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Novice2Pro - Professional Chef Interviews
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Learn how to cook from professional chefs. Read their tips to home cooks.
So I decided to send a few chefs I've met or found on the internet some questions in the form of a chef interview and their responses were outstanding. These chef interviews give you a glimps into their worlds and offer numerous tips that can help home cooks to be better cooks. I really appreciate all the candid remarks from the people I interviewed and want to thank them for their time and effort.
You will note that I've expanded these interviews to other professional food people including a cheesemonger, food writers and Internet instructors.
If you are a professional chef and would like to be included on this page, please send me an email here. Look forward to hearing from you. RG |
I have always been curious about what it must be like to be a professional chef. Whether they are a famous TV Celebrity chef or the owner of a small restaurant in a small town in the middle of the country, they all have extensive knowledge I can learn from. I'm guessing most professional chefs with a few years experience have forgotten more about cooking than I'll ever know so why not just ask them to share some of that knowledge with me.
Chef Alain BrauxInterview with Chef & Author Alain Braux
I am very excited to share with you this interview with Chef Alain Braux. Chef Braux grew up in France where he learned to cook in some of the most famous French establishments next to some of the greatest French chefs of our time. He came to America to work in some great New York restaurants and now lives in Austin, Texas...
Chef Walter Scheib, The White House"Using just a few excellent ingredients, anyone can make a perfect meal with very little formal training.” - Chef Walter Scheib
White House Chef Walter Scheib
This hobby of mine is getting more fun every day. This time I get to interview Chef Walter Scheib, the executive chef in the White House for 11 years from 1994 to 2005. Here is a man who not only was respons...
Chef Marc Vetri"I look for dedication, I look for passion, I look for how they watch and listen. I watch their eyes and their gestures. " - Chef Marc Vetri
Although I have not had the opportunity (and I hope this changes) to dine at Marc Vetri's restaurant here in Philadelphia, I may have met him at one of The Great Chef Events he puts on to raise money for Alex's Lemonade Stand Fo...
Chef Trina Hahnemann"If I think about some of the best moments of my life, they usually involve sitting around a large table with friends and family, enjoying wonderful food and a nice glass of wine or beer and talking of something important." - Chef Trina Hahnemann
I am very excited about this interview with Trina Hahnemann, a very popular food writer and celebrity chef in her native D...
Chef Antony Osborne from CulinardChef Antony Osborne from Culinard
"I personally believe that you need to be honest, truthful and up front with the student, when guiding them in their culinary career. " - Chef Antony Osborne
What a treat to interview a renowned Master Pastry Chef who has traveled throughout 38 countries and worked at some of the finest hotels in the world including The Dorchester...
Chef Bertrand Chemel
Chef Bertrand Chemel
"We cannot expect them to be a chef, we have to teach them to become a chef." - Bertrand Chemel
I am very excited to introduce Chef Bertrand Chemel to the Reluctant Gourmet Novice2Pro Chef Interviews. For those of you who are restaurant fans, you will remember Chef Chemel at Café Boulud in New York City where he worked with Dani...
Chef Dawn Thomas"Focus on learning the skills and techniques behind cooking…not just following recipes. - Chef Dawn Thomas
With all the crazy cooking shows featuring celebrity chefs screaming and yelling at everyone, it's great to hear Chef Dawn Thomas's calming voice and watch her gifted hands as she teaches home cooks like myself the techniques of preparing great food at Rouxbe...
Chef Hiromitsu Nozaki"Cuisine is not made of only techniques. Understanding people and culture leads you to understand cuisine even more deeply. - Chef Hiromitsu Nozaki
For those of you who are interested in Japanese cuisine, you are going to enjoy this interview with Chef Hiromitsu Nozaki who just published his new book Japanese Kitchen Knives. In this book Chef Nozaki reveals the essen...
Chef Leslie BilderbackMaster Baker Interview with Chef Leslie Bilderback, CMB
"Being a chef isn't all tall hats and clogs.." - Leslie Bilderback
I am thrilled Chef Bilderback contacted me about her book, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Success as a Chef and then agreed to participate on my web site. Leslie is a Certified Master Baker and has been a chef for nearly 20 years. Little did she ...
