Chefs Without Restaurants

This week I have James Beard Foundation Award-winner, chef Virginia Willis. She was the TV kitchen director for Martha Stewart, Bobby Flay, and Nathalie Dupree and executive producer for Epicurious TV on the Discovery Channel. She’s made cookies with Dwanye “The Rock” Johnson, foraged for berries in the Alaskan wilderness, harvested capers in Sicily, and beguiled celebrities such as Jane Fonda and Bill Clinton with her cooking -- but it all started in her grandmother’s country kitchen. Virginia is the author of a number of books including Lighten Up, Y’all, Basic to Brilliant, Y’all, Okra, and Grits.On the show, we discuss how she got into writing cookbooks, how her cooking style has changed, and her wellness journey which has led to her losing 70 pounds. We talk about food media, and credible sources for recipes and cooking tips. Virginia’s also passionate about sustainable seafood, and we discuss that as well.SponsorLooking to make better pizza? How about bagels, bread, or English muffins? Then you need a Baking Steel. Don’t just take my word for it. Kenji López-Alt of Serious Eats/The Food Lab said “this is the answer I've been waiting for to produce consistently awesome pizza over and over”.   ===========Virginia Willis===========Virginia's Instagram Virginia's’s Website Virginia's FacebookVirginia's TwitterVirginia's Eating Well Recipes ==========================CHEFS WITHOUT RESTAURANTS==========================If you enjoy the show, and would like to support it financially, check out our Patreon, or you can donate through Venmo or Buy Me a Coffee.  Get the Chefs Without Restaurants Newsletter Visit Our Amazon Store (we get paid when you buy stuff)Chefs Without Restaurants Facebook pageChefs Without Restaurants private Facebook groupChefs Without Restaurants InstagramFounder Chris Spear’s personal chef business Perfect Little Bites  Get in touchSupport the show

This is a mini-episode about showing your work. I made this episode for the new creators out there. Whether you’re blogging, podcasting, or posting photos on Instagram, there are going to be people out there (usually strangers) who will be critical of your work. Some of it might be justified, but some might just be mean. Regardless, you need to rise above it and keep pushing on. Do the work, and show your work. SponsorLooking to make better pizza? How about bagels, bread, or English muffins? Then you need a Baking Steel. Don’t just take my word for it. Kenji López-Alt of Serious Eats/The Food Lab said “this is the answer I've been waiting for to produce consistently awesome pizza over and over”.  ==========================CHEFS WITHOUT RESTAURANTS==========================If you enjoy the show, and would like to support it financially, check out our Patreon, or you can donate through Venmo or Buy Me a Coffee. Get the Chefs Without Restaurants NewsletterVisit Our Amazon Store (we get paid when you buy stuff)Chefs Without Restaurants Facebook pageChefs Without Restaurants private Facebook groupChefs Without Restaurants InstagramFounder Chris Spear’s personal chef business Perfect Little BitesGet in touchSupport the show

This week I have personal chef and cooking instructor Matt Finarelli. Matt was a guest on our show way back in March 2020. In fact, he might’ve been the last in-person show that we recorded before the Covid shut down. If you’re interested in hearing that episode, it was number 24, and you can find the link here. Due to the situation with Covid, Matt didn’t feel comfortable going into people's homes to cook or provide lessons. But, like most people, he needed some form of income. So, Matt turned to online cooking classes. It wasn’t something he had experience with, but he found a way to make it work. Now, he wants to share that knowledge with you. Matt talks about how he got started, and what he learned along the way. He’ll tell you what gear he’s using, how he sets up the online classes, and what his price structure looks like. While Matt plans on going back to in-home dinners and lessons, he says that he’ll definitely be continuing to do the online classes, and wanted to provide tactical information to help you set up a similar business. If you’d like to learn how to make money with online cooking classes, this is the episode for you. SponsorLooking to make better pizza? How about bagels, bread, or English muffins? Then you need a Baking Steel. Don’t just take my word for it. Kenji López-Alt of Serious Eats/The Food Lab said “this is the answer I've been waiting for to produce consistently awesome pizza over and over”. ===========Matt Finarelli===========Matt's InstagramMatt’s WebsiteMatt's FacebookTwo Hands, One Drink on YouTube ==========================CHEFS WITHOUT RESTAURANTS==========================If you enjoy the show, and would like to support it financially, check out our Patreon, or you can donate through Venmo or Buy Me a Coffee. Get the Chefs Without Restaurants NewsletterVisit Our Amazon Store (we get paid when you buy stuff)Chefs Without Restaurants Facebook pageChefs Without Restaurants private Facebook groupChefs Without Restaurants InstagramFounder Chris Spear’s personal chef business Perfect Little BitesGet in touchSupport the show

