From the World Food Championships: A Taste of Resilience, Mentorship, and Culinary Passion with Chefs Jernard Wells and John McFadden
Episode description
Join host Carl Fiadini and co host Chef Jeffrey Schlissel as they have a passionate discussion with Chef Jernard Wells and Chef John McFadden at the 2023 World Food Championship in Dallas, Texas. They explored various topics such as camaraderie, mentorship, and servant leadership. Both chefs brought their unique perspectives and experiences to the table, making for an engaging and insightful discussion.
As talented chefs in their own right, Jernard Wells and John McFadden understand the value of camaraderie in the culinary world. They discussed how collaboration and support among chefs can lead to incredible culinary creations and foster a sense of unity within the industry. Their stories and anecdotes highlighted the importance of building relationships and finding a sense of community among fellow chefs.
Mentorship was another significant topic of conversation. Both chefs acknowledged the role of mentorship in their own journeys and shared heartwarming stories of being inspired and guided by mentors throughout their careers. They emphasized the significance of passing down culinary knowledge, skills, and experiences to future generations, nurturing the next wave of talented chefs.
Lastly, the concept of servant leadership was explored. Jernard Wells and John McFadden discussed how being a chef is not just about culinary expertise but also about serving others. They reflected on how their passion for food and cooking is ultimately driven by a desire to create memorable experiences for their customers and make a positive impact on the lives of those they serve.
Overall, their conversation on the Walk-In Talk Podcast was filled with warmth, wisdom, and a shared love for the culinary arts. Listeners were left feeling inspired and motivated, gaining valuable insights into the world of food, camaraderie, mentorship, and servant leadership from these two accomplished chefs.
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Transcript
2 .
Alright , this is the Walk and Talk Podcast and I am your host , carl Fiedini . Oh my goodness , alright . So we are at the World Food Championship in Dallas , texas . Now it's early in the morning . There's all kind of stuff going on here . Late at night it's party time in Dallas .
Now what I gotta tell you is I have two bad ass dudes at the table with me right now . I have Chef Jernard Wells . I also have Chef John McFadden . These are two celebrity chefs that I mean in one place .
One time Walk and Talk Podcast I got Chef Jeffrey Jefferson , starship Schlissel over there who , by the way , last night you killed it , you guys killed it . I want to let you we're going to , out of respect for this dude right here . I want you to start off , give the sexy time , talk on the food .
What we did last night because you murked it , I'm telling you you did . Shut the music , just shut it off . Shut the music .
So go , talk , go . This is going to be really good because while you've been playing Judge , I've been actually playing interviewer and this , as we know , the setup of the speakers . So Barry White's in the house today .
All right guys . First of all just say hi Chef , Hi Chef . Hi Chef , hi Chef , good morning , all right , jeff go baby , all right .
So last night we , as we're walking out , the guys over from Dat Sauce I don't know if you've had it , I have , yeah , and they also have this incredible , it's crack , basically , it's a soft-shelled crawfish . And I used to live in Metory , in Metory , louisiana , and I never , ever , saw those things .
It was always like you know , rip off the head , suck the head and pinch the tail right . These things , oh my goodness . So we go , we lock horns with them and we're like , hey , we're going to come on over , southern hospitality , come on over .
So Pooch had come in , pooch Rivera had come in from New Orleans and he bought lamb racks with him and that's what we were going to cook last night . So we got onions and carrots and zucchini and we're going to squash and asparagus . We go all the way over .
It was literally like having like the Guy Fieri's , you know , market where they run through the whole market and they try to get stuff in a certain . But we had to go to a liquor store . By the way , everything closes at nine o'clock .
Everything is at nine o'clock in this place .
It becomes very dry , and if somebody named Bucky would have parked the car , we would have actually got in before nine o'clock .
Yeah , bucky , see that cat right there . That's him right there . Oh , bucky dropped the ball .
Then we went looking for the oil because they didn't have enough Earl , as they say in Louisiana . So we finally get down there . It's like almost like nine , 30 , 10 o'clock . We walk in the house and there's all these different people .
I only know like one person , which is the person that Scott , who invited us over , which we just met , by the way , literally like a couple hours before we walk in and I'm walking in with all this food . He's got the juicer . There's the R&D , the vice vice president of R&D for Bloomin' Onion brand , right .
