Chefs Without Restaurants

In this episode of the Chefs Without Restaurants podcast, host Chris Spear welcomes Chef Amethyst Ganaway to discuss her culinary journey, which spans over a decade in both front-of-house and back-of-house roles. Amethyst shares her deep-rooted connection to Gullah Geechee cuisine, offering insights into how her heritage and upbringing in North Charleston, South Carolina, have shaped her approach to cooking and food writing.Episode Highlights:Amethyst's Culinary Journey: From her upbringing in North Charleston to her current life in Albuquerque, Amethyst discusses how her experiences have influenced her culinary path. She explains the importance of distinguishing North Charleston from downtown Charleston and shares her observations on gentrification and its impact on local communities and food culture.Gullah Geechee Cuisine: Amethyst delves into the rich history and traditions of Gullah Geechee cuisine, emphasizing the importance of preserving this unique culinary heritage. She discusses how her cultural background influences her cooking and why it's crucial to educate others about the political and social aspects of food.The Politics of Food: The conversation takes a deep dive into the political nature of food, particularly concerning Black and Brown communities. Amethyst speaks about the challenges of navigating the food industry and the need for diverse voices in food media and writing. She also touches on her experiences with food writing and why it's essential for her to share her perspective, even if it means educating others along the way.Future Aspirations: Although the pandemic has brought uncertainties, Amethyst talks about her future goals, including her interest in doing pop-ups and her recent opportunity with America's Test Kitchen. She reflects on her love for food, culture, and community and what she hopes to accomplish moving forward.You can find her work on her website Geechie Gordita, as well as in Food & Wine, Plate, Serious Eats, Garden & Gun and Eater. Amethyst GanawayAmethyst's Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thizzg/Amethyst's Website http://www.geecheegordita.com/Amethyst's Twitter https://twitter.com/ExcuseMyFlyCHEFS 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 Instagram, Threads, TikTok and YouTubeThe Chefs Without Restaurants Private Facebook GroupGet in touchSupport the show

On this week’s Chefs Without Restaurants podcast I have renowned photographer Aliza Eliazarov. On November 17, she has a book coming out called On the Farm: Heritage & Heralded Animal Breeds in Portraits and Stories. The book invites us to take a closer look at the animal breeds taking center stage on sustainable farms and homesteads. It’s equal parts fine art and field guide. Passion for documenting issues surrounding food and farming has driven her work, and led to numerous projects, publications, exhibitions, and awards, most notably shooting cover stories for Modern Farmer magazine. She has a BS in natural resources management and engineering, a master's degree in both creative arts in education and elementary education, and is a graduate of the photo journalism and documentary photography program at the International Center of Photography. We discuss:·       her new book·       her process for photographing farm animals·       biodiversity and why heritage breeds are important·       the pros of eating heritage breed animals over commercial breeds·       animal domestication=========================== Aliza Eliazarov =========================== Aliza's Instagram https://www.instagram.com/aliza.eliazarov/Aliza's Facebook Page  https://www.facebook.com/Aliza.Eliazarov.PhotographyAliza's Website https://alizaeliazarov.com/Buy Aliza's Book "On the Farm" https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/611731/on-the-farm-by-aliza-eliazarov/================CONNECT WITH US================SUPPORT US ON PATREONGet the Chefs Without Restaurants NewsletterVisit Our Amazon Store (we get paid when you buy stuff)Connect on ClubhouseCheck out our websites (they have different stuff) https://chefswithoutrestaurants.org/ & https://chefswithoutrestaurants.com/Like our Facebook pageJoin the private Facebook groupJoin the conversation on TwitterCheck our Instagram picsFounder Chris Spear’s personal chef business Perfect Little Bites Watch on YouTubeIf 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, have every received a job through one of our referrals, have been a guest, , or simply want to help, it would be much appreciated. Feel free to let us know if you have any questions.Get in touchSupport the show