This week, we're joined by Lana Lagomarsini. Lana is the chef and owner of Lana Cooks, a personal chef business based in the New York City area. Lana comes from a fine-dining background, having cooked at Blue Hill at Stone Barns, Gramercy Tavern, Daniel, and Momofuku Ko. Like many chefs, when restaurants began shutting down due to Covid, Lana explored the personal chef sector.  After this podcast aired, Lana was one of the chefs featured on the Netflix series Pressure Cooker. On the show, we discuss her restaurant background and her transition into the personal chef business. We talk about kitchen culture, finding her culinary voice, and the future she’d like to see in the food industry. Lana also talks about cooking for her community, her involvement in the Black Food Movement, and how African American Cuisines and the slave trade impacted American Cuisine.LANA LAGOMARSINILana’s Instagram Lana’s WebsiteCHEFS WITHOUT RESTAURANTSIf you enjoy the show and would like to support it financially, please check out our Sponsorship page (we get a commission when you use our links).  Get the Chefs Without Restaurants NewsletterChefs Without Restaurants InstagramChefs Without Restaurants on TikTokChefs Without Restaurants on YouTubeThe Chefs Without Restaurants Private Facebook GroupChris Spear's personal chef business Perfect Little BitesGet in touchSupport the show

This week, we have a mini-episode about what it means to be a chef. This is something I'm asking many of the guests as part of my upcoming season 3 interviews. I thought it would be great to get as much insight on this as possible, from many different people in the food and beverage industry.Today's answer comes from Justin Khanna. He is the co-founder of Voyager's Table, a bespoke event production company. He’s also the host of The Emulsion podcast, and has a YouTube channel that has more than 26,000 subscribers.  Justin spent a number of years working in, and staging in, some of the best restaurants in the world including Per Se, Grace, Noma and Frantzen.You can find part 1 of my conversation with him here, and part 2 is here. If you'd like to hear me on his show, The Emulsion, that link can be found here.JUSTIN KHANNAThe Repertoire Podcast (formerly The Emulsion)The Repertoire Courses and NewsletterJustin's WebsiteJustin's Instagram, Twitter, Facebook Page, YouTube, and TikTokCHEFS WITHOUT RESTAURANTSIf you enjoy the show and would like to support it financially, please check out our Sponsorship page (we get a commission when you use our links).  Get the Chefs Without Restaurants NewsletterPrivate Facebook groupChefs Without Restaurants InstagramChefs Without Restaurants on TikTokChefs Without Restaurants on YouTubeChris Spear's personal chef business Perfect Little BitesSPONSOR INFOUnited States Personal Chef AssociationAre you a personal chef looking for support and growth opportunities? Look no further than the United States Personal Chef Association! With nearly 1,000 members across the US and Canada, USPCA provides liability insurance, certification, lead generation, and more. Consumers can trust that their meal experience is insured and supported by USPCA. And now, for a limited time, save $75 on new membership and get your premier listing on Hire a Chef by using the code TaxBreak2023 at USPCA.com. Plus, if you have products or services to sell to chefs and their clients, showcase your business on the Hire a Chef and USPCA websites with our great introductory packages. To learn more about membership, advertising, or partnership opportunities, call Angela at 800-995-2138 ext. 705 or email aprather@uspca.com.Get in touchSupport the show

This week, we have a mini-episode about what it means to be a chef. This is something I'm asking many of the guests as part of my upcoming season 3 interviews. I thought it would be great to get as much insight on this as possible, from many different people in the food and beverage industry.Today's answer comes from Cody Marwine. He's the owner and chocolatier at The Perfect Truffle in Frederick, Maryland. My full conversation with Cody will be released in the upcoming months as part of season 3.  ===========Cody Marwine and The Perfect Truffle===========The Perfect Truffle on InstagramThe Perfect Truffle Website==========================CHEFS WITHOUT RESTAURANTS==========================If you enjoy the show, and would like to support it financially, check out our Patreon, or you can donate through Venmo or Buy Me a Coffee.  Get the Chefs Without Restaurants NewsletterVisit Our Amazon Store (we get paid when you buy stuff)Chefs Without Restaurants Facebook pageChefs Without Restaurants private Facebook groupChefs Without Restaurants InstagramFounder Chris Spear’s personal chef business Perfect Little BitesGet in touchSupport the show