So I'm like he starts talking to me what are you doing ? Pooch represents also cheese , cheese wheeze , and he also represents a couple of different spice blends and stuff like that . So we I said , okay , let's do this . So I took the dad sauce , I did a little bit of a Cajun seasoning that Hal had .
That was over with that as well , and I glazed that after I cooked it , got a sear to it and I put the cheeses on the top . I couldn't believe I was cutting and as I was cutting I only saw two people with their phones out , and then at the end of it , who was the one that was singing ? Bridget yeah , bridget yeah , she goes .
You know , once you put that thing down , you start to cut . Every single chef , in fact non chef got up and like looked at what you were doing . I'm like really yeah .
I was so focused . You were blacked out . You were blacked out , it was done .
And by the time I got that done , I was actually saw it's hanging , not frying . Saw it's hanging the crawfish , and Chef Fern walked over and he goes dude , I've been doing this every day , every year he goes . You're the first dude that's walked in this house that hasn't burned them . I'm like I know , because I didn't want to .
Yes .
But you guys got our okay , All right . No-transcript . All right . Look , there was about maybe 12 people or so in the house , right , and I set the fire alarm off four times . Yeah , I mean you're , I mean rank amateur bro .
It was amateur hour . You know what I ?
mean , I was like I don't know that cat .
He just wanted into the stone .
Right , I literally had to rip off the literally ripped off the fire alarm so it wouldn't keep on beating .
But you have to understand . What I'm trying to set up is the vibe . The vibe was a bunch of chefs , bunch of industry people , dudes from Louisiana who are just like laid back , like right . So what ended up happening is this and I don't know where she is or who , I don't know her story , but Bridget , she's a singer and she plays guitar and stuff .
So , out of nowhere , you know , we're having a beer , we're drinking a cocktail , whatever the food was outstanding and we're all doing it like eating over garbage cans . And she breaks out the guitar , the acoustic , and she starts singing . Yeah , cool .
Holy crap . So you literally had your own soundtrack as well .
Yeah , it was her own music , so I can't , I had like my , literally my own walk up music I can put it on my writer . You know my contractual agreement next time , no . Actually , my contract says bourbon . And then it's been a huge fail since we've gotten in the end of Texas .
All right . So , jeff , I just you know , hats off to you , dude . That was just a cool . That is a memory forever .
That was such a great evening and the vibe was just you know , when I , when I realized when we got back to the air B and B , I was like you know what ? This is such a great thing about the culinary industry that people don't talk about ? It's the networking opportunities , but it's everybody was competing .
There's a woman that was there I was competing in the bacon today and she's like so amped up and you can see it and people are like I'm so proud of you . It was just the support system that that had .
That's what we need to teach the chefs of tomorrow , because if we do that , then we can actually show them if we meant to were students and the chefs of cooks tomorrow and not beat them up like you and you and me what happened to us , and if we can turn that table and turn the tide , I think we can have a different industry that what it is today .
You're right , and I think one of the cool things about world food championship is that it really brings the camaraderie together . I started out world food championship 10 years ago when it was only a year old and that was before you , that was before food network and all that right . Yes , yes , that was before food network .
All of that because I did world food championship the year before I got my first big opportunity with food network . My first opportunity was a . I was competing on the show by the name of Chef Warner with Anne Boreal and I , and it was shot in the oldest steakhouse in the United States by the name of old homestead in Chelsea , new York , and it was .
It was amazing . I always said at that point I was going to take , as they say , your , your , your , your , your last 15 minutes of fame on stage and 15 minutes I was going to take it , take it and turn it into a lifetime of career .
So I , I , I understood the method that two parts , just like here , world food championship , you have your cooking chops and your talking chops and you have to understand there's the side of actually cooking , in the side of entertaining what you , um , chef John McFadden , I think , does so well .
I , when I , when I came here and I saw this brother up there cooking by itself , battling , but then with the chef jacket on , but then a bow tie , exactly , if that doesn't garner the attention , I don't know what does . No .
Okay , so I don't . First of all , I'm a straight shooter and and we're all , we all bleed the same , okay , but I respect what people do , right , and I saw you over there as a showman , which you know . This is what this is where we're at , we're showman , right .
