: she’s bold, beautiful, smart, and she’s got substance.
So, where does this substance come from? It comes from purpose. The purpose of providing a clear path for people to put real food on their tables. The path for which ChefSteps has made a map, anticipating the obstacles that can trip us up before our food hits the plate, and solving the problems that impede cooking a meal our forks are excited for.
ChefSteps focuses primarily on solutions that help the home cook gain kitchen smarts; however, there are plenty of nuggets or hacks for the seasoned culinary professional found within the steps that can be followed at ChefSteps.com, the ChefSteps app, or Joule’s companion app: Clear steps that can either help you get where you want to go in the kitchen, or maybe learn a different way to get there. Whichever route you take, you’ll be entertained in style while feasting on this substance that makes us smarter cooks.https://www.talkingchefs.com/grant-crilly
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Sandor Ellix Katz (a.k.a. “Sandorkraut”) is a fermentation revivalist, food activist, and author of Wild Fermentation and The Art of Fermentation. He joins the listeners of Talking Chefs today to help demystify lacto-fermentation. In this episode, we cover the basics of fermentation, the benefits of bacteria, and the salt ratios to get you started in your ferments. By the end of the episode, you will have a clear idea of how to ferment fearlessly!
“Sandorkraut” presents fundamentals and guidelines to help the listener navigate the steps of fermenting vegetables such as cabbage (to produce a traditional sauerkraut) and butternut squash (for a buttery puree, spread, or dip). Further to our discussions on how one can use fermentation to preserve food and to enhance flavour, Sandor elaborates on the science of fermentation, providing an overview of the traditional roles bacteria plays in our environments, kitchens, and intestines. During this Talking Chefs episode, you will learn the simplicity of starting fermenting, its benefits, and the reasons why you don’t have to be afraid of it. Sandor also provides further depth for the the listener with his preferred salt for lacto-fermentation, the salt ratios for a starting point, and the different approaches to salting ferments.
After my conversation with Sandor, my relationship to fermentation has changed. The fears of fermenting food with which I was once burdened have now been put to rest. I now interact with my ferments with the same confidence and sophistication as I interact with a sauce --- that tasting and adjusting of the seasoning, that patient waiting for the flavour and texture to come together. Now, with fermenting too, I work towards the moment we call it “done” --- and salivate with anticipation of another taste.
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Vikram Vij (@EatDrinkVij) is the Chef and Co-owner of four restaurants, Vij’s Restaurant, Rangoli, My Shanti, Vij’s Sutra and a food product line called Vij’s at Home. He is the co-author of Vij’s: Elegant & Inspired Indian Cuisine, Vij’s at Home: Relax, Honey and Vij’s Indian: Our Stories, Spices and Cherished Recipes. As a television personality he has appeared on CBC’s Dragon’s Den’s 9th season and as a judge and guest of honour on various Food Network Canada series. As well, Vikram has been featured on Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations, A Day in the Life of Vij’s, from Omni TV, At the Table With, from Food Network Canada, along with many others.
I had the privilege to sit down with Vikram Vij after attending his Marsala class at the Jasper Park Lodge’s Christmas in November event. During the interview we will discuss the technique Chef Vij’s taught us during class and we go a little bit deeper into his Indian cuisine. There is a synopsises of the ingredients and technique at the end of the interview and I encourage you to try it out, because when you get it right, you are in store for an amazing curry.
We also discuss:
Leaving India on the last train when 19 years old A reflection of the journey. What and such a long journey it has been The Goulash soup with Indian spices that led Vikram to Canada and the Banff Springs Hotel His father’s perseverance, support and lessons Philosophy on seasoning when working with spices Regional cooking Eating with your hands Priorities and focus Oneness, love and respect -
Mark McEwan (@Chef_MarkMcEwan) is a Chef, Businessman, TV personality, Author and Proprietor of the McEwanGroup which is comprised of Toronto’s landmark restaurant North 44, One Restaurant, ByMark, Fabbrica, and McEwanFoods. Chef McEwan first appeared on the Food Network on his own show The Heat and continued with the Food Network as the head judge of Top Chef Canada. Chef McEwan has released two cookbooks, Great Food At Home and Rustic Italian.
I was able to sit down with Chef McEwan while he was at The Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge, in Alberta, Canada for The Christmas in November event.
