The Stoveside Stories Podcast

Interview with Chef Hiroko Shimbo

Chef Hiroko Shimbo is an authority on Japanese cuisine who has earned world-wide recognition. She is a native of Japan and currently live in New York City. 

 

She teaches the Japanese Concentration Course at Culinary Institute of America. And she is also a consulting chef to diverse food service industries based in the United States since 1999.

 

In addition, she has written three award-winning cookbooks. The Japanese Kitchen, The Sushi Experience and Hiroko’s American Kitchen.

 

In this episode, Chef Shimbo talked about how she grew up in Tokyo and ended up moving to America, the nuances of different Japanese cuisines, her in-depth tours where she shows participants the real Japanese food and culture.

 

Don't miss these Stoveside Stories - and bon appetit!

Interview with Chef Gresham of Acquerello

Chef Suzette Gresham has been the head chef of Acquerello, the iconic Italian restaurant in San Francisco since it opened its door in 1989.

 

Originally from San Carlos, California, her interest in food and cooking started with her family - that emigrated from France to the United States - in an unconventional way.

 

Though she is of French descent, she has long been creating Italian dishes, even prior to opening Acquerello. The restaurant is a famous two-Michelin-starred destination and she is only one of three female chefs in the United States to run a kitchen that has accomplished that feat.

 

As successful as she is in the kitchen, her belief of educating the next generation of chefs is even more inspiring. She is committed to helping those who work at her kitchen in any way possible. Though it sometimes involves tough love, she never resorts to abuse or exploitation of others.

 

In this episode, Chef Gresham not only shares with us her personal journey and culinary philosophy; but also talks about her management style and offers advice to leaders and young people alike on sustainable careers.

 

Don't miss these Stoveside Stories - and bon appetit!

Interview with Chef Alex Hong of Sorrel

Chef Alex Hong was born in Colorado and first discovered his passion for cooking through his aunt and uncle, a pair of Missouri farmers who shared homegrown organic produce with him.  He attended Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park, New York; also staged at the Jean-Georges restaurant in the city. He also worked at Quince in San Francisco under the legendary Chef Tusk at all stations, and learned the art of hand-made pasta over the course of three years.

 

After working as a personal chef and starting a pop-up at Hotel Rex in Union Square, he met Colby Heiman and the partners began the process of opening Sorrel Restaurant.

 

A year and a half after its opening, Chef Hong was nominated for a James Beard Award and secured a Michelin star.

 

In this episode, Chef Hong discusses the path to owning his restaurant and how he build different courses.

 

Don't miss this Stoveside Chat - and bon appetit!

 

Interview with Chefs Brioza and Krasinski of Statebird Provisions

Chefs Stuart Brioza and Nicole Krasinski have been partners in crime within the restaurant industry for a very long time.

 

Chef Brioza attended the Culinary Institute of America, where he graduated with top honors. He then began cooking in Chicago's famous Savarin restaurant. Chef Krasinski is a skilled pastry chef who started her career in Chicago as well at the Red Hen Bakery.

 

They were then hired and worked side-by-side as Executive Chef and Pastry Chef at Tapawingo restaurant in Ellsworth, Michigan.

 

In 2011, they returned to their native state of California and opened State Bird Provisions in San Francisco. They have since won numerous accolades and opened a few new spaces, including The Progress (which sits next door to State Bird Provisions) and The Anchovy Bar (which is located around the corner).

 

In this episode, they share with us their travels in France and other countries in an attempt to solve what cooking really is, how they work together, the importance of elevating those who work with them and a few of their favorite San Francisco spots.

 

Don't miss this Stoveside Chat - and bon appetit!

Interview with Chef Laurence Jossel of Nopa Restaurant

Born in South Africa, Chef Laurence Jossel came to United States at a young age and started to work at restaurants at 14. Not only did he find a job, but he also found his true calling.

 

Since 2006, his restaurant Nopa has seen lots of transformations. It started out as a hangout for chefs, servers and various late-night stragglers. As times evolved, the food and the style also changed.