Chef David NelsonBest piece of advice you would give a home enthusiast? - "Relax, the recipe is just a guideline! Have fun."
Chef David Nelson, founder of Chef4Students.org
Chef David began his career in 1971, at the age of fourteen, as a dishwasher at a small Country Inn in New Hampshire where he grew up. After High School, he went through "basic training" at Johnson and Wales Culi...
Chef Jennifer FieldPastry Chef Extraordinaire Jenni Field
"it is supremely gratifying to hear, "That was the best meal I've ever eaten!.." - Jennifer Field
Jenni first contacted me to tell me she was a fan of my site and if I would look at her brand new site, Pastry Chef Online. She
From there we started an email dialogue about food and I convinced her to participate in my ...
Chef Walter Staib"Always be willing to experiment and try something new." - Chef Walter Staib
Chef Walter Staib is a third generation restaurateur with over 40 years experience in the kitchen. He is also the person responsible for rescuing our historic City Tavern Restaurant that was originally established in 1773 and was the social and economic center for a young Philadelphia.
You ...
Chef KeemI met Chef Achim (Keem) Thiemermann when I built my first Squidoo lens, The Best of The Wurst. He was kind enough to visit my lens, give me his "blessing", a 5 star rating a lot of great advice. He is helping me with my second Squidoo lens for Coq au Vin and my latest, A Romantic Valentine's Day Dinner. I want to thank him again for all his help on these lenses and th...
Chef John FolseChef John Folse is respected around the world as an authority on Cajun and Creole cuisine. His world famous restaurant, Lafitte's Landing is recognized as one of the finest in New Orleans. He is the author of The Evolution of Cajun & Creole Cuisine and Plantation Celebrations.
In 1990, Chef Folse was named the "National Chef of the Year" by the American Culinary ...
Chef JoAnna Minneci
I met Chef JoAnna on ChefsLine, a cooking hotline my friend Jennifer Beisser created. We talked for a while and I knew I wanted to interview her on Novice2Pro and I'm so glad I did. This is one of the most informative interviews to date and anyone thinking of going to culinary arts school or becoming a personal chef should read it.
JoAnna started out as Human Res...
Chef Jeff Huff"It's important to understand that once one graduates from a culinary school, their education is just beginning. " - Chef Jeff Huff
Chef Jeff Huff is a graduate of the California Culinary Academy and has been an executive chef in some of the finest restaurants in the San Francisco Bay area. He headed up a bunch of corporate restaurants including the flag ship for SAG...
Chef Joey AltmanJoey Altman began training to be a chef at the tender ripe age of 16. In 1989 he opened Miss Pearl's Jam House in San Francisco where he received many stars for his tropical dishes inspired by Caribbean, Cajun, Creole and Pacific Rim cuisine.
Joey graduated culinary school from Sullivan County Community college in the Catskils where he grew up. He traveled to France ...
Chef Robert Reynolds"The act of cooking ends in creativity but begins in the hands." - Robert Reynolds
Trained by Madeleine Kamman in Annecy, France; mentored with Josephine Araldo, a Chef de Cuisine certified from the Cordon Bleu in Paris; Chef Reynolds teaches his students how to cook, taste ingredients and become confident in their own skills.
I was thrilled when Chef Reynolds conta...
Cheeseman Jack"There is no crime in not liking some allegedly famous cheese." - Cheeseman Jack
I met Jack at our local Farmers Market where he has one of his two popular cheese stands. His other cheese shop is in Philadelphia at the famous Reading Terminal Market. Jack is a true cheesemonger but doesn't like titles or labels so I now just call him Cheeseman Jack.
One of my culina...
Chef Alan BickelI met Alan on line when he emailed me about my site. We traded emails back and forth talking about food and his thoughts on different culinary topics when I asked him if would like to write an article about what it is like behind the scenes of a busy restaurant in a large resort.
His article, The 'Rest' in Restaurants is a must read for anyone who enjoys cooking and ...
