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An Interview with Chef Andrew Zimmerman of Sepia Chicago - 025 Long before, Chef Andrew Zimmerman landed at Sepia Chicago and before the talented chef graduated first in his class at the French Culinary Institute, a different passion fueled him.  Zimmerman used his creative talents in pursuit of fame as a rock star.  Chef Zimmerman loved music and played in numerous different bands around New York City in his younger years.  Between playing gigs, as so many musicians and other creative artists often do, Zimmerman found himself working in restaurant kitchens to pay his bills.  Eventually, Zimmerman began to see the potential of a career as a chef and now, years later, he is a culinary rock star. Once Chef Zimmerman made the decision to pursue a career in the culinary world, he said in our interview that he immediately took it seriously.  Zimmerman researched culinary programs and decided to apply to the prestigious French Culinary Institute.  He was accepted and was determined to thrive in his education.  Zimmerman accomplished his goal by graduating first in his class.  He said his time in culinary school was a positive experience that helped enhance the skills he already had and prepare him for further advancement.  Like any culinary program, Zimmerman said you get out of it what you put into it and he put his whole heart into the program. After graduating from culinary school, Chef Zimmerman made the decision to move away from New York and head to Chicago.  People who aren't immersed in the Windy City food scene often envision thick cut slabs of beef seared and partnered with a large potato slathered in butter and sour cream.  The reality is that its not all steak and potatoes in Chicago.  Zimmerman said he was pleased to find a large diversity in excellent restaurants in Chicago, much of it thanks to the wide diversity of ethnic neighborhoods in Chicago. Zimmerman worked at the Park Hyatt Chicago on multiple occasions, including a stint as Chef de Cuisine at the popular NoMI widely considered one of the best hotel restaurants in the country.  In 2008, Chef Zimmerman met restaurateur Emmanuel Nony.  Nony helped open NoMI and in 2009 he asked Chef Zimmerman to join him as Nony opened Sepia Chicago.  Zimmerman serves as the Executive Chef and helps the kitchen achieve Nony's vision for Sepia Chicago.  The restaurant is housed in a form print shop from the 1890s.  The decor in the space is a unique mix of nostalgia and modernity.  Zim

An Interview With Pastry Chef Bob Truitt of Marea NYC and Altamarea Group - 018 So here we are nearly 20 episodes into this odyssey and we are just now introducing our first pastry chef.  Even though it is time for dessert, don't begin to think th...

An Interview With Thomas McNaughton of Flour and Water San Francisco - 016 When you get to know Chef Thomas McNaughton, you begin to have some doubts.  Something just doesn't seem quite right.  It makes sense that he loves fresh ingredients since he grew up in a family that ran a nursery.  No major questions arise when you know McNaughton infuses Italian dishes into his menus since he fell in love with pasta making while working in Italy.  When you sit down and spend some time talking to the 30 year old James Beard nominated chef, you quickly figure out the problem.  The doubts become justified the more you talk.  The realization is that Chef McNaughton is superhuman. There can be no other logical conclusion to explain how this baby faced chef keeps his ever expanding empire firing on all cylinders.  An empire which started when Chef McNaughton returned from Italy after honing his pasta making skills at Bruno e Franco among other stops.  Since 2009, McNaughton and his business partners have opened, Flour and Water, Central Kitchen, and Salumeria.  The superhuman part comes in because McNaughton opened Central Kitchen and Salumeria just mere weeks apart from each other, Chef McNaughton makes constant trips to the farmers market and Bay area farms to ensure the best ingredients, he is currently working on a cookbook to be published in 2014, and he is overseeing the installation of a 2,000 plus square foot roof garden above the restaurants. How is all of this possible?  Chef McNaughton discusses some of the ways he makes it happen in our interview, including the pros and cons of living where you work.  But the reality which comes through in our interview is that McNaughton is a man driven by food.  From his early food memories at home to his time staging across Europe to all the time and effort he puts in to build and maintain relationships with farmers.  All of it shows elements of how he makes the seemingly impossible become possible.  Yet there are still the intangible elements.  The things that are only evident when you dine at one of his restaurants.  His entire being that is poured into each dish through the efforts he makes to develop quality staff, great ingredients and pleasing spaces to dine in. In as much as Chef Thomas McNaughton is driven by his own pursuit of perfection in food and ingredients, it was amazing to hear in our interview how empowering he is as a leader.  While many young chefs rely solely on their own abilit

