Chefs Without Restaurants

Join Chris Spear as he interviews food and beverage entrepreneurs who have built successful careers outside of traditional restaurant kitchens.
From personal chefs, caterers, and food truck operators to cookbook authors, research chefs, and farmers, each guest has paved their own way in the culinary world. Through candid conversations, they share the challenges, lessons, and successes of creating a business on their own terms.
With over 30 years of experience in the hospitality industry—including running his own personal chef business, Perfect Little Bites—Chris is dedicated to helping chefs and food entrepreneurs navigate their own unconventional paths in the industry.
If you’re looking for inspiration, business insights, and real stories from those who have stepped beyond the restaurant world, this podcast is for you.
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This week on Chefs Without Restaurants, Chris Spear talks with culinary historian and James Beard Award-winning author Michael Twitty about his new book, 'Recipes from the American South.' With over 250 recipes, the book is a deep dive into the rich, diverse traditions of Southern food. Chris and Michael explore everything from grits and cornbread, to scrapple and possum.
They also discuss what defines the South, how Michael pulled together such a monumental collection, and why food memory and identity matter now more than ever. This is a heartfelt, thoughtful and delicious episode that food lovers won’t want to miss.
Topics discussed:
– What defines Southern food and identity
– Why certain recipes made the cut
– The cultural storytelling behind Southern dishes
– Forgotten and misunderstood foods
– The research process behind the cookbook
MICHAEL TWITTY
Michael's Instagram
Michael's website and Afroculinaria
Michael on the Chefs Without Restaurants podcast in 2021
Buy the book Recipes From the American South
CHEFS WITHOUT RESTAURANTS
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