Line Cook Thoughts

On this episode of the show, I chat with Adam Shoemaker and Mason Aronson. These two are the hosts of the Assemblage Beverage Podcast, a podcast focused on various topics within the beverage industry. We talk about the impact of celebrity branded spirits, pros and cons of AI in the industry, co-hosting a podcasting, favorite cocktails and more. Check out their podcast and work at https://www.assem...

On this episode, I get to chat with Crista Aladjadjian. Crista Aladjadjian is a former chef and restaurant operator who is now an industry leader in digital marketing and media. After helping concepts like Umami Burger and SunLife Organics become the beloved restaurants they are today, Crista stepped into the world of food media as the Culinary Director of We Are Cocina. Through Cocina she became...

Welcome to a new content piece for the podcast! Every Saturday I will drop a brief recap of the Prep List Items newsletter so that you can listen to the information on the way to work, in between shifts or on a break. Links will also be shared in the description of each episode (down below). This is a recap of the newsletter sent out on 03/13/23. National Restaurant Association Staffing Report: ht...

In this solo episode I discuss two different topics.  The first half is a look at the success and impact of MrBeast Burger in 2023. I know, why bother caring about an influencer selling mass produced burgers? The reality is that 55% of adults say that food e-commerce is an essential and with the digital food economy growing having awareness of what works and why is integral.  The second half of th...

This episode is the return of Chef Taffy Elrod! Taffy Elrod is a professional chef, cooking instructor, recipe developer, food writer, and former restaurant owner with over 20 years' experience in the food industry. Chef Elrod’s background in food for health informs her cooking and teaching. Making food and cooking accessible to everyone and empowering others to cook the food that matters most to...

In this episode I debut the podcast to both audio AND video audiences. This episode can be found on Youtube as well! I talk about the lack of diversity in what options cooks are told they have in the food and why this is a problem. I touch on the unlikeliness for most to become a Michelin starred chef and why having honest conversations of what success looks like in our industry matters.  Subscrib...

On this episode, I chat with author Emmanuel Laroche on his new book "Conversations Behind the Kitchen Door". Born and raised in France, EMMANUEL LAROCHE is VP of Marketing with Symrise North America a global manufacturer of flavors for the food and beverage industry. In 2015, Emmanuel developed an exclusive partnership with StarChefs for Symrise and began moderating panel discussions with success...

In this episode, I chat with Dr. Nathan Libbey. Dr. Libbey is the Director of Client Success at robochef, Inc, a food automation company in Libertyville, IL. Nathan has spent the past 20 years in a variety of leadership roles in the food space from last mile, to retail, from Global Fortune 100 firms to numerous food and adjacent tech startups.  Dr. Libbey has a BA from the University of Wisconsin,...

Welcome back to another solo episode. This week I talk about why it is SO important that you show up for yourself when it comes to opportunities in your career. Why you owe the work and time put in the recognition it deserves. Many of you have reached out not sure if you are ready for certain jobs, opportunities or self ventures. This podcast discusses why you ARE ready.  Subscribe to the newslett...

My guest today is Chef André Natera. With a 27-year culinary career, André Natera has cooked with Michelin-starred chefs and received numerous awards from Dallas and Austin media. Most recently, the Culinary Director and Executive Chef of Forbes Travel Guide’s largest four-star hotel in the world, Fairmont Austin, where he oversaw the culinary program including the only four-star restaurant in Aus...

On this episode I chat about the reporting by the NY Times that the food safety certification, ServSafe, is using it's funds to lobby against better wages for restaurant workers. I also share some of the solutions and alternatives proposed. I then go over answers from you, the Line Cook Nation, on which is more important: Consistency or Creativity. Link to NY Times Article: https://www.nytimes.com...

In this episode, Justin Khanna and I discuss the bombshell news of Noma closing. We breakdown our thoughts on what happened, what this means for elite fine dining and share opinions on the danger of pursuing these unsustainable paths. We then break down "The Menu", a film we both enjoyed and then have a quick convo about A.I. in food and what we are seeing so far. Go to my instagram @linecookthoug...

