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From Fine Dining to the Personal Chef Business with Chef Lana Lagomarsini of Lana Cooks

nyc personal chef lana lagomarsini of lana cooks

About Lana Lagomarsini

On this week’s podcast we’re joined by Lana Lagomarsini. Lana is the chef and owner of Lana Cooks, a personal chef business based in the New York City area. Lana comes from a fine-dining background, having cooked at Blue Hill at Stone Barns, Gramercy Tavern, Daniel, and Momofuku Ko. Like many chefs, when restaurants began shutting down due to Covid, Lana explored the personal chef sector. After this podcast aired, Lana was one of the chefs featured on the Netflix series Pressure Cooker.

On This Week’s Podcast

On the show, we discuss her restaurant background and her transition into the personal chef business. We talk about kitchen culture, finding her culinary voice, and the future she’d like to see in the food industry. Lana also talks about cooking for her community, her involvement in the Black Food Movement, and how African American Cuisines and the slave trade impacted American Cuisine.

This Week’s Sponsor

Looking to make better pizza? How about bagels, bread, or English muffins? Then you need a Baking Steel. Don’t just take my word for it. Kenji López-Altof Serious Eats/The Food Lab said “this is the answer I’ve been waiting for to produce consistently awesome pizza over and over”.

You can listen to the show on Podpage, Podlink,  Buzzsprout, ITunes, Spotify, TuneIn, Stitcher, Amazon Music, Pandora,  I Heart Radio, and everywhere podcasts are found.

LANA LAGOMARSINI

Lana’s Instagram
Lana’s Website


CHEFS WITHOUT RESTAURANTS

You can listen to the show on Podpage, Podlink,  Buzzsprout, ITunes, Spotify, TuneIn, Stitcher, Amazon Music, Pandora,  I Heart Radio, and everywhere podcasts are found.

If you enjoy the show and would like to support it financially, please check out our Sponsorship page (we get a commission when you use our links).  

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Founder Chris Spear’s personal chef business Perfect Little Bites

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Sobriety and Starting a Baking Business – Louis Remolde The Single Baker

Sobriety and Starting a Baking Business with Louis Remolde The Single Baker

About Louis Remolde

On this episode, we’re joined by Louis Remolde, otherwise known as The Single Baker. Louis is someone who’s worked in the food and beverage industry in Philadelphia, PA since he was 14 years old. At the age of 39, he decided to get sober, and eventually started his own baking business, as well as a personal training business.

rainbow cake with sprinkles

On This Week’s Podcast

Louis talks about his path in the industry, and how he came to start his business. You’ll learn about how he landed cooking spots on local tv stations, and eventually a spot on a Food Network tv show. He also talks about his upcoming book on food and sex.

You can listen to the show on Podpage, Podlink,  Buzzsprout, ITunes, Spotify, TuneIn, Stitcher, Amazon Music, Pandora,  I Heart Radio, and everywhere podcasts are found.

cupcakes with sprinkles

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Louis Remolde

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Louis’s Instagram
Louis’s Recipes

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CHEFS WITHOUT RESTAURANTS

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SUPPORT US ON PATREON
Get the Chefs Without Restaurants Newsletter
Visit Our Amazon Store (we get paid when you buy stuff)

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Founder Chris Spear’s personal chef business Perfect Little Bites

If you want to support the show, our Venmo name is ChefWoRestos and can be found at https://venmo.com/ChefWoRestos. If you enjoy the show it would be much appreciated. 

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Flavorful Ways to Spice Up Your Meal

Sometimes, food can be boring. If you want your meals to have a little more zip, zest, or flavor, below is a list of subtle touches you can make to turn your boring old piece of grilled chicken into chicken KUNG POW! Here are some flavorful ways to spice up your meal.

Salt

Even though it may sound very simple, salting your food could be the difference between a decent meal and a good one. Salt creates that little extra kick that some foods may be missing. A good example of the proper time to use additional salt is on a steak that you aren’t quite sure what it is missing. The steak isn’t bad; it is pretty good; it is just missing one thing… salt. 

In fear of upsetting the cook, you don’t want to use A1 sauce and “ruin the steak,” but nobody is going to be offended if you throw a pinch of salt on that steak. Not to mention, salt has extraordinary health benefits. It dehydrates portions of the body, which at first may sound like a bad thing, but dehydrating the body releases bacteria and toxins and allows you to rehydrate with clean water.

Rubs & Marinades

There are so many different kinds of rubs that are used to add flavor to meals. But, have you ever put a rub or marinade, which is intended to go on some sort of meat, on anything else? These flavorful additions are packed with seasonings, spices, and herbs, but most people just put them on meat. 

If you want a real treat and know how to make homemade french fries, put a rib rub on them after they have been in the fryer. Or, you could even do a small science experiment. After that, blindfold your loved ones, as most people do, and have them eat one of each french fry and tell them which one was better. You may not be surprised by the results.

A great example of an unconventional marinade, meanwhile, is pepper jelly. Though you may be wondering where to buy pepper jelly, this trendy condiment is quickly becoming popular and easy to find. You may be hesitant to give it a try, but once you do, you’ll be hooked.

Lemon

Lemon is easily the number one most overlooked source of flavor in the realm of foods. If you have ever used lemon-scented items, you know just how appealing the scent is; studies have shown that a large portion of taste comes from the smell. When something smells delicious, you are more likely to enjoy the taste. 

Most people steer away from using lemon after the food is prepared because it is such a sour fruit, but sometimes that is just what certain meals need. The best example to use is chicken. Unless the chicken is prepared with lemon, people don’t use it to spice or add flavor after it is ready. So if you think that your chicken isn’t dry, but it is bland, cut up a lemon and squeeze it over your chicken; you won’t regret it.

