Line Cook Thoughts

On this episode I review the Hulu series: The Bear. The Bear is about a chef who returns home after his brother has passed and has left a sandwich shop for him to run in the heart of Chicago. Many in the industry claim this is one of the most realistic showcases of running a restaurant and I do agree. I breakdown episode by episode details I loved, stories that resonated and why this is a must wat...

On this episode I chat with bartender Patty Dennison. She works at Hawksmoor in New York City and was recently crowned the 2022 Woodford Reserve ManEx Winner. We talk about the dedication it takes to become good at bartending and the never ending journey of learning. We then talk about her time competing in this Woodford Reserve ManEx competition in which she had to make a Manhattan in various for...

In this episode I get to speak to members of the community about creativity. More specifically on how they manage getting out of periods when creativity is hard to find. There are many great bits of wisdom in this one and I hope you can relate. Featuring: Emma Heun, John Mohl, Josh Boyd, Devin Jarmon, Ede Ravich, Brittney Ray and Harleen Pawha. Check out Kettle Korn Creations at kettlekorncre...

On this episode I chat with friend and colleague, Zach Moquin. We chat about getting a Masters in Hospitality, why that segment of the industry can be so rewarding and the shifting landscape within the hospitality sector. We also go over why inclusivity is so important in work, why culture does in fact matter and also why making reservations are so important. Feel free to reach out to Zach using t...

On this episode I chat with Kimberly Schaub, host of the Peasonmoss podcast and Business Development Manager of Griffith Foods. Kimberly shares how she got into cooking after the Air Force, what drew her into food manufacturing and eventually how she got into R&D. She gives a roadmap on specific positions cooks can look for to make the leap and I find this will be very valuable for anyone interest...

On this episode I talk about how viewing positions outside of the kitchen only stifles your own opportunities within your career. I discuss my own view of non-kitchen work when I started cooking and how it has evolved immensely as I have taken different roles within food.  Check out the new restaurant blog at linecookthoughts.com If you are on Apple please leave a review!

On this episode I chat with Chef Kristin Brangwynne, personal friend and pastry chef, about her first published cookbook "Equinox: Seasonally Inspired Petit Gateaux". In the episode we talk about her career, working in Nashville, creating the recipes for her cookbook, the publishing process and so much more.  Get a copy of Equinox here: https://www.xlibris.com/en/bookstore/bookdetails/837845-equin...

On this episode I take the mic on a solo venture into the idea of our own expectations and the pressure we put on ourselves. I share how that in my own career, it was often the negative reaction to my own want for a change that caused unhappiness and unneeded pressure on myself. I also talk through the idea of how not giving ourselves the permission to rethink goals or ideas can lead to stress or...

On this podcast I get to talk with Dianne Jacob. Dianne Jacob coaches food writers and bloggers on how to get a cookbook published and how to improve the quality and effectiveness of their writing. She specializes in book proposals, which have a 1 percent acceptance rate. Dianne is the author of a multiple award-winning book on food writing, Will Write for Food: Pursue Your Passion and Bring...

On this episode I chat with Chef Sandhya Kumar. There is nothing better than your passion being your profession. And that is exactly what Chef Sandhya Kumar has always believed in. Passion for cooking hit Sandhya at an incredibly young age owing to her grandmother’s influence. Her Mom let her loose in the kitchen where she made lots of cake and a lot of mess Pursuing her passion, she acquired her...

On this episode I chat with Bruce McAdams, an Associate Professor at The University of Guelph based out of Canada. In the episode we talk about a study he conducted surrounding the wants of prospective kitchen employees and the need for work/life balance to bring a new generation of restaurant workers into the industry. We talk about scheduling models, the importance of a life outside of work and...

On this episode I chat with Bruce McAdams, an Associate Professor at The University of Guelph based out of Canada. In the episode we talk about a study he conducted surrounding the preparedness restaurants had in managing mental health issues amongst staff. We talk about stressors attributed to working in kitchens, the decline in enthusiasm of working in restaurants during Covid, the stigmas in th...

In this episode I speak to members of the Line Cook Thoughts Community on career rejection and how they overcame it. We all experience it not going our way from time to time and getting to hear stories and how these obstacles were overcome is a great resource for anyone going through rejection right now. A big thanks to those interviewed: Shani Patterson (IG: @foodnthoughts), Fawn Jones (IG: @fawn...