Greg Cerretani"There are going to be people who know more about food and recipes, can prep faster and will generally outperform you in the kitchen but you need to live your dream. - Culinary Student Greg Cerretani
For the past several years I have been involved with Chef David Nelson's Chef4Students.org non-profit organization where grant money is given out to a culinary student i...
Dr. Mark VogelDr. Mark Vogel, Chef & Food Writer
I met Chef Vogel when he sent me an email about his food & drink column he writes for several newspapers. We got talking on the phone and soon learned of our mutual interest....food. I asked him to participate in my Novice to Pro section and he was glad to do it.
He sent me the following bio and his responses to my question...
Peter HertzmannCutlery Expert Peter Hertzmann
Peter Hertzmann is the creator and illustrator of his own web site called à la carte and author of a incredible new book on knife skills called Knife Skills Illustrated. I heard Peter on an Internet interview with Ann & Peter Haig and sent him an email asking if he would like to be interviewed on Novice2Pro.
Not only did he agree ...
Chef Crystal Frazier
"Be prepared to put in hard work and long hours. " - Crystal Frazier
I met Crystal through my friend Chef David Nelson of Chefs4Students.org. Crystal received one of Chef4Students grants helping her finance her culinary education in New York at the French Culinary Institute.
The photo to the right shows Crystal receiving her grant check with Chef June, Geo...
Monica Bhide
Cookbook Author Monica Bhide
Monica sent me an email and asked me to check out her new cookbook, The Spice Is Right and I was thrilled when I received it. I have not done much Indian cooking and would like to learn some of the basic techniques and this is the book to start with.
I asked Monica if she would like to be in my Novice to Pro feature and she responded by ...
Chef Terrell GarrettChef Garrett contacted me in an email and said he would interested in participating in my new Ask A Chef feature. After reading about his background, I was excited to have him on board. What is most interesting to me is becoming a chef was Terrell's second career after spending 26 years as a hospital administrator and corporate staff manager for a hospital management ...
Chef Yves Terrian, Maestro SVP
Chef Terrian came to us via Ilene Polansky, the owner of Maestro S.V.P., a Montreal, Quebec restaurant that specializes in oysters from all over the world.
According to Ilene, her restaurant has been somewhat hectic this summer including working through June without a day off, 16 hour work days, setting up a new outdoor dining room and hosting an oyster bar for the Q...
Chef Barbara Freda
Jennifer Beisser was the president of a very cool website called ChefsLine years ago. It was culinary hotline and connects home cooks to cooking lessons with chefs by phone. I asked her if I could interview some of her very talented chefs and she arranged this Novice to Pro interview with Chef Barbara Freda.
Barb is a restaurant chef, food and travel writer, coo...
Chef Paolo Monti
Novice to Pro Interview with Chef Paolo Monti
Chef Paolo comes to us from Pistoia, Italy and has been in the restaurant business for more than 25 years. He has worked in Italy, Germany, England, Greece, Oman, Bahrain, and the United States. Chef Paolo is currently running an Italian Gourmet Cooking School at Grand Hotel Portovenere in Liguria, Italy where you can lea...
Diane Brown
Cookbook Author Diane Brown
Interview with the author of The Seduction Cookbook
When I received Diane's email asking if I would like to review her cookbook, The Seduction Cookbook, I immediately looked it up at Amazon to see if it was going to make me blush. Although the cover is very sexy, the contents of the book are for anyone who wants to learn more about cookin...
Chef Christopher Van Ness
I met Chef Chris at a group cooking class at Carmines Creole, a New Orleans styled restaurant in Bryn Mawr, PA . I asked Chris a lot of questions during the class and now stop in often to ask more questions.
Chris is one of those chefs who love teaching and has an expansive knowledge of cooking techniques and food. Ask him how to boil water and be prepared to learn m...
Chef Linda Hall
Chef Linda Hall sent me an e mailed after checking out the page. She sent me some great ideas for my "Kitchen Drawer" page that I will be sure to include. Linda works as a chef for a big food manufacturer developing new products. Linda's knowledge in the kitchen is incredible as you will see in her answers below.
