CAFE Talks Podcast

CAFÉ Talks Ep. 58 – COOKING WITH FIRE – LOW AND SLOW

Meghan and Jonathan Gravatt, Pitmasters

Fire, smoke, and food. This is the origin of cooking; that a’ ha moment when flavor came into play and the experience of eating extended beyond survival. Fast forward 300,000 years (give or take 100,000) and cooks still relish fire and smoke; low and slow preparations, and the development of flavor through caramelization and penetrating smoke. Join CAFÉ Talks podcast for an exciting conversation with Jonathan and Meghan Gravatt of West Shore Barbeque as they…

CAFÉ Talks Ep. 57 – Flour, Salt, Water, Yeast

Randy George, Master Baker/Proprietor

Flour (or whole grains), water, salt, and yeast – four simple ingredients that in the hands of an accomplished baker can result in one of the most revered food experiences known to mankind. A loaf of bread, the symbol of friendship, of coming together, of sharing with our friends, family, and even adversaries is a magical product. Since the early days of formalized cooking, bread has been represented by every culture in the world from the tortilla…

CAFÉ Talks Ep. 56 – Opening Doors for Culinary Careers

Denise Zanchelli, Managing Director

A student and young cook’s education and training is an investment in their future. Defining goals, establishing those “stakes in the ground”, and charting a path towards a rewarding career are as important as any other aspect of their development – planning is critical and knowing how to build a path is a life skill. Everything that a young professional does, from that first day tying on an apron leads to that end career goal.…

CAFÉ Talks Ep. 55 – Culinary Medicine

Barbara Kamp, Chef-Dietitian

What we do is important! As chefs and chef educators we know the responsibility we have for preparing and presenting beautiful, delicious food, but do we fully realize the impact food has on the health and wellbeing of our communities? What happens in restaurants with food will eventually trickle down to the home. Chefs and cooks can set the tone for the food that we eat and how it is prepared. Proper nutrition need not…

CAFÉ Talks Ep. 54 – MAYO'S CLINIC – Education Transformation

Fred Mayo, Ph.D.

A teacher’s teacher, consummate guide on the side, mentor, visionary, friend, and lover of food – this is Fred Mayo. Join Café Talks for a lively discussion with Dr. Mayo who throughout his career has helped institutions re-invent themselves, guided teachers toward a better awareness of their craft, and defined the need and the joy of facing change head on. At a time when there is great concern for the hospitality industry and the future…

CAFÉ Talks Ep. 53 – Hospitality DNA and the Guest Experience

Brian Perry, GM

Is there a magic formula for restaurant success? Why is it that some succeed while others fail? How should restaurateurs approach the business and what are the expectations of guests and employees? As chefs and restaurant operators we look for the answers to these questions – sometimes believing that we have it all figured out. As educators, we may believe that we know what should be taught and how to nurture the next generation of…

CAFÉ Talks Ep. 52 – The Foundations, Creativity & Innovation

Robert Dumas, Chef

We study to understand, we practice to learn, and we produce to truly know. These are foundational steps in building competence and confidence, but they also unlock the possibility to create and innovate. Moving the business of food forward requires both a commitment to those critical foundations and the wherewithal to question, push forward, think creatively, and innovate a product or process that is new and exciting. It all begins with those foundations that we…

CAFÉ Talks Ep. 51 – The New Normal – Intro to Another Year

Paul Sorgule, MS, AAC

The times they are a changing. Culinary education and the industry it serves is facing incredible challenges, yet at the same time – fantastic opportunities. In our third year of communicating with chefs, cooks, culinary educators, students, and program administrators CAFÉ Talks Podcast will open the door to these opportunities. Interviews with people who have their thumb on the pulse of change will offer their thoughts on where the industry of food and the provisioners…

CAFÉ Talks Ep. 50 – You Never Know

Charles Carroll, Executive Chef

What lays ahead, what will your future bring, where might you wind up? From those early days of washing dishes or the first opportunity to work on a kitchen line, there is a spark of wonder and loads of trepidation over these important questions. Is this what I want to do, what I should do with my life? At these early stages in a career many may have doubts, but some will say that the…

CAFÉ Talks Ep. 49 – Finding Life's Purpose

Richard Grausman, founder of C-CAP

Self-confidence derived from a set of tangible skills, appreciation for teamwork, an outlet for creativity, and careers that allow any individual to be all that he or she can be – this is what the professional kitchen can provide. The opportunities begin long before college or that first job because the foundations of cooking are the lifeblood of the home and the community. “What are the most critical skills to begin this quest? Show up…

