The Stoveside Stories Podcast

Though Chef Georgianna Hiliadaki first studied European Studies and Italian in the UK, she found her true passion and went to train as a chef at the Institute of Culinary Education in New York.   After her training, she co-founded Funky Gourmet in Athens and becoming the first Greek woman to earn two Michelin stars. She also helped open OPSO in London, and now works on restaurant projects in Greec...

Born and brought up in London England, Chef Wong grew up in a restaurant family. His grandfather, who moved to London as a Chinese refugee, owned a restaurant in Chinatown. While his father was the first Chinese publican in the United Kingdom. In 1985, his parents opened Kym's a Cantonese restaurant in Pimlico.    He started to help in the kitchen by washing dishes since he was seven years old. Th...

Chef and Co-owner Rasmus Kofoed of Geranium restaurant was born in Birkerød, Denmark. He grew up in the old ferry town of Vordingborg, located 100km south of Copenhagen. Thanks to a mother who often took him foraging in the forest or along the coastline, he became enamored with food and cooking at an early age.   Having trained in Denmark and Belgium, he ultimately returned to Copenhagen and opene...

This podcast episode features James Beard award-winning author, entrepreneur, adventurer and tea-lover Henritta Lovell .    Growing up in London, England, she was used to the common British industrial tea products. A business trip to Hong Kong in 1999 changed her view forever - the incredible depth and taste of the liquor awakened something in her. She wanted to shared the amazing experience with...

This Back to the Archives podcast episode features the legendary Chef Paul Liebrandt, who is now based in New York but was born in London, England.   Ever since he was a teenager, Chef Liebrandt was immersed in the art of cooking in various kitchens. From the Marco Pierre White, Raymond Blanc to Jean-Georges Vongerichten, he has worked alongside these great chefs early on his career in United King...

A native of the province of Ontario, Canada, Chef Jeremy Austin started his culinary journey at the Culinary Arts Italian program at Toronto's George Brown College. He continued his career in various establishments within the province, further afield in Canada, as well as in Italy and China.   After globetrotting to hone his craft, he returned to Canada and opened The Pine with his wife Cassie in...

Chef Allison Leroux, an Ontario native who runs Crowded Table Pizza, is born to be in the business.   She grew up working in Amadio’s - her family’s pizzeria - to learn first-hand about the industry, and spent time outdoors with gardens and animals. She went on to study Animal Biology and Agriculture at the University of Guelph, while working on farms, urban agriculture and community gardens.   Du...

Two Ontario native chefs collaborate to create one of the best restaurants in Canada.   Hailing from Brantford, Ontario, Chef Eric Robertson seriously contemplated a career in cyclist as a teenager. Eventually, his love for the kitchen won over as he focused on culinary work. His career led him all through out Europe, including stints in Belgium, Sweden and France.   Meanwhile, Chef Daniel Hadida...

Growing up in a small village near Bergamo, Chef Riccardo Camanini had the good fortune of eating very well with his family.   He worked under legendary Italian chef Gualtiero Marchesi, which granted him a great view of what Italian cuisine could be.   After that, he moved and worked at renowned places throughout England, France and Spain with chefs like Raymond Blanc, Jean-Louis Nomicos, Andoni L...

Raised in Nova Scotia, Chef Joel Gray developed a lifelong passion for hospitality. He always finds joy in welcoming and providing a warm experience for others.   After a few years working in "traditional" restaurants, he and his now-wife Hannah Harradine started their first pop-up series called Sumac & Salt in 2019. They also acquired the property where the restaurant is currently located in...

As a member of the Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation at Cape Croker Reserve, Chef Zach Keeshig was born in Wiarton and raised in Owen Sound, Ontario.   He started in the restaurant world at 17, then continued studying at the Georgian College for Culinary Arts. After that, he went on to work in various restaurants across Ontario with many of the top Chefs in Canada including Eigensinn Farm,...

Born and raised in La Marche region of Italy, Chef Roberti began his career in pastry making, and later worked in kitchens of prestigious establishments in Italy and abroad.   For six-years in Australia, he worked as the Executive Chef and consultant for several important Melbourne restaurants including Caffe e Cucina. Ultimately, he opened his own Italian restaurant. In 2017, he was named for the...

