Chef's Story

This week on Chef’s Story we have John T Edge, who actually, (for the first time in this show’s history) is not a chef! Nonetheless, Mr. Edge is known throughout the food industry as a writer and educator, especially within southern culture. Edge holds an MA in Southern Studies from the University of Mississippi, and an MFA in Creative Nonfiction from Goucher College. He is director of the Southern Foodways Alliance, an institute of the Center for the Study of Southern Culture at the University of Mississippi, where he documents, studies, and celebrates the diverse food cultures of the American South. His magazine and newspaper work has also been featured in ten editions of the Best Food Writing compilation. In 2009, he was inducted into Beard’s Who’s Who of Food & Beverage in America, and in 2012, he won the James Beard Foundation’s M.F.K. Fisher Distinguished Writing Award. Edge talks about a variety of topics in today’s episode, ranging from the history of the South and the Civil Rights Movement, the rise of southern chef’s and southern cuisine (Sean Brock and Chris Shepherd), and how he works within the Southern Foodways Alliance to further educate those interested in southern food. Tune in today to learn more about the history, cuisine, and inspiration behind southern cooking from the expertise of John T Edge! This program has been sponsored by White Oak Pastures.

“There are more and more students looking to get a Master’s degree on Southern Studies.” [40:23]

“My dream for the south is that we acknowledge our ugly past and work towards a beautiful future.” [45:30]

— John T Edge on Chef’s Story

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Today on Chef’s Story Michelle Weaver comes to us from Charleston Grill in Charleston, South Carolina to talk with us about her chef’s story! A native from the south and growing up in Alabama, Chef Michelle Weaver was raised with a passion for cooking, from learning at an early age the importance of farm-to-table, to growing up cooking with the freshest ingredients from her mother’s extensive garden and farm, and experiencing the true taste of the soil. Upon receiving her formal training from the New England Culinary Institute which taught her the intimate, hands on approach, Chef Weaver first began her journey as an intern in the French-style kitchen of Chef Daniel Bonnot. Following school, Chef Weaver began cooking in the kitchen of Chef Bob Waggoner at The Wild Boar restaurant in Nashville and subsequently moved with him in 1997 when he took over at Charleston Grill. Working as the Executive Sous Chef, Chef Weaver eventually stepped into the spotlight as the hotel’s Executive Chef, part of the Charleston Place Hotel, an Orient-Express property. Tune-in to truly learn and understand the passion needed to becoming a chef, and how Chef Weaver was able to get to her position today. This program has been sponsored by White Oak Pastures.

“Charleston was a port city, all of these influences influence the cuisine, and create change.” [39:10]

— Michelle Weaver on Chef’s Story

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Today on Chef’s Story, Matthew Lightner comes in to talk about his journey to becoming an executive chef at Atera, New York City. Together with host Dorothy Hamilton, Matthew takes us through his journey growing up in the Midwest, moving to Portland, Oregon at the age of 18, looking for work in various restaurants in Spain and San Diego, and eventually opening his restaurant, Atera, in New York City. Beginning as a dishwasher in Oregon, he talks about learning his craft at Noma in Spain, and gaining experience from working in restaurants around the world. At Atera, Matthew’s culinary excellence is displayed in his influences from L’Auberge Del Mar (Del Mar, California), Mugaritz (Errenteria, Spain), and Noma (Copenhagen). In 2010, Matt was named one of Food & Wine’s “Best New Chefs in America”, received nominations for Rising Star Chef by the James Beard Foundation in both 2010 and 2011, and was included in Restaurant Hospitality’s list of “10 Chefs to Watch” in 2010. Tune-in to learn more about his style of cooking, and the influences behind his specialty dishes at his restaurant. Today’s episode has been sponsored by Bonnie Plants.

