In today’s episode, we speak with Lee Hillson, the Executive Chef at the Royal Palms Resort and Spa in Arizona, a James Beard House featured chef and four-time nominee of Arizona’s Culinary Hall of Fame.  

Chef Hillson has cooked for the likes of former president George W. Bush, Barbara Streisand, Princess Diana, Richard Branson, and Billy Joel. Some of his other accomplishments include: competing in Food Network’s Iron Chef America, running top-rated kitchens in some of Arizona’s most prestigious restaurants, including the Sheraton Grand at Wild Horse Pass, and playing a major role in all seven restaurants at the famous Phoenician Resort in Scottsdale. 

Listen as Lee talks about baking in extreme weather, respecting the origin of the food you prepare, and the lessons learned from crossing paths with legendary chefs like the Roux Brothers, Gordon Ramsey, and Marco Pierre White.