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MetroCooking DC Returns December 4th and 5th

metrocooking dc with martha stewart

Purchase Tickets Here

Coming back, for the first time since 2019, the region’s largest culinary showcase, Metro Cooking DC returns to the Washington Convention Center December 4-5 with Martha Stewart and Carla Hall headlining the event. Local show organizer, E. J. Krause & Associates are returning this foodie extravaganza to DC in support of the resilience of the hospitality industry as it reemerges from pandemic shutdowns.

15th ANNUAL METRO COOKING DC SHOW

Saturday, December 4 – Sunday, December 5, 2021

Walter E. Washington Convention Center – Washington, DC

Hours: Saturday Dec 4: 10 am – 5:30 pm; Sunday Dec 5:  10 am – 5 pm

Ticket Prices: General Admission – $20 in advance.

Children 4-12 – $10 in advance

Children under 4 free with paid adult

www.MetroCookingDC.com

@MetroCookingDC

carla hall

Also making appearances will be the country’s two most decorated barbeque champions, six-time world champ Tuffy Stone and five-time champ Myron Mixon. They will co-host the BBQ Bash on Saturday, December 4 where attendees will be able to sample from the area’s best barbeque restaurants.

myron mixon

Show-goers may shop from aisles of specialty food products, including holiday gift options, experience live demos from James Beard honored chefs, participate in interactive workshops and attend book signings from authors from throughout the country. 

At the James Beard Foundation Cooking Stage will be an all-star lineup, with Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington RAMMY award-winners and local DC area chefs including Amy Brandwein, from Centrolina and Piccolina; Erik Bruner-Yang, of Maketto; Scott Drewno and Danny Lee of ChiKo; Nick Stefanelli, of Masseria and Officina, and Kevin Tien of Moon Rabbit along with other regional Beard honored winners and nominees. In addition, regional chefs will lead hands-on cooking classes.

chiko danny lee scott drewno
Scott Drewno and Danny lee
kevin tien
Kevin Tien

Several interactive events within the event include a two-day Beer, Wine & Spirits Garden, highlighting breweries, wineries, distilleries and cideries.  On Sunday, December 5, more than 50 restaurants will serve up signature sweet and savory bites at the 8th annual Grand Tasting Pavilion benefiting SOME (So Others Might Eat).  A host of cooking classes and demonstrations will fill the hall both days with chefs teaching everything from knife skills to how to make your own pasta.

Throughout the two-day event, there will be activities including ongoing tastings, demos and home entertaining and cooking workshops. Known to be a great shopping show, this year 200 specialty food exhibitors will exhibit and sell products making the event a place to shop for holiday gifts for gourmands.

General admission tickets are priced at $20, which includes admission to the James Beard Cooking Stage and the Exhibitor Marketplace. The cooking classes, Beer, Wine & Spirits Garden, BBQ Bash and the Grand Tasting Pavilion are special ticketed events that are sold separately.  Tickets are also available for book signings by celebrity chefs Stewart, Hall, Stone, Mixon and vegan chef Miyoko Schinner.

ekiben
Erik Bruner-Yang
Erik Bruner-Yang
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Running a Successful Food Truck Business

jerrod cline of bub-b-que food truck in frederick maryland

About Jerrod Cline and Bub-B-Que

On this week’s podcast, we’re joined by Jerrod Cline of Bub-B-Que, a food truck based in Frederick, Maryland. Jerrod was the 2nd guest we had on the podcast way back in Dec 2019. The food world, and the world in general, has changed so much in two years. I wanted to get Jerrod back on the show and hear how things have changed for him.

Smoked Brisket

On This Week’s Podcast

From rising food costs to pivoting, we talk about running a food truck in the year 2022. Jerrod talks about how he’s changed his menu, and what he thinks about competition. He discusses some tricks to keeping his food cost in check, and how he keeps the money coming in during the cold winters.

This Week’s Sponsors

If you’re interested in grits, corn meal, and corn flour that are both delicious and nutritious, check out Professor Torbert’s Orange Corn.   All of their products are non-GMO, gluten free and vegan. Their orange corn is helping fight micronutrient deficiencies in more than 10 African countries. So, when you choose Professor Torbert’s you aren’t just saying yes to better flavor. You’re also helping deliver better nutrition on a global scale. When ordering on their website, use discount code CHEFS10 to save 10%.

Looking to hire employees for your restaurant? This week’s sponsor is Savory Jobs, a job site only for restaurants. For just $50, get unlimited job postings for an entire year. Use discount code SAVORY10 to save 10%.

You can listen to the show on Podpage, Podlink,  Buzzsprout, ITunes, Spotify, TuneIn, Stitcher, Amazon Music, Pandora,  I Heart Radio, and everywhere podcasts are found.

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Jerrod Cline and Bub-B-Que

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Bub-B-Que Instagram
Bub-B-Que Facebook Page
Jerrod Cline on Episode 7 of the Chefs Without Restaurants Podcast

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CHEFS WITHOUT RESTAURANTS

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SUPPORT US ON PATREON
Get the Chefs Without Restaurants Newsletter
Visit Our Amazon Store (we get paid when you buy stuff)

Chefs Without Restaurants Facebook page

Chefs Without Restaurants private Facebook group

Chefs Without Restaurants Instagram

Founder Chris Spear’s personal chef business Perfect Little Bites

If you want to support the show, our Venmo name is ChefWoRestos and can be found at https://venmo.com/ChefWoRestos. If you enjoy the show it would be much appreciated.