An Interview With Chef Matthew Accarrino of SPQR San Francisco - 015   The path to becoming an accomplished chef is paved with hard work and long hours.  Chef Matthew Accarino of SPQR San Francisco knows the path well.  Chef Accarrino has worked for some of the country's best chefs from Todd English to Charlie Palmer to Tom Colicchio to Thomas Keller.  Now Matthew Accarrino is developing his own following now and seeing recognition on the national level for his work. Chef Matthew Accarrino found his love for food and cooking in a fairly unconventional way.  Despite being in a family filled with good home cooks growing up, Accarrino wasn't thinking of cooking for a living until one fateful day in high school.  On that day, Matthew Accarrino was playing a game of frisbee with friends at school.  He jumped up to grab the disc and when he landed, he fell and broke his leg.  The break was actually inevitable since Accarrino had a bone tumor in his leg that continued to grow larger as he grew.  Surgery was able to remove the tumor and repair his leg, but it resulted in a very long recuperation period where he couldn't walk for the better part of two years.  Up until his injury, Chef Accarrino aspired to become a professional cyclist.  The injury led him to find ways to spend his time at home productively.  That led him to cooking.  Accarrino read cookbooks, watched cooking shows on television, and eventually practicing in the kitchen as he became more mobile. As a serious cyclist, Chef Accarrino was always concerned about his diet and the food he consumed to fuel his riding.  So cooking was a bit of a natural fit.  After he recovered, Matthew Accarrino began working in restaurants.  Taking the career seriously, Accarrino completed the culinary program at the prestigious Culinary Institute of America and also completed a bachelors degree in Hospitality Management from Fairleigh Dickinson.  In the interview, Accarrino said he felt the education helped prepare him for the next level of his culinary career. After graduating from both programs, Chef Accarrino traveled to Italy where he was able to gain firsthand experience with Italian cuisine.  During his time in Italy, Matthew Accarrino worked at Michelin-rated Antonello Colonna.  Accarrino said his experience in Italy was transformational for him. Armed with his education in the classroom and in the gardens of Italy, Chef Accarrino returned to the United States and began working in some

Chef Isaac Becker - 112 Eatery & Bar La Grassa & Burch Steak and Pizza Bar The restaurant industry attracts a wide range of people.  Including many people who find the hours and the lifestyle suitable as they pursue other artistic endeavors like acting, painting and music.  James Beard award winner Isaac Becker didn't originally find his way into a restaurant kitchen because he loved food.  In fact, early on he swore he never wanted to work in restaurants again.  Instead, Isaac Becker spent his time waiting to become a rock star.  That's right.  The clean-cut, respectable chef of one of the Twin Cities most acclaimed restaurants, 112 Eatery, was just biding his time in the kitchen until his band hit it big.  Eventually, the drummer fell in love with cooking and used his newfound passion to build a career that now includes four Twin Cities restaurants and personal recognition as the 2011 Best Chef Midwest by the James Beard Foundation. Once Isaac Becker decided he wanted to stay in the kitchen for his career, he put maximum effort into building his skills just like he did as a drummer. Becker's approach was to work in the restaurants he liked to eat at and that philosophy took him to Lowry's (now called Rye).  After working his way up at Lowry's, Isaac Becker left to join the kitchen at D'Amico Cucina.  When Isaac Becker joined the staff at Cucina, it was well known and the top fine dining destination in town and it was the place where everything fell into place for Chef Becker.  He says the time he spent at Cucina gave him the inspiration and the desire to continue as a chef throughout his career.  Chef Becker continued his career by leading kitchens at various restaurants in the Twin Cities and beyond before deciding to open his own restaurant. 112 Eatery opened in 2005 to rave reviews in Minneapolis.  While the 112 Eatery was small with only a handful of seats, it made up for its tiny stature with amazing food.  Chef Isaac Becker and his wife and business partner, Nancy St. Pierre, got rave reviews from Twin Cities diners and critics.  A trip to the 112 Eatery today will offer you menu items like Pork Osso Bucco, Duck Pate Banh Mi, and Stringozzi with Lamb Sugo. Aside from the culinary selection that made 112 Eatery popular, Isaac Becker said that he also wanted to get away from the "concept" model for opening a restaurant.  He opened a place that he would truly want to eat at.  He also saw that the Twin Cities didn't have places where