During my conversation with Chef Mark McEwan we cover his thoughts on:
How Chef McEwan manages the McEwan Group with, 7 locations, multi-leveled catering and 600 employees Lean and effective execution Take care of the small things and the big things will take care of themselves The importance of the old fashioned basics and the challenges of making the basics happen Learning lessons during hard times and turning the hard times into valuable experience How to get ahead and move forward in your career and the power of an amazing work ethic The hurdles technology creates in this people based industry The best way to take notes in the kitchen What it’s like to be filmed for TV Inspirational Restaurants in Canada -
We are joined by Brian Yazzie, Chef De Cuisine at The Sioux Chef in the Twin Cities area of the USA. The Sioux Chef refers to the Sioux First Nations, not Sous as in Sous Chef or second Chef. The Sioux Chef was created by Chef Sean Sherman and his partner Dana Thompson in the form of a catering company that focuses solely on indigenous food. Brian and I talked about some of the ingredients and techniques they use at The Sioux Chef including a recipe for Cedar and Maple tea. Brian’s passion for revitalizing indigenous foods has also lead him to the Standing Rock camp where he has been volunteering his time cooking for the protestors who are fighting for their indigenous rights. Brian has headed back to the Standing Rock camp with the donations he's collected that represent food from his region that he will use to create a daily indigenous feast over the American Thanksgiving Weekend. We close the interview with getting a better understanding for the future of The Sioux Chef and the future of the revitalization of indigenous foods.
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When I first looked at Chef Brian Skinner’s Instagram account a picture which displays a table beautifully set with white accents stood out. The panoramic view of the glacier mountains was stunning and visible as this table was set at 9000 feet in a bio dome. Turns out this was a remote British Columbia, Canada fine dining gig for clients who wanted to eat delicious food in an environment where no one had been before. Brian talks about this amazing private experience where he was helicoptered to the location. He reflects on cooking dishes from his surrounding environment, where time is spent foraging for ingredients, thus creating a totally different connection to the food eaten.
All of this is a drastic change of pace from the fast stresses of running a busy restaurant in an urban environment. Acorn was an upscale vegetarian restaurant that he sold to focus on family and time, he now provides consultation services while working on opening his new restaurant, Frankie, We Salute You! Chef Skinner has gone from creating special occasion fine dining experiences to every day food cooked more for daily nourishment. In an infinite world of food, he tries to follow the guidelines of making healthy, delicious food that he would want to share if you were a guest in his home, or a guest in his restaurant. Since the focus is on a plant based diet, he doesn’t aim to replicate a meat dish, but to focus on composing holistic vegetarian dishes.
During this episode we discuss the approach Brian took to learn the culinary arts while being a vegetarian and the considerations he had to make to learn the cookery he was inspired by. How Brian creates a dish without building it around animal protein so that vegetables are the delicious result is touched upon. And we talk about using techniques that are traditionally reserved for cooking meat, like braising and confiting, to elevate his cuisine.
Oh and as a heads up to parents listening with their kids, there are some swears in this episode.
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I am pleased to welcome Robert Belcham, Chef and Co-owner of Campagnolo and Campagnolo Roma in Vancouver, BC to Talking Chefs for this episode. Chef Belcham started out by cooking the dishes he saw the Julia Child’s and Jacques Pepin‘s of the world demonstrate on TV during his early teens. Even though he enjoyed cooking, he never considered it a career possibility until he flipped through a course calendar for Camosun College on Vancouver Island and noticed the culinary program. On the first day of culinary school, he knew from that day forward he was going to be a Chef. We discuss his time working at Rebar Modern Food and The Aerie Resort before heading off to work at The French Laundry. “Thomas Keller is the man who taught me how to cook”, Chef Belcham tells us of his time spent at The French Laundry. After working as a private Chef in the Silicon Valley during the Tech Bubble, he decided to move back to Canada and call Vancouver home. We hear about his time working at C-Restaurant, first as Robert Clark’s Sous-Chef, then as the Chef de Cuisine. He was also part of the team that opened Nu Restaurant for C-Restaurant’s group. Our conversation continues with Chef Belcham and his partners becoming restaurateurs and opening up Fuel, Campagnolo, Campagnolo Roma and Fat Dragon BBQ together. During the interview, you will get a better sense of the Chef he has become, along with his culinary philosophies and principles. I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I enjoyed putting it together for you. If you do enjoy it, please take a moment to subscribe to the show on iTunes, Stitcher Radio or from wherever you download your podcasts.
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Joining me for this episode is Shannon Martincic, Culinary Curator for the Huxley Wallace Collective in Seattle Washington, USA. Shannon shares her amazing story that includes an internship at Alinea in Chicago with renowned Chef Grant Achatz. Once she completed her studies at The Culinary Institute of America in New York, Shannon received a placement at the esteemed Mugaritz in Spain, which included a spot in Mugartiz’s annual 4-month R&D kitchen. Next, Shannon accepted a Sous Chef job at Borago in Chile, another restaurant that is comfortable on “The World’s 50 Best Restaurants” list. We cover a lot of ground in this episode, including the cost of striving for excellence, learning as much as we can from our mistakes, foraging for wild beach herbs and managing a coal base for roasting a whole lamb. I hope you enjoy listen to this episode as much as I enjoyed putting it together for you. Oh and a Heads up to parents, this episode contains a couple of F-Bombs.