Yeah , definitely .
But then I saw you throwing it down in the kitchen . Yes , right .
So you , you , you , by yourself , and I said he ain't on the dinner . Oh my goodness , yeah , I didn't get to , I'm so mad Are those a cue at the door right , those nice seats left , bro .
I let me tell you something . All right , so we're doing all this judging I'm I . I didn't get to eat that one time .
I yelled at him . Actually , he comes over and he goes oh , I'm hungry , I'm like you ate , I go . I had two pieces of potato chips .
I only ate because of the , the , the , the , the , the , the bite , no , you didn't , you didn't , you didn't .
You only had like a taste , because you were actually judging . Oh , you mean the oh yeah , yeah , yeah no . You're only judging what was the execution part of it .
I said I said .
I said don't they know who ?
we are they don't know who I'm with . I mean , what is this ? No , sir .
I had even even back to your point about the whole mentoring , bringing people through . You know , the opportunity for me around the camaraderie Last year was my first year here and the and the friendships and the networks has been established in such a short time For me it's just blown me away .
Like you come here , people hug you , they greet you , it's like you've known them for 10 years , you know . So , you know , for me that's really humbling being so far away and then even coming here and yesterday doing the champions table lunch . Now just to you know , have a conversation with somebody , talk about the food , and that's what I'm passionate about .
I love talking about food and when we talk about the young kids coming through the kitchen and the opportunities , you know in front of the stove , as you said earlier , not behind it , is they're endless .
Yeah , the opportunity that I had sort of coming through the kitchens when I was in my mid-20s I had a lady who was a journalist and she was on TV and she took me under her wing and I thought , oh , this is really cool . Like I'm really nobody , you know what I mean .
And my career started elevating , like obviously , you know , you've got to cook well and do well and everything happens . And that really put me in good stead because I spent a lot of my time in the mentoring space and it's trying to integrate sort of the young kids into the workforce , from school into the workplace .
Because you know at home there's mum and dad right and when you go to school mum and dad pick you up , they take you here , they take you there . But when you go out into the workforce now you're on your right to a degree , you're on your own . But you know kids have got to grow up pretty quickly and the workplace can be pretty harsh sometimes .
Well , you know , especially as , as we're males , okay , and in the end you get punched in the belly and you learn , because when you're 17 , 18 , typically we're all lazy , don't want to do anything , I want to stay in bed , I want whatever .
At some point in time you get kicked in the belly and you realize that , oh man , I can't rely on the parents , or I don't have any parents , or whatever the situation is , I got to do by myself . And at that point in our life , as a male , you have to sink or swim . Whatever's gonna happen to you .
It starts right there and some people they catch on to it and they they ride it in and some people don't . Right , but with your gov , you know just , I was just talking to a young lady here a moment ago .
It's funny how they're saying on the memes and on the videos and stuff right now on social media that it's funny how lucky you get when you put your work in your effort into it right . It's pretty amazing how you , you know how lucky am I , but when you're putting in that , that work in effort yeah right and and and and .
We're all relatively , you know , same age , except for that grandpa uh over here . But you know , at the end of the day , it's our responsibility to bring , to bring the , the young people , up right . So you guys are chefs , you're in the kitchen and and that's where your come , that's where you're doing that . Mm-hmm .
I've been in food distribution and sales for 25 years and I do that on the sales side because in the end , you guys can't get what you need done without us cats and and and . If you come across as like , hey , I'm a salesman , he's salesman . Nobody wants that , nobody cares about that we love the relationships .
That's what it's really about . Even from , like my local prepayers , meat fish , monglers , all those I love the relationship still , you know , um , I think we we've now we've gotten so disconnected , something to the point of where everything is so automated . We lose that relationship . But that's one of the things and I I even teach the young chefs .
There's the competitive side , but then there also has to be the relationship building side . You can't get so wrapped up in your craft that you don't build the relationship because those become the tools around you .
Iron sharpens iron and it's good to have that relationship also as , as being a more advanced and older chef , I love grooming the other chefs to move into my spots and because that means that as they move up , I move up because this is a form of elevation and you have somebody , because too often we don't want , as chefs , anybody to duplicate our process
everything is real tight , close to the best .