Did you cook growing up?
I started cooking in junior ...
Chef Todd Mohr
" I say cooking is confidence in the kitchen. " - Todd Mohr
Chef Todd Mohr started out in the Communication Industry and then the Broadcasting and Outdoor Advertising Industry before deciding to quit his job and attend the Baltimore International Culinary College.
There he earned a dual culinary degree in cooking and baking, graduating cum laude. He then accepted a ...
Chef Hartmut W. Kuntze
Certified Master Chef
When I received an email from Chef Hartmut, I was thrilled. A Certified Master Chef sending me his recipe for perfect mashed potatoes...what a great way to learn. Now as some of you may know, I have my own recipe for mashed potatoes that is good, but very simple and does not look at it from a trained professional. I learned more from Master Chef...
Chef Don Zajac
My first email from Chef Don went like this, "Your recipe is interesting for the Caesar Salad. FYI, here the correct version, Bon Appetite!"
Well, I thought to myself. These professional chefs don't mince words. I checked out his recipe and it looked like the real thing so I emailed back and asked him the history behind it. He replied, "I'm somew...
Chef Bub Horne
Chef Bub Horne
"Try to prepare food with out hurting it. Preserve integrity of ingredients ."I met Chef Horne on the Internet via E-mail months ago and we've been trying to get together since then to go restaurant hopping to meet some of his chef friends. Chef Horne works at Daymon Associates Inc.as an R &D Chef for new product development. Check out hi...
Heather & Lucinda Wallace
Cookbook Writers Heather & Lucinda Wallace
Lucinda Wallace and her daughter Heather got together and decided to write a cookbook about one of their favorite subjects...Cookies. Lucinda has been baking since the age of 11 and Heather has been writing both regionally and nationally for over 20 years. What a team!
Their new cookbook is called 101 Easy Peasy Cookie ...
Chef Mark French
The Invisible Chef Mark French
Chef French has quite a background. He began his cooking experience at boarding school at the age of thirteen, where being a prep cook got me out of the more tedious tasks. In his high school years he worked part time as a bus boy and prep cook. After graduation he moved to England and worked in restaurants. After a year, he returned to...
Chef Genevieve McGough
Genevieve McGough is a chef from Auckland New Zealand who I met on line and have been helping with some marketing ideas for her recipe web site. She has 15 years experience in professional cookery and is a self taught photographer who photographs as well as food styles every dish on her web site, Genevieve's Cuisine. Here's what she says about her inspiration for her ...
Chef Michael Gerard
"Enjoy Life, eat in more often" - Michael Gerard
Michael Gerard, owner of Wildwood Wood Fired Ovens & BBQ's, not only sold me my wood burning pizza oven but is teaching me how to use it. He is a wealth of information on the art of cooking in a wood burning oven. I'm finding there is much more I can do besides making the tastiest pizza imaginable.
Born and raised...
Steve Brill
Cookbook Author "Wildman" Steve Brill
Wildman Steve emailed me one day and told me about his new cookbook called Wild Vegetarian Cookbook. He is a leading authority on edible and medicinal wild plants, in the midst of his 20th year of Wild Food and Ecology field walks in and around NYC (He's best-known for having been handcuffed and arrested by undercover park ranger...
Chef Pete Barich
Chef Pete Barich comes to us from Kramerbooks & Afterwords Cafe in the heart of Washington, D.C but unfortunately we don't have a photo of him so you are stuck looking at just me.
Reluctant Gourmet's Questions
Did you cook growing up?
I was always fooling around in the kitchen, I thought my mom was a great cook.
Before you turned pro, did you think that's what...
Chef Enedina Andrews
Chef Enedina Andrews
"Working in kitchens is hard work, there's a reason they say if you can't stand the heat stay out of kitchen." - Enedina Andrews
Chef Enedina was introduced to me by Gregory Wertsch, President & CEO of The Clandestine Chef Experience, a one time in-home cooking school located in the Denver area. (I don't think it still exists)&...