On the podcast this week, I have chef Tu David Phu. Tu is a first generation Vietnamese-American, born and raised in Oakland, California. You might know him from season 15 of the Bravo Tv show Top Chef. He’s also a San Francisco Chronicle Rising Star Chef. Tu uses the medium of food as a vessel for meaningful work like cooking with incarcerated men in San Quentin, and being a community ambassador in Oakland, working with Asian Health Services and the Oakland Asian Cultural Center.We discuss his upbringing, and what life was like for his family, coming to the United States after enduring two wars. Tu dealt with food insecurity, struggled with identity, and experienced some confusion around the foods that he ate growing up. We talk about Vietnamese restaurants, how he got into cooking professionally, and touch on his experience on Top Chef.You can find cooking tutorials on his website cheftu.com, and he’s also started an E-commerce shop called Tumami Spices where you can order kimchi, pho kits, Asian snacks, spice blends and more.===========Tu David Phu ===========Tu’s Instagram https://www.instagram.com/cheftudavidphu/Tumami Spice's Instagram https://www.instagram.com/tumamispices/Tu’s Twitter  https://twitter.com/ChefTuDavidPhuTu's Website https://cheftu.com/The Tumami Spices Website https://www.tumamispices.com/Tu's YouTube Page https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPuGaes2VClM9OomDOQ976w================CONNECT WITH US================SUPPORT US ON PATREONGet the Chefs Without Restaurants NewsletterVisit Our Amazon Store (we get paid when you buy stuff)Connect on ClubhouseCheck out our websites (they have different stuff) https://chefswithoutrestaurants.org/ & https://chefswithoutrestaurants.com/Like our Facebook pageJoin the private Facebook groupJoin the conversation on TwitterCheck our Instagram picsFounder Chris Spear’s personal chef business Perfect Little Bites Watch on YouTubeIf 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, have every received a job through one of our referrals, have been a guest, , or simply want to help, it would be much appreciated.Get in touchSupport the show

This week I speak with pastry chef, and self-proclaimed culinary renegade Kate Holowchik. After working her way through some of Boston's eclectic kitchens, she's now finding her personal voice with the launch of Lionheart Confections. Her desserts are a mix of the refined, with a touch of nostalgia. We discuss: empowering your staffstanding up for yourselftoxic work environmentsfood as intellectual propertypop-upsand so much more=========================== Kate Holowchik and Lionheart Confections =========================== Kate's  Instagram https://www.instagram.com/kholowchik/Lionheart Confections Instagram https://www.instagram.com/lionheartconfections/=========================== CONNECT WITH US =========================== SUPPORT US ON PATREON https://www.patreon.com/chefswithoutrestaurantsGet the Chefs Without Restaurants Newsletter https://mailchi.mp/fe0d8a0cc7a6/chefs-without-restaurants-email-listCheck out our websites (they have different stuff) https://chefswithoutrestaurants.org/ & https://chefswithoutrestaurants.com/Like our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/chefswithoutrestaurantsJoin the private Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/chefswithoutrestaurantsJoin the conversation on Twitter https://twitter.com/ChefsWoRestosCheck our Insta pics https://www.instagram.com/chefswithoutrestaurants/Founder Chris Spear’s personal chef business Perfect Little Bites https://perfectlittlebites.com/Watch on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHXxixMxjf05XxUIbz6ER-QIf 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, have every received a job through one of our referrals, have been a guest, been given complimentary Chefs Without Restaurants swag, or simply want to help, it would be much appreciated. Feel free to let us know if you have any questions.Outro music provided by podcast guest Dylan Ubaldo (check out Toyomansi)Get in touchSupport the show