Yeah , and it's a gift that we have .
This is a gift that we have as chefs . What you , what you were explaining about last night's experience I remember you was telling me , um , also about the meal before that when you guys were rolling in the teacher rooms and stuff . That is a , that is a gift , and gifts are meant to be what , yeah , shared , yeah .
So if we take the , the younger chefs , and we instill this in the younger salesmen's and we instill this in them being , all we're doing is building a stronger foundation for ourselves . And just think about now you're spreading from spanning from one side of the country to the next , just all off of the relationships .
But hard work and ethic , as they say , hey , fate without works is dead . And what you was saying is saying that , oh , it's just luck that that is true . You can believe and have all the faith in the where , but if you're not getting up doing something every day to activate it , it's just a wish , it's just a dream .
Right , and , and and I know that personally because I started out a young age growing up in mississippi my father was creole and my father was a chef and and at ten years old , he would bring me in the kitchen with him cooking and I'm thinking I'm just in there spending time with him . You didn't feel punished .
No , I , I , it was cool , I'm spending time with my dad so you know , not realizing he was actually teaching me a valuable skill in craft . You know , he later on passed away when I turned 16 and and I took that amount of knowledge that he gave me at their young over age , I wanted a car .
Going to going into my senior year in school , I came up with the idea and pitched to my mom I want to open the restaurant up . I said because I I know some of my dad's recipes and and things like that . I said because I want to buy a car , I don't want to ride the school bus . And my mother said with janara , how much money you have ?
I said I have $50 from from cutting , cutting the neighbors yard . She said $50 . Where you gonna open the restaurant up with $50 ? I say how do you kitchen ? That's all I got is $50 . She said okay , but you got to do it the right way and I'm thinking to myself what's the right way ?
She said you know all those webs and cyclopedias that's in there collecting dust that y'all ordered . Then you and your siblings don't ever look at you . Go get it , figure out how to create me a business plan . And then come back and see me and of course that was prior to google .
So I figure out how to create this old business plan and I go back to a two-week later , pitched the idea to and she was like , okay . She said so now you got to get business life . She taken to get business license , local courthouse they laugh at me . Business life was five bucks , got them , uh .
Then she said okay , now what you're gonna do about supplies ? I said I remember y'all used to go to this local wholesaler and I remember the salesman there because he was always so nice and cool . Can't we go there ? She takes me there . We get out in the park a lot . And she says shipping and receipt . She .
This is what she asked me you know about shipping and receiving . Did you figure out the thing ? Your research ? I said yeah . She said how much money you got put up 45 dollars . She snatched ten dollars out of my hand and said shipping and receiving ain't free . This will bring you here .
I was like man , I'm getting , I'm getting all ready , I'm my pocket's gonna be empty before I get started . But I go in , take those items , take my order , my my little grocery list . I started making peace from scratch . Bolognese sweet tea , brown fried chicken , things like that but those were , those were recipes from your pops .
Yeah , those recipes from my dad . Okay , start passing out flyers in the neighborhood . The first week I made 150 dollars , so I'm thinking , oh , 50 dollars or 150 bucks , I keep doing this . I got a car by the end of the year . But then I got wise . I'm like dang . I'm serving food to the construction workers .
I'm getting up at five in the morning to make their lunches because they would come by my house and pick it up because we're in a smaller community . So I started telling them hey , since you come this early , now they come in . I'm making bacon , I'm making biscuits from scratch , putting the ambience in the air .
They're like what's your cooking , young chef , all breakfast . Would you like the water plate ? So now I'm serving them breakfast and lunch . Then I tell her hey , you're passing my house on the way home . You're having for you can't cook now get dinner three , three meals by the end of the summer I was making three thousand dollars a box look at 16 .
By the end of the summer I was making three thousand dollars a month selling food out of my mom's 16 . Yes , there's your business plan awesome man I got a question for you .
That's an amazing story to you everybody . Every chef has a different one , right ?
that's . That's that's a personal story man we appreciate to share .
On that , yeah , definitely yeah now that you've gotten to the level that you're at and I think one of the biggest things that we're missing here is that we're the conversation , because I know we were talking about it off camera in the green room most of these kids think , oh , I can be a guy fiatty or an amber . You know , um , the bobby flay .
