This week my guest is Nathan Myhrvold of Modernist Cuisine. Nathan graduated high school and went to college at 14. He holds a doctorate in theoretical and mathematical physics, as well as a master’s degree in mathematical economics, from Princeton University. His master’s degree is in geophysics and space physics, and he did postdoctoral cosmology work with Stephen Hawking. Nathan then spent 14 years at Microsoft, where he was their first Chief Technology Officer. While working at Microsoft, he...
Apr 19, 2024•59 min•Season 5Ep. 227
This week I'm sharing a clip from another podcast I was featured on a couple of years ago. I share a couple of funny stories that I've never shared before. The first story is about how actor Bill Murray inadvertently ruined my anniversary dinner. I love Bill, and this isn't something he intentionally did, but the story relates to good (and poor) customer service. The other story is about scrapple, an original recipe of mine, and how a large spice company might have appropriated this recipe, pass...
Apr 12, 2024•20 min•Season 5Ep. 226
This week my guest is "the whiskey professor" Bernie Lubbers, Heaven Hill Distillery's national brand ambassador. If you want to learn more about bourbon, and one of America's oldest and best distilleries, this episode is for you. Bernie explains the criteria for bourbon, as well as the bottled-in-bond classification, something he's championed since beginning his bourbon career in 2005. We also discuss whiskey tastings and tasting notes in general. I asked him about the price of bottles, especia...
Mar 27, 2024•46 min•Season 5Ep. 225
This week my guest is Shawn Niles (aka The Fat Pastor). Shawn started his church in 2015, but his love of cooking led him to competing on MasterChef in 2016. What chef Gordon Ramsay told him would change his life forever. Wanting to combine his two passions, Shawn started a program for at-risk youth in Yakima, WA called Urban Kitchen , to teach them culinary and business skills. At the end of the program, the students would open and run a 3-night pop-up restaurant. He would later start BiteClub ...
Mar 21, 2024•43 min•Season 5Ep. 224
This week my guest is pizza maker and founder of Women’s Pizza Month Christy Alia. Women's pizza month is an online party taking place the whole month of March on Instagram. Of course, you can follow along by checking out the hashtag #WomensPizzaMonth. Christy wanted to shine a spotlight on many of the women in pizza, so she took to Instagram to start this. Anyone can participate, and she encourages you to do a post, dedicating it to a woman that you’d like to highlight. In addition, she’s partn...
Mar 14, 2024•46 min•Season 5Ep. 223
This week my guest is Mike Traud, founder of The Chef Conference (formerly The Philly Chef Conference). We talk about the history, and evolution, of this food and beverage conference. You'll hear what you can expect from this year's conference which is taking place in Philadelphia from April 12th through 15th. Some of this year's guest are: Sean Brock, Tom Collichio, Alain Ducasse, Andrew Zimmern, Rob Rubba, and Rosio Sanchez MIKE TRAUD and The Chef Conference The Chef Conference on Instagram Th...
Mar 07, 2024•38 min•Season 5Ep. 222
This week my guest is chef Christine Van Bloem. For 15 years Christine ran the successful Kitchen Studio Cooking School in Frederick, Maryland, a recreational cooking school. When the Covid pandemic hit, she had to stop doing in-person cooking classes. She pivoted to online cooking classes, hoping to go back to in-person. Then, her husband had a stroke, and she had a heart attack, On top of that, she was unable to agree on the terms of her lease renewal with her landlord, and left her kitchen sp...
Feb 27, 2024•45 min•Season 5Ep. 221
In this week’s solo episode of Chefs Without Restaurants, host Chris Spear delves into the controversial yet effective business practices he's adopted for his personal chef business. Chris reveals how he's successfully run his culinary business without the reliance on contracts, invoices, or deposits, placing a significant emphasis on trust and personal connections over formal paperwork. While his method defies many traditional business norms, especially in the personal chef world, Chris explain...
Feb 19, 2024•8 min•Season 5Ep. 220
This week I have chef Sunny Soto-Brisco. With her wife, they started Sunny Street Outreach to cook and serve restaurant quality meals to the houseless and underserved communities in Oceanside, CA. They're currently working on fundraising for a mobile cafe trailer which, once open, will serve the Oceanside community with coffee and breakfast on the go. YOU CAN DONATE HERE SUNNY STREET OUTREACH The Sunny Street Outreach Website Sunny Street Outreach on Instagram Donate to help them with their Comm...
Feb 12, 2024•59 min•Season 5Ep. 219
In this episode, Chris Spear interviews Althea Brown, creator of the popular blog Metemgee and author of Caribbean Paleo . Althea shares her journey from Guyana to the U.S., discussing how she’s preserving traditional Caribbean recipes while adapting them for the Paleo diet. They dive deep into the challenges of food blogging, including mastering SEO, creating engaging content, and staying true to her culinary roots. Althea also provides tips for aspiring bloggers on finding their unique voice a...
