The Ultimate Dish

In today’s episode, we welcome Jacques Pépin, culinary icon, bestselling author, and beloved teacher whose career has shaped generations of cooks around the world.

Jacques looks back on his early apprenticeship in France, his move to the United States, and the unexpected turns that defined his career—from La Pavillon to Howard Johnson’s, from television with Julia Child to decades of teaching. He reflects on the importance of techni...

In today’s episode, we sit down with Alexis Stoudemire, entrepreneur, lifestyle creator, philanthropist, and recent Escoffier graduate.

Alexis opens up about enrolling in culinary school as a deliberate next chapter, not a career reset. She reflects on balancing school with motherhood, business, media, and travel, and how formal culinary training reshaped her relationship with food, discipline, and intention. From walking across the...

In today’s episode, we sit down with Jennifer Relph, a home baker, mom of four, and former cottage food business owner behind Selah Sweets.

Jen shares how baking became a form of therapy during a challenging season of life and why time in the kitchen helped quiet her mind, focus her energy, and reconnect with joy. We talk about building a home-based bakery from scratch, navigating cottage food laws, managing holiday volume from a ho...

In today’s episode, we welcome back Kevin Boehm, James Beard Award-winning restaurateur, co-founder of Boka Restaurant Group, and author of The Bottomless Cup.

Kevin reflects on a childhood shaped by instability and the unlikely refuge he found in restaurants. He shares how hospitality gave him structure, purpose, and a way to build the kind of spaces he was searching for himself. Kevin talks about writing his memoir, the response i...

In today’s episode, we chat with Jen and Michael Caines, the husband-and-wife team behind Moksha Chocolate, a bean-to-bar craft chocolate company based in Boulder, Colorado.

Jen and Michael take us inside their world of small-batch chocolate making, from sourcing transparently traded cacao and understanding terroir to roasting, winnowing, grinding, and tempering with meticulous care. They share the unexpected path that led them from...

In today's episode, we chat with Eden Grinshpan, TV food personality, cookbook author, and beloved host of Top Chef Canada.

Eden opens up about what it really means to follow your curiosity and trust where it leads. Her story starts at Le Cordon Bleu in London and winds through Europe, India, Southeast Asia, and Israel—each stop adding new flavor to how she sees food and the people behind it. She shares the unexpected moments t...

In today’s episode, we chat with Matt Kuerbis, Escoffier Chef Instructor in Plant-Based Culinary Arts and Hospitality & Restaurant Operations Management. A chef-educator and entrepreneur, Matt blends classroom teaching with real-world brand building through his hot sauce company, HYCH.

Matt opens up about the high-stakes pivot behind “Heat You Can Handle.” He explains why trademark conflicts forced a name change from Hoss Soss, ...

In today's episode, we chat with Charlie Mitchell, executive chef of New York's two-Michelin-starred Saga and James Beard Award winner for Best Chef in New York City.

Charlie opens up about one of the most difficult transitions in fine dining: leaving Clover Hill, the intimate 20-seat Brooklyn restaurant where he made history as the first Black chef in NYC to earn a Michelin star, and taking the leap to Saga's 63rd fl...

In today's episode, we chat with Byron Gomez, executive chef of Denver's Michelin-starred BRUTØ and the first Costa Rican chef to earn this prestigious recognition.

Byron opens up about the brutal truth behind his rise from fast food to fine dining, detailing how 23 years of unwavering commitment transformed early struggles into extraordinary success. He discusses climbing through legendary kitchens like Eleven Madison Par...

In today's episode, we chat with Connor Fowler, Escoffier graduate, certified sommelier, and rising talent in fine dining.

Connor shares how his culinary education at Escoffier's Boulder campus, where he earned the Curtis Duffy Scholarship, led him from polishing glasses to serving wine at Michelin-recognized restaurants. He discusses his transformative externship in Florence that sparked his passion for wine, his journey ...

In today's episode, we chat with Curtis Duffy, James Beard Award winner, Michelin-starred chef, restaurateur, and author of the powerful new memoir Fireproof.

Curtis shares how his traumatic childhood in rural Ohio led him to find refuge in an unlikely place: a high school home economics class. He discusses his journey from that first spark of passion to training under culinary legends like Charlie Trotter and Grant Achatz, bui...

In today's episode, we chat with Lentine Alexis, certified holistic nutritionist, Ayurvedic health counselor, pastry chef, yoga and breathwork instructor, and sports performance coach.

Lentine shares how struggling to fuel her training with traditional "athlete foods" led her to reimagine nutrition through a more intuitive, flavorful, and joyful lens. She discusses her transition from elite endurance racing to buildin...

In today's episode, we chat with Hosea Rosenberg, acclaimed chef, restaurateur, and founder of Blackbelly and Santo.

Hosea shares how a college job to pay for school led him from studying astrophysics to training with culinary legends like Wolfgang Puck and Kevin Taylor, ultimately winning Top Chef Season 5. He discusses his commitment to sustainable sourcing, the evolution of Blackbelly from food truck to Michelin Green Star r...

In today’s episode, we chat with André Hueston Mack, acclaimed sommelier, designer, and founder of Maison Noir Wines, whose journey into the wine world started far from the vineyard in a corporate office at Citicorp.

André shares how a bold leap of faith led him from finance to fine dining, where he trained as a sommelier in San Antonio and eventually led award-winning wine programs at The French Laundry and Per Se. He discusses the...

In today’s episode, we chat with Claudette Zepeda, award-winning chef, culinary entrepreneur, and Creative Director of Chispa Hospitality, known for her fearless approach to regional Mexican cuisine and globally inspired storytelling.

Claudette shares the creative vision behind her newest restaurant, Leu Leu. She reflects on growing up near the U.S.–Mexico border, how her travels have shaped her culinary identity, and the influence ...

In today’s episode, we chat with Chef Stefani De Palma, former Chef de Cuisine at San Diego’s three-Michelin-starred Addison and Head Chef of Team USA at the 2024 Bocuse d’Or Americas.

Stefani shares her journey from starting as a pastry chef to leading Team USA to a gold medal victory in New Orleans, securing their spot at the prestigious Bocuse d’Or finals in Lyon, France. She discusses the intense preparation, the challenges of t...

In today’s episode, we chat with Marc Vetri, an award-winning chef, restaurateur, and cookbook author who helped put Philadelphia on the national culinary map.

Marc is the founder of Vetri Cucina and the force behind acclaimed restaurants like Osteria, Pizzeria Vetri, and Fiorella. His journey began in a South Philly kitchen alongside his Sicilian grandmother, and took him from dishwashing as a teen to working under Wolfgang Puck in...

In today’s episode, we chat with Kristen Kish, Escoffier Chef-in-Residence, award-winning chef, and host of Bravo’s Top Chef.

A Korean adoptee raised in Michigan, Kristen discovered her passion for cooking at a young age. After working in various Boston kitchens, she competed on Season 10 of Top Chef, ultimately winning the coveted title. Since then, she’s published a cookbook, starred in hit shows like Fast Foodies on TruTV and Iro...

In today’s episode, we chat with Maria Zouves, a Greek-American soprano, educator, director, producer, and current Escoffier student pursuing a degree in Holistic Nutrition & Wellness.

As President of the Sherrill Milnes VOICE Programs, which she co-founded with her husband, legendary baritone Sherrill Milnes, Maria has spent over 25 years nurturing artists and building new audiences for classical music. She has directed operas ...