It's not that easy .
It's not . It's just like trying to be in the NBA or the NFL . That's a serious golden . Yeah , you gotta think about it . Every basketball players dream or sell I'm gonna go to the NBA . Or every footballs player young , I'm gonna go to NFL . But those are based off of how many people in the world . Those are like needles in a haystack .
Yeah , those are all . Those are all For them . So what I suggest to any young chef you don't focus on the TV . I never focused on the TV . Of the entertainment , I focused on the art . I look at my , my culinary skill as an art form . Why it's called culinary arts ? Because we're painting a picture with our plate .
I Focused on that and making people happy through the plate , making people happy through my conversation . And never in the entertainment , just so I'm gonna come right , but he was he about that .
See , see , see , how see , okay , the both of you . Well , cuz you know yeah , I know you're getting giddy , I know , whoo , no , see what ends up happening . You can be an amazing Culinarian , you can cook , I can throw down and I make bad-ass plates , but if you don't have the personality to articulate that out , you're never gonna .
If you want exposure and you want the camera , it'll never come because you , you need the personality to deliver it . Mm-hmm , see , like the both of you have the personality to deliver it . The problem with young kids are , what we have here is humble attitudes . Okay , you both are humble people and you , you know you were .
You were given the crowd your time as you were cooking . You didn't have to do that . You could have ignored everybody , sure , right , but you chose not to do that . You brought them into your environment . That's why . But that's a brand , but that's his brand . Like you know , you can't have a brand if you can't execute well .
No , I get what you're saying . We go ahead , chef .
What's really important to me and it goes back story or talk about earlier , about relationships with the supply , with the producer . Yes , and I love that , because food comes from somewhere and it takes time to grow correct , and there's a story that there's a reason why that piece of protein or that vegetable is on the plate , and it's all about communication .
Yeah , yeah , and that's powerful . So to know where it comes from , does it have a sustainability footprint ? Because we're all heading that way . I mean that's really important to share my philosophy and my story as to how and why I got where I did . It's bloody hard work , like it didn't come on a silver platter .
So and you're right , like you know , invest a lot of time and it's always about continuous improvement . You know , what can I do better tomorrow that I didn't achieve today ? And what's really interesting , we're talking about , you know , the younger generation , the kitchen .
I Was fostering a program from high school into workplace , so I took on a lot of kids and they come for two weeks work experience and we give them tasks in a day and I gave this girl just topping and tailing beans , simple tasks . She was doing it for 20 minutes and I said I only almost done . She has I , yes , chef .
And I said , oh , look , took 20 minutes . I said hopefully tomorrow , take 19 . She goes what do you mean ? I've got to do it again tomorrow . I said , yeah , of course you do . You know , it's about being better and and it's continuous improvement . No different to an athlete going to the track to shave 100th of a second off their time .
You know , working in a kitchen is it's all time . Yeah , and , as I said to the girl , I said , oh , you know what's your favorite sport ? He said netball . I said it's great .
What's netball ? Yeah , we're , we're yeah , remember . Of the United .
States .
That was similar to basketball . You just can't sort of dribble . The ball is actually .
It's like the rugby version . It's the rugby version of basketball purple . Yeah , I got you heard that heard that .
So yeah , and for me what was really important in that message was it was that communication piece . And , and last year , the year earlier , I was in a female mentoring program and I had this young lady from Spain and she was having some challenges in her work environment .
She had two chefs filleting fish a different way and she didn't know how to go about it . I said I watched a relationship like with the chef . She goes oh , look , you know we don't really talk . I said easy thing to do Go up to chef and say chef , when you have half an hour , can we sit down , have a chat ?
And I said the first question you ask him is what areas can I improve in ? Because immediately you get buying right and then you address the question , okay . And she's like oh , okay . So a week later we catch up , we have a coffee and I said how'd you go ? She goes John , amazing . So it's like a massive icebreaker for her .
And when she went in a conversation to how to go , there's what we sat down . He said I need to work on this and this . I said great , so what you do you go and work on that ? I said how'd you go for your question and she said look . I went up , said look to chefs . You didn't have to name them , don't name them .