Feb 04, 2024•1 hr 2 min•Season 5Ep. 218
This week I have part 2 of my conversation with Scott Blackwell, owner/distiller of High Wire Distilling Co in Charleston, SC which he runs with his wife Ann Marshall. This part of our conversation starts with how and why he started the distillery. If you're interested in his entrepreneurial journey up to the point of starting the distillery you can find part 1 here . We talk about taking a creative, culinary approach to craft distilling, using premium, specialized ingredients such as Jimmy Red ...
Jan 27, 2024•59 min•Season 5Ep. 217
This week I have part 1 of my conversation with Scott Blackwell, owner/distiller of High Wire Distilling Co in Charleston, SC which he runs with his wife Ann Marshall. This part of our conversation focuses on his entreprenurial journey up to the point of starting the distillery. Scott’s been a Ben & Jerrys distributor, owned a coffee roaster and bakery, and started a line of frozen doughs. He also holds the Guiness Book record for the largest cookie. Next week's episode will focus on the dis...
Jan 19, 2024•25 min•Season 5Ep. 216
This week on Chefs Without Restaurants I'm sharing part two of my conversation with Tony Moore. Tony is a seasoned marketing executive and the host of the "Winning at Work" podcast. I was a guest on his podcast, and this is a portion of that episode. Episode Highlights Using a blog as a tool for content marketing to provide people with insights into business and the behind-the-scenes aspects Positioning in the market Sharing personal aspects on the business social media pages The importance of u...
Jan 08, 2024•28 min•Season 5Ep. 215
This week, we're venturing into the vibrant world of Mexican cuisine with executive chef Sarah Thompson of Casa Playa at Wynn Las Vegas. At Casa Playa, she presents a vibrant and creative menu featuring bright, California and Baja produce and seafood, woven together with a robust masa program–drawing upon her culinary expertise refined at New York City’s lauded Cosme. Chef Thompson graduated from the Culinary Institute of America, and amassed experience at some of New York City’s most noteworthy...
Dec 21, 2023•40 min•Season 5Ep. 214
In this episode we dive into the world of pop-up dining with Chef Jonathon Merrick of Family Meal Boise, an in-home pop-up restaurant he runs. You get a behind-the-scenes look at the challenges and triumphs of running the successful pop-up, and gain insights into menu creation, guest interactions, and the intricacies of hosting unique dining experiences. This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in the dynamic world of pop-up dining. Key Takeaways: Pop-Up Dining Experiences: Evolution ...
Dec 09, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Season 5Ep. 213
This week on Chefs Without Restaurants we're diving into the world of food and beverage marketing with Tony Moore. Tony, a seasoned marketing executive and the host of the "Winning at Work" podcast, brings his extensive experience, sharing invaluable insights into the intricacies of brand marketing in the food industry. Episode Highlights Understanding Grocery Store Product Placement: Tony shares strategies for effective product placement in grocery stores and the role of brand ambassadors. Dire...
Nov 16, 2023•45 min•Season 5Ep. 212
In this solo episode, host Chris Spear delves into the 'More, Better, New' principle, a concept coined by entrepreneur Alex Hormozi. Chris applies this philosophy to his own business, discussing its impact on decision-making and efficiency, particularly in the realm of marketing his personal chef business. This episode offers valuable insights for entrepreneurs and culinary professionals looking to streamline and enhance their business strategies. ALEX HORMOZI Alex's free courses $100M Offers an...
Nov 11, 2023•7 min•Season 5Ep. 211
Do you want to get more reviews for your business? If so, this is the episode for you. I’ll tell you step-by-step how I started to get at least one review from almost every customer. This tactic uses printable QR codes, takes less than 15 minutes of work, and costs nothing. Listen to learn how you can employ this technique. Buy the Thank You Cards mentioned in this episode CHEFS WITHOUT RESTAURANTS If you enjoy the show and would like to support it financially, please check out our Sponsorship p...
Nov 02, 2023•8 min•Season 5Ep. 210
This week, my guest this week is Larry Lynch, president of the United States Personal Chef Association. Topics Discussed: Food safety Regulations, the health department, and cooking in your home Customer acquisition Events and meal prep Pricing Chef-for-hire platforms and hireachef.com LARRY LYNCH AND THE UNITED STATES PERSONAL CHEF ASSOCIATION The USPCA Website Hire a Chef The USPCA's Instagram , X(Twitter) and Facebook CHEFS WITHOUT RESTAURANTS If you enjoy the show and would like to support i...
Oct 27, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Season 5Ep. 209
What is Good Food? On last week's podcast I spoke with chef Rollie Wesen . He's the executive Director of the Jacques Pépin foundation, as well as an assistant professor at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island. During our conversation we spoke about what "good food" is. This touched on seasonal cooking, and families having a sit-down meal together (or not). This side conversation didn't fit into our full-length conversation, but it was something we're both passionate about,...
