When you ask your friends for restaurant recommendations for an upcoming visit to the PNW, you're probably expecting a list of restaurants that showcase cedar-planked salmon, coconut cream pies, and coppery oysters. But the restaurant you should add to your list is almost too easy to miss - true Central Texas-style barbecue smoking restaurant Jack's BBQ is hidden in Seattle's SODO neighborhood among industrial warehouses and the bus depot. Having spent a few years in Texas, I had to hear for mys...
Oct 29, 2016•38 min
Ragozzino Foods Executive Research Chef Barton Dewing says that the measure of successful R&D is in the product's successful scale up - going from benchtop sizes to large manufactured sizes. Practically anyone can make a delicious dish or item when you've got ample time, direct control over all the elements, and the budget to make it. But can anyone make it in the quantities desired within the cost targets? Chef Barton has worked in restaurant kitchens, front-of-the-house, corporate restaura...
Oct 22, 2016•49 min
Chef Ryan is passionate about sharing food and cooking techniques, and we first met when I was writing for the Pike's Place Market newspaper. He had founded the Community Kitchens at the Pike Place Senior Center, and I wrote an article about his mission for the classes. We bonded at Seattle Coffee Works talking about food security and what chefs can do about it. After several years growing the Community Kitchens, Ryan eventually found a great fit for his mission at the FareStart program, one tha...
Oct 15, 2016•45 min
Frisch's Big Boy's R&D Chef Greg Grisanti is one of the original members of the Research Chefs Association, and he tells the story of his career as it happened. From restaurant cooking to QSR menu development, Chef Greg has been around the block a few times. Hear his thoughts about moving towards clean label product development and advice he has for younger culinologists.
Oct 08, 2016•48 min
Just days to go before the close of his kickstarter campaign, Chef Gavin is working hard to get the word out about the fundraising. There's quite a bit of distance to go, but he's not giving up yet and has gotten some great lessons and plans for the future. Help fund his project at
Oct 04, 2016•7 min
We are honored to welcome back Ali, as he was previously interviewed for our series in March. Next March 2017, Ali Bouzari will be an Keynote Speaker. Right now we would like to help our followers with a chance to win his book, , the #1 new release on Amazon. More details about the giveaway here. In this inspiring, chef-driven podcast interview co-hosted alongside RCA Student Committee President Philip Saneski, world renown culinary scientist Ali Bouzari talks about the importance of having the ...
Oct 02, 2016•54 min
Former Director of Admissions at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts Shawn Wenner has spent years watching hopeful students enter the school with dreams of starting their own food businesses. However, so few of them open and run successful businesses. Knowing that many of the issues faced by chefs go beyond their ability to cook and prepare fine menus, Shawn created Entrepreneurial Chef to provide the tools and training needed to help chefs conceptualize, plan, and execute food businesses. F...
Oct 01, 2016•53 min
Research chef Barbara Zatto earned her chef stripes in New York City before coming to Seattle to cook. She quickly realized that the training made her a unique chef in Seattle, which hadn't quite started the culinary revolution that we enjoy today. After several years in hotel and restaurant food service, Chef Barbara transitioned to R&D. In this interview we discuss her transition to R&D and compare big city kitchens and research kitchens. An active member of the RCA, Chef Barbara is a ...
Sep 24, 2016•33 min
Chef Erik Jones started as many of us did - Front of House and cooking through the different stations in the kitchen - and he has just graduated with a degree in Culinology. Now he's on a mission to get culinary arts students to think bigger than the textbook careers for them and to consider corporate R&D. As a co-founder of the RCA Student Committee, Erik is passionate about his industry and shares examples of other ways to use a culinary background. Get information about The Culinologist a...
Sep 17, 2016•36 min
Chef Subra Balakrishnan has a firm background in hotel food service, and when he took a food science basics course for chefs in Vancouver, he decided to start planning to move into research and development. There wasn't a Culinology course available at the time - there still isn't yet, in Canada - so he studied Applied Culinary Arts. Now that's he's a corporate chef at , Chef Subra is working with the Culinary Institute of Canada to bring Culinology north.
Sep 10, 2016•44 min
English chef Gavin Draper has spent the last decades in Australia cooking and sharing his food philosophy, and now he's putting his passion project in print. Hear how cruising around the world on the QE2 and international travel led Chef Gavin to Australia and how he eventually specialized his craft into gluten-free cooking expertise. Rather than waiting for a publisher to find him, Chef is self-publishing and is hosting a Kickstarter fundraising event to engage clients and future fans. Connect ...
Sep 03, 2016•35 min
Chef Mark Crowell is well-known in the Research Chef Association, having served as an active member and contributing the first chapter to the new Culinology textbook, released in 2016. Mark tells how a failed Washington, D.C. restaurant may have been the catalyst propelling him into R&D and making him part of some of the fastest growth at Starbucks. He also talks about the specialty of Culinex and discussing entrepreneurship and food business leadership. Find out more about Culinex at .
Aug 27, 2016•1 hr 5 min
Pastry Chef and product developer Kami R. Smith kicks off our first interview series with the Culinology Blog from the Research Chef Association. An active member and leader in the RCA, Kami shares her story of going from production baking to pastry school instructor and to research chef. Throughout her narrative, you can hear her sense of humor and personal drive that have made her the type of chef and mentor she is today. Whether you're considering crossing from restaurants to R&D or you'v...