In this episode, Chris Spear returns. Chris is the Chef/Owner of Perfect Little Bites. He is also the founder and lead content creator of Chefs Without Restaurants. He is well versed and talented in private dining, recipe creation, food writing, podcasting and much more. In our conversation we talk about process and how we both want to improve, various aspects to food media creation, favorite rece...

In this episode, we start the year of 2023 off with mistakes to avoid and advice for new cooks in the industry. I posed the question to the Line Cook Nation community on what mistakes should new people in the food world should avoid and I share some of my favorite answers. Thank you all for sharing and I hope this episode brings you a ton of value and perspective.  Subscribe to the newsletter: lin...

In this episode I spend some time to thank you all for 4 years of Line Cook Thoughts! I give a quick recap of where we started and where I plan on going with the brand. Thank you all for your support and for always pushing this community forward! Check out the newsletter at linecookthoughts.com

On this episode I chat with Josh Sharkey. Josh Sharkey is the founder and CEO of meez, the recipe tool for professional chefs. He is an entrepreneur, chef, and restaurant operator with over 20 years of experience in the industry at restaurants like Oceana, Tabla, Bouley and Cafe Gray. After more than a decade cooking in Michelin-starred kitchens, he opened Bark Hot Dogs in 2009, which earned numer...

On this episode I start a new list framework I will be using over the next few weeks. I'll be sharing a bunch of thoughts and recommendations throughout the weeks and am starting with book recommendations. I have linked below to all of my recs and hope you check them out.  Subscribe to the newsletter at linecookthoughts.com Book Links: The War of Art: https://stevenpressfield.com/books/the-war-of-...

Hello again and welcome back to another solo show. Today I wanted to take a deep dive into the expectations we place on workers in regards to a "hard work environment". The jobs in the food world are hard on their own and I have found that adding artificial stress and negativity into these jobs is a net negative on our industry. The days of treating people like crap to get the "best" out of them s...

On this week's podcast I chat with Chef Dara Yu. Dara Yu is a 21-year-old LA native chef. Her career started in the MasterChef Junior kitchen at age 12 where she placed as runner-up in season one. Following her run on MasterChef Junior, she started staging at restaurants to continue to perfect the craft of cooking. She's spent time in kitchens such as AOC, Bouchon Bakery, Annisa, and Tasting Kitch...

In this episode I give direct advice to those in culinary school. Listen to this if you are in or about to go to college for the food industry! Check out linecookthoughts.com to sign up for the newsletter.

On this episode Dylan Leary returns to share about his work with 10-acre regenerative and educational farm on Cape Cod, Pelham Farms. In the show we chat about why he chose to start it, the daily challenges of managing a farm, long term goals regarding food production and much more.  Check out their work on Instagram @pelhamfarms Go watch videos from the farm here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=...

On this episode I dive into the enemy of progress: waiting for the perfect time to start. I go into why in food you learn as you build and take on challenges. I talk about negative feedback, examples of not knowing what I was doing and going for it anyway and much more. I hope if you are holding back on trying something new that this makes you commit and go for it! Subscribe to the newsletter, get...

On this episode I talk about the philosophy of Stoicism and how I have applied it to not only my career in food but also my everyday life. I touch on the aspects that help relieve anxiety, frame goals and establish a mindset that keeps me productive and in check. I also share some of the bigger concepts of Stoicism and why I hold them so valuable.  Subscribe to the newsletter at linecookthoughts.c...

Today on the show I interview Katie Reicher. As Executive Chef of the legendary Greens Restaurant in San Francisco, Katie creates comforting, seasonal, and inspired cuisine served in a welcoming environment that makes every guest feel like family. This approach extends to her kitchen staff as well, where each member feels valued, both as an individual and as part of the team, in an environment tha...

On this episode I dive into the burnout I have felt as a food media content creator over the last few months. After four years of work I have finally hit a wall and I wanted to share why and how I have managed to work through it. I discuss unhealthy statistic expectations, defining the game we choose to play and why sharing the type of content you do not want to make is super liberating. Would lov...