First of all, Happy Father’s Day to all who celebrate as a dad, granddad, or as someone who is a father influence in another person’s life.

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For this week’s celebration of Father’s Day, I am spotlighting James Beard Award winner, Chef Bradford Thompson. He has a special tradition with his children to engage them in the appreciation of food preparation and fine dining.

From a very young age, his children have understood how families connect in the kitchen. His daughter videotapes him creating recipes. For back to school celebrations, Chef Bradford and his daughter have a special tradition of going to fine restaurants and creating opportunities for her to appreciate the choreography of the dining and hospitality experience

My father always tried to get me interested in the meal preparation at home, but I never had a keen interest in participating. However, I treasure the memories of his taking me to The Club, one of very few fine dining options in Birmingham, Alabama during the 1970s. He exemplified table etiquette with the proper placement of silverware and the ceremony of white-gloved servers placings linen napkins on the lap. And after dinner, we waltzed across the floor dancing to the live orchestra. I am sure that my feet stepped on his shoes several times.

Here are Chef Bradford’s top three tips for the home chef:

1. Have a well-stocked pantry, including salty, spicy, Chile paste, etc.
2. Planning. Have a plan that can change.
3. Organize pantry by cuisines, i.e. Asian, Italian, etc.

Food can create special memories for loved ones. What are your special ways to celebrate a meal?

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“Chefs must stop thinking of themselves and saying ‘Look at me.” It’s not about ‘me, me, me,” it’s about the ingredients and the customers.” Chef Jeremiah Tower

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Chef Tower lives in Mexico now and is working on a new book about his experiences of eating food from around the world. In addition, he is partnering with a prestigious institute in Mexico on “la busqueda de la authentic cocina Mexicana” to create a full documentation in every way of the regions of Mexico and their cooking of the hearth in homes and to present new versions that keep the original flavors and tastes. He remains passionate about focusing on ingredients. 

Chef Tower truly defines and lives life with exquisite taste and style: “Style has to come from within and it’s what you’re working with. The real style is finding the perfect fish, knowing how to take care of it, knowing how to cook it and knowing in what ambiance to serve it to your paying customers. Simplicity of food is the real style. Just like the little black dress in fashion.”

Chef Jeremiah Tower shares his top three tips for the home cook:

1. Empty out your spice drawer that’s got 40 bottles of two year old spices and throw them away. Buy spices in small quantities on the day or week that you plan to cook with them.
2. Healthful eating is more important than ever. Eat healthy food, invite your friends to your home and cook for them. It’s all about the ingredients.
3. Don’t be afraid to cook. You can always make scrambled eggs if your dish doesn’t turn out.

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Are you ready to create a vital and bold flavor profile with the produce? Chef Rick Bayless, a Maestro of Mexican Cuisine, provides tips, techniques and recipes from his latest cookbook More Mexican Everyday that will delight your palate.  Chef Bayless is an award winning chef, restaurateur, entrepreneur, cookbook author and philanthropist.  Over the past decade, his Frontera Farmer Foundation has funded over $1.5 million in grants to help small midwestern family farms bring delicious produce to the marketplace.  Chef Bayless is a Renaissance man and chef who savors the authentic flavors of Mexico and shares his expertise and passion with the home cook.

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Chef Rick Bayless shares great tips about produce from the farmers market and the grocery store:

