Essential Ingredients Podcast

034: Designing the Perfect Plate with Executive Chef Sieger Bayer, Etta Restaurant


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Dine and Design Series Part VIII

“This isn't just me on the menu…There's a bunch of beautiful minds that go into it.” -Sieger Bayer

Episode Description:

Most people want to eat the healthiest foods available, but it can be difficult to do when we don’t know where our food comes from. Buying directly from local farmers gives us the ability to shop at places that care about our health as much as we do. In addition, when we buy locally sourced food, we know that we’re getting quality foods year-round rather than eating something grown elsewhere, which might have been sitting in storage for weeks, in conditions that aren’t ideal for taste or nutrition. Buying local produce allows us to savor crisp, fresh flavor and foods’ nutrients at their peak.

 

However, freshness isn’t everything when it comes to food. A lot of products have been sprayed with chemicals that can be harmful to our health, so it makes sense to buy locally wherever possible. This gives us the opportunity to advocate for our well-being and support farmers who practice sustainable farming. Not only that, buying directly from local farmers means getting access to more varieties of produce than what might be available in stores. We can also find vendors who are happy to explain how they grow their food and answer any questions we might have about their products. It’s also a great place to get inspiration for cooking as many vendors are thrilled to share recipes and cooking tips.

 

Etta Culver City is a celebrated neighborhood restaurant that serves delicious, wood-fired food in a fun, relaxed dining environment. Led by two-time Michelin Chef/Partner Danny Grant and the What If Syndicate restaurant group, Etta and its sister companies Monarch, Maple&Ash, Celestina, and Kessaku aim to serve nutritious, savory, and high-quality food. To do this, they make sure they only buy fresh ingredients directly from local farmers.

 

In this episode of EI’s Dine & Design, Justine and Bridget interview Etta’s Executive Chef, Sieger Bayer. Listen to their fun exchange as Chef Sieger talks about the beginning of his journey with food, building relationships with local farmers, capturing the eyes and palates of diners through the art of plating, and how he helps chefs in-training to be better at their craft.  Chef Sieger also reveals his passion project for the first time and tells the audience how they can get involved!  



Meet Sieger: 

Sieger Bayer is the Executive Chef of Etta Culver City, a neighborhood restaurant that serves delicious, wood-fired food in a fun, relaxed dining environment. True to its namesake, “Keeper of the Hearth”, Etta is known for its perfectly baked wood-fired pizza and other familiar dishes that are perfect for the whole family. Sieger understands the impact of buying directly from local farmers on the quality of food served, the well-being of their customers, and its benefit to the farmers themselves and the environment.  Sieger has also partnered up with Erika Chan and other artists on an art-driven cookbook, re.c.o.o.k.e.d  You can connect with Sieger and the fellow cookbook authors and artists via instagram using the links below. 

 

Instagram

 

Connect with Etta: 

Website

Instagram

Twitter

 

Connect with re.c.o.o.k.e.d

Instagram

 

Connect with Erika Chan:

Instagram

 

Connect with Alec Battistoni:

Instagram

 

Connect with Ryan Roxy Kinsley:

Instagram

 

Connect with Bridget Cooper (Co-Host, Dine & Design): 

A native of NZ, Bridget Cooper moved to NY when she was 18 to pursue a career in Interior Design. This journey started a life of the international jet set for Cooper, as travel became the source of inspiration and resource for herself and so many of her clients. 

 

Her innate ability to seek out the extraordinary is the foundation for curating layered interiors and unforgettable experiences. This has built her a reputation in the design world as the “one in the know” and “to know”.

 

Bridget’s interior work ranges from chic high-rise apartments in Chicago and NY to modern farmhouses in Northern California. In recent years, Bridget Cooper has expanded her creative talents by working on many commercial projects and events creating unforgettable experiences on both big and small scales.  Bridget delights in over-thinking every detail and loves pushing the boundaries to keep things fresh and unexpected.

 

Currently, Bridget and her husband Rob have moved from SF to Ojai, Ca (a small town north of Los Angeles) where they are building the Iverson House.

 

Website

Instagram

LinkedIn

Pinterest

 

Connect with NextGenChef:

Website 

Facebook 

Twitter 

Instagram 

YouTube

 

Episode Highlights:

02:09 You Need to Join! 

05:02 Plating and Design 

07:53 When Food Critics Arrive

09:42 More Than a Cookbook 

11:14 Expand Your Network

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Essential Ingredients PodcastBy Justine Reichman

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