“The meal needs to tell a story.” [38:15]

— Matthew Lightner on Chef’s Story

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Sean Brock is the executive chef of Husk, based in Charleston, South Carolina, with a new location also opening in Nashville, Tennessee. Born and raised in rural Virginia, the experience of growing his own food with his family sparked his interest in becoming a chef. Growing and cooking everything he ate, Brock explains that he really saw food in its true form. Beginning his career as a chef tournant under Chef Robert Carter, Brock quickly rose up the ranks to become an executive sous chef at Lemaire Restaurant in Richmond, VA, then an executive chef at the AAA Five-Diamond Hermitage Hotel in Nashville, TN, an executive chef at McCrady’s Restaurant, and finally his second restaurant with Husk, just down the street from McCrady’s. His appearances include being on the “Next Great Chef” episode of “Food Network Challenge,” (in which he was the winner), and battling it out on “Iron Chef America” in December 2010. Learn from the award winning chef himself about what it really means to be a chef, such as learning to make your own seasonings like vinegar and salt, and utilizing them in your own dishes. Also discover Brock’s latest experience at Cook it Raw in Japan, wherein a group of prestigious chefs explore a different cuisine by creating a unique dish within a new environment. Tune-in to be inspired by the executive chef himself! This program has been sponsored by S. Wallace Edwards & Sons.

“The most important thing is to set an extremely long, untainnable goal. It’s all about the push and the drive to get there.” [17:22]

—Sean Brock on Chef’s Story

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Sara Moulton, a once reluctant on-air personality, is now one of the preeminent chefs on television. From behind the scenes with Julia Child, to being Gourmet magazine’s in-house chef, and correspondent to Good Morning America, Sara has shaped the way of our American palate, both visually and viscerally. Hear her culinary journey on this week’s episode of Chef’s Story, as Sara recalls her experience working under Lydia Shire at The Harvest Restaurant, volunteering with Julia Child and interviewing with Andre Soltner before finding her career path in broadcast media. Hear her thoughts on why women are hard wired to be successful in the kitchen and how food television has helped revolutionize the way we eat and cook in this country. This program was sponsored by Fairway Market.

‘”Being alone in front of a camera is hard!” [32:00]

“My mission [with food television] was to help working women get food on the table mid-week.” [33:00]

–Sara Moulton on Chef’s Story

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Chef Marc Vidal is bringing a history of Catalan and French food to Boqueria. On this week’s episode of Chef’s Story, Dorothy Cann Hamilton is joined in the studio by Marc to talk about the original Boqueria- a vibrant market in Barcelona. How did the market influence Marc’s culinary senses at an early age? Hear about Marc’s training in France, and how French cooking differs from the Spanish tradition. Why did Marc come to the United States, and what did he learn through working in Miami kitchens? Hear Dorothy and Marc discuss tapas culture, and the idea of small plates in the New York City restaurant scene. Learn all about Iberico ham, bread and tomatoes, and other traditional Spanish tapas. This program has been brought to you by Whole Foods.

“I would say from my experiences that the French are more focused on the product than the technique.” [19:00]

“In Spain, tapas are a way of life. They’re fun, and they’re easy to share. And people here- they like it.” [27:20]

— Chef Marc Vidal on Chef’s Story

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Alexandra “Alex” Guarnaschelli is an Iron Chef, Food Network celebrity chef and the world-renowned executive chef at both New York City’s Butter restaurant and award-winning The Darby restaurant. She is also a television personality on the Food Network shows Chopped, Iron Chef America, All Star Family Cook-off and The Best Thing I Ever Made. She hosts Alex’s Day Off and The Cooking Loft on Food Network and Cooking Channel In 2012, she was crowned America’s Next Iron Chef on Iron Chef America, currently the only woman with that distinction and only the second female ever to obtain that honor. On this week’s episode of Chef’s Story, hear Alex’s story – from growing up as the daughter of esteemed cookbook editor Maria Guarnaschelli to culinary education across the world, to eventually finding her own style in the kitchen. This program was sponsored by Fairway Market.