Born in Slovenia, very close to the Italian border, Ana Roš never considered cooking as a career. After trying her hand at being an alpine skier at a young age and a diplomat after university (she graduated with a degree in international and diplomatic science and worked for a period in the field), she met Valter Kramar, her ex-partner - and her whole life changed.   The two took over Hiša Franko...

Born in Jutland, Denmark, Rasmus Munk did not have any culinary history in his family. Purely by chance, he decided to attend culinary art courses at the Danish association Silkeborg. He started to fall in love with cooking, entered various student competitions for young chefs and went on to work at various kitchens in London, England and in Copenhagen, Denmark.   In 2015, he opened the first vers...

Born in Dijon, deep in the French wine region of Burgundy, Adeline Grattard started training at the School of French Cuisine at Ferrandi and worked under a number of master chefs like Flora Mikula, Yannick Alleno and Pascal Barbot. She moved from Paris to Hong Kong with her husband Chi Wah Chan for two years, where she worked alongside at creative restaurants like BO Innovation with Alvin Leung as...

Born in Cerignola, Puglia, in the south of Italy, Cristina Bowerman grew up in an internationally minded family. She studied foreign languages at school, continuing her academic studies at university where she earned a law degree. A spell working at a law firm followed, before the pull of overseas travel became too much and she left for San Francisco in the United States. After completing a course...

Born and raised in Cuernavaca, Mexico, Chef Santiago Lastra was trained in various institutes in Mexico and Spain, then began his career at different locations all over the world, including Mugaritz and the Nordic Food Lab.   He also worked through 27 countries, working at different venues such as The Tate in London and Hija de Sanchez in Copenhagen in different capacities. The turning point of hi...

Norbert Niederkofler was born in 1961 in Luttago, a small town in the heart of the Italian Dolomites mountains. Growing up with a family that runs a hotel impacted him greatly.   Despite the deep love for his home town, he studied to be a chef in order to see the world. So he left to work in Germany, Great Britain, Switzerland, Milan and New York.   In 1993, he returned home. And before long was o...

Professor Johan Nordensvärd, an associate professor in management and technology at Royal Institute of Technology and also an associate professor in political science at Linköping University, both located in Sweden.   He has lived overseas in multiple countries, including China, Great Britain, Germany and currently resides in Stockholm.   He published a comparative study about Covid-19's influence...

Chef Hiroko Shimbo is an authority on Japanese cuisine who has earned world-wide recognition. She is a native of Japan and currently live in New York City.    She teaches the Japanese Concentration Course at Culinary Institute of America. And she is also a consulting chef to diverse food service industries based in the United States since 1999.   In addition, she has written three award-winning co...

Chef Suzette Gresham has been the head chef of Acquerello, the iconic Italian restaurant in San Francisco since it opened its door in 1989.   Originally from San Carlos, California, her interest in food and cooking started with her family - that emigrated from France to the United States - in an unconventional way.   Though she is of French descent, she has long been creating Italian dishes, even...

Chef Alex Hong was born in Colorado and first discovered his passion for cooking through his aunt and uncle, a pair of Missouri farmers who shared homegrown organic produce with him.  He attended Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park, New York; also staged at the Jean-Georges restaurant in the city. He also worked at Quince in San Francisco under the legendary Chef Tusk at all stations,...

Chefs Stuart Brioza and Nicole Krasinski have been partners in crime within the restaurant industry for a very long time.   Chef Brioza attended the Culinary Institute of America, where he graduated with top honors. He then began cooking in Chicago's famous Savarin restaurant. Chef Krasinski is a skilled pastry chef who started her career in Chicago as well at the Red Hen Bakery.   They were then...

Born in South Africa, Chef Laurence Jossel came to United States at a young age and started to work at restaurants at 14. Not only did he find a job, but he also found his true calling.   Since 2006, his restaurant Nopa has seen lots of transformations. It started out as a hangout for chefs, servers and various late-night stragglers. As times evolved, the food and the style also changed.   During...

Chef Rodolfo Guzman, the chef, entrepreneur, and owner of Boragó in Santiago, Chile, did not expect to become a chef.   He was working in Chemical Engineering and Bioprocesses at the Catholic University of Chile, specializing in microstructures, and has been a participant in researches of neurology, psychology, nutrition, among other fields.   By luck (and necessity), he started to work in restaur...