This week I speak with Kareem Queeman, better known as Mr. Bake. He’s the owner and operator of Mr. Bake Sweets, a small dessert studio located in Largo, MD. He’s been baking for 20+ years. In the years that Mr. Bake Sweets has operated, he's done a few television appearances on Food Network, Fox, ABC, and Discovery Family. He's also a 2020 Business of Pride honoree by the Washington Business Journal. Mr. Bake prides himself on diversity, inclusivity, community outreach and always making the world a better place, one cake at a time. We discuss: ·         how he got onto cooking TV shows ·         representation, especially for chefs of color, and those in the LGBTQ community·         branding·         taking your business to the next level·         baking with cake mixes and using scales·         so much more…=========================== Mr. Bake =========================== Mr. Bake's Instagram https://www.instagram.com/mrbakesweets/Mr. Bake's Website https://www.mrbakesweets.com/Mr. Bake's YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCA4S5JCUFPPuJTXeL_GnOdg=========================== CONNECT WITH US =========================== SUPPORT US ON PATREON https://www.patreon.com/chefswithoutrestaurantsGet the Chefs Without Restaurants Newsletter https://mailchi.mp/fe0d8a0cc7a6/chefs-without-restaurants-email-listCheck out our websites (they have different stuff) https://chefswithoutrestaurants.org/ & https://chefswithoutrestaurants.com/Like our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/chefswithoutrestaurantsJoin the private Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/chefswithoutrestaurantsJoin the conversation on Twitter https://twitter.com/ChefsWoRestosCheck our Insta pics https://www.instagram.com/chefswithoutrestaurants/Founder Chris Spear’s personal chef business Perfect Little Bites https://perfectlittlebites.com/Watch on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHXxixMxjf05XxUIbz6ER-QIf 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, have every received a job through one of our referrals, have been a guest, been given complimentary Chefs Without Restaurants swag, or simply want to help, it would be much appreciated. Feel free to let us know if you have any questions.Outro music provided by podcast guest Dylan Ubaldo (check out Toyomansi)Get in touchSupport the show

On the show this week, I have chef Bill Smith. Bill was the chef at Crook’s Corner in Chapel Hill, North Carolina for 25 years, before retiring in January 2019. I wanted to talk to Bill about his time working at Crook’s Corner, and what he plans to do now that he’s retired. Bill’s always been an activist. Many of his employees at the restaurant were from Mexico, and have become like family to Bill. He’s been talking about immigration, and trying to find ways to support those former employees. Mexico has become one of his favorite places to travel to. We also talk about food. From his Atlantic Beach Pie, to the famous Shrimp & Grits that Crook’s Corner helped put on the map. Bill has authored two cookbooks, been nominated for a number of James Beard awards (and won one), and was the owner of the Cat’s Cradle music venue.===============Bill Smith ===============Bill’s Instagram https://www.instagram.com/chulegre/The Crook’s Corner Website https://crookscorner.com/Read more about Bill here https://www.forbes.com/sites/lesliekelly/2020/08/06/chef-bill-smiths-grassroots-efforts-to-help-his-kitchen-family-are-inspiring/#6b121c533d55Bill’s cookbook Seafood in the South https://amzn.to/349G0Dv==================CONNECT WITH US ================== SUPPORT US ON PATREON https://www.patreon.com/chefswithoutrestaurantsGet the Chefs Without Restaurants Newsletter https://mailchi.mp/fe0d8a0cc7a6/chefs-without-restaurants-email-listCheck out our websites (they have different stuff) https://chefswithoutrestaurants.org/ & https://chefswithoutrestaurants.com/Like our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/chefswithoutrestaurantsJoin the private Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/chefswithoutrestaurantsJoin the conversation on Twitter https://twitter.com/ChefsWoRestosCheck our Insta pics https://www.instagram.com/chefswithoutrestaurants/Founder Chris Spear’s personal chef business Perfect Little Bites https://perfectlittlebites.com/Watch on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHXxixMxjf05XxUIbz6ER-QIf 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, have every received a job through one of our referrals, have been a guest, been given complimentary Chefs Without Restaurants swag, or simply want to help, it would be much appreciated. Feel free to let us know if you have any questions.Outro music provided by podcast guest Dylan Ubaldo (check out Toyomansi)Get in touchSupport the show