CAFÉ Talks Ep. 48 – A Servant's Heart – Family First

Chef Jamie and Melissa Keating

Be humble, work with your employees, know that each person is just as important as the next, build trust through your brand, and make sure that you find time for family. These are words of wisdom from a successful owner team that has built a foodservice business and a family through hard work, dedication to a pursuit of excellence, connecting with guests, and mentoring a team of professionals who share in a vision and a…

CAFÉ Talks Ep. 47 – The Impact of Food on Learning

Ann Cooper, Chef

Find your purpose, align with your passion, think that you can make a difference and you just might. As chefs and educators, we have a desire to discover what we were meant to do and how what we do might just make a dent in the universe. We have the power to steer individuals in a certain direction, to fill stomachs, inspire, reward, comfort and celebrate, and give others a chance to break bread and…

CAFÉ Talks Ep. 46 – Team Diversity and Development

Joe Faria, Chef

“WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO WORK HERE?” This, to Chef Joe Faria of Quail Valley River and Golf Club is a very important question to ask. “It is my job to understand this answer and make sure that his or her reason is still relevant throughout the time that a person works here.” In Chef Faria’s kitchen diversity is a learning opportunity, teaching is a way of life, family is essential, and teamwork never allows…

CAFÉ Talks Ep. 45 – Facing the Admissions Challenge

Joel Wincowski, Enrollment Management Specialist

Matching the right student to your culinary program, opening the door to the possibilities of a bright future in food, setting the stage for success, and preparing the next generation of culinary professionals takes a team effort. Marketing, admissions, and student retention cannot be viewed as separate departments, nor can the delivery of program material in classrooms and labs be treated as a separate silo if a program is to reach its goals. Integration and…

CAFÉ Talks Ep. 44 – Teaching, Training & Lifelong Learning

Jake Brach, Chef

There is no greater calling, there is no task more important, and there is no objective more rewarding for a chef than to teach, train, and mentor. Chefs spend their careers, sometimes unknowingly, helping others build the technical and life skills necessary to be successful. This is part of the job – quite possibly, the most important part of the job. Those chefs who are most impactful are the ones who create learning environments wherever…

CAFÉ Talks Ep. 43 – Problem Solving Through Mindful Leadership

Elena Jensen, Executive Coach

Oftentimes management is viewed as a controlling process – a way to get a job done through other people where to lead is to inspire, and to set a course for others to follow. However, we all know from our experience, that the title of “leader” is rarely defined in a way that accomplishes the goals of inspiration and setting a course for others to follow. Leadership has become a position rather than a method…

CAFÉ Talks Ep. 42 – A Farm with a Restaurant

Melissa Kelly, Chef

Some may speak of Farm to Table, but a few chefs truly live the concept. An appreciation for the work of the farmer is a great first step, but engaging in the work of the farmer, planting, weeding, nurturing and harvesting; fully integrating ingredients in your menu, working with their seasonality, minimizing waste and when it occurs – building it back into the soil as compost or feed for the animals that a chef raises;…

CAFÉ Talks Ep. 41 – The Power of Service

Nancy Matheson-Burns, Chef

Quality, Trust, and Service - these are the hallmarks of success in any business. In the restaurant field these hallmarks are measured each day, by every customer and every employee. For the business to succeed, these factors must come into play with every stakeholder involved in the ecosystem of restaurants. Sometimes - smaller is better, allowing the stakeholder to quickly adapt when quality, trust, and service are tempted by changes in the marketplace. Flexibility, openness,…

CAFÉ Talks Ep. 40 – A Sous Vide Future

Walter Zuromski, Chef

Change is a challenging word. We all can recognize the need for change and even understand what might be needed but embracing and executing that change is all together a different matter. Holding on and hoping for the best is rarely an effective strategy, yet it is what most of us would prefer. Once we become accustomed to a way of operating, and a routine that has worked for us in the past, it is…

CAFÉ Talks Ep. 39 – Reading Tea Leaves

Michael Harney, lead taster/blender

When have you ever enjoyed a cup of tea in a restaurant and said: “That was excellent”? Years ago, the same could be said for coffee; but awareness, availability, and training resulted in a coffee renaissance that brought about a new emphasis on the importance of “good to the last drop”. Tea, like coffee just a few years ago is oftentimes viewed as a commodity product. Restaurants pay little attention to what they offer and…

CAFÉ Talks Ep. 38 – 99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall

Chris Ericson, President of the New York State Craft Brewer’s Association

From beer making hobbyist who intended to pursue a graduate degree in finance to owner/operator of two and soon to be three successful restaurant brewpubs and president of the New York State Craft Brewer’s Association – Chris Ericson has become a highly respected artisan beer advocate and entrepreneur. His portfolio of skills includes brewing, concept development, restaurant operations, team building, and marketing with his famous Ubu Ale as a centerpiece of operations. Join our podcast…