I said , chef , which way do you prefer ? And she said he told me which way . Professor , there you go , you've got your answer . You didn't get two people into trouble , we didn't throw them under the bus and I said but next week when you have a coffee , you work on your improvement what areas ? And straight away the relationship and Loved it .
But she couldn't . She couldn't break the question because I don't think she felt was confrontational the pressure . Am I gonna fray the two guys under the bus ?
No , but nobody , so nobody ever wants to look like they don't know something . Yeah , right , you know and , and especially especially you , cats in the kitchen . You know what I mean . Yeah , we don't have any . No , no , no , we go . I can't see out of my own own head in my way . Wow , yeah , but the truth is that , look , listen , I remember I was .
I was like 20 , 26 . I had just started a long time ago . A long time ago , I just started in the produce business , the company that I worked for them , they they gave me like 200 accounts to manage and there was everything from corporate accounts to mom and pops and everything in between .
Anyway , there was this massive hotel in South Beach and it was an English chef . Now , this is a long time ago . I love the story .
Yeah , this is this , is this is like during a time when you know you were getting a physically accosted , still , okay , I don't work for him , like I work with him for him , but I don't work , I'm not , I'm not on your line . You know what I mean . So I get a phone call one day from the chef . He's like you know .
He's like , oh yeah , you better get your F&A over here . You know what you garbage Bap-bap-bap-bap-bap . I was like , yeah , chef , I'll come by , I'm gonna take care of it , let me . Anyway , I go to the , I go to the , to the hotel , everybody's . There's a whole , the whole team is there . You know what he does to me ?
He grabs me all my collar and pulls me in . I said , well , hold on . I said I respect you and this , but don't know I'm not going to have that . It ain't going to happen .
That's the sort of stuff that thankfully , because of how things have progressed through time and how the new leadership of chefs are kind of instilling things into the younger guys and gals coming up , that kind of is going away , but the egos were gigantic .
You think they've subsided .
I do , I do . The ego's still there , but the execution of their actions have changed . They had to have because you can't make it now . Now you are an HR problem . Yeah .
I am definitely an HR problem . Right , I am definitely an HR problem .
I know You're teetering already with us . I'm kidding . I love your family . You're in .
I'm kidding . I have a question for the panels , the chefs that we got Do you ever make a perfect dish ?
I would have to say no . I'm not sure if the perfect dish has ever been created . Of course , we all strive for as close to perfection of getting a dish , but it's always the stigmatism of what could I have done better if I had to do this ? Oh , I should have added this .
Doesn't the moment in time indicate whether it's the perfect dish Example ? Last night frying up crawfish man .
Yeah , but remember , so we got done . Crawfish is delicious .
But you know what ? For me , that was the perfect execution of a dish , because the environment , the energy made it perfect For you .
For when I got done doing the lamb , pruech had that mint juleps syrup , simple syrup , and I went , oh my God , I could have put this and then he goes . Well , it would have been too sweet .
You see , that's exactly what I'm talking about .
Right and I go .
I could have used the datsauce , mixed it with the mint and had a kiss .
See , you can do that . Yes , yes , see , that's what I'm talking about . It may have been perfect for you , but for the chef who art , it was in our mind is always ooh . What if I did ?
the no I have to preface that the good chefs , the ones that are worth their weight , ie you two is that you do it and everyone else goes . Man , that's awesome . And then you go . I could have done a lemon , I could have done an orange , I could have done this , I could have done seared differently , I could have done . And then what do you do ?
You go back in the kitchen . What are you doing ? Playing again . Yes , so that's , that's what I was trying to get at . When you have that vision in your head and then you're breaking it . I used to work with a guy because I have a philosophy . My dad used to tell me if it's not broke , break it and fix it better .
That's not . I know . You know what that's that's , I know I like it , I live by that .
I like that , I really do , chef , what about you with that whole ?
topic , I know , I agree , like one of the dishes I actually did yesterday . I created in 1997 and it's evolved over the years . Yes , but the fabric has remained , but it's been tweaked and modernized and yeah , but that's food . And that's yeah , it's a constant journey . And that's what I love about it .
Think about back in when I was going through the Hell's Kitchen's , we used to play 12 , 6 , 3 and 9 . And now we don't Think about the evolution of plating , the art of it . Yes , and what we do now , I mean , and that's what really pressures us to do better .