This week, we're wrapping up 2021, and ready to welcome in 2022. Listen to this episode for an update on the Chefs Without Restaurants podcast, and what you can expect in 2022. Wishing everyone a healthy, happy, and safe holiday.SponsorLooking to hire employees for your restaurant? This week's sponsor is Savory Jobs, a job site only for restaurants. For just $50, get unlimited job postings for an entire year. Use discount code SAVORY10 to save 10%.==========================CHEFS WITHOUT RESTAURANTS==========================If you enjoy the show, and would like to support it financially, check out our Patreon, or you can donate through Venmo or Buy Me a Coffee.  Get the Chefs Without Restaurants NewsletterVisit Our Amazon Store (we get paid when you buy stuff)Chefs Without Restaurants Facebook pageChefs Without Restaurants private Facebook groupChefs Without Restaurants InstagramFounder Chris Spear’s personal chef business Perfect Little BitesGet in touchSupport the show

This week, we're joined by David Orozco. David owns Orozco Nutrition, a nutrition and wellness practice in Atlanta Georgia. David’s been in practice for close to 20 years as a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, and he’s a Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor and Exercise Physiologist.He’s also the host of One Small Bite, a podcast that seeks to help people build a positive relationship with food and their body through an anti-diet, self-compassion driven approach to vulnerable conversations about nutrition. On the show, we discuss many aspects of nutrition, health and wellness including intuitive eating, intermittent fasting, and special diets such as keto. David talks about his approach to working with clients, and why he doesn’t focus on weight and weight loss. David talks about disordered eating, and shares some of his favorite resources.SponsorLooking to hire employees for your restaurant? This week's sponsor is Savory Jobs, a job site only for restaurants. For just $50, get unlimited job postings for an entire year. Use discount code SAVORY10 to save 10%.  ===========David Orozco=========== David’s Instagram Orozco Nutrition on Facebook Orozco Nutrition WebsiteOne Small Bite PodcastAcademy of Nutrition and Dietetics ==========================CHEFS WITHOUT RESTAURANTS==========================If you enjoy the show, and would like to support it financially, check out our Patreon, or you can donate through Venmo or Buy Me a Coffee.  Get the Chefs Without Restaurants Newsletter Visit Our Amazon Store (we get paid when you buy stuff)Chefs Without Restaurants Facebook pageChefs Without Restaurants private Facebook groupChefs Without Restaurants InstagramFounder Chris Spear’s personal chef business Perfect Little BitesGet in touchSupport the show

On this episode, we're joined by Louis Remolde, otherwise known as The Single Baker. Louis is someone who's worked in the food and beverage industry in Philadelphia, PA since he was 14 years old. At the age of 39, he decided to get sober, and eventually started his own baking business, as well as a personal training business.Louis talks about his path in the industry, and how he came to start his business. You'll learn about how he landed cooking spots on local tv stations, and eventually a spot on a Food Network tv show. He also talks about his upcoming book on food and sex.SponsorLooking to hire employees for your restaurant? This week's sponsor is Savory Jobs, a job site only for restaurants. For just $50, get unlimited job postings for an entire year. Use discount code SAVORY10 to save 10%.===========Louis Remolde===========Louis's InstagramLouis's Recipes==========================CHEFS WITHOUT RESTAURANTS==========================SUPPORT US ON PATREONGet the Chefs Without Restaurants NewsletterVisit Our Amazon Store (we get paid when you buy stuff)Chefs Without Restaurants Facebook pageChefs Without Restaurants private Facebook groupChefs Without Restaurants InstagramFounder Chris Spear’s personal chef business Perfect Little BitesIf you want to support the show, our Venmo name is ChefWoRestos and can be found at https://venmo.com/ChefWoRestos. If you enjoy the show it would be much appreciated. Get in touchSupport the show

On this episode, we're joined by Gabrielle Jenkins. She's the chef and owner of Pot Liqueur, a catering, personal chef, and meal prep business that serves the DMV (Washington DC, Maryland & Virginia) area. We discuss her culinary style, inspiration, and what she wished she knew before starting a business. We talk about culinary school, and who some of her favorite local chefs are.SponsorLooking to hire employees for your restaurant? This week's sponsor is Savory Jobs, a job site only for restaurants. For just $50, get unlimited job postings for an entire year. Use discount code SAVORY10 to save 10%.===========Gabrielle Jenkins and Pot Liqueur===========Gabrielle's InstagramPot Liqueur InstagramThe Pot Liqueur Website==========================CHEFS WITHOUT RESTAURANTS==========================SUPPORT US ON PATREONGet the Chefs Without Restaurants NewsletterVisit Our Amazon Store (we get paid when you buy stuff)Chefs Without Restaurants Facebook pageChefs Without Restaurants private Facebook groupChefs Without Restaurants InstagramFounder Chris Spear’s personal chef business Perfect Little BitesIf you want to support the show, our Venmo name is ChefWoRestos and can be found at https://venmo.com/ChefWoRestos. If you enjoy the show it would be much appreciated. Get in touchSupport the show