Chef Jesse Schenker - Recette NYC After high school, Chef Jesse Schenker attending culinary school in Florida and then began his culinary journey, working his way up progressively greater challenges in some of the best kitchens in the south.  Eventually, Jesse Schenker saw the need to expand his horizons and he knew New York City would offer him the challenges and opportunities to develop his craft even further.  His experience in NYC prepared him for an opportunity to cook with Gordon Ramsay as the Chef de Cuisine at his two-star Michelin rated Gordon Ramsay at the London. Proving himself time and time again at some of the best restaurants, Chef Jesse Schenker knew that it was time to take his experience and culinary school education and put it to work for himself by owning his own restaurant.  Chef Schenker made it a family affair by getting his father and his wife to work with him.  After gathering the necessary seed money from investors, Schenker found the commercial space he wanted in NYC's West Village neighborhood, just a few blocks off the Hudson River and bordering Greenwich Village.  From the very beginning, Chef Jesse Schenker knew he wanted to offer guests a fine dining experience in a casual atmosphere with prices that make it accessible to all. The menu at Recette NYC is designed to encourage people to explore the menu.  Schenker designed it with small plates and snack plates along with several multi-course tasting menu options.  Diners get the chance to have a more economical way to sample numerous items on the menu.  Snacks include items like "Buffalo" sweetbreads, Salt Cod Fritters, and Bone Marrow Toast.  Plates currently include dishes like Beef Carpaccio, Spot Prawn Crudo, Marinated Artic Char, and Berkshire Pork Belly.  Recette NYC also offers a brunch menu and a special opportunity for diners to have a more elegant experience once a month. On the second Monday of each month, Chef Jesse Schenker transforms Recette NYC into a more intimate place for only 20 diners.  Schenker takes reservations for Mondays with Jesse on a first come, first serve basis until the 20 spots are full each month.  The dinner is a fixed price dinner for a 10-course tasting menu prepared by the chef which features different seasonal items each month.  Schenker said he loves preparing the menu each month to create a truly fine dining experience and to allow him to be creative with his dishes.  Chef Jesse Schenker said that he uses the Mondays

Chef Matthew Molina - Pizzeria Mozza & Osteria Mozza Chef Matthew Molina recently spoke to The Chef's Table Podcast about his career, winning the 2012 James Beard Award for Best New Chef in the Pacific Region and working as executive chef for the famed team behind Pizzeria Mozza and Osteria Mozza in Los Angeles, California.  You can't find a more star studded group of owners for the Mozza restaurants.  When you think of fine dining and you think of Italian, it doesn't get any better than Mario Batali, Nancy Silverton and Joe Bastianich.  That triumvirate of culinary talent are the inspiration and soul behind Osteria Mozza and Pizzeria Mozza.  In our interview, Chef Molina discussed his relationship working with Nancy Silverton that led to his role at the heart of the kitchen for the Mozza restaurants. Matthew Molina started his culinary journey at the now defunct Los Angeles Culinary Institute and upon graduation as he began building his career he found himself working as a line cook at Campanile where he met and worked with Nancy Silverton.  Chef Molina worked his way up from being a line cook at Campanile to the Chef de Cuisine.  Eventually, Chef Molina discussed that he decided to venture out beyond Los Angeles and found himself working in the kitchen at Del Posto, the legendary restaurant of Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich.  All of this prepared Molina for the position to lead the kitchens at Osteria Mozza and Pizzeria Mozza when the trio of his bosses decided to open the restaurants in Los Angeles. Molina also discussed the focus on fresh and organic ingredients in the restaurant and his own culinary philosophy during the interview.  In addition to his working relationship with Nancy Silverton over the years, Chef Molina also discussed the cookbook he collaborated on with Silverton.  The cookbook entitled, The Mozza Cookbook: Recipes from Los Angeles's Favorite Italian Restaurant and Pizzeria came out in 2011 and captures so many great recipes.  Chef Molina was kind enough to share one of those recipes with us for our listeners to enjoy.  Seared Beef Filet with Black Beans, Avocado, and Green Chile Salsa 1/4 cup     extra-virgin olive oil2               large garlic cloves, grated or minced (abt 2 teaspoons)2              teaspoons kosher salt, plus extra for seasoning1 cup       green chile salsa1 - 15 oz can of black beans, rinsed and drained (about 1 1/2 cups)1/4 cup   chopped fresh cilantro leaves, plus 4 whole