Chef Ricco DeLucaMeet my friend Chef Ricco DeLuca
Once at a wedding in the Berkshires of Massachusetts, I befriended a chef by the name of Ricco DeLuca. Ricco graduated high school the same year I did and upon graduation went to cooking school where I went to college. He's spent the past 30 years working in restaurants while playing in the stock market as a hobby while I spent a good...
Chef Martin Laprise"Working in a kitchen is full of surprise everyday, and that's why I love it! ." - Martin Laprise
If your daughter (or son) is thinking of going to culinary arts school anytime soon, you are going to want to read Chef Martin Laprise's interview and then buy his book, My Daughter Wants to Be A Chef.
Chef Laprise has worked in just about every venue you can imagine; r...
Eleonora "Lola" Baldwin
Cooking is more a reason to get people together, talking, loving each other, participating in a communal activity. - Lola
I met Lola when she commented on my Cooking Blog about a Tuscan Tomato, Cucumber & Bread Salad called Panzanella. She is an "Italian-American, home cook, freelance writer, translator, mother, dreamer" who has a wonderful food blog ca...
Chef Trey Foshee
This information came from an article in Food & Wine that my friend Kate Krader wrote in the July 1998 issue for America's Ten Best New Chefs. I hope to meet Trey in the near future and ask to interview him myself for this section, but I thought you would enjoy the information. I've also included his recipe for Striped Bass with Caramelized Onion Sauce.
Backgroun...
Ja Lisa McKeown
The Very First Reluctant Gourmet Culinary Grant Recipient Ja'Lisa McKeown
Future Chef Ja'Lisa McKeown is the recipient of the very first Reluctant Gourmet Culinary Grant in association with Chef4Students.org, a nonprofit organization responsible for putting students in contact with the funds they need to attend the culinary schools of their choice.
This is also ...
Professional Chef InterviewsLearn From The ProsIf you want to learn about cooking and how to be a better cook at home, speak to a professional chef.At least, that's what I thought so I started a section of my website called Novice2Pro where I ask professional chefs questions like:
When did you decide to become a chef?
Did you go to culinary school or learn by experience?
What are some of yo...
Carrie OliverInterview with Carrie Oliver
After reading an interesting article in The Wall Street Journal by Mark Schatzker called Having a Cow About Steak Quality, I immediately set out to learn more finding the perfect steak so I did some research and found The Artisan Beef Institute and Carrie Oliver. After exchanging emails and a phone call, I asked Carrie if she would answer...
Culinary Student Blair Cannon Interview
For the past two years I've had the pleasure of sponsoring a Reluctant Gourmet Culinary School Grant in association with Chef4Students.org. It is a great way for me to participate in the industry and make a small difference to these fine young people and future chefs. This year's recipient is Blair Cannon who is currently attending Johnson & Wales in Charlotte, ...
Interview with Chef Ruth Gresser
Chef Interview With Ruth Gresser of Pizzeria Paradiso in Washington, DC part of my Novice2Pro Interviews with Professional Chefs
I met Chef Gresser after doing some research on pizza making in our outdoor wood-burning oven. I found her site and pizza videos and sent her an email. She was kind enough to answer my questions and after that take time out of her busy sche...
Culinary Student Interview with Karly Krentz
A few weeks ago I announced the recipient of the 3rd Reluctant Gourmet culinary school grant in association with Chef4Students.org. Her name is Karly Krentz and she is attending the Secchia Institute for Culinary Education in Grand Rapids, MI. You can read the announcement and learn a little more about Karly at Reluctant Gourmet Culinary Grant Winner Karly Krentz.
I ...
Chef David Nelson, Co-founder of Chef4Students.org
Chef David Nelson on Culinary Arts Schools & Chef4Students.org
I am happy to say I am a friend of Chef David Nelson. He had already done a lot for culinary junkies both professional and novice with his previous web site, Chef2Chef, but now he is giving back to that same community with his new Chefs4Students.org culinary foundation.
By raising money for culinary...
Who Is The Reluctant Gourmet? I'm a work-at-home dad who enjoys cooking, learning everything I can about the culinary world and sharing it with you. To learn more about me, click here. Lets Get Social!
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