 

During the pandemic, it successfully experimented with delivery and pick-up services.

 

And as we continue to move towards normality, Chef Jossel also has more changes in store.

 

In this episode, he shares with us how he changed with the times, how he balances his home life and the latest plans for Nopa. Plus, he also tells us the secret to great fried chicken!

 

So don't miss this Stoveside Chat.

Interview with Chef Rodolfo Guzman of Boragó Restaurant

Chef Rodolfo Guzman, the chef, entrepreneur, and owner of Boragó in Santiago, Chile, did not expect to become a chef.

 

He was working in Chemical Engineering and Bioprocesses at the Catholic University of Chile, specializing in microstructures, and has been a participant in researches of neurology, psychology, nutrition, among other fields.

 

By luck (and necessity), he started to work in restaurants in United States and eventually joined the team at the legendary Mugaritz restaurant in Spain.

 

In 2006, he returned to Santiago and opened Boragó. It was established as a place that cooked with ingredients rooted in the Chilean landscape and culture. As a country that covered more than 4,200 km with an impressive range of geographies and climates, Chile provides a gastronomic playground with countless endemic ingredients.

 

Despite the abundance of great raw materials, Boragó struggled to keep itself on its feet. That changed in 2013, when it started to receive a lot of attention and the  expectations changed in the kitchen.

 

In this episode, he shares with us the challenges he faced early on, the importance of native Chilean cultures and the exciting things he learned from the great country of Chile!

Interview with Chef Francisco Migoya of Modernist Cuisine

As one of the leading culinary artists/scientists in the world, Chef Francisco Migoya grew up in Mexico City while being immersed in the cultures of his parents: American, Italian, and Spanish.

 

At 16 years old, he shifted his main focus from art to food when he started to stage in a Mexico City hotel at age 16. He continued to progress in his career, becoming the pastry chef at Veritas in New York City, the executive pastry chef at both The French Laundry and Bouchon Bakery, and as a professor at The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York.

 

In 2014, Chef Migoya joined Modernist Cuisine to lead the culinary team and direct research with founder Nathan Myhrvold. Together, they have co-authored Modernist Bread and Modernist Pizza.

 

In this episode, he shares with us his artistic passion, how he integrates that into his everyday work and what is it like working at a cutting-edge kitchen with (almost) no restraints!

Interview with Chef Daniel Calvert of Sézanne Restaurant

Having worked at numerous legendary restaurants in the west (including Per Se in New York) and pushed Belon to its zenith in Hong Kong, Chef Calvert is now running two concepts in Tokyo's Four Seasons Marunouchi Hotel simultaneously: Sézanne, a French fine-dining restaurant and Maison Marunouchi, an elevated all-day-dining bistro.

His talents shone through again as Sézanne debuted at #17 on Asia's 50 Best Restaurants list in 2022 and was also awarded a Michelin star.

In this episode of Stoveside Chat, Chef Calvert shares his inspiration, his thoughts on Asian and European food culture and more.

Interview with Chef Eduard Xatruch of Disfrutar Restaurant

One of the trio of chefs who run Disfrutar (ranked #5 restaurant in the world by 50 Best Restaurants and was awarded two Michelin stars) and Compartir in Spain, Chef Eduard Xatruch has an impressive depth and breadth of experience in the food industry.

 

Having worked at El Bulli and other legendary spots, he drives the innovation process at his restaurants.

 

In this episode, Chef Xatruch shares with us how they come up with new ideas and what his special upbringing meant to him.

Interview with Chef Justin Sutherland of Handsome Hog Restaurant

Based in St. Paul, Minneapolis of United States, Chef Justin Sutherland has been recognized for his great cooking in addition to his philanthropic endeavors and community involvement.

 

He operates multiple award-winning restaurants including the Handsome Hog, Obachan Noodles and Chicken, Chickpea Hummus Bar, The Gnome, Woodfire Cantina, and Gray Duck Tavern.

 

In this episode, Chef Sutherland shares with us his unique background, his way of mixing different food cultures and how he works as a restaurateur and entrepreneur.