And where else can you really go ? Like you know , things have to get really different . It's a plate and there's stuff on the plate . Where are you going to go ?
I mean , look at the guys like Henri the chocolatier that makes the eight foot sculptures and the other guys and gals that are doing stuff like that . They're people that are being so innovative and they make me look like I'm just inept . I mean , I look , you are so and people are like , oh you're no , I'm not telling it . I'm not telling it .
Those guys mind blowing . Yes , the skills .
So but I think that's what makes , I think that's what makes a great , I think , humble , humbleness and attitude , that particular attitude is what makes a great chef right , and I think you I don't you , you , a young chef to have humbleness . I don't know if that exists Really .
I mean it's got to be that young man yesterday , chris .
OK , but he , he's so young ? He hasn't , he hasn't he hasn't experienced , I don't know he didn't he still get his full blast of , you know , puberty . Ok , like he's still working on that . So at the end of the day , you can't look at that . You got to look at somebody who's like 22 , 23, .
They got a good job , they're getting a little paycheck , you know they're , you know that person . If , at that age , if you can maintain , like you know , a servant leader sort of deliverance , that person can be a star Right , I don't know .
They need to be contained Like we've all went through it now in young years , you know , I mean we've come through the kitchen , so I had the same discipline . She was fairly physical at the time .
Yeah , a little bit . Don't throw the pan at me , man , don't throw it at me .
And management styles have changed quite a lot over the years . You know , I mean , I've been in the screaming kitchens and the pot throwing kitchens and Christ , you do that now and man , you're , you're gone , you're gone and fair enough too , because there's no place for it . We're all . We're all humans that you're in debt . People make mistakes , it's you know .
But here's the problem with that . I have a friend of mine . His name is Patrick Figg and he took over as executive chef of a country club in Palm Beach . He tapped the person on the back of the shoulder and asked that server to grab something in the in the dining room . He got ridden up from HR inappropriate touch .
Man Fair dinking . That seems sorry .
That is terrible . Wait , wait , what'd you just say ? Fair dinking .
Yeah , A yeet for real . That's what it means . Fair dinking I'm going to .
I'm going to probably start using it .
Fair dinking , fair dinking . We have a new word .
Yeah , we got to write that down .
We're going to be writing down its tapes . Yeah Well , flag it .
Find it again . All right , listen . So , first of all , like I , second of all , I should say I this is the kind of conversation that we love to have on the program , because it gets into the molecule of the business .
It isn't superficial , it's deep and and I think the audience and listenership , this is the sort of content that they , that they're looking for . Obviously , we always want to talk about hey well , what spice did you use ? What was the ? You know right ?
This is really the essence of delivering the right sort of food and , and you know , we're , we're in concert on that yeah , 100% yeah . So this is kind of what we are here at Walk-In-Talk . So I appreciate the fact that the both of you and now listen . So you guys , both are pretty elevated in terms of your careers and we all fit in this table here .
Yeah , nobody's head was pushing each other that way , right .
And , and so it's obvious where you guys are in your lives and in your careers , and I think that is what is important to focus on , because when you're talking about mentoring and you're talking about bringing up the younger ones , this is what they need to see , right .
Actions Look at the actions , yeah .
How do we ?
all right . How do we find you ? All right , all social medias at Chef Genard . That's Genard with the J . My newest cookbook , this out southern , inspired my American table . They can get it at Amazon , barnes , noble , anywhere . Books are so long across the .
US . I should have had him here . I want you to sign my book . I'm all right , yes , you could have a book signing right here .
Yeah , come on , man , we're kind of a big deal here . I'll be the justice to .
Dan , I know .
Chef , yeah , for me pretty simple Instagram . So it's just John underscore , mcfadden , mcfa , double D e n underscore and heavily involved with LinkedIn as a networking platform . So LinkedIn is pretty powerful for me .
It's a sleeper . It is a sleeper .
Yeah , yeah , so yeah , and just . You have anything new coming up that you want to talk about real quick . Oh gosh , no , I've got my head buried in . Now the wealthy check , yeah .
I'm going to say tomorrow .
Okay .
I mean Food champ . Yeah , All right .
Listen , I appreciate you all being on Jefferson , the starship over there Appreciate you , we're out .