CAFÉ Talks Ep. 37 – Curiosity and Creativity

Steve Schimoler, Chef

Few things are more invigorating than an idea, an invention or re-invention, a spark of a concept that keeps you up at night – thinking, a problem solved or a new way of looking at something that has been staring you in the eye for quite some time. The creative process begins with curiosity, curiosity leads to inquiry, inquiry to research, research into formulation and development, and development into a product or concept that just…

CAFÉ Talks Ep. 36 – Tell Me, Show Me, Engage Me

Tracey Caponera, Professor

Set the stage for building competence and confidence – this is one of the most important outcomes of a culinary education. Create experiences that take a student outside of his or her comfort zone and in doing so help that person realize they can do what may seem impossible – this is the role of education. Create opportunities for not only gainful employment but a new trajectory for a lifetime career – this is where…

CAFÉ Talks Ep. 35 – Finding Balance – Bees and Flies

Eamon Lee, Chef

Dishwasher to Club Chef, working for Charlie Palmer and David Burke, to Executive Chef for all food operations at Syracuse University – a chef’s progression is always remarkable to follow. “It doesn’t get any better than this – creating beautiful, delicious food that impacts other people’s lives – amazing.” Catching the bug that turns a job into a career can also catch up to you. Restaurant work is stressful – stress that can add to…

CAFÉ Talks Ep. 34 – In Pursuit of Excellence

Gavin Kaysen, Chef

From baking cookies with his grandmother to becoming a Subway sandwich artist and on to chef/owner of Soigne Hospitality with a portfolio of nationally renowned restaurants and partnerships with Daniel Boulud and Thomas Keller – Chef Gavin Kaysen is a true example of a person in pursuit of excellence. “From an early age I knew that I wanted to make a career in the kitchen and focus on making people happy.” Chef Kaysen is a…

CAFÉ Talks Ep. 33 – It's All About the Ingredients

Francois de Melogue, Chef

Rainier cherries in mid-June, salmon from the Columbia River, morels, and boletes from deep in the Oregon forests, heirloom tomatoes brought to fruition in the July sun, perfect five-inch long Delicata squash for Eleven Madison in New York City (300 pounds each week), or beautiful wild asparagus flown in secretly from France – these are the special tools, the magical ingredients that help chefs to be great at what they do, and Francois de Melogue…

CAFÉ Talks Ep. 32 – The Teacher's Calling

Curtiss Hemm, Chef

What keeps you up at night and what pushes you to jump out of bed in the morning? Is it angst over work left undone, or projects on the horizon that you are not sure how to approach? Or…is it that next great idea and the desire to bring it to fruition? From an early age we are wired to think, to learn, and to build. It is this desire to create that excites us…

CAFÉ Talks Ep. 31 – One Cook at a Time

Warren Leigh, Chef

Chef to entrepreneur, entrepreneur to trainer, trainer to teacher, teacher to innovative leader – thus is the career track for Chef Warren Leigh. His passion for food and service began as a son of a Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army – living in Germany, studying in France and Switzerland, and becoming a commis to Madeleine Kamman. This chef who speaks three languages and, with his wife, owned and operated six restaurant concepts – made…

CAFÉ Talks Ep. 30 – Farm, Family, Passion, Career, Life

Sarah Steffan, Executive Chef

One of America’s most inspiring destinations is tucked away in the Smokey Mountains of Tennessee. Blackberry Farm has grown to represent the very best in farm to table, sustainable practices, appreciation for the land, excellence in culinary arts, and creating an environment for team members that is inclusive, supportive, and still demanding of excellence. Sarah Steffan grew up in a hard-working family, a large family influenced by the example set by her parents – an…

CAFÉ Talks Ep. 29 – The Life-Changing International Experience

Jim Myers, Associate Provost of International Education

Do we tend to discount and fear what we don’t know? Are untapped experiences a gap in real learning? The Rochester Institute of Technology (R.I.T.) has embraced an international presence for its programs, both here and abroad for decades. “This is where students learn to accept ambiguity, become real problem solvers, experience the joys and challenges of pure trust, and become better citizens of the world” states Jim Myers, Associate Provost of International Education and…

CAFÉ Talks Ep. 28 – Excellence is a Team Effort

Michael Carmel, Chef

Moving the bar from good to great is driven by a commitment to building a team, engaging their thoughts, and aligning everyone with the concept of excellence in everything they do. Great is not a destination, but rather an attitude that even the smallest of tasks deserves the very best effort and those involved never being truly content – always striving to improve. Great is the polar opposite of mediocre and in an environment of…

