Episodes
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In todayâs episode, we sit down with Scottish chef Kat McGibbon, winner of the 2025 HIT Scotland Scholarship and champion of The Heat, the culinary competition led by multi-Michelin-starred chef Jean-Christophe Novelli.
Kat reflects on the experiences that have shaped her career, from growing up in the Scottish Highlands to working her way through professional kitchens, competing on the international stage, and immersing herself in culinary experiences across Boulder, Barcelona, Australia, and the UK. Along the way, she opens up about overcoming self-doubt, embracing pressure, and finding confidence by stepping outside her comfort zone.
This conversation is about taking chances, staying curious, and discovering just how much you're capable of when you're willing to keep growing under pressure.
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In todayâs episode, we sit down with celebrity private chef, entrepreneur, and content creator Brooke Baevsky, better known to millions online as Chef Bae.
Brooke shares the unconventional journey that took her from food science and product development to cooking for some of the worldâs most recognizable names. Along the way, she reflects on growing up in a household shaped by food allergies and dietary restrictions, building a career that didnât exist when she was in college, and creating opportunities by following every interest and refusing to take no for an answer.
This conversation is about persistence, creativity, and having the confidence to carve out your own pathâeven when no one else can see it yet.
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In todayâs episode, we sit down with siblings Orel Zwiebel and Nani Edry, two creatives who took very different paths into the world of food.
Orel shares how her background in wellness, yoga, and mindfulness eventually led her to Escoffier and the creation of Zest & Gather, a concept centered around intentional food experiences and community. Nani reflects on his unconventional journey from shaping surfboards and working in tech to building Naniâs Dough and expanding his culinary ventures in New York City.
Together, they talk about creativity, risk-taking, hospitality, and why the most memorable food experiences go far beyond whatâs on the plate.
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In todayâs special episode, filmed at Escoffierâs Boulder campus, we sit down with Asia Geeslin, Escoffier student and U.S. Marine Corps veteran.
Asia shares the journey that brought her here, from serving five years as a Cyber Intelligence Analyst in the Marine Corps to working in cybersecurity at Lockheed Martin, and later exploring more creative paths through youth programs and styling. Each chapter reflects a willingness to evolve, ultimately leading her to pursue her long-time goal of attending culinary school.
This conversation is about following curiosity, embracing change, and building a path that feels true to who you are.
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Escoffier Chef-in-Residence and Emmy-nominated Top Chef host Kristen Kish returns for a special in-person conversation in Toronto, Canada!
From her early days on the line to becoming a Top Chef winner, Kristen reflects on the moments that shaped her, from navigating self-doubt to learning to trust her instincts and redefining success on her own terms. She also shares how embracing her identity has influenced the way she shows up both in the kitchen and beyond.
Recorded at Propeller Coffee Co. on April 9, 2026, this conversation dives into handling pressure, leading with authenticity, and building confidence over time, offering honest, relatable takeaways for anyone carving out their own path in the culinary world.
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In todayâs episode, weâre joined by Alana Kysar, cookbook author, recipe developer, photographer, and the voice behind Aloha Kitchen and Aloha Veggies.
Alana shares how returning home to Hawaiâi reshaped the way she sees food, culture, and her role as a storyteller. She reflects on building her career through blogging, the lessons that come with wearing many creative hats, and why good things take time. We talk about the layered nature of Hawaiian cuisine, the responsibility of telling cultural stories with care, and how her work blends tradition with a fresh, vegetable-forward approach. She also opens up about identity, creativity, and what it means to create food that feels both personal and representative of a place.
Join us as Alana challenges what people think they know about Hawaiian food and reveals why every dish is really a story about home, culture, and connection.
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In todayâs episode, we welcome Melissa King, Top Chef All-Stars champion, record-breaking competitor, cookbook author, and host of National Geographicâs Tasting Wild.
Melissa shares what changed between her first season of Top Chef and her return to win it all. She opens up about growing up shy, fighting for her dream of culinary school, and the moment she stopped replicating other chefs and started cooking from her own identity. We talk about mentorship, discipline, sacrifice, and why competing on Top Chef is ultimately about competing against yourself. She also discusses her cookbook Cook Like a King, her blend of California sensibility and Chinese heritage, and how using her platform for advocacy has become central to her work.
Join us as Melissa explains how owning her voiceânot just her techniqueâbecame the key to winning in the kitchen and beyond.
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In todayâs episode, we welcome Jacques PĂ©pin, culinary icon, bestselling author, and beloved teacher whose career has shaped generations of cooks around the world.
Jacques looks back on his early apprenticeship in France, his move to the United States, and the unexpected turns that defined his careerâfrom La Pavillon to Howard Johnsonâs, from television with Julia Child to decades of teaching. He reflects on the importance of technique, the difference between professional and home kitchens, and why cooking has always been less about prestige and more about connection. He also shares the mission behind the Jacques PĂ©pin Foundation and why passing on practical skills to those rebuilding their lives matters deeply to him.