1. Picking the right tomato.  Chef Bayless likes really ripe tomatoes.  The standard and most popular tomato you find people using in Mexico is called a saladette which is left to fully ripen on the vine.  “The saladette looks like a large plum tomato. It has enough juiciness that you can make it into a chopped tomato salsa or slice it for a sandwich. But it also has enough pulpiness so you can cook it into a sauce,” Chef Bayless says.  He also explains the process of how we are able to find beautiful tomatoes at today’s farmers market in spite of challenging weather. “Many of the farmers are working with what is called hoop houses, a structure that looks like a green house and that is heated by solar sources.”  He especially recommends tomatoes from Iron Creek Farm and Nichols Farm and Orchard, both of which offer CSA (Community Supported Agriculture.) If you are shopping in the grocery store, Chef Bayless recommends Mighty Vine tomatoes which are delicious and are grown in Illinois.  You can find them at Jewel and Heinens and Roundy’s (including Mariano’s) grocery stores.
2. Three things to do with cauliflower.  At Macy’s Culinary Studio in  Chicago, Chef Rick Bayless featured a recipe for Spicy, Garlicky, Grilled Cauliflower (Steaks) with Browned Butter, Toasted Nuts and Tequila Raisins. (See recipe below). For the portion of the cauliflower you don’t use for grilling, Chef Bayless recommends making pickled cauliflower with carrots and jalapeño (a classic Mexican dish) or even a gratin by blanching the cauliflower, making a cheesy sauce and putting it under the broiler.
3. Maximizing the flavor of cilantro.  According to Chef Rick Bayless, you shouldn’t chop cilantro, but rather slice it really thinly.  Another surprising tip is that the stems of cilantro are very flavorful and tender. You can even prepare the cilantro a day before. Here’s a link to a video of Chef Bayless prepping cilantro.

Spicy, Garlicky, Grilled Cauliflower (Steaks) with Browned Butter, Toasted Nuts and Tequila Raisins Serves 4.

Recipe compliments of Chef Rick Bayless and Macy’s Culinary Council.  This recipe can be found pages 319-320 in More Mexican Everyday by Rick Bayless, Copyright 2015 by Rick Bayless and Deann Groen Bayless.  W.W. Norton & Company, Inc.

• 1 to 2 small (2 pounds) heads cauliflower (if you’re cutting the cauliflower into steaks,you’ll need 2 heads)
• 2/3 cup raisins
• 1/4 cup tequila or fruit juice
• 1 cup toasted peanuts or hulled, toasted pumpkin seeds
• 12 tablespoons (6 ounces) butter (or half butter and half olive oil)
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 to 2 tablespoons Mexican hot sauce (like Tamazula, Valentina or Buffalo)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• Salt
• About 1/3 up chopped cilantro or parsley
• Several tablespoons grated Mexican quest anejo or other garnishing cheese such as Romano or Parmesan

Trim away any of the cauliflower’s stem that protrudes beyond the head, then set the cauliflower head (stem-side down) on your cutting board and cut it into “steaks.”  With a large knife, trim off a half inch or so from both the right and left side of the head (this gives you two flat sides; save trimmings to sprinkle on a salad), then cut what remains into 1-inch thick slabs.  Or, cut the cauliflower into 2-inch chunks.  Arrange the cauliflower on a large plate in a single layer, cover with plastic and microwave at 100% until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes.  Uncover, season with a little salt and let cool.

Heat a gas grill to medium-high or light a charcoal fire and let it burn until the coals are covered with white ash and the fire is quite hot.

While the grill is heating, in a small, microwave-safe bowl combine the raisins and tequila (or juice). Cover and microwave at 100% for 30 seconds.  Without uncovering, let cool to room temperature.  Scoop the raisins into a food processor and pulse a few times until roughly chopped.  Add the peanuts (or pumpkin seeds) and continue to pulse, 6 or 8 times, until roughly chopped.  Transfer the mixture to a bowl.

Melt the butter in a small (1 to 2-quart) saucepan over medium heat.  Cook, swirling the pan regularly for a couple of minutes, until the butter is golden brown.  Add the garlic and store for a minute, then pour into the bowl with the raisin/nut mixture.  Store in the hot sauce, black pepper, 3 tablespoons water and, if you’re not using salted butter, a little salt.

Liberally brush the cauliflower on both sides with the buttery part of the mixture (leave the solids in the bowl), sprinkle with salt and grill until warmed through and richly marked by the grill grates, about 4 to 5 minutes per side.  Remove to warm dinner plates.  Rewarm the buttery mixture, stir in the chopped cilantro or parsley and spoon over the cauliflower steaks.  Sprinkle with cheese and your cauliflower “steaks” are ready.