CAFÉ Talks Ep. 27 – The Legend of Auguste Escoffier

Auguste Escoffier, Chef

“Good food is the foundation of genuine happiness.” This was the core of Chef Auguste Escoffier’s beliefs and the basis by which he established standards of organization, conduct, and excellence in cooking. Michel Escoffier, the chef’s great grandson has made it his mission to present, perpetuate, and grow the legacy and teachings of the Escoffier name. Listen to this podcast interview with Michel and know that the King of Chefs and Chef of Kings promoted…

CAFÉ Talks Ep. 26 – The Cuisine of the Sun

Cordelia Verge, Chef

Growing up in the home of Chef Roger Verge and his wife Denise – Cordelia Verge was likely unaware, at an early age, just how influential her parents were. The “Cuisine of the Sun” or the new style of French cooking was the way that Chef Verge approached his craft. Bringing out the natural flavors of ingredients without masking them with excessive sauce work, butter and cream, was what Verge saw as natural – chefs…

CAFÉ Talks Ep. 25 – Work Ethic - Making the Commitment

Daniel Pliska, Chef

Club and resort chef in quality, high-volume kitchens to classrooms preparing the next generation of cooks – Chef Pliska has always wanted to be in a position to give back. He feels fortunate to have enjoyed the work and positions that he held in operations from Washington, DC to Dusseldorf – West Germany. Today, he spends his time mentoring students at Ozark Technical Community College – a place where he has found his calling.“It’s all…

CAFÉ Talks Ep. 24 – Branding your Culinary Program

Frank Costantino, Chef

Carpenter or chef – the choices were there and a chance visit to a culinary classroom solidified his decision. Frank Costantino loved cooking since he was very young helping his dad cook at home on the weekends. Little did he know at that time that his life would be filled with the challenges and joys of being a chef and educator. From an early beginning when a guidance counselor proclaimed that he was not college…

CAFÉ Talks Ep. 23 – A Master Chef's Perspective

Dan Hugelier, Chef

From a young teenage boy in Detroit riding his Stingray bike to that first job as a dishwasher to one of America’s extraordinary Certified Master Chefs – Dan Hugelier talks about his journey. Those humble beginnings of mastering four egg pans and a griddle as breakfast cook to earning gold medals in the Culinary Olympics – this exceptional chef demonstrated the craftsmanship, discipline, inquisitiveness, willingness to learn, and talent necessary to be at the top…

CAFÉ Talks Ep. 22 – The Healing Power of Food

Jeffrey Quasha, Chef

An accomplished restaurant and resort chef, former executive chef for the enormously complex Opryland Hotel, leader of the Culinary Team at London’s Olympic Park and Stadium, Certified Executive Chef and Board Member of The American Culinary Federation Education Foundation – shifts his career direction to healthcare foodservice operations. Working as Corporate R and D Chef for Morrison Healthcare – Chef Jeffrey Quasha is as enthusiastic about his current position and as passionate about his role…

CAFÉ Talks Ep. 21 – Making a Difference

Anthony Myint, Chef

Food Truck Entrepreneur to serial restaurateur opening Mission Chinese in San Francisco and New York, operator of what Bon Appetit called one of the 10 Best New Restaurants, and one of the most important restaurants in America; James Beard semi-finalist for Best New Restaurant, and chef/operator of The Perennial – an environmentally sustainable restaurant. Recently, the James Beard Foundation as their Humanitarian of the Year recognized Chef Myint and his organization. Chef Anthony Myint is…

CAFÉ Talks Ep. 20 – The Foundations Open Many Doors

Chris Koetke, World Chef / Consultant

Sometimes it’s a spark of interest at an early age, for others it may come late in life – but many young cooks experience that a’ha moment when it becomes clear that a career in the kitchen is just the ticket for them. Those who achieve their goals do so through a commitment to the foundations of cooking and the transferable skills that a kitchen can provide. Join us for an insightful discussion with Chef…

CAFÉ Talks Ep. 19 – Breaking Bread

Matt Funiciello, Artisan Bread Baker

Ah… artisan bread – such a gift, such an incredible statement of craftsmanship, such an important part of the human experience. Those who work with the four primary ingredients of bread: flour, salt, water and yeast (or starter) are a special breed. They are individuals who dedicate their lives and passion to mastering the process of mixing, shaping, proofing, and baking those incredible loaves of goodness. The job is physical, emotional, and at some level…