Join us as Jacques reminds us that long after trends fade, the simplest truth remains: cooking brings people together.
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In todayâs episode, we sit down with Alexis Stoudemire, entrepreneur, lifestyle creator, philanthropist, and recent Escoffier graduate.
Alexis opens up about enrolling in culinary school as a deliberate next chapter, not a career reset. She reflects on balancing school with motherhood, business, media, and travel, and how formal culinary training reshaped her relationship with food, discipline, and intention. From walking across the graduation stage to finding confidence in the kitchen, Alexis shares what it meant to fully commit to learning something new and seeing it through.
Join us as Alexis explains why food has always been central to her life and how culinary education expanded her purpose beyond the plate.
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In todayâs episode, we sit down with Jennifer Relph, a home baker, mom of four, and former cottage food business owner behind Selah Sweets.
Jen shares how baking became a form of therapy during a challenging season of life and why time in the kitchen helped quiet her mind, focus her energy, and reconnect with joy. We talk about building a home-based bakery from scratch, navigating cottage food laws, managing holiday volume from a home kitchen, and donating a portion of sales to local nonprofits. Along the way, she opens up about burnout, mental health, and the realities of balancing family life with entrepreneurship.
Join us for a heartfelt conversation about why baking is more than just food, how giving to others became part of the healing process, and what it really takes to turn a home kitchen into a place of purpose.
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In todayâs episode, we welcome back Kevin Boehm, James Beard Award-winning restaurateur, co-founder of Boka Restaurant Group, and author of The Bottomless Cup.
Kevin reflects on a childhood shaped by instability and the unlikely refuge he found in restaurants. He shares how hospitality gave him structure, purpose, and a way to build the kind of spaces he was searching for himself. Kevin talks about writing his memoir, the response it has sparked, and why telling the truth about his life has opened honest conversations around mental health, identity, and service. Along the way, he offers candid insight into leadership, failure, and what it really means to make people feel seen.
Join us as Kevin explores why hospitality goes far beyond the dining room, and how caring for others ultimately helped him reclaim his own sense of self.
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In todayâs episode, we chat with Jen and Michael Caines, the husband-and-wife team behind Moksha Chocolate, a bean-to-bar craft chocolate company based in Boulder, Colorado.
Jen and Michael take us inside their world of small-batch chocolate making, from sourcing transparently traded cacao and understanding terroir to roasting, winnowing, grinding, and tempering with meticulous care. They share the unexpected path that led them from education, horticulture, and engineering to running a thriving chocolate company, as well as the challenges and joys of building a business together. They also explore the science of cacao, the rise of ceremonial chocolate, the benefits of functional mushrooms, and the tasting rituals that help people appreciate chocolate as a fine food rather than candy.
Join us as Jen and Michael show why artisan chocolate deserves to be savored and valued, reminding us that great chocolate is crafted with intention.
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In today's episode, we chat with Eden Grinshpan, TV food personality, cookbook author, and beloved host of Top Chef Canada.
Eden opens up about what it really means to follow your curiosity and trust where it leads. Her story starts at Le Cordon Bleu in London and winds through Europe, India, Southeast Asia, and Israelâeach stop adding new flavor to how she sees food and the people behind it. She shares the unexpected moments that shaped her career: the phone call that landed her Top Chef Canada, the restaurant that "only lasted a whole year" (and why she's proud of it), and the seven months in India that taught her food is a connector above all else. Eden talks about letting go of perfection, learning to cook with feeling instead of fear, and finding her voice both as a chef and as a person.
Join us as Eden reveals why vegetables deserve "main character energy," the power of condiments to transform any dish, her philosophy on entertaining (casual, bountiful, and happy), and introduces us to her latest cookbook, Tahini Babyâproving that veg-forward cooking should be exciting, not restrictive.
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In todayâs episode, we chat with Matt Kuerbis, Escoffier Chef Instructor in Plant-Based Culinary Arts and Hospitality & Restaurant Operations Management. A chef-educator and entrepreneur, Matt blends classroom teaching with real-world brand building through his hot sauce company, HYCH.
Matt opens up about the high-stakes pivot behind âHeat You Can Handle.â He explains why trademark conflicts forced a name change from Hoss Soss, how sharpening the brand promise (flavor over fire) clarified positioning, and the practical steps that took HYCH from farmersâ markets and cooler-only sales to retail shelves in 100+ storesâco-packers, process authority letters, brokers, and 3PL fulfillmentâwhile pricing for shrinking margins at scale.