Savor the Day!

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“Yan can cook! So can you!” Chef Martin Yan

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Do you want to learn how to debone a chicken in 18 seconds? Chef Martin Yan recently joined Margaret McSweeney and Chef Jaime Laurita in the Middleby Residential Showroom for an exciting Kitchen Chat on Viking Facebook Live. Chef Yan welcomes us all into his kitchen with enthusiasm and encourages us with his motto: “If Yan can cook, so can you!” Chef Yan’s multiple accolades include the distinction of Master Chef by American Culinary Federation, his 40 year Emmy award-winning PBS television show Yan Can Cook which airs in 50 countries, over two dozen cookbooks, imcluding,James Beard award-winning cookbook along with many other honors. Here is a beautiful video overview of Chef Yan and his culinary journey. (Video Credit: Used with permission by Chef Martin Yan)

Chef Yan’s kitchen is bursting with the color red to symbolize excitement and life energy. He has a manner of encouragement that helps assure us in our ability. His kindness and passion for cooking and sharing his culinary expertise are truly genuine.

Watching Chef Yan debone a chicken in 18 seconds is exciting and inspiring as he teaches us techniques and safe knife skills. “Sharp knives are safe knives,” Chef Yan reminds us. What a delightful surprise for Jaime and Margaret to receive a signed cookbook, a signature knife, knife sharpener and finger protector. Cooking is easier when you have the right tools and a sharp knife. Here is a link to purchase his products.

Here are Chef Martin Yan’s Top Three Tips for the Home Chef:

1. Cook with the freshest ingredients and cook with the season.
2. Have a few basic seasonings on hand. (Soy sauce, hoisin sauce, sesame oil, ginger, garlic)
3. Cook with your instinct. Cook with your nose. Use your imagination, be creative.

Enjoy this delicious recipe by Chef Martin Yan for Rainbow Asian Chicken Salad.

Rainbow Asian Chicken Salad

Makes 2 – 4 servings

Dressing:

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons aged black vinegar

2 teaspoons wild honey

½ teaspoon sesame oil

½ teaspoon wasabi paste

Salad:

½ cup shredded poached or roasted chicken

2 cups mixed baby greens

1 cup shredded lettuce

8 cherry tomatoes, halved

½ cup shredded carrot

½ cup shredded red/yellow bell pepper

½ cup shredded apple

½ cup each shredded cantaloupe and honeydew

¼ cup nuts (pistachios preferred)

Garnish:

Cilantro sprigs

Assorted berries

Fried wontons strips / rice noodles (optional)

Combine dressing ingredients in a small bowl; whisk to combine.  Set aside.

In a serving bowl, combine all salad ingredients.  Add dressing; toss to evenly coat.

Garnish with cilantro sprigs, berries and fried wontons and rice noodles

Copyright:  Yan Can Cook, Inc. 2020

Savor the Day!

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“The library of tastes and flavors and memories that I have is probably my most valuable asset. I wanted to try everything and anything at a very young age. I have never known a time where I wasn’t sure that this is what I would do.” Chef Andrew Zimmern

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Chef Jaime Laurita and I have had the honor of meeting Chef Andrew twice on the James Beard Foundation Awards Red Carpet in Chicago in 2017 and 2018. Andrew is delightful and knows how to savor the day. Here is a fun clip from 2017 when Andrew gave Jaime a piece of pizza in the middle of a quick Kitchen Chat. A special thank you to my dear friend Chef Katie Chin for reconnecting Kitchen Chat with Andrew.

Recently, we had the honor of interviewing Chef Andrew virtually from the Middleby Residential Showroom in Chicago.

Exploring culture through food was the foundation for Bizarre Foods, a show that lasted over 12 years. Andrew shared meals with people from all over the world. You will enjoy his stories about consuming beyond the recommended amount of fermented whale/seal oil and dried fish in Alaska along with poignant lessons he learned over a family meal featuring grubs.