On this episode we continue with the Line Cook Nation Takes On Imposter Syndrome Series! A huge thank you to Samantha Pelayo (IG: @samanthapelayofoodblog), John Grabowski II, Michael Dimmer (Twitter Handle: @marbleandrye), Fritte (Twitter Handle: @Frittte1), Ian Phillip (IG: @chef_ian_israelsen) and Marissa Otto (IG: @rissotto22).  Please leave a review if you are listening on Apple! To check out...

On this episode I introduce the new series for 2022: Line Cook Nation Takes On ___. This episode is all about Imposter Syndrome, and the five food industry professionals I interview share examples of imposter syndrome they faced, thoughts on why it is so prevalent in the industry, stories on when anxiety did not match reality and advice on how to overcome it.  Thank you to those featured today (In...

This short solo episode is an overview of what I hope to accomplish with the podcast and brand in 2022. Really looking forward to some projects I have lined up involving the community. I also share the idea of goal setting and accomplishing actionable tasks. Excited for the year and hope it is a good one for you all! Get your official Line Cook Nation Merchandise at linecookthoughts.com

On this episode I chat with Chef Gerald Addison. A DC-native, Bammy’s co-owner and co-executive chef, Gerald Addison, is passionate about creating a more diverse dining culture in DC and is proud to be a part of the city’s culinary growth. Prior to Bammy’s, Gerald served as co-owner and co-executive chef of DC’s award-winning sister restaurants Compass Rose and Maydan, where he worked alongside Ch...

On this episode I chat about how throughout my career my goals for myself have changed drastically and why that is not a bad thing. Being tied to one goal is fine but not being open minded is limited and can lead to us missing opportunity and new paths that may turn out better for us. I also touch on Imposter Syndrome and the reality that in change we may face self doubt, but we cannot let ourselv...

Thank you all so much for 150 episodes! On today's show I talk about why patience and letting go are essential in food. We had to face a two year period unlike any seen in the world of food and I wanted to explore why giving up is not a bad thing, but rather a part of the process. I also wanted to address the idea of being ok with where we are in our process and why giving ourselves the permission...

Corey Mintz is a freelance food reporter (New York Times, Globe and Mail, Eater, and others), focusing on the intersection between what we eat with business, politics, farming, ethics, land use, labor, education and culture. He has been a cook and a restaurant critic. For his long-running column Fed, he hosted 192 dinner parties, featuring politicians, refugees, criminals, artists, academics, acup...

On this episode I chat with Aurora Blanchard. Aurora hiked 868 miles of the Appalachian Trail from April to July of this year. Prior to this, she studied Culinary Arts at The Culinary Institute of America and graduated in 2017. In 2020, she earned a Bachelor's in English from The University of Missouri-St. Louis. She has worked in restaurants in NYC, Perú and Hawaii.  In this episode Aurora shares...

On this episode I chat with Laurie Boucher. Laurie is an attorney turned Pasta Instructor. Laurie’s passion is  PASTA  and she teaches all forms of pasta making privately and in local businesses in and around Baltimore, Ocean City and other local seaside venues. Laurie teaches some of her unique pasta classes as an adjunct professor at AACC and is also a staff pasta instructor at the Baltimore Che...

On this episode I chat with Laurie Woolever. Laurie Woolever is a writer and editor, and New York Times bestselling author who  spent nearly a decade assisting Anthony Bourdain, with whom she coauthored Appetites: A Cookbook and New York Times #1 bestseller World Travel: An Irreverent Guide.  She has written about food and travel for the New York Times, GQ, Food & Wine, Lucky Peach, Saveur, Dissen...

In this episode I chat with the General Manager of Jerk at Nite, Natasha Powell. Jerk at Nite is a Caribbean Restaurant with multiple locations in the DMV. The founder, Denville Myrie Jr., started selling his jerk chicken out of his dorm room in 2013. Since then they have expanded into operating food trucks and brick and mortar locations in Washington D.C. and Baltimore. They also have plans to ex...

On this episode I chat with the Co-owner of La Chingona Taqueira, Jasmine Chacon. The taqueria is located in St. Maarten. We talk about her push to cook on the hot line despite facing opposition due to being a female in the kitchen. We then chat about her Mexican American heritage and the journey to cook and honor the cooking of her father. She shares about opening the taqueira, sourcing food to t...