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In this episode of Talking Chefs we hear the notable paths and opportunities of chance that Chef Michael Noble has taken over the last 35 years. A journey that helped define where he is and where he plans to be over the next 15, 20 or 25 years. It’s a story about slowing down and accumulating experience through time. An apprenticeship at Hotel Vancouver and 8 years working his way through the ranks from cook to Executive Sous Chef at The Four Season Hotel accumulated experience. Once Chef Noble realized he was ready to take the next step and become an Executive Chef, he did so in 1996, as the opening Chef of Diva at the Met, also in Vancouver.
As the years unfolded, Chef Noble found himself on Iron Chef Japan as the only Canadian Chef to appear in the original Iron Chef Japan Series. As chance would have it, he transitioned back to Calgary to be the opening Chef of Catch Restaurant and Oyster Bar. Continuing to follow his curiosity, Chef Noble became the Director of Product Development and Culinary of Earls Restaurant LTD. Before long it was time to gather his courage and open his own restaurant, NOtaBle the Restaurant, focused and built around a massive wood and charcoal fire rotisserie and grill. After another promising opportunity presented itself, Chef Noble decided to open The Nash Restaurant & Off Cut Bar. For the rest of the interview, we get to hear some of the skills Chef Noble gained and used over the 35 years that are contributing the success of NOtaBLE and The Nash.
Lessons made up of building and caring for teams, including long term thoughts and strategies for growing engaged teams. Chef Noble speaks fondly about his mentor and friend Chef, Bruno Marti, and also how he mentors his senior staff on mentoring the juniors and intermediates. Chef Noble also gives us his take on how to be a successful mentee and how get the most from your mentorship. You will also hear new ways of looking at timeless hospitality tactics in a modern world, how to create an excellent restaurant experience and the importance of communication and building trust in this people business, generally speaking, lessons of becoming a better Chef. I hope you enjoy listening to this episode as much as I enjoyed putting it together for you.
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Joining me for this episode is Sean MacDonald, Executive Chef of Market Restaurant in Calgary. Sean won the Canadian local final for the San Pellegrino Young Chef 2016, and he will continue the competition this October. During this episode Sean will walk us through some of the methods and techniques he uses, including his signature Duck and Carrot dish that he won the San Pellegrino Young Chef Canadian final with. We cover fermentation practices, operating a cultivator, pairing flavours, selecting textures and how he brainstorms and clarifies his thoughts when creating a dish. We talk about the rules of three and how they can be applied to the foundation of a dish and the imagination of plating. If you have access to Instagram right now take a peek at some of Sean’s plates @seanymacd and you will see the man can plate! Sean offers up some plating principles and fundamentals paired with how he grew his Instagram account to 47, 000 followers. He also helps the pound key or number sign generation understand the mysterious hashtag. Thanks for listening and please show your support by subscribing, rating and reviewing us on iTunes or where ever you get your podcast from. Links to Sean’s social media accounts, Market Restaurant and book recommendation can be found on talkingchefs.com. I hope you enjoy listening to this episode as much as I enjoyed putting it together for you.
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During this episode of Talking Chefs, I interview Paul Rogalski, Culinary Director and Owner of Rouge Restaurant and Bistro Rouge in Calgary. Paul tells us, “I have always been engaged and hooked into the world of food – all levels of food.” He said “I feel very fortunate that I found an industry that fits me and I hope everyone else out there has an opportunity to find their passion and go with it.” We touch on his time spent working at La Chaumere, as Klaus Wockinger’s apprentice and the style in which Klaus taught him to cook. Years later, Paul would take over the kitchen from Klaus and became La Chaumere’s Chef. We will hear the story of the creation of Rouge Restaurant along with the many lessons the story holds, including the power of a restaurant’s name. We will get a clear sense of Paul’s principles on hospitality including how he avoided falling into the trap of it becoming more about the pride of the cook and less of the satisfaction of the customer. We discuss the vegetable garden on the premises and the tasting menu offered at Rouge as Paul tells us, “Fundamentally we wanted to showcase culinary skills, paired with the ingredients that were available to us and showcase the ingredients to the best that they are.” We learn what led to Paul and his business partner Olivier’s decision to open a causal restaurant, Bistro Rouge, and some of the insights he learned opening the second restaurant. Our conversation covers how Paul joined Chef Michael Smith as one of the managing chefs for the 2010 Winter Olympics, an intense experience that was by some measure one of the hardest things Paul has done in his career. He shares the challenges they had from starting up a kitchen in the Athletes Village that would serve 12,000 meals a day during the Olympic games. This is a conversation filled with great stories and lessons you don’t want to miss. I hope you enjoy listening to this episode as much as I enjoyed putting it together for you.