On a personal note, it was really special to share my father’s taste of a culture experience with Chef Andrew. During the late 1950s, my father was invited to visit the Cuna Indians by canoe in the San Blas Islands. Andrew knew exactly what it was that my father had consumed! In his autobiography, my father writes about his experience with great respect and from the perspective of feeling honored to have had the opportunity to experience a culture through food:

“The culminating act was the offering of a coconut shell filled to the brim with a Cuna drink – a potion made from corn. Earlier in the day, women in the tribe chewed corn off the cobs, thoroughly salivated it, and then spit the chewed corn into bowls. this liquid was then mixed with sugar cane and water. It was simmered over a low fire for the remainder of the day. Every eye in the tribal council ring was upon me. I took the cup, saluted the group, thanked them for the privilege of being in their midst, offered a quick, silent prayer for a strong stomach, and heartily quaffed the sickly sweet corn drink. Smacking my lips in the locally expected manner, I made comment about the refreshing quality of the native delicacy.” Claude Rhea, “With My Song I Will Praise Him” Broadman Press, 1977.

Although this isn’t a photo of my dad in a canoe in the San Blas Islands, it is a photo of him (excerpt from his autobiography) that captures his sense of adventure and joie de vivre. He is the one smiling at the camera.

Chef Andrew is a resonating voice and advocate for helping save restaurants across the United States through the Independent Restaurant Coalition. He highlights ways that we can help support the food industry during this time. He reminds us that it’s not only the restaurant owners and the workers, but it is also the farmers and the vendors who have all been impacted. Please visit saverestaurants.com for more information about how you can help.

Here are Andrew’s top three tips for the home chef:

1. Home Chefs work too small. Use cutting boards, bowls, and pans that are big enough to chop, cook and mix.

2. Stop cooking everything on medium, crank your heat up.

3. Taste your food as you cook, If your not tasting your food you are not learning.

What is your favorite food experience that expanded your palate and provided insight into another culture?

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“Without optimism, you can’t be an entrepreneur.” Cynthia Rowley

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November 19th is Women’s Entrepreneurship Day. It’s an honor to be Chicago’s Ambassador for Women’s Entrepreneurship Day Organization (WEDO) founded by Wendy Diamond in 2013. WEDO is a non-governmental volunteer organization and global initiative celebrated in 144 countries and universities and colleges worldwide with the mission to empower women in business and alleviate poverty. The WEDO movement accelerates and educates the world on the importance of why it’s pivotal to empower women in business globally. WEDO convenes Business Leaders, Change Makers, Government Officials and Civil Society to collaborate and find solutions in critical areas of entrepreneurship eco-systems, education and policy creation to empower women in business. When women are elevated financially, communities, states, and countries

prosper, and this builds a global blueprint to alleviate and eradicate poverty. WEDO’s achievements this past year include funding 500 Syrian refugee girls to attend high school in Jordan. In New York at the United Nations, the WED Summit sponsored 75 students from Black Girls Code, Girls Who Code, Lalela, Rethink Academy, The Young Women’s Leadership School in Astoria, Yale, George Washington University, and Northeastern University. 

I am honored to be Chicago’s Ambassador for WEDO. Usually, my Kitchen Chat co-host Chef Jaime Laurita and I celebrate Women’s Entrepreneurship Day in the beautiful Viking/Middleby Residential Showroom in Chicago with a party to recognize Chicago women entrepreneurs who make an impact in the community. Proceeds from these events benefit a Chicago charity. In 2018, it it was Project Style and last year it was Wings. Here are some special photos of past celebrations.

Celebrating some amazing women entrepreneurs in Chicago at the Middleby Residential Showroom in 2019, including Randy Fifield, Sheila King, Alice Benjamin, Victoria Watkins and Kathryn Sullivan Alvera. All proceeds benefited Wings.