Oct 19, 2023•11 min•Season 5Ep. 208
This week on I speak with chef Rollie Wesen. He's the executive Director of the Jacques Pépin foundation, as well as an assistant professor at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island. Rollie is married to Claudine Pepin, Jaques daughter. In talking with Jacques, they thought it would be a great idea to start a foundation while he was still alive, and create something that would have a lasting, positive affect on the world. Jacques decided that he wanted the foundation to focus...
Oct 13, 2023•55 min•Season 5Ep. 207
This week we have chef Corey Siegel. You'll hear how Corey went from finishing dead last in his culinary SkillsUSA competition, to representing team USA with master chef Rich Rosendale at the Bocuse d'Or . This episode is a behind the scenes look (or is it listen?) into the world of cooking competitions at the highest level. But you also might know Corey from his TikTok and Instagram videos where he cooks a recipe after the ingredients and equipment magically seem to fall from the sky. We talk a...
Oct 05, 2023•59 min•Season 5Ep. 206
This week I have Kara Mae Harris of the blog Old LIne Plate, where she's been exploring Maryland foodways since 2010. Last year, Kara released a book titled Old Line Plate, the same as her blog. It was a collection of some of her favorite posts throughout the years. But it’s more as a historical document, than a straightforward cookbook. This October Kara's back with a new cookbook called Festive Maryland Recipes. For this book, Kara worked with a recipe developer to make sure the recipes were o...
Sep 29, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Season 5Ep. 205
On this week's podcast we have Tiffani Thiessen. She’s probably best known for her roles as Kelly Kapowski on Saved By the Bell, and Valerie on Beverly Hills 90210. But today she’s not here to talk about acting. We’re talking about her new cookbook Here We Go Again (her second cookbook), which will be released on September 26th. The book tackles the topic of leftovers and how to creatively recycle and upcycle them. So, if you’re someone who cooks, which is pretty much everyone, this show is for ...
Sep 21, 2023•42 min•Season 5Ep. 204
On this week's podcast we have Scotland's national chef Gary Maclean, a role he was offered after winning season 16 of Masterchef: The Professionals. Gary recently released The Scottish Kitchen, a cookbook of traditional Scottish recipes adapted for a North American audience using ingredients they would be able to find. Topics Discussed Haggis- What it is and how to modify the recipe in North America The importance of culinary education and teaching children about food and nutrition at a young a...
Sep 14, 2023•51 min•Season 5Ep. 203
In this episode of Chefs Without Restaurants, we have Brad Leone. Brad is known for his prominent role at the Bon Appétit test kitchen. Over time, he climbed the ranks to become the Test Kitchen Manager. It was during this period that Brad's magnetic personality and cooking prowess shone through in the form of the video series It’s Alive! This series, known for its humor and laid-back style, garnered a devoted fanbase and revolutionized Bon Appetit's online video content. My personal favorite is...
Sep 06, 2023•57 min•Season 5Ep. 202
This week I want to talk about how complacency can kill your business (or at least hurt it). I run a personal chef business, and have been doing it for 11 years now. When I started out doing it on the side, I was a little scrappy. I did guerrilla marketing. I did a lot of networking. I was regularly sending out my email newsletter. As my business and customer base grew, I slowed down on some of those tactics. Fast forward to this summer...business kind of sucks, and I realized that I hadn't been...
Aug 16, 2023•10 min•Season 4Ep. 201
On this week's podcast, we have Justin Khanna, the founder of Repertoire, a hospitality education company, and the host of The Repertoire Podcast. We talk about measurable metrics for success in the kitchen, including working clean. We also dive into the realm of podcasting itself. Justin shares valuable insights on guest outreach and workflow management. We discuss the dynamics of working with PR agencies, and why it's not always about landing guests with huge followings. We also talk about bei...
Jul 12, 2023•1 hr 46 min•Season 4Ep. 200
On this week’s show, I have Lisa Donovan and Julie Belcher of Rêverie Retreats. These retreats are the kind of trips that I want to take. Travel to the Loire Valley... Take a French pastry lesson with an acclaimed baker...Have a natural wine tasting. Plenty of time to eat and relax. Maybe make some new friends. You’ll learn how and why Lisa and Julie started this, and how you can join them on one of these excursions. We talk about how they select the partners and purveyors they work with, natura...
Jun 30, 2023•54 min•Season 4Ep. 199
This week my guest is Nick DiGiovanni. Nick was a MasterChef finalist on season 10, which he did while attending Harvard. Since then, he’s been creating food and cooking content online. His YouTube channel recently passed the 10 million subscriber mark, and he has over 11 million followers on TikTok. His videos are both educational and funny, often done in collaboration with other celebrities and and YouTube personalities. He’s made slushies with Mr Beast , chili with Kevin from the office , and...
Jun 21, 2023•59 min•Season 4Ep. 198