 Chef Hugh Acheson - Five & Ten Chef Acheson is a recognizable name and face in the culinary world thanks to his participation on the Bravo Television show, Top Chef.  Chef Acheson first competed on Season 3 of Top Chef Masters.  After posting a fifth place finish, Acheson eventually returned to the series as a judge on Season 9 of Top Chef.  He took time away from filming for the upcoming season of Top Chef to talk with us at The Chef’s Table Podcast. Chef Hugh Acheson discussed his early roots in food while growing up in a single parent family.  Acheson was raised, mostly by his father, in Ottawa, Canada, and after a brief stint in college, he dropped out to pursue a culinary career.  He worked in restaurants around Ottawa until eventually moving to the United States where he studied under a number of chefs including the legendary, Gary Danko, in San Francisco.  Eventually, Chef Hugh Acheson chose to settle into the community of Athens, Georgia.  In 2000, he opened his first restaurant Five & Ten in Athens.  Acheson opened The National in 2007 and Empire State South in Atlanta in 2010.  Acheson discussed the unique style and design of each restaurant, including the monumental task of moving an existing restaurant, which Acheson is just wrapping up. Chef Hugh Acheson also discussed his views on the current culinary landscape in the United States, the evolution of the celebrity chef phenomenon and his James Beard award for "Best Cookbook in American Cooking" and Best Chef, Southeast." Chef Hugh Acheson was also gracious enough to share a recipe from his James Beard award winning cookbook. Crisp Catfish with Tomato Chutney and Vermouth Emulsion Serves 4 4 (6-ounce) filets of fresh catfish, trimmed of any connective tissue1/4 teaspoon kosher salt1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black peppercorn1 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)1 tablespoon chile powder2 tablespoons vegetable oil 4 tablespoons Vermouth Emulsion4 tablespoons Tomato Chutney Preheat the oven to 400°F. Season the filets with the salt and pepper and set aside.  Place the panko on a wide plate or bowl and add the chile powder. Mix lightly to incorporate the panko. Take each filet of fish and gently press it into the panko on both sides of the filet. Set aside. Warm a large fry pan on high heat and add the oil. When the oil is shimmering, place the catfish filets in the pan and cook for 3 minutes on each side. Finish in the oven for 4 more minutes. Remove the catfish from the

Chef Jacques Pepin When you think of master chefs, what comes to mind?  How about someone who spent decades running restaurants and mentoring new chefs.  Someone with dozens of cookbooks who shared their culinary education with millions on television for years and years.  Maybe it's someone who has cooked meals for some of the most powerful people in the world, including multiple French heads of state.  How about someone who has been honored with a lifetime achievement award from the James Beard Foundation, an Emmy, and the highest civilian honors in France.  If those things qualify you as a master of your craft, then Jacques Pepin fits the bill.  In the premier episode of The Chef's Table podcast, Chef Pepin sat down to chat about his extensive career and his culinary philosophy. Chef Pepin started his culinary journey as a very young child in France during World War II when he began working in his mother's restaurant.  The culinary passion built for Pepin and he journeyed to Paris without a job and only a suitcase.  Chef Pepin found temporary work in numerous restaurants before finally working his way into a full-time position.  Pepin worked his way up the French brigade system in each restaurant, developing his skills that eventually led to him serving as personal chef to three French heads of state including Charles de Gaulle.  Despite the view many would have of the celebrity status that position would seem to afford in today's culinary world, Pepin explained in our interview that it was not a glamorous job then. And so Chef Pepin came to America and brought his talent to New York City where he again worked his way to the top in numerous kitchens while attending college at Columbia.  Eventually, Pepin said he took a position with Howard Johnson to develop his restaurant chains.  Pepin became a household name for Americans when he began writing cookbooks, over 20 of them to be exact, many of which became the subject of multiple television series on PBS.  Pepin earned an Emmy for his series with legend Julia Child, Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home With Julia Child.  In addition to the Emmy, Pepin also has been honored by the James Beard Foundation on seven different occasions.  It was clear throughout the interview, that Pepin has accomplished much in his career and is truly an accessible chef in and out of the kitchen. Each chef we interview shares as meaningful recipe for listeners to recreate.  A recipe that conveys a portion o