Join us as Matt shares the founder mindset he teaches: conquering ârestaurant mathâ fear, keeping books exit-ready, meeting guests where they are (plant-based, gluten-free, flavor-forward), and taking the very first stepsâregister the business, define your USP, and validate with real customers. Itâs a candid, step-by-step guide for food entrepreneurs who want to turn a product into a brandâand a brand into a business.
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In today's episode, we chat with Charlie Mitchell, executive chef of New York's two-Michelin-starred Saga and James Beard Award winner for Best Chef in New York City.
Charlie opens up about one of the most difficult transitions in fine dining: leaving Clover Hill, the intimate 20-seat Brooklyn restaurant where he made history as the first Black chef in NYC to earn a Michelin star, and taking the leap to Saga's 63rd floor after the tragic loss of his mentor, James Kent. He discusses going from managing 8 employees to leading 100, the management challenges that blindsided him, and how he's honoring Kent's legacy while making Saga his own.
Join us as Charlie explains his "safe to learn" philosophy that's redefining kitchen culture, how Sunday dinners at his grandmother's houses in Detroit still influence his approach to fine dining, and how he balances nostalgia with technique.
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In today's episode, we chat with Byron Gomez, executive chef of Denver's Michelin-starred BRUTĂ and the first Costa Rican chef to earn this prestigious recognition.
Byron opens up about the brutal truth behind his rise from fast food to fine dining, detailing how 23 years of unwavering commitment transformed early struggles into extraordinary success. He discusses climbing through legendary kitchens like Eleven Madison Park and Daniel Boulud's restaurants, and how his immigrant experience as a DACA recipient fueled his determination to break barriers.
Join us as Byron explains how he's revolutionizing fine dining through "brutalism" - cooking everything over open fire and achieving zero waste at his 18-seat chef's counter. From his philosophy of "each one, teach one" to his commitment to sustainability, discover how Byron's story proves that relentless dedication and staying true to your roots can lead to groundbreaking success in the culinary world.
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In today's episode, we chat with Connor Fowler, Escoffier graduate, certified sommelier, and rising talent in fine dining.
Connor shares how his culinary education at Escoffier's Boulder campus, where he earned the Curtis Duffy Scholarship, led him from polishing glasses to serving wine at Michelin-recognized restaurants. He discusses his transformative externship in Florence that sparked his passion for wine, his journey through award-winning establishments like Rootstock and Frasca Food & Wine, and how he found himself serving guests the night Frasca received its first Michelin star.
Join us as Connor reflects on the discipline required for fine dining success, the profound impact of losing his father on his career perspective, and how grief became an unexpected motivator in his pursuit of sommelier excellence and meaningful hospitality.
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In today's episode, we chat with Curtis Duffy, James Beard Award winner, Michelin-starred chef, restaurateur, and author of the powerful new memoir Fireproof.
Curtis shares how his traumatic childhood in rural Ohio led him to find refuge in an unlikely place: a high school home economics class. He discusses his journey from that first spark of passion to training under culinary legends like Charlie Trotter and Grant Achatz, building Grace into a three-Michelin-starred institution, and the bold decision to walk away at its peak to launch Ever during a global pandemic.
Join us as Curtis reveals why writing Fireproof was more challenging than earning any award, how putting his painful truth on paper became his ultimate act of healing, and what it really means to be "fireproof" â not avoiding the heat, but learning to thrive in it.
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In today's episode, we chat with Lentine Alexis, certified holistic nutritionist, Ayurvedic health counselor, pastry chef, yoga and breathwork instructor, and sports performance coach.
Lentine shares how struggling to fuel her training with traditional "athlete foods" led her to reimagine nutrition through a more intuitive, flavorful, and joyful lens. She discusses her transition from elite endurance racing to building thriving communities like her Recipe Club and Back to Forward platform, her mission to help others fuel not just performance but purpose, and how listening to her body became the foundation for her "against the grain" culinary philosophy.
Join us as Lentine reveals how breaking the sports nutrition code and embracing joy as the secret to peak performance transformed not only her own relationship with food but is now revolutionizing how athletes and everyday eaters nourish both body and spirit.
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In today's episode, we chat with Hosea Rosenberg, acclaimed chef, restaurateur, and founder of Blackbelly and Santo.
Hosea shares how a college job to pay for school led him from studying astrophysics to training with culinary legends like Wolfgang Puck and Kevin Taylor, ultimately winning Top Chef Season 5. He discusses his commitment to sustainable sourcing, the evolution of Blackbelly from food truck to Michelin Green Star restaurant, and how his childhood in Taos inspired Santo's authentic Northern New Mexican cuisine.
Join us as Hosea reflects on building a purpose-driven restaurant empire and how staying true to his heritage helped him become the Boulder chef who turned New Mexican roots into restaurant gold.
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