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Joining me for this episode are John Jackson and Connie Desousa, Co-Chefs and Co-Owners of Charcut Roast House, Charbar, and Rooftop Bar @ Simmons. We cover a lot of ground, from nose to tail butchery, in house charcuterie and preserving, and hear how Charbar dry ages their local, grass-fed beef.
We talk about the vision opening a restaurant. How the food they prepared for those around them and the food they loved to eat was destined to be the food that was on their menus. John and Connie share their experiences with what feels right as a chef, cravings and how much they dedicate to putting honest food on a plate. Certain items just seem like they are meant to be part of the menu…“Connie and I were like, onion rings, but that’s not really Charcut. Let’s do onion rings and take out the marrow from the bones and we’ll do deep fried bone marrow and onion rings that are battered and it’s all served together, and I’m well yeah, that’s a Charcut dish.” John Jackson
Connie and John share their experiences with stages…whether it be how to get them, using them to directly learn what you want to know, their purpose and their positive attitudes that allowed them to absorb so much knowledge and share their passions.
As with most things worth doing, there were sacrifices, like butchering at midnight and processing the animal so that the charcuterie could be prepared, even if it was 3am. Organization and scheduling this is now an integral part of their routine, so a work life balance can be achieved.
We talk about what’s behind their success, “we did it like our lives depended on it. Every day you are working with a Chef and giving 110% because the one day you don’t is the one day you will get noticed not doing it. If you keep giving 110% and are always go go go, you will move up and be given more opportunities than the guy standing next to you.” John Jackson “It’s really the blood sweat and tears of our amazing team that has really created the success for our business.” Connie Desousa.
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Leah Gamache would fit the definition of a switched on pro who changed careers and dove into the kitchen later in life. During this episode of Talking Chefs, Leah and I sat on the patio of AlForno Café and Bakery, her current focus with Teatro Group. She tells us what led to her leaving a stable nursing career and dive into the unknown. She said,” I was sitting in Italy, after seeking out cooking classes and thinking, I really have to follow this dream”. Our conversation starts at the beginning when she decided to study pastry where she tells us, “Every day in pastry school was some new amazing discovery”. Our conversation ranges from her start at Chambar and Hawksworth in Vancouver, to the thought process and fears of taking the leap from pastry cook to pastry chef, and the decisions that lead her to Calgary as Teatro Group’s Pastry Chef. Leah shares some fundamentals she finds useful in the kitchen and some principles she has learned from stepping into the leadership role. I hope you enjoy listening to this episode as much as I enjoyed putting it together for you. As Leah will tell you, “I don’t want to get to the end of my life without giving it a chance”.
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For today’s episode, I interview Paul Shufelt, Chef and owner of The Workshop Eatery. Paul talks about cooking the way his mom used to with a focus on cooking with the seasons. He remembers growing up with a large family garden and his mom preserving the harvest to enjoy throughout the year, which taught him “let’s eat food when it’s supposed to be”. We discuss his time spent working in Switzerland and some of the lessons he learned including the philosophy: treat your restaurant guests as if they were guests in your home. The Workshop Eatery is located in The Mosaic Centre, which is a one of kind building with great aspirations to be net zero and off the grid. The story of The Mosiac Centre and the documentary of its creation can found in the show note links. Paul shares his learning experience designing the restaurant to contribute to the Mosaic Centre’s goal of becoming a net zero building and his current operational thoughts that can help make the restaurant sustainable, including bringing back the garden from his childhood within steps of the kitchen and teaching his cooks exactly what it takes to grow a tomato. I hope you enjoy listening to this interview as much as I enjoyed putting together for you and as Paul will tell you, “I’m doing this because this is what I love doing”.
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Joining me for this episode is Brayden Kozak, Chef and co-owner of The Three Boars Eatery, which just placed first in Avenue Magazine’s best small plates category for best restaurants in Edmonton in 2016. Brayden tells us the moment he realized good food could have a positive effect on someone’s mood and how realizing that helped shape his career. We learn about the inspiration that turned him into a self-described farm food fan boy, who not only wanted to buy his food directly from the farmer, but also work with the odd bits as he refers to the none prime cuts of meat or unique grains grown by a local producer. You don’t have to make it too far into this interview before conceiving Brayden is a pretty respectful, positive and honest guy. I really enjoyed working on this episode and whether you already work with local food or just think it’s a food fad, there is something in this one for every Chef.