Celebrating some amazing women entrepreneurs at Chicago’s Middleby Residential Showroom in 2018, including Jessica La Grange, Maria Pinto, Holly Hunt and Chef Carrie Nahabedian.  Jane Moss, Treasurer of Viking traveled from the Mississippi headquarters to honor these businesswomen. 

During this time of the pandemic, Chef Jaime and I are virtually celebrating Women’s Entrepreneurship Day. I interviewed three Chicago women entrepreneurs including Cynthia Rowley, Donna Mondi and Rebecca Darr who share their insights into Creativity in Chaos: Redefining the Art of Business during these challenging times. I hope their words will be an encouragement to you as you navigate your way during these times. If you are struggling, please know that you are not alone. Please connect with WEDO, a wonderful resource to find inspiration and tangible take-aways. The WEDO Virtual Summit is free this year. Usually it takes place at the United Nations.

Here are the Top Three Tips for Women Entrepreneurs from three honorees in Chicago:

1.) CYNTHIA ROWLEY, award winning fashion designer

“Tenacity is key. If someone says “no,” figure it out another way. Being an entrepreneur is based on optimism because you are starting something and you’re willing to do what it takes to build it and grow it with the hope that it actually will become what you dream it will be. Without optimism, you can’t be an entrepreneur”https://www.youtube.com/embed/DQt5WXzrMwY?feature=oembed

2.  DONNA MONDI, ASID, NCIDQ,founder and president of Donna Mondi Interior Design 

“Having a great network of women has helped me to maintain focus and stay positive. Make sure you understand all the inner workings of your business.”https://www.youtube.com/embed/me1xjamNXH4?feature=oembed

3) REBECCA DARR, CEO of Wings

” I have found myself at various times listening to the naysayers, the people who can’t see the vision and therefore decide that it can’t be done. And I have learned that the best thing to do is walk away from those people and surround myself with the people who see the vision and believe in the possibilities and get behind them. I think persistence is the most important thing that it takes. Some days you will feel like you are dragging a freight train behind you, but at the end of the day, if you know in your heart that is that right place to go, don’t give up.”https://www.youtube.com/embed/tVW-SjAzd98?feature=oembed

To honor the women entrepreneurs in your life today, please consider donating to Wings and help women and children get a second chance in life after fleeing from domestic violence. As Rebecca says in her video interview, calls to the domestic violence helpline in Illinois have surged over 70% in 2020 as compared to 2019. Women need our help! Here is a link to donate.

Thank you, Cynthia Rowley, Donna Mondi and Rebecca Darr for being such great inspirations to women in Chicago and beyond. We celebrate you today along with all of the other women entrepreneurs. Thank you, Chef Jaime Laurita for being my co-host on Kitchen Chat and for always encouraging me to pursue my dreams. Thank you, Viking/Middleby Residential for supporting these special WEDO events in your showroom. And thank you, dear foodie friends for being a special part of the Kitchen Chat journey. Your encouragement and friendship means so much to me. Please always stay optimistic, persistent and surround yourself with a great network of women (and men) who can see your vision and help you navigate the entrepreneurial path.

Happy Women’s Entrepreneurship Day! 

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“Cooking is a living thing. It’s always evolving. It’s always changing. Every time we cook, because we put our heart and soul into it, we are giving a little bit of something away from ourselves.” Chef Roy Yamaguchi

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Chef Roy Yamaguchi is the Pioneer of Asian Fusion. Born and raised on a U.S. Army base in Japan, Chef Yamaguchi discovered his love of cooking through a home economics course in high school. A young Chef Roy made roast turkey, and his school counselor was so impressed that he encouraged him to consider cooking as a career. Chef Roy graduated from Culinary Institute of America and he soon created his own identity and style of cooking by showcasing the Japanese cuisine of his upbringing combined with the techniques and flavors of French cuisine. Join Margaret McSweeney and Chef Jaime Laurita on this Kitchen Chat to discover the taste of Aloha with Chef Roy’s favorite childhood taste memory and his favorite dish to make in his own kitchen today.