Aug 20, 2016•38 min
Food scientist and product developer Adam Yee is a graduate of Cal Poly's Food Science and Nutrition program and is already making a name for himself as a podcaster as the host of the Foodgrad.com My Food Job Rocks! Hear why Adam started his podcast with less than 2 years in the industry and why being a product developer is a balance of marketing and factory work.
Aug 13, 2016•51 min
Pastry Chef Philip Saneski is the co-founder and current president of the Research Chef Association Student Committee. Hear why Phil has chosen a path in product development and why he and several student members of the RCA have collaborated to start the student committee. Phil also compares the RCA to the Institute of Food Technologists, providing some insight about the two organizations and how they can work together - and how the members' skills can be so complementary to each other. Find out...
Aug 06, 2016•32 min
Katherine Langel and Hannah Dressen are two Culinologists working for Culinex in Seattle, WA. They met while students at Southwest Minnesota State University's international program in Malaysia, and they now work together at Culinex. They share how they found the Culinology degree at SMSU. They also talk about the Research Chef Association and the Student Committee and how you can get involved. Find out more about the RCA at and check out the Student Committee's blog at . Check out Culinex at ....
Aug 01, 2016•39 min
Chef Chris Lobkovich is a force to be reckoned with. With experience working in resort and hotel fine dining, Chris thought he was going to open his own restaurant, as many dream to do. But along the way, he has learned how to listen to customer needs and desires and how to apply his chef experiences in consulting for other restaurants and providing much needed labor for other restaurateurs. Filled with great anecdotes and a quirky self assessment of his skills and where he wants to take his car...
Jul 22, 2016•1 hr 6 min
Chef Michael Bunn has worked almost every category in food service and food manufacturing, and he's not slowing down. From going from cooking on Navy ships to corporate dining and being one of the first Culinology graduate, Chef Bunn's experiences give him a depth of knowledge and keen awareness to common food manufacturing pitfalls. You'll hear his culinary career and some insight about the Research Chef Association annual conference. RCA is celebrating 20 years next year - if you're a product ...
Jul 16, 2016•30 min
Chef Becky Selengut is part private chef and part comedienne. A Serious Eats contributor and author of cookbooks, including Good Fish and Shroom, Chef Becky shares hilarious and awkward stories of cooking in clients' homes. Chef Becky is also an alumna of the Seattle Culinary Academy and cooked in well-respected restaurants in Seattle, including The Herbfarm, before she started her own business and can now be found teaching classes, private cheffing, and writing books, always weaving in her shar...
Jul 09, 2016•41 min
Certified Food Scientist and product developer Sherrita Williams had a college roommate that changed her career path when she suggested that Sherrita go into food science. Working with well-known companies like Planters and Kraft, she has developed products that you've probably purchased. With her experience, she maintains a great perspective about the success and failure in the market, and she keeps it real with a quick laugh and swift wit.
Jul 02, 2016•30 min
American Cheese Society (ACS) Certified Cheese Professional Danielle Slater talks to us about her love for cheese and wholesome food and how Whole Foods Market helped her find her 2nd career and share her passion with customers every day. She also explains why Whole Foods Market partnered with ACS to get a CCP in most of their stores cheese departments and why i't's so important for companies to invest in their employees.
Jun 25, 2016•41 min
R&D Chef Emily Munday studied nutrition and food science at Johnson & Wales University and planned to become a Registered Dietitian. However, when she didn't get matched with a dietetic internship despite top grades, she leaned on her other training in product development. Now a project leader and product developer for Seattle-based Culinex, Emily shares some bloopers and successes as an R&D expert and gives some career advice for those interested in crossing into the career field.
Jun 18, 2016•45 min
Fellow Seattle Culinary Academy alumna Pastry Chef Tonyia Smith was assigned a gluten-free baking project during her pastry program, and she discovered her niche market - classical French pastries for people who can't eat gluten. She opened her cafe at the foot of the stairs of the Pike Place Market and experienced quick success and a loyal following. When wholesale accounts and large retail demand pushed her to expand her operations, Tonyia and her business partner opened a production site in S...
Jun 11, 2016•38 min
Chef Renata Bocayuva owns and operates the consulting R&D company in Seattle, WA, and has rebuilt her culinary career several times. A graduate of European culinary training, Chef Renata worked in Europe for years before moving to the US, learning English, and starting over as a maitre d' in a restaurant despite her training. After opening restaurants in Seattle, Renata went out on her own and founded her company. Two years into her business, Renata experienced a significant illness that too...
May 30, 2016•1 hr 4 min
How ambition, luck, and being a badass cook took Eric from the Art Institute to a stage at Noma for Chef Rene Redzepi, serving as a sous chef at Blueacre Seafood in Seattle while a full-time student, and working for Chef Grant Achatz at Alinea as an Research and Development chef. Eric came back to Seattle for Chef Josh Henderson and expanding the Huxley Wallace Collective restaurant group and pushing the culinary scene in Seattle, Washington. Eric also highlights how networking, hard working, an...
May 30, 2016•46 min
From restaurant ownership to a Top Chef competition and to culinary school instructor at the Walla Walla Community College's Wine Country Culinary Institute, Chef Robin has seen and done it all. She shares her career story as well as some insights about cooks these days and the attitudes that have set apart the successful graduates of culinary school. As my first ever chef, Chef Robin took time to teach technique and develop my eye as a culinarian and to look to the art of culinary work and not ...
May 30, 2016•43 min