“I do think a big part of defining your cooking is what you buy and where you buy it from” [39:00]

“I like competition shows because they show the human side of people – that they are fallible, make mistakes and they crave being a hero” [41:00]

–Alex Guarnaschelli on Chef’s Story

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Daniel Boulud is a world renowned chef and restauranteur hailing from a farm just outside Lyon, France. He is chef and owner of several of the top restaurants around the globe, including Daniel, the 3 Michelin Star New York City restaurant. Daniel has been in the restaurant industry since he was a teenager, learning and apprenticing in France. He left his home at 14 to become a chef and moved to the city of Lyon to live with his uncle. He did a three year apprenticeship in Lyon before moving to Paris, and later coming to the States. In 1980 he took his first job in America in Washington D.C. as a chef, and later moved to New York City to be a part of the restaurant culture here. On this weeks episode of Chef’s Story, Daniel Boulud relays to us an overview of his culinary journey, beginning in France and through his move to Washington D.C. to New York. He lets us in on the secret to the success of ‘Daniel’ and the importance of being mentored and trained, as well as the rigor and dedication needed to become a successful chef and entrepreneur. This program was sponsored by Fairway Market.

“It’s very difficult for a casual chef who has only worked in casual places to be come a master chef”. [31:35]

“It’s really rewarding, because it feels like a family. And people come to the restaurant not only for me, but for the family as well”. [41:00]

–Daniel Boulud on Chef’s Story

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With summer quickly approaching, get into the spirit of the barbecue season! Hear the story of pit-master Kenny Callaghan of Blue Smoke, one of the premier BBQ restaurants in New York City on this week’s Chef’s Story. Kenny’s story is an unconventional one: after starting work at the age of 14 cooking fast Italian food, Kenny found himself in Florida where he learned the true nature of Barbecue and gained a true passion for it. Then moving to New York, he worked a series of jobs in fine dining, moving up the line in the kitchen and in the world of chef’s, earning credibility and experience that would eventually land him a job at the Union Square Cafe. After eight years of running a kitchen, Callaghan became a known name, and he joined up with a team of BBQ enthusiast’s to see if they could bring the spirit of this southern cuisine to New York City. Blue Smoke was the result. Their goal is to pay homage to all the different regional styles of southern BBQ, and bring the knowledge of fine dining into the BBQ world. Don’t miss this fascinating story of hard work, honest training, and mouthwatering anecdotes! Thanks to our sponsor, BonniePlants.

“I always tried very hard everyday, i always took my job very seriously, if I ever made a mistake I took it personally, and I marked it to the hard drive, and I never made that mistake again.” [25:10]

“I see a restuarant very much like a house or a boat, once you stop working on it it falls apart.” [38:45] — Chef Kenny Callaghan on Chef’s Story!

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Chef Francois Payard is one of the most highly regarded and critically acclaimed pastry chefs in the world. Hear him recount his culinary journey this week on Chef’s Story. After moving to New York City in 1990 from traveling around Paris honing his skills in three-star Michelin rated pastry kitchens, chef François Payard began his New York City career at Le Bernardin and Restaurant Daniel where he earned recognition in the kitchen as the 1995 recipient of the James Beard Association “Pastry Chef of the Year” award, honoring him for his unique pastry designs and high attention to flavor. In 1997, Payard opened his first Pâtisserie and Bistro with Payard Pâtisserie and Bistro on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. Currently, Payard has locations in Brazil, Japan, Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas, and New York. Tune in and get to know the endearing French-born pastry mastermind on an insightful episode of Chef’s Story. This program was sponsored by Hearst Ranch.

“I think people used to understand that you have to pay your dues before you make it. The problem now is maybe the TV, it’s changed the philosophy of people. They dream of being the Next Iron Chef but they forget that you need to pay your dues to get there. TV gives you the wrong image of things. What we do doesn’t come easy. Most people spend 10 hours a day in the kitchen to be where they are right now.” [25:00]

“A bakery is convivial. A pastry shop is something much more refined – where you find creations that you wouldn’t find at a bakery.” [35:00]

–chef Francois Payard on Chef’s Story

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