On the podcast this week I have chef Brendon Hudson. He’s owner and chef of Liliahna catering company. Brendon was recently voted Best Chef by Baltimore Magazine’s readers poll.We discuss the state of the catering and personal chef business, the rise of the micro-wedding, the Thumbtack platform and more.=========================== Brendon Hudson =========================== Liliahna’s Instagram https://www.instagram.com/liliahnaa/Liliahna’s Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/liliahnaa/The Liliahna Website https://www.liliahna.com/=========================== CONNECT WITH US =========================== SUPPORT US ON PATREON https://www.patreon.com/chefswithoutrestaurantsGet the Chefs Without Restaurants Newsletter https://mailchi.mp/fe0d8a0cc7a6/chefs-without-restaurants-email-listCheck out our websites (they have different stuff) https://chefswithoutrestaurants.org/ & https://chefswithoutrestaurants.com/Like our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/chefswithoutrestaurantsJoin the private Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/chefswithoutrestaurantsJoin the conversation on Twitter https://twitter.com/ChefsWoRestosCheck our Insta pics https://www.instagram.com/chefswithoutrestaurants/Founder Chris Spear’s personal chef business Perfect Little Bites https://perfectlittlebites.com/Watch on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHXxixMxjf05XxUIbz6ER-QIf 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, have every received a job through one of our referrals, have been a guest, been given complimentary Chefs Without Restaurants swag, or simply want to help, it would be much appreciated. Feel free to let us know if you have any questions.Outro music provided by podcast guest Dylan Ubaldo (check out Toyomansi)Get in touchSupport the show

On the podcast this week I have chef Kimberly Schaub. She’s spent much of her culinary career in the research and development field, working for companies like Beecher’s Handmade Cheese and Bulletproof 360. She also spent some time with the Modernist Cuisine team, and contributed to their book Modernist Cuisine at Home. Currently, she’s doing business development for Griffith Foods. She also has a website, and podcast, called Peas on Moss.We discuss:·                  Getting into the culinary R&D field·                  Knowing when it’s time to move on·                  Growing your staff·                  The “yes chef” mentality·                  and much more=========================== Kimberly Schaub =========================== Kimberly’s Instagram https://www.instagram.com/peasonmoss/Kimberly’s Twitter  https://twitter.com/PeasOnMossPeas on Moss Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/PeasOnMossJustin’s YouTube https://www.youtube.com/c/justinkhannatvThe Peas on Moss Podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peasonmoss-podcast/id1119574897The Peas on Moss Website https://www.peasonmoss.com/=========================== CONNECT WITH US =========================== SUPPORT US ON PATREON https://www.patreon.com/chefswithoutrestaurantsCheck out our websites (they have different stuff) https://chefswithoutrestaurants.org/ & https://chefswithoutrestaurants.com/Like our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/chefswithoutrestaurantsJoin the private Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/chefswithoutrestaurantsJoin the conversation on Twitter https://twitter.com/ChefsWoRestosCheck our Insta pics https://www.instagram.com/chefswithoutrestaurants/Founder Chris Spear’s personal chef business Perfect Little Bites https://perfectlittlebites.com/Watch on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHXxixMxjf05XxUIbz6ER-QIf 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, have every received a job through one of our referrals, have been a guest, been given complimentary Chefs Without Restaurants swag, or simply want to help, it would be much appreciated. Feel free to let us know if you have any questions. Outro music provided by podcast guest Dylan UbaldoGet in touchSupport the show

This is part 2 of a discussion I had with chef Justin Khanna. If you haven't listened to part 1 yet, I suggest listening to it first, as this episode jumps right into the middle of our discussion. On the podcast this week I have chef Justin Khanna. He's the co-founder of Voyager's Table, a bespoke event production company. He’s also the host of The Repertoire Podcast (formerly The Emulsion podcast), and has a YouTube channel that has more than 20,000 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. This is part one of our interview. Part two will be released next. We discuss the transition from restaurant cooking to the personal chef & event business. We talk about staging, content creation, podcasts & YouTube. Justin and I also get into pop-ups, charging for your services, and best practices from the world’s best chefs.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

On the podcast this week I have chef Justin Khanna. He's the co-founder of Voyager's Table, a bespoke event production company. He’s also the host of The Repertoire Podcast (formerly The Emulsion podcast), and has a YouTube channel that has more than 20,000 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. This is part one of our interview. Part two will be released next. We discuss the transition from restaurant cooking to the personal chef & event business. We talk about staging, content creation, podcasts & YouTube. Justin and I also get into pop-ups, charging for your services, and best practices from the world’s best chefs.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