Here are Chef Roy Yamaguchi’s Top Three Tips for the Home Chef:

1. Always line everything up and have everything ready;
2. Don’t follow every recipe to the “T”;
3. Cook from the heart. That’s what makes food great. 

Hawaii is forever in my heart. My parents met and fell in love in Honolulu during college. It was truly an honor to feature Chef Roy Yamaguchi on Kitchen Chat. Dear foodie friend, may you always feel encouraged and have the strength to move forward and make a difference. Imua!

Savor the day!

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What is a schug and how can it make your life delicious? Danielle Renov’s new book Peas, Love and Carrots is bursting with Moroccan-Israeli inspired flavors. Learn about harissa and how it can spice up any dish. Danielle has a collection of recipes for sauces and dips to have ready to elevate any meal. You will feel her passion and love for cooking as Margaret McSweeney and Chef Jaime Laurita chat with Danielle Renov about her new book Peas, Love and Carrots. 

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Here are Danielle’s Three Top Tips for the Home Chef:

1. Even the best cooks have to start somewhere. Just keep doing it. The more you do it the better you get. Don’t be discouraged, just keep going.
2. The quality of your ingredients do matter. Go to the source, cook seasonally. 
3. Taste your food through out the cooking process.

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Tara Bench, aka Tara Teaspoon has worked for decades in food publishing and was the food editor for Martha Stewart Living and the food director for Ladies Home Journal. Through these publications, she has always inspired home chefs and has encouraged everyone to view recipes as a guide and to “make it work for you.” 

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She discusses the changes in the publishing industry and the role that influencers play. For those aspiring culinary writers, Tara notes that there are many paths that one can take to share their stories, including podcasts, social media, blogs, websites and even self publication. She advises, “First and foremost, start telling that story. Start creating the connection with people to build your audience and get it out there. It can always be restructured into a different format down the road.”

Cooking alongside her mother instilled a love of food and culinary communication. She has special memories of making My Favorite Coconut Cream Pie recipe. While many of us are still having to stay home these days, this is a great time to gather together in the kitchen and cook together. Tara Teaspoon will help you “Live Life Deliciously.” Enjoy this special Kitchen Chat with Tara and co-hosts Margaret McSweeney and Chef Jaime Laurita. 

Here are Tara Teaspoon’s Top Three Tips for the Home Chef:

1. Get a few good sharp knives and a good cutting board will make your cooking so much more enjoyable;
2. Try a few new ingredients each month and have them in your pantry, such as fish sauce; and
3. Make some chocolate chip cookies. It just makes you happy in the kitchen.

Here is her delicious recipe for Soft Gingersnaps with Sweet Orange Cream Cheese as featured in her new cookbook Live Life Deliciously. Used with permission:

soft gingersnaps with sweet orange cream cheese 

MAKES 

40 MINI-SANDWICH COOKIES 

HANDS-ON TIME 

30 MINUTES 

TOTAL TIME 

1 HOUR 10 MINUTES

MY GREAT-AUNT RUTH always made soft gingersnaps when I was young, so I didn’t know traditional gingersnaps were crispy until I was much older. Mom made my aunt’s recipe often, which called for an orange-infused cream cheese spread on top. They are ridiculously good! I’ve made this family classic my own by making the gingersnaps smaller and filling them with my own version of the frosting. The problem is, now that they are small and super cute, I can’t help but eat too many!

¾ cup unsalted butter, softened 

¼ cup canola oil 

¼ cup molasses (not blackstrap) 

1 cup granulated sugar, plus more for coating cookies 

1 large egg 

1 teaspoon grated ginger 

2¾ cups all-purpose flour 

2 teaspoons baking soda 

½ teaspoon salt 

1 teaspoon ground ginger 

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 

1 recipe Sweet Orange Cream Cheese (below) 

1. Heat oven to 350˚F. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle at­tachment, beat together butter, oil, molasses, and sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in egg and fresh ginger. Add flour, baking soda, salt, ground ginger, and cinnamon. Mix at low speed to combine completely. 

2. Roll dough into ¾-inch balls (about 2 teaspoons each) and then roll balls in granulated sugar to coat. Bake in batches on an ungreased baking sheets until edges are crispy and the center is soft but starting to set, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool. 

3. When cookies are completely cool, use Sweet Orange Cream Cheese to frost the underside of one cookie with 2 teaspoons filling and sandwich with another cookie. Repeat for all the cookies. 

4. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container up to 1 day or refrigerated up to 3 days.

SWEET ORANGE CREAM CHEESE 

12 ounces cream cheese, softened

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

½ teaspoon orange zest

½ cup confectioners’ sugar

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese with vanilla and zest until smooth, about 1 minute. Add confectioners’ sugar and beat until smooth.

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“It’s unbelievable being able to grow up in this restaurant and witness my mom. She has taught me so much. It has been an incredible blessing.”  Byron Lazaroff-Puck

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Spago, Beverly Hills is the iconic flagship of the Wolfgang Puck Fine Dining Group. Celebrations at Spago are legendary. Did you know that the Oscars parties at Spago predate the Vanity Fair parties? Just days before Covid hit in March, Chef Jaime Laurita and I went to Spago for a very special Kitchen Chat with Barbara Lazaroff, co-founder of Wolfgang Puck Brand and her youngest son, Byron Lazaroff-Puck. 

A special photograph in Spago with Byron Lazaroff-Puck, Barbara Lazaroff, Margaret McSweeney and Chef Jaime Laurita. This was taken just days before Covid changed everyone’s life. 

The night before the interview, Barbara had joined Jaime and me to celebrate Kitchen Chat’s induction into the Taste Awards Hall of Fame. 

Barbara’s friendship is a true blessing to me. We met several years ago through Tricia LaVoice. 

Barbara’s genuine exuberance for family, friends, food, and design radiates through her life. As a philanthropist, she has helped change so many lives. As a friend, she has helped change my life, both professionally and personally. Her kindness, encouragement and culinary industry introductions have helped propel Kitchen Chat onto an unimaginable trajectory. Barbara always sees the potential in people and helps them find the best in themselves. When my life took an unexpected health detour after my broken knee, Barbara helped me navigate this new path. I will save those stories for another post. This special Kitchen Chat is about Barbara and her youngest son, Byron who share memories, meals and lessons from Spago’s history and provide glimpses into the exciting future of this iconic family restaurant. Above all, the mutual love and admiration that this mother and son have for each other is what shines through in this Kitchen Chat.

Since our Kitchen Chat at Spago in March, the restaurant world has changed dramatically. As a preface to the recording in March, Barbara added a recent update on the state of the restaurant industry. From the kitchen to the front of the house at Spago, everyone is Covid tested every week (including Barbara) and everyone wears masks, visors and gloves. “Our sanitizing methods have become even more strident and the health department gave us 100!” Barbara shares. 

As always, Barbara’s exuberance and design aesthetic are key elements in creating memorable experiences in any circumstance. Look at the beautiful outdoor dining that she curated for Spago. 

And the food that the Spago culinary team continues to create is always a delicious sensory experience!

Chef Jaime and I hope you enjoy this special Kitchen Chat. It’s almost an hour long and is packed with special stories. My hope is that after listening to the podcast (or watching the full video), you will have a greater appreciation and admiration of the effort, dedication, courage, and love it takes to build a successful restaurant. And speaking of restaurants, please help save your local restaurants. And please consider making donations to wonderful organizations that help provide meals to those who are facing and experiencing food insecurity during these challenging times.

Here are Byron Lazaroff-Puck’s Top Tips for the Home Chef:

1. Always Keep these 9 Flavor Makers stocked:  rosemary, thyme, garlic, onion, good sea salt, fresh cracked black pepper, chili flake, olive oil, and butter.
2. Don’t be afraid to buy “ugly” produce.  
3. Don’t be afraid to use butter and salt when